A celebration of family, second chances and a vibrant infusion of the senses in this delightful romantic story. When your ex wife shows up to your sister's wedding festivities and no one knows your divorced it's a chance to re-write your own love story.

If you aren't reading Mona Shroff then your book adventures aren't complete.

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The day Nikhil Joshi arrives home for his younger sister’s wedding, he gets the surprise that his ex-wife, Anita Virani, was there. It is then that Nikhil discovers that his mother hasn’t told his grandfather, who suffered a heart attack months ago, about Nikhil and Anita’s divorce, so she has brought Anita to pretend to be his wife during the five days of celebrations. Though he believes Anita is doing it to pay off her college debt, he decides to continue the charade for his grandfather’s sake.

Since the divorce was painful for them, it won’t be easy to feign marital happiness. However, some truths about their marriage and about themselves come to light as they spend time together in their charade. In addition, love and passion reignites between them. Will Anita and Nikhil be able to give each other a second chance?

I loved the way the author decided to tell this story. Divided into seven parts—corresponding to the five days of celebrations, the pre-event conversation between Anita and her former mother-in-law, and the days after Nikhil’s sister’s wedding—the plot navigates Anita and Nikhil’s failed marriage’s memories mixing with the present, having the different traditional ceremonies of Indian weddings as an alluring background; presenting Anita and Nikhil’s mistakes and successes, both as a couple and separately. Similarly, we see how family traditions influence the main characters’ personalities while adapting to modern times.

On the other hand, the secondary characters, are perfectly created to complement Anita and Nikhil without overshadowing them at any time. I loved Nikhil’s Dada; such a source of simple wisdom that captivates the reader.

This story emphasizes family values ​​and priorities, with colorful, credible scenes that show the richness of Indian traditions (not to mention the fact that the book takes place in the state of Maryland), a well-developed, excellent paced and mature plot, and with everything in its perfect place is the result of this story that I couldn’t put down since I started reading it. A great storyteller, Ms. Shroff really surprised me, since this is my first book from the author. I’ll wait expectantly for Anita’s brother’s story, of which we see several glimpses throughout this book.

Nikhil and Anita were married, its true
But they've been divorced for years now, too.
So why is she now at his sister's wedding
Wearing her original wedding ring?

This is a story of two loves who parted
Leaving them both really broken hearted.
They never fell out of love but now
They need to pretend they're still together somehow.

Five days is how long the wedding party will be
Will they survive it all, you need to read it to see.
It is a story of attitudes, aspirations and more
As well as family, pressures and folks to ignore!

With tasty Indian dishes, traditions and spice,
This story cooks up something really nice.
Full of flavour and colour, love and romance,
It is all about giving true love more than a chance!

For my complementary copy of this book, I say thank you,
A different, moving read and this is my honest review.

Second chance romance, forced proximity and a wedding are just a few things to like about this read BUT missing information and lack of chemistry between the characters took away from what would have been an otherwise stellar read. Also, there are fade-to-black love scenes and well, The Five-day Reunion would have benefited with more steam.

And interesting 2nd chance and with some family dynamics in the story that drew me in. I liked this book and I'm curious for more of Mona's voice and her stories after this.

Anita and Nikheel divorced three years ago and have not seen each other since. Nikheel's mom never told anyone about divorce, and to save face, she asks Anita to pretend to still be married to Nikheel. It's only for five days and in return, her law school tuition will be paid for. Anita reluctantly accepts, she never expects the feelings for her ex-husband to be rekindled.

This was a really cute and sweet story. I really felt the chemistry between Anita and Nikheel. The supporting characters were also well written, even though we didn't get to know them as well (although it seems the series will focus on the other characters in future books).
Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

I wasn't expecting to love this story but I did actually love it.
It is a great book that actually got me reading longer than I had been planning. I read this book in one sitting because I just didn't want to put it down.

I was super disappointed that I didn't like this one. I loved Shroff's two books and was so excited for this one. But sadly I just felt so bored.

TWs: death of loved ones, divorce, mention of miscarriage

Rep: South Asian MCs

I read this book in one sitting so I basically devoured it. I initially picked it up because one of my bookstagram, now real-life friends shared it. Of course, I found the cover swoon-worthy and I’m always on the lookout for South Asian romances, specifically adult ones now that that’s the category I fall into.

I found both Anita and Nikhil to be quite likable and realistic characters. They each had their own backstory and set of characteristics that meshed well together. They each had their flaws, but they acknowledged them. I thought their chemistry was definitely a highlight, but more than that, I found the moments in which they were reminiscing about the past or replicating doing something from the past in the present moment very sweet. Romance doesn’t always have to be the whole Bollywood shebang (something I love as much as the next Brown person). I find every day, smaller moments more intimate and something that I personally crave in a relationship. Things like cooking together or having conversations about one’s likes/dislikes.

I loved the forced proximity of course and that the timeline was over a five day period of Nikhil’s sister Tina’s wedding. The wedding festivities were described with such vigor and it made me miss going to Indian weddings greatly.

Another aspect that I really enjoyed about this book was the family ties and rifts between family members. I found all of the reasons that Nikhil resented his family to be honest and similar to feelings a lot of South Asian immigrant children feel. Many of the reasons that Nikhil didn’t get along with his brother Rocky was due to the interior pressure he felt having to be successful in his career especially because he felt like the black sheep of the family (not a lawyer like the rest of his siblings and parents).

I appreciated the commentary on Anita and Nikhil’s mom very powerful as well. Being that they are both women of color who are pursuing careers in law while still taking care of their family is something to admire. However, when it comes to the South Asian community, people will continue to ask why they don’t make enough time for family, why they don’t have kids yet, etc.

Being a woman of color in any male-dominated field is already a difficult task without getting hounded by the community about what you should or should not be doing better.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it!

Characters: 8/10
Atmosphere: 7/10
Writing Style: 7/10
Plot: 6/10
Intrigue: 7/10
Logic: 6/10
Enjoyment: 8/10

Rating: 7.0 or 4 stars

This is the 1st book in the “Once Upon A Wedding Series” and a first read for me by this author and she has done a wonderful job of holding my interest. This is a great second chance at romance; one of my favorite genres. This is a fast-paced easy read, with realistic and funny scenes, entertaining with wonderful characters and flowed awesomely and kept me turning page after page.

Nikhil is at his sister’s in town for his sister’s wedding and unbeknownst to him so is his ex-wife Anita. Nikhil’s grandfather and family members do not know that he and Anita are no longer married. So now he and Anita are pretending to be still be married because of his grandfather’s health. While Anita and Nikhil are spending more and more time together they are remembering happier times together and enjoying themselves.
Can Anita and Nikhil put the past behind them and work on a future together?

I received an ARC via NetGalley and I am leaving my review voluntarily.

The Five-Day Reunion begins the Once Upon A Wedding series with a romance that touched my heart and several tropes like a second-chance romance, the forced proximity factors, or even a pretend marriage for a good cause years after they officially divorced. Anita and Nikhil were once a young couple deeply in love, but real-life often gets in the way of the romance and their short marriage was soon over — or it had been until Nikhil’s sister’s wedding celebration where once lovers, once married partners will reunite with unexpected to them results before this celebration is over. Nikhil’s mother had never told certain members of her family about the divorce, feeling that it reflected badly on her… and in her elderly father’s eyes, that would have been very true. Now she’s begging Anita and Nikhil to pretend that all is well, they are still happily married to avoid upsetting Nikhil’s grandfather or adding to his health issues with the truth. They will reluctantly agree, after all, it’s only a five-day celebration what could possibly go wrong, right? It only takes a brief moment to fall back in love when one gets the chance to see the one they’ve always loved with fresh, mature eyes… so, yeah, what indeed could possibly go wrong?

I was easily caught up in The Five-Day Reunion for so many reasons. The writing is smooth, the plot interesting, the characters believable in their choices, and the tears or laughter flowed easily as I learned about traditions and celebrations that captured my imagination. It’s a story that’s rich in describing the thought process and traditions of a culture that I’ve only looked in on from the outside. I love to learn new things, it’s one reason why I devour so many novels. So that was an added bonus for me, personally, in Anita’s and Nikhil’s romance.

The road to romance is often bumpy and full of potholes, and that certainly was still the case for Nikhil and Anita. Yet, this time with a bit more maturity and perhaps more open minds they were able to find the love that has always been there and rebuild, not what they had but something new and fresh between them only this time with eyes wide open and hearts willing to bend and understand another view beyond their own. I enjoyed watching the journey as Nikhil and Anita faced the unique situation they were placed in and then owned it as a way back into each other’s lives. I had fun here, and I’ll definitely be on the watch for the next title in the Once Upon A Wedding series.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own – good, bad, or indifferent. I was not financially compensated for this review and no expectation of a positive review was promised.*

Terrific second chance romance. Anita and Nikhil married young and divorced after just two years. They haven't seen each other in the three years since then. When Nikhil arrives at his mother's home for the start of his sister, Tina's, five days of wedding festivities, he is shocked to find his ex-wife there. Furious, he confronts his mother, who confesses that she never told the rest of the family about the divorce. Afraid of the news's effect on her elderly father, Nikhil's mother begs him to pretend they are still married until the wedding is over.

Nikhil is very reluctant to play along. He's still hurt and angry over the way Anita walked away from their marriage. Anita is also dubious, but his mother made her an offer she couldn't refuse. Forced to spend time together to keep up the deception, it doesn't take long for old feelings to resurface. But both of them have significant baggage from their past that must be dealt with before they can think about giving in to those feelings.

Nikhil is the odd man out in his family. All of the others are lawyers, while he is a writer. Despite being a best-selling author, Nikhil gets no respect from his family members. I ached for him because it's obvious that it hurts. I lost count of the number of times he was put down, asked when he'd get a "real job," or just plain ignored. Meanwhile, Anita, who is in her third year of law school, gets all of the attention he doesn't, which adds to his frustration. I could feel Nikhil's determination to show them all, even though he did the same things he blamed them for.

I liked how the time they spent together brought back memories of the good times, which helped make their forced proximity easier to carry off. With a little more maturity under their belts, they also begin to see that neither one was blameless in the failure of their marriage. I loved seeing them open up about their feelings and perceptions during those last days and realize that they'd still be married if they'd been better at communicating. It gave me hope for them when I saw Nikhil's pride in Anita's community law work and Anita's vocal support of him when his family's cluelessness/obnoxiousness got out of hand.

When Nikhil's ex-girlfriend shows up and wants him back, she doesn't take well to being denied. I could tell she would be trouble, especially when Anita got involved. In this case, Nikhil's brother had his back, and I loved seeing them deal with her quickly and decisively. Unfortunately, she didn't go quietly and stirred up quite a storm in her wake. I loved Anita's response.

With the cat out of the bag, Nikhil and Anita have some soul-searching and decisions to make. I loved Nikhil's advice from his brother and mother, which helped him realize he couldn't let history repeat itself. I loved his big moment and seeing that they've both learned from their mistakes. The epilogue was fantastic.

I loved the setting of a traditional Indian wedding. The information about the clothes, food, and entertainment was fascinating. I'm not familiar with the ceremonies, and I loved how each part was shown in a way that I could easily understand. I also liked how each event that Anita and Nikhil participated in brought back memories or gave them the chance to clear up something from their past.

The family dynamics were complex. Nikhil's feelings of being the black sheep were understandable because of how he was treated. His backstory made his insecurity when it came to anything to do with the family law firm heartbreaking to witness. Nikhil's mother irritated me through most of the book because she was one of the worst offenders, mainly to "save face" with her relatives. I liked Nikhil's grandfather. He was kind, funny, and more with-it than most gave him credit for. Nikhil's aunts were a pain and busybodies of the worst variety. I loved his sister, Tina, and her support of Nikhil. His brother Rocky bugged me for a long time but redeemed himself. I liked the younger couples, who seemed more relaxed and fun-loving.

When Nikhil arrives for his sister's wedding festivities, he's shocked to see his ex-wife there. Turns out, his mother has neglected to tell her elderly father, who's traveled there from India for the wedding, that Nikhil and Anita are divorced. Not wanting to risk his grandfather's health, he goes along with the charade. Spending time together reminds Nikhil and Anita of why they fell in love. Can they overcome their past hurts and find their way back to each other?

This is a fun Desi romance, with the family relationships and wedding celebration playing an important role in the story. Nikhil and Anita were young and immature when they married, and they slowly come to realize they didn't work hard enough at the relationship. It's wonderful to see them rekindle a love that never really died, and commit to one another on a deeper level than before.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

This is a Second Chance Romance, and this is the first book in the Once Upon a Wedding Book series. The characters in this book was really developed and great, and I loved following these character. I love that the characters in this book show the culture so well. I loved that we are getting different type of characters in this book then the normal romance characters. The two main characters are divorce, but in their culture divorce is not a thing. I love seeing these characters finding themselves again and finding their love for each other again. This is a very good read, and if you love second chance romance with great characters you should check out this book. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Harlequin) or author (Mona Shroff) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin for access to this arc.

First off I loved the Indian American/Indian rep in this book. Seema Joshi and (I assume) her deceased husband were immigrants to Maryland/DC and through hard work built a thriving law practice. Now she has professional success and a large house though she still feels that her two older sisters dismiss this when they pressure her to stay months in India helping care for their father. Part of her efforts to hide Nikhil and Anita’s divorce is because she doesn’t want her older siblings to lord this over her.

The details of the weddings (traditional Indian as well as American church) are included in the story but they’re also important in how they bring Anita and Nikhil together for certain ceremonies as well as providing opportunities for them to talk to other family members about what happened back then and if and how things have changed. Anita and Nikhil skipped the large wedding that Tina is having because Anita and her brother couldn’t have afforded the multi-day blowout after their parents’ deaths but now Anita and Nikhil are seeing the larger family support and enthusiasm they missed. One thing Anita isn’t thrilled about are the multiple comments made to her about why she and Nikhil haven’t produced children yet.

Two of Semma’s children have followed her into law while Nikhil has always wanted something different. After majoring in English in college, he’s forged his own path as a writer of best selling novels but that’s only happened in the past three years after his divorce. Still he has issues with feeling his family loves him but that sometimes he’s invisible to them and they don’t truly respect his success. At one point even his beloved Dada skips over mention of Nikhil’s books to focus on Anita’s plans after law school and Anita had moments when she didn’t seem too thrilled with what he wanted. Then when she announced her desire to go to law school, Nikhil’s fears of losing her to the type of law career that consumes his relatives and his family’s law firm, as happened in the past with another woman in his life, hit him hard. He fears becoming invisible to her, too.

Anita’s epiphany that she wanted to become a lawyer came after their marriage. She was fired up about finally finding her passion to help the legally underserved population – something she felt would give her back some of the security she lost at the deaths of her parents – and was shocked at Nikhil’s lack of support. She still loved Nikhil but he hadn’t been there for her and seeing that they were deeply unhappy, she’d made the decision to leave and file for divorce. Only now at the wedding, she’s faced with the loving in-laws she lost as well as the man she realizes she still loves.

One thing is for sure – things aren’t going to be resolved without a lot of conversation. Just because feelings heat up quickly between them, both Nikhil and Anita know that the things that drove them apart haven’t been fixed. Yay for this. And since Anita had been warmly welcomed into the Joshi family, other people besides her and Nikhil were hurt. I was glad to see Tina standing up for her brother’s well-being and warning Anita that she wouldn’t let him be hurt by her again. Anita’s brother is also leery of this whole charade. Plus Anita and Nikhil have to keep up with who knows the truth, who knows the partial truth and who needs to be kept in the dark about any of the truth. It’s exhausting and never turned into a humorous farce.

Characters make mistakes based on past hurt feelings or incomplete information but thankfully nothing that was a Big Secret. The Past Woman pops out of the woodwork but as she was initially out of Nikhil’s life before he met Anita, Anita had never heard of her. Though what She did still influences some things Nikhil worries about which I found to be understandable.

As Nikhil and Anita spend more time together and talk, they begin to realize that they still love each other but that maybe they were too young and married too quickly. Things they thought the other understood turned out not to be so. No one was horrible to the other but just love and best intentions aren’t enough if there isn’t also clear communication – something both of them messed up. One of them did briefly try the “I’m not worthy” ploy but luckily Dada (I really liked the Joshi patriarch) cleverly steps in in a way that neither Nikhil nor Anita can refuse given how they were brought up.

I was delighted that Anita and Nikhil put some time and effort – despite most of the action taking place over the course of the five-day wedding – into figuring out where they went wrong, why things didn’t work then but could possibly work now and not rushing back into “let’s get remarried tomorrow!” When they were ready to recommit, I was ready for them to. I would like to have seen more of the extended Joshi family showing support for Nikhil’s career and his publishing issues were fixed rather quickly but this is one second chance story that worked for me. B

Anita Virani reluctantly agrees to pretend to still be married to her ex-husband Nikhil. It is his sister's wedding and the family does not want their grandfather to know that Anita and Nikhil are divorced. He had recent heart problems and they think the embarrassment of a divorce might be too much for his health. Culture also played a huge role as to what was going on. The wedding arrangements will take place over several days and all Anita and Nikhil need to do is to act as if they are still happily married.

Meanwhile, Anita is a law student and she will get something out of this arrangment. She strikes a deal with her former mother-in-law but is none too pleased for the role suddenly thrust upon her. Will Anita be able to spend day after day with Nikhil and deny the fact that she never stopped loving him? or he her?

Why did the two divorce in the first place and what will they do with the flame of desire flairs between them? Not only that but they have a strong emotional connection that gives them both pause.

I loved this story! The wedding customs were interesting to see played out as was the rekindling of romance between Anita and Nikhil. As this is the first book in the Once Upon a Wedding series, readers get to know the extended family, bringing in an emotional edge to a sweet romance and thus laying the groundwork for what promises to be an engaging series.

Many thanks to Harlequin Special Edition and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

The Five-Day Reunion follows Anita and Nikhil, a couple once madly in love but now divorced, as they pretend to still be married during the wedding celebrations for Nikhil's sister. Nikhil's mother never told anyone of their divorce, and now Anita and Nikhil are forced to interact closely. But even as they try to keep some distance between them, Anita and Nikhil realize they might still have feelings for each other.

This was a super quick, fun romance! It's both a second chance romance and fake dating/married, so it was all kinds of fun. The characters were super great too, especially Nikhil's family. There was the perfect amount of pining and longing. It was also dual POV which worked great to see Anita and Nikhil's thoughts.

The five-day reunion by Mona Shroff.
Once Upon a Wedding, Book 1.
Law student Anita Virani hasn’t seen her ex-husband since the ink dried on their divorce papers. Now she’s agreed to pretend she’s still married to Nikhil until his sister’s wedding celebrations are over! The closeness they share during the marriage act gives Anita new insight into the man she once loved so deeply. And reignites Nikhil’s feelings for her…
I did enjoy this book. Likeable story and characters. Read in 2 days. 4*.

Such a sweet, charming, meddling-Indian-family-with-crazy-expectations second chance love story! I had a wonderful few days completely immersed in Tina’s wedding events, all while Nikhil & Anita tried to reconcile their lost relationship and deeply hidden love. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, the setting, and most of all the pace of this novel - definitely looking forward to the next one (Amar’s story)!!

An adorably flawed romance. The Five-Day Reunion dares to make you smile while on the cusp of breaking your heart. Shroff opens emotions to a tale of love as crazy as it is endearing. Nikhil and Anita give love a refreshing look that speaks to the heart on every level.