Easy, Safe, Short Second Chance Romance. This was one of those second chance romances where you're really not putting too much on the line giving it a chance. It is short - though its page count is not known even a week before publication, it is an easy hour or two read. So likely in the 100 ish page range, *maybe* out to 150. It is a fairly easy read too with the infamous meddling of the Aunties during a semi-traditional Indian wedding with modern flare providing much comedy and the actual romance being of the second chance, standard Hallark Movie fare variety. If you're not deeply immersed in the Indian culture and fighting these particular battles of tradition vs modernism yourself (even though so many of us face those same battles within our own cultures, whatever they may be), this is a pretty safe read as well. Nothing overly challenging about the actual writing or the content. And a bonus for this reader, since the characters here weren't involved in politics, the author didn't bring her personal politics into the story here. Overall a solid introduction to this author and her *general* style, this is an easy one to take a chance on for new readers and a safe one for long time fans. Very much recommended.

The Wedding Setup is a Bollywood-esque short story about a girl suppressing her love and dreams to stand by her mom when her brother dies. But this life has taken out the spunk from her life and she's just someone going through the motions. Well, until her best friend's wedding when her mother wants her to meet with a prospective match. But is it the setup she thinks it is or is something else in the works with her ex-boyfriend suddenly attending the party too? Well, you've got to read that to find out, isn't it? It's a short read that you could pick on a boring day or in between office calls. :)

“How can you do better than someone who sees you exactly the way you want to be seen?”

This moving short story follows Ayesha and Emmitt through a second-chance love story. Their chemistry is undeniable from the start of the wedding weekend when they first see each other again. Despite the years apart and the grief of loss Ayesha still carries with her, they find their way back to each other and figure out how to find themselves again.

Check this one out if you are looking for:

🥂 Second chance romance
🥂 Short and sweet love story that packs an emotional punch
🥂 A fiery heroine who finds her spark
🥂 Sonali Dev’s beautiful way with words
🥂 a best friend living the Twilight dream: “How many girls named Bela met a man named Edward, slept with him to pay homage to their favorite book, and then found everlasting love?”

Thank you to Netgalley and Amazon for this ARC! I will post on my bookstagram on publication day.

This isn't your usual wedding hookup story. The Wedding Set Up Packs a punch in a second chance short story that's also a meditation on grief and how it can hold us back.

Seven years after the death of her brother, Ayesha has traded her old, brash, outspoken self for the good daughter she thinks her mother wants. She's picked up running the restaurant her brother started and done everything she can to keep her mother happy. And now, on the weekend of her best friend's wedding, her mom and auntie are setting her up with a prospective husband. Then someone from Ayesha's past shows up at the festivities.

The characters, especially Ayesha's mom, are unexpectedly rich for a short story and I would have loved to spend more time with them. Though grief plays a big role in this, Sonali Dev balances things out with funny moments and surprising character names (you'll see what I mean).

Overall, an enjoyable, quick read.

CW: Death of a brother/son in a car accident, survivor's guilt

So much feeling in a short story.
Grief can blind everyone and make everything numb.
I have liked this story very much as it shows how losing somebody can make us believe what we are supposed to do without asking anything or anyone and, in this case, putting everyone else before us.

Not a word is wasted in this new short story from author Sonali Dev. Ayesha’s best friend is getting married, and she is shocked to find her first love present among the guests - seven years after they parted. I loved reading Ayesha and Emmitt’s second chance love story.
By exploring the impact of grief, familial expectations, and following your heart, Dev weaves an powerful and beautiful tale of love, friendship and family in under 70 pages. This was my first introduction to the author’s work, and I look forward to reading more in the future.
Thank you to Netgalley, Amazon Original Stories, and Sonali Dev for the early copy of this short story. This review contains my own thoughts and opinions and is being left voluntarily.

Super great short if you’re a Sonali Dev fan! You knew exactly where this story is going and how it’s going to get there, but it was funny and heart string tugging and all the emotions at the end!

I would like to start off saying that I got this book as an ARC from Netgallery for my honest review and I’m grateful for the opportunity.

1. What was your favorite part of the book?
My favorite part of this book was when Amma and Ayesha had a heart to heart and made up.

2. What was your least favorite?
I would say is the lack of description. I felt like I was an outsider of this book looking in, I didn’t feel as connected
as I wanted to be.

3. Did you race to the end, or was it more of a slow burn?
It was more of a quick race to the end. This book takes place in a 24 hour period for the characters, though it mentions the past quite a bit.

4. Which scene has stuck with you the most?
I would say the same for the first question. When Ayesha and Amma had their heart to heart and revealed the reality of what Amma felt, it wasn’t all it seemed and Ayesha just assumed what Amma wanted.

5. What did you think of the writing? Are there any standout sentences?
I don’t know how to feel about the writing, it seemed a little off but I can’t figure out how exactly. It didn’t make it completely unbearable though.

6. Did you reread any passages?
If so, which ones? I reread, “Starting a book with a scene like that was the laziest way to describe a character, Professor Bahri had said. And yet, every story had to have a scene where the character questioned their identity, a metaphorical mirror scene.” Pg. 27

7. Would you want to read another book by this author?
I don’t think I will.

8. Did reading the book impact your mood? If yes, how so? No, it didn’t.

9. What surprised you most about the book?
Amma support for Ayesha. I can’t say I seen that coming

10. How did your opinion of the book change as you read it?
I would say that I wasn’t sure if I could push through the book, despite its shortness, but the end was definitely worth it.

11. If you could ask the author anything, what would it be?
I don’t think I’d ask anything.

12. How does the book's title work in relation to the book's contents? If you could give the book a new title, what would it be?
The title, “The Wedding Setup” pretty much sums up the whole book. I wouldn’t change it

13. Is this book overrated or underrated?
I would say neither, though I read the ARC. I haven’t heard of it before seeing it.

14. Did this book remind you of any other books?
In general, like any typical romance book, but that doesn’t make it a bad read. It’s nice to have predicability here and there.

15. How did it impact you? Do you think you'll remember it in a few months or years?
It really don’t impact me

16. Would you ever consider re-reading it? Why or why not?
No, I’m not much of a rereader, but I didn’t find myself connecting with this book much so even if I did reread a book, this one wouldn’t be my go to.

17. Who do you most want to read this book?
I can’t think of anyone

18. Are there lingering questions from the book you're still thinking about?
No

19. Did the book strike you as original?
Yes and no? Romance wise, it’s pretty typical. I’m not usually one who dives into short stories, let alone ones outside of my own culture. I did like reading about the things mentioned though, I’m just not sure if it would be considered original compared to other books similar.

Sonali Dev has become one of my go-to authors in recent years for many reasons, but mainly because she captures her characters so well. Although The Wedding Setup is short, I fell for the second chance romance between Ayesha and Emmitt. I can't wait to read more from Sonali Dev!

This was such a charming short story! Second chance romance with a lot of heart. I enjoyed getting to know Ayesha & Emmit and the other characters in the story. I wish there was a little more info about their previous relationship, but understand only so much can be included in a short story. I definitely recommend for a quick, cozy read!

After the death of her beloved brother, Ayesha devotes herself to helping her mother at their family restaurant, giving up her life dreams, and the love of her life in the process. But everything comes to a head at her best friends wedding, where her mother tries to set her up with a doctor., and her ex-boyfriend suddenly reappears unearthing buried emotions. Will Ayesha continue to live the life she thinks her mother wants for her, or will she finally put her foot down and go after what she wants?

For a short story it was able to capture a lot. The history of Ayesha's relationship with her ex, Emmitt. How the death of her brother Ajay, 7 years ago, changed the course of her life, and impacted the relationship she had with her mother. How it changed the course of her life, and altered her personally. There was a lot of history to explore for a short story, but it never felt rushed or overwhelming. I thought the descriptions of the wedding, the garments, the food, the characters, were all strong, and really brought the story to life.

If you love the whole complicated romance , the "will they or wont they?", the "one that got away" plot-line then you will enjoy this story. The love story was as mushy and cheesy as would be expected in a romance novel, almost to the point of "major eye-roll" (hence my rating lol). But like I said, if you love that stuff, if you love weddings, and Bollywood style drama, then you will enjoy this short read.

Thank you Amazon Original Stories and #netgalley for an advanced e-copy of this short story.

This short story was Ok. Had a hint of a sad background which was relatable. It was a cute little love story otherwise. Kind of predictable.

In this short story, Ayesha grapples with the grief of her brother who died in a car crash seven years ago. Her mom tries to set her up with a match with an OB GYN at her best friend's wedding, but will she find love with him?

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: romance, short story
Location: Naperville, Illinois
Pub Date: January 11, 2022 (kindle book on amazon)

This was a great short story - it new just how to add the right amount of context to engage you in the romance that happens. Ayesha's fears and anxieties felt relatable and the romance was both sweet and full of emotion. It was a lovely quick read that I enjoyed!

Read this if you like:
⭕️ short stories
⭕️ stories that center family
⭕️ stories that happen at weddings

Thanks to Amazon Original Stories and #netgalley for an advanced e-copy of this book!

This is going to be an Amazon Original story. I have read several of the author's other books, and was pleased to have the opportunity to read and review this.

This is a story of grief and second chances. It takes place over 24 hours at the main characters' best friend's wedding. A fn ex-boyfriend attends and it sparks a lot. It makes the main character question her last several years as well as her future. There is also a nice mother-daughter storyline.

It was a short story well worth reading.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

What a fun short story!! Sonali does an incredible job of introducing characters and making us cheer for them within pages. The dialogue she writes between characters is so natural, it makes you feel as though you are watching an in person conversation. I loved the premise of this story - the family dynamics and love for one another warmed my heart.

All in all, it was a heartwarming and character-driven second chance. Sonali Dev's style of writing is so easy to read and she just makes you care about characters. I can't wait to read her next book!

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, the font was too small to read the pdf on my e-reader. I could therefore not read it.
Unfortunately, the font was too small to read the pdf on my e-reader. I could therefore not read it.
Unfortunately, the font was too small to read the pdf on my e-reader. I could therefore not read it.

Sonali Dev’s The Wedding Setup is a beautifully written short story that centers around Ayesha and her mother and their lives after the sudden death of Ayesha’s brother. Ayesha is striving to be what she feels the ideal daughter should be despite this going against her fierce personality. Her mother realizing this tries to nudge her daughter back to her former self. What follows is a sweet, heartwarming story.

I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review,

'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.'

As short stories go, this was well-paced, and engagingly written. The relationship between Ayesha and her mother Nandini felt real, and well fleshed-out. The spark between Ayesha and Emmitt was there, but it didn't feel particularly developed.

Whilst I appreciated the cultural mix of being a desi family in the USA, the ending felt a little predictable. None of that is to say that the book was not enjoyable.

Far from it, I enjoyed every minute of reading it. Bela and Ayesha's friendship is a shining point in the book, and for a short story, feels remarkably well-developed.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys short stories, or who likes an element of romance in their novels. A fun, easy read.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4435240175?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

This story was very fast paced, as expected for the format, but it also packed a lot of character development and it was rich in its descriptions of family dynamics and integrated a full background that made the story fast, but not rushed. Excellent writing that makes me want to find put what Somali Dev can do with a full length book.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.