Not at all what I was expecting, but in a good way! The blurb made this sound like it was going to focus more on the matchmaking side of things, and it also minimizes the relationship that this former couple had in the past. I am not a fan of second chance romances, so I likely wouldn’t have picked this up had I known that Naveen and Mira actually dated for six months before our heroine ran scared three years ago. I’m also not sure that I would’ve picked it up if I’d realized that it was SO suspense-focused. But you know what? I would’ve missed out on a very solid read. The action starts up right away, so this is a fast-paced, high stakes read. I loved the concept of two people who hid the messy sides of themselves while dating, who are unable to shy away from those issues when they’re forced to work together. Quite literally to save their lives, lol. As they discover the things they each hid away during their relationship, these two realize that they might just be perfect for each other after all.
The story follows Mira, a woman who is looking for a partner in love and life. She’s been using an elite matchmaking service for over three years, and still hasn’t found the right guy. Mira pushed away the one guy who seemed like he might’ve been (too good of) a fit, and her love life has been lackluster ever since. So when Mira discovers that Naveen is the attorney handling her late aunt’s estate, it’s a shock to see her former flame. And when they’re kidnapped… well, it certainly shakes things up. Confronted with the man she let get away AND the messy, criminal family that she hid from him, Mira has no choice but to show Naveen the reasons why she thought they’d never work. But as the two reconnect and spend time together under unexpected circumstances, Mira realizes that Naveen has his own issues… and he isn’t shying away from hers.
Told in third person with dual perspectives, there’s a lot about this that SHOULDN’T have worked for me, but the fast pace made it difficult to dwell on any one issue for long. I also kinda loved that I’d never read a second chance romance that played out quite like this one – where both characters held back when they were together, but are forced to lay it all out in the open now. It’s the messy parts of Naveen and Mira that make them perfect for each other, and they couldn’t fall all the way in love until those parts of themselves were exposed. That element was really interesting to me, and I did enjoy the suspense. Yeah, there was a lot more suspense than anticipated (probably too much), but I liked that Naveen and Mira built back up their relationship in such a raw way. I think that if you enjoyed the movie The Lost City, then chances are that you’ll like this too. There are definitely some components that I could pick apart as things that bugged me, but I had a lot of fun just sitting back and enjoying the ride. It was a solid 4-star read for me the whole way through.
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3dBV18H
Audio Note:
The audio is great! I’d never heard of either narrator before starting, but they both do an excellent job with the dual narration. Their voices are both expressive and very relaxing to listen to, and they definitely enhanced the experience. I listened to most of this on audio, switching back to the text occasionally, and it was a much more immersive and fun experience that way. The runtime was a little longer than I can get through during a typical workday (10ish hours), but it was an ideal office listen. The romance is a slow burn, the pace is fast, and the storyline is interesting. So it kept things moving, and I think the audio made it easier to get emotionally invested. It made it easier to tune out the pieces of the suspense that I didn’t care about too, lol. Not that there was much of that. The spice comes late in the story and is intense but brief, so there weren’t a lot of awkward moments for the workplace either. All in all, a great book to listen to on audio.
Audiobook: https://amzn.to/3s9aVe5
Blurb:
Mira Patel’s got a solid accounting career, good friends, and a whole lot of distance between her and her dysfunctional family. All that’s missing is a stable romantic relationship. Armed with a spreadsheet and professional help, she sets out to find her partner in only legal activities, but much to her matchmaker’s dismay, no one is quite right.
Including Naveen Desai, the very first match she unceremoniously rejected.
Lately Naveen’s been too focused on keeping his sick grandfather’s law firm afloat to think about love, and he’s stunned when Mira walks back into his life to settle her aunt’s affairs. He’s determined to keep things professional…though it’s impossible not to be intrigued by all of the secrets piling up around Mira.
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. As her past comes back to haunt her, Mira despairs of ever finding someone who might understand her…but maybe, over the course of one wild night, she’ll find that he’s right by her side.
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3dBV18H
About the Author:
Alisha Rai pens award-winning contemporary romances and her novels have been named Best Books of the Year by Washington Post, NPR, Amazon, Entertainment Weekly, Kirkus, and Cosmopolitan Magazine. When she’s not writing, Alisha is traveling or tweeting. To find out more about her books or to sign up for her newsletter, visit www.alisharai.com.
Follow Jeeves on social media!
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases
Jeeves Reads Romance 
Great review, thanks for sharing!
LikeLike