Exactly What It Looks Like (Funny You Should Ask)

She’s spent her whole life studying rituals. She never expected her father’s final one to change everything.

Tara Malina believes in the power of meaning—how rituals shape us, steady us, and sometimes save us. But nothing prepares her for her dad’s last request: a volcano, a plane ticket to paradise, and a cryptic note that sends her on a pilgrimage she’s only ever written about.

She’s ready for awkward travel logistics, emotional turbulence, and maybe a mild sunburn.

She is not ready for Hector Salcedo.

The handsome, funny acquaintance from back home keeps appearing everywhere she goes, smelling unfairly good, listening too closely, and carrying a mission he won’t quite explain. He’s steady where she’s unraveling, gentle where she’s guarded, and somehow always there at the exact moment she needs a hand… or a distraction… or something she can’t name yet.

As Tara follows her dad’s trail, she begins to wonder if some rituals aren’t about honoring the past at all—maybe they’re meant to bring someone into your life right when you’re finally ready for them.

Tropes You’ll Love:

• Slow Burn

• Forced Proximity

• Vacation Romance

• Cinnamon Roll MMC

• Personal Quest

• No Spice (Sweet Romance)

Perfect for readers who enjoy:

• Emotionally grounded sweet romance

• Travel adventures with heart

• Characters healing through connection

• Gentle humor and warm banter

• Love stories that feel real, tender, and earned

Exactly What It Looks Like is a heartfelt, sun‑soaked romance about finding clarity, honoring what matters, and letting someone in when you least expect it.