A Match Made in Lipa

by Carla de Guzman

Childhood friends reconnect as grown-up rivals — and maybe something more — in this witty Filipino romance from Carla de Guzman.

What’s written in the stars isn’t always the whole story…

Chocolate maker and shop owner Kira Luz isn’t looking for love, but if fate leads her that way, so be it. When she randomly runs into her childhood crush, Santi, on vacation, it feels like the stars are trying to tell her something. Memories of their time growing up in Lipa—not to mention the steamy kiss they share when they reconnect—get her heart pounding. But she has to go back to Lipa while he’s headed for Manila, and long distance is kind of an issue.

Until he moves back home…and distance becomes the least of their problems.

Estranged hotel heir Anton “Santi” Santillan is left adrift when his grandfather abruptly cuts him out of the family business. But he finds his footing again running a small niche hotel back in Lipa. The downside of living in his old it’s no Manila, that’s for sure. The seeing Kira again. Kira, who loves food as much as he does. Kira, who loves kissing as much as he does.

Kira, whose family owns the property—including her shop—his grandfather wants him to buy out from underneath them.

Mixing love and chocolate and family just might get messy. And sometimes messy is exactly what fate had in mind.

The Laneways

Book 1: Sweet on You
Book 2: A Match Made in Lipa

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Friends To Lovers

384 pages, Mass Market Paperback

Published November 29, 2022

About the author

Author, occasional illustrator, full-time traveler.

Reviews

[Ellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a great read, lovely and oh, so romantic and tender!

I am a long-time fan of the #romanceclass books and Carla de Guzman is one the authors whose work I consistently enjoy. This is the second book in the series, Sweet on You, was a true delight and this one, while standing on its own, brings on the same sense of joy and content for me.

This is a lovely childhood friends to lovers romance, a bit of grumpy / sunshine dynamic thrown in.

I loved both MCs, Kira with her explosiveness, matchmaking and obsession with astrology and Santi, all closed off and efficient problem-solver hiding so much hurt. I really, really liked his arc. Dealing with a difficult family, coming to accept that they can never love him and he has to sever ties with them. We knew it in his heart and Kira's family with all their messiness and meddling but at the same time with their unconditional love and support, helped him realise that a different life is possible for him.

Still, it was not easy decision to make, we see his hurt, sense of loss, the tentative attempts to maintain some relationship with his brother at least. Here I have to say something about the villains and how much I appreciate they felt real and not caricatures. Their motivations are clear, their actions make sense in their world. The author does not make excuses for them, Santi does not cave to their blackmail in any way or form=.

The romance was brilliant, some dark moments, but no unnecessary thrid-act break up. Instead they talked things through. Kira's love for Santi was a thing of beauty - tender and nurturing. And it made her heart full to be able to give that to him.

A central element in the story was also the sense of community (a connect element with book 1), building a sustainable business, supporting the local economy. It was all there, not in any preachy way but just natural, it all made sense.

So much care and kindness! And joy and delicious food. Making food and feeding other people is truly the love language in the story.

CW: parental neglect, family abuse/extortion

[Spens (Sphynx Reads) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reading circumstances/Disclaimers:
*I received a digital copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
*First Carla de Guzman read
*Informal buddy read with Sunnybook Farm book club members
*Not a regular romance reader with an aversion to smut

I rarely pick up romance books but wanted to expand my horizons a little bit with this one. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy it as much as I'd hoped. While A Match Made in Lipa sparks a very important discussion on toxic family relationships, especially when business is involved, I found it lacking in emotional depth in almost all other respects.

Except for a few lines of dialogue, I felt next to nothing in terms of the romance. I didn't think we really got to see how Kira and Santi's feelings developed for each other. They were just kind of there. I also found it incredibly frustrating to be in their heads when they would still be confused about their feelings despite multiple undoubtedly romantic interactions.

I also found the main character to be incredibly annoying. While I have nothing against astrology, Kira's obsession with it to the point of being a whole personality trait was irritating to say the least. That said, if you love astrology, there's a good chance you might love this book. I also didn't really feel her passion for chocolate. Much of it was told but not really shown.

The thing that probably diminished my enjoyment of the book the most was the writing style. I just could not get into it. While there is much to be appreciated about the narrative voice feeling authentic and almost stream-of-consciousness-like, I did not vibe with it at all. There were too many side comments and unfunny jokes. If you like books that read like a friend is telling you a story on the fly, de Guzman's writing style might be for you.

From reading this, I have decided that de Guzman just might not be the author for me. It was worth a shot though.

[Shealea · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I were solely rating Anton Santillan, I'd probably give him all the stars (and then some). That man sounds like a bad idea, but I'm down to make a bad decision.

Final impressions:
• First, before anything else, I want to commend Carla de Guzman for choosing violence. She really cracked her author knuckles and went, "Listen, we all make fun of Ateneans - but at the end of the day, we still want to get underneath them." (Kidding.)

• I delved into this novel with the expectation of finding an endearing, hopeful love story between childhood friends. But amidst the holiday warmth and merriment, there was a lingering undercurrent of melancholy and yearning that tugged at my heartstrings. With Santi torn between prioritizing his happiness and conforming to his family's ideals, reading A Match Made in Lipa felt very heavy and even triggering at times.

• Speaking of, Santi is truly the shining star of this book. Estranged from the Villa side of his family while constantly taken for granted by the Santillan side, behind that Uniqlo polo lies a hurting heart that just wants to love and be loved properly in return. (I'm a simp for him, your honor.)

• In contrast, I looked at Kira in the same way that you'd look at a pesky housefly. Not quite as annoying as a mosquito, but would still prefer its absence.
- While I liked her in the beginning, I struggled to connect with her as the story progressed. Which had initially baffled me because she's very much a confused, still-figuring-life-out millennial (and so am I).
- But I think the roadblock lies in her exceedingly privileged lifestyle and circumstances. Should I ever be unceremoniously fired from a corporate job (knock on wood), my family can't afford to soften the blow by gifting me a whole ass property to manage. At the end of the day, Kira is a wealthy, educated woman running a quirky business that's generously funded by her family's massive pockets.

• I also can't help but feel that the writing in Sweet On You was much stronger in comparison. While I still really enjoyed the story, I occasionally struggled with the writing style due to the following reasons:
- A Match Made in Lipa often came across as, for lack of better adjectives, aggressively upper-class millennial. This was notably more evident in Kira's POV.
- Some attempts at humor did not land very well, while some jokes were overly repetitive.

• For a contemporary romance novel, I was genuinely more invested in Santi's character arc (and his struggles with his toxic family) than in the romantic development between him and Kira.
- My initial kilig died down once I concluded that I wouldn't be getting some nice 'will they, won't they' tension between childhood friends.
- Instead, Santi and Kira quickly established their mutual attraction and were essentially together without labels, so it felt like their relationship plateaued too early on. Moreover, while I recognize that malabo relationships are a common happenstance in real life, it wasn't particularly compelling to read about.

• On a more praising note, I appreciated how this book delved into the toxicities of some Filipino families and the additional burdens placed on panganay (eldest) children. I also really liked the emphasis on different forms of love, be it between partners, among friends, or within families - and how sometimes people just can't love us in the way that we need them to.

• Criticisms aside, I still think that this book has much to offer and is worth picking up. More than a romance, A Match Made in Lipa is an incredibly evocative story about growth and the difficult choices to be made in order to grow into the person you want to become.

Recommended!
* I received an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) of this book from its publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are all mine.

[ Content/Trigger warnings: Toxic/Dysfunctional family (with financial manipulation, emotional blackmail, estrangement, parental neglect); epilogue set in COVID-19 pandemic; sex (graphic) ]

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[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

"In this country, you took the bad with the good, and worked around it, because you had no other choice sometimes."

This line perfectly encapsulates everything I feel about this book. There was a lot of good, but there was also some bad - but I worked around it anyway, because this book has a lot to offer.

Let's start with the bad.

⤅ Admittedly, the writing in the first book, Sweet On You, is a lot better. Some of the passages in the book are awkwardly phrased, and quite a bit of the jokes fall flat.

⤅ I could not for the life of me relate to nor sympathize with the conflict that drove Kira. It just struck me as being needlessly whiny. Miss ma'am, your family poured a lot of money into your chocolate shop so you could bounce back from not getting regularized from a corporate job (as we say here, naol). Them wanting you to fulfill the promises you made on your projected ROI is not some damning indictment of your business skills. Yes, it's important that you're happy and bringing that energy to your community. But happiness doesn't pay the bills, good god almighty. Kira being upset that her family's corporation wants a return on their investment into her business makes zero sense to me and radiates such aggressively upper class energy that it made me roll my eyes a number of times. Then again, I am a Virgo.

⤅ As you can imagine, Kira is breathtakingly careless about things like money, and that really grinds my beans (heh). She gets a bit better towards the end, thanks to Santi's presence in her life. But I know people who rely on their significant others to make them more financially sensible, and while these people are some of my dearest friends in the world, there is absolutely zero way in this world or the next that you could get me to go into business or entrust my money to them. And that's genuinely how I feel about Kira.

And now, the good.

⤅ I live for Ateneo slander. Especially SOM slander.

⤅ Did anyone catch that subtle shade toward Fil-Ams? Lord have mercy, the sound that I made.

⤅ Like I said, I'm a Virgo. I'm also a panganay (eldest child). Hence, I ended up absolutely adoring Santi. His journey of discovering his own worth in the face of the absolutely vile way the Santillan family treats him moved me to tears. He really is the shining star of this book, and the lessons he learns contain some very important messages like owning your emotions, learning to heal for your own sake, and believing that you are worthy of respect and love.

⤅ This book just gave me "movie directed by Antoinette Jadaone" vibes in the best way possible and I am loving it. Cute, sweet, but also heart-wrenching and melancholic. This book tugged at my heartstrings.

⤅ This is one of the best books to illustrate the concept of "bayanihan", or what a Filipino community is all about. And it was beautiful to see how the Laneways and all those who worked there and/or lived nearby came together to support one another in the face of big business.

⤅ I'm really not exaggerating when I say A Match Made in Lipa is probably the best example of the duality of Filipino family dynamics that I've ever seen. On the one hand, the Santillans are the vilest, most toxic clan I've ever had the displeasure of reading about in a book (DOLE is waving, Lolo Vito). On the other, the Luzes clearly love Kira and want what's best for her, and although there is some interpersonal conflict there (what family doesn't have this, after all?) it's resolved through open communication and always coming from a place of love and understanding. Filipino concepts like utang na loob, close family ties, etc. are neither toxic nor non-toxic - they just are. It really is up to the community or family in question to decide what they make of these values, and how to implement them in a way that benefits all members of the collective.

🌿 Read more from my blog, Your Tita Kate. 🌿

[Ena (ek) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Many thanks to the author Carla de Guzman and Carina Press for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

⭐️2.75 🌶4
CONTENT WARNINGS: food descriptions, astrology, toxic family dynamics (including but not limited to financial manipulation, intervention, and estrangement), eldest sibling perspective, COVID-19 pandemic setting in one chapter

I’m not big on astrology and all its trappings, but for Kira Luz, one of the most memorable characters from Carla de Guzman’s first Laneways book (Sweet on You), I had been more than willing to enter the second Laneways book with an open mind. When I started reading at last, though, I quickly became more and more impatient for A Match Made in Lipa to end already.

My first issue: this book really should have come with content warnings. The New Year’s Eve scene alone at the beginning of the story contained so many elements I personally find triggering about Filipino families, with none of the heads-up. After that, the chapters were just landmine after landmine of more triggering, toxic family scenes. And they all hit extra-close to home because the book and author are Filipino like I am.

Second, I was not a fan of the author’s writing style, though I acknowledge it’s something that other readers would enjoy. At some point, the many segues and side comments were no longer cute, just unnecessary. For example, in one paragraph I was reading about Kira chaperoning a younger couple’s date, but in the next I was reading about her opinion of focaccia bread, and then suddenly Kira was back to musing about her childhood friend-turned-lover Santi. The lack of transitions proved to be more grating on paper in A Match Made in Lipa than in the previous book, which I had consumed as an audiobook. (At least audiobooks could be sped up.)

Some turns-of-phrase could also be confusing. For example:

“Call her on Monday if you really have a boner to pick with her.” “A what now?”

And there wasn’t any internal monologue to explain that joke, if it was intended to be funny at all, so I was also left asking: a what now?

Third, other minor details in the story constantly had me raising my eyebrows. At some point, I was glossing over the astrology parts because I didn’t understand them, but I thought someone else’s comment on Goodreads was valid. There really was some over-stereotyping according to the characters’ star signs, that at times got in the way of actual characterization. Same goes for stereotyping according to schools attended and clothing brand preference. (Full disclosure: I attended the same university as Kira Luz and minor character Gabriel Capras, and only about a quarter of the people I knew there fell under the school’s stereotype. Statistically speaking, even a management graduate would meet their fair share of STEM, humanities, and social sciences majors; so if this book reflects the author's college experience, I kinda feel bad for her.)

Also, I’m quite sure that the waters next to Nasugbu, Batangas are the West Philippine Sea. Why was it still called the South China Sea?

Anyway, to end this review on a less critical note, I did thoroughly enjoy the observations on culture that were not about family. Some examples:

The success of a restaurant in the Philippines hinged on two things: hype and ambience.

Manila was supposed to be good, the place to live. But experience had told him that Manila had her horrors. Manila could be the Most Terrible and Expensive Place in the World To Live In, even with all its conveniences.

“I’ve never seen Friends,” Santi admitted, and he knew very well that was a source of shock for a lot of people. Really, the more shocked people were that he hadn’t seen it, the less he wanted to watch it.

Also, a shout-out to the best salon name ever: Curl Up and Dye.

[Aldara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was read thanks to NetGalley.

I am torn, sometimes I loved it, sometimes it hurt me in a not so positive way,

He comes from a toxic family environment, and it clearly affected his relationship with Kira, to the point that it was hurtful to read, he had a redemption arc that made it worth it.

If the books with toxic families trigger you, I do not advice to read it.

[Emmalita · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to stop reading this a few times to soothe my aching chest. There is an undercurrent of melancholy in Carla de Guzman’s A Match Made in Lipa that gives depth to the sweet and hopeful childhood friends to lovers romance.

Kira and Santi played together as children in Lipa until Santi’s grandfather demanded the family move to Manila. Years later, Santi is wandering through Osaka, having just been fired from the family hotel business and cut off from all family money. He runs into Kira in a convenience store when they both reach for the same onigiri. Their conversation sets Santi on a path back to Lipa, and though they kiss, their relationship stays firmly platonic for another few years. Kira has also been let go from her dream job, so she pivots to chocolate making and managing her family’s commercial property, The Laneways. Two things, I would love to go back to Japan and this time I will know to go into every convenience store I find. Second, A Match Made in Lipa is a gloriously foodie romance. So much good food is described.

Santi and Kira have been in a holding pattern. Santi wants to prove to his grandfather that he deserves to be brought back into the family business by making a falling down old hotel into a shining star. But, he also knows that his grandfather is manipulative and will always withhold approval. He wants Kira, but he doesn’t want her to be exposed to his toxic family. Family and business are tightly linked for both Santi and Kira. Kira has been waiting, for something? For love to come along? She’s not sure. She knows she loves making chocolate, her chocolate shop, matchmaking, The Laneways, and her family. She’s frustrated with Santi’s “we’ll talk later” line. When her family lets her know that the family board will be reviewing their investment in her chocolate shop, Kira realizes she has to stop waiting and work on saving herself. When Santi’s grandfather asks Santi to do something that will hurt Kira, he knows he needs to choose between returning to his old life in Manila or the life he’s built in Lipa.

Carla de Guzman gives everything layers and complexity. Kira’s family loaned her the money he start her business, but they also want her to justify that investment. She has built a community around her, but she’s convinced she has to solve her problems herself. Santi’s grandfather is objectively awful, but he remembers the loving grandfather of his childhood. Kira and Santi don’t have to learn to love each other, because they have always loved each other. They do have to learn that they don’t have to solve problems alone. Time and again, their community comes together to help. There is a constant awareness of impermanence and fragility, and a tension between family and individual. But community comes together and generosity inspires more generosity.

If you are not familiar with Filipino food and culture (my familiarity is limited) have Google at the ready. It is absolutely worth the time.

CW: toxic family, threats of financial ruin, and an epilogue set during the pandemic.

I received this as an advance reader copy from NetGalley and Carina Press. My opinions are my own.

[Maria Isabel Samonte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received an eARC of the book in exchange for an HONEST review.

A Match Made in Lipa explores different issues such as family dynamics, family problems, culture, and life crisis.
I enjoyed how the culture was a big part in this book. Not was only able to relate as a Filipina but I also got to learn about the culture in Batangas. I commend the representation and inclusivity in this book. I also like the details the author provided with chocolate making and the subject of business. I can tell she did her research and she was also able to disseminated knowledge through her book.

The plot itself was fast paced and there was never a dull moment. The main characters in this book are very entertaining. I like how different Santi and Kira are different from each other yet complement each other. I also love how Kira is very outspoken and how she knows what she wants. I also like how the story explored toxic families and how it can affect a person.

I just feel like there was too much zodiac sign stereotyping and school stereotyping, which got in the way of the characterization of Santi and Kira. I was also hoping more angst because of the friends to rivals aspects.

Read more reviews on my blog: mindlessnesschatter.blogspot.com

[N.G. Peltier · Rating 4 out of 5]

CW: toxic family and mention of covid/the pandemic in the epilogue

I was so thrilled to get approved for an ARC of this. I was really looking forward to Kira and Santi's story after reading the first book and I really enjoyed it. They were so sweet together. Total opposites but the complement each other well. I'm a Virgo like Santi so I totally got him hehe.

Apart from the budding romance they're each have their internal and external conflicts to deal with. Santi's family is just...terrible...his grandpa especially and I just wanted Santi to see how much he was loved by so many others...*insert heart eyes*

Kira is amazing and I need every bit of chocolate thing she sells at Gemini. It was quite sad that I didn't even have any chocolate while reading this. It was pretty intriguing learning about the process of chocolate making. I think this was incorporate well through the book and wasn't info dumpy.

Also shout out to Carla for making Kira a BTS fan cuz as a fellow army myself it was another cute and fun layer to her character!

Also also...Santi and Kira were sizzling together so I think we got ourselves a sweet AND sexy romance here folks!

[Harlequin Books]

Contemporary Romance, Romantic Comedy, New Adult Romance, Multicultural & Interracial Romance
Miniseries
The Laneways (Book #2)

[Anjeli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, we're going to talk about the debut of "puta" and "tangina" in a romance novel.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ll start off with the good: love the descriptions on chocolate-making. Like Sweet on You, Carla de Guzman really knows how to whet her readers’ appetites.

Also love the community of the Laneways. I feel like you want to visit and eat their food. Also love the little reference to Nero and InLab from the Talking Nerdy crew! 😄

Lastly, I was invested in Kira’s and Santi’s personal dramas. Santi’s especially, because de Guzman shows that toxic family dynamic many Filipinos can have. I appreciate that despite Santi coming to terms with it, the issues are still there and weren’t resolved neatly. Because hey, stuff like toxic families don’t get resolved neatly IRL. I will say, though, that his complicit sneak of a brother Miro got off too easy.

Now here’s the bad: despite that Kira and Santi’s problems are a great setup/reason for why they should be together, I wasn’t completely in love with them as a couple. Before they get together, they have encounters here and there, and I understood that some time had passed before they meet. The time jumps felt jarring to me. Also jarring: the explicit sex scenes once they start dating. They just didn’t seem to fit with the overall tone of the book. Before, they shared a few kisses, but nothing really heated, in my opinion. If de Guzman either amped up the sexual tension before they started dating or did fade-to-black, the love scenes might have worked better. Right now, they felt awkward.

Also, reading this book made me think of Romance as a genre, namely: are there any Romances where there isn’t such a blatant, obnoxious even, push towards amatonormativity? Kira’s family kept pushing her to find a relationship, because they wanted her to be happy, as if her then-state of playing matchmaker didn’t give her true joy. Worse, once she gets with Santi, they become the obnoxious couple, especially when she teases her friend Sam about being single. Again, this is another point about amatonormative BS. Are there any Romances that don’t trash the single characters? You can totally be happy and in love without feeling pity/condescension for those who don’t have an SO, and if you think that’s not true, do me a favor and look inward as to why you think that way. 🤨

Come to think of it, I could only think of maybe four Romances where no one was trying to push the MCs in a relationship, or on the flip side, the MCs themselves thinking they HAD to be in one. And you can make the argument that three out of those four aren’t really Romances, because the relationship seems secondary to the MCs’ personal journeys.

And a little nitpick: I really hate when the word “bully” is used in a cutesy way. Kira said she’ll bully anyone who would dare think her brother Kiko’s potential nuptials to his boyfriend Jake would be invalid if she performed the ceremony herself. Also, if I’m not mistaken, same-sex marriage in the Philippines is illegal, sadly. At any rate: bullying is traumatizing, and using that word nonchalantly never sat well with me. It’s like you want to be an oppressor so bad. Besides, to be all pedantic, you can never bully anyone who’s in a place of power anyway. That’s called punching up.

Sadly, this is the second book from Carla de Guzman where it started strong, but felt meh afterwards.

[Bri Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Childhood friends to lovers theme with gradual/slow burn towards the romance. You get bits and pieces of flirting & romance but have to wait a little while for it to really climax. Think of it as mental foreplay. At first I was worried about my own attention span & being used to instant gratification from quick burn books. However those tend to leave me feeling fizzled out after because its too much too fast & not plausible. The pacing is a nice change from many books where the characters fall in love instantly without reason. Love has always been there for the 2 main characters but it takes time for them to really be motivated by that love and act on it. You get a chance to really know the characters & why they are the way they are, what motivates & moves them. There is some witty banter, heartfelt moments, & heartbreaking moments. Carla builds layers upon layers.

As a white American (with Filipino in-laws) I did not find this book hard to follow. Yes there are different customs, foods, & bits of Tagalog peppered through out but the surrounding context makes it all make sense to those not familiar with Filipinos/Philippines. I think it will be important to keep an open mind towards the family dealings in this book. Knowing the families (however good or bad) will help you to understand the choices the characters make.

The initial time jumps/timelines were a touch confusing in the beginning of the book. Aside from that I enjoyed this book.

To me the book shows that family is not always blood but your community & friends can really be the ones to build you up & cheer you on.

[Smut Report]

Heat Factor: In the first chunk, there’s one chaste kiss and one toe-curling kiss

Character Chemistry: Butterflies

Plot: Toxic Family + Corporate Shenanigans + Astrology + Chocolate

Overall: I struggled through the first third before giving up

Read our full review at The Smut Report

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

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[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carla de Guzman is a brilliant romance writer who explores a lot of beautifully threaded themes around identity, community, passion, and more in her work. IF THE DRESS FITS is one of my favorite romances that deals with body image and centers a fat heroine.

So it was an honor to edit A MATCH MADE IN LIPA which takes another bright look at the Philippines via a friends to lovers romance. There's a lot of familial drama around business that frames the slow burn romance expertly, and the writing style, humor, and romantic tension are great. There's also a lot of fun info on chocolate making. This is an extremely fabulous contemporary romance and I hope readers take a chance on it, and Carla, cause you won't be disappointed.

[Harlequin Books]

Categories
Contemporary Romance, Romantic Comedy, Holiday Romance, Multicultural & Interracial Romance
Miniseries
The Laneways (Book #2)

[Riza (Pages and Coffee Cups) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5

[Carol Jenkins]

Definitely not a book for a southern US reader. The worst I have ever tried to read.

[Reian'sReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review in progress