The Key to Happily Ever After by: Tif Marcelo

Publication date: May 14, 2019

Description from the Publishers through Netgalley

A charming romantic comedy about three sisters who are struggling to keep the family wedding planning business afloat—all the while trying to write their own happily-ever-afters in the process. 

All’s fair in love and business.

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.

Perfect for fans of the witty and engaging novels of Amy E. Reichert and Susan Mallery, The Key to Happily Ever After is a fresh romantic comedy that celebrates the crucial and profound power of sisterhood.

My Review

I loved this book. I have always loved to plan parties and weddings are the “be all, end all” of parties. These sisters have taken over the family business and they are struggling with separating business and family. When clearly defined siblings roles don’t translate over into the business side of things, the business will either fall apart or have to be revamped. Taking into account the cultural aspect of this Filipino- American family, I was able to gain insight into their traditions and family dynamics.

This was a fun contemporary read and I really want it to be a series (I don’t think that is the case though). I have a family member who will be marrying a Filipino-American next year and the food items and traditions mentioned were very helpful. I appreciated this book written in the author’s own voice.

Please pick this up for a great Spring or Summer read.

I give this book 5 crowns.

I received this E-ARC from the Publishers through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sunset Beach by: Mary Kay Andrews

Publication Date: May 7, 2019

Description from the Publishers through Netgalley

Pull up a lounge chair and have a cocktail at Sunset Beach – it comes with a twist.

Drue Campbell’s life is adrift. Out of a job and down on her luck, life doesn’t seem to be getting any better when her estranged father, Brice Campbell, a flamboyant personal injury attorney, shows up at her mother’s funeral after a twenty-year absence. Worse, he’s remarried – to Drue’s eighth grade frenemy, Wendy, now his office manager. And they’re offering her a job.

It seems like the job from hell, but the offer is sweetened by the news of her inheritance – her grandparents’ beach bungalow in the sleepy town of Sunset Beach, a charming but storm-damaged eyesore now surrounded by waterfront McMansions.

With no other prospects, Drue begrudgingly joins the firm, spending her days screening out the grifters whose phone calls flood the law office. Working with Wendy is no picnic either. But when a suspicious death at an exclusive beach resort nearby exposes possible corruption at her father’s firm, she goes from unwilling cubicle rat to unwitting investigator, and is drawn into a case that may – or may not – involve her father. With an office romance building, a decades-old missing persons case re-opened, and a cottage in rehab, one thing is for sure at Sunset Beach: there’s a storm on the horizon.

Sunset Beach is a compelling ride, full of Mary Kay Andrews’ signature wit, heart, and charm.

My Review

When I saw that Mary Kay Andrews was releasing a new book, I jumped at the opportunity to read the advanced copy for review. I really enjoy her books, although I have yet to read them all. I am so ready for the nicer weather to hit and this cover alone gave my those relaxation vibes.

I had barely read the summary for this book so I was pleasantly surprised to find an air of mystery and suspense. This was a page turner that was very much enjoyable. The back stories of these characters created an atmosphere in which it felt as is the story was true.

I was hooked from the very beginning and appreciated the timeline jumps so that we got a well rounded narrative. If you are looking for a Spring/ Summer read that is not just your typical “beachy” read, I encourage you to pre-order this book and dive right in as soon as you get it!

I gave this book 5 crowns.

I received this E-ARC from the publishers through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Park Avenue Summer by: Renee Rosen

Publication Date: April 30, 2019

Description from the Publishers through Netgalley

“‘Mad Men meets The Devil Wears Prada,’ which might as well be saying ‘put me in your cart immediately.’” —PopSugar

It’s 1965 and Cosmopolitan magazine’s brazen new editor-in-chief—Helen Gurley Brown—shocks America and saves a dying publication by daring to talk to women about all things off-limits…

New York City is filled with opportunities for single girls like Alice Weiss, who leaves her small midwestern town to chase her big-city dreams and unexpectedly lands the job of a lifetime working for the first female editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan magazine, Helen Gurley Brown.

Nothing could have prepared Alice for the world she enters as editors and writers resign on the spot, refusing to work for the woman who wrote the scandalous bestseller Sex and the Single Girl, and confidential memos, article ideas, and cover designs keep finding their way into the wrong hands. When someone tries to pull Alice into a scheme to sabotage her boss, she is more determined than ever to help Helen succeed. While pressure mounts at the magazine and Alice struggles to make her way in New York, she quickly learns that in Helen Gurley Brown’s world, a woman can demand to have it all.

My Review

I know it was cheesy but I am huge fan of The Devil Wears Prada and when I saw that this book seemed similar, I wanted to give it chance. I adored Alice and her her new boss Helen. Helen wasn’t afraid to break down in front of Alice and was willing to give her a chance even though she didn’t have any experience in the magazine business.

This was a story of female empowerment and the ways in which a woman had to fight through a male dominated business to make her mark. This is based on actually events but created with the liberty of a fictional novel. It was not dull or dry, it was creative and well written.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and highly recommend it.

I gave this book 4 crowns.

I received this E-ARC from the publishers through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.