A Match Made in Lipa

De Guzman’s delightful second Laneways romance (after Sweet on You) is a breath of fresh air, eschewing easy, predictable tensions at every turn. After Anton Santillan is fired from his family’s Manila hotel, a chance meeting with his childhood friend and crush, Kira Luz, gives him new hope. Kira tells Anton that a well-loved hotel in their hometown of Lipa, where Kira still lives, is looking for someone to take over. Any chance at rekindling their childhood feelings from there fall by the wayside, however, as Anton spends the next three years pouring all his energy into revitalizing the old hotel to earn back his place with his family. Now Anton’s grandfather finally offers him a higher position in the company—but it would mean pulling Kira’s chocolate shop and her family’s property out from underneath them. Can he do it, or will he realize that the love and acceptance he desires comes not from his family but from the town he ran from years ago? De Guzman’s protagonists bravely put their hearts on the line with none of the usual miscommunication and secrets, and her gorgeously drawn depiction of Lipa will have readers hungry for a moonlit walk and a shared tartufo. The characters’ vulnerability makes this a standout. (Mar.)