Thank you to the publisher and net galley for an early review copy of this book.

This was such a fun romantic comedy. It gripped me by the neck from the first page, because I was eager for a cute-plane cute. And then it turned a drastic turn (no spoilers). I really did enjoy this one. I would say that Becky was super relatable and had a hilarious inner monologue.

I won't go in depth on this one, because it is a pretty short book and it is a rom com, just know you are in for a wild ride and that you'll be laughing for a lot of it!

Let me start by saying this: I finished this book in a day and it got me out of a reading slump

I was very interested in how both their worlds are going to come together and what they are willing to do to meet each other half way. It’s a big struggle especially due to religion and culture but they made it through and it was beautiful journey.

I would consider this book an “adult romance”. It’s a love story between two strangers and it’s real. There isn’t too much fluff or super duper cheesy moments it was raw and it felt like an experience. I didn’t think that I would be invested in this type of love story but I ended up loving it. In my opinion this would make a good romance movie!!

The cross culture was very well executed! I loved the Indian (Punjabi) culture representation. It really shows that the author did a lot of research. Well done


It’s one of these books that it’s better to go in blind without reading the synopsis. Trust me one this. Well written romance novel that I highly recommend!

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review

I have mixed feelings
For my taste, the story went very fast, the romance felt very rushed but in the long run, this has its benefits. Developing the romance quickly, allows the conflict to be generated more complexly.
I love reading about brown characters and their culture, so that's an aspect that I liked. I also liked how the protagonist is overwhelmed by the speed and amount of things that happen, and how she feels that the clock starts to go back when she reaches 30.
I don't know if I would recommend it, but I don't think it's a bad book either.

“He was the first season of Firefly to my Gilmore girls”

I am gonna be VERY honest here, when I went into this book I had no idea what it was about, the cover really attracted me to it (it’s SO CUTE and THE COLOURS??) This is one of the very few arcs that really made me lose sleep over the chapters. This wasn’t a simple adorable rom com story, this was different and realistic, and it was too real?? Like yes a relationship isn’t easy. Having another human being into your life and sharing everything isn’t easy. This book made me cry so much and made me angry so much. Rebecca and Dev comes from different worlds and cultures, while they do fall in love but falling in love isn’t easy for them with the differences and yet trying the best to make it work, to find a common ground. I think the best way into going this book is by not reading a synopsis or a spoiler review because trust me when I say this you will hate this and love this book. Lindsay I’m obsessed.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
0.5/5🌶

This is a perfect story for rom/com fans, set in Vancouver, it's a love story between two people from different cultures, sweet and funny, I really enjoyed it

I was really excited to read this story with an Indian-Canadian love interest. I loved the one the story started out with a meet cute turning ugly. I like how the story focused on the cultural differences between them. The relationship went way too fast for me that I couldn't connect to the story. It came to a point that I just didn't care about the characters. I hate the miscommunication trope and wish that they communicated better at the end of the story. This was just a basic love story and I just couldn't get into it.

I tried really hard with this book but I didn’t end up finishing it. I had to re-read some chapters. Maybe I’ll try again another time but it wasn’t for me.

I just could not get into this one. I tried to force it but called it a day at about forty percent unfortunately

DNF at 46%

The cover and the description sounded compelling and fun but this book took a nosedive for me at the meet cute, which turned out to be a meet gross. (It probably didn't help that I sat down to start this book on my lunch break and unexpectedly found myself reading about vomit.) But the initial sizzle of Becky seeing Dev on the plane never came back after that disaster. Sure, she was attracted to him physically, but in that 46% of reading, I never saw anything beyond that. When they did get together, the conversation was skimmed over with comments like 'they talked about family, jobs, etc.' and then they're back to tearing each other's clothes off for more hot sex.
The nail in the coffin, for me, was when the ex comes back. Becky hasn't been thinking about the ex at all. She's been trying to manipulate her way deeper into Dev's life, so I just couldn't buy that she's suddenly too distracted by a text from her cheating ex to make decent decisions.
The sex just seemed there for the sake of sex scenes. I didn't see evidence of a strong connection between the couple.
This book just didn't resonate with me at all. Time to let it go and move on to another book.

Not your basic love story is a cute, rom-com feel kind of book. This takes place in Vancouver and it was cool to see that kind of book.

This one took me a while to get into. I must admit I even thought about not finishing it but I’m very glad I did! I don’t know if it’s slow in the beginning or if I was in the wrong mindset when I started it but I ended up really enjoying this one!

When Becky and Dev first meet on a flight to Mexico there is sparks flying between them, until Dev throws up on Becky that is. They somehow manage to get each other’s bags and meet again to swap bags. With Devs vomit fresh in mind Becky keeps her distance but when they met up again on he dance floor there’s the sparks again. Becky and Dev falls into a vacation fling but it’s one thing to have sexy nights in Mexico and a whole other thing to try to work things out back home in Canada. Becky’s and Devs cultures are just so different, will they make it work? Or is Dev ment to be with his ex who fits perfectly into his culture and life?

What I love about this book it’s Becky and Devs love, it’s just so pure 🥹😍 I also like the challenges with the cultural difference between Becky who’s an atheist and Dev who’s Sikh and doesn’t drink. But in the end their differences doesn’t matter and they compromise and make it work.

I also really like how Devs mom in the end take Becky under her wings and treat her like her own daughter. To be honest both Becky’s mother and brother were a bit racist but I think her brothers gesture with the bracelets showed he really tried and her mother buying him the book on racism also showed she’d learned.

I think this book handles racism and cultural differences in a very good way.

This is a really good debut and I will definitely read more books from Lindsay Maple! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced ebook to review!

Thank you Netgalley for the eARC for an exchange of a honest review.

It was really not a typical love story, this book I was able to know more about the Indian culture like in family, food, wedding, and relationships. Rebecca Becky and Dev met in Mexico intentionality the way fate bring them together is one of things that I love about the story. It is a rollercoaster emotion.

It was not that bad alot of drama towards the middle obviously cause of culture differences but it was a good read over all

A man and a woman from different cultures fall in love. Everything is perfect when they are on their own. And then it comes to the families, here we go!

It was an easy and sweet read. The main characters were fine, story was fine. But I couldn't get excited as much as I want to. I'd like to read something deeper, but it wasn't.

On the other hand I liked the way the author gives the information about Sikhs, Punjabi and Indians. And the last 40 pages made me happy! I had waited for a big bang, obviously it wasn't that much big but enough for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this digital copy with me in exchange for an honest review.

I was drawn by this cover and excited to dive in. However, I struggled to get into the story and I did not finish the book. Thank you for the arc in exchange for an honest review

This book was amazing! I enjoyed every single chapter, and it kept me hooked the entire time, which I loved!

Not Your Basic Love Story by Canadian author Lindsay Maple is a cute and sweet cross-cultural rom-com. Set in Vancouver, British Columbia this non-traditional love story is a fast-paced page turner that is perfect for all rom-com lovers

<b><i>East meets West and their worlds collide... in more ways than one! </b></i>

<i>Thank you NetGalley and Rising Action Publishing Co for an ARC</i>

<b>Overall Rating: </b>3/5
- Immigrant POC (Indian-Canadian)
- Single person PoV
- Instant attraction
- Cross-cultural relationship

TW: Cheating partner (past)

<i>Premise:</i> 4/5
<i>Characterization:</i> 3/5
<i>Dialogue:</i> 4/5
<i>Chemistry:</i> 2.5/5
<i>Secondary characters:</i> 3/5
<i>Unique quotient:</i> 4/5 (mostly for cultural representation)
<i>Steam quotient:</i> 2/5

<b><i>What I liked</i></b>

- The realities of cross-cultural romances: This book is quite unlike others I've read. The realities of cross-cultural relationships especially when the families are involved is so beautifully represented here. I love that the author chose to explore the ups and downs of it. Being an Indian immigrant myself, I was able to relate to so many aspects that are likely to come up in cross-cultural weddings. While navigating the different situations, the author remained culturally, racially sensitive while retaining the western perspective. Well done!

- Interactions with secondary characters: Be it Rebecca's interactions with her best friend, or with Dev's family, I love how the individuality of the secondary characters shone through the author's writing.

- Very real: Rebecca's thoughts and perspectives seemed very <i>real</i>. While reading it, I couldn't help thinking how plausabile literally everything was! From Rebecca's thoughts, her heightened awareness of casual racism, her annoyance at friends/families at certain times, and her approach to dealing with the difficult situations that arose.

<b><i>What did not work for me</i></b>

- The romance/chemistry: Perhaps the whole instant-love trope is bound to be that way, but I just didn't feel invested in them as a couple. The chemistry just wasn't there for me. Granted the primary focus of the story was the compromise, but the foundation of the couple flew by so fast I still don't understand what really kept them together. I wish there was more upfront to really pull me in so I could root for them in the later pages.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this book.

I was so excited to start this book. The synopsis sounded so intriguing. Unfortunately, this book fell flat for me. I’m sure there are many readers that will enjoy this book a lot, but I was not one of them.

I wasn’t able to connect with the characters and honestly, I didn’t like most of them for the majority of this book (especially the MC Rebecca). Many of the characters were redeemed in the last 20 pages, but it wasn’t enough to change my rating. I found myself not wanting Rebecca & Dev to be together for numerous reasons. I don’t think their relationship is mature or healthy.

What I did really like was the opportunity to learn more about Punjabi and Sikh culture. That was a highlight for me in this book.

Highly recommended. A perfectly paced and beautifully observed story... I really did race through Well written, with a plot and characters that haunt you long after you've finished.