ARC Review: Icon of the Indecisive by Mina Esguerra

Before this review is written, let it be known that I have read the entire series several times in one go.

It gets much better each time I finish reading.

Also, I pledge allegiance to the Sun God, Quin Apolinario.

Title: Icon of the Indecisive by Mina Esguerra
Release Date: June 1st 2013
Published by: Bright Girl Books
Source: Author (Mina, I'm a big fan!)
Buy: Amazon | Smashwords

Summary:

College student Hannah Maquiling, also temporarily working as the Goddess of Love, has had enough of everyone asking for her help when it comes to relationships. It's her turn to find romance! She deserves it, after serving as matchmaker and confidant to everyone else in Ford River College for the past year. She's had a crush on handsome senior (and God of the Sun) Quin forever, but he's destined to fall in love with an extraordinary mortal woman, so she's figured her chances with him have pretty much dropped to zero.

It's not like she doesn't have any options for a classic college romance though. There's Diego, God of the Sea and Quin's best friend/enemy. And regular guy Robbie is stepping up, making sure she knows how he feels about her. How hard can it be for a goddess to find someone to love, and be loved in return?

So while I'm grasping for clues and more clues straight from the mouth of the Gods and Goddesses in this book, Icon of the Indecisive still had some surprises in store for avid followers and ardent readers like me. It's time to choose for our Interim Goddess, and it's not just a matter of becoming the new Goddess of Love. Hannah's heart is also on the line.

Hannah's got more than she bargained for as the day for her to fully assume the role as the Goddess of Love nears. And though she made me sad, irritated me a lot, I know all of that was important for her to complete her journey as the Interim Goddess of Love. Hannah has always been a helpful, kind person, selfless even as evident in the first two books but I wanted her to focus on herself too, to live and experience love for herself because how can she be a Goddess of Love if she hasn't experienced it even once?! And I'm glad that she did, even a little, in this book. I'm glad that she was confused, she was hurt, she was in the denial, that she made a decision for herself and stood by it. I couldn't be more proud of her.

My frustration with Quin's behavior has been building up in the past two books and I am glad, so so glad that it finally made sense in this book. The Sun God has remained mysterious all throughout the series and in Icon of the Indecisive, Quin's presence is more palpable, and his moments with Hannah, short and sweet as always, were a lot more satisfying and romantic. He's "more" in this book. You see him more, you feel him more and you understand him more. I've always been a Quin fan, but Robbie just made me smile often in this book. The more frustrating Quin's character became, the more adorable and lovable Robbie was. He does the things I thought Quin would do, in a sense. At least Robbie had the guts to tell Hannah how he feels and do things to express those feelings, unlike the Sun God, with his roundabout ways of doing things. Whatever happened to Diego? Even the God of the Sea deserves a happy ending too! I still believe that he was a strong, yet unusual contender for Hannah's heart.

Reading Gifted Little Creatures helped me piece together important clues but it was so fulfilling to finally have my suspicions and guesses confirmed in Icon of the Indecisive. Maybe I was as blind as Hannah was at first, but the clues were there, just like how it was for her to finally understand what she stands to gain and lose when she makes her decision. My heart ached so much for Hannah at times. Here she was, supposedly the Goddess of Love and even she couldn't escape the setbacks, the heartaches and heartbreaks of having that feeling. Though I might not agree with how things worked out in the end, it was the logical thing to do. I love how that decision of Hannah lend a bit of 'reality' to the situation they were in. It's not a matter of having someone by her side just because he's there and free, but it's about trying to live the kind of love she wants to have right then and there.

So what makes Mina Esguerra my favorite author? Aside from bringing this one of a kind story to life, it's the way she told Hannah's story and the things that happens to her which I can somewhat relate to. The Interim Goddess of Love series had its mythological side to it, but knowing, reading and understanding the inner workings of the mind and the heart of each character in it is what made this such a lovely series to read. Thank you for the heart thumping romance that made my heart race countless of times, the laughter, the headaches, sadness, the pain of love and the fun reading Hannah's adventures in life and love. Thank you, Mina! This series will always be one of my favorites!

.5

Shining: Worthy of a Goddess' Love!

The .5 was for my initial confusion of Hannah's decision and why she chose that. It's hard to understand it at first, to seize the moment and live, love, now. Also, the frustration for Quin in the first two books! (That's quite a lot.)

Book Cover:
When I first saw this cover, I thought it was the perfect representation of how Hannah is as a college student juggling studies and her role as the Interim Goddess of Love.