Book Spotlight Posted on September 9, 2023: https://travelingwitht.com/2023/09/09/book-spotlight-womens-fiction/

FUN and flirty and brides and Snowmagedon in the Spring in Washington, D.C. and you have this one all wrapped up. When these three sisters find out their parents are going to retire they are left with the business to run. Crazy brides and overbearing grooms and weather will not stop these three from getting the job done. This was a fun book and I found myself turning pages way past my bedtime.

As I write this review, Valentine’s Day had just passed and wedding season is still ahead. While weddings are meant to be happy occasions, sometimes getting there isn’t easy as the family in this novel that runs a wedding boutique business knows very well.

At the same time that they are trying to make others dreams come true, sisters Marisol, Janelyn and Pearl are also trying to manage their own lives. This is often challenging for them both as individuals and in their relationships with one another. Follow along with them in this entertaining read.

One thing that I enjoyed along with the story was the author’s use of a piece of music as chapter headings. Readers can have a playlist by the end of the novel.

Those who enjoy women’s fiction will want to give this book a look.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

This was a fun family drama! Tif really knows how to craft a story while incorporating a lot of importance to the Filipino culture. I really do wish that this was a romance.

This was a quick, cute read. Makes a great beach read or one sitting read. Made me want to read more by Tif Marcelo.

I LOVED this book! Tie is such an amazing writer and I never can get enough of her books! I’m always bummed when I finish her books because I have to wait til the next one lol. It’s always a treat I want to savor. I highly recommend you grab her books you won’t be sorry!

This book just didn't work for me. It took me a while to get into the narrative, and the characters kept blending together in my head. It was a little difficult to remember who was who. That said, I did not DNF and I was able to finish it.

I received a free ARC copy of this book via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2778517432

To be honest, the thing I liked most about this book is that it was as much a romcom as a book about family relationships. I’m not a huge romance novel fan, so that was a big positive for me as I read the book. However, it was a very light read, which for some readers would be a positive thing. I was hoping for something with a little more depth. It is probably a good summer read if you are into that type of novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

I liked this one but didn't love it. First off, it started off slow but the second half more than made up for it.

Thank you netgalley and publisher for the early copy.

I ended up dnfing this romance/adult novel because I could not connect with the writing stye.

This was more of a women’s fiction than romance in my opinion, but I enjoyed it regardless! I loved that it’s an own voices story written by a Filipino author about the bond between Filipino sisters. I’m part Filipino and I really enjoyed seeing my heritage represented in the story. I loved that the story was centered around the sisters wedding planning business in DC, such a fun setting. I would have liked the story to have more romance, but it was still delightful.

Once again, this is a new author for me and she's a delight! Her writing flows nicely and keeps your interest. In this book, sisters, wedding planning and family issues are all explored.
I love novels that have sisters as main characters. Having two sisters of my own; I could at times relate to discussions, etc. that occurred in this one.
...and isn't that cover simply adorable??? Tif Marcelo, I truly enjoyed this book!
I received an Advance Review Copy of this book. All opinions are my own. @tifmarcelo @Tallpoppybloggers @tallpoppywriters #bookstagram #bookcommunity

This was my first nook from this author and certainly not my last. I loved it in so many ways, She certainly will be an author on my good to list.

"The Key to Happily Ever After" captivated me from the beginning. This is the story of three sisters (Mari, Jane, and Pearl) who take over the family wedding planning business. Their personalities differ quite a bit, which makes them a great team. However, conflicts arise, past situations resurface, and tempers fray. This is non just a story about a family business, but also about relationships and friendships.

The plot moved along and kept me interested throughout. The characters were well-drawn and realistic. I also learned about Filipino family structures and food, and also about the fascinating business of professional wedding planning!

(Just one little aspect of the Pearl/Kayla (her best friend) situation struck me as a bit off key. (Why would Kayla be upset when Pearl dated her brother and long time friend and neighbor?) I will leave the rest to the reader to find out. Suffice it to say that loose ends are wrapped up in the finale, conflicts are settled, and the family and business emerge stronger than before.

This was an all around interesting and enjoyable read. I highly recommend this to readers who are looking for a well-written and entertaining read.

I received this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

The Key to Happily Ever After is a lovely book about relationships and the way our inability to see outside our own perspective can harm the connections we have with the people we love. I adored this book and have recommended it to several friends in addition to talking about it on the Book Riot When In Romance podcast.

If you pick this up looking for what’s billed as a “charming romantic comedy”, you’re bound to be disappointed because it’s not at all funny and has hints of romance lacking in emotion with no satisfactory endings. This is much more a family saga about three Filipino-American sisters who co-own a wedding planning business, but who are stuck in the ruts established when they were in late adolescence. The oldest sister, Mari, is emotionally-stunted and a control freak unwilling to let her baby sister Penny (who’s 26) take the lead on any events because she doesn’t trust her. The middle sister, Jane, is a single mom who serves primarily as peacekeeper. Oddly, the story is told in only two voices, leaving out Jane’s perspective which is disappointing since she is the most level-headed and insightful.

Ultimately, this is a character-driven novel that lacks…well, character and leaves us with too many unanswered questions. What happened to Saul? Will Reid move from Atlanta to be with Mari? Will Jane end up with Gabe or Marco? Why didn’t Marco know he had a son, or is he just lying to save face? Very disappointing!

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Gallery Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

I really enjoyed this book despite it being low in the romance. I want to read more from Tif Marcelo, this book is so much about family and tradition that I wish there could have been more. All in all I enjoyed it, very crips, entertaining read.

Three sisters are trying to keep their family's wedding planner business going and everything seems to be a comedy of errors. Fun summer read!

This was a cute book but not one that I loved. However, I realized after the fact the fault actually lies with my expectations. I didn’t realize that this was classified as Women’s Fiction and not technically romance. I didn’t even realize this until I listened to the author’s interview on a podcast and I though holy crap that makes SO MUCH SENSE and the entire book came together for me.



So, if you go into the book with WF expectations I think you may like this book more. 3 sisters own a legacy wedding planning business together, which as a set-up I loved. Where I didn’t love it is how the book doesn’t really choose one sister to follow throughout the book, the reader goes from one to the other. And where in a romance the obvious expectation would be a trilogy, this one chose to have 2 out of 3 sisters get an HEA. The parts I loved were the family dynamics and the Filipino cultural heritage – those aspects shined brightly. I wished that the book either leaned into the family dynamics and explored that more or leaned into the romance and explored that more – although we all know where my real preference lies lol.

I’ve always enjoyed novels that include sisters (think The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls, published earlier this year, or Summer Secrets by Jane Green, one of my favorites); I’m not sure why, other than the fact that I don’t have any and I’ve always thought it might be fun. The Key to Happily Ever After not only revolves around three sisters, but also the well-established wedding planning business that they’ve taken over from their mother; having been involved in the wedding of my best friend last year, this was a perfectly fun, yet stress free, way to relive that experience and also enjoy the dynamics that first pull apart and then strengthen this group of wonderful women.