Review: The Wedding Setup by Sonali Dev

 

From USA Today bestselling author Sonali Dev comes a heartfelt short story about one woman’s journey of self-discovery and what it means to be happy.

Ayesha Shetty lost her brother seven years ago, the same time she lost everything else important to her: her dreams, her fierce independence, and the man she loved. Not wanting to see her mother hurt anymore, she put her wild self away and became the dutiful daughter her mother needed and took on her brother’s role in the family business.

Now her best friend’s big, fat Indian wedding is a chance to get away from her endless duties at the restaurant and maybe even have some fun (if she remembers how). But a setup arranged by her mother, with a doctor no less, is the last thing she needs. The fact that he checks all her mother’s boxes just makes everything better…and worse.

Then Emmitt Hughes shows up. Her brother’s best friend. The love she once chose over family duties and her responsibilities. The one she asked to leave, and who did. The one who knows the real Ayesha. Torn between a love from the past that could cost her the only person she has left and her sense of obligation to her mother, will Ayesha find the strength to stop thinking about what everyone else wants and finally put herself first? Or is the old Ayesha truly gone for good? ~ Goodreads

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📚Ayesha's spirited personality and dreams of being an author have been pushed aside since the death of her brother, Ajay. Instead, she works side by side with her Amma at their family restaurant - no longer engaging in their infamous fights - but living a life where she tries to be the perfect, dutiful Indian daughter to replace her brother and live out his dreams.

This doesn't leave time for dating or building a fmaily, something her mother begins to push aggressively. Ayesha doesn't have time for romance with all the work she's putting in but, again, just wants to keep her mother happy, and agrees to be set up with an OBGYN at her best friends wedding. 

She meets the good Dr (which leads to a lot of funny moments with her bff and Aunties) but is instantly thrown back in time when her ex, Emmitt Hughes, also shows up a the wedding. He's stunned at how broken she seems now. She's no longer the spirited woman he knew and he tries to help her find her way back. 

💖Despite this being a super short novella, I totally bought in to Ayesha and Emmitt's love. You could just sense how much they loved and still longed for each other. This was a really sweet second chance romance with a little bit of steaminess.

📚The real heart of this story is Ayesha and her mother though. They had a fiery relationship when she was younger,  Ayesha was always fighting against rules and tradition. Now they have perfectly, normal civil conversations, yet Amma always seems angry with her or wanting more than Ayesha can give anyway.

Through her encounter with Emmitt, Ayesha sees that placating her mother might not even be what Amma wants from her and this leads them to having a frank discussion about all the things they've been ignoring since Ajay's death. 

😒Some of it is chalked up to miscommunication or misinterpreting intent but I felt like the mom was gaslighting Ayesha on more than one occasion. Even while meaning well, she said very mean things to Ayesha. Not intentionally and not with malicious intent, but due to the novella length, this was wrapped up fairly quickly and glossed over. I was still happy with it because relationships are hard and grief is even harder. The love and respect was still there. They are good people and on the path to something healthier.

Overall: If you're feeling a bit book slump-ish or looking for a quick read - the Wedding Setup should fit the bill. It's short but runs through all the emotions with a satisfying end with an adorable romance. Although I wouldn't have hated a quick epilogue 😜