Know You by Heart by Tif Marcelo
Marriage of convenience is a common trope beloved among romance readers, though perhaps more often found in historicals. However, in Know You by Heart (Montlake), Book 2 in Tif Marcelo’s Heart Resort series, readers are treated to a contemporary version of the trope, with the added twists of the marriage-in-trouble and friends-to-lovers tropes, along with a rich thread of Filipino culture uniquely woven to create a wonderfully moving novel.
When Christopher Puso and Eden Chan first met 11 years ago, she was a guest at his family’s Christmas celebration, invited by his youngest brother, a college student living in the dorm in which Eden serves as an RA. Eden and Chris shared an instant interest, though neither acted upon their instincts. Flash forward about seven years later and Chris finds himself in the untenable position of needing to marry in order to gain the inheritance money that could save his family’s resort. Once again, Eden is a holiday visitor, now a traveling respiratory therapist (RT) and fledgling romance writer. When she overhears Chris on the phone with his family’s lawyer, his dilemma seems like one straight out of a romance novel. And yet, she realizes that by offering to marry him, it gives her the perfect chance to work-part time as an RT so she can focus on her writing career. Plus, both Eden and Chris are the firstborn in their families, weighed down by the responsibility their culture expects them to shoulder. The inheritance they’d split after the five-year period will allow them to better provide for their respective families. It sounds like a fool-proof plan … until it becomes clear that it isn’t.
RICHLY LAYERED CONFLICTS AND CULTURE
Throughout the novel, Marcelo does a wonderful job intermixing key moments in Chris and Eden’s history with the present day, showing the growth of their relationship while also layering in their conflicts. Her characters are faced with real-life issues many of us can relate to, and I found myself rooting for them to find their way to each other. Through Marcelo’s deft writing, we feel how family responsibility weighs on Eden and Chris, witness their personality quirks and character weaknesses, and come to realize how well-suited for each other they are — if they can find a way to admit their feelings and transgressions and commit to focusing on what they need as a couple, not only on others’ expectations of them.
As a Latinx romance author, there are two special aspects of Marcelo’s novel that I relished: the Filipino culture — food, language, customs, and more — is an important part of who Eden and Chris are as people as well as the conflicts they face, both together and as individuals. Marcelo’s pride in her heritage bleeds onto the page in a welcoming manner that adds a beautiful dimension to her story. Also, Eden’s career as a romance novelist — the struggles with writer’s block, the days of retreating into her writing cave, deadline stress, and how the emotional life of a creative soul affects their loved ones— is an important part of who she is as a person and partner. If you’re a reader interested in a realistic peek into the highs and lows of author life, you’re in for a treat; if you’re a writer, you will totally identify with Eden’s struggle. The cultural touches enriched the story, and the author-life thread had me wanting to “high five” Eden or give her a “you got this, girl” shout-out many times.
Overall, Marcelo’s Know You by Heart is a winner and definitely recommended by me. It even kept me walking on the treadmill far past my scheduled “exercise time” because I couldn’t put down my Kindle. If you’re looking for a heartfelt, emotional, real-life romance, you’ll want to curl up with Marcelo’s latest. Happy reading!
