Once Upon a Sunset

Oh No! I already plan to run for prime ministry of Switzerland ( I already memorized its National Anthem) Why I stuck with three starred, off shore land books! WHYYYY!!!<br /><br />Let's just we have another say feel-good, soft, heartfelt mother-daughter, grief, self-discovery story but also Switzerland read for me! I didn’t adore it but I didn’t hate it at all because it’s well written book with layered characterization and moving, tear-jerking story.<br /><br />Diana (daughter) is an OB/GYN at the hospital, ends her long term relationship and one day unexpected things happen at the hospital result with her taking some leave. No job, no boyfriend and it gets worse when she hears her grandmother’s passing away because this also means her mom Margo will move to her house.<br /> <br />As she tries to adapt with her new life, she finds a letter from 1940’s that belongs to her grandfather she thinks he has died at the Second World War. But she realizes he hasn’t died at that time and she has relatives at Philippines. Yes, so many revelations and life changing situations at the same time. <br />And Diana sees that as an opportunity to experience new things about her life as her mother is reluctant to dig more about the past because the recent news about relatives is hard for her to adjust herself.<br /> <br />Struggling but also heartwarming relationship parts about mother and daughter are good parts of the book but I think the Philippines setting fasten the pace and made the reading more intriguing for me.<br /><br />So why did I give 3 stars instead of four! I think after seeing the name of the book and the cover, I was ready to read something romantic but I got more family, facing the past and resolution story. Maybe this fact made me a little disappointed but it was still promising, soft and enjoyable read. I’d like to read more books of this author. Maybe I read so many amazing books lately and I became tougher grader so I started to give everything three stars including Uber driver's performances. I think they will boycott me sooner and I will start to walk. <br /><br />Special thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Pocket Books for sharing this feel-good ARC in exchange my honest review.

Tif Marcelo, the author of ‘The Key to Happily Ever After’ returns with a heartwarming and charming novel about Diana, an OB/GYN physician whose life is disrupted - first by a decision she made professionally against the hospital administration, then a recent break up from a long term boyfriend, her mother Margo moving in, then finally a recent shocking discovery of love letters found after her grandmother’s death.<br /><br />The letters were from Antonio Cruz, her grandfather written in the 1940’s whom they were told had died during WWII - however, the dates in those letters proved otherwise. Taking a short sabbatical from the hospital, she travels to the Philippines to discover and learn about her living relatives. In the journey to the islands, she discovers much more than a new found family... <br /><br />In Tif Marcelo’s signature style incorporating the intricate relationships of family, relationships, food and love, I was transported not only in time of a long lost true love, but also to the bustling sights and sounds of Metro Manila and the beautiful sunsets I have longed for that brought me back to a simpler time. Marcelo true to her medical background as a nurse and heritage, really delivered in this amazing book I thoroughly enjoyed.<br /><br />Part historical fiction and part literary and women’s fiction, Marcelo delivered a highly personal story inspired by her own grandfather. Also mentioned in this story were the Filipino Farm workers in Central California as well as the Fist and Second Filipino Infantry Regiments of the US Army.

3.5 stars<br /><br />I am always drawn to stories that revolve around family secrets. I think it's just this natural curiosity to see how a character, or in this case characters, will react after finding out some pretty shocking news. And what I enjoyed the most about this story was the author managed to bring something new to the table as it involved an interesting conflict between the mother and daughter.<br /><br />Diana Gallagher-Cary is an OB/GYN at a hospital and one day at work she does what is best for her patient but unfortunately it creates a bit of controversy. Diana is forced to take some leave from the hospital. Her maternal grandmother died recently, and Diana's mother, Margo, has moved in with her. One day Margo finds some letters that were written in the 1940s by her grandfather, Antonio, to her grandmother. They are shocked to discover that Antonio didn't die during World War 2 like they believed and apparently they have relatives in the Philippines. Diana is eager to connect with these family members, but Margo isn't as interested into digging into the past.<br /><br />Diana and Margo were faced with a tough problem and it's one of those situations in which you can understand each person's point of view. I get why Diana from the get go wanted to find out the truth about her family but at the same time it wasn't shocking that Margo would have a hard time emotionally processing this new revelation. I had an interest in seeing how the conflict would play out. I also liked how the Philippines was the setting for part of the story as it's not a country I often see featured in fiction books. <br /><br />Overall, a good read and a book I recommend especially if you like stories that explore the family dynamics between a mother and daughter.<br /><br />I won a free copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway but I was not obligated to post a review. All views expressed are my honest opinion.

Although the book started strong for me, I lost interest halfway through. Also, I was expecting more romance and less family drama, so I felt let down about that.<br /><br />Thank you so much to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

A lovely, vivid, insightful read that focuses on Filipino-American characters. I don't think I've ever read any fiction that focuses on Filipino characters, only history.<br /><br />Diana and her mother Margo are very different people, now living together after the death of Margo's mother and Diana's grandmother. Margo is an artist, and seems to drift through life always looking for art, which drives focused, disciplined Diana crazy.<br /><br />So Margo is recovering from her mother's death while Diana is dealing with divorce, and then a situation comes up at the clinic where she works as a doctor, delivering babies.<br /><br />While the two are dealing with the emotional fallout, and their lack of communication, a total bomb drops in their lives: it turns out that Margo's father apparently didn't die in WW II: he returned to the islands . . . where he had another family.<br /><br />Further, Margo's mother knew it.<br /><br />And so begins a quest for Diana to find out about the roots she never knew she had, and Margo also goes. Their adventures are interspersed with Antonio's letters, and then Leora's, adding poignancy to the present-day story.<br /><br />Every twist was unexpected. Marcelo creates characters with insightful details, breathing life into them with kindness and compassion. Even the sharp moments are so beautifully realized.<br /><br />I couldn't put this book down.<br /><br />Copy provided by NetGalley

4.5 stars<br /><br />I read Tif Marcelo for the first time last year, The Key to Happily Ever After, and thought it was super fun and a very satisfying read! I was obviously eager to get my hands on her latest release to see if the magic continued going strong!<br /><br />I was especially eager to ‘travel’ to an exotic location in this one. The author is Pilipino and since this book is set in the Philippines, I thought her culture and experiences would really shine in this book.<br /><br />I also really liked the idea of a closely guarded family secret that the main character embraces the adventure of those secrets so obviously this was a book I was really really looking forward to for early spring.<br /><br />This book is marketed as a mother/daughter self discovery novel with romance. In my opinion, I think there was less romance than I was expecting. I mean I wasn’t disappointed at all by that, but I did feel like it was more mother/daughter/family history/self discovery rather than romance. The romance part played a minor roll for me.<br /><br />As with her previous novel that I read, I found Marcelo’s writing skills superior and well crafted/developed! I loved how well she writes, the descriptions of the Philippines were captivating and interesting and the family secrets were riveting with little twists along the way. The characters are colorful and vibrant. I loved getting to know each of them and I especially liked Diana. I know a lot of readers really enjoyed the free spirited mother Margo, but for me I connected with Diana more.<br /><br />I think that Marcelo really captured the complicated relationship between mother and daughter so well and I think that many women will appreciate the complexity of the story and the realness of their dynamic.<br /><br />While I really loved this read I think the only thing I had hoped for was a little more romance. I get it, the romance wasn’t the focus, but everything I saw highlighted that this was a romance mixed with mother/daughter/family secrets plot, so I was expecting more romance. I didn’t care if the story didn’t have the romance element but the fact that it was marketed as such implied there would be more. That’s obviously not the author’s fault perhaps the publisher was hoping to reach or appeal to a larger audience but either way if you are going into this one thinking it will be full of romance, it is not. But you should still read it all the same because the story is well written and nuanced!<br /><br />I loved the authenticity of this book, not just with the characters but with the setting. Pick this one up if you love family secrets and the complexity between mothers and daughters!<br /><br /><a href="https://thelitbitch.com/2020/03/11/review-once-upon-a-sunset-by-tif-marcelo/" rel="nofollow noopener">See my full review here</a>

I love books about women who face life’s challenges head-on and come out stronger for it. Tif Marcelo’s latest, about a mother and her adult daughter who travel to the Philippines to uncover the truth about their family history, contains romance, self-discovery, and even a bit of mystery—basically everything I want in a thought-provoking page-turner. Bonus: I finished it with tears in my eyes—my favorite way to end a story! Tif Marcelo is quickly becoming one of my must-read authors.

such a fun sweet story! I just loved it!<br /><br /> This book in emojis. ??‍⚕️????✉️✈️?<br /><br />RTC

I loved Tif Marcelo's The Key to Happily Ever After, so downloading her latest, Once Upon a Sunset, was a no brainer. As she did with The Key (whose character's business gets a brief mention in Once), she delivers smart female characters her readers have come to know and love.<br /><br />I love historical fiction and I love a good HEA and Marcelo manages to blend both of these genres flawlessly. Told through present day encounters and a series of letters exchanged by her grandparents, Once Upon a Sunset takes readers on a journey from Washington, DC to Philippines as the two protagonists learn about their family history, about their mother-daughter relationship and, ultimately, about themselves.<br /><br />Once Upon a Sunset was a really solid read. I really appreciate Tif Marcelo's characters and my introduction to the Filipino troops who served in WWII for the U.S. It's one of those little known history facts that should be acknowledged and celebrated more often.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ Once Upon a Sunset has mystery, romance, family drama, plus a dash of historical fiction all weaved together into a compelling and heartwarming story. I personally loved the social media references, and I thought the dynamic between Diana and her love interest was especially brilliant.?