It Takes Heart

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.It Takes Heart by Tif Marcelo, a second chance romance tells the story of Brandon Puso and Geneva Harris.  It's the first book in the Heart Resort series and follows a Filipino-American family.Brandon Puso, the youngest of the Puso siblings, returned home to Heart Resort to help with the renovations of the resort prior to its grand re-opening. However, he would be in for the biggest surprise of his life when he discovered he would have to work with the woman who broke his heart four years ago.Geneva Harris grew up with the Puso family and is the best friend of Brandon’s sister. Because of her bond with the family, she provided her skills as an interior designer pro bono in the renovation of Heart Resort. Little did she know Brandon would return to the resort and that she would have to work with him.I had high hopes for It Takes Heart; it being a second chance romance. However, the romance to a back seat to the other events. The story focused on sibling dynamics. In this installment we get a story laced with secrets, drama and angst.What I EnjoyedBeach Setting: Nothing excites more than being on the beach and the fact the story took place on beach  resort was a major plus.Culture: I enjoy learning about the various cultures and It Takes Heart provided a wonderful introduction to the Filipino culture. Narration: Joy Regullano and Reuben Uy narrated. Both are new to me. The narration alternated between the chapters. It took me sometime to get with the voice of the male narrator, but after a while I came to appreciate his tone. Both narrators voices were distinct for each of the characters.What I did not Enjoy Characters: Unfortunately, I could not relate to any of the characters and I was not invested in Brandon and Geneva’s relationship. They all kept secrets from each other while advocating for open communicati0n among themselves. Makes no sense to me. Pacing: The story dragged in several places, making it feel like a chore to get through. After a while, I started skipping parts of the story.Romance: If a book is being promoted as a contemporary romance, then I would expect the romance to be the focal point of the story. Not the blip on the radar it received here with one intimate scene thrown in for good measure. Which probably would not have happened if they were not trapped due the tropical storm. 🙄 Never once did I feel the chemistry Brandon and Geneva supposedly shared. I am still trying to wrap my head around the reason for their break-up. As usual, failure to communicate played a major role in their break-up. In the end, it didn’t matter to me if they got back together or not.Conclusion/Recommendation I know other readers may feel differently, but It Takes Heart didn’t click for me. I am not sure if I will continue the series.This review was originally posted on Totally Addicted to Reading