Book Review for It Started with a Secret by Tif Marcelo

 It Started with a Secret by Tif Marcelo

Published April 23, 2024 by Harlequin Special Edition

Genre:  Romance

 

Taken from Goodreads:  When one unforgettable night… Leads to a whole new life…When Jared Sotheby arrives in Peak, Virginia, to search for his identity—and his Filipino roots—he doesn’t anticipate an instant connection with a stunning woman he meets on his first night in town. And he certainly doesn’t expect her to be managing the B & B owned by the biological family he’s searching for!  One passionate night aside, Matilda Matthews needs a cook, and Jared, a chef, needs a way in. She’ll give him the job if he keeps his identity a secret—for now. Their subterfuge quickly grows complicated as Jared yearns for a connection—not only with his family, but also with the once-bitten Matilda. But first he’ll have to convince her to let a younger man into her heart…  From Harlequin Special Believe in love. Overcome obstacles. Find happiness.Spirit of the Shenandoah Book 1: It Started with a Secret

 

My Thoughts:  I am a Tif Marcelo fan.   I enjoyed every word of this book.  I liked that Jared came to Peak, Virginia to escape his life.  He needed a break and found it.   He also found Matilda.   Matilda is the perfect distraction that quickly turned into more than just a distraction.   That distraction turned into a job, a relationship, and a family that he did not know how much he wanted.  

It Started with a Secret is a fun and easy book to read.   The characters were relatable, with histories and futures.  I love the storyline.  I felt myself cheering on Jared and Matilda with their jobs, choices, and love life.    Jared’s family were wonderful and so accepting.  I love that they had a family business, which I could relate to easily since my family had a restaurant business also. 

Thank you Harlequin for a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

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 Meet Tif Marcelo (taken from her website):  Tif Marcelo is a veteran US Army nurse and holds a BS in Nursing and a Master’s in public administration. She believes and writes about the strength of families, the endurance of friendship, heartfelt romances, and is inspired daily by her own military hero husband and four children. She hosts The Stories to Love Podcast, and is the USA Today bestselling author of In a Book Club Far Away, Once Upon a Sunset, The Key to Happily Ever After, which was a Target Diverse Book Club pick, The Holiday Switch, and the Heart Resort and Journey to the Heart series. She and her books have been featured in The Today Show, Shondaland, Real Simple Magazine, The Asian Journal and more!