The Wedding Setup

By: Sonali Dev

“Sometimes running away is the only way to survive. It doesn’t mean you can’t go back when you’re ready. Maybe what you’re seeing as an end is a new beginning.”

BLURB: (From Goodreads)

Ayesha Shetty lost her brother seven years ago, the same time she lost everything else important to her: her dreams, her fierce independence, and the man she loved. Not wanting to see her mother hurt anymore, she put her wild self away and became the dutiful daughter her mother needed and took on her brother’s role in the family business.

Now her best friend’s big, fat Indian wedding is a chance to get away from her endless duties at the restaurant and maybe even have some fun (if she remembers how). But a setup arranged by her mother, with a doctor no less, is the last thing she needs. The fact that he checks all her mother’s boxes just makes everything better…and worse.

Then Emmitt Hughes shows up. Her brother’s best friend. The love she once chose over family duties and her responsibilities. The one she asked to leave, and who did. The one who knows the real Ayesha. Torn between a love from the past that could cost her the only person she has left and her sense of obligation to her mother, will Ayesha find the strength to stop thinking about what everyone else wants and finally put herself first? Or is the old Ayesha truly gone for good?

MY REVIEW:

This was a very sweet second chance romance short story. I needed a palette cleanser after my last book, and this was the perfect book to read! Besides the romance (which I will get to), I really liked learning more about the Indian culture. I even learned the names of some pieces of clothing! While there is a dating scenario setup, but real story is between Ayesha and Emmitt. What I wish, however, is that this story was just a tad longer. We know by being told that they had previously been together for 3 years, but I wish I could have seen what that looked like – even if it was in flashback form. I was lacking a little bit of the connection that the author wanted me to feel. Otherwise, this is a very cute, sweet book!

It’s on KU, so you can get it here.