Tif Marcelo weaves family and the Filipino culture into all of her books, but most especially her newest "When Jasmine Blooms". A mother whom is navigating grief, gets a chance to explore "what if". Throughout the story, connections are made to Marmee, the mother of Little Women, a well known literature mother whom also faced grief. The writing was immersive, inspirational and reflective. I was rooting for Celine the whole time. Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an advanced copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own!

The more I tried to deny my feelings, the more I lost my way.

An emotional read on motherhood, womanhood, family and death. The death of a child should never happen even an adult child. You are stuck with what if's and how do I go on. When Celine lost her daughter, everything changed. The dynamics of the family, work and ultimately her marriage. She loved her family but how do you love after a member is no longer there?

Her family gives her ultimatum to deal with the loss of her daughter Libby. Deal with the sale of the house that Libby lived in her last days. Her 3 daughters and husband give her their reasons and what needs to be done. What happens next, she looses consciousness and wakes up to another world. Celine wakes up next to her old boyfriend Rex in California. She is confused but slowly knows she is in another glitch in time. A second chance. She knows she can wake up anytime to her real reality of the ultimatum her family has given her. Celine is still in work mode and with the urging of her assistant and friend, Celine goes back to the house where her daughter died and is given the second chance to be what Libby needed before she taken from her.

Being a mom of adult children, this gave me a pause. It deals with the fine balance of being a mom, a friend and to stop giving your opinions at every turn. I have stepped back with my own grown daughters in this but I grieve the role I had with them in taking care of them. Celine and Libby suffered from miscommunication and misunderstanding that left both of them wanting. Celine's second chance was a discovery to stop and listen and be present.

I loved how this second chance was more about learning about yourself and responding to those you love. Celine was a self-discovery about who she was to the world and to those most important to her -her husband and girls.

A special thank you to Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

Celine is a very successful life coach and author. 2 years ago she tragically lost her daughter Libby and has been grieving ever since. Her entire family surprises her on her home book tour date. They all are worried about the way Celine is dealing or really not dealing with Libby's death. Celine feels ambushed and refuses to see reason. As she is heading to stage she hits her head, and she wakes up in an alternate reality where her life turned out different but everyone she loves is still in her life just not quite the way she hopes.

The family relationships were very strong in this novel and I genuinely enjoyed reading this but it didn't bring anything new to the concept. I have read versions of this book many times so I was not impressed by anything.

When Jasmine Blooms was a journey about loss and life after loss.

This was my first book by this author and I was not disappointed. It deals with a mother's loss of one of her children. Raw and realistic emotion. It is hard to imagine such a loss and I do believe this author did a great job of capturing the essence of those feelings.

Well written. Likable characters. Emotional in the right places. The gossiping behind Celine's back left the perfect feelings and the way her family dealt and thought she should deal were well done. While my heart broke for this woman, some of her family made me a bit mad. You may expect a mother to get on with her life after such a loss but is it realistic? Can she just get over it? You might move on but that pain will always be there.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

Moving story about a mother dealing with the loss of a child and the resulting family dynamics. This may not be the book for everyone, as I know I found myself thinking of how I would handle this situation. I am not sure that I would change any of my past choices if I could, but I am thankful for books that allow me to escape into the 'what if' for a brief glimpse into that scenario.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The premise hooked me because the exploration of “what-ifs” is one of my favorite themes to read and write about. Also Celine being a 53-year-old mother of adult children was a plus since there aren’t a lot of books out there with more mature female MCs. It was great too that Celine started her career as a “mommy blogger” and became an influencer later. That made the story more contemporary and relatable to a younger audience.
For me not having a clear explanation of what happened and how Celine ended up in the “other life” worked well because it left the reader to interpret it however we want it. I haven’t lost a child, but I could imagine the pain and devastation of carrying the guilt Celine did; that was the powerful emotion of this story.
I did not expect the end with the cat at all, and although surprising, I can totally see why the author chose it after all.
My only complaint is that at times Celine’s motivations were muddled at best, but nothing that messed with the flow of the story for me.
I will definitely check more books by this author.

Thank you NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love the writing style of this author. She truly writes such beautiful work. I am excited to see what future books this author produces because this one was wonderful.

Celine has experienced not only the exuberant joys of motherhood, but also the deep devastation of the death of one of her four daughters. Inspired by the book Little Women, Marcelo tackles the difficult subject of grief in her story of Celine's personal path toward healing after the death of her daughter, Libby, two years prior.

Marcelo's story is profound while remaining sensitive to the delicate theme of loss and bereavement. Celine is a well-developed character, and Marcelo extensively addresses her roles as author of the book Just One Step, as well her relationships with her husband Quinn and daughters Mae, MJ, and Amelia. In a uniquely original plot twist with magical realism, Celine must finally confront her grief.

In my first book by Marcelo, I was moved by her ability to write so honestly and beautifully about such a hard theme. She writes with strong sense of place, and I enjoyed the Maryland setting. The title and story motivated me to read more about jasmine, the national flower of the Philippines. The book was thought-provoking and helpful to me personally as I am currently experiencing the grief of two recent losses.

Really well done book about perception changes and taking things even that you love deeply very much for granted.

A moving sliding doors, women's fiction story about an influencer wife/mother reeling from the death of one of her daughters who wakes up one day living the life she would have had if she had stayed with her high school sweetheart.

I was drawn to this gorgeous cover and have always been a fan of Tif Marcelo. Her newest novel did not disappoint and I especially enjoyed that it was a Little Women reimagining. Full of heart, second chances and healing, this was great on audio and definitely one for people who enjoy what if scenarios.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy of this wonderful book in exchange for my honest review!

Happy Pub Day <3

This book pulled my heartstrings tremendously. I lost my mother when I was young and lost myself during the process. This book is about going through the grief journey and finding yourself after a loss. It has some light romance, but it aims more toward grief and the journey of healing your life.

AUTHENTIC, RAW, BEAUTIFUL

Such a beautiful book

THANK YOU. so much for this novel

🌸 𝐏𝐔𝐁 𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖 🌸

Happy Pub Day @tifmarcelo 🥳
Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union for the gifted copy. 💕

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗝𝗮𝘀𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗕𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗺𝘀
𝗕𝘆 𝗧𝗶𝗳 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗼
𝟯𝟮𝟴 𝗽𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀
𝗣𝘂𝗯: 𝟰/𝟭𝟭/𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯 - out today!

📖 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁: Women's Fiction / Magical Realism. Inspired by Marmee from Little Women, Marcelo weaves a touching tale of motherhood, grief, hope, and second chances. 💕

Celine is a social media sensation, life coach, motivational speaker, and best-selling, multi-book author. Following the death of her daughter, Libby, Celine throws herself headfirst into her work as a coping mechanism, compartmentalizing her grief, and choosing instead to be the strong, capable, boss babe the world thinks she is. She may be fooling her fans, but her family knows she's choosing avoidance over healing; choosing work over her family; working herself into exhaustion. When things come to a head, Celine is faced with an ultimatum.... deal with the grief of her loss, or risk losing her family forever.

The next day, Celine wakes up in a different life, and has the chance to get to know Libby all over again. This alternate reality provides Celine with the chance to heal and work through everything she's been avoiding for so long.

💭 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀: This was a heartbreaking look at motherhood and the unimaginable grief of losing a child. It's touching, thought-provoking and full of heart. And though I have never lost a child, I relate to Celine in the way she compartmentalizes and holds everything together. I see a lot of myself in Celine.

The magical realism was a unique spin.
And though this is inspired by Little Women, there are very few similarities - it is not a retelling. The author used inspiration from Marmee's story to craft an entirely different story that explores what Little Women did not: how a mother moves on after the loss of a child.

I definitely recommend this one for folks who enjoy character driven women's fiction novels and magical realism.

📖 Available on Kindle Unlimited

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Celine is navigating the loss of her daughter Libby and while she thinks she's coping, her loved ones are seeing a downwards spiral and decide to call an intervention.
Celine is blindsided and upset about the intervention and in her anger has a fall and wakes up to a whole new life. One where Libby is alive, but she also isn't her daughter...
Celine gets perspective and second chances in this alternate world but wants nothing but to return to her real-life, but that means leaving Elizabeth (Libby) behind!

When Jasmine Blooms was a journey about loss and life after loss.
There was so much reflection on Celine's character between the two worlds.
It was a story about growth and acceptance and was truly a beautiful book.

Thank-you to NetGalley for my ARC, and also to Tif Marcelo for the opportunity to read this great book!

When Jasmine Blooms by Tif Marcelo is an exceptional story of a mother’s journey through her grief process after the tragic loss of her daughter. I am a huge fan of Tif Marcelo and her books and this one did not disappoint. This is a uniquely written story that is tragic and heart wrenching and yet beautiful. A woman’s story of ”what if’s” that will not only pull at your heart strings but make you think of just what might have been. It is told in a distinctive dual timeline that will keep the pages turning quickly. The characters are well developed, some likable and some not. Ms. Marcelo parallels this story the the exceptional book Little Women which gives it an extraordinary twist. This is a must read if you are a fan of Little Women, I highly recommend it!

Thank you NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Tif Marcelo for this exceptional story to read and review. The opinions expressed are my own.
#netgalley #lakeunionpublishing #whenjasminebloom #tifmarcelo. #arc

I'd like to start by saying that, unlike many reviewers claim, I was able to grasp how Little Women inspired (this specific verb is important) When Jasmine Blooms, in that it is a modern take on familial love and grief, it tells the story of a family torn apart by the loss of one of their members and how the mother reacts. If you read it as a remake of Louisa May Alcott's book (as many people apparently did), the chances are you will be disappointed but it's not the author's fault: she explicitly says in the foreword that she was inspired by Little Women (which plays a role in When Jasmine Blooms) , not that she wanted to rewrite it or weave a story starting from this famous book.

The narration is really pleasant and moving, I loved certain quotes and will cherish them in time, I had the feeling that this book can remind the readers the importance of some simple pleasures and values in life that are often taken for granted, even by introspective people. I'm giving it 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 because, even if I found the storyline somewhat dull at times and I would've cut some parts, I was really touched and I enjoyed the details about the Filipino culture.

Celine has lost her daughter, Libby, to a terrible infection. She blames herself for not checking on her and being there for her. Her grief takes over and she is avoiding all aspects relating to Libby. Her family stages and intervention. Her children want their mother and her husband wants his wife back! Celine must make a choice…face her grief or lose her family.

Well, this is a bit out of the ordinary for this author. I have been a big fan of Tif since I read North To You years ago. This is not at all what I expected. I expected a sweet romance. Well! This has a little romance but this is about grief, family and rebuilding your life together after an unimaginable death.

I love when an author expands their abilities and their talents. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. This one worked. Now, it is a bit out there with a “parallel universe”. But if your smart you will know exactly what “universe” it is! And I will be honest, I really was a bit hesitant at first but I enjoyed Celine and all her emotions. Plus, I trusted Tif to take me on a good ride! And she sure did!

Need a unique, emotional story…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Such a heartbreaking story about grief. This was hard to read through at times since Im going through my own grief. But a wonderful message about perservering. The author's way of storytelling is just beautiful. I absolutely love this cover and title.

I am a longtime fan of Tif Marcelo, so I was thrilled when I got an ARC. Big thanks to #NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for gifting me this to read and review.

This is a beautiful story of grief, family, and fate.

Celine lost her daughter Libby two years ago. In an attempt to not think about the loss, she has thrown herself into her career - as a writer and life coach. But it is cleary to everyone - Celine's family, friends and even her devoted followers that she isn't okay. Her family's attempt to intervene drives Celine the other way, and has her questioning everything.

When she wakes up, everything is different, and she has the opportunity to live through that alternate reality, the path she didn't choose. I won't go into any more detail to as avoid spoilers, but I loved how it played out and it wasn't what I expected.

Marcelo mentions how influenced she was by Little Women, and you see it throughout the book - and in my opinion. this story is a beautiful tribute to it.

This comes out on Tuesday, April 11!

I will be posting this review on my bookstagram @scottonreads, goodreads, and retail sites

Loosely inspired by Little Women, When Jasmine Blooms follows Celine, a woman who struggles to find the balance between motherhood and work. After an ill-timed intervention and an ultimatum from her family to quit her book tour and finally take time to grieve her late daughter, Celine collapses and wakes up in an alternate reality where she's still with her ex and has no children.

Unfortunately, I didn't like this book much. The writing style is more telling than showing, which reads very clunky and takes forever to get through. Celine's inner dialogue goes in circles every chapter and it becomes irritating to read the same thing over and over.

I also don't think the stakes were high enough for me as a reader to be invested in the story. There's no real danger, and Celine seems to get used to her alternate life quickly.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"I knew too much about what could go wrong. My eyes had been opened to see that tragedy was possible."

Celine has done everything she thought was necessary to heal her family after the death of her daughter, Libby. Everything, that is, except facing her own loss.
Along with a loose nod to Little Women, Celine has to see what life would look like if she'd chosen differently way back when. How does it affect her marriage? Her career? Her daughters?
It sounds heavy but reads easily. This book was a touch less connected than I would've preferred, but those details didn't change the outcome.