It was quick cute the second chance romance. I enjoyed reading about the mother daughter relationship, long lasting love, friendship, grief and indians living abroad.
I just would wish that the story would be full of length.
Thank you Netgalley for ARC in exchange of my review.

3.5.

When I started this short story, I really didn’t like it. Honestly, I was probably a wee bit triggered by the familial toxicity while also feeling disconnected from the story. Odd…

But as it went on, I enjoyed it more. I think the love story would’ve been great as a full novel arcing the whole relationship. Their connection was obvious, the mother-daughter relationship showed depth.

Buuuuut— the anti-male OB thing was… juvenile. Downright, couldn’t get past it.

Overall, I’d recommend this short story and might pick up other books by this author!

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

Short and sweet. A story of a grieving family, a best friend who knows what’s best for her “bestie”, and former lovers reuniting.
Sonali Dev shows us Ayesha, who gave up everything that made her happy (Emmit, her education and her dreams) to work hard at her mother’s restaurant after her beloved brother’s sudden death years earlier. When events, and a best friend intervene, Ayesha gets a chance to reunite with the love of her life, Emmit. The awkwardness of their early romance is past, and now, like with Jane Austen’s “Persuasion”, Ayesha gets another chance at love.
The romantic connection between Ayesha and Emmit comes through clearly in Dev’s words, and so does the fierce love between Ayesha and Amma, two women who fight for what they believe in, and who love each other just as hard. The ending of this short tale is unsurprising, but satisfying.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Amazon Original Stories for this ARC in exchange for my review.

THE WEDDING SETUP is the first piece of Sonali Dev's that I've read, a lovely, bittersweet short story about second changes, grief and loss, family and love. I loved this story and wished it would go on for far longer - but it was short and sweet, hopeful and genuine. I fell for the characters, for their loss and their love, immediately and will certainly be looking for Dev's other work after this. Wonderful, heartfelt writing and characters that made a last impression.

Thank you to NetGalley for the free ARC I received in exchange for my honest review.

This is an author I've been wanting to read, but haven't read her other books yet. This was my first. It's a short story, less than 100 pages - so it's a quick read, but in no way lacking details or depth.

It's centered around a big wedding, Ayesha’s best friend is getting married. This in turn makes her mom, Amma, pester Ayesha to settle down. She's been too busy managing their restaurant, after the death of her brother. However, a blast from the past arrives at the wedding and sparks fly.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

I loved this short story! It was everything I love in romance- fast paced, funny, predictable, and has a HEA. For such a short story, Dev managed to pack in a lot of emotion and history. The characters were sweet, you got a great idea of the culture and relationships even though it wasn't super developed, and you rooted for Emmitt and Ayesha. There is a great exploration of grief, friendship, and discovering yourself within the few pages. I really enjoyed the story!

This was a cute short story about an Indian woman who has made pleasing her mom her life's work and what happens when her past collides with her present.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Style/Trope: "I never stopped loving you"/ cross-cultural relationship/grief

T/W: Death

Ayesha was once a wild child, but changed into a demure daughter after the death of her brother Ajay. Now she works at her mother's restaurant. But when her mother pushes her towards an arranged marriage and she sees her old love Emmitt at her best friend's wedding, can she go through with it?

Sonali Dev captures you in this short story that subverts expectations and tropes and made me smile and chuckle. She's once again proven herself to be a must-buy for me.

Why can't all romance story be this short, perfect and beautiful?!

I regret not reading any of the author's work before this one. But I am also glad I started with this perfect little story. The characters are so well developed, if I have to pinpoint the best part of the writing. The romance is just perfect. Not cringey, not clingy and not crappy.

The writing is really good. How the story started with the strained relationship with the mother because the daughter is not marrying when everyone else around her is marrying kept me hooked because it's a real issue here and everywhere else. So yes, quite realistic and to the point I say!

Well, I need a new whole book from the author now. I just cannot wait to read all the books ever written by Sonali Dev. I now know what all that hype is about!

Thank you, Amazon, for the advance reading copy.

(3.5 stars, rounded up)

Ayesha Shetty is a mess. She's given up everything she wants in life to make her mother happy after the death of her father and brother. She takes her brother's position at the family restaurant to keep it afloat, stops her studies towards an MFA, and agrees to her mother's matchmaking attempts.

When her brother Ajay was still alive, Ayesha was vibrant and in love with his best friend Emmitt. Ayesha gave up the love of her life to please her mother, who wants her to marry inside their community.

Ayesha runs into Emmitt at her best friend's wedding in the middle of a setup her mother has initiated between Ayesha and an OBGYN. When Ayesha sees this man compared with her dream guy, all the decisions she's been putting off for 7 years seem urgent. But how can she make everyone, including herself, happy?

Recommended for romance readers, especially those who love second chance romances.

Ayesha Shetty has spent the last seven years being the perfect Indian daughter but her old flame’s reappearance at her best friend’s wedding forces to face who she has become and what she really wants.

This is a beautiful and emotional story about grief and family, but also about finally choosing life and love. There’s a lot of feelings for such a short read, some of which resonated deeply. I would read a full novel about Ayesha but honestly this story was perfect as it was.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book via NetGalley, all opinions are my own

Thanks to Amazon Original Stories for providing an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 4.5 stars rounded up!

I'm honestly a little disappointed that I haven't picked up anything by Sonali Dev until this short story because I loved everything about this second-chance romance with hilarious and well-intentioned meddling best-friends, mothers and aunties. Dev's writing is humorous, heartfelt, and packed with emotion, and her characters were realistic and relatable. If this short story is a good indication of what her full-length novels are like then I've definitely been missing out and I absolutely cannot wait to read more of Dev's books asap!

The Wedding Setup is told from Ayesha's perspective and I loved her character and her journey to finding herself again in this story. After losing her brother in an accident seven years ago, grief and fear changed Ayesha from being an outspoken young woman to a docile and meek woman, who does everything to please her mother and to ensure the status quo goes undisturbed. I may not be Indian, but being Asian, but there were so many moments that I related to in this, particularly about the cultural expectations as a young woman to settle down and have kids by a certain age, the well-intentioned but nevertheless meddlesome family members, but especially the perceptions and challenges couples in intercultural relationships face and experience. Grief changes people in different ways and it was heartbreaking but also heartwarming to see how Ayesha finally accepts the loss without letting it hold her back, and how she sheds her "new" skin and finds her old self again with the help of Emmitt and Amma. This may be a short story but it packs a heckuva punch and I got all the emotions, angst, and swoontastic vibes from it that I'd expect in any full-length romance.

Ah, how I SWOONED at Emmitt's devotion to and love for Ayesha. The things that came out of that man's mouth had me feeling those heart-eyes for days! 😍 My heart soared at their coming together, broke for their history, and absolutely melted at this reunion. I'm not sure if Dev's full-length romances are closed-door but this short story was, and while I was a bit disappointed that we didn't get the steamy bits after the *delicious* build-up in tension (thanks, forced proximity), it obviously wasn't a dealbreaker—I just wanted MORE of this couple! Their chemistry was explosive even after seven years apart and it was fire! The only thing I wished for was Emmitt's perspective but that's definitely a me-thing and not the book-thing because I'm a fan of dual perspectives in romances.

Overall, this was a short story that didn't feel like a short story and those are my favourite kinds. Whether you're looking for a sweet second-chance romance with heart and depth or a quick "palette cleanser" read before moving on to your next, I would definitely recommend checking this out. I can't wait to dive into Sonali Dev's backlist now!

I would say that it was too short but it packed a punch. I do hope to see these characters again! I love that the relationships with her ex and her mother turned on their ear. It was refreshing to see how they changed in an unexpected way. I will read anything that Dev writes!

This is a delightful short story with a lot packed into it, all the complex emotions and relationships you’d expect from a Sonali Dev story. Here, Ayesha has put her entire life on hold for seven years after her beloved older brother’s death to help her mother run their restaurant. While we don’t know the ‘Old’ Ayesha, we still see the difference between her and the dutiful, quiet daughter she is now. Giving up her dreams and the man she loved, squashing her outgoing and fiery temper, you know ‘New’ Ayesha isn’t far from a breakdown. This could probably have been a full length novel and covered Emmett’s perspective as well as Ayesha’s, but I think there was major emotional impact in keeping it short.

Romance fans and definitely Sonali Dev fans will enjoy this delightful short story, full of love, and a roller coaster of emotions on every page

I received an Arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

This short story took me on a wild, emotional ride in just 57 breathless pages.

We meet headstrong Ayesha who has turned to daughterly duty in the aftermath of the tragic loss of her only sibling. But it becomes immediately evident that this decision has stripped her of her true passions, including the love of someone who perhaps knew her best.

When Ayesha finds herself being set up at a wedding with the kind of man that would make her mother proud, she is forced to contend with the identity she’s constructed and figure out what matters most: her mother’s happiness, or her own.

This story is bolstered by lots of scenes and social details that I immediately connected with as a person who grew up in Chicagoland and lived a Naperville childhood. As a Latina, even the unfamiliar elements of this story’s Indian American cultural foundation were fascinating and drew me in. I wanted to know more about these vibrant aunts and uncles, even though the author kept the story properly focused on the main cast.

If anything, my only complaint is that this story was so short and thus required a bit too much hasty exposition, but the payoff is the space left for a good deal of yearning and all the delightful details that make a great romance.

As an educator, I would recommend this title for young adult readers, as it offers a contemplation of identity and familial duty, ideas that are essential to contemplate as we approach adulthood.

This short story of second chances was a sweet read. I loved the details of South Asian culture and the fiery characters - which can be hard to develop in such a short story. This book will renew your faith in love.


Thanks to Netgalley and Amazon for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.

"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."

This is the sweetest novella. Sonali Dev is a natural at writing humorous conversation. I made endless notes and highlights on my Kindle while giggling through Ayesha's first conversation with Dr. Samrat.

This story is a heartwarming second.-chance romance novella. And for such a short story, there is so much to feel! You have Ayesha's relationship with her mother, Amma, and Amma's expectations for Ayesha and who she will marry. The sizzling connection from years prior between Ayesha and Emmitt, who was here brothers best friend.

Ayesha is struggling with feelings that her life is not her own. She wants her mother to be happy with Ayesha's life choices because they've already lost her father and brother. She doesn't want to disappoint her mother. But how long can Ayesha continue to deny what she really wants?

I just wish they had their own full novel with flashbacks to growing up together! I can't wait to read all of Sonali Dev's books.

The wedding setup by Sonali dev is a short but very enjoyable story about a girl putting her life on hold to accomodate her mother in every way after a tragedy affected their family, but thanks to a wedding she will understand the two things aren't necessarily opposites.
As I said, with some effort you can read this story in a couple of hours but even if very short it is nonetheless funny and enjoyable and the characters are well characterised. I liked the writing style very much, and now I'm looking forward to reading more from Sonali Dev.

Plot - Ayesha Shetty lost her brother 7 yes ago & her life changed drastically - dreams changed and lost her independence and love.
She along with her mother took charge of her family's restaurant. Now at her best friends big fat Indian wedding she hears a break from her mother and the restaurant only to be set up for an arranged marriage.
But at the wedding she meets her Ex Emmitt Hughes her brothers best friend!
Will Ayesha choose her family duties & responsibilities over love or can she finally see the need to get the old Ayesha back??

MY THOUGHTS
This short book was a perfect in between read...it had all the feels one gets from reading a proper rom com!
It has perfectly described intercultural relationship, lifestyle of Indians living abroad and a beautifully crafted mother daughter relationship!
Read this one if you enjoy - 2nd chance romance, bollywood reference and about overcoming grief!!
Thank you Netgalley and publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

If you love second chance romances, I highly recommend this book. Even though this was a short story it was such a delight to read. Also being South Asian I loved the theme of familial expectations.