Cover Image: The Legal Affair

The Legal Affair

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Member Reviews

It was her blinding confidence, and a woman that confident pressed all his buttons.

Before you start this one, you'll want to read the first in the series (The Takeover Effect) as this picks up right where that one left off. The Singh family company, Bharat Inc., is still dealing with the fallout of some corporate espionage from WTA, a business trying to do a hostile buyout takeover. Ajay is the middle Singh brother and the one picked to takeover as CEO of Bharat when his father retires, which is soon. He's seen as more easygoing but with his new responsibilities, he's confidently stepping up to the plate. When he meets Rajneet Kaur Hothi at a Gen One Foundation gala, he's instantly drawn to her. Raj is bestfriends with Ajay's older brother Hem's girlfriend Mina (book 1) but also the one who alerted them to the corporate espionage that could have lost them the company because Raj's soon-to-be ex-husband Robert was the leak. Ajay's younger brother Zail blames Raj for getting one of their coders fired, a woman he seems to be in love with, and threatens to pull his support for Ajay's nomination to CEO if Ajay pursues a working relationship with Raj. If you couldn't tell, the Singh Family series is full of high-stakes family and business drama.

“Soni,” he said, knowing that the Punjabi word for beautiful fit her more perfectly than any English endearment could.

You're going to have to like some corporate world drama to like this series, it's about half of the story. I like how it gives the setting a sleek contemporary feel with high-level drama with all the power and money at stake. It also gives our characters something to do and provides a way for all our characters to interact. Raj was a fantastic strong character and I loved how it started off showing her arriving in America alone at eighteen, getting scammed, having to take those first steps alone, and then thriving and in charge with her own security business, RKH Collective. Her relationship with Robert is already on the outs when readers come in, remember he was part of the corporate espionage in book one, and they are getting a divorce. It also helps to put that relationship in the distance when Raj discusses how it was more of a partnership where they both benefited from each other's business connections, instead of a romance. This is also an Avon Impulse, so it leans more on the steamy side and my oh my is there a couple hot scenes in this. Raj owns her sexuality and a membership at an exclusive club, which leads to a possessive Ajay and some voyeurism.

Ajay grinned as he rolled his sleeves to his elbows. “You’ve made things more interesting since you’ve showed up, Rajneet Kaur Hothi. I’ll give you that.”

Ajay wasn't quite as captivating a character as Raj, he gets shadowed a lot by the business plot and I missed more scenes with his brothers, we get some battles with him and Zail over Raj but I wanted more of their loving bond. Raj has a little bit of her own family drama, we get introduced to her brother Guru, who turned her family against her when she refused to want to associate with their opium drug trading business or go back to Punjab and marry who they wanted. I liked the filling out of her character with this background but Guru just kind of hangs around getting ignored by Raj and then just leaves? The ending to Raj not going back to see her sick mother felt dropped off/open ended enough to feel very dissatisfying. Maybe Guru will show up in a spin-off series? Raj's family servant Kaka also didn't get enough scenes with her to solidify or satisfy me with the bond that could have provided some great emotions. The family connections laid out in the first book were there but not strengthen with emotional scenes in this one for me.

He grinned, pulling her close. “Soni, basa tusi itaraza karo.” Just you wait.

By 50% Ajay seems to already be all-in with Raj, he says a couple lines that allude to her being it for him and then at 60% when Raj gets scared, Ajay says she has to be the one to start things back up. Their separation doesn't last long and then they're working together again as Raj decides selling her business to Ajay will help him secure CEO and she can focus more on philanthropy work, which she has always wanted to do. The espionage is revealed to not quite be over as wrongly identified and yet to be identified moles are still a problem for Bharat, Inc. Raj takes care of business though, when her ex-husband, with some help from some of those Bharat, Inc. problems, gets a hit piece published on her. It was great how she handled it but also put Ajay more in the shadows as his character and their romance didn't shine as bright.

This was a glossy contemporary that had a lot of corporate espionage and a quick but steamy romance. The younger brother Zail looks to have some groveling to do with the misidentified mole and their cousin Bhram seems to have a tumultuous relationship with Ajay's assistant Rafael, the Singh family looks to have plenty of family, romance, and business drama on the horizon.

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A must read if you enjoyed the first. However, I would not recommend it unless you've read the first. It will be hard to follow otherwise. Loved the recurring characters.

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I really enjoyed this. The main characters Raj and Ajay are well-matched in strength and sensuality. Their affair, amidst messy corporate and personal upheavals, is full of passion and fascinating to read. The story is fast-paced and dramatic with twists and turns happening at breathtaking speed. Add the seamless integration of Punjabi culture, strong family ties, and super-tight friendships for a winning formula in my estimation.

My first book by Ms. Sharma. Absolutely looking forward to the next

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As someone who is within weeks of graduating law school, I can confirm that I love me a legal romance, especially when it’s done right. I can confirm that this one was done right. There is just something about a lawyer love interest that is so sexy to me. I’m obsessed with this cover as well. Love the classy yet sexy vibes. I definitely recommend this one if you like a little bit of legal action in your romance

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This is a delicious enemies to lovers with the added bonus of having diverse protagonists. This is always a plus to me, especially when an author takes great care in representing saud culture. Definitely recommend this book!

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Another yummy book by Nisha Sharma! She really understands how people interact and try their hardest not to hurt each other. I love the family dynamics and can't wait for the next book in this series!

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This is a standalone book, second in the Singh family series. It is a fast paced enemies-to-lovers romance that completely pulled me in and scratched every itch. The story begins with the heroine leaving a marriage of convenience after her husband betrayed her in a way that put her business at risk. The heroine must admit to one of her clients that her company was complicit in activity that may have harmed them, and of course offer to fix the ensuing problems. Though their introduction does not inspire warm feelings, the two leaders in business are immediately attracted to each other. Working closely to reveal a problem at work only intensifies the heat, and it is wonderful to see these smart, capable adversaries learn to trust and rely on each other. I had zero complaints about this story and will forever pick up Nisha Sharma;s contemporary romances.

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Personally, I am always apprehensive when picking up books with Indian characters because many times the author either overwhelms us with cultural references, waters down the culture to make it more digestible for others, only focuses on the stereotypical aspects of the culture that aren't even relevant or common in this day and age, or uses stereotypes to bring humor into the story. I am not ok with any of those things. However, I was very pleased with the way Sharma brought diversity and Indian characters to this genre. Seeing successful people who are like me and look like me all while getting their happy ending made me very happy. It had the perfect amount of culture and normalized everything that other authors would have watered down or dramatized.

I was routing for Raj and Ajay throughout the book. I am so glad that Sharma didn't make both of them the stern and jaded, boring but sexy businesspeople main characters that we tend to see in Bollywood movies. Both had actual personalities and were unique and sweet characters to read. The chemistry between them was developed naturally and was sizzling all the way through. Ajay is officially one of my favorite book heroes. I need an Indian man like him in my life right now. He was sweet and kind but also stood up for himself and the things that mattered to him. Raj was very relatable and a very nice main character to read. I felt bad for all the things that both the characters were going through because of Raj's douche of an ex-husband.

This was my first Sharma and I will definitely be picking up more of her books.

- 4 stars -

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for providing me an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

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Billionaires are a whole genre in romance and we could chat all day about why, etc. And while it was great to see some non-white billionaire living it up, the unobstructed wealth in this book made it a tough read to enjoy while I’m hunkered down in quarantine and am probably one of the people who would be helped by the characters’ own charity balls that are featured in the novel.
The sex scenes were as explicit as the characters were wealthy and there was something almost cartoonishly over the top about them.
But Nisha Sharma is definitely a wonderful writer and I love reading her voice and point of view through her work.

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We've decided not to review this due to the author's involvement in inserting themselves in bloggers own spaces. We are not comfortable with authors that subtweet bloggers and in the future would expect more professionalism.

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Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for giving me a copy to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own

4 Stars
I am always hesitant to read a book with Indian character's, I think it has a lot to do with most of the time when I have read these, they are filled with stereotypes, and the "ethnic" aspect is watered down to appeal to non-South Asian audience. This aspect has really bothered me about contemporary romances that have South Asian characters. Suffice to say that Nisha Sharma did an absolutely amazing job with crafting her character's in a way that made them just like any other White character, their ethnicity was not a part of the plot but instead, it was written in a way that normalized South Asian's leading normal(ish) lives (THE DRAMA). but for the most part, I loved seeing this type of representation and it is something that needs to be in abundance in romance.

This was my first Nisha Sharma book and I am so glad that I requested it. I loved seeing the nuances, the smaller details, and the context from someone who has had similar cultural experiences. What I loved about this was that the two characters are both likeable, usually, I end up liking more one than the other but in this case, I was rooting for both Raj and Ajay the entire time.

'Raj' or Rajneet is a woman who is looking for a fresh start, she is towards the end of her divorce and she just wants to leave her past and move on, during this time she meets Ajay who is about to take over as CEO of their family empire. You learn that Raj's ex-husband (who I think is the biggest prick) screwed both of them over and started a business war.

I loved Raj as a character because she was so badass and defied the norm of what a South Asian woman should be like, she possessed both strength and a genuine vulnerability at times that I really admired. Ajay, Ajay has now become one of my favorite heroes in romance, he is such a genuine and endearing soul, yet isn't a pushover in the slightest and does stand up for himself in times that need it. And the chemistry between them is electric from their first interaction and their banter is so witty and entertaining, also its super-steamy and you can just feel the tension between these two. I found their relationship to be very healthy and supportive.

I will definitely be going back to read the first one and I can't wait for the next book in this series. Which I am hoping is about Zail because I love a good redemption story.

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To show how good this book was, I immediately bought and read Book 1 of the Singh Family Trilogy. WOW! It was that good!

When I began The Legal Affair the whole world of corporate business was brand new to me and I was focused on the business aspects of the book, but quickly, I was pulled into the main characters' lives and their relationships, not only their romantic relationships, but their family relationships. The main characters were so likeable that I wished I could enter their world. I loved the passion and warmth of the Singh family.

I have always had a deep respect and admiration for South East Asian culture, and this book exemplified that rich culture, but reading this allowed me to feel that I was part of it. To go "behind the scenes." Beyond the traditions, I observed passionate relationships and felt the angst and pain that comes to people who straddle two cultures.

Raj and Ajay's relationship is not a slow burn, but the passion was palpable from their first meeting. And it kept getting better and better, but it was believable.

I am looking forward to reading book 3 of the trilogy.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."
# TheLegalAffair #NetGalley

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This book was smart, sexy and full of family and culture. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved being immersed in a culture so different from my own, learning about customs and food... gah, the food! And yet the story is universal, what we want in love and how we want to be loved and respected. Wonderful!

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I didn’t really care for this book. There are a few reasons, some of which are completely my fault. The book features Indian characters and Indian traditions. I am ignorant of those things, a problem that falls on me, and not the author. It would have been helpful to me if the author had described any number of references or things that were Indian. But again, that is my fault for not being well-versed in such things. As an “Ignorant American” I would have appreciated the author giving just a little aside about various words and such. Again, a personal problem. I’m afraid that I also felt a little lost with the characters and setting, as well, though. This was due to the book being the second in a series. While I did get the general idea of things eventually, I felt a bit at sea for a while and would have liked some more explanation. Another thing that bothered me was the main character, Rajneet. I’m sure that many readers found her strong and determined. I kept feeling as though she was just arrogant. I liked Ajay so much more. He seemed like a well-rounded guy, and not nearly as success- and money-oriented as Raj. And while I think it’s far beyond time that authors of color are given the same opportunities afforded to white authors, and that stories featuring a wide variety of ethnicities is wonderful, I don’t think I’ll be continuing with this particular author.
Note: I was provided with a copy of this book by NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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Sadly had to DNF this one at 24%. The characters, storyline, and romance just didn’t do it for me. I couldn’t get a feel for the characters enough to care for them.

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I was really hoping this book would hook me, because on paper the main characters are my cup of very strong tea. Unfortunately I ended up not finishing before the halfway mark simply because I wasn’t getting into the story enough. I can’t put my finger on exactly what was missing for me, but it felt like work to keep reading. I’m sure there are people this title will work for, but I unfortunately am not one of them.

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I generally hate walking into the middle of a series, but dang if Nisha Sharma didn't just change all of that for me. The Legal Affair is the second of her Singh Family trilogy and I am absolutely hooked. I've already made a note to read the first in her series (The Takeover Effect) and preordered the forthcoming untitled final installment.

It's that good.

This book has all the things that I find to be romance catnip: marriages of convenience, boss babes, insta-lust, and sexy boardroom shenanigans. The icing on the cake is that these are multidimensional minority characters who don't apologize for their roots, and the author takes no prisoners when she drops you into the deep end of South Asian culture. It's delicious in every way possible and I can't recommend this series enough just based on that alone.

But once you get into the characters? You'll fall in love with Rajneet, a take charge independent woman who needs no one, but wouldn't mind a cuddle (but would never admit it) and you'll swoon over Ajay, the passionate but soft-hearted hero. As these two butt heads and eventually team up to defeat Rajneet's ex-husband's corporate takeover attempts (whoo, that's a story in and of itself!), the sparks between Raj and Ajay fly fast and furious.

This book was a thrill ride from start to finish and Nisha Sharma has become one of my favorite one-click authors with just one read.

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I loved everything about this book: a strong heroine unapologetic about her career nor her sexuality, and a hero who steps to supports her when she most needs it in ways she didn’t even realize she needed.

This book transports you into a world that we need to see more of and highlights family and relationships in a way that both intrigues and inspires.

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All I have to say is woah! This book has turned into one of my favorite I’ve read! The storyline & romance is such ahhhh! 100% recommend to everyone!

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dnf @ 15%

this one is totally on me, this book is the second book in the Singh Brother Trilogy and I assumed each book would be a stand alone as most romance series tend to be but this book is actually really heavily reliant on the idea that you know all about the business drama that happened in the first installment. So I definitely felt very clueless and like I was walking in the middle of conversations that made no sense without prior knowledge. So perhaps I'll return to this after trying out the first book!

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