Carla De Guzman

Feeling the heat from her Filipino family, a frustrated florist reaches out to a romantic "good luck charm" in this hilarious and heartwarming retelling of the Pinoy rom-com classic Got 2 Believe. Some rumors turn out to be true... Love isn't easy. Especially when everyone seems to have found it but you. For florist Mara Barretto, her romantic life--or lack thereof--has baffled her close-knit family for years. Now that her baby sister is getting married, however, the pressure to settle down is at an all-time high. Then she meets Jay Montinola, a fellow wedding guest who's equally single. And rumor has it that every girl who kisses Jay finds The One immediately after. So Mara does what any girl would do: try it for herself. It's only a kiss--one that will supposedly put an end to her single life and thrust Mara into the arms of Mr. Right, wherever he is. Yet the moment Jay's lips are on hers, Mara's plan takes an unexpected turn. Will she finally find the relationship she longs for, or is true love a lot closer than she thinks? From showing up to glowing up, the characters in Afterglow Books are on the path to leading their best lives and finding sizzling romance along the way. Don't miss any of these other fun titles... Manila Takes Manhattan by Carla de Guzman Out of Office by A.H. Cunningham The Summer of Perfect Mistakes by Cynthia St. Aubin

Feeling the heat from her Filipino family, a frustrated florist reaches out to a romantic 'good luck charm' in this hilarious and heartwarming retelling of the Pinoy rom-com classic Got 2 Believe. 'Mara and Jays chemistry was everything!!' Reader review 'This is a perfect read for fans of international love stories, slow burns, and a touch of spice.' Reader review Some rumours turn out to be true… Perfect for fans of: ?? International ?? Slow-burn ??? Spicy – Love turns up when you least expect it Love isn’t easy. Especially when everyone seems to have found it but you. For florist Mara Barretto, her love life – or lack thereof – has baffled her close-knit family for years. Now that her baby sister is getting married, however, the pressure to settle down is at an all-time high. Then she meets Jay Montinola, a fellow wedding guest who’s equally single. And rumour has it that every girl who kisses Jay finds The One immediately after. So Mara does what any girl would do: try it for herself. It's only a kiss – but the moment Jay’s lips are on hers, Mara’s plan takes an unexpected turn. Will she finally find the relationship she longs for, or is true love a lot closer than she thinks? – Wondering what to read next? How about… Romancing Miss Stone by M.C. Vaughan (international love triangle) Never Date a Roommate by Paula Ottoni (fake dating in Copenhagen) Look forward to Once Upon You & Me by Timothy Janovsky in April 2025! An LGBTQIA+ forbidden love story to enchant you: what happens when your boyfriend…is your boss' ex!?

'Manila Takes Manhattan is my favourite of Carla de Guzman’s books to date.' Reader review ????? How do you follow your heart when it’s torn? Filipino musician and producer Mon Mendoza has been in New York for less than a day. Just long enough to feel like he doesn’t belong despite landing a life-changing opportunity. All he can do is set a date night for himself and some comfort food from home. Which, as it turns out, is the only invitation his gorgeous Pinoy neighbour needs… Actress Olivia Angeles can wear a character like a well-fitted dress. It’s her real self she’s having a hard time fitting into. But right now, all she wants is comfort in the form of tasty noodles and her outrageously hot new neighbour. But then they realise that for the next month Mon and Olivia are working on the same film. And they’re discovering they have a lot more in common than Pinoyness and sizzling chemistry. But how do you find yourself and your person when you’re caught between two different worlds? Perfect for fans of: Workplace romance ?? Forced proximity ?? Big-city settings ??

Fans of Jasmine Guillory and Helen Hoang will adore this irresistibly engaging story of two Filipino celebrities caught between everything they want...and everything they are.How do you follow your heart when it's in two places?Filipino musician and producer Mon Mendoza has been in New York for less than a day. Just long enough to feel like he doesn't belong despite landing a life-changing opportunity. All he can do is set a date night for just himself and some pancit canton. Which, as it turns out, is the only invitation his gorgeous Pinoy neighbor needs...Actress Olivia Angeles can wear a character like a well-fitted dress. It's her real self she's having a hard time fitting into, craving a niche in Hollywood that doesn't compromise her identity in the name of success. And right now, all she wants is comfort in the form of tasty noodles and her outrageously hot new neighbor. One night. Just enough to lose herself in his touch and the feel of his lips...Only their sexy little tryst isn't quite what they signed up for. Because for the next month, Mon and Olivia are working on the same movie. Together. Now they're discovering they have a lot more in common than Pinoyness and sizzling chemistry. But how do you find yourself and your person when you're caught between two different worlds?From showing up to glowing up, these characters are on the path to leading their best lives and finding sizzling romance along the way.Don't miss these other fun titles from Afterglow Books: The (Fake) Dating Game by Timothy JanovskyThe Bookbinder's Guide to Love by Katherine GarberaThe Devil in Blue Jeans by Stacey KennedyFrenemy Fix-Up by Yahrah St. JohnThe Boyfriend Subscription by Steven SalvatoreFake Flame by Adele BuckOut of Office by A.H. Cunningham

You're invited to the most awaited party of the century Climb up the dizzying altitude of Manila's high society where the air is never thin enough, the view is always spectacular, if a bit vertigo-inducing, and the summit is crowded with well-heeled elite jostling for the top socialite spot. Scandals, sexy shenanigans, and sizzling romance happen as the filthy rich Aritz family don their diamonds, designer gowns, and bespoke suits and gather to celebrate their matriarch's ninetieth birthday LONGING FOR by CARLA DE GUZMANEveryone knows that Allie Medina is in love with Logan Aritz Hilario. With his sexy hair and Aritz nose, it's a miracle she's managed to keep her feelings a secret from him every time they cross paths. But her boss, Do a Carmen has had enough of secrets and hatched the perfect plan to throw Allie and Logan together on an all-expenses paid trip to romantic Vienna. Together in a foreign land and far away from Logan's family's influence and wealth, could this be Allie's chance to finally be on equal footing with the man she's always thought of as out of her league? And will Logan finally see her for what she's truly worth? SAFE PLACES by BIANCA MORIHeiress-slash-performance artist Natalia Aritz turns up in Manila after a disastrous Italian sojourn, heart too wrung out to even want to leave the house. That is, until a surprising meeting with her college classmate and old friend, Nicky Aventado. He's asking for a favor she can't refuse. But his connections to her family's past isn't the only reason why she agrees to sneak him into her grandmother's birthday party. There's just something about those lips she can't resist...HERE COMES THE ONE by SUZETTE DE BORJAIntensely private Joaquin Aritz abhors attention. Especially the kind where the Aritz Corporation heir gets a special mention in a video gone viral featuring vlogger and D-list celebrity Kelly Monago. She's young, brazen, and turns heads wherever she goes, including Joaquin's. He thinks giving in to their simmering desire is a bad idea. Kelly is on a mission to convince him they should explore the attraction-and each other-before coming to a conclusion.***This 82,000 word anthology has three stories, a prologue and an epilogue with an all new cast of characters. All stories have a happily ever after guaranteed, and is categorized as Heat Level 3 (based on the #romanceclass heat level classification on romanceclassbooks.com).

Cora Justa Dumagat has had enough. Daughter of a Cincamarre Councilman, she is tired of watching the corrupt, fat cats of the council override the monarchy and risk the people's lives in exchange for a payday. Despite advice from Princess Nina, Cora has decided to take matters into her own hands and hit the Joaquins where it hurts-to steal their precious Juan Luna painting right from under their noses in Barcelona. The job shouldn't be too difficult, if only Luis Ang, her ex-boyfriend wasn't hired to be her bodyguard. Luis knows that Cora is up to something, and will stop at nothing to make sure she's safe, even at the cost of Cora's plans. As Luis and Cora become more and more deeply entangled into each other, the more dangerous the situation becomes. Will Cora have her revenge? Or will stealing Luna be the the last thing she ever does?

Mindy and Javier are not friends, okay. Despite their mothers' matchmaking, they've managed to stay out of each other's way. Until Mindy goes to Paris for a week, and her mother insists she meet up with Javier. He's in Paris to study, really looking forward to see you, she says. Watch over each other.No thanks. Javier is taciturn and boring, Mindy is dramatic and has a tendency to yell at things when her eight siblings are brought up. It's not a great combination. But things start to look a little different under the Paris lights, and what felt like hate feels a lot closer to love.

There are only two reasons why Nina would come back home to Cincamarre. One, if Auntie Delia promises to stop butting into her business, two, if her father died and she was made to ascend the throne to be queen. Unfortunately for her, it was the second thing that brought her home. As a princess who's sunk a yacht and been caught kissing popstars, it's easy for her aunt, the regent, to think she's ill prepared for the throne. But Nina doesn't think that having to fake date Felipe, the handsome, squeaky clean Prince of Concordia was the best solution for that. Nina's ready to learn the ropes of her new role and make it hers, and reconnecting with Felipe only makes her want to be a better queen. But is the monarchy ready for a queen like Nina?