Interesting premise. Poor execution. Mostly skim read. Main heroine is two dimensional. Everyone else is a stick figure.

In this book, the heroine is the CEO of her successful company, which helps people with their relationship breakups. Focusing on her business and her romantic relationship, the heroine had also been dealing with her grief over the loss of her late parents. Then a magazine image misrepresentation makes her aware of her own obliviousness of her heritage, with her childhood spent focusing on the good life and not associating with her ethnic community. The appearance of the hero with his own breakup request gave the heroine a chance to learn more about her heritage as well as give her the time to contemplate her own personal life. After everything she learns from this experience, the heroine has a lot to think about.

This is the first Sonya Singh book that I've read. This book is told from the viewpoint of the heroine, but it would have been appreciated if there were a few chapters from the hero's viewpoint added to it. This book straddled a gray area of relationship status quo that would make some readers not appreciate it, but in this story, I was ambivalent about. I liked the found family that the heroine surrounded herself with, and the hero's likable family were relatable. There were some relationship queries at the beginning of each chapter, which were interesting to read. Overall, it was a nice book that could be better if it was longer.

** Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions and thoughts in the review are my own. ** ( )

This had a lot of the same problems as "The Paid Bridesmaid" by Sariah Wilson. The writing here was much more engaging, though, and the sole focus wasn't the romantic interest. There was a ton of other stuff that happened in the book. Another reviewer noted how much this book is not at all about a woman discovering her heritage after being separated from it, and how the book insults those who are diaspora. I am phrasing this very poorly, and I take full responsibility. No, this is a Bollywood musical in book form. A woman who's never danced Indian dances before really is suddenly amazing after a few hours. She's invited to dance right away at a wedding. Her sari fits perfectly and she finds it instantly. She comes off as a Mary Sue. This is a poorly done Enemies to Lovers, a trope I hate anyway. The girlfriend of the romantic interest is conveniently cheating on him so the two leads can get together guilt-free. It's insta-love and I was disgusted. Somehow, in this book, my dislike of insta-love hit harder than usual..

A person can -start- to rediscover their heritage in a week. It might not be at a wedding, and probably wouldn't be around the wedding, if that makes sense. This book had everything on fast-forward. I wanted to see her process! I did not get to! I wanted a much richer, more well-rounded book about self-discovery and moving through the world differently. The romance wasn't well-developed at all. It could have been. Lame choices, author. The parents were stereotypes; obsessed with their kids getting married. Interracial relationships were disdained, but in an odd manner. I felt cheated out of a lot of explanations, history, geography, and emotions that could have enriched the book. It would have been such a different story had the author actually done what the synopsis said. I liked the realistic breakdown of the lead's relationship with her white boyfriend. -He- was realistic, and an asshole. She was realistic in reacting to him. I believed -that.- The letters to the agency were outlandish and stupid. At first, they were charming chapter transitions and openers, and sometimes fun, but it wore thin quick. When the book finally ended, I rolled my eyes. I loved the descriptions of the clothing and makeup, though. ( )

I couldn’t resist the book from the name alone, and the premise sounded entertaining. Manny Dogra, CEO of “Breakup” a successful company that encourages people to be honest with their relationships, has never learned much about her South Asian heritage. She’s Indian-American but even her American fiancé and his family downplay her ethnicity. She goes to an Indian wedding with a client, pretending to be his girlfriend in exchange for him giving her a weeklong crash course in Indian traditions, food, music, clothing, language, etc. Her recently deceased Indian-born parents never taught her about her Indian culture, and even though she has Indian-American friends, the weeklong immersion in family and heritage helps Manny find out who she really is.

Against the backdrop of an over-the-top Indian Bollywood wedding, this debut rom-com includes breakups and makeups, misunderstandings, family drama, love/hate attraction, and an identity crisis.

I thought this was a better than average rom-com, and I appreciated the growth of main character Manny as she discovers who she really is. She learns to listen to her heart instead of the workaholic persona she has created to help her deal with the loss of her parents. Being with her client’s large Indian family shows her what she’s missed as an only child in a three-person household without any cultural roots. She finally recognizes that love equals family, as she tells her client (who of course she has fallen in love with): “Being out here with you made me realize that love is more than that. It’s about family, friends, making each other laugh and smile, and being there for each other. You don’t get into relationships because you feel lonely or feel like you have nothing outside of work anymore. I love my company and what I do, but there is way more to love than that, and you’ve showed me that. I have a lot to think about when I get home.”

That’s not the end, because there is still a misunderstanding to clear up, a family secret to be revealed, a declaration of love, apologies, a wedding proposal, and a happy ever after (of course)! ( )

I received a copy of this book for free as part of a read along.

This was such a simple and sweet story!

I loved the premise of the story. I love stories about women reconnecting with their heritage and roots, so naturally liked this. I enjoyed learning more about Indian culture, especially their wedding customs. I also liked that the book explored being “white-washed” and how it can make people feel disconnected towards their culture.

The book is a very light and easy read. The prose flows nicely and the chapters are short which makes reading a breeze. The beginning of each chapter includes an email from a client that added a consistent touch of humor throughout the book.

However, the book is very heavy on instalove. The characters fell in love after only knowing each other for a week which did not feel realistic. Also, Manny’s company, Breakup, did not seem like a viable company (it was an interesting concept but I don’t think that many people want to breakup via email). But this book is a romantic comedy so some suspension of disbelief is needed.

Overall, despite a few flaws, I still enjoyed this debut novel and am looking forward to seeing what else the author publishes in the future. If you’re looking for an entertaining romance with some Indian culture woven throughout, consider picking this one up! ( )