Friends turned lovers is one of the most used and abused plots of all time. I know you’ve read it in one or two romance novels you have. You’ve seen it in most Romantic-Comedy movies and drama series you watched. You’ve probably heard it in one of your chismisan moments with your friends. It happened to someone you know or it happened with you. Hey, it happened to me. So what sets My Imaginary Ex from the rest? Simple—It’s how Mina V. Esguerra tells the story.
 Mass Market Paperback, 144 pages
Genre: Chick Lit Published 2009 by Summit Media Here’s what happens when you play pretend. When Zack asks Jasmine to pretend to be his ex-girlfriend, she gamely agrees, thinking it would be fun. A few years later, she still has to keep convincing people that they were never together! Then one day, she finds out he’s getting married—to someone she’d just met once! All of a sudden, things aren’t so clear-cut anymore. Can Jasmine sort out her feelings (sometimes, she can’t even tell real from pretend when it comes to her and Zack) before it’s too late? |
In a Romance Novel Workshop I attended last year, the speaker said that all possible romance plot was or had already been written. The only difference is with how the author weaved the story and made the readers believe that it can happen. Mina V. Esguerra delivered a realistic story and she did a good job in making her readers easily relate with her characters.
Reading My Imaginary Ex for me is like riding a train back to memory lane. It reminded me of how my boyfriend and I started. Jeff and I have known each other since high school but we were not schoolmates. We were both members of our town’s church choir and he was my best friend’s boyfriend then. We were never friends until college. He was the only person I know from our block so… that’s how it began. He became one of my best buddies together with Erwin (the guy I came with during the F2F 2 for Little Prince) in college. We are still together and we just celebrated our 5th year anniversary a couple of months ago. (Enough about me, let’s go back to the book.)
Jeff and I during our college days.
5 years after (or 4 years, this picture was taken last year)
I liked the way Mina jumps back from past to present to show how Jasmine and Zac started their friendship. I’m not fond of reading novels with flashbacks alternating with the present but Mina wrote it in a simple and direct prose which made it easier to understand, plus the scenes from the past are connected with what’s happening with Zach and Jasmine in the present.
My favorite part/line in the book.
The only reason I’m giving this 4 Kiss Marks is because I was sooo in love with Fairy Tale Fail, I can’t help but compare my reading experience with the two. Nonetheless, My Imaginary Ex is an enjoyable quick read.
Amazing: I’m mesmerized.
Other Reviews:
One More Page
Chachic’s Book Nook
Perfect Nostalgia
Challenges:
Book # 66 of 2012
Blurb & PhotoCredit: GoodReads
Book & Other Photos: Owned, shot & edited by ShanaTalks
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