The Wedding Setup is a short story, yet it leads me on an unforgettable journey.

When her brother died, Ayesha Shetty became the daughter her mother had always desired, but it cost her aspirations, her true love, and herself, who had never feared doing what she wanted. A setup by her mother at her best friend's wedding is not enough. There is more trouble waiting for her: Emmitt, who reads her like an open book and alive the emotions she's forgotten to feel in the last seven years.

I am so heart-touched by this story's rawness, emotional baggage, grief, and relationship dynamics. What I loved most about this book was the fight Ayesha put up not only for her love but also for herself.

Ayesha is a character that I adore dearly, but I wish I could get a glimpse of her old self as well. Emmitt drew my attention the instant he entered Ayesha's life, and he was not what I imagined him to be, but his charm did the trick, and I fell in love with his character.

This book has a heartwarming romance, but this story has much more than that. This story depicts the aftereffects of loss, daughter and mother's relationship, heartbreak, and best friend's bonds. I cried, laughed, and felt with this story. That speaks a lot because I've never felt so strongly linked to a short storyline as I did with this one. The best aspect is that nothing in the book is incomprehensible to a non-Indian.

Sonali Dev's writing style is immaculate and astounding. There isn't anything I'd alter about this book. I liked how the storyline progressed. It is my first book by Sonali Dev, but it isn't going to last.

This was an absolutely lovely short story! Considering how short it was I’m amazed the author was able to make me fall in love with the characters as much as I did! I enjoyed the plot, the atmosphere and literally every part of this story. The dynamics of the friends/family group were fantastic and my only complaint is that I wish it was just a bit longer so that I could spend more time with these characters.

Childhood friends to lovers + second chance at love + brother's best friend = sign me up!

I love Sonali Dev's writing and would happily read an entire novel about Ayesha and Emmitt. In a 70-page story, Dev was able to pack in so much emotion, conflict, and growth, not just within the romance, but with Ayesha's family and friends as well. Add a touch of sexual tension and steam between our two leads, and this short story was just about perfect.

Overall I would highly recommend picking this up, especially if you're new to Dev's writing or if you need something to hold you over until The Emma Project comes out later this year!

Thank you to Amazon Original Stories via Netgalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I loved the relationship between all the characters. Dev really makes the connection between them relevant the entire time which also kept me so invested. I’m a sucker for a good love story and this is just that. I definitely could’ve kept reading if it were longer!

This short and sweet romance story takes you on an emotional and heartwarming journey with Ayesha Shetty to examine her relationships with her family, especially her mother, and long-lost best friend and lover, Emmit Hughes. This was my first read by Sonali Dev, and I was quite impressed by her ability to convey a wide range of emotions of love and laughter. I cannot wait to read more of Dev's work!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for providing this copy of The Wedding Setup! I have never felt so many emotions in a single hour. This had me crying within the first ten minutes. I loved seeing Ayesha come back to life over the course of this book. Thank you Sonali Dev for a beautiful story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for the e-ARC to read and review. I thought this short story/novella had an incredible story arc, especially considering its short length and the plot goals it set out to accomplish. That being said, it's not my favorite work from Sonali Dev - I think it has to do with the dialogue style. Something wonderful about Dev's writing is that her words make the story leap off the page, and so much of The Wedding Setup is actually told through characters' dialogue. To move a plot along this quickly and to tell back stories and get readers up to speed while finding poetic meanings for the reader to glean, all through primarily character-to-character dialogue is a challenge, and here I think something gets lost. So many back-and-forth exchanges felt like they wouldn't have been said aloud, but rather learned through introspection. This aspect took me out of the quick exchanges very often throughout the story.

What a fun, heart-warming read! I can’t believe I didn’t know about Sonali. Dev's books before reading this short story - I’m looking forward to reading her other novels now!

For such a short read, the story sure packs a punch. The plot is a well-known one: meddling mother tries to set up daughter with eligible bachelor at daughter's best friend's wedding. The daughter and main character, Ayesha, is vividly drawn, relatable, and loveable. So is the cast of characters gravitating around her. I especially loved her mother, Amma; her best friend Bela; and of course her love interest, Emmit. Despite some rather heavy themes about the loss of loved ones, grief, and putting one’s life on hold to please one’s family, there were also many lighter moments, little details that made me laugh out loud. I loved the family and friends Sonali Dev wrote; the weight of tradition in immigrant families, the desire of second-generation kids to rebel or at least distance themselves from those traditions, the conflicts and understandings that arise in families due to those opposing aspirations. Dev’s writing flows just right, it paints such clear visuals and manages to make every nuance of her story credible and lifelike. The half-happy, half-open ended conclusion was lovely, funny, and perfect.

All in all, a great short story that I would recommend to anyone looking to read something of Ms Dev’s, or just lift your spirits with a quick read that manages to be both deep and fun.

Many thanks to Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

'How can you do better than someone who sees you exactly the way you want to be seen?"
This book was such a cute and short read. I really enjoyed the book and the meaning behind it. It took a slight turn at the end, her mother’s approval and scheming, that I wasn’t expecting but it wrapped up the book nicely for me.

A really solid story. If you're into weddings, especially Indian weddings, this story is for you. The main character is conflicted but lovable, and the love interests are unique! The book mimics the lives of many twenty-somethings circling around in the world of dating, especially those who bring with them some baggage. The main character is endearing, as is her mother. The family has undergone loss and is trying to thrive despite that loss. The wedding brings their issues to a head, but readers will be surprisingly happy with the outcomes.

4 lovely romantic stars

This is truly short and sweet.

For the past seven years, Ayesha Shetty has done everything to please her mother. Following the death of her beloved brother, Ayesha has decided to say goodbye to her former wild self and to abandon her rebellious dreams and even the love of her life.

After years of running the family business and trying to make her mother happy, she reluctantly agrees to meet a potential suitor, aka Dr. lady parts (lol), on her best friend's wedding.
Little did she know that she will meet Emmitt Hughes, her brother's best friend and the love of her life.
Soon enough, Ayesha starts to realize that her true self is still alive hidden somewhere deep within her.
Now, she has to choose between breaking her mother's heart and letting go of the love of her life.

OMG, This book was so full of emotions, love, and laughter. It was marvelous to see how the author managed to pack so many emotions into this tiny story.

Thanks to Netgalley and Amazon Original Stories for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cute short story/novella by one of my favorite authors, Sonali Dev. Fans of her books will enjoy this quick read as well!

I really enjoy this read! The story follows Ayesha Shetty and, as the title implies, is being setup with someone at her best friend’s wedding. BUT the big question is, who is she really being setup with? Although this is a fast read we get rich character history & detailed plot. This short story leaves me wanting a full length novel, which is exactly what I love! Highly recommend.

The Wedding Setup by Sonali Dev is an entertaining short story/novella this is a pleasant way to spend some time. This second chance love story shows Ayesha and Emmit getting a second chance at their relationship and even more importantly Ayesha getting a second chance to be her authentic self. I enjoyed spending time with Ayesha and her friends and family and of course Emmit. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of The Wedding Setup in exchange for an honest review.

The Wedding Setup by Sonali Dev is a short story that squeezed in a lot of large topics into a small page count and handled them all with such care. This story was lighthearted, but also dealt with heavy topics such as grief and complicated family dynamics in a realistic way. I really enjoyed this second chance romance story and Sonali Dev’s writing style, as well as the storyline itself. The main characters were extremely likable and so were the side characters. The wedding setting made this story shine as well. My favorite part of the story was the tension - it was extremely palpable and very well done. I didn’t feel like the story was incomplete or rushed in any way, and truly enjoyed the format of this.

Thank you to NetGalley for the Advanced Review Copy of this Amazon Original Stories publication. My review has been written voluntarily and honestly.

A beautiful and moving story of grief and recovery, and loving people for who they are.

Like all of Sonali Dev's writing, the world is so real and vivid; coming off other authors' books into a Dev story is like the first color scene in the Wizard of Oz.

The main characters are indeed grieving, and that plays a significant role in their relationships, so take care of yourself if the content is one that touches you personally. However, the arc is loving and ultimately uplifting. Just a wonderful story.

CWs:
MC's brother died in a car crash seven years before story opens; father died of health issue several years before that.

A complicated mother-daughter relationship and a second-chance romance.

Ayesha Shetty used to be a different person. She was fierce, in love and with dreams for the future. However, everything changed after her older brother's death seven years ago. Ayesha became a dutiful daughter, forced the love of her life to leave her, and abandoned her writing lessons in order to run the family business. Now, her best friend is marrying, but during that big Indian wedding her mother has organized a setup with a doctor. In order to please her, Ayesha is ready to give this man a chance. Of course, Emmitt, her brother's best friend and the man she loves, is also invited to the wedding.
I hadn't read from the author before, and from this short story I liked the writing, and the humor worked well for me. The romance was good and the interactions between Ayesha and Emmitt had the right chemistry. In spite of that, I found the whole story totally forgettable and too melodramatic for my taste. Also, while I did like the mother-daughter relationship, I think that the miscommunication part could have been done in a better way.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC for an honest review.

I just couldn't feel it. This was a matter of "it's not the book it's me" situation Would still recommend it though especially for those who are looking for short and light-hearted reads. Maybe this book would resonate more to other people.

All thanks to Netgalley for the free eARC copy.

I really loved this second chance romance novella. Even though this story is short, we get such a rich history and so much personality from all the characters. I loved how we get to see Ayesha grapple with her past, how she’s let it dictate her life, and how she plans to change things up. I would highly recommend this if you’re looking for a quick read that’s full of heart.

Ayesha’s best friend is getting married and Ayesha’s mother is determined to set her up with a doctor that will be attending the wedding. Ayesha is not that excited about being setup by her mother. She’s considering a traditional arranged marriage to just please her mother. Ayesha and her mother were legendary adversaries before the tragic accident that claimed her brother’s life a few years earlier. Since then Ayesha has suppressed her true self to the point of oblivion. Well, the setup doesn’t go quite as planned and there may be a little more to it than Ayesha knows….

This is a cute, fun short story that has some deeper layers. I enjoyed it!

Thanks to @netgalley and @amazonpublishing for an advanced copy! It will be released 1/11/22.