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.

Hard Hitter (Brooklyn Bruisers #2) by Sarina Bowen

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He’s a fighter in the rink, but he’s about to learn that playing nice can help you score... 

As team captain and enforcer, Patrick O'Doul puts the bruise in the Brooklyn Bruisers. But after years of hard hits, O'Doul is feeling the burn, both physically and mentally. He conceals his pain from his coach and trainers, but when his chronic hip injury becomes too obvious to ignore, they send him for sessions with the team’s massage therapist.

After breaking up with her long-term boyfriend, Ari Bettini is in need of peace of mind. For now, she’s decided to focus on her work: rehabilitating the Bruisers’ MVP. O'Doul is easy on the eyes, but his reaction to her touch is ice cold. Ari is determined to help O'Doul heal, but as the tension between them turns red hot, they both learn that a little TLC does the body good...


*Source: advance e-galley from publisher provided in exchange for an honest review


It's been a bit of a tough week and I wanted to throw myself into something that's familiar, so that would be a world of hot hockey players who are aggressive on the ice and surprisingly sensitive off the ice.

Patrick has always put himself through the wringer during all their games. That's his role - to take the hits without complaints. But after years of being roughed up, his body needs some tlc. In comes, Ari, the team's well-respected yoga instructor and massage therapist. Patrick is forced to see her as part of his rehabilitation but it unnerves him to have anyone touch him. It confuses Ari but she's willing to work patiently with him to help him get better. Spending time with each other is what they need. He's not used to companionship and she could use a friend after a disastrous break up with her shady boyfriend. Unfortunately, things get complicated between them thanks to the ex-boyfriend whose interference could unravel their relationship and careers.

What can I say? I'd be hard-pressed to come across a Sarina Bowen book I didn't like. In Hard Hitter, I enjoyed seeing Ari work to reclaim herself after being in a long-term relationship, and an unhealthy one at that. She faltered a bit but I had to admire her for the courage it took to stand up for herself. Once again, kudos to Bowen for addressing a sensitive issue with such finesse. And Patrick? It's different to see someone who's such an alpha morph in to this sensitive, wannabe boyfriend seeking out romantic advice from his teammates. Really! They're funny! And of course, the sexy times are as scorching-hot as ever which include some fun props ...ahem...massage table.

Hard Hitter is an excellent follow-up to Rookie Move. Aside from Ari and Patrick, there are a couple other subplots of interest in the background that I got excited about. This sports romance has it all - the good guy, the bad guy, the tough girl, best friends, laughs and lots of heat.

~ Bel

The Pursuit of Mary Bennet by Pamela Mingle

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A tale of love and marriage, society balls and courtship, class and a touch of scandal, Pamela Mingle's The Pursuit of Mary Bennet is a fresh take on one of the most beloved novels of all time, Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.

Growing up with four extraordinary sisters—beautiful and confident Jane and Elizabeth, and flirtatious and lighthearted Lydia and Kitty—wasn't easy for an awkward bookworm like Mary Bennet. But with nearly all of her sisters married and gone from the household, the unrefined Mary has transformed into an attractive and eligible young woman in her own right.

When another scandal involving Lydia and Wickham threatens the Bennet house, Mary and Kitty are packed off to visit Jane and her husband, Charles Bingley, where they meet the dashing Henry Walsh. Eager and naïve, Mary is confused by Henry's attentions, even as she finds herself drawing closer to him. Could this really be love—or the notions of a foolish girl unschooled in the art of romance and flirtation?

I’ll make a confession here: I’ve never read Pride & Prejudice all the way through BUT I have seen the series with the charming Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy. Does that count? Anyway, I mention this because not having read P & P, I wondered if that would hinder me at all when I tackled The Pursuit of Mary Bennet.

If you’re looking for a sequel, this is certainly not it. Instead, Mingle has decided to write a story about the one sister we hardly know anything about. It seems daunting but I think Mingle steps up to the challenge nicely. Rather than mimic Jane Austen’s writing, she has planted Mary as the narrator, giving her her own distinct voice.  What we end up with is a lovely story about a sister once so easily disregarded by her family who steps out into the spotlight.

What surprised me most as I read Pursuit is how funny it is. Mary is essentially a girl after my own heart. She has a wry sense of humor, can be sarcastic and often times a bit too blunt. I love her! Her personality stands in sharp contrast to her sisters and other women of the time. To be honest, she would fit in easily with today’s crowd. And her older two sisters notice this change in her. Both Elizabeth and Jane admit to having ignored her for the most part and acknowledge that she is becoming a very smart and “well-mannered” young woman. They try to protect her from their family's scandals - though she is strong enough to handle them - and also encourage a potential courtship between her and Henry Walsh.

Her meetings with Henry are funny. They obviously like each other though customs of that time period forbid them from coming right out and saying it. That’s annoying. But Mary muddles through because she has plenty other things on her mind such as the mess that her sister Lydia has landed herself in. As with P & P, of course there are hiccups and misunderstandings that lead to a few tears and chaos. But as with P & P, things do turn around for the better.

I enjoyed reading The Pursuit of Mary Bennet very much. I went it to it with an open mind and returned with a particular fondness for Mary and her brand of girl power.

~ Bel