When Jasmine Blooms

PRAISE FOR TIF MARCELO The Heart Resort Series “Marcelo loads their darling romance with touching drama and sweet moments while seamlessly weaving in Filipino culture, language, and food, adding depth and authenticity to the plot. The endearing protagonists, dramatic sibling rivalry, and idyllic coastal setting make for a feel-good romance that readers won’t want to miss.” —Publishers Weekly “Readers will yearn for more stories about these compelling characters.” —Booklist “Compelling family tensions, a captivating second-chance romance, and an evocative beachside setting come together beautifully in Tif Marcelo’s gem of a book. I fell in love with Heart Resort and the Pusos, and I can’t wait to return to this world in the next installment!” —Mia Sosa, USA Today bestselling author of The Worst Best Man In a Book Club Far Away “Marcelo captivates in this endearing story about the bonds of friendship . . . Making good use of army life as the backdrop, Marcelo skillfully layers the narrative with the three women’s points of view, capturing both their singular and collective worlds. Themes of friendship, forgiveness, and women’s independence make this propulsive, feel-good story a gem.” —Publishers Weekly “Fans of book clubs will enjoy the discussions of the popular reading that Adelaide’s book club favors . . . Told in a straightforward style, this story of women’s friendship and commitment to the army lifestyle will appeal to fans of Kristin Hannah, Debbie Macomber, or Sarah Pekkanen.” —Library Journal “With a wonderfully diverse cast, tantalizing descriptions of Filipino food, a realistic portrayal of the challenges of being a military spouse, and a hint of romance, Marcelo’s latest will charm readers and could lead to a fruitful book discussion.” —Booklist The Key to Happily Ever After “Marcelo movingly portrays sisters who love each other to death but also drive each other crazy. Give this to readers who like Susan Mallery’s portrayal of complicated sisters, or Jasmine Guillory’s sweet, food-focused city settings.” —Booklist “This sweet family story / romance will appeal to fans of Susan Mallery and RaeAnne Thayne. Especially suitable for public libraries looking for more #ownvoices authors.” —Library Journal “Marcelo charms in this feel-good story . . . The layered plot, which includes a dark period in Mari’s past that places a roadblock to finding love in the present, and the cast of colorful supporting characters, particularly sassy shop seamstress Amelia, are a treat. Fans of Jill Shalvis and Jane Green will particularly enjoy this.” —Publishers Weekly OTHER TITLES BY TIF MARCELO Heart Resort Lucky Streak It Takes Heart Know You by Heart Contemporary Fiction In a Book Club Far Away Once Upon a Sunset The Key to Happily Ever After Journey to the Heart Series North to You East in Paradise West Coast Love Anthology Something Blue Christmas Actually Young Adult The Holiday Switch This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Otherwise, any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. Text copyright © 2023 by Tiffany Johnson All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher. Published by Lake Union Publishing, Seattle www.apub.com Amazon, the Amazon logo, and Lake Union Publishing are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc., or its affiliates. ISBN-13: 9781542038782 (paperback) ISBN-13: 9781542038799 (digital) Cover design by Caroline Teagle Johnson Cover image: © PhotographerOlympus / Getty; © enviromantic / Getty; © Oleksandr Kalinskyy / Getty; © Silmairel / Shutterstock For April, Annie, Rachel, and Jeanette, and all we’ve shared in both our author and motherhood journeys. CONTENTS AUTHOR’S NOTE Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty Chapter Twenty-One Chapter Twenty-Two Chapter Twenty-Three Chapter Twenty-Four Chapter Twenty-Five Chapter Twenty-Six Chapter Twenty-Seven Chapter Twenty-Eight Chapter Twenty-Nine Chapter Thirty Chapter Thirty-One Chapter Thirty-Two Chapter Thirty-Three Chapter Thirty-Four Chapter Thirty-Five Chapter Thirty-Six Chapter Thirty-Seven Chapter Thirty-Eight Chapter Thirty-Nine Chapter Forty Chapter Forty-One Chapter Forty-Two Chapter Forty-Three Chapter Forty-Four ACKNOWLEDGMENTS BOOK CLUB QUESTIONS ABOUT THE AUTHOR AUTHOR’S NOTE Dear reader, When Jasmine Blooms is Celine Lakad-Frasier’s story, but is an ode to Marmee, who I consider an aspirational literary mother. Drawn from Abigail Alcott, Louisa Alcott’s mother, Marmee holds a special place in my heart. Chapter One Louisburg, Massachusetts Two Years Ago Standing in the dim study, lit only by an hourglass lamp on a scratched oak desk and the blazing flames of the fireplace, I ran a thumb against the dark-brown leather of