A review by spcandybars
Blackmail and Bibingka, by Mia P. Manansala

adventurous lighthearted relaxing fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I think if you enjoyed the first two books enough to look into more, you can rest assured knowing you’ll enjoy this third installment. I wouldn’t say it’s as strong as the second book when it comes to how the new characters were introduced and the framing of their involvement with Lila and co but it was still a relaxing and fast read. 

There were a few moments of dialogue that felt cringe because of some really forced slang usage but nothing that should be unexpected after the other books. I do want to hear less rehashing of previous books from Lila so the books feel like they stand on their own a bit more but it’s not too extreme - just a bit distracting within the narrative. The way everyone was brought in this story felt very abrupt (Lila stating “long lost cousin” to begin his background dump was hilarious to me) and forced compared to HAHH but I think that’s probably a genre specifically quality of cozies - characters inserted specific to the episodic plot. You can’t kill everyone in town so you’ve got to start pulling them from other places. 

This is my first cozy series and I feel like I’ve finally got the hang of them. This is honestly a series I could see extending forever and that’s pretty fun. 

Perfect for reading slumps if you already love this family and the most diverse small town in the Midwest. 
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