This book was absolutely not what I was expecting, but not so sure it's in a good way? It definitely was a unique take, but I didn't really feel the romance between the leads. Everything in this story just felt too convenient and then bordered on downright absurd toward the end. A departure from Rai's previous works, but didn't quite work for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Mix a thriller with a romcom and you'll get Partners in Crime! I love the writing, but I'm not sure I wanted the thriller mixed in - I needed more heat and romance up front, less thriller. I love thrillers, I love romcoms... clearly, I've learned I don't love them together.

Partners in Crime

3.5⭐️

Looking for a romcom that has a little more action? This one might be the book for you!

Naveen and Mira dated years ago but haven’t seen each other since until the day they’re kidnapped. They work their way around Vegas to try to stop the mastermind behind their real life escape room.

I enjoyed this quick read, while parts were a little cheesy, it was a nice unique blend of romcom and thriller.

Okay so this book is fun! This is not a typical romance story (and honestly the romance itself didn’t hit like that— the chemistry wasn’t developed very well). I think this is due to the rest of the plot being a crazy, fun ride.

I did enjoy the characters and their arcs. Mira and Naveen are great and I wanted to root for their love more than I was capable of.

I started out with the ebook but switched to the audiobook and that really helped further portray things in my head. I particularly liked the narrator for Naveen

This is a romantic Adventure so come through more for the adventure that had me audibly gasping.

Thank you to Avon for the eARC

Entertaining as an action comedy, but it's not really a romance. Similar vibes to Date Night with Tina Fey and Steve Carrell.

Main characters Mira and Naveen have romantic history (having dated for six months after being set up by a matchmaker). They meet again when Naveen is the lawyer handling Mira's auntie's will. They get kidnapped and end up on the run in and around Vegas when the baddies come looking for something Mira's con-man father squirreled away somewhere before his death.

Although there's one steamy scene around the 75% mark, Partners in Crime is better suited to fans of Dial A for Aunties (though this is less over-the-top) than lovers of Rai's previous books.

CW: Past issues with alcohol, character went to rehab and is now sober; cryptocurrency and blockchain

4.5 stars! Second chance, enemies to lovers, running for our lives!
Mira and Naveen have a past, Naveen thought that Mira was the one, but when she callously ended it his life spiraled out of control. Mira has been going through the motions of dating, one bad date after another. When her aunt passes away and the things in her will are to be given to Mira, Naveen and her paths cross once more. Naveen was her aunts laywer, but had no clue that he would ever see Mira again.
The two of them are thrown together on a high speed race for their lives, there was never a dull moment. The tension simmering between these two was so palpable you could feel it jump off the pages. Things aren't done between them, but they need to figure out how to save their families before they start to even think about a future together. Mira's past is messy, she knows that once a potential suitor sees all her pieces, they will go running, right? So why is Naveen high tailing it away from her, espeically now?
I absolutely loved Mira and Naveen and the draw between the two of them the only one thing I would change would be that there were so many characters and so many things going on simultaniously that it was hard to keep track of what was happening, who was good, was bad, etc. It just got jumbled there at the end, but this story kept me engaged and I read it straight through. I didn't want to put it down, I needed to get to their HEA ASAP.
Thank you to Avon, Alisha Rai and Netgalley for an early copy.

4.5 stars

I had such a good time with this book!

Mira and Naveen are ex's. Its a whole girl meets boy through matchmaker, girl gets afraid that boy is going to find out about her seedy family, girl unceremoniously dumps boy kinda story. They thought they would never see each other again, until Mira walks back into his life (and place of work) to settle her aunt’s affairs. If getting back together with an ex is a bad idea, getting kidnapped with one is even worse. Suddenly, Naveen and Mira find themselves in a mad dash through Las Vegas to escape jewel thieves, evade crime bosses, and follow the clues to untangle the mess her family left behind. And maybe fall in love with each other while they're at it.

This book is a perfect mix of mystery/thriller elements and romance. The shifts between pining, to danger, to romance, to shock felt seamless and like you were watching the events unfold right in front of your eyes. It felt very cinematic and I would love to see it on the big screen one day. I'm not usually a fan of second-chance romance but this book had me rooting for Mira and Naveen. I love that this book explores themes such as addiction and abandonment with the two mc's. It makes them more relatable and I really liked the growth both of them showed.

Even though the middle of the book was a little slow for me, I gotta say that the last 20% was
outstanding. I actually gasped out loud TWICE. I love it when a book surprises me.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reading copy! This was a fun, thoughtful, and steamy adventure romance by veteran writer Alisha Rai. Mira is an accountant who dumped a lawyer Naveen years ago, but reconnects with him when her aunt dies and he is reading the will. At this meeting, Mira’s sordid family past catches up with her, thrusting her and Naveen into a crime packed adventure in Las Vegas. Can they make it through this caper while also remembering why they fell in love years ago? I have been on a streak of reading a lot of contemporary second chance books, and I really don’t like this trope - but yet I keep trying. Saying that, I thought this book was fun and I liked the exciting ending. I think Rai is a good writer and I haven’t read an adventure romance like this in a while, and it was overall fun. One of my favorite things about this book was the sweet body positivity, with them both being so attracted to each other - I love that in a romance. I also enjoyed that Naveen was a recovering alcoholic - my husband also doesn’t drink, so I liked seeing this plot line. Sometimes the chemistry between Mira and Naveen felt a little off and the book pacing was weirdly slow for this kind of romp, but I think this is mostly to do with the challenge of balancing adventure, familial drama, and romance. Overall I enjoyed this book, and I do recommend this book to fans of contemporary adventure romance, second chance love, and Alisha Rai.

Partners in Crime is the Alisha Rai book I’ve always wanted. I had such a good time with this.

Exes Mira and Naveen get kidnapped together and work together to get themselves out of the trouble Mira’s late father got them into. This is a fun ride, and I recommend not thinking to hard about time. If the last couple of years have taught us anything, time is fake. Also fake – Mira’s name and utterly boring accountant persona. Even more fake – the reasons she gave for breaking up with Naveen.

Mira Chaudhary starts the book off by being dumped by her boyfriend over lunch and then having to pay for said lunch. While she anticipates being dumped by the matchmaker too (she’s ruining Hema Auntie’s 100% match rate), she gets a call from a lawyer’s office about her aunt’s will. At the lawyer’s office she is surprised to find Naveen Desai was her aunt’s attorney – the last time she saw him he worked for a high powered firm in San Francisco. The last time she saw Naveen he was asleep in his bed and she texted him a breakup note. Naveen is very unhappy to find out the woman he knew as Amira Patel lied to him about her name and her family.

Over the course of a couple of days, Mira and Naveen get a crash course in each other. To survive and keep their loved ones safe, they work as a team. For both of them, they are forced to question what they are really looking for in life. Mira has been searching for a stable, respectable marriage, but when she was on the path to that with Naveen she panicked and bolted. Naveen has been rebuilding after trying to conform to family expectations exploded his life. Family is at the center of their adventure in bad ways and good.

The situation that Mira and Naveen have to work their way out of keeps the plot moving at a brisk clip. The heart of the book is the two of them getting to know each other without artifice. I thought Rai did a nice job of balancing the romance and the action. I loved the two epilogues that solidify the happily ever after.

CW: death of parent off page, death of family member off page, alcoholism, toxic family, alcoholism and recovery, child neglect in past, kidnapping, guns, gunshot wound, threats with guns, death threats, threats of physical violence, threats to an elderly man.

I received this as an advance reader copy from Tor Books and NetGalley. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.

I love the author's Instagram page. She’s getting married soon and has chronicled the journey. Her fiancé is often in her videos. I believe following her and being familiar with her posts enhanced the reading experience for me. Her wit, insight,humor, and her trust, comfort, and love in her partner really come through her posts. I’m curious how much she shares while writing, and I’m curious how her relationship has influenced her writing.

This is a second chance love story that takes place over 24 hours. It’s a path down memory lane for Mira Patel. She heads to her aunt’s attorney to settle her aunt’s estate and is surprised to find the attorney is an ex boyfriend. Awkward as that is, it gets even more awkward when they get kidnapped and have a fast and furious 24 hours together. Mira’s past becomes her present and she needs some of Naveen’s skills to help figure out their next moves to help keep both of their loved ones safe. It felt like a giant escape room combined with a caper novel. The romance is second chance and slow burn. There’s not a lot of steam and this suited the story. There are some great side characters and lots of action. I really enjoyed reading and looked forward to seeing what would happen next. I also enjoyed the growth of the characters as they got to know each other better (more vulnerability and honesty) and were able to see their previous relationship and each other through different perspectives. I definitely enjoyed and recommend it.

Thanks to the publisher for a copy. All opinions are my own.

I hesitated before giving a 5 star review, thinking if there was anyway it stumbled, but it's a solid read.

First, you have to take the book for what it is - a fun, action-romance, heist novel. Think of all the heist movies you've seen - the good guys, the bad guys, the bad guys who you can't help but like, the characters that straddle both sides of the law. The object everyone is pursuing. This novel is a movie in a book and it's a whole lot of fun.

It wouldn't be an Alisha Rai novel without the characters also grappling with their pasts and family dynamics. This is handled deftly, enhancing the character development without dragging down the pure fun of the race through Las Vegas.

Great for fans of action-romance, who want a fun heist filled distraction.

Thank you NetGallery and Alisha Rai for giving me an ARC copy in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

This story is absolutely incredible!

I love how unique the story line is, with a beautiful insight into a culture different from my own.

This tale is sexy, adventurous, enthralling and one of a kind. These two hooked me from the beginning and I DEVOURED their story in a single day.

Read if you love:
-Second Chance Romance
-Indian/ Southwest Asian culture
-Crazy Adventure
-Treasure Hunting
-Found Family

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

CW: toxic family, gun violence, parental death, kidnapping, assault, theft, estranged family; recovering alcoholism, mention of rehab, PTSD, therapy, death of a loved one

This was a fun heist adventure with a romance subplot. Two people stuck together who had never planned on seeing each other ever again as they tried to figure out who was hunting them down, how to stay alive, and how not to annoy each other too much.

Steam: 3

DNF at 63%

Dang, I really wanted to like this one. The premise held so much intrigue and I absolutely adore the cover, but it wasn't as much a romance as it was a treasure hunt. Around the time I hit the halfway mark, I had a feeling this would end up being a DNF, but tried to give it a little more time to change my mind.

I really enjoy this book. The characters were so well rounded, they truly felt alive on the page. I LOVED them being older. We don't see nearly enough mid-late 30s main characters, and it is such a nice change. I loved how centered this was in Indian culture too. I'm middle eastern, not south Asian, but there were so many things that felt familiar - the nosy but close and loving family, the pressure to fit, the parent peers you've never met (or don't remember) being aunties and uncles, the strength of community (and how immigrants come together).

I loved the hijinks too. Were they ridiculous and a little over the top? Absolutely. Did I care? Nope. This was a rip roaring ride of romcom hijinks and mishaps, and I loved it. The twist was a little obvious but still so fun.

Netgalley ARC

this reads like a cross between date night and the hangover. very action filled as the 2 main characters are swept into the underworld of vegas. I'll be honest, the romance was pretty underwhelming for me, but I think if you went into it knowing that it's more of an adventure, then you would enjoy it and have a good time.

I've decided not to review this properly (aka a full post on my blog) because honestly I don't have anything to say about the book. I wasn't really emotionally invested in any of it; it's fast-paced, thank god, but as much as the plot was moving, I couldn't bring myself to care about the characters. So yeah, this book just didn't work for me, but hopefully will work for you!

I definitely asked for this because of the other pretty cover. That decision did not lead me astray because I really enjoyed the book! It’s a second chance romance set on one long and chaotic day. Kidnapping, heists, Vegas, and jewels. I’ll definitely be picking up a copy of this when it is released.

I've never read anything by Alisha Rai before, but Partners in Crime has definitely made me a fan! The story really took me by surprise, I went in thinking it would be a typical second chance romance and got so much more! If you're looking for something fun, filled with tons of twists, and romantic suspense vibe then def read this!

This lucky duck scored an ARC of Alisha Rai's Partners in Crime. I adore her romance novels, but her writing just hit next level with the addition of a caper plotline. Matchmaking, 2nd chance love, kidnapping, Vegas, kissing to hide from the bad guys... plus chemistry for days!