This was a lovely debut centering on Naomi, a brand consultant with a new business who feels disconnected from her roots and Dev, an accountant, who feels suffocated by his. Naomi wants her business to be successful but doesn’t know the first thing about her Bengali background and a new client where knowledge of Bengali culture is incredibly important. Dev, her client’s son, wants to avoid his mother’s matchmaking attempts and find a career that makes him happy. Dev agrees to help Naomi navigate unknown waters in exchange for her agreement to make him look unavailable to all the potential brides that are thrown his way. Both main characters have complex relationships with their respective families and have to navigate tricky expectations of those around them. This was a fun one with such beautiful prose. Word of advice though, don’t eat this one while hungry because all the references to and descriptions of delicious food does not help.

Thank you to Berkley & NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Mini Book Review
Sunshine and Spice by Aurora Palit

Tropes and Thoughts
📚New to me author
📚Bengali culture- large part of the story surrounded how FMC was raised, this was referred to as “white washing”
📚Match making/arranged marriage
📚Meddlesome parents and Aunties
📚Fake dating- while a popular trope I am feeling over saturated with it lately
📚Life changes after death of a parent
📚 Balancing traditions and culture with modern westernized social “norms”
📚 Role parents play in our lives as adults, the effects of how we are raised on our thought processes

Overall
An ok read, I wished there was more detail about how FMC was raised, I think this would have provided more depth to character and given the reader more insight into her relationships
The Author did make attempts to link past experiences of parents but characters still didnt feel complete to me, the potential was there to add more complexity and detail but it didn’t seem to come forth

Thank you to @Berkeley and @netgalley for my digital ARC in return for an honest review. Opinions expressed are my own.

Absolutely delightful romance. Loved the character development and the push-pull of cultural influence on upbringing and life milestones (ad someone raised in the conservative Jewish community, I’ve lived it in similar if different ways). I loved that all of the characters were discrete individuals rather than trope placeholders and that hey, there are men who can admit they’re wrong!

The grass is always greener on the other side, but when you take the time to look around, you just might realize the blessings that surround you right where you are.

Naomi recently struck out on her own as a brand consultant and is struggling to make ends meet. She is out of money and needs to win a redesign contract for a local Indian-Canadian bazaar or she might have to reevaluate everything. She has Indian heritage, but has never been engrossed in the Bengali culture, and it makes her self-conscious in a place that is so culturally vibrant. Meanwhile, Dev, the middle son of the bazaar owner, is dodging prospective wives sent by the matchmaker his mother hired. He has no interest in marriage, based on the experience he's observed from the men in his own family. Soon, it becomes clear that he and Naomi could help each other. She could pretend to be a match for him, chasing away any others, and he could help her with decisions that would make the redesign feel authentic.

Dev feels suffocated by the Bengali culture his family celebrates. Large dinners and festivals that Naomi finds fascinating are standard fare for Dev, and he is critical of the way his father and brother have treated the women in their family. If that is his only option for marriage, he would rather never marry. But try telling that to his mother. He feels rebellious toward the pressure and control he's feeling from his family - he just wants to be left alone.

Naomi's mother left her culture behind once Naomi was born. She felt her family trying to control her and her decisions and cut herself and her daughter off from them by moving to a small rural town and marrying a white man. Naomi didn't go to school with people who looked like her, and she didn't eat Indian food at home growing up. As an adult she finds herself craving some of that culture, and soaks up every bit of it she gets to experience with Dev.

I enjoyed this story quite a lot. It was well plotted, giving the book constant forward momentum, and the characters were interesting. I don't know much about Indian culture, and it was really interesting to read about it in the context of this book. Dev's weekly big family dinners seem amazing. Like Naomi, I'd love to experience that sometime!

It is the personal dilemmas that drive the book, but the romance was nice too. Even though it is called Sunshine and Spice, I wasn't really expecting it to be spicy. I guess the matchmaker/arranged marriage element made me think maybe it would be more modest, but there is definitely some spice later in the book.

This is a story about finding your roots and embracing your blessings. It's about finding out who you want to be, even if it's almost exactly the opposite of what you always thought it was. It's about following your heart and deep connection. It's about hard work and paving your own way. It is a rich tapestry of themes, layered with flavor and spice, just like almost any meal in traditional Indian cooking.

Thank you so much to the publisher and netgalley for providing an arc copy in exchange for an honest review. I'm so glad I got to read this one!

Thank you to NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy of Aurora's debut book! The storyline in Sunshine and Spice was unlike any South Asian romance book I have read, which I really appreciated. Naomi's lack of connection to her Bengali roots becomes increasingly apparent when she's hired on to do the rebranding of a local bazaar for Dev's traditional, close-knit Bengali family. Insert a matchmaker, some fake dating, parental involvement, and let the fun begin!

The plot for the story was unique and delightful. I enjoyed seeing two characters with very different family dynamics - Dev being very traditional Bengali and Naomi not knowing much about her culture - as we often see Dev's perspective represented through South Asian romance, but never Naomi's. The tension between the two opposite upbringings pulled at my heart strings and paved the way for conversations in the book about cultural expectations and judgements.

I loved the Indian references throughout the book including gulab jamun baking, Garba, and traditional clothing. I also appreciated the characters discussing consent <3

While I loved the overall concept of the book, I did not feel like I got to know either of the main characters particularly well or sense a longing/desire between the two main characters. There were several phrases that were repeated throughout the book (coconut and sunshine) that felt repetitive and did not aid to building details of the characters and their story after being repeated so frequently. The romance and character investment was missing for me as the reader, but I do believe Aurora has a gift for creative concepts and I look forward to seeing what comes next from her.

Quotes:
- "In his opinion, their traditions were as tired and dusty as the suitcases they had used to immigrate from India to Canada thirty-seven years ago; it was unwanted baggage, yet another thing on a long list of what had made him different from the kids at school."
- "It was clear that this guy had never had his credit card declined at the grocery store."
- "Naomi had everything she wanted but now all she wanted was to run away."

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐⭐

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁:
💕 Fake Dating
🫶🏻 Desi Romance
🍩 Cinnamon Roll Hero
☀️ Grumpy x Sunshine

Sunshine and Spice is fast paced and fun desi romance perfect for any rom-com lover.

Naomi and Dev are both struggling with their culture whether it is being disconnected from it (Naomi) or feeling frustrated with expectations (Dev) and they find themselves fake dating to help them get through this time in their lives.

Naomi and Dev’s chemistry jumped off the pages! Although the story is fast paced, it was a bit of a slow burn with some excellent steamy scenes. I felt like I learned so much about Bengali culture with this book and it made me want to learn even more.

Pick this one up for a story that is both sweet and a bit steamy with no shortage of family, food and tons of fun.

I seriously could not put this book down. I enjoyed watching Dev simp so hard for Naomi so hard and I enjoyed the family and friend dynamics of this book. I was annoyed the Dev didn't really grovel as much as I'd like (I think I was rooting for Naomi too much and truly saw no fault in any of her actions and was kind of giving Dev side-eye for not really trying to understand her point of view) which would have probably raised this to 5 stars.

Excuse me, but why did this book make me cry a few times? Like, I need Aurora Palit to apologize for the emotional damages that I experienced. Let’s go back to why I was crying multiple times while I was reading this amazing woman fiction book.

First, I love how complex the main character, Naomi, is. There is so much about Naomi than she lets on. For instance, she wants to connect more with her heritage but feels silenced by her mother's stubbornness about not partaking in their Indian culture. It’s something Naomi feels deeply about but refuses to talk about at first.

Second, the amount of times I feel for Naomi because she is trying her hardest to prove herself to everyone. It’s always hard whenever someone thinks they are better than you because of their age, culture, or status. And that’s what Naomi is facing when she takes a new client, who’s preferring a certain type of person in the Indian community.

Lastly, I cried about how vulnerable and messy Naomi was. She literally was herself throat and through no matter what. Even though she was facing a disaster, she stayed true to herself. She built herself on her own without any of her mother's guidance or support from the Indian community. That’s why I will always support her messy decision.

If you want to read about an emotional yet messy woman fiction read, then this book is for you. I know that I loved it!

Naomi and Dev’s journey from a fake relationship to genuine love is a delightful rollercoaster of emotions. Their chemistry is electric, and the cultural insights add rich layers to the story. The hilarious and heartfelt moments, from awkward Garba dances to cooking disasters, kept me hooked from start to finish. The way they navigate their dilemmas and grow closer is beautifully portrayed, making this a captivating and heartwarming read. I loved every bit of this charming, culturally infused romance.

Sunshine and Spice is a charming and captivating novel that is brimming with humor, passion, and lively characters. From the very first page, Palit's heartfelt debut delves into the themes of family, acceptance, and love that takes you by surprise, keeping me enthralled throughout. The tale of Naomi and Dev is one that will stay with me long after finishing the book. This is a definite must-read.

There is so much to love in Aurora Palit's debut romance novel. The romance tropes of fake dating and the grumpy-sunshine are done so well in the book, but what made this read so memorable for me is the discussion that Naomi and Dev have in discussing the expectations of being a first gen immigrant child, being estranged to your cultural identity, and the complex family relationships. The book balances the serious moments with slow burn and spicy romance. This is a very easy and charming contemporary romance to read and one that I will definitely be sharing with my library patrons.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for an early review copy of the book.

This was such a fun desi romance! I wasn't sure what to expect going in, but I definitely didn't expect the main character to be estranged from her culture. This was an exploration into identity, family, and Bengali culture. I really loved the romance, but also the parallel coming of age story of the main character. This book was equal parts contemporary and romance, and the complex plotlines were a refreshing break from the usual "my South Asian parents are so strict" plotline.

Culture, culture, culture! I absolutely love stories that highlight different cultures and showcase non-white romances. I thought this was a good romance novel, but for me I enjoyed the aspects of main character Naomi feeling disconnected from her heritage and dealing with her cultural identity. I feel this is something that is unique in a lot of multicultural stories and Palit executed it wonderfully here. I almost felt like the romance was an afterthought for Naomi's struggle. I think had Palit focused on just a general novel dealing with Naomi's identity struggle, it would have been much more successful. But this is definitely a great starter book for those wanting to jump into the genre of romance.

There were some interesting things about this book, mainly about the diasporic experiences of Indian immigrants and how a child of immigrant parents can feel a little lost and struggle to belong, feeling as though half their existence is mired in the cultural traditions of their country of origin and the other half in their new land. That is a feeling I can relate to very very well. However, my main struggle with this book is that it employs the fake relationship trope and having read a handful of romance novels this year by south asian authors featuring south asian characters, all of whom engaged in fake relationships, I'm beginning to wonder why so many of these books are employing the same trope. They all have characters struggling with parental pressure to marry and have children and honestly, there are other ways for south asian characters to meet and fall in love that do not include their parents pressuring them to settle down to the point that they have to engage in a fake relationship to throw them off track. This cannot be the only trope available to us! Anyway, there were some interesting points made in this book about identity and belonging but the fake relationship stuff was boring and made it hard for me to really care about any of these characters. Also, can we write less toxic parental relationships in these books? Like all these moms are overly nosy busybodies and spend all their free time trying to marry their children off and that feels like such a cliche at this point. (I am Bengali so I do know something about this, I get it, it's an easy low hanging fruit to pluck but let's stop falling into these same typical character archetypes repeatedly).

This was so fun, I raced through it in a day. Naomi Kelly is Bengali-Canadian, but she doesn’t know much about Bengali culture. Her mom got pregnant as a teenager and ran away from her family to raise her kid in Canada, in a small mostly white town where Naomi would be cut off (or protected, depending on who you ask) from her roots. Naomi always wanted to learn more, and as an adult, being hired by a Bengali-Canadian family to revitalize their small Indian imports/convenience store is a tantalizing opportunity for her. She doesn’t want to reveal her whole life to them, but she wants very badly to belong. Meanwhile, the middle son of said family, Dev, is chafing under his mom’s strict, traditional expectations. Dev and Naomi make a secret pact: she’ll help him fend off potential brides and he’ll help her successfully rebrand his mom’s store. This is fast-paced and sweet and really captures Naomi’s yearning as an outsider who wants to be invited in. And it has a mean-girl rival who is more than she seems, which I always love.

Really enjoyed this! Felt like a nice change to learn something about a culture and have a larger plot outside of the romance/spice.

Thank you to Penguin Random House for this ARC - coming this September!

This was such a cute read! I enjoyed the representation in Sunshine and Spice as we can always use more South Asain representation in romance!
Naomi and Dev were so cute from the beginning. I enjoyed the parts of their romance story as well as the insights to how the viewed their culture and their individual struggles with identity, acceptance, and belonging.
I viewed this as a light summer read. I do wish that Dev's character had a little more background development but I was still hooked- I love a good fake dating trope!
This book has a grumpy (but cute) mmc and a powerhouse of an fmc!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

📣 a fantastic contemporary that I flew through bc reading it was effortless & wonderful

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

📖 what was your last 5 ⭐️ read? This was one of mine!

Sunshine & Spice by Aurora Palit is a delight of a book, a stellar romance that has all of the components to make a reader swoon, get heart squeezes, & feel that emotional richness that indicates a well-rounded story.

Leads Naomi & Dev had my heart. Both are Indo-Canadian & both feel a lack of comfort to some degree with the expectations placed upon them (even as Naomi is particularly aware of also how lovely it would be to have been raised as part of that community—to feel an unqualified sense of “belonging” in it—from the beginning.)

Naomi’s insecurities & Dev’s struggle to respect his mother even as she doesn’t always acknowledge the validity of his own wishes, form the backbone to the eventual conflict headed their way, even as they begin working together & form a fake dating arrangement.

Beyond the richly developed stories for each character & that finely wrought sense of conflict are adorable characters I loved so much. Dev is a prince among men—a grumpy nice boy who blushes at times—& Naomi is a considerate powerhouse I would love to be BFF with. The way that she gives their eventual fight her all—not immediately giving up on them—but then ultimately takes for herself is a stunner!

I adored this one & you will too!

5 ⭐️. Out 09/10.

Please see a trusted reviewer’s list of CWs, which include grief.

[ID: Jess holds the ebook in front of a slate blue & aqua mural with yellow, pink, & red flowers on it.]

As a brand manager starting her own business, Naomi needs this newest project to go well. She hopes that she is South Asian enough to make a connection with the South Asian client, Gia, and to convince her she is the right one for the job. Gia’s son, Dev, is helping with reinventing their neighborhood bazaar. When Dev proposes to Naomi that she help him ward off potential marriage prospects sent from the matchmaker his mother has hired, she figures it wouldn’t hurt to have him on her side for the project. Things heat up between the two as they go from fake dating to a real connection.

I really enjoyed this one! Aurora Palit has a great writing style and I was impressed by this debut novel.

Naomi was a character with a complex identity. Her mother was Bengali yet Naomi was not raised in a culturally Bengali household. This created a sense of not belonging to the Bengali community for Naomi and she also did not feel fully Canadian. Naomi felt defensive of her lack of experience and exposure to Bengali culture. She wanted to learn more about Bengali culture but was too ashamed to admit that she knew very little. Her HEA with Dev included her integration into his family and finding her roots with them. It was a very sweet end to the story.

This story was a bit of a slow burn that led to some intimate scenes that were really steamy. Naomi and Dev had great chemistry!

Pick this one up for a sweet story featuring two South Asian Canadian characters with lots of food, family and fun.

Steam level: 🔥🔥🔥

As a first generation South Asian Canadian it was so great to read something that I can understand from all perspectives even if I don’t relate to all the experiences. The storyline (and light dusting of 🌶️) was fun and easy to read, but the character development and subsequent discussion within the plot is just as wonderful.

This definitely reads like a Bollywood movie, especially at the end. It reminded me of Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani for some reason.

I will say though that I wish the storyline surrounding the matchmaker Veera Aunty’s prospective partners was different. I didn’t really like the way the women working with the matchmaker were written almost to be desperate.

Overall, cute beach read or weekend read.

Thank you to the author and publishers for the ARC in return for an honest review