The Emma Project (The Rajes #4) by Sonali Dev

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Emma gets a fresh Indian-American twist from award-winning author Sonali Dev in her heartwarmingly irresistible Jane Austen inspired rom com series.

No one can call Vansh Raje’s life anything but charmed. Handsome—Vogue has declared him California’s hottest single—and rich enough to spend all his time on missions to make the world a better place. Add to that a doting family and a contagiously sunny disposition and Vansh has made it halfway through his twenties without ever facing anything to throw him off his admittedly spectacular game.

A couple years from turning forty, Knightlina (Naina) Kohli has just gotten out of a ten-year-long fake relationship with Vansh’s brother and wants only one thing from her life…fine, two things. One, to have nothing to do with the unfairly blessed Raje family ever again. Two, to bring economic independence to millions of women in South Asia through her microfinance foundation and prove her father wrong about, well, everything.

Just when Naina’s dream is about to come to fruition, Vansh Raje shows up with his misguided Emma Project... And suddenly she’s fighting him for funding and wondering if a friends-with-benefits arrangement that’s as toe-curlingly hot as it is fun is worth risking her life’s work for.

Source: NetGalley; advance copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review

I am declaring this fourth installment in The Rajes series as my favorite! Why? Because Vansh and Naina make excellent adversaries-turned-something-more in The Emma Project. 

Yes, Vansh has a magnetic personality that attracts people but he also makes them feel safe and heard. When you look past the Raje family legacy and the looks, there is an authentic soul in that body. He's someone who's strived to prove himself beyond the Raje name to find his life's purpose. Naina is not quite charismatic nor does she care to be. At the moment she's still dealing with the fallout from the revelation of her fake relationship with Yash. The press feels sorry for her, the Raje family are all but giving her the cold shoulder thinking that it was she who manipulated Yash all these years. None of those problems compare to what is currently her biggest problem which is working with a finicky benefactor who revels in power trips. Naina's had to deal with difficult men all her life, her father being the worst of all. She has a strained relationship with her parents, especially her father who's disappointed he never had a son, and who is only ever worried about his status in the community. He's essentially a bully to her and her mother, and her mother has never fought back. Now she's facing another man who wishes the pull the strings as far as her life's work is concerned. The last thing Naina wants to do is allow even an inch of space for Vansh to step in and take away her access to funding. But when it looks like there's no other option, she grudgingly agrees to work with Vansh to share the funding and hopefully out-maneuver their patron. 

Out of all the Rajes novels, I consider The Emma Project to be most like a rom-com and it's definitely due to Vansh's personality and Naina's often biting retorts to his attempts at charming his way through things. He's irresistible and is quick with the one-liners as well. I think I enjoyed this best of all because their chemistry ignites from the word "go", which made me realize that it's been a while since I've felt that kind of spark in the characters I've read recently. This is friends-to-lovers or better yet, frenemies-to-lovers with Naina obviously viewing Vansh as her competition in acquiring the financing she needs for her project.

Romance aside, there's also a good amount of time spent on how women are viewed and how Naina's had to overcome both her father's disappointment in not having a son, and his ambitious desire to have his daughter married off to a family that can elevate his standing, and specifically his ego. She has grown up in a household where women are torn down and stripped of their own desires. She saw the maltreatment her mother silently accepted. Naina has refused to be that kind of person. She wants to be a stronger woman who doesn't need a man at her side because a man would only demand she give up what she loves. But her father has also demonstrated how men behave and she's learned her lesson well, using that to work around her oftentimes misogynistic benefactor.

It was an absolute joy to read The Emma Project and I'm still smiling about it. Sonali Dev gives you heart and soul in her storytelling and it's been a privilege getting to know The Rajes. I'm glad this series is ending on such a high note!

~ Bel

Roommate by Sarina Bowen Review Tour

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Wanted: One roommate to share a 3-bedroom house, split the rent, and ideally not be the guy I can’t stop thinking about.

I’m a man with too many secrets, so the last thing I need is a new roommate with a sexy smile and blue eyes that see right through me. Eight years ago, Roderick left town after high school. We’re not friends. I owe him nothing. But back then, I let one of my secrets slip, and he’s the only one who noticed.

Part of me knows I should run far, far away. But the other part wants him to come upstairs and spend the night. But if I let him in, I could lose everything.

Seeking: A room to rent in town. I’m tidy, have no pets, and I will feed you homemade bread.

I should probably add: Gay AF, and has no filter. It’s no wonder my new landlord is so wary of me.

A smarter man would ignore those hot glances from Kieran Shipley. The broody lumberjack wants more from me than another homemade pretzel, but if I push my luck, I’ll end up back on the street.
Too bad I’ve never been smart with my heart ...

Source: advance ebook provided in exchange for an honest review

It genuinely feels like a long-awaited homecoming reading a book that’s set in Sarina Bowen’s True North universe. It was fun to be reacquainted with the Shipleys and branch out to the extended members of the family.  

Roommate is such a tender story of two people finding in the other what’s been missing in their lives. For Kieran who has remained in the small Vermont town of Colebury all his life, it’s the chance to finally explore his sexuality and curiosity. For Roderick, he learns what a healthy relationship should be. His return to Vermont has been anything but happy. He abruptly left an abusive relationship on the other side of the country, drove all the way back home only to be turned away by his parents because they can't accept that he's gay. Roderick may be broke, jobless and homeless but has enough self-worth to refuse to renounce who he is. Luckily, he lands a job at the Busy Bean, Audrey Shipley's and Zara's cafe, where his baking skills will come in handy. At least one thing is looking up for him. Kieran sees it differently, though.

Kieran recognizes Roderick as soon as he shows up. Roderick was out in high school which fascinated the quiet, man-of-few words. He's not exactly comfortable knowing that Roderick will be working alongside him at the Busy Bean, not because he's gay, but because his presence brings back forgotten memories and confusing thoughts. Roderick mistakes Kieran's quietness for dislike which is the opposite of what Kieran feels. Anyway, events transpire in such as way that they end up as roommates which leads to the kind of intimacy that's long been simmering.  Kieran's hardly dated in the last couple of years because he hasn't been interested. Around Roderick, however, his imagination comes to life, and as much as it's a bad idea to get sidetracked from his goals, that pull is just too strong.

Same goes for Roderick who's desperately trying to establish new habits so he won't find himself in the kind of mess that landed him back in Vermont. But Kieran is irresistible. His steadiness, his calmness, his reliability, the way he treats Roderick so respectfully, speaks to him. The sexual tension that's been steadily building leads to the inevitable. What becomes tricky from here on is that Kieran is still new to all this and hasn't come out. He's not ashamed just private. Roderick knowing this is slightly hesitant to let his heart get deeper into whatever it is they have but he's never been one to make the wise, selfless decisions. He's a goner, for sure.

The best quote to describe their respective journeys comes from Roderick - “We’re walking different parts of the same path.” It's such a wise and sympathetic perspective to have, and recognize how much Kieran's struggling with coming out because of his complicated family dynamics. It's also a universal truth that people ultimately arrive at their place of acceptance and contentment in their own way. Yeah, that line made me feel all sorts of sappy, in a good way, of course.

Reading Roommate was easy. Bowen has a smooth way of conveying earnest stories that get to the center of you. Revisiting with the Shipleys and absorbing their joyful vibes is like the best medicine. The family gatherings are always comforting. Bowen also adds a vital piece of detail to Kieran's backstory towards the end that upends all the years of secrecy and lack of communication, and hopefully leads to reconciliation. Kieran and Roderick's story is everything I love about her stories in the True North world - family, hope and new beginnings. Fans will definitely not be disappointed.

~ Bel

Click here to read an excerpt from Roommate! 

Did I Mention I Miss You? (DIMILY #3) by Estelle Maskame

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Eden’s on her way back to Santa Monica for the summer, and she hasn't seen Tyler since the devastating fallout of their forbidden relationship. Eden claims to have moved on—but Tyler wants to rekindle the flame.

He convinces Eden to visit his new home in Portland, Oregon, where he has set up a center for troubled teens. Eden’s proud of what he’s built, but the last time they were together, it nearly destroyed Eden and their family. Then a tragedy draws them together, and Eden must search her heart and decide if Tyler is worth the risk once and for all. 

Source: e-galley provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review


I can't define exactly what it is about this series that I latched onto. Maybe I'm intrigued by for forbidden lovers. Or there's something about these characters worth getting to know. Or I want to see the underdog ultimately prove their detractors wrong. All of these things. So now when it comes down to the third and final installment, it's anyone's guess as to how it goes down.

After you-know-what hit the fan at the end of the last book, DIMINY? Tyler went MIA leaving a stunned Eden to deal with the fallout alone. Her friends are confused, her step-brother despises them but what's worst of all is that her already strained relationship with her father has hit rock bottom. Home for the summer after a year away at college, Eden feels like an unwelcome guest back in his house. She never heard from Tyler so with the radio silence she's had this entire past year for all the anger, hurt and disappointment to fester. Then he unexpectedly returns, completely oblivious to the hell she and their family have been through. So of course, her stepmother declares that this is the perfect time to go on a family vacation. You can guess how that goes. During the trip, Tyler does what he can to make amends with the people he has wronged, most importantly, Eden. While the trip may soften her anger, she's still hurt and can't trust that he won't disappear again.

Let's start with the ugly bits. The toughest aspect of DIMIMY? is that everyone's emotions are in turmoil. Eden, her father and her step-brother are downright hostile towards each other and it's nasty. There are not too many fun interactions when the family is involved and it's stressful. On the flip side, my favourite part of the story is Tyler's growth. He's been busy while he's been away and it's nice that his narrative develops in a positive direction. Eden I felt was a little stunted initially but considering circumstances she can't be blamed for that. Still I did feel that it took Tyler coming back for her to find some gumption. And even then, I wasn't entirely sold on the ending. Don't get me wrong - I liked parts of it. Just not all of it.

DIMINY? caps off a fun trilogy. Like all the other fans, I've been in knots waiting in suspense to see how things turn out for our troubled young couple. Of the three books, I still think that the first one, Did I Mention I Love You? is the one I like the best. I think most readers will be happy with how things are eventually settled because, hey, everyone wants that HEA. None more so than Eden and Tyler. 

~ Bel