From romance author Tif Marcelo comes a heartwarming story about taking a second chance on love at a family-owned couples resort.
Heart Resort, a private resort in the Outer Banks, is a romantic getaway for couples but a hotbed of family drama for its proprietors, the Puso family. Brandon Puso, the youngest of the four siblings, prefers life on his own as a licensed contractor in DC after a falling-out with his eldest brother.
After a hurricane plows through the Outer Banks, Brandon has a change of heart. He returns to the resort to help with the grand reopening but encounters his big sister’s best friend, designer Geneva Harris, who’s there to do the same thing. But Geneva and Brandon have a secret. Years ago, they had a secret romance that ended in heartbreak.
With the resort’s future at stake, Brandon and Geneva decide to put the past aside and to keep peace with the family. But as their mutual attraction heats up, they have to decide if history will repeat itself—or if this time, love gets a second chance.
Tif Marcelo is a veteran US Army nurse and holds a BS in Nursing and a Master’s in public administration. She believes and writes about the strength of families, the endurance of friendship, heartfelt romances, and is inspired daily by her own military hero husband and four children. She hosts The Stories to Love Podcast, and is the USA Today bestselling author of In a Book Club Far Away, Once Upon a Sunset, The Key to Happily Ever After, and the Journey to the Heart series.
Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission. Keep in mind that I link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you.
My latest book Global City Tryst, a Carpe Diem Chronicles novelette, is now live!
This prequel to Singapore Fling is special to me because it’s the only work I was able to complete in 2020. While the pandemic didn’t affect me physically, it stifled my creativity severely. At the same time, the Romance writing world was in turmoil. With the additional responsibility of supervising my son’s virtual learning, my mental health suffered. The inspiration well dried out and all my progress on my ongoing project Samui Heat, Angela and Craig’s story, came to a full stop.
Thankfully, all was not lost. When an author-friend of mine invited me to participate in an anthology she was coordinating, I readily accepted. The theme of a contemporary romance set in a high-rise building lit a spark of inspiration within me. I already had the makings of this story. I already know the characters inside and out. I had sprinkled scenes all over Singapore Fling about Maddie and Aidan’s sexy weekend after they left Boracay.
When we were together at my condo in Makati, we …”
… subsisted on sex and kisses.”
It still took me a couple of weeks to flesh it out, but I managed to write a fun and sexy story detailing how Maddie and Aidan’s romance really started.
The Big City Heat anthology was published in October 2020 and sold well enough to be listed as no. 1 bestseller in a couple of categories and enabled us to donate to the Equal Justice Initiative. Now, the rights have been returned to me and I can re-release as a stand alone story.
I’m excited for y’all to read this (long) short story. It explains so much why Maddie and Aidan’s relationship progressed so quickly in Singapore Fling.
From the author of Once Upon a Sunset and The Key to Happily Ever After comes a heartwarming and moving novel following three Army wives—estranged friends—who must overcome their differences when one of them is desperate for help.
Regina Castro, Adelaide Wilson-Chang, and Sophie Walden usedto be best friends. As Army wives at Fort East, they bonded during their book club and soon became inseparable. But when an unimaginable betrayal happened amongst the group, the friendship abruptly ended, and they haven’t spoken since.
That’s why, eight years later, Regina and Sophie are shocked when they get a call for help from Adelaide. Adelaide’s husband is stationed abroad, and without any friends or family near her new home of Alexandria, Virginia, she has no one to help take care of her young daughter when she has to undergo emergency surgery. For the sake of an innocent child, Regina and Sophie reluctantly put their differences aside to help an old friend.
As the three women reunite, they must overcome past hurts and see if there’s any future for their friendship. Featuring Tif Marcelo’s signature “enchanting prose” (Amy E. Reichert, author of The Coincidence of Coconut Cake) and the books that brought them together in the first place, In a Book Club Far Away honors the immense power of female friendship and how love can defy time, distance, and all old wounds.
I always sound like a broken record when it comes to my reviews of Tif Marcelo’s books. It’s because I see myself in her characters. For one, there’s always a Filipina in her stories. And Filipino food, of course.
With this book in particular, I see myself in all three women–Regina, Adelaide, and Sophie. I’m a military spouse (Air Force, not Army) and a founding member of a book club initially comprised of military spouses. We set it up in a military city when our service members were all still active duty or working at the base/fort. Alongside discussions about our book of the month, we also talked about our experiences of military life. I relate closely with the strong friendship that developed among such like-minded people. Three years after I’ve left that city, I still belong to the book club and I remain great friends with many of the members. This is why this book resonated with me greatly.
However, one doesn’t have to be a military spouse to relate to this story of a fractured friendship and reconciliation. As long as you appreciate good storytelling, compelling diverse characters, great sense of place, intelligent conversations, and evocative real-life situations, you’ll enjoy this book too.
ABOUT TIF
Tif Marcelo is a veteran US Army nurse and holds a BS in Nursing and a Master’s in public administration. She believes and writes about the strength of families, the endurance of friendship, heartfelt romances, and is inspired daily by her own military hero husband and four children. She hosts The Stories to Love Podcast, and is the USA Today bestselling author of In a Book Club Far Away, Once Upon a Sunset, The Key to Happily Ever After, and the Journey to the Heart series.
Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission. Keep in mind that I link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you.
Love contemporary romances in the Big City? Say yes, and you’ll love this collection of hot and steamy stories set in city high-rises, each perfect for reading in one sitting.
Within these pages, find an exotic cocktail — billionaire, fake, curvy women, older men, interracial, LGBTQ, straight, office, mafia … and much, much more.
Get these HOT stories from the TOP stories of some of the biggest, sexiest city high-rises.
A portion of net proceeds goes to the Equal Justice Initiative.
The 57th Floor – Hazel Storm When a client meeting sends matchmaker, Madelyn, hurtling to the high-rise office of CEO Peter Waring, she doesn’t expect to be blown away by this way-too-hot older man. But hookups with clients aren’t allowed, and now, Madelyn has to find Peter the perfect match.
A Change of Plans – PE Kavanagh Ways to make the best of a NYC blizzard: 1. Take shelter in a luxury penthouse 2. Stock up on all your favorite snacks 3. Get stranded with your big sister’s best friend, who happens to be the woman of your dreams
A Hole – Phoebe Alexander With meddling friends and myriad misunderstandings, can Ace and Ella find their happy ending? Or will Ella just become the punchline of Ace’s next joke?
The Wolf of Wall Street – Lucy Eden CEO, Luis Pine and Executive Assistant, Aurora Douglas have a million reasons to keep their relationship strictly professional, except for one … fate.
44th & Blue – Jodi Payne When Benjamin Waters’ law firm moves to the 44th floor of a Midtown high-rise, the last person he expects to encounter is his casual hookup, Cole Turner. Cole is working on the finishing touches to the office space, wearing a sexy tool belt and threatening to disrupt Benjamin’s carefully compartmentalized life.
Courtney – Jayce Ellis Courtney intends to relax, relate, release, when he comes home after a decade abroad. When he meets Tracey, his plans abruptly shift, and now getting to know the cautious, but sinfully gorgeous man is the only thing on his mind.
The Right Note – Bree Kraemer In a high-rise in Chicago, Eliza and Henry are unaware that the other even exists. Until music brings them together.
Felling Bechet – Stella Williams Bechet Cross seems the perfect fling for Isis Hale. No strings, no games, until he fell.
Asylum Club – Aidy Award I need this job at the infamous Asylum Club, but I don’t submit for anyone. Not even the sinful billionaire owner whose dominant side drives me crazy in all the hottest ways.
The Glass Tower – Emily Gray While Zel Thatcher dreams of escape from a glass prison, Regina Prince restores the passion for music he thought was lost. Can they overcome his uncle’s malice to find love and a fairytale ending?
Make Me Beg – Moni Boyce Teagan Palmer hates Reid Beckett. Unfortunately, the sexy, ruthless fixer is the only one standing between Teagan and the hit on her life. An enemies to lovers, mafia romance.
Global City Tryst – Maida Malby One alluring French-Filipina beauty. One sexy US Air Force officer. One torrid weekend tryst.
Lust at first sight strikes Maddie Duvall and Aidan Ryan in Manila. A day at the beach with friends and family does not give them an opportunity to succumb to their mutual attraction. Both single and available, they agree on a secret weekend affair. No strings, no promises. Satisfy their desire for one another and they’re done.
Or so they say.
Global City Tryst, a Carpe Diem Chronicles novelette, is the prequel to Singapore Fling.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
HAZEL STORM Hazel Storm writes stories about love between characters with conscience. Over the past two decades, she has been vegan, raw vegan and vegetarian. She loves hot yoga and cool martial arts. Learn more and join Hazel’s newsletter here: www.hazelstorm.com
PE KAVANAGH PE Kavanagh writes smart and steamy contemporary romances with a splash of suspense and a sprinkle of magic. She’s committed to the life-changing powers of true love and great orgasms. www.pekavanagh.com
PHOEBE ALEXANDER Phoebe Alexander writes bodypositive, sexpositive erotic romance and lives on the East Coast with her husband, sons and multiple fur babies. Learn more and join Phoebe’s newsletter at www.phoebe-alexander.com
LUCY EDEN Lucy Eden is the nom de plume of a romance-obsessed author who writes the kind of romance she loves to read. She’s a sucker for alphas with a soft gooey center, over the top romantic gestures, strong & smart MCs, humor, love at first sight (or pretty damn close), happily ever after & of course, dirty & steamy love scenes. www.lucyeden.com
AIDY AWARD Aidy Award writes curvy girl romance, about real love, and dirty fun, with happy ever afters because every woman deserves great sex and even better romance, no matter her size, shape, or what the scale says. www.aidyaward.com
JODI PAYNE Jodi Payne’s addictions include nonfat lattes, tequila any way you pour it, Broadway and live music. Her men are imperfect but genuine, stubborn but likable, often kinky, and frequently their own worst enemies as they stumble along the path to their happily ever after. www.jodipayne.net
JAYCE ELLIS Jayce spends her days divorcing “happily married couples” and her nights writing about people like her: Black, queer, fighting for their happily ever afters, with her husband and two turtles by her side. www.authorjayceellis.com
BREE KRAEMER Bree Kraemer writes contemporary romance, sometimes with a lot of hot, steamy sex and sometimes with just a little. She lives in Ohio with her husband and 3 kids, All of which are teenagers and make her want to pull her hair out. Hence her use of the F-word and the drinking of margaritas. www.BreeKraemer.com
STELLA WILLIAMS Stella Williams is a Blogger, Booktuber, and Romance Author, who lives in Washington State. She has a degree in Anthropology from The University of California, Santa Cruz. Stella prides herself in using her studies to create diverse worlds and characters for her novels. Her latest project is a magical paranormal romance series entitled “Secret of Ceres.” www.serpentinecreative.com
EMILY GRAY Emily Gray is an author of contemporary romance and romantic suspense. While ensuring her characters get their HEA, she lives on coffee and chocolate. www.emilygray.org
MONI BOYCE Moni Boyce is a writer, filmmaker, poet and author of contemporary and paranormal romance. She considers herself a bookworm, film buff, foodie, music lover and an avid world traveler having visited 33 countries and counting. www.moniboyce.com
MAIDA MALBY Maida Malby cooks up multicultural, foodie, international contemporary romance stories filled with sizzling heat, mouthwatering spice, and a whole lotta love. She is a member of select writing groups and romance book clubs. Her To-Be-Read Mountain and book reviews are featured on her website www.maidamalby.com
Diana Gallagher-Cary is at a tipping point. As a Washington, DC, OB/GYN at a prestigious hospital, she uses her career to distract herself from her grief over her granny’s death and her breakup from her long-term boyfriend after her free-spirited mother moves in with her. But when she makes a medical decision that disparages the hospital, she is forced to go on a short sabbatical.
Never one to wallow, Diana decides to use the break to put order in her life, when her mother, Margo, stumbles upon a box of letters from her grandfather, Antonio Cruz, to her grandmother from the 1940s. The two women always believed that Antonio died in World War II, but the letters reveal otherwise. When they learn that he lived through the war, and that they have surviving relatives in the Philippines, Diana becomes determined to connect with the family that she never knew existed, though Margo refuses to face her history. But Diana pushes on, and heads on a once-in-a-lifetime trip that challenges her identity, family history, and her idea of romantic love that could change her life forever.
This richly-layered and immensely touching tale of family, friendships, and love is another winner from Tif Marcelo. I’m honored to have been given the opportunity to read both an early draft and an advanced copy of the final version. Both solidified my respect and admiration for the author of such engaging reads as Once Upon a Sunset.
At the forefront is the complicated relationship between super-analytical Diana and her social media-savvy mother Margo. Both are still reeling from the death of Leora, the third female lead of the book whose secrets affected her descendants’ present and future in ways neither of them imagined. Their separate quests to find answers to individual questions about identity and purpose eventually brought them closer to each other which is as satisfying an ending as any happily-ever-afters out there. That both also found romantic love in the process makes this an all-around enjoyable read.
Set in both the US and the Philippines, Once Upon a Sunset presents aspects of Filipino-American culture that only someone who belongs could articulate. There’s plenty of delicious food, a smattering of Filipino language, and a bit of intricate family setup. And then, there’s the matter-of-fact acknowledgment of the Filipino migrants’ contributions to many US historical causes, particularly to their service during World War II through the character of Antonio Cruz. That’s something that is seldom celebrated in publishing to the point that it adds to the sense of erasure that the minority group to which both Tif and I belong to experiences. For this solid piece of representation, I give this book top marks.
PS: I read this novel in both eBook and paperback and I have to state my preference for and recommendation of the paper version. The formatting of the letters and text messages added an extra-special dimension that enhanced my enjoyment of the story.
ABOUT TIF
Tif Marcelo is a veteran army nurse and holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Master of Public Administration. She believes and writes about the strength of families, the endurance of friendship, heartfelt romances, and is inspired daily by her own military hero husband and four children. She is also the author of The Key to Happily Ever After and the Journey to the Heart series.
Gallery Books is generously sponsoring a paperback giveaway of Once Upon a Sunset to one of my followers. All you have to do to enter is follow Tif Marcelo on BookBub and tell me in the comments that you’ve done so. Bonus entry if you also follow me. I’ll draw the winner on Tuesday, March 10 at 12 noon Central Time.
Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission. Keep in mind that I link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you.
Publisher: Immortal Works Press
Publication Date: September 10, 2019
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Heat Level: Sweet
Time will heal her scars, but what will heal her heart?
Hannah Hart may have been burned by the breakup of her rocky marriage, but the ambitious Afro-Filipina model has big plans for her future. Her stunning looks and flawless skin provide the opening she craves to become a celebrity in the fashion world. Then an arsonist’s match brings Hannah’s world crashing down around her.
Recovering from the burns that destroyed her skin, Hannah is forced to accept help from the last person on earth she wants, her estranged husband, Jake Hart. Jake isn’t ready to give up on their marriage. The return of Jake’s teenage son from a one-night stand had been the catalyst for their breakup. How can he help both the son who resents his abandonment and the woman he still loves? He can do nothing about the scars on her skin, but can he heal Hannah’s heart?
As she struggles to rebuild her life from the ashes of her shattered dreams, does Hannah have the courage to give Jake a second chance? And is the world ready for a differently-abled model who will redefine what it means to be beautiful?
Preslaysa Williams is an award-winning author who writes contemporary romance and women’s fiction with an Afro-Filipina twist. Proud of her heritage, she loves sharing her culture with her readers. She is currently earning her second graduate degree, a MFA in Writing Popular Fiction, at Seton Hill University. She holds an undergraduate degree in Spanish Language & Literature from Columbia University.
Preslaysa is also a professional actress, a planner nerd, an avid bookworm, and a homeschool mom who often wears mismatched socks. To follow along with her busy life, visit her at http://www.preslaysa.com where you can sign up for her newsletter community.
When a single mom ends up playing an unwilling fake girlfriend to a charming playboy baseball player, love suddenly turns everything upside down in this fun, heartwarming multicultural romance.
Angel Gomez has never lived by the book. A Bronx-based unwed mother by the time she was sixteen, Angel’s personal mission has always been to show the world that a Puerto Rican girl is not to be messed with—especially by a man. The only thing that matters to Angel, now, is providing for her son and earning enough tips at the club to complete her nursing degree along the way. Love is nowhere on her agenda.
Caleb “The Duke” Lewis is a star pitcher for the Bronx Bolts whose romantic escapades make delicious fodder for gossip columns. But lately he’s been trying to keep a lower profile—so much so that when he meets Angel, first while she’s in her nurse uniform and the next time behind the bar, she has no idea who Duke is, fails to fall for his obvious charm, and ends up throwing a drink in his face! She is the perfect woman for Duke … to fool the tabloids into thinking he’s finally settling down. But what begins as a charade soon has Duke and Angel hurtling into a full-blown romance that rocks each of their worlds and begs the question: Is this the real deal—or are some love stories just too good to be true?
EVELYN LOZADA is a high-profile Latina-American reality television personality, entrepreneur, author, and philanthropist. She is best known for her role on VH1’s hit series Basketball Wives (2010-present), OWN’s hit series Livin’ Lozada (2015), author of the first installment of the book series: The Wives Association: Inner Circle (2012), and creator of Healthy Boricua (A Puerto Rican Lifestyle Guide to Healthy Living). Evelyn has become a national trendsetter, a “go to” fitness export, jewelry designer, fashion and beauty maven, social media royalty, and a stimulating voice and proactive supporter of causes that effect women and girls through the Evelyn Lozada Foundation. Evelyn is a Bronx native, mother of two (Shaniece Hairston and Carl Leo Crawford), who currently resides in Los Angeles.
Holly Lörincz is a successful collaborative writer and owner of Lorincz Literary Services. She is an award-winning novelist (Smart Mouth, The Everything Girl) and co-author (best-selling Crown Heights, and How to Survive a Day in Prison) living in Oregon.
REVIEW
When St. Martin’s Press’ publicist offered me an advance copy of The Perfect Date to review, I readily accepted after seeing the cover and the name of a PoC author. I was like, “Yay for representation and inclusion.”
I had high hopes for this book as I love some of its elements: multicultural main characters, placing a priority on education, desire to rise up from poverty. I thought I would be able to relate to the heroine since I also have a little boy. I thought there would be strong family support and solid female friendships.
I thought wrong. The Perfect Date did not live up to expectations. The writing is unpolished, the pacing is uneven, and the editing is unsatisfactory with plenty of grammatical errors and head hopping points of view. The main characters are unlikable and the many sub-plots are too heavy and angsty without let-up.
I cannot even consider it a proper romance since the main focus of the book was not Angel and Duke getting together to form a loving relationship. Each went about their own way – Angel to deal with the creep of a doctor she works for while studying for her exams, and taking care of her sickly son; Duke to return to playing baseball while hiding his injury and warring with his blackmailer of an ex-girlfriend. Their association was forced, their meetings combative. They never had a perfect date, so the title doesn’t fit.
Only Angel’s friend Gabrielle and her son Jose are positive representations of people of color. The rest, including Duke, are abusive, drug addicts, amoral cheaters and blackmailers, and in the case of Angel, whiny and hot-tempered.
Contrary to the blurb, The Perfect Date is not fun. It’s a soap-opera drama better suited to a reality show on TV. If you’re a fan of that, this book might be for you. Sadly, it is not for me.
The de la Rosa family and their wedding planning business have been creating happily ever afters in the Washington, DC area for years, making even the most difficult bride’s day a fairytale. But when their parents announce their retirement, the sisters—Marisol, Janelyn, and Pearl—are determined to take over the business themselves.
But the sisters quickly discover that the wedding business isn’t all rings and roses. There are brides whose moods can change at the drop of a hat; grooms who want to control every part of the process; and couples who argue until their big day. As emotions run high, the de la Rosa sisters quickly realize one thing: even when disaster strikes—whether it’s a wardrobe malfunction or a snowmageddon in the middle of a spring wedding—they’ll always have each other.
Perfect for fans of the witty and engaging novels of Amy E. Reichert and Susan Mallery, The Key to Happily Ever After is a fresh romantic comedy that celebrates the crucial and profound power of sisterhood.
I hardly ever see myself represented in romantic fiction (which is why I write them myself), so I can’t help but gush whenever I read one that has someone like me as a main character.
Vanity, thy name is Maida, for when I read The Key to Happily Ever After–the latest work by Tif Marcelo–I feel like she based her heroines on me. I’m Filipino-American, a (former) wedding planner, and I lived in Alexandria. Like Marisol de la Rosa, I’m the eldest, the one who is expected to be responsible, to take care of her younger siblings, and someone who is a tad dictatorial. I’m also Jane, the middle sister, who is good with numbers and has a sweet little boy. Like Pearl, I’m resourceful, creative, I (used to) do yoga, and a little impulsive at times.
Even if I wasn’t Tif’s inspiration for her characters, I can still lay claim to these wonderful women like I never can for all the other female main characters in the hundreds of books I read and review every year. That’s what makes this book and this author special to me.
Not to say that only Filipinas can relate to these beautiful, complicated women. For surely, everyone who has ever had siblings, especially sisters, can put themselves in the shoes of the protagonists in this book. These are women who want to break free from long-held stereotypes regarding birth order, who struggle for individuality even as they remain loyal to the family, who retain unresolved issues from the past that color, if not outright dictate, their present attitudes and actions. They attempt to balance work and love amidst family drama and mostly succeed. Hey, it’s romantic fiction, after all.
Light but not fluffy, deep but not angsty, The Key to Happily Ever After is well-written, well-told, well done. I highly recommend this book to readers who value excellent storytelling and who are open to reading books that accurately reflect the diverse world we live in today.
ABOUT TIF MARCELO
Tif believes in and writes about heart-eyes romance, the strength of families, and the endurance of friendship. A veteran Army Nurse with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Master of Public Administration, she is a craft enthusiast and food-lover. As a military spouse, she has moved nine times, and this adventure shows in some of her free-spirited characters. Tif currently lives in the DC area with her own real life military hero and four children.
From the author of Once Upon a Sunset and The Key to Happily Ever After comes a heartwarming and moving novel following three Army wives—estranged friends—who must overcome their differences when one of them is desperate for help.
I always sound like a broken record when it comes to my reviews of Tif Marcelo’s books. It’s because I see myself in her characters. For one, there’s always a Filipina in her stories. And Filipino food, of course.
Diana Gallagher-Cary is at a tipping point. As a Washington, DC, OB/GYN at a prestigious hospital, she uses her career to distract herself from her grief over her granny’s death and her breakup from her long-term boyfriend after her free-spirited mother moves in with her. But when she makes a medical decision that disparages the hospital, she is forced to go on a short sabbatical.
I hardly ever see myself represented in romantic fiction (which is why I write them myself), so I can’t help but gush whenever I read one that has someone like me as a main character.
Maida Malby 
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