A Change of Heart (Bollywood #3) by Sonali Dev

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Dr. Nikhil 'Nic' Joshi had it all—marriage, career, purpose. Until, while working for Doctors Without Borders in a Mumbai slum, his wife, Jen, discovered a black market organ transplant ring. Before she could expose the truth, Jen was killed.

Two years after the tragedy, Nic is a cruise ship doctor who spends his days treating seasickness and sunburn and his nights in a boozy haze. On one of those blurry evenings on deck, Nic meets a woman who makes a startling claim: she received Jen’s heart in a transplant and has a message for him. Nic wants to discount Jess Koirala’s story as absurd, but there’s something about her reckless desperation that resonates despite his doubts.

Jess has spent years working her way out of a nightmarish life in Calcutta and into a respectable Bollywood dance troupe. Now she faces losing the one thing that matters—her young son, Joy.  She needs to uncover the secrets Jen risked everything for; but the unforeseen bond that results between her and Nic is both a lifeline and a perilous complication.

Delving beyond the surface of modern Indian-American life, acclaimed author Sonali Dev’s page-turning novel is both riveting and emotionally rewarding—an extraordinary story of human connection, bravery, and hope. 


If you ask me which book totally surprised me this year I'd say it's this one. A Change of Heart about a grieving widower whose life is in shambles after witnessing his wife's death, is a masterful mix of mystery, romance, murder, political intrigue and a perilous descent into the world of black market trade. I couldn't have imagined it possible to write such a story that incorporates all these themes but here it is!

Things start out vaguely: Nic's a barely functioning cruise ship doctor who prefers to be in a drunken stupor most of the time. Jess appears out of nowhere with a cryptic message about his late wife, Jen. It's a bit confusing to understand at the beginning but it sets the tone. Jess has an urgent agenda that can only be completed with Nic in full control of his faculties which means she has to insinuate herself into his life more than she's already done so. Despite his apprehension, he's desperate to cling to anything that can help him understand what happened to Jen. Jess' motives are revealed in brief snatches but we are given enough to know that someone else is pulling the strings and she has much at stake. It's impossible not to get emotionally wrapped up in Nic's grief or Jess' distress. There is a sinister undertone thanks to some gruesome elements, and the more they uncover about Jen, the more dire their situation becomes. 

"This man, for all his brokenness, was a healer."

~ A Change of Heart, p.95

Nic and Jess are hugely complex individuals yet these two who are so broken develop this strange synergy between them. Somehow they get through to each other and as unlikely as that is, I liked their impact on each other. While Nic and Jess run hot and cold, there's police officer, Rahul, who serves as the story's moral compass. As someone investigating Jen's death, he's the one shining beacon of integrity in this entire story. 

I couldn't have imagined how much I'd love A Change of Heart and I promise you that you will run the gamut of emotions as you read it. You'll also be amazed by how cleverly the details are ultimately woven together. I clung to every word and felt all the anticipation and frenzy as it reached its climax. Dev writes emotions into something that I can see and even now months later I find myself thinking back to particular scenes. This is certain to be my first of many Sonali Dev books that I will read. 

~ Bel

Note: I didn't realize until I was done that this is the third book in Dev's Bollywood Series and I'm happy to say that it can be read as a standalone. The fourth book, A Distant Heart releases in December.

Pounding Skin by L.A. Witt

***1/2

A Skin Deep, Inc. Novel

Fighter pilot Jon Russell never sleeps with the same man twice. Known for his lack of shame when it comes to hooking up, Jon has no interest in commitment—even friends with benefits sounds like too much work.

Matt Huffman has slept with lots of women. He’s had loads of girlfriends. So why does the hot as hell pilot getting a tattoo as the result of a lost bet stop his breath? And how come he can’t stop thinking about him, even after he’s gone?

When Jon returns to Skin Deep the second time, he doesn’t want another tattoo. He wants to hook up with the gorgeous artist he spent hours agonizingly close to, and Matt wants to explore some curiosity about men. Fulfill the desire he can’t stop fantasizing over. And he wants to do it with Jon.

As their casual hook up becomes more than just skin deep, both Matt and Jon are faced with questions they don’t want to answer. Matt understands he’s bi—but are these feelings he has typical of hooking up with a man? Or is it only Jon that can make his heart pound? If Jon wanted nothing more than a fling, why does he find himself needing not just Matt’s body, but all of him? And can their relationship withstand the hardships that makes Jon avoid them in the first place?

The Skin Deep, Inc books can be read in any order—come enter a world where gorgeous tattoo artists and hot Navy men find passion, pleasure, and a happily ever after together.

Source:  advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second in the Skin Deep series (the first book was Back Piece - check out our review here).  Matt works for Colin (from Back Piece) and recently had an experience that makes him think he's bi.  When Jon comes in for a tattoo, bisexuality is pretty much confirmed.  Jon's a promiscuous navy pilot who has to get a tattoo after losing a bet.  He's on board for a hook up with the sexy tattoo artist, but the pick up doesn't really go as planned since Matt hasn't come to terms with his sexuality.  

After some awkwardness, the two hook-up and keep hooking up.  These two have some super hot sexy times, sometimes involving navy uniforms...  Despite the fact that the two are clearly in a relationship, Jon (who initiates a lot of the relationship behavior) still can't admit they are in a relationship.  This, of course, causes problems, which leads to drama and angst. 

If you've read an L.A. Witt book,  then you know that after the angst comes the happily ever after and Pounding Skin is no exception.  Matt and Jon get their collective heads out of their asses and figure their shit out.  And of course, we're all set for the next Skin Deep book by the end of this one.  Book 3, Cover Up releases this fall and looks to be pretty entertaining.  

If you like sexy soldiers and/or m/m books, check out Pounding Skin.  You won't regret it!

~Shel