The Key to Happily Ever After

April 1, 2019

Marisol, Janelyn, and Pearl de la Rosa are sisters who just took over their parents' wedding planning business. While mom and dad are enjoying retirement, the siblings need to sort out the business, as the finances are a bit of mess. Although they're equal partners, contention arises when Pearl, the youngest sister and the social media manager, wants to be a full-fledged wedding planner like her sisters. But Mari, the eldest, is too much of a control freak to turn her baby sister loose. Jane, the middle child, is the peacemaker, but it takes almost a complete break before things normalize. Can't have a wedding planner story without some romance, and Mari is the lucky sister who finds love. Readers are told that the de la Rosas are Filipino, yet we don't get much of the culture beyond brief mentions; instead the story focuses on relationships between the sisters and their wedding clients. VERDICT This sweet family story/romance will appeal to fans of Susan Mallery and RaeAnne Thayne. Especially suitable for public libraries looking for more #ownvoices authors.--Stacy Alesi, Palm Beach Cty. Lib. Syst., FL

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 8, 2019
Marcelo (West Coast Love) charms in this feel-good story about three Filipino sisters, the Alexandria, Va., bridal boutique they inherit from their parents, and their bumpy roads to happily-ever-after. Mari de la Rosa is the oldest at 32, and the most type-A of the bunch, immediately minting herself as CEO of Rings and Roses; Jane, 30, is an even-keeled single mother to a young son and takes charge of the shop’s books; and 26-year-old Pearl is creative but incapable of showing up on time. The story toggles between Mari’s point of view and Pearl’s as Pearl asks for more responsibility and Mari is reluctant to comply. After Pearl brings in a coveted local bride, a wealthy socialite, she and Mari have a bitter fight about Mari’s rigidity and Pearl’s fly-by-the-seat-of-her-pants nature. The layered plot, which includes a dark period in Mari’s past that places roadblock to finding love in the present, and the cast of colorful supporting characters, particularly sassy shop seamstress Amelia, are a treat. Fans of Jill Shalvis and Jane Green will particularly enjoy this.

March 1, 2019
When their parents retire to the Philippines, the de la Rosa sisters take over Rings and Roses, the family wedding boutique. Mari, as the oldest, feels personally responsible for the business' success, though she struggles to balance demanding brides and the financial realities of the store. Jane, meanwhile, spends as much energy raising her son, Pio, as she does keeping the peace between Mari and Pearl, their youngest sister. When Mari refuses to let Pearl take on a big client, Pearl decides to strike out on her own. She has the support of Trenton, her best friend's brother, upon whom she has been crushing since they were kids. Marcelo keeps the tone light while exploring the lingering effects of trauma, and she movingly portrays sisters who love each other to death but also drive each other crazy. Romantic subplots?several of them?keep the story moving, and details about Filipino food and traditions fit smoothly into the multicultural D.C. setting. Give this to readers who like Susan Mallery's portrayal of complicated sisters, or Jasmine Guillory's sweet, food-focused city settings.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)