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It Started with a Secret
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…
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…
291 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 23, 2024
3 people are currently reading
51 people want to read
About the author
Tif Marcelo
32 books759 followersTif 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! Her website, which includes a link to her newsletter, is www.TifMarcelo.com
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
July 30, 2025
This is a Romance, and this is the first book in the Spirit of the Shenandoah series. I have a ton of issues trying to get into this book. I also found the characters in this book to be boring and I could not connect to them. I found this book to be very slow moving, and I did not really get into this book until after more than 50% through this book. Even after that I did not really connect to the characters in this book. Overall, I found this ok after 50%, and before that it was boring. I received an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion about the book like all my reviews are.
January 14, 2025
When Jared goes to the town of Peak in search of answers about his father’s family, the last thing he expects is to spend a night with Matilda, the prickly manager of their B&B.
There is a lot of story packed into this fairly short book – Reconnecting with your roots! Family drama! Age gap! Forbidden workplace romance! – but author Marcelo does a decent job of giving all of it plenty of page time, even if it means some of them are a bit clumsily handled in places.
The romance between Jared and Matilda is understated but sweet, which provides a pleasant contrast to the more dramatic external plot. I appreciated that both characters had well-developed personal journeys too, as both grow and change throughout the book not only within their relationship but outside it as well. The working at the B&B aspect, which could have easily become twee, instead felt realistic without becoming dreary.
However, I did feel that Jared and Matilda’s first night together was more insta-love than anything else – by having an awkward first meeting and then glossing over all the actual time they spent together that night, I wasn’t as invested in the relationship longer than I wanted to be. Additionally, with so much ground to cover, the age gap aspect of the romance was definitely given short shrift, and seemed to come up more as a trope than a properly fleshed-out factor that affected the couple.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
There is a lot of story packed into this fairly short book – Reconnecting with your roots! Family drama! Age gap! Forbidden workplace romance! – but author Marcelo does a decent job of giving all of it plenty of page time, even if it means some of them are a bit clumsily handled in places.
The romance between Jared and Matilda is understated but sweet, which provides a pleasant contrast to the more dramatic external plot. I appreciated that both characters had well-developed personal journeys too, as both grow and change throughout the book not only within their relationship but outside it as well. The working at the B&B aspect, which could have easily become twee, instead felt realistic without becoming dreary.
However, I did feel that Jared and Matilda’s first night together was more insta-love than anything else – by having an awkward first meeting and then glossing over all the actual time they spent together that night, I wasn’t as invested in the relationship longer than I wanted to be. Additionally, with so much ground to cover, the age gap aspect of the romance was definitely given short shrift, and seemed to come up more as a trope than a properly fleshed-out factor that affected the couple.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
April 7, 2024
Tropes: secret baby, small town, found family, workplace romance, age-gap (older heroine, younger hero)
In, It Started With a Secret, Tif Marcelo introduces us to Jared, who we quickly learn is the child of a one-night stand. His father has passed away and we follow Jared from Louisville to where his father’s widow and sisters live. They own a b&b which has recently lost a chef so Jared who is a chef himself very quickly finds himself working as the new chef for the family business yet the family doesn’t know his true identify. Oh and he meets Matilda within his first new nights there, they hang out at a bar…go back to his place and hook up and as much as Matilda wants to keep Jared at a distance because he’s ten years her senior, he’s a good guy, they’re good for each other and the chemistry and attraction is undeniable.
Tif Marcelo managed to tackle a pretty heavy premise with such lightness and grace. This could’ve easily been a heavy book. It couldn’t easily focused so much on the weight of the secret and detracted from the romance between Jared and Matilda but it never did. This is a beautifully crafted story of two people finding love, meeting in the middle while one is struggling to figure out the best way to break such heavy news. There is an adorable nephew whose innocence bought me to tears and I was so happy to see the next book belongs to Eva.
I am very excited and intrigued to see where Tif Marcelo takes us next in this journey.
In, It Started With a Secret, Tif Marcelo introduces us to Jared, who we quickly learn is the child of a one-night stand. His father has passed away and we follow Jared from Louisville to where his father’s widow and sisters live. They own a b&b which has recently lost a chef so Jared who is a chef himself very quickly finds himself working as the new chef for the family business yet the family doesn’t know his true identify. Oh and he meets Matilda within his first new nights there, they hang out at a bar…go back to his place and hook up and as much as Matilda wants to keep Jared at a distance because he’s ten years her senior, he’s a good guy, they’re good for each other and the chemistry and attraction is undeniable.
Tif Marcelo managed to tackle a pretty heavy premise with such lightness and grace. This could’ve easily been a heavy book. It couldn’t easily focused so much on the weight of the secret and detracted from the romance between Jared and Matilda but it never did. This is a beautifully crafted story of two people finding love, meeting in the middle while one is struggling to figure out the best way to break such heavy news. There is an adorable nephew whose innocence bought me to tears and I was so happy to see the next book belongs to Eva.
I am very excited and intrigued to see where Tif Marcelo takes us next in this journey.
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April 11, 2024disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial
I thought this was such a lovely age-gap (she is 40, he is 30) workplace romance! It’s set in a small town Peak in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia, as Jared comes to town to find his biological father Louis’ family. Jared grew up with his Greek mom and English stepdad, making him the only mixed race and brown kid in the family. He often wondered about his Filipino dad and he finally goes to meet his dad’s side of the family in person after receiving a harsh criticism on the authenticity of his dishes (as a chef). However, when he arrives to Peak, Jared decides to keep his identity a secret and works as a chef at the bed and breakfast that his late dad’s wife Eva runs with her daughters Frankie & Gabby.
Matilda returned to Peak five years ago after leaving her husband of eight years, Noah, and started over by living and working as the manager at the Spirit of the Shenandoah B&B with the Espiritu family. She gives Jared a job working in her kitchen, and she keeps his secret until they get through a few events that they are catering and hosting. Matilda grapples with the fact that she fully lost herself in her last relationship, and doesn’t want to fall into the same patterns with a new romance. She is also quite nervous about being so much older than Jared!
I loved Jared’s developing relationships with his dad’s side of the family, because he grew up with white folks and had this cognitive dissonance of always feeling different. He notes that he had a great upbringing and is so grateful to his mom and stepdad, but there is something magical about meeting and connecting with his dad’s family too. The way he built a relationship with his nephew Liam was especially tender to me. It’s hard to reckon with the fact that he would never meet Louis or get to know him, but what a gift it is to still find more family at 30 years old!
The romance was closed-door, so expect a 1/5 on the steamy scale. It’s lightly described but nothing explicit or graphic! I loved the playfulness and curiosity with which Jared and Matilda shared with each other. Matilda was so focused on how different they were due to the age gap, but Jared proved to be the partner she needed! Age really can be make or break for certain situations, but the lives they wanted fit perfectly, and age simply didn’t matter in the end here!
representation: MC is Filipina, LI is biracial Greek & Filipino
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Abandonment, Death of parent, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Sexual content
I thought this was such a lovely age-gap (she is 40, he is 30) workplace romance! It’s set in a small town Peak in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia, as Jared comes to town to find his biological father Louis’ family. Jared grew up with his Greek mom and English stepdad, making him the only mixed race and brown kid in the family. He often wondered about his Filipino dad and he finally goes to meet his dad’s side of the family in person after receiving a harsh criticism on the authenticity of his dishes (as a chef). However, when he arrives to Peak, Jared decides to keep his identity a secret and works as a chef at the bed and breakfast that his late dad’s wife Eva runs with her daughters Frankie & Gabby.
Matilda returned to Peak five years ago after leaving her husband of eight years, Noah, and started over by living and working as the manager at the Spirit of the Shenandoah B&B with the Espiritu family. She gives Jared a job working in her kitchen, and she keeps his secret until they get through a few events that they are catering and hosting. Matilda grapples with the fact that she fully lost herself in her last relationship, and doesn’t want to fall into the same patterns with a new romance. She is also quite nervous about being so much older than Jared!
I loved Jared’s developing relationships with his dad’s side of the family, because he grew up with white folks and had this cognitive dissonance of always feeling different. He notes that he had a great upbringing and is so grateful to his mom and stepdad, but there is something magical about meeting and connecting with his dad’s family too. The way he built a relationship with his nephew Liam was especially tender to me. It’s hard to reckon with the fact that he would never meet Louis or get to know him, but what a gift it is to still find more family at 30 years old!
The romance was closed-door, so expect a 1/5 on the steamy scale. It’s lightly described but nothing explicit or graphic! I loved the playfulness and curiosity with which Jared and Matilda shared with each other. Matilda was so focused on how different they were due to the age gap, but Jared proved to be the partner she needed! Age really can be make or break for certain situations, but the lives they wanted fit perfectly, and age simply didn’t matter in the end here!
representation: MC is Filipina, LI is biracial Greek & Filipino
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Abandonment, Death of parent, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Sexual content
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 30, 2024
Overall, this was a good book. Jared is the result of a one-night stand; his father never knew about him. Jared wondered about him but didn't have much interest in connecting with him until he had a crisis of identity. Jared is a chef, and devastating criticism of his ethnic cooking sent him looking for his Filipino roots. He arrives in his family's town with no plan of action. The first night, he connects with a beautiful woman.
Matilda loves her job managing the B & B. The owner gave her a job and a chance after Matilda left an unhappy marriage. Her organizational skills are unparalleled, and she has a finger on every pulse of the business.
Jared chickens out of confessing who he is when he arrives in Peak. Instead, he takes a job as a fill-in chef at the family B & B, using the time to get to know his father's family. He connects easily with his half-sisters and is sweet with his nephew. He feels guilty about keeping his identity secret but can't decide the best way/time to come clean.
Meanwhile, he and Matilda continue spending time together. Matilda is wary of getting involved after losing herself in her marriage. She doesn't want to risk the same thing happening again. She tends to keep tight control of her emotions, feeling that is her only way to protect herself. She is also a bit of a control freak when running the B & B. She, too, begins to feel guilty about keeping Jared's secret and the effect it could have on her relationship with the family.
I liked the development of the relationship between Jared and Matilda. Jared is upfront about his interest in her. Matilda is more hesitant, as she is bothered by the ten-year age difference between them. I liked seeing Jared and Matilda spend time together and discover their compatibility. But when the secret comes out, the reactions are all over the place, and Matilda and Jared must deal with the fallout. I ached for them all as everyone came to terms with the revelations. The ending was emotional and well done, and the epilogue was sweet.
Matilda loves her job managing the B & B. The owner gave her a job and a chance after Matilda left an unhappy marriage. Her organizational skills are unparalleled, and she has a finger on every pulse of the business.
Jared chickens out of confessing who he is when he arrives in Peak. Instead, he takes a job as a fill-in chef at the family B & B, using the time to get to know his father's family. He connects easily with his half-sisters and is sweet with his nephew. He feels guilty about keeping his identity secret but can't decide the best way/time to come clean.
Meanwhile, he and Matilda continue spending time together. Matilda is wary of getting involved after losing herself in her marriage. She doesn't want to risk the same thing happening again. She tends to keep tight control of her emotions, feeling that is her only way to protect herself. She is also a bit of a control freak when running the B & B. She, too, begins to feel guilty about keeping Jared's secret and the effect it could have on her relationship with the family.
I liked the development of the relationship between Jared and Matilda. Jared is upfront about his interest in her. Matilda is more hesitant, as she is bothered by the ten-year age difference between them. I liked seeing Jared and Matilda spend time together and discover their compatibility. But when the secret comes out, the reactions are all over the place, and Matilda and Jared must deal with the fallout. I ached for them all as everyone came to terms with the revelations. The ending was emotional and well done, and the epilogue was sweet.
April 8, 2024
It Started with a Secret by Tif Marcelo is a fantastic romance that I really enjoyed.
Some great tropes in this novel are small town, found family, age-gap (YES) and family secrets!
We meet Jared who is in search of his biological family. Jared finds them and they own a B&B that needs a chef and Jared is a chef and he is hired but keeps his identity a secret.
He meets Matilda rather quickly and they have an amazing night together.
Matilda does a good job pushing Jared away because of the age difference.
The chemistry between these two is fantastic and I love their banter.
The characters are so well written. The topics addressed are heavy, but the author does such an amazing job dealing with them in such a gentle yet honest way.
The secondary characters are anything but secondary. I am excited to see that Eva will get her own story in the next book in this Spirit of Shannondoah series by Tif Marcelo.
Fun bonus fact: There is an eclipse in the book which is really fun and timed so perfectly as the Total Solar Eclipse is on April 8, 2024. Kudos to the author for including this.
Some great tropes in this novel are small town, found family, age-gap (YES) and family secrets!
We meet Jared who is in search of his biological family. Jared finds them and they own a B&B that needs a chef and Jared is a chef and he is hired but keeps his identity a secret.
He meets Matilda rather quickly and they have an amazing night together.
Matilda does a good job pushing Jared away because of the age difference.
The chemistry between these two is fantastic and I love their banter.
The characters are so well written. The topics addressed are heavy, but the author does such an amazing job dealing with them in such a gentle yet honest way.
The secondary characters are anything but secondary. I am excited to see that Eva will get her own story in the next book in this Spirit of Shannondoah series by Tif Marcelo.
Fun bonus fact: There is an eclipse in the book which is really fun and timed so perfectly as the Total Solar Eclipse is on April 8, 2024. Kudos to the author for including this.
April 24, 2024
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.
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.
April 23, 2024
Goodness, I adored this cozy with a bit of spice romance between B&B manager Matilda and chef Jared. They are both at places in life where they are searching for something more.
Themes of belonging, family, and love are weaved throughout this start to a new series by Tif Marcelo. Secrets are a huge part, as well, if you couldn’t tell by the title! I very much enjoyed reading about Filipino food and really wish I could try some of the amazing dishes described in the book. I recommend this to fans of contemporary romance with family - including found family - at the core.
I Received an advanced reading copy, receipt of which did not impact my review.
Themes of belonging, family, and love are weaved throughout this start to a new series by Tif Marcelo. Secrets are a huge part, as well, if you couldn’t tell by the title! I very much enjoyed reading about Filipino food and really wish I could try some of the amazing dishes described in the book. I recommend this to fans of contemporary romance with family - including found family - at the core.
I Received an advanced reading copy, receipt of which did not impact my review.
June 25, 2024
Interesting story about a young man searching for his birth father. His mother had had a brief affair with someone who turned out to be married, but separated from his wife. And Jared, a restaurant chef, turns up in Peak Virginia, meets Matilda, who turns out to be his father's daughter. Plus, the whole family runs a B&B. Disaster strikes when the inn's cook leaves, and Jared volunteers to be chef. But the longer he stays, the more dificult it is to keep the secret of who he is, when all he wants is the connection to his father's family.
January 31, 2024
A charming romance with heavy family issues. Intriguing back stories and interesting characters' growth. I am eager to read about the next family member's search for their significant other. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.
May 4, 2024
I really enjoyed this small town romance. I love the chemistry between the two, the age gap, and the fact that he was a young hot chef involved with an older woman. I'm looking forward to the next book in the Spirit of Shenandoah series. Well done, Tif!
May 13, 2024
Tif Marcelo does not shy away from tropes that are not 'normally' romance mainstays: ageist, secret baby, domestic violence, and identity. This is a beautiful story with the beautiful Shenandoah as backdrop. I love the chemistry between and among lovers, friends, and family.
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April 2, 2024Contemporary Romance, Multicultural & Interracial Romance, Asian American, Women's Fiction
Miniseries
Spirit of the Shenandoah (Book #1)
Miniseries
Spirit of the Shenandoah (Book #1)
July 1, 2024
4.75 Stars
Please read my review here:
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Please read my review here:
https://www.letsreadgoodbooks.com/blo...
October 8, 2024
In "It Started With a Secret," Tif Marcelo introduces Jared, a character whose journey begins with a revelation: he's the product of a one-night stand, and his father has recently passed away. As we follow Jared from Louisville to the town where his late father's widow and daughters live, we see him join their family business—a bed-and-breakfast that has just lost its chef. Jared, being a chef himself, steps into the role, but he keeps his true identity hidden from the family. During his early days in town, he meets Matilda, and they quickly hit it off. Despite Matilda's hesitation due to their age difference—Jared is ten years older—their chemistry is undeniable, and they end up hooking up after a night at the bar.
Tif Marcelo takes on a heavy premise with a light touch, avoiding the potential heaviness that could have overshadowed the developing romance between Jared and Matilda. Instead of focusing solely on the weight of Jared's secret, the story remains centered on the evolving relationship between the characters. It's a beautifully told tale of two people finding love, meeting halfway, and dealing with the challenge of revealing a life-changing secret.
Tif Marcelo takes on a heavy premise with a light touch, avoiding the potential heaviness that could have overshadowed the developing romance between Jared and Matilda. Instead of focusing solely on the weight of Jared's secret, the story remains centered on the evolving relationship between the characters. It's a beautifully told tale of two people finding love, meeting halfway, and dealing with the challenge of revealing a life-changing secret.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews