I received a complimentary copy of this book for review consideration. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I feel bad DNFing two of this author's books back-to-back, but I'm just not feeling this one either. In fairness, I've basically been trying to get into it/through it since before its release back in 2017. Why did I continue to try so hard? Because I loved the first book in this series. I just can't connect to this one in the same way so I think it's finally time to call it quits.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to review this book and to be an early reader via NetGalley! However, I will not be writing a review for this title at this time, as my reading preferences have since changed somewhat. In the event that I decide to review the book in the future, I will make sure to purchase a copy for myself or borrow it from a library. Once again, thank you so much for providing me with early access to this title. I truly appreciate it. Please feel free to contact me with any follow-up questions or concerns.

Bryan is ready for the next chapter in her life. Getting ready to create this wonderful retreat where people can relax and just enjoy life. Isn’t that where anyone would love to go? Everything seemed perfect and ready to go until her investor pulled out. Now what? Well Bryn may get just what she needs by agreeing to turning this into a show for the cameras.

So Bryn went for it and started this on screen romance with Mitchell. It was all just for show, right? Well it turns out the on-screen romance, isn’t going to be just on screen….turns out they both have something between them. But can they manage it all or will reality and on-screen be too much?

The build up to scenes was fantastic. The characters were likeable and well written. Overall a better read than I anticipated!

I tried really hard to like this story, but it just came up short. Of course, that happens from time to time, and this was just mine I suppose. Just because it wasn't my cup of tea doesn't mean it won't be yours.

Ever since Trump ruined everything I've been doing anything in my power to make the world a better place. Okay, that's super broad but still true. Part of the work I'm putting into my personal growth is to read more books written by and about different people of different cultural and racial backgrounds from my own. That's somewhat easier to do in nonfiction writing, but sometimes a girl just needs a HEA and a hot romance. Tif Marcelo's East in Paradise gave me both. I appreciated the slight glimpse into filipino culture, a biracial relationship, the military angle and the hilarious dynamic between Mitchell and Bryn. But I also just really loved their love story.

Mitchell is such a likable character. He is gorgeous, true to his word and his love for his family and obligation is remarkable. His honesty with his feelings with Bryn is amazing.

I read Bryn from True North and I'm glad that she is given a chance to own the spotlight. She is very organized, knows priority and she would do everything to follow her dreams.

There are two souls that needed one another and their heartwarming stories touch me.

DNF at 30%

I've been trying to finish this for a month now but I really, really don't like Bryn and it's messing with my reading, and life's too short to keep reading books you don't like.

I hope North to You is a better fit for me.

[E-ARC is received thanks to the publisher via Netgalley.]

I wanted to love East in Paradise because I liked the first in the series, North to You, but, unfortunately this second story didn't work for me.

Mitchell is now in the Army reserves and in charge of his family's land, a vineyard, and has decided to lease it out in order for it to make them some income. That's where Bryn comes in. She wants to lease his property and put in a culinary retreat on it. She, along with her investor, have decided to lease it because it fits perfectly into her vision. Unfortunately, her investor pulls out and Bryn is stuck until Mitchell comes up with a plan.

Their relationship starts off as fake but soon becomes real, but how can they make a relationship work when Bryn is so closed off and when their relationship started off as fake?

The main reason, OK, the only reason, East in Paradise didn't live up to my expectations is because the heroine, Bryn, drove me nuts. She was so closed off and rude and mean that I couldn't connect with her. On the other hand, I love Mitchell. He's sweet and sexy and adorable and really could have done much better than Bryn. And it's sad that I didn't like Bryn or connect with her, because I wanted to. She's Filipina, for one, and it is very rare for me to read of heroines or heroes of my ethnicity in romances. She's also in the culinary world, which is something I love reading about. Unfortunately, she's written in such a way that I just couldn't connect with her or bring myself to like her.

Other than her character, though, East in Paradise is enjoyable. It's well written and the premise, Mitchell, the diversity, all are good things. If not for Bryn, I would have definitely rated in 4 stars. I am still interested in this series, and am planning on reading the next story, West Coast Love.

I had my doubts with this one. I'd seen Nick saying she wasn't Bryn's biggest fan because she was mean so I went in with a couple of reservations. At first, I agreed, Bryn was mean and quick to judge when she didn't know everything. She wasn't willing to let folks close to her and needed control. And then Mitch looked like he was going to grow closer to Bryn with this livestream and not mention his ulterior motives and when he cared for her. I should've known there was no need to be worried. Did North To You teach me nothing? Marcelo knows what she's doing.

Mitch and Bryn were very different and they didn't get off to the best start. He did spill his coffee all down her and then he ended up being her landlord. There were sparks from the start, though. No one is that bothered by someone and doesn't have an interest in them.

Mitch was the easier character to like. He was a war veteran and suffering from insomnia and PTSD. He had things mostly under control and he was working to make his family's vineyard a success once more. He was a genuinely nice guy and he was so easy to fall in love. Bryn was not. She was harsh in North To You but in this, her determined personality shone through. She was focused and independent and that did make me like her but, like Mitch, I had to get past those walls she built to see what she was really like. Once she released a bit and got to know Mitch that was one I really started to like her.

There were several ups and downs in this book. I really enjoyed it, though. I also loved that it was a fake relationship book, except that it wasn't a fake relationship. They were taking a fake relationship and that was a good twist on a common (and far-fetched) trope.

Mitchell tells his grandmother he doesn’t much like going into town anymore as it causes too much of a whirlwind that his presence now causes. From the second he returned to Golden two weeks ago it has been a fiasco as far as Mitchell is concerned. Mitchell has learned the more affable and cool Mitchelle was the faster he could grab his coffee and get on with his day. Also Sam Cornelius is like family and gave Mitchell his first taste of coffee at twelve but now always announced Mitchell’s presence when he arrived as was a home hero who had been in the Army. Mitchell realizes he is not the same person who left for the Army. Mitchell was alone up at the big house but he does have King Lear a sixteen year old vineyard cat that had adopted Mitchell’s family. King Lear also announces visitors like Simba from Lion KIng. Mitchell is determined to get the family vineyard up and running again. Mitchell knows it is going to take more than awareness to make a success out of that is hanging on by the last of its roots. Mitchell is leasing some property at the vineyard - Lavenderhill. Mitchell still hasn’t figured out how to tell his brothers strangers will be living on their land. Now that Golden have become to a tourist town it doesn’t feel like home to Mitchell or his brothers anymore. Bryn has managed the restaurant True North for several years now she will have her own business Then Bryn was told the higher up gravel road from Lavender Hill was Mountain Ridge and that was where Mitchell lived and he was her landlord. Mitchell didn’t know the woman he spilled coffee all that morning over was his new tenant with a five year lease and she would be living right below him. Pete Luna was Bryn’s silent partner. Bryn decided to call her business Paraeso - Paradise for her culinary retreat Bryn then received a call from her silent partner Pete who can no longer send her money or be her partner as he is broke and his wife is pregnant. Bryn just signed an expensive five year lease. Mitchell suffers from insomnia - four weeks of insomnia or interrupted sleep and Mitchell wasn’t sure how much longer he could keep this up. His body was beat after tending the vines.Bryn had a black thumb instead of a green oe yet she needed to grow the garden for fresh produce. So she will need help there. Bryn meets Joanie who is Mitchell.s and she told Bryn to ask Mitchell for help with the garden. Then Bryn gets a call from Laurel and she was an online producer for the website Food Right Now and she said they wanted to stream her renovations and the opening and maybe more and Bryn would be paid as well as get the involuable exposure. Bryn signed a contract but found there was a lot involved. Then after a sprinkler incident Bryn has to tell. Mitchell about the live feed onto the internet Mitchell finds out he has to replant a bunch of vines but he nor his brothers have the money. Mitchell finally called Adam his brother’s best friend who was also a licensed psychologist for the insomnia. Bryn knows she has to play nice so he doesn’t stand in the middle of the potential income from the live stream. Mitchell said he hadn’t agreed to the cameras especially as coming home was about having peace. To heal through the grapevines Dunford was suppose to help heal Mitchell.
I didn’t really care for this story and it was because I couldn’t stand Bryn. I swear it’s okay for her to do things but heaven help if the actual land owner does the same thing and she pulls all kinds of BS on him yet the network she never said anything to and it was their idea to not tell Bryn the truth but Mitchell was an honest man not dirty like Bryn or the network as Bryn would not have told Mitchell with the live tape if she could have got away with it. She paid a high lease but she is the one who agreed to it so that us her problem. I didn’t like what she pulled on Mitchell when he told her what was going on like she was owed if it wasn’t for Mitchell they would have dumped her as the audience wasn’t very interested apparently until Mitchell showed up so she wouldn’t have got that much without him. I just felt she used Mitchell and it just totally took all interest in this story for me. Bryn didn’t tell Mitchell when her partner backed out and she worried she could meet the lease. She didn’t tell Mitchell about the live cast until Bryn knew she had to and she was already benefiting but don’t let anyone one else. Well I ranted enough I had liked this book but Bryn rubbed me wrong for awhile before the incident so anyway I don’t recommend this but I am sure others will like this story a lot.

Mitchell Dunford has finished his tour in the army and has become a reservist. He has moved back to his family’s home estate – which includes a winery and a large house he has decided to lease out. When his grandfather owned the property, amazing wine was bottled here. But, that slowly went away as the years passed, and now they just sell some grapes. Mitchell would love to get the estate up and running again and to start making wine – but that takes money he doesn’t have. There is a nice, large house on the property he has leased to a woman named Bryn – and she has big plans as well.

Bryn’s passionate vision for the house she has just leased is to make it into a culinary retreat. She wants to include a state of the art kitchen, homegrown vegetables, and a place where people can come eat, cook and relax in style. Bryn grew up working in her family’s Filipino restaurant and now that she has her MBA, she is ready for this next step. When her business partner abruptly decides not to be a part of this, money for Bryn becomes a big problem too. She needs to renovate and get guests in as soon as possible, so she can make payments on her new lease on time. When a producer who runs live-stream events on the internet approaches her with an idea – Bryn is all ears. For a few hours a day, Bryn will be live-streamed – her journey from leasing this house to opening the culinary retreat. She will get paid for it, which will lessen her money worries

Mitchell is upset that Bryn allows this filming without asking him first. But when the producer comes to Mitchell with the idea that him and Bryn could have a fake romance develop – which would greatly increase viewership and profit….he decides he could live with that for a few weeks.

I struggled with Bryn a little in this book – I didn’t dislike her but she frustrated me. Her and Mitchell are both well developed characters. – this author does a nice job allowing the reader to get to know them intimately. Nothing is rushed and she sets the scene up really well. I enjoyed the first book in this series and felt the same through a lot of this book. But, Bryn did get on my nerves at times. I know I I’m harder on heroines than heroes…but I like what I like, and I don’t like what I don’t like, and some of Bryn’s actions really grated on me. Like when she first meets Mitchell:

I want to prove him wrong, just because.

Yes, it’s irrational. It’s stupid.

It sure didn’t help his cause that he initially treated our meeting with an easygoing attitude, a hands-in-his-jeans-pocket-aw-shuck vibe people like me abhor. People like me who scrubbed floors, washed dishes, waited tables, cooked food, and took our jobs seriously.

She doesn’t know anything about him or the life he has lived.

I learned that she hates to lose control. She is the one that decides to film her life for all the internet to see, without asking Mitchell. Yet, when Mitchell talks to the producer and is arranged into something, she gets so upset and lashes out. When she meets Mitchell’s brothers, and she can’t control their reaction to her, she lashes out. I feel like if the situation had been reversed, and Mitchell treated Bryn’s sister the way she treated his brothers, she would have lost her mind.

I’m all about her spirit of getting this huge business off the ground and running – basically on her own. It’s a learning experience and of course she will have ups and downs. But I just felt like she acted selfish at times. I got tired of reading about it and when I picture them ten years in the future, I can’t help but see a lot of fights between them.

And I know I’ve dumped on Bryn this entire review – and yet this book is still a solid read. I honestly do like this author’s voice – in a time where I feel like I read so many books that feel rushed and details glossed over, she gives us stories that feel very full and vibrant. I enjoyed the journey of getting the house and estate up and running again. Mitchell deals with some PTSD lingering and his journey of acclimating back to civilian life is well done. There are times that the two of them made me smile.

He leans, lips grazing against my neck, against my tattoo. “What kind of flowers are these?”

My body leans into him as his tongue trails up to my earlobe, betraying my brain. What was I mad about again? “Sampaguita. The national flower of the Philippines.”

“Sampaguita,” he repeats in a perfect accent. His hand moves up the inside of my thigh. Not gonna lie, that and the fact that he cares enough not to butcher the word causes me to shiver.

I breathe out a response. “It’s the from the jasmine family. It’s supposed to represent simplicity and humility.”

“So basically, the complete opposite of you?” he whispers into my neck.

I push him away, laughing. “Jerk.”

I wanted to root for them!

I loved book one, if you haven’t read it yet.

Grade: C+

After absolutely LOVING Tif Marcelo's debut novel, North To You, I was really excited to give East in Paradise a try. I'm going to admit right away that I didn't love this book as much as I adored the first, mostly due to my irritation towards Bryn, the female protagonist. However, I still recommend this book because it had some many other elements that were written absolutely brilliantly. Tif Marcelo is a talented author, and even though East in Paradise is only her second book, I'm completely in love with her writing.

As I said, I did not get along with Bryn. She's fiercely independent, bullheaded and goal-oriented, which aren't qualities that I look down on. However, I felt like she sometimes took it a little far, so much so that she had this tunnel-vision that led to her hurting people. She could be really over the top and I never really saw much growth in her character until the end. For instance, on her first meeting with Mitchell, he accidentally spills coffee on her while she's on her way to an important meeting. The guy is a total gentleman, and even buys her a replacement t-shirt, but she makes up her mind about him, and is downright mean to him. When she finds out that he's the landlord of the property she wants to start her cooking retreat, she's even meaner to him. She gets upset and defensive anytime he expresses concern about some of her renovation plans on HIS property. I just didn't understand why she was so callous and prickly around him, especially because he 100% did not deserve any of that coldness. Mitchell, on the other hand, I loved from the beginning. He is just back from deployment, and is suffering from a PTSD-related sleeping disorder. He tries to work with his mental health by going to see a therapist, as well as taking medications for his condition. Let me just say, I was really impressed and thrilled that Tif Marcelo made East in Paradise a therapy-positive one. Besides dealing with his PTSD, Mitch is also trying to turn his parents vineyard around to get it to be as successful as it was in the old days. Mitch is so kind and caring, he's impossible not to love.

Though he and Bryn don't start off on the right foot, there's no denying that the spark that ignited from their first meeting. Add to that the fake-relationship they decide to engage in to bring in more viewers to Bryn's live-stream, their relationship is certainly tumultuous. Tif Marcelo's writes their relationship beautifully though. As they begin to get to know each other, Bryn starts to loosen up, and be more of herself around him. It's a sweet romance, with lots of chemistry, proving that Tif Marcelo excels at writing sweet and swoony romances that give you all the butterflies. I will say that I was just a bit let down by the reason for the big breakup/misunderstanding towards the end because it felt like Bryn regressed back to her cold self, but then the way Mitchell tries to win her back just about made me melt, so I really can't complain. Like North to You, East in Paradise is also a foodie romance, so you get lots and lots of description of food that will make you so hungry - definitely keep food nearby when reading this one! Family plays a big role again here, which I absolutely loved. Bryn's Filipino family are loud, boisterous and completely supportive of each other, and Mitch's brothers are meddlesome, but love their brother like nobody's business.

Bryn might have prevented me from loving East in Paradise as much as I loved North to You, but it is still a fantastic romance novel, with a lot of lovely elements that work well together. I can't find out whose book we're going to get next! Tif Marcelo is an author to keep on your radar!

I've read and loved thousands of romance novels for over thirty years. My biggest complaint and the reason I'm writing my own series is that I hadn't read MY story yet. Right now, I can honestly say Tif Marcelo's East in Paradise, Book 2 of her Journey to the Heart series, has come the closest.
A Filipino-American heroine. Check. Military Veteran hero. Also check. Heroine has a younger sister. That's me as well. Our first date was at Napa Valley, quite similar to the setting of Paraiso Retreats. 
I can say though that you don't have to be a Filipino to relate to the characters and enjoy this book. East has a feisty, resolute heroine in Bryn, who has a goal and knows what she has to do in order to achieve it. It has an admirable hero in Mitchell, who served his country and has a great sense of responsibility towards his family's legacy. This book is about dreams, family, and love.
The conflicts are very current, very real in the world we live in today. The secondary characters are well-rounded with both good and bad mixed in. The hero and heroine are characterized realistically with strengths and weaknesses.
Where it might have faltered for me a bit is when Bryn appeared to be too aggressive and Mitch didn't assert himself fast enough. I knew they were going to get their happily-ever-after eventually, but it was an uncomfortable feeling reading it so close to the end without their final and most explosive conflict being resolved.          
Overall, I enjoyed East in Paradise, especially the celebration of Filipino culture in the food and relationships. I give it four solid stars.

East in Paradise by Tif Marcelo was one of those reads that had so much potential to be a great book but fell short in many ways. I liked the concept of the story of an independent woman wanting to venture off and try to make a name for herself with her culinary retreat. The idea sounds great but when the heroine is supposed to be perceived as strong, independent, and sassy but fails to come across that then as a reader I fail to connect with her. Personally the heroine was someone I found to be annoying with how she interacted with the hero. I loved that the author made the heroine a Filipino American, who has a strong sense of culture but when the author constantly reminds readers of that, it gets a bit too much especially for me and I am part Filipino.

"This attraction is a conflict of interest, and all wrong. But the electricity between us—it’s palpable. ”

In the beginning, the interaction of Bryn Aquino and Mitchell Dunford was sweet and adorable and I found myself looking forward to whenever these two made an appearance but as I read further along the book, I found myself only wanting to know Mitchell, the landlord who leased out the culinary retreat house to Bryn. I found Bryn to be someone unapproachable and stubborn which was a major distraction for me especially when I wanted to see the author showcase more of a romantic undertone than a heroine who is always complaining about her business and the insertion of Bryn’s sister was somewhat irrelevant, hence another filler distraction.

East in Paradise was overall an okay book. Writing was good but the storyline could have been condensed.While this book didn’t live up to my expectation as it did with the first book I will for sure give the third book a shot and hopefully the author can showcase more of a love story that will connect with the readers. I do applaud the author for making a story of a heroine of a different ethnicity and so major props for her that.

Book 2 for me was just like book one. I am learning this author is not for me. I don't think I will read book 3.

I read North to You and was surprised by how much I enjoyed it, so I jumped at the opportunity to read a review copy of the second book in the series. I really liked Bryn in the first book and was eager to read a book with her as the main character. Marcelo is a strong writer and I liked this book. I just didn't love it. We are told repeatedly that Bryn is a strong, independent woman. To me she seemed more hot-headed and irrational. I wish that Mitchell had been a stronger character. There was a lot in his back story that I would have liked to see explored but he was more just a generic nice guy. There is a lot of drama in their relationship mostly centered around their businesses that was more distracting than enhancing. My expectations may have been too high for this one.

Loved this! It was a first time read from this author and I love the fauxromance, and it encouraged me to look up more pinoy authors!