Chef, pastry chef, sister's best friend, it's all good and sweet. part two of a series which I started because of this one book

Like I've said before, some of these books can be hit or miss for me. I usually try and go into them not expecting too much since they are very quick reads and the story is not usually as developed as I liked them to be.

This book had a lot things I really enjoy, like how food can connect two characters. I really loved the romance aspects of this book.

Thank you so much netgalley for the arc of this book.

Matched by Masala is a fun romance book. I loved reading about Amar and Divya. It’s a fun book. The characters are swoon-worthy.

What a special read this turned out to be,
One with romance and tragedy,
Alongside lots of tasty dishes
And fantastic dreams and wishes.

Since teens they've crushed on each other
But he's her best friend's brother
And she's his sister's best friend
So if things went wrong where would it end?

Add in health issues and tragedy, too,
Neither wants to risk their friendships, would you?
However, fate has another surprise
That may help their romance be realised.

A heartwarming read with some difficult issues
So whilst reading it you may need some tissues.
An enjoyable story where everyone else knows
But the couple themselves resist their love that grows.

There are plenty of twist to keep you page turning
And a delightful epilogue to feed your yearning!
For my complementary copy, I say thank you,
As I share with you this, my honest review.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and I am voluntarily reviewing it.

While this is a part of a series, you don't have to read the prior one to fully understand and enjoy this one.

I loved the fact that this was written in my favorite dual POV format. Getting that glimpse into a character's thoughts really help me to better understand and connect to the character. I loved learning a lot about the Indian food and a few of the cultural aspects here.

The best friend's older brother troupe was a little more complex with the addition of an illness. I will not lie when I say that there were a few scenes that brought a tear to my eyes.

There were some kissing and anything else was behind a fade to black. If you like to learn while reading a wonderful romance story, this one could be for you.

A terrific friends-to-lovers story complicated by being best-friend's-brother/sister's-best-friend, too. Divya and Amar have been friends since they were kids and had crushes on each other in high school but never said anything because of Anita. Now they are all grown up but still holding out on each other.

Divya is a talented pastry chef. She also tends to be impulsive and adventurous. She survived a bout of cancer in high school and now lives each day like it could be her last, worried that cancer could return. She's never met a challenge that she's turned away from.

Amar is also a talented chef. He was fired from his last job because he took a chance on improving the head chef's dish. He now runs his catering business out of the kitchen of his family home. That kitchen is falling apart, but he won't renovate it for fear of losing the memories he associates with it, including some guilt and regret. Amar is organized and methodical in his work and his life.

I enjoyed watching the relationship develop between Divya and Amar. When Divya buys an old school bus and turns it into a food truck, she invites Amar to join her in forming a catering business. There are conflicts as Divya's "anything goes" approach clashes with Amar's more conventional methods. I loved the cooking scenes as they learned the art of compromise and cooperation. I loved how they poked at each other, but never in a mean way. They quickly become an in-demand duo, and their teamwork is impressive. I loved how they were there for each other during crises and how they encouraged each other to follow their dreams.

When Amar's sister, Anita, forces the issue of the kitchen renovation, Divya invites Amar to stay with her across the street and share her kitchen. Now that they are working and living together, the constant proximity makes it impossible to ignore the sparks between them. Complicating matters is the drink-induced kiss they shared several months earlier that neither can forget. Besides the whole sister thing, Amar hesitates to get involved with Divya because of baggage from his past trauma. Just as she seems to break through his walls, trouble from her past rears its ugly head. The emotional ending had me in tears, while the epilogue made it all worth it.

Besides the romance of the story, I loved the culinary theme. I'm not familiar with Indian food and found myself googling almost everything. My mouth watered throughout the book, and I look forward to trying some of these dishes in the future. I also enjoyed the family theme. Besides the characters' closeness to their immediate families, I enjoyed the intertwined connections with those whom Amar and Divya cooked for. I also liked seeing Anita and Nikhil from <i>The Five-Day Reunion</I> again.

Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin for access to this arc.

After the MCs of this book were introduced in “The Five Day Reunion,” of course I wanted to see what would happen with them. Oh, and read some more about the fabulous Indian cuisine they can both produce. Yum. I’m so glad I couldn’t eat it via reading or I’d have put on 10 pounds at least.

Reading this book is full-on yummy Gujarati Indian food. The two main characters are passionate chefs who love to not only deliver traditional food but also play with and create new variations. For both of them, cooking was a family thing: Amar’s parents taught him at home and cooking was a wonderful bonding activity. For Divya, creating sweets with her mother took her mind off her cancer treatments. Her best friend Anita also helped by treating Divya as a normal teenager rather than as “the sick kid.”

To pay back and help children currently undergoing treatments where she did, Divya puts aside her (almost PTSD) gut reaction to the cancer ward and makes weekly visits to engage the patients with fun activities. Amar is forced to deal with reminders of the loss of his parents when Anita has the kitchen in which he learned to cook renovated. I thought the scenes of them both processing the emotions that come with these activities, as well as helping each other through them, was well done.

I enjoyed seeing the closeness between the Shahs and the Viranis as well as how nicely Anita’s husband, Nikhil Joshi, is fitting into the family. There is history there too (covered in the first book) and both Amar and Divya are withholding final approval of Nikhil because of that. This seemed totally reasonable, given how close Amar and his sister are after the death of their parents and that Divya and Anita are besties. Nikhil comes through with flying colors and even impresses his brother-in-law with some mad cooking skills then helps with something that will doubtless become a family heirloom. I loved the relationship that the Shah parents, Veer Uncle and Kalpana Auntie, have not only with their beloved daughter but with Amar and Anita whom they view almost as their own.

Divya’s approach to running her business was a bit haphazard for me as well as Amar who is Mr. Planning Ahead whereas Divya is Ms. We’ll Make It Work. Though it riled her, and Amar, the recap of how this came back to bite her was something that a businesswoman growing a new endeavour needed to have. But she learned from that. Amar also gained a new perspective on his past issues which was well integrated into the plot. What I felt was almost too much was one last crisis involving Divya. It isn’t totally out of the blue but it felt like an unnecessary pile-on.

I’m not that much of a fan of epilogues but having one here was a good choice. Plus yay, the possible third book that I sensed for the series is gonna happen. And it will have more food! I’d better start watching what I eat right now to be ready for the temptation. B

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Harlequin REALLY needs to stop with including sensitive issues in their books, especially if they aren’t going to bother including content warnings. I like Mona Shroff, the first in this series was good. But the betrayal of going into a book promising a fun, if tension-filled best friend’s sibling dynamic, then get the bombshell that the heroine is a cancer survivor who is dealing with another health scare?! When I said I wanted high stakes for my romance couples, I didn’t mean literal illness!

Goodreads review:

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

5⭐️

I read this in one morning. I loved it so so much! Amar and Divya had such amazing banter and they buttheads all the time, and I loved how Shroff uses this to build their relationship before and after they officially get together.

This is such a fun and quick read with so much food and love. I loved Amar and Divya so much, and loved their families too. I loved their presence all throughout.

Amar was obsessed with Divya and I LOVED it! His feelings are clear from the very beginning, and it was just so hot. Amar and I have something in common though, we’re both obsessed with Divya. She’s incredibly strong and smart and just so lovable. She and Amar are opposites and they work so well together.

Now, I need to get my hands on Anita and Nikhil’s book. Because I just know I’m gonna love them as well.

~~

Additional review posted on instagram at @prarthanaslibrary

Friends to lovers are one of my favourite tropes in literature and this book didn't disappoint.

Matched by Masala is a lovely story that pushes together friends Divya and Amar who both love making food and have big aspirations of making it in the culinary world. Since high school, Amar has had feelings for Divya but never acted on them since she was his sister's best friend.

When a series of events push them into working together on this food truck, they realize that they make a great team and sparks begin to fly.

If you love food, friendship, and culture with a sprinkle of romance then this book is for you. I loved the food descriptions they were so vivid that my mouth is still watering.

This is a heartwarming friends-to-lovers, opposites attract romance. Amar has been in love with Divya forever, but her laidback style drives him crazy once they start working together. These two have to learn to trust and compromise in order to make their professional and personal relationships work.

CW: The heroine has a history of cancer.

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

I love everything Shroff writes and her latest series is bringing in some of my favorite tropes!

I loved the forced proximity in book one and this book brings even more. I absolutely loved the scenes of Amar and Divya sharing space in the kitchen...and other places!

I also just love all the food and spent most of the book wishing my favorite restaurant with all these yummy foods was a little closer to my house!

But what I really loved were the characters. I loved seeing Anita and Nikhil again and I loved getting to know Amar and Divya. I love how they got on each other's last nerves. I loved how opposite they were. But I also loved how they were there for each other in various ways when it counted. I also loved how they pushed each other.

This isn't the best review, but it is the best book.

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley and the author. This is my honest review.

Divya has gone through a lot. As a teen, she survived cancer and now she wants to live each day like it's her last, cause she never knows if it will come back. She is impulsive and goes after what she wants. A complete opposite of Amar.

Amar is stuck. Living in the family home, he works as a caterer in the kitchen that is crumbling around him, but he can't stand to fix it. He's afraid that the memories of his family will vanish with the reno, not to mention how much guilt and regret he carries with him. Until his sister forces him to move on.

Divya has bought an old school bus. She is a pastry chef and plans to use it for jobs. They decide to work together. But after the kiss they shared last year, the air between the is full of tension and sparks. But falling in love seems too risky.

It's such a romantic story, with lots of will they- won't they and so much food. :) They are both from Indian families and there is so much culture, family dynamics and so much food. I was drooling as I googled what were they making.

I love it and highly recommend it!

received from Netgalley, all thoughts and opinions are my own

Amar has been in love with Divya since they were teens, unfortunately Divya is his sister's best friend and he is struggling to forgive himself for a tragic accident years ago. The fact that they shared a drunken kiss last year complicates things. When they end up having to work together, she is a pastry chef and he is an expert culinary chef, they are forced to deal with the feelings they have for each other.
I really enjoyed Mona Shroff's Five Day Reunion, which focused on Amar's sister, Anita. This was a cute love story that dealt with a few serious issues. I loved reading Amar and Divya's story and I'm looking forward to the next book in the Once Upon A Wedding series!

Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!