2.5 stars
I wanted to like this book, the premise was interesting-a love resort promised to be a wonderful setting. However I found myself pushing through to finish, and not looking forward to reading. The characters lacked depth. It felt like I started in the middle of a movie and missed the introductory details about the characters, I kept thinking it would make sense soon, but it never came together cohesively and I truly didn't care about the outcome.

This book was disappointing. I had hoped for a second chance romance, but that took a back seat to family drama. The romance centered around Brandon and Geneva, but the romance was missing. They hooked up and broke up—which was implied but we never got to actually read about it. I never felt any connection between them. There were so many subplots and storylines, and characters, that made it very confusing. I wish this had just been a story about Brandon and Geneva.

Brandon and Geneva are both in the Outer Banks to help Brandon's family rehab and reopen their resort after a terrible hurricane. No one knows that they connected at a Puso family wedding and had a brief, tumultuous relationship. Well, what to do now? The Pusos, a boisterous Filipino American family have a lot of opinions about a lot of things so Brandon doesn't want them involved with this, nor does Geneva. This is as much about the family as it is about the romance but it's a good read. I liked the setting and how Marcelo incorporated Tagalog, among other things. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A beach book about the beach!

This was an ok read for me. It was a choppy read with the storylines going all over the place. This is the first book in a series so I’m aware that storylines need to be introduced that with not be fully addressed in the first book. Even with that knowledge, the main storyline of Geneva and Brandon had no cohesiveness to it and got tied up in a strange and abrupt way. Too bad because the characters and setting have a lot of potential.

I enjoyed this story mainly because it was predominantly set in the Outer Banks of N.C.- my home state. Brandon has a secret affair with his sister’s best friend 4 years ago after his brother’s wedding. All of the family members are keeping secrets from each other and most of them have a ton of emotional baggage they need to unpack. The saving grace for all of them may be the time they spend working together to help save and rebuild Hearts Resort.

There is a lot of emotional angst between the characters which frustrated me and had me wishing to get to the end.

This was my first book by this author and I appreciate the publisher offering me a copy to read and review.

It Takes Heart by T. Marcelo, published by Montlake is a stand-alone romantic novel.
Meet Brandon Puso and Geneva Harris. Brandon is one of the Heart siblings and after years he's back with his family to helprebuilding the family resort.
Geneva is his older sister's best friend and both are crushing rather heavy on each other - in secret.
But now that he's back all bets are off. Or rather not?.
It Takes Heart is a beautiful story well written, beautifully told, inspiring. I loved the storyline and connected with the chracters. A great read, 4 sweet stars.

While my expectations were high, they were not met for a couple of reasons, however, I did enjoy the book. The romance between Brandon and Geneva seemed to me as a side story, however it was very sweet. I got a good look into the Filipino family and culture and how the Puso family rebuilds their family legacy. It is also the story of Brandon learning to rejoin and become part of the family once again.

Evenly paced domestic drama that centers on a Filipino-American family living in Outer Banks, North Carolina. Lots of family drama and secret romance. Well written with relatable, believable characters. Great representation of family and culture.

Unfortunately, this didn’t really click with me! I found I had some issues with the pacing of this novel and I wasn’t really invested in the narrative or any of the characters. I still think it was enjoyable and easy to read, but it did leave me wanting.

When i started reading It Takes Heart I knew absolutely nothing about the book or its author, except that the story takes place on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. That was all I needed to know until I started reading it and I was lost in the beginning. I felt like I landed in the middle of a group of people I didn't know which is not my favorite way for a book to start. Things were referred to that I didn't know about and I wondered what I had missed or if maybe this was a sequel to a series.

I stuck with it and soon realized this was a family drama and things would become clear eventually. The Puso family was getting ready to open Heart Resort, a special resort for couples. Besides the family members there was Geneva, an unofficial family member who had known and grown up with the family. She was onboard to decorate the Tiny Houses which were a unique feature of the resort. Additionally, she had a brief relationship with Brandon Puso a few years ago and each of them were somewhat afraid to reconnect with the other.

Parts of this book felt like a Hallmark movie, in a good way, but with greater depth and more complex relationships. There was no foul language or graphic sex scenes.

I do wish that some of the cultural terms could have been explained since I often had trouble figuring them out from the context. Maybe italics or footnotes would have worked. The dictionary in my Kindle was useless for determining meanings of those words, although sometimes the Wikipedia within was helpful.

Thank you to the author the publishing company and NetGalley for providing an advance copy.

The beginning felt as if I had been dropped into the middle book of a series, no much so that I checked Goodreads to see how many book in the series I had missed. None as it turns out but it still felt as if I was thrust into relationship dynamics and conflicts that I was expected to already know and understand. I was able to catch on but never felt completely in step.It helped that everyone seems to have the same argument over and over without really communicating. Brandon and Geneva are reunited after the fling they had years ago ended badly, The fact that she is his sister's best friend and they are both helping his siblings renovate the family resort adds complications to the resolving of their feelings. I loved the flashback to their meeting. The years of knowing each other and the percolating attraction were apparent. I wish there had been more of that crackle in their interactions but I still enjoyed their journey. Much of the focus of the book was spent on Brandon's relationship with his brother and I found that less compelling. This won't rank with my favorite books by Marcelo but reading about the setting and work on the resort had me longing for my next beach vacation.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Nope, nope and nope. Decided to dnf this particular story. It was not working for me. The writing was not bad per se....I just felt very disjointed. I was not at all invested and therefore choose to not continue the title.

“It Takes Heart” is a romance novel centering around the Pusos, a Filipino-American family that owns a couples resort on a heart shaped peninsula on North Carolina’s Outer Banks. The novel begins in Las Vegas at the wedding of the oldest Puso brother, Chris, where Brandon, the youngest brother reconnects with his sister Beatrice’s best friend, Geneva. Geneva had lived nearby in Annapolis when the Pusos were growing up, and was a frequent visitor to their household.

The novel resumes 4 years after the wedding when Brandon turns up at the family resort in North Carolina to help them rebuild after a massive hurricane destroyed parts of the resort. As a construction manager, he has unique skills to offer. There he reunites once again with Geneva, an interior designer who is also at the resort lending her unique skills to the rebuilding effort. It unfolds that Brandon and Geneva had a three week affair shortly after the Vegas wedding four years previously, but the relationship ended bitterly for unknown reasons. What follows is an engaging novel that explores the push/pull of Brandon and Geneva’s attraction, while also delving into the complex relationships among the Puso siblings.

Although I am not generally a fan of romance novels, I requested an ARC copy of this novel after reading and enjoying Tif Marcelo’s recent book, “In a Book Club Faraway.” As in the previous novel, “It Takes Heart” has engaging, well-drawn characters with strong personalities, but with hidden weaknesses that they are trying to either avoid or confront. With the added bonus of a picturesque setting on a resort on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, “It Takes Heart” provides an enjoyable, entertaining read. I look forward to reading further installments of this series.

****Coming out August 10, 2021****

Thanks to Montlake and Netgalley, I was chosen to be an early reviewer!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ When a Hurricane strikes, the Puso family owned resort, Heart Resort, located in the Outer Banks is damaged. The family gathers to work on getting the resort reopened as quickly as possible. Brandon who is the youngest of four siblings and a liscensed contractor decides to surprise the family and come back to help rebuild the resort. With this project at hand, will this help to rebuild the rift he has with his brother, Chris? Geneva, a former girlfriend of Brandon, family friend, and interior designer is also called to help with fixing up the resort. Tammy. a photographer, is hired to take pictures, in order to promote the resort online for the reopening. Brandon and Geneva are asked to pose as a couple for the resort pictures. Between the photo shoot and spending time together fixing up the resort, will this rekindle their relationship or will it make them realize they weren’t meant for each other? Will the resort be able to reopen and be successful? This heartfelt book will having you turning the pages to find out.
This book emphasizes the importance of family, forgiveness, and second chances. Great topics for book club discussions! Be sure to add it to your TBR list!

This book was a combination of all the things a reader wants in a book--a great plot, the perfect amount of romance, and relatable characters. I read this in one sitting and can't wait to go grab copies of Marcelo's other titles!

I would probably give this 4.5 out of 5 if I could. Really enjoyed meeting these characters--everyone from our main protagonists to the extended family--but this may be why the book seemed to go one for a while and didn't grip my interest as much as it could have. Still, I would enjoy reading more about some of the other characters in the future.

I loved this story! It was simply amazing. Heart Resort is a couple's getaway!. Sounds amazing right!?
I enjoyed the writing and the style of the book! So dang good.
I would recommend this book!
I loved Geneva and Brandon's. Chemistry throughout the book!
The only thing was it is a bit predictable.

This was so sweet! My goodness, what a treat. I loved the Puso family so much and I am SO excited to see where this adventure takes all of them. Brandon and Geneva were a perfect couple to get the the ball rolling.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The Pusos, a Filipino family left to carry on their parent's legacy after their unexpected deaths, are picking up the pieces of their family-owned Heart Resort in a hurricane's aftermath just in time for the next storm to arrive. The four siblings - Chris, Gil, Beatrice and Brandon - along with childhood friend Geneva descend upon the resort to work in tandem against several deadlines, including the resort's grand reopening. Their individual baggage and secrets in tow, forcing them to face their family dramas head on. Including one major secret from four years ago; Brandon and Geneva had a love affair that ended in broken hearts. Only time will tell if they can put their feelings aside to collaborate at Heart Resort or if the next storm will ignite the attraction they're trying to ignore.
Although a bit predictable, this was an enjoyable story about a family that despite their sibling differences and disagreements, will weather any storm together. Woven within is also a love story between two childhood friends the reader can't help but root for!

I have read all of Tif Marcelo’s novels so I had high expectations diving into her latest book It Takes Heart! Let me say that all of my expectations were not only met, but exceeded!! I love second-chance-romances and Brandon and Geneva’s story is the perfect example of why I devour this type of romance! The characters are well developed and so darn relatable!! I love that this is the first book in the Heart series because I was definitely not ready to say goodbye to these characters (both main and supporting)! When I chose this book to read I was really in the mood for a romance that had depth, but was not too heavy and Tif Marcelo came through big time with It Takes Heart—this will make the perfect beach read!! I am really looking forward the next installment in this brand new series!!