I had to put it down around 33% of the way through. This book dives into a modern Indian romance with a fun twist, starting off with a fake marriage. The story itself is intriguing, but the writing can feel a bit too literal at times, making it drag a little. That said, the characters and cultural elements are spot-on, so if you’re into contemporary romance, it’s still worth a read.

Two of Veera Mathur's best friends have married two of Deepak Datta's best friends. And they've been hanging out. Quite a bit. Which is why it's a shock that he's going to be marrying someone else. Someone she didn't even know he was dating. Oh, and their father's are merging their companies. And Veera's unceremoniously out of a job. Plus, her two best friends are married women which means they are part of a community that Veera can't be a part of. What is she supposed to do? Well, she can take off and travel the world with her twin sister for eight months getting ready to build their business. She doesn't expect to end up in a yachtwreck. But that's where the book opens. With both of their purses at the bottom of the sea, Veera only has one option for who can help.
Deepak is ecstatic to have something to do. His influencer fiancée just broke up with him via TikTok. Why not fly to India? At least he can catch up with his best friend. And why not get drunk and then demonstrate a marriage ceremony for an elderly couple renewing their vows? Except that the ceremony is real. Even if they're not legally married, Deepak is strangely reluctant to do anything to rectify the situation. Even though Veera keeps calling it a fake marriage, Deepak, while fully realizing this might help him in his bid to become CEO of their parents' company, is actually just as happy to stay married.
Of the three books in this series, this was my favorite. I was disappointed that we didn't get more with Veera's father but I really did enjoy this story. I think because Deepak and Veera had such a good relationship when the story opens. Also, Deepak is fairly certain from the beginning that this his end game is going to be Veera.

Four and a half stars
If Shakespeare Was an Auntie #3
Follows Tastes Like Shakkar
This book comes out August 27, 2024
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley, and Avon and Harper Voyager
Opinions are my own

Veera has been traveling around the world trying to figure out her next move after being fired from her father’s company. To add to the hurt Veera’s best friend Deepak unexpectedly gets engaged, confirming he never harbored any romantic feelings for Veera. When Veera needs Deepak’s help he comes to India and in a drunken and euphoric haze the two end up married. When Deepak and Veera head back to New York they have to decide how to navigate their “fake marriage” so Deepak’s impending position as CEO doesn’t get jeopardized. Neither of their families seem very happy with the abrupt wedding and its effects. As Veera and Deepak come together to prove themselves to their families the two realize how much they count on each other’s love and support. Can Deepak get enough votes for the CEO position? Will Veera finally have enough confidence in herself to do what she has dreamt of, regardless of her father’s opinion?

This romance checks all the boxes with culture, familial expectations and the message of surrounding yourself with those that believe in you. The friends to lovers trope just makes the story that more enjoyable! I will miss this series!

💍👩🏻‍❤️‍👨🏻 Marriage and Masti 👩🏻‍❤️‍👨🏻💍 by @nishawrites

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

I am indeed a little sad as this series (If Shakespeare was an Auntie) is coming to an end. I really liked the book and thoroughly enjoyed it, but a couple of things didn't settle well with me. A part of it might be because I expected a lot as I loved "Tastes like Shakkar." This book is more relatable to early 20s clad. The drunken marriage scene and especially the reason they did it were an offset for me. Deepak and Veera are independent, ambitious, smart people, and hence, it did not make any sense.

Overall, the story was good, and both the main characters were lovable. It gave a complete Bollywood movie feels - the drama , the South asian cultural references, the meddling families.
Veera and Deepak were friends befire they accidently got married, and it's delightful to see them grow fonder for each other, face their career struggles together, overcome their insecurities and fear, and live up to family expectations.I definitely expected more of their heartfelt conversations at times and more romance, but their chemistry was spot on.
This was a classic feiends to lovers and she fell first but he fell harder trope!

Thank you, @netgalley and @nishawrites, for the ARC review.

I have been loving Nisha Sharma's If Shakespeare Was an Auntie series and was so excited to read the final installment, Marriage & Masti. This Twelfth Night retelling is about Deepak and Veera, two career-focused friends who fell out of touch when he got engaged to another woman… then accidentally got married after that engagement abruptly ended. But maybe being (fake) married will help their respective careers? And who knows, maybe these (briefly distant) best friends have more chemistry than they’ve ever acknowledged…

This is the couple I’ve been dying to read, especially after the cliffhanger at the end of the previous book, Tastes Like Shakkar. Something about Deepak and Veera told me they’d be an incredible couple to read about, and they did not disappoint!

Tropes & Narrative Devices:
- Friends to lovers
- Fake marriage
- Marriage of convenience
- Only one bed
- Twelfth Night retelling
- Interstitial content (article excerpts; text exchanges; etc.)
- Third-person narration

What I Liked:
- Deepak and Veera! I just love these characters so much. Getting to know them in the previous books, I already had an idea of who they were and had high expectations for their relationship arc. Veera, in particular, surprised me a bit here. She’s not quite as shy as I’d previously pictured her; she has grit and acerbic humor and is a “brat” according to Deepak. For his part, Deepak seems so cool and collected on the surface, but there’s more to him, and I love how soft he is for Veera. Their friends-to-lovers arc is so cute, especially against the backdrop of being fake married.
- Indian and Hindu wedding and marriage traditions. I’m neither Indian nor Hindu, but I loved learning about the culture here, particularly about weddings and traditions surrounding marriage. There are so many ceremonies and customs, so much jewelry, so much family involvement. I enjoyed getting to know more about the culture and seeing how involved Deepak and Veera are with their community.
- Navigating complicated friendships and family relationships. In addition to the romantic partnership at the center of this, there are also some complex tensions with friends and family. Veera has a toxic relationship with her awful father. Her twin sister, Sana, is an important relationship that goes through some tough spots here. And Veera’s friendship with Kareena and Bobbi has also become fraught in the past year. It’s a lot to navigate, and I liked seeing how things work out.
- Seeing the three couples all together. I’ve loved these books and these characters. It’s a joy to see them all interacting with each other now that they’re all coupled up!
- Challenging the patriarchy. Veera never backs down from calling out sexist people and customs in her culture, and I like how she and the other characters navigate those in ways that feel more modern. Maybe her mom’s generation isn’t there yet, but Veera and her friends are able to blend feminism with their culture. This includes both within their marriages and in the workforce. These women are leaders and deserve so much more respect.
- Those interstitials! Throughout the series, it’s been a riot to read the intermittent articles from W. S. Gupta, text exchanges between the various characters, and more. They offer fun insights into what’s happening on a larger scale and in the background. They also give the impression that their lives are so much fuller and richer than any concise novel could show. It makes the world feel that much more vibrant and real.

What Didn’t Work for Me:
- Nothing, this was great!

Final Thoughts
Marriage & Masti is a wonderful way to end this trilogy. I loved Deepak and Veera, their friendship, and the chemistry that sizzles and helps make their fake marriage real. They have full lives, with family and friends, their careers, and all the little quirks that make them unique. This was a joy to read, and I’ll miss these characters now that the series is done.

✨ Marriage & Masti by Nisha Sharma ✨

I absolutely love the If Shakespeare Was an Auntie series and OH MY GOSH this was the most perfect way to conclude an amazing series!!! This Twelfth Night inspired contemporary romance is full of friendship, family, undeniable chemistry and of course…Aunties!

💍 Marriage of Convenience
💖 Friends to Lovers
🎭 Twelfth Night Inspired
📚 If Shakespeare Was an Auntie
💼 Boardroom Drama
🌶️ Blush Worthy Spice

As a lover of both Shakespeare and the Romance genre, this series has been an absolute joy to read! 100% planning a reread soon and I can’t wait to see what Nisha Sharma comes up with next!

Thank you so much Avon for sending me an advanced copy!

Once I read the dedication of Marriage & Masti by Nisha Sharma, addressing third wheelers (Hiiiiii) of their friend groups, I knew this book was for me. Of course, I’ve never run off internationally when I heard my unrequited crush was engaged, but we all handle devastating news differently. And when a yacht-wreck causes Veera Mathur and her twin sister Sana to lose all of their belongings, Deepak Datta, the estranged friend and crush comes to their aid. He’s escaping a problem of his own. The influencer he was set to marry that would secure his bid for CEO breaks up with him in a GRWM video.

Reunited and drinking, Veera and Deepak do a practice run of a marriage ceremony for a couple they meet on the beach, and while it’s not legally official, it’s religiously binding, and being fake married could benefit both of their careers — he’ll be CEO, and she gets capital to open an ethical lending business. Being Deepak’s “wifey” is Veera’s dream and nightmare. How can she protect her heart while being fake married to the person she’s loved all along?

I really felt for Veera. Her dad doesn’t see her value, she’s pining for a friend who hasn’t noticed her romantically (yet), her sister abandons their business plan, and she’s feeling secluded from her two best friends now that they’re partnered up. She’s going through it! And while none of this is magically fixed by being in a fake marriage, with Deepak’s support, Veera finally has someone in her corner that is rooted in friendship and becomes romantic.

And once Deepak decides to romance her, WHEW! He buys her custom-fitted pantsuits, he fasts with her to bless their marriage when he doesn’t have to, there are several MY WIFE moments plus he BEGS ON HIS KNEES for Veera not to leave him. I loved this so much, especially learning about Hindu post-wedding rituals and events. *swoon*

This book was written for:
- The 30 something singles “on the shelf” of Desi society
- The Bollywood girlies
- The perpetual third wheelers
- The strong educated women fighting for space in male dominated rooms
This book was written for girls like me.

Inspired by the Twelfth Night, Marriage & Masti is the final installment in Nisha Sharma’s “If Shakespeare were Aunties” Series.

It’s been a tough year for our girl Veera. After getting fired from her family business (by her dad no less) and finding out the man she’s secretly been in love with is engaged, Veera feels a bit lost and unmoored. But when Veera gets stranded after a literal shipwreck it’s Deepak who swoops in to save the day. Deepak has also had a pretty rough time. From trying to secure his position as CEO and getting dumped on the internet all he really wants is answers as to why his best friend has been avoiding him for the last 8 months. So when Veera calls of course he hops on a plane to rescue her. One daaru filled night later Deepak and Veera find themselves accidentally married and now the have to fake it and convince everyone it’s the real thing...except maybe they’ve just been fooling themselves this whole time.

We often talk about romantic love but to me the greatest love story at the heart this series is friendship.
What I love most about Nisha’s work is the focus she puts on friendship in all its various forms. One of the most meaningful parts of this book for me was watching Veera and the girls grapple with the ways their friendship has changed and how they navigate forward.

Deepak and Veera’s relationship is grounded in their friendship and trust. They never doubted their confidence in each other as people or as leaders.
This was the best way to close out the trilogy and it’s bittersweet to say goodbye to this group.

Thank you Nisha, Kareena, Bobbi, Veera, Prem, Bunty, and Deepak; you will always hold a special place in my heart.

Thank you to Nisha Sharma's street team and William and Morrow books for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a series that has touched my life in an indescribable way, and seeing it come to an end is incredibly bittersweet. That ending coming in the form of Deepak and Veera’s Twelfth Night retelling was perfection in all of its forms.

Nisha’s writing consistently demonstrates the meaning of love, of laughter, and of the importance of community. She shows how much we need each other and how letting people in, being part of something bigger than the self, makes life better in every way. The Aunties may have been known to meddle, but they brought this group of friends turned family together in a way that seemed integral to the definition of joy. Deepak and Veera were two incredibly strong characters, and had been throughout the entirely of the Of Shakespeare Was an Auntie series. They were soft in how they cared for everyone around them, intelligent in how they conducted the business that was so important to them, and loving in the way they put their friendship and each other’s well being above all else. Their love was one that was present from the beginning, and I loved seeing how they (read: my sweet, not so innocent baby Deepak) slowly came to that realization as the story unfolded. Nisha has left a permanent stamp on my heart with this group of friends, and I absolutely cannot wait to see what’s next 💜

This is the third book in the series and we finally get Verra and Deepak’s story. The stories inspired by 12th night, therefore there are misunderstandings schemes and in the case of the main characters and accidental marriage. Veera Is trying to recover from the fact that she was fired by her father and that her two best friends are in love while she feels adrift The book is trying to salvage being appointed to the head of the family company after this who was engaged to four business purposes is done with the relationship. The way Veera and Deepak keep up the idea that they eloped because even as friends they had feelings, actually ends up becoming their truth at one point. it’s a fun and emotional story from start to finish. I love how Deepak is the one who starts to fall harder for her first. I love how the romance is kept upfront while still confronting messy family relationships. I love seeing all of my favorite characters, especially the aunties return to make this , actually now my favorite in this series where I have loved every single book

This was a cute Desi romance, and my second Nisha Sharma novel. While I enjoyed the sexy banter and family antics, both MCs just didn’t do it for me. There were times when I didn’t like either one of them. I had some issues with Sharma’s MCs in Dating Dr. Dil, so I guess it’s a “me” thing. Other than thinking the MCs were kinda jerk-ish to each other at times, this is a solid romance with fun, Indian culture and a sexy story!

I have enjoyed each book in the If Shakespeare Were an Auntie series more than the one before and this one was by far my favorite! I really enjoyed Veera and Deepak's friends to lovers dynamic and the fakeish marriage was a fun twist!

I really enjoyed watching Veera find her direction and liked how much Deepak supported her. They were so much alike and I bought into their connection right away. I loved that Deepak supported Veera's dreams and saw her value.

I also found Veera's experience with being married making her feel more a part of her community really interesting. I think it's something a lot of woman will relate to regardless of religion. It can be easy to feel like you get left out when your friends have partners and you are single. I also loved reading about the Punjabi marriage rituals.

If you like fake dating or a marriage of convenience I highly recommend this one! It is definitely one where it will be a better read if you have read the others in the series.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC. This was my first time reading Nisha Sharma and it did not disappoint at all! I can't wait to read more! There's so much banter in this book. It's a great friends to lovers, and it had me kicking my feet so much! I loved it!

Marriage & Masti is book three in the If Shakespeare Was an Auntie series by Nisha Sharma.
I just obsessed with this series.
It’s always fun when I find myself diving head first into the pages of a perfect modern Indian retelling of Shakespeare's comedic masterpiece, "Much Ado About Nothing."
Nisha had me rolling with all of the meddling antics and swooning romance.
This continues to be a great series and I really enjoy this author's characters and overall writing.

Thank You NetGalley and Avon for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

4.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC. Much love to Nisha Sharma, as well. I was so excited when I received the ARC. I SCREAMED.

I love Nisha Sharma's books so much. I'm really going to miss the 'If Shakespeare was an Auntie' series so much. I loved the first and second books in the series so much; honestly, 'Marriage & Masti' is the perfect book to end the series.

There's so much banter in this book. It's charming, funny, romantic, spicy and romantic all around. Always trust Nisha Sharma to create sizzling chemistry between her romantic leads. One of my favourite tropes is friends-to-lovers. This is honestly one of the best books I've ever read that features this trope.

Nisha Sharma, I just want to say thank you so much for writing these characters. I can't wait to read what you publish next.

The last book in the Shakespeare inspired rom com trilogy featuring two best friends, one fake marriage, and a chance at falling in love! Veera has been through a lot in the last year: fired from her job, her best friends are both married now, and the guy she has a crush on is engaged to someone else... and to top it off her twin sister decides to tell her that she's opting out of their business plan right as they get off a boat accident and has lost both their wallets leaving them stranded without any cash.... and now Veera has to call the one guy she wanted to avoid to ask for help, the guy who broke her heart, Deepak. Deepak has only one goal in his life: to become the CEO to his family's business. He entered into an arranged marriage as a business deal to secure more votes to get him the seat on the board that he needed to get the CEO vote. Yet when his fiancee breaks up with him on the internet the only person he wants to talk to is Veera, his best friend and the only person who gets him... who suddenly asked for space. Yet when she calls asking for help Deepak is more than happy to get away from his PR nightmare of a breakup with his ex and see the one woman who makes him feel safe and happy. Yet when he arrives one thing leads to the next and suddenly they are drunkenly helping out at a wedding and perform a fake marriage ceremony that might actually be very real as they followed through with all the religious steps and now in the eyes of their community and religion are very much married. Deepak realizes one thing: he is very much in love with Veera and wants a real marriage with her and he can't believe all the time he's lost not seeing her... if only he could convince her that he means it and that their fake marriage isn't fake to him at all. Veera is determined to keep her space and doesn't want to open her heart to heartbreak again but Deepak is getting harder and harder to resist. With both their reputations and jobs on the line, their families scrutiny, and their hearts... can they find a way through this fake marriage? I absolutely adored this one, it's such a sweet read and I loved how down bad Deepak was for Veera. Its a really cute read and the spice was fun. The characters are enjoyable and I loved seeing the other characters from the previous books in this one. It's a delightful series and one I'd recommend for anyone who enjoys a great rom com!

Release Date: August 27,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager | Avon for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Like the two books that came before it, Marriage & Masti is fully of genuine laughs and love. A romcom through and through, no one does funny banter like Nisha Sharma.

Oh, I’m so sad to see the If Shakespeare was An Auntie series come to a close! But what a satisfying, spectacular end. Veera has been traveling for eight months with her twin, Sana, after they were both fired from the family business and it was taken over by the family of her once-best friend, Deepak, due to a merger. Deepak isn’t sure why Veera hasn’t talked to him since the merger and his business-focused engagement to influencer Olivia. A series of events (including a yacht-wreck and a GRWM so I can break up with my fiancé video) pushes these two back together - and into an accidental wedding. Maybe this is just what they need to get their careers back on track…

Veera and Deepak and so perfect together, I adored reading them figure out married life - and Deepak finally realizing what was right in front of him all this time. Their partnership was full of respect, admiration, and love. And I loved the whole friend group, the Aunties, the family (not Veera’s dad). This is a well-woven take on Twelfth Night and I will continue to recommend this series to basically everyone. Read it! I Received an advanced reading copy, receipt of which did not impact my review.

After a year of heartbreak and career setbacks, Veera is adrift. Deepak, facing a marriage of convenience to secure his CEO position, is equally desperate after his fiancée calls it off. A series of mishaps leads Veera and Deepak to take vows in a drunken wedding on the beach. Now, they must convince the world their marriage is genuine, even as their feelings for each other blur the lines between fake and real.

This is a beautifully crafted, heartwarming, and entertaining rom com. Veera and Deepak are both strong and determined, yet left untethered by all the changes in their lives. Their friendship and growing romance provides healing and helps them forge a new future together. The intimate scenes are tasteful and very hot.

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

When I got an ARC of Marriage & Masti, I literally screamed. It was my most anticipated romance of 2024 and it completely lived up to the hype. I have been waiting for Veera and Deepak‘s story since Dating Dr. Dil. This series, If Shakespeare Was an Auntie is my go to recommendation to friends and family. It has everything I want in a book -female friendship, male friendship, excellent chemistry, spicy romance, and delightful secondary characters. Please do yourself a favor and read this amazing series!

On a deeper level too, there is so much beauty to be written about the Indian-American culture. There is no better feeling than where you’re enjoying a book and actually learning the intricacies of another cultural group. There is so much that we have in common, but there’s so much we can learn for each others unique cultural identities.

Also I want to really hype up an excellent writer Nisha Sharma is!!! She just writes such beautiful stories.

Thank you #Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.