Jellybeans in the City

Relaxing Sunday brunch at Noor, BGC

The day was warm with the sun shining down brightly from blue skies unmarred by clouds as I made my way to an area of Bonifacio Global CIty I seldom find myself visiting.

Megaworld’s Lifestyle Malls Forbestown Center (also known as Burgos Circle) is home to many new concept restaurants, cafes and dessert places. It is a wonder how I’m seldom here but that can soon be rectified. 🙂

This particular Sunday morning, I was headed to one restaurant in particular: Noor Modern Mediterranean. The place may look quite posh with its well-appointed modern interiors and the tasteful display of art and wine bottles throughout the premises but the overall vibe is one of freshness and warm hospitality. Its second floor dining area features a green wall as its focal point and floor-to-ceiling windows that affords a view of Forbestown Center as well as lots of natural light which will become quite handy when we do our food photos later on.

Yep, this hip and happening resto is to be the setting of a relaxed and banter-filled gathering among myself and my fellow foodie friends from #WeLoveToEatPH and #SaanSaPH.

Firstly, we were warmly welcomed by Noor’s Isreali-born Chef Or Hakmimi, who brings to the table the Mediterranean culinary influences he grew up with. The chef also espouses a friendly and casual dining atmosphere for his establishment; in between his adventures in the kitchen preparing Noor’s signature dishes as well as new ones he is experimenting on, he takes the time to chat with his guests and share more about his philosophy when it comes to food.

Foremost among his rules of thumb is the preference for having at least three flavors and textures in the food he serves, “so it won’t be boring.” He is right, too. Each bite of Noor’s dishes presented us with wonderful complexities: smokeyness, tartness, a hint of spice and more.

These complexities are in evidence in the brunch feast he and his staff laid out for us, which include:

Salmon Tartare. Not yet on the menu, this dish is made of thinly sliced chilled salmon topped with roe and served on crunchy black sesame seed-studded phyllo cones, an awesome start to the meal!

Cauliflauer (Php300). I read somewhere that this dish is life-changing and I can definitely agree! Cauliflauer are deep-fried and tossed in ceasar aoili and parsley.

Moroccan Shrimp (Php480). Succulent shrimps grilled then served on a bed of tatziki (a Greek yogurt-based side dish flavored by mashed vegetables, dill and olive oil) together with charred eggplant.

Lamb Baklava (Php470). Ground lamb sauteed in olive oil and spices encased in sheets of sheer phyllo dough baked to a lusciously crispy golden brown. Served with sesame dressing and a raspberry sauce, its combo of meaty savory and tart fruity flavors is a winner.

Chicken Skewers (Php590). Tender and flavorful chicken pieces, grilled together with onions and bell peppers and served with Syrian Basmati rice and seared tomato.

Shawarma Tacos (Php630). A triad of shawarma variants – roasted chicken with tahini, tomatoes and amba aoili; roasted fish with tsaziki, coleslaw and cilantro; and roasted mushrooms with garlic aioli, sumac onions and parsley – served open-faced on warm pita bread. These are best eaten by hand! (A bit messy but that’s part of the experience!)

Knafe (Php390). A classic Arab desert made of shredded buttery phyllo pastry, ricotta cheese, rose water syrup and yogurt ice cream topped with chopped pistachios. That interplay of warm and cold inside my mouth, together with the sweetness and rich buttery flavor is quite decadent. My only regret is that I have gone through forty plus years in life and I’ve only tasted this heavenly dessert today.

Almond Creme Brulee (Php330). A mildly sweet, creamy almond cream custard garnished with raspberry sauce and mint.

All of these dishes are made from scratch in the kitchen by Chef Or. Ingredients are locally sourced and the produce are organically grown in local farms.

Chef Or and his staff also served us with the resto’s signature cocktails to complement the dishes and to add to the day’s happy vibe.

Gypsy Mango (Php380). Rum mixed with organic mango liquor, fresh mango and cilantro. A perfect drink for this summer day!

Cinnamon Fashion (Php340). A version of the Old-Fashioned cocktail made by muddling sugar with bitters and adding some brandy, but here, it is garnished with a cinnamon stick.

Built to Spill (Php350). A blend of bourbon, ginger root and mint leaves.

Noor (Php390). The resto’s house-recipe cocktail made with gin, freh basil, cucumber, fresh lemon juice and tonic water.

Flavored Soda Water. Sparkling water flavored with juices of sweet fruits such as lychee, passionfruit and strawberry to quench our thirst and refresh our palates.

With such a lavish spread of good Mediterranean food, refreshing cocktails that kept us in high spirits and the company of great friends, it was a very enjoyable Sunday brunch!

And here’s some good news: did you know you can get free drinks at Noor, thanks to Zomato Gold? Zomato Gold provides members with 1+1 deals on food or 2+2 deals on drinks. All you have to do is sign up for a Zomato Gold membership here. Use my code JELLYB to get 20% off the membership fee.

Noor is located at Unit F133, Forbeswood Heights, Burgos Circle, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, open daily from 11am to 12 midnight. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 956 1563426.

Disclosure: Together with other foodies, I was invited to join a foodie meetup held at this restaurant. Food items mentioned here were served to allow us to sample the fare and were not paid for by the attendees, including myself.

HBO holds party for pay TV operators at Cove Manila

Every year, one of the most anticipated events during the week of the Philippine Cable Show is the party thrown by HBO for its local affiliates.

This year is no different, and HBO more than live up to expectations with the shindig it held at Cove Manila which I attended together with my coworkers and friends from SKY.

Cove Manila is one of the metro’s premiere party destinations. Opened in 2017, it offers a fusion of music, style and dining. The nightclub boasts of employing some of the most hi-tech sound and lighting technologies to put on spectacular shows or awesome parties.

Before entering the venue, guests have the option of having their photos taken while seated on the Iron Throne. Yes, that Iron Throne. With the most-awaited final season of the network’s monster hit original series Game of Thrones set to premiere mere weeks away, you can bet that many of the attendees lost no time in getting their Westerosi royalty mode on while pretending to survey their kingdom in all their majestic glory.

I know I did! 🙂

Inside, guests are treated to a lavish array of finger food and overflowing drinks, all while being entertained with rousing music from a live band. While there are fruit juices aplenty, I couldn’t resist having a taste of the wines: House Red is the Butterfly Ridge Shiraz Australia, and House White is the La Umbra Pinot Grigio Romania. Thanks to a recent wine tasting I attended, I knew enough about my preference in wines to get myself a white wine. (I didnget myself a taste of the red wine though.)

Then the buffet opened.

Ooh, what a thrilling feast for the eyes and the tastebuds! Stations for pasta and all sorts of meats were made available for party goers to get their fill. And, of course, what is a party in the Philippines without the quintessential lechon, huh?

The celebrations went on and on, especially when the guests of honor, the White Walkers, together with their Night Kin, graced the event with their chilling presence (well, thrilling for the GOT fans, that is!)

This year’s HBO Party at Cove Manila is truly one for the books. Now, if only I can wait patiently for the Game of Thrones premiere April 15!

Cove Manila is located at Okada Manila, New Seaside Drive, Entertainment City, Paranaque.

Did you know that you could enjoy spectacular discounts on food in Cove Manila thanks to Zomato Gold? Zomato Gold provides members with 1+1 deals on food or 2+2 deals on drinks. All you have to do is sign up for a Zomato Gold membership here. Use my code JELLYB to get 20% off the membership fee.

Disclosures:

I was invited to a party held at this venue. Food and drinks mentioned in this post were party fare and were not paid for by the attendees including myself.

I work for SKY and part of my job is promoting its products and services, especially the content it provides to its subscribers. I consider being able to share my love for TV shows and movies and the experience of watching and talking about them with like-minded people some of the biggest perks of my job.

Photo Credit: Mico Marco of SKY for the White Walker shots

Check out my posts on SKY’s ongoing activities for Game of Thrones.

SKY brings “Fire or Ice: A Musical Spectacle” at SM Megamall

Fans of HBO’s “Game of Thrones” who eagerly await the premiere of the show’s final season can quench their thirst as SKY, the country’s largest cable provider, brings a musical show set on ice dubbed as “Fire or Ice: A Musical Spectacle On Ice” at 6 PM on April 12 and 13 at the SM Skating Rink in Megamall.

Witness a “Game of Thrones”-inspired spectacle which will be divided into two, Fire and Ice, that represent Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen, respectively.

Mallgoers and fans are also in for wonderful “Game of Thrones” performances. 4G Guitar Quartet sets the tone as it opens the show while ice skating exhibitions by Sofia Guidote, a member of the Philippine National Figure Skating team, and Joel Minas, a high-level figure skating coach for SM Skating, follow. The duo will play Daenerys and Jon Snow.

Cameras are a must-bring because after the program, viewers will have the chance to have a photo op with the cosplayers, Daenerys Targaryen, and the Night King.

Until April 15, SKYcable subscribers can watch all episodes of Game of Thrones Seasons 1 to 7 on demand via HBO GO for free. Simply download the app and register your SKYcable account. For more details, visit mysky.com.ph/freehbogo. Tune in to the premier of the last season of the highly talked about HBO series, this April 15.

HBO is available in all SKYcable HD plans, One SKY Unli Broadband + HD Cable TV plans, SKYdirect 250 and 450 Get the world best movies and the latest HBO Originals anytime, anywhere and on any device with HBO Go, exclusively available on SKY. For more details and updates, visit mysky.com.ph/got.

Disclosure: I work for SKY and part of my job is promoting its products and services, especially the content it provides to its subscribers. I consider being able to share my love for TV shows and movies and the experience of watching and talking about them with like-minded people some of the biggest perks of my job.

Event details provided by SKY in a recent press release.

Check out my posts on HBO shows:

A special place for happiness at Elait, Eastwood Mall

There’s a special place for every kid’s heart for ice cream. Its cool feel inside the mouth, the burst of sweetness on the tongue and the added tastes and textures from yummy add-ons make this a perfect summer treat for the young ones (and yeah, the not-so-young ones too!)

For my little boy and the kid in me, our ice cream craving was satisfied when we headed off to Elait in Eastwood Mall after dinner.

It is a small stall shared with cookie store Overdoughs, and similar to other Elait outlets, it is manned by rolled ice cream artisans and servers who also happen to be deaf.

Established by the Caravan Food Group, Inc., Elait supported its owner’s advocacy to raise awareness for social causes and provide employment and training for persons with hearing disability.

So how would you go about ordering and interacting with the store’s servers then?

An order form is conveniently provided where you can indicate your preferred flavor (either a custard or yogurt base plus mix-ins and toppings to flavor the ice cream). Signs containing basic sign language are also posted in strategic areas around the store. I think this is a good way to expose kids to diverse kinds of people and a fun incentive to learn sign language. It also a way to show kids that sometimes, a language barrier can be easily overcome.

Using a spatula, the mixture that will form your rolled ice cream is blended then evenly spread as it hardens on a sub-zero metal plate. This then scraped off the plate to form rolls which are then placed in a cup along with toppings before being served.

My son ordered a cup of Chocolate Overload (Php140). Chocolate shreds, brownie bits and chocolate vermicelli are mixed into a sweet and creamy custard base, with the resulting rolled ice cream topped with a Pocky stick and drizzled with chocolate syrup. From the way it looks to the way it tastes, it’s a kid’s summer dream come true.

For me, I got a Chocnut Dinosaur (Php140). Milo powder is blended with a yogurt base with, with the resulting ice cream rolls topped with Chocnut bits and drizzled with chocolate syrup. I just love how the tangy taste of the yogurt interacts with my favorite flavors from my childhood.

Elait is definitely a place for happiness: there is joy found in a cup, the joy found in making new friends and the joy of spending time, leisurely eating your favorite frozen treat with someone you love.

This Elait kiosk is located at Second Floor, Eastwood Mall, Libis, Quezon City. Other Elait locations include:

The Caf Food Hall, Second Floor, UP Town Center, Katipunan Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City
Ground Floor, North Towers, SM City North EDSA, Bago Bantay, Quezon City
M Place, Panay Avenue, South Triangle, Quezon City
Upper Ground Floor, SM City San Lazaro, Santa Cruz, Manila
Lower Ground Floor, SM City Manila, Ermita, Manila
Third Floor, Santolan Town Plaza, Col Bonny Serrano Avenue, Little Baguio, San Juan City
Second Floor, North Wing, SM Mall of Asia, Mall of Asia Complex (MOA), Pasay City
Third Floor, Ayala Malls The 30th, Meralco Avenue, Ugong, Pasig City
Second Floor, Century City Mall, Kalayaan Avenue, Poblacion, Makati City
Second Floor, Promenade, Greenhills Shopping Centre, Greenhills, San Juan

Fiery Fiesta at Chichario, Molito Lifestyle Center

Foodies down South in Alabang have another place to discover: the new Chichario Peri Peri Chicken and Cocktail Bar.

Opened in late 2018 by the tandem of Moira and Marco, Chichario sprung out of their love for peri-peri chicken and boisterously vibrant fiesta culture of Brazil. Located amidst wine bars, family-centric eateries and cafes, Chichario offers the young adults – millennials, if you will – in the area a place where they can hang out with their friends and have a few drinks while enjoying good food and good music.

The restaurant’s name is a combination of the words of “Chicha” (from “chicheria,” the Pinoy slang for finger-food) and “Rio” (from the Brazilian capital Rio de Janeiro).

Upon entering its doors into its first floor dining area, you would get the impression that its a family-friendly barbecued chicken resto, but when you go up to its tropical-themed second floor bar area, aptly called “Chicha’s Hideout,” that’s where the party’s at.

Well, Chichario really did throw a party for me and my fellow foodies where we enjoyed a sampling of its fiery yet comforting Southern American home-cooking.

Nacho Carnitas. Crunchy nacho chips flavored with sour cream powder and generously topped with flavorful chipotle pulled pork, cilantro salsa and torched mozzarella and cheddar.

Soft Taco Carnitas. Two open-faced tortilla wraps stuffed with chipotle pulled pork, cilantro salsa and garlic aioli dip.

Pollo Asado Quesadilla. Tortilla wraps stuffed grilled peri-peri chicken, cheddar, cilantro pesto sauce and salsa. It is best enjoyed with its garlic aoili dip.

Salpicao Escobar. Hanger steak further tenderized via sous vide, then cooked salpicao-style and flavored with South American spices.

Chipotle Sisig. Instead of siling labuyo, this sisig is spiced uo with chipotle peppers.

Half Peri Peri Chicken. Sous vide is again employed to further tenderize these chicken pieces, which are then seasoned with South American soices and grilled to a smokey perfection which makes this dish the star of the show. It is served pre-cut for easy sharing with a trio of house-sauces: chimichurri, pepper sauce and garlic aioli.

And what’s a party without a few drinks?

After downing a couple of glasses of Chichario’s House Ice Tea, our group also had a taste of Chichario’s exotic cocktails.

Mojito de Janeiro. Grilled pineapple infushed rum, white rum, mint leaves and guyabano soda.

El Chichario. A mix of tropical fruits and dark and light rum.

Frozen Margarita and Mango Daiquiri.

Amidst the pulsing music, exotic locale and the fine fiery food of Chichario, my friends and I had a fun fiesta!

Chichario, Alabang (photo by Eboy M. Donato)

Chichario Peri Peri Chicken and Cocktail Bar is located at the Molito Lifestyle Center, Alabang, Muntinlupa, open daily from 11am to 2am.

Watch out: offshoots of Chichario’s might find their way in your hometown. Be on the lookout for “Chicha’s” outlets which will mainly serve ceviches and tacos.

Credit for the last photo: Eboy M. Donato of #WeLoveToEatPH and #SaanSaPH

Work and Hot Chocolate at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Venice Piazza, Taguig

While passing the time before a foodie meetup at Datang in the Venice Piazza, I decided to do some work and catch up on my emails.

Fortunately, there’s a Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf branch near the parking area that seemed like a nice and quiet place to while away some hours while immersed in some work.

My treat to myself while poring over my workload? (Because every source of motivation counts and chocolate is always good for motivation.)

A nice cup of frothy Hot Double Chocolate with Marshmallows. Made with CBTL’s proprietary Special Dutch chocolate powder, combined with carefully steamed non-fat milk and topped with a thick layer of foam, it is a perfectly rich and decadent pick-me-up concoction.

I wish I could stay longer and leisurely enjoy my drink.

But, alas, duty called.

Until, next time then, my chocolate treat!

This CBTL branch is located at the Ground Floor, Venice Piazza, McKinley Hill, Taguig.

Other branches in Taguig may be found at:

B8 Bonifacio High Street, BGC
32nd Street corner 11th Avenue, Park Triangle, BGC
Third Floor, BHS Central Square, BGC
Third Floor, Uptown Place Mall, BGC
Every Nation Building, 32nd Avenue corner University Parkway, BGC
Ground Floor, BGC Stopover Pavilion, BGC
Burgos Circle, BGC
Fifth Floor, SM Aura Premier, BGC
Shell Logcom, CP Garcia Avenue, Greater Taguig
Ground Floor, Vista Mall, Greater Taguig

Check out my other CBTL blog posts:

Catch-up on GOT’s previous seasons via HBO GO on SKY

An epic throwback awaits “Game of Thrones” fans as SKY exclusively offers its subscribers free access to HBO GO, giving them a chance to relive the phenomenal television series anytime, anywhere until April 15.

The offer will delight all kinds of viewers, whether they’re new to the world of Westeros or already hooked to the behemoth series, as all seven seasons are available for streaming.

As the show’s previous season saw the Night King heading to Eastwatch with the undead Viserion and the White Walkers marching South, this season is set to bow out with its biggest episodes ever. With only six episodes, Season 8 is expected to be packed with epic turns of events, including its biggest battle—bigger than what many fans consider its most monumental, the massacre at Hardhome. Fans can also anticipate the formation of new alliances.

HBO GO is HBO’s online streaming service that gives subscribers a chance to watch and enjoy the world’s best movies, HBO Originals and more through the website or the mobile app. Subscription to the app also gives SKY subscribers free access to cable channels – HBO Hits, HBO Family, and HBO Signature.

The free access to HBO GO is available to all digital SKYcable and SKY Fiber Unli Broadband + HD Cable TV Plans 8Mbps and 16Mbps subscribers nationwide with HBO channel in their cable line-up. Download the HBO GO app now and register to catch up in time for the premiere of Season 8 on April 15, at 9:00AM. Visit mysky.com.ph/freehbogo for details.

For more exciting updates on “Game of Thrones,” visit mysky.com.ph/got.

Promo details provided by SKY in a recent press release.

Check out my posts on HBO shows:

Sisig Society launches Sisig-flavored Lip Balm

Just when I thought that there are no more new ideas when it comes to beauty and self-care, I received a package from Sisig Society containing a sisig-flavored lip balm.

Say whuuut?!?

Yes, a sisig-flavored lip balm.

While conventional wisdom in lip products veer towards combinations of floral or fruity scents and flavors, someone at Sisig Society probably said, “Hey, why not make a lip balm flavor that people actually eat?”

And, well, here you go.

Don’t knock it ’til you’ve tried it, though.

The product comes in two signature flavors: Classic Pork and Spicy Chicken. Both flavors are specially formulated to meet beauty standards while satisfying sisig cravings.

Each swipe of these lip balms across your kissers contains a taste of either chicken or pork meat, caramelized onions, chicharon and Sisig Society’s very own secret sauce.

And it does a great job of moisturizing lips, too!

Here’s a wild idea: give your Significant Other a kiss while wearing this lip balm and see if the poor creature can figure out how the yummy taste of sisig came to be on your lips. Oh, and props to you if you time this prank near a mealtime so you can both go to Sisig Society to satisfy the sisig craving that’s sure to pop out.

(I see what you did there, Sisig Society…) 😉

Now, where to find a Sisig Society outlet…

East Capitol Drive, Kapitolyo, Pasig City

Food Gallery, Third Floor, Ali Mall, Araneta Center, Cubao, Quezon City

Third Floor, Fisher Mall, Quezon Avenue, Del Monte, Quezon City

Calle Bistro, Ground Floor, Ever Gotesco Mall, Commonwealth Avenue, Old Balara, Quezon City

Unit 12 The Fort Strip, 28th Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig

Ground Floor, One World Square, McKinley Hill, Taguig

Ground Floor, Ayala Malls Marikina, Liwasang Kalayaan, Marikina Heights, Marikina City

Third Floor, Circuit Lane, Ayala Malls Circuit, Olympia, Makati

Ground Floor, Dela Rosa Carpark 2, Legaspi Village, Makati

Ground Floor, Fisher Mall, Navotas-Caloocan Junction, Longos, Malabon City

Hoegaarden BGC Food Crawl: Mimi & Bros

That awesome #ThirstyThursday concluded for me and my fellow foodies with a filling dinner at Mimi & Bros, the fourth and final stop in the Hoegaarden x Zomato Food Crawl (the third for li’l ole latecomer me).

Mimi & Bros is a walk up bar and barbecue joint located in a prime spot along 32nd Street in Bonifacio Global City. Here, you can savor your tasty barbecues and other comfort food while enjoying the summer breezes, thanks to the resto’s outdoor dining area which leads to a bigger dining room inside.

From the outside, the place is bustling with frenetic activity, with servers hurrying to bring the food to customers amidst the resto’s bright lights and chill music playing in the background.

Its menu is centered on comfort food – staples in the young urban professional’s palate – such as chops, ribs and chicken. All of these can be immensely enjoyed with an icy glass of Hoegaarden Rosee, which is also available at the restaurant.

Hoegaarden Rosee is the sweeter and fruitier variant of the Belgian white beer (or witbier) Hoegarden. The Rosee has a light and sparkly raspberry pink color and a softer taste and lower alcohol content than the original brew, making it an ideal beverage for drinking lightweights like me.

In between sips of my Hoegaarden Rosee, I gorged on Mimi & Bros offerings, which include their signature dishes as well as new menu items.

For me, the standouts include:

Mimi’s Fried Chicken (Php685 whole with 3 sides | Php425 half with 2 sides | Php255 quarter with one side). The chicken’s crunchy golden-brown skin gives way to juicy and tender meat, well complemented by a rich gravy.

6-Hour BBQ Beef Short Ribs (Php895). Dry-rubbed beef ribs smoked for six hours to produce flavorful meat that falls off the bone.

Chicken Skin Nachos (Php195). Replace tortilla chips with crispy deep-friend chicken skin and top this with cheese, sour cream, tomatoes, onions and jalapenos. A spicy and sinful dish to munch on for sure!

Dirty Bird Chicken Pizza (Php295). Replace the pizza dough with a chicken chop and top it with xheese, pepperoni and tomatoes. With each bite, you get two classic favorites: friend chicken and pizza.

Smokey Bacon Pork Ribs (Php1,595 full slab solo | Php1,695 full slab with 3 sides | Php895 half slab solo | Php995 half slab with 2 sides). Pork ribs wrapped in bacon before smoking to produce a truly flavorful and fork tender meat.

Mimi’s Fried Chicken Sandwich (Php285). A cutlet of crispy fried chicken placed inside a burger bun together with pickles and served together with fries.

Chili Dog (Php265). Part of the resto’s newly launched chili menu, this consists of a plump hotdog on a bun covered in cheesy chili and served with fries.

All these menu items bear Mimi & Bros’ trademark for fun and tasty food, served with a lot of spice and a happy attitude, perfect for late-night hangouts with friends, made even more fun with Hoegaarden Rosee.

Mimi & Bros is located at Ground Floor, Crossroads Building, 32nd Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City, open Mondays to Thursdays from 11am to 12 midnight, Fridays to Saturdays from 11am to 2am and Sundays from 10am to 10pm. For reservations and inquiries, call +63 2 8267737 or +63 945 7985176.

Romance Novel Review: Loving the Marquess by Suzanna Medeiros

One of my guilty pleasures is reading romance novels, those set in the Regency era in particular.

Regency romances are situated in the period of the British Regency, in which King George III was deem unfit to rule and his son, who would later accede the throne as King George IV, ruled as Prince Regent.

Strict observances of manners and propriety, concerns about social classes, inherited estates and noble titles, and, sometimes, even social commentary serve as the backdrop for passionate love stories between plucky heroines and aloof heroes.

One such story is Loving the Marquess by Suzanna Medeiros, the first novel of her Landing a Lord series.

Burdened by her family’s reduced circumstances, Louisa Evans sought the help of Nicholas, the Marquess of Overlea, the head of the family that ruined hers. Worried that he may be suffering from an inherited illness that put the marquisate’s future in jeopardy, he proposed marriage to Louisa but intends to have another man father children by her to prevent the passing down of the mysterious disease. His plans were complicated by his growing feelings for her and outside threats that endanger their safety.

This book proved to be enjoyable read, with a fast-paced plot and engaging characters, albeit with a few typos and grammatical errors. Actually, I finished it overnight. 🙂

Louisa is a believable and relatable heroine, a practical woman given to taking care of others: her siblings in the wake of their father’s death and their family’s fall to penury, and Overlea after his ailment caused him to collapse near the Evans home. Her change from an impoverished gentry girl to an elegant marchioness is something I as a reader rooted for.

Overlea, on the other hand, is a bit problematic for me. While the readers are told that he grew up as the spare to the heir and never expected to take the marquisate, his transformation from a laid-back young man prior to the deaths of his father and brother, to a responsible and compassionate landlord to his tenants was not given enough substance. Also, his reasons for his hare-brained idea to have another man father his heir, and his planned methods to bring this about were half-baked.

Secondary characters that I would love to read more about in later additions to the series include Louisa’s siblings Catherine and John, and Overlea’s best friend, the Earl of Kerrick.

Loving the Marquess is a good and easy book to read while relaxing on a weekend. The editing could be improved a bit, though.

The Landing a Lord series is preceded by the novella Dancing with the Duke, in which Charlotte Grant sets out to capture the heart of her childhood crush and her best friend’s brother, the Duke of Clarington in her one and only London season. The Marquess of Overlea and the Earl of Kerrick made appearances in this story as Clarington’s friends.

In second book in the series, Beguiling the Earl, Catherine Evans, whom we first met in Loving the Marquess, adjusts to the change in her circumstances after her sister’s marriage to Overlea. She has carried a tendre for the Earl of Kerrick ever since she met him and has harbored a wish to capture his heart during her London season. However, he is duty-bound to give his attentions to another woman.

In the third book in the series, The Unaffected Earl, Rose Hardwicke fell from being the darling of the ton to being a social pariah due to a family scandal. She sought the help of Earl of Brantford to prove her father innocent of treason but she may have trouble breaking through his icy exterior.

For more details or to buy any of these books on Amazon.com, simply click on the titles.

Check out my other blog posts on my favorite books:

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