Author: Tif Marcelo
Publisher: Montlake
Genre: Romance
Source: Montlake ( Netgalley )

Goodreads: From romance author Tif Marcelo comes a heartwarming story about taking a second chance on love at a family-owned couples resort.

Heart Resort, a private resort in the Outer Banks, is a romantic getaway for couples but a hotbed of family drama for its proprietors, the Puso family. Brandon Puso, the youngest of the four siblings, prefers life on his own as a licensed contractor in DC after a falling-out with his eldest brother.

After a hurricane plows through the Outer Banks, Brandon has a change of heart. He returns to the resort to help with the grand reopening but encounters his big sister’s best friend, designer Geneva Harris, who’s there to do the same thing. But Geneva and Brandon have a secret. Years ago, they had a secret romance that ended in heartbreak.

With the resort’s future at stake, Brandon and Geneva decide to put the past aside and to keep peace with the family. But as their mutual attraction heats up, they have to decide if history will repeat itself—or if this time, love gets a second chance.

Ope’s Opinion: This is definitely a romance book, but it is also a family story with friendship at it’s center. The setting ( The Outer Banks ) is one of my favorite places, so that added to the story for me. Second chance romances are a sub-genre that I really enjoy – this one did not disappoint. As you know, if you have read my blog before, I do not enjoy explicit steamy scenes – this book had a few – I skimmed those parts. Although this story started out slow, it did pick up as I read it.

Tif Marcelo is Filipino and it showed in her story line and her writing. Her characters are relatable to everyone, but you can see her influence from her culture in them. This is the first book in the Heart Resort series. I will definitely be looking for the next one in the series.