The Key to Happily Ever After

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.

In a new #ownvoices romantic story, narrated by Cynthia Farrell, the three de la Rosa sisters face the challenges of running the family's wedding-planning business after their parents' retirement. Filipino-Americans Mari, Jane, and Pearl navigate the struggles of running the business together while redefining their relationships with one another and possibly finding their own happily-ever-afters. Farrell smoothly portrays the multiple characters, giving each a unique voice; however, her reserved style fails to fully engage the listener. Farrell's even pacing belies the drama surrounding the de la Rosa sisters. The scenes with high emotions are missing the oomph that would take this narration from being acceptable to wonderful. A.L.S.M. � AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine