ONCE UPON A SUNSET
by
Tif Marcelo
SYNOPSIS
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.
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REVIEW
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.
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GIVEAWAY
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.
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.
ule #2: Never fall for your client’s fiercely protective, smoking hot sister-in-law.
Zara M Baily writes multicultural romance short stories that are erotic, paranormal, fantasy, and perhaps also historical in the future. One thing is for certain: Zara doesn’t do, and won’t ever do, sweet. Or clean. Her sexytimes may be dirty at times, but they’re always, always consensual and responsible.
Taylor Morgan has always had a penchant for fairy tales—and not the Disney sort. Currently, she is creating tales that feature heroes who are more likely to hide in the woods than ride off into the sunset, and the heroines who claim their hearts. Taylor lives in Alabama with her husband, daughter, and dog. If missing, she’s probably holed up with a new book, a blanket, and a glass of wine or a Pumpkin Spice Latte.
Emmaline Warden lives in Colorado with her husband, four Chaos Makers, and a menagerie of animals. Her love of romance began with an accidental copy of Susan Elizabeth Phillips’s Dream a Little Dream, and a trip to D.C. When she is not writing, she can be found outdoors with her kids, at the dog park with “her boys,” or with her nose buried in a book.
Belle Langtree’s passion for hot, sexy romance began in the late seventies, after reading The Flame and The Flower by Kathleen Woodiwiss. Over the years, her book club friends encouraged her to write her own love stories. Belle lives in the great State of Michigan with her loving husband of fifty happy years and their wild and crazy rescue pup named Faith Fu Fu.
Chele MacCabe has spent the last several years learning to string words together to tell stories. After all that practice and playing with her favorite fandom, she is ready to share her imagination with the rest of the world. She lives in the mountains with her mister, the short and the medium sized ones, and the critters that have found their way into their lives.
Sera Taíno was born to Puerto Rican parents in New Jersey. She writes romances featuring the kinds of women she grew up around. Sera currently lives in Florida with her husband and two sons, and teaches English Lit by day. A voracious reader as well as an avid outdoors person, she’s often torn between curling up on a sofa with a cup of coffee and a good book, and taking off for a long run on the trails around her house.
Elizabeth Langley has been writing stories for as long as she can remember. Her love of romance novels started in her early twenties and has continued throughout her life. She is currently working on a few contemporary novels that she hopes to release within the next year. She lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her husband, two children, one bonus child, three neurotic cats (one of which is probably an alien disguised as a cat), an energetic Corgi, and a homicidal rabbit.
Allegra Johnson is an up-and-coming indie author who enjoys writing steamy love stories. She can be found stumbling throughout Romancelandia, figuring out this author thing one book at a time.
Linda G. Hill has been writing out-of-this world romance stories since she was a child. Living vicariously through the characters in her head, she’s experienced the kinds of love that mortals only dream of. In reality, she’s just a mom, an author, an editor, and a couch potato if there ever was one.