Not often do I read romance novels that feel realistic to me and this is one of them. The characters, the emotions, the issues are all approached very maturely and I really like it. A perfect rom com. Definitely recommend.

Becky and Dev have a vacation fling in Mexico but when they arrive back home in Vancouver, Canada will they be able to navigate their differences and find a way to be together?

⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Despite the title, this book is a basic love story...and I'm perfectly okay with that. It is a solid rom-com read that also deals with issues of cross-cultural relationships, race and family expectations.

The Pros:
⭐️ Dev and Becky are very likeable characters and you will root for them to be together.
⭐️ Solid cast of supporting characters that will make you laugh.
⭐️ Opportunity to learn about Indo-Canadian families and Sikh culture.

The Cons
⭐️ The chemistry between Dev and Becky is meh.
⭐️ Parts of their story were just glossed over. The first 4 months got 2 sentences 🤔
⭐️ Lots of talk about alcohol and reliance on alcohol for social situations (I don't have any problem with alcohol, but the number of mentions seemed excessive)

All in all, I enjoyed this book and would recommend if you are looking for a vacation read.

Thanks to @netgalley and @risingactionpublishingco for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I'm not a big fan of the insta-love trope, but I did thoroughly enjoy this book.
The cultural differences between the main characters are what made the story interesting and I loved learning more about Sikh traditions and Dev's family dynamics.
The writing had a nice and easy flow that it was a pleasure to read, however I'm not sure about how I feel about the actual couple and their chemistry, it felt too rushed.

The story is unique, I went into it a little blind but was happily surprised. This story has a desi male lead Dev, a very hot Punjabi man. I found myself a bit jealous of Rebecca the main character, I mean the white girls really do be taken all the good desi boys from us. This story honestly had good representation and the author did a good job of incorporating challenges biracial couples challenge. Of course there is also spice !!

This was such a great way to spend a Saturday!

I learned so much about a culture I've had very little interaction with myself and the story was set in Canada, which was an overall win for my little Canadian soul. It took me a long time to find my rhythm with the writing and I think this story, in particular, would have benefitted from not being in first person.

I didn't fall in love with them falling in love as quickly as I wanted to for such a quick read and I think more time spent with them being friends would have been better as well as more time with them together.

Thank you NetGalley for providing the ARC for this review.
The main part of this book that I was intrigued by and enjoyed reading was the differences in cultures. I loved learning more about Dev's culture, especially the marriage ceremonies and processes. I was drawn into the story as Dev's family was introduced and those Sikh family dynamics were explained - it was so interesting and I'm so grateful I took the opportunity to read this book because I understand more about one of the many cultures in this world.
3.5 stars - I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the content, I just felt as though I wasn't as invested in the actual romance as I would hope to be seeing as it is a romance.

This book was just so preciously cute and sweet! Dev and Rebecca had this like cute but funny dynamic in the beginning of the book that you can't help but want more of. The story starts and their interaction is just so awkward but sort of adorable at the same time. While they go through a lot of ups and downs, it is a genuinely cute story that made my heart pitter patter.

Lindsay does a great job at touching on some pretty intense topics that were really important to the story and there was a lot of things that I felt were done really well to remedy some of the issues that both characters face throughout the novel.

While this was a book that made me laugh and smile, I definitely had the most fun reading it as a whole because this Canadian gal loves reading Canadian characters! Definitely one of my favourite 2022 reads!

A delightful, quick rom-com read that I devoured so quickly I was shocked when reached the end!
I thought this was an engaging read and I really did enjoy reading this book to see where these characters ended up.
This was a fun and interesting read. I loved Dev and Becky, with banter and string willed personalities.
A sweet, soft, and light story, with great characterization and writing that swept me away.
This was my first Maple novel but I have no doubt I’ll be reading more because this author can write. She’s incredibly witty, funny and can turn a phrase like no other.

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Rising Action,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review closer to pub date.

Not your basic love story is like Beautiful by Christina Lauren meets the Spanish love deception. Becky is flying to Mexico for her best friend’s wedding. On the plane she hits it off with a guy named Dev. . . until he throws up on her. I was really grossed out by that and I personally wouldn’t talk to a guy after he pukes on me, but Becky does. They’re perfect for each other but cultural differences create challenges for them. I love how they mention what it’s like in a minority religion living in a place that revolved around christian holidays. As a Jewish reader, I could talk about that for hours. I learned a lot about Sikh weddings!