Member Reviews
Such a great book! I love reading about the dynamic between the three sisters. The way that they handled problems together and grew as a family through it. Wonderful book.
I do love a good ROM COM , and The Key to Happily Ever After is that and MORE.
So many great things about this book. I have a sister and I love stories about sisters, especially when they are so well written, honest and REAL.
I loved that the sisters were wedding planners that was an unexpected part of the plot that I really enjoyed. The characters were complex and likeable. The story was beautiful, emotional and sorry for repeating myself here, but REAL. I really enjoyed the author's style of writing.
5 beautiful stars to The Key to Happily Ever After
Thanks to Gallery Books and NetGalley for providing an eARC of this title.
I picked up this book from NetGalley based on a rec. from an author I follow on Twitter. It is the story of three sisters, Mari, Jane, and Pearl, and the wedding planning business they have recently inherited from their parents. Though marketed as a romcom, this book focuses more on the family dynamics, especially between Mari and Pearl than either of their romances.
I think this slight misalignment of my expectations might be why this one didn't totally click for me. I liked the cultural details from the sisters' Filipino heritage, the wedding planning (though, honestly, there could have been more of this), and the family stuff, but I thought the romances were totally underbaked. The characterization of the middle sister, Jane, also wasn't the best.
This one just didn't quite sparkle for me, but I think people who are looking for more of a family/sister story might really like it.
DNF at 25% Maybe for very, very diehard chicklit fans, but not for me. Everything about The Key to Happily Ever After never geled into something I wanted to continue reading.
I am always drawn to books about sisters, as there are always conflicts and challenges with love at the base of it all. That is true for Mari, Jane and Pearl, partners in the wedding planning business, Rings and Roses. Add in some romance, some secrets, and some sisterly rivalry, the book is a light read.
They’re were so many things I loved about this book! First of all, I love reading books about sisters, and the relationship between the three sisters in this book, Mari, Jane and Pearl was so complicated and honest. Second of all, I loved the setting of Washington D.C. and the fact that the girls were wedding planners, running their own bridal business added a very unique spin to this story. I also loved learning about the Filipino culture, something I was not familiar with. Lastly, the romantic elements felt organic and real and not easy...just like in real life. All of those elements added up to an endearing, sometimes thorny story that kept me turning pages way past my bedtime!
This was a light read but not altogether enjoyable for me as I did not connect with any of the characters even after reading the first several chapters. The plot seemed to be trite and somewhat meaningless to me. However, the dialog is especially well written.
Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
A very enjoyable book! It reminds you how complicated family and friendships can be. Throw in work issues and romance and add more problems! Love the characters and how they changed.
Definitely recommend
The de la Rosa family and their wedding planning business have been creating happily ever afters in the Washington, DC area for years, making even the most difficult bride’s day a fairytale. But when their parents announce their retirement, the sisters—Marisol, Janelyn, and Pearl—are determined to take over the business themselves.
But the sisters quickly discover that the wedding business isn’t all rings and roses. There are brides whose moods can change at the drop of a hat; grooms who want to control every part of the process; and couples who argue until their big day. As emotions run high, the de la Rosa sisters quickly realize one thing: even when disaster strikes—whether it’s a wardrobe malfunction or a snowmageddon in the middle of a spring wedding—they’ll always have each other.
This was the perfect blend of sisters and weddings, if you have sisters and love weddings then this is the story for you! I'm so glad I got to read this just in time for Valentine's day. A cute and fun read.
Thank you #NetGalley for the ARC of The Key to Happily Ever After by Tif Marcelo
Pub Date: 14 May 2019
This was such a delightful read, perfect for anyone with sisters or who loves weddings! I loved the depiction of both familial and romantic relationships in this book, and how both contained so much humor and heart. I would absolutely recommend this to fans of classic rom-coms like "The Wedding Planner." This was the first novel I've read by Marcelo but I am looking forward to seeing more of her work!
Three sisters recently inherited a wedding planning business after their parents recently decided to retire. The youngest sister Pearl is hoping she will become a lead wedding planner but her eldest sister Mari is constantly doubting her abilities and she is getting ready to just walk out. Mari is stuck when one of her top client has an awful fiancé that reminds her of a very abusive relationship. The middle sister, Jane is juggling being a single mom and being the mediator with her stubborn sisters. While the sisters were all dealing their own love interest, the story was mostly centered around their business, their differences and how the come together in the end when they finally realized that they are stronger together. It was a lovely read.
3 sisters. A wedding planning business. #Romance. The independent, gloriously complicated women in @TifMarcelo’s charming The Key to Happily Ever After who share a brownstone and a business are women you want to spend time with, women you want to make your best friends, women whose story you don’t want to end. https://amzn.to/2MHqmES #TallPoppyWriters
Birth order rivalries and placement play a role in this engaging and cute book about three sisters taking over the family wedding business. When the women work together as a unit, it all runs smoothly. Hurt and stubborn attitudes create warring ambitions that threaten to ruin not only the business but also the relationships. While Mari the oldest and the baby, Pearl, butt heads and bicker it throws the whole business into turmoil. Peacemaker, Jane, tries her best to get Mari and Pearl to calm down.
Thank you NetGalley for my ARC. I loved this book....such a fun, easy read! Reminded me some of Nora Robert's Bridal Quartet Series from back in the day.
This book is about three sisters who own a family bridal planning business. It goes into the challenges of wedding clients, both bride and groom. It also focuses on the challenges of working with family and finding love. One thing doesn't change though....they will always have each other to lean on. A feel good read that I would definitely recommend!
4.5 Stars!!!
I was on the lookout for a novel that was would keep my attention at the same time wasn’t dark or a downer and Tif Marcelo came through big time with The Key to Happily Ever After!! This novel centers around three sisters, Marisol, Janelyn, and Pearl who have recently taken over the family business of wedding planning. As the ladies struggle to figure out their new roles in the business, they find separating work-life and home-life harder than they ever thought. That alone would have made for a great novel, but Tif Marcelo added romance/love into the mix which propelled The Key to Happily Ever After into a fantastic read! I would honestly love to see this novel turned into a series!!!! Tif Marcelo did a wonderful job with mixing of the romance and women’s fiction genres—love that! Being that I’ve never read Tif before I am looking forward to reading her prior books and looking forward to future novels!