The mystery was addicting! There was a bit of adrenaline and what if in this story that kept me hooked. I've always enjoyed Alisha Rai's characters and writing and this book was no different, I think this may be one of my favorites by her.

Thank you #netgalley for an early read of #partnersincrime

This is a light-hearted contemporary romance with an adventurous spirit. It was fine, but nothing I'd recommend.

I'm withholding this review in solidarity with the HarperCollins Union members currently on strike. I support their right to a fair contract.

Indian matchmaking meets the movie “Date Night” is a perfect description--but here Steve Carrell (Naveen) finds out Tina Fey (Mira) came from a big crime family and was quite happy to keep that background dead and buried. I’m assuming things are a little rougher than the movie, with Mira, Naveen and crew getting roughed up and dragged around.

The book tries to combine romcom with “Ocean’s Eleven” and something doesn’t quite stick. I wasn’t exactly sucked in to sit and read this book in a marathon session, so that kinda killed the momentum for me. There’s also the challenge of figuring out the right level of steam for characters that overall come from a culturally conservative background. What’s sad was discovering and confirming throughout the book what a mess Mira’s family was and still is. Naveen despite his faults had a better connection with his own family, issues with his brother notwithstanding.

The two of them trying to follow a series of clues kinda nicely overlaps with Naveen’s love of escape rooms, although the stakes here are WAY higher. Still, it can be fun for someone looking for another Indian-American romance with all the usual troubles (like being nagged to use matchmakers and marry) tossed in the middle of a heist movie.

I enjoyed this action/romance novel! More than I thought I would actually. The cover artwork had me, I thought it was very Mr. and Mrs. Smith. The characters were well written and thought out. There were some fast areas and some slow areas.

This book is a wild ride and I enjoyed every moment of it. The main characters are both strong, witty, and angsty, making for a tension filled story against the back drop of a high stakes crime situation. I appreciated the in-depth look at both of the characters' family backgrounds and internal dialogue, giving the story more complexity.

Overall, this is a fun romcom with some major twists, and absolutely worth the read.

Partners in Crime is a bit different than what Alisha Rai typically writes. And I’m all for authors writing something different than they are used to. But I will say that they should change the genre to the material they wrote. Let me explain.

Partners in Crimes is advertised as a rom-com book, but it’s more of a women fiction read. It focuses more on Mira Patel's life journey than her love life. Yes, we do get to read about her previous match, Naveen, who she meets again as she wraps up her Aunt affairs. But we mainly focus on Mira's messy family affairs since it caught up with her and unfortunately Naveen as well. And now, that’s where the messy ride begins.

You know I usually say that my family is a bit crazy, but the Mira family is way more crazy and messy. And their messier life is getting in the way of Mira's happiness. She worked so hard to avoid that lifestyle. I feel for her when she does not want to get involved at all but unfortunately she is stuck cleaning it up again after she gets kidnapped with Naveen.

They both are more than willing to do everything to involve this crazy messiness that they are now involved in. We will get to see crazy adventures between them as they start to fall for each other again.

I thought this was a great contemporary romance book, with a unique premise! Overall, I would definitely recommend!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

I super enjoyed this book; it was fun and engaging and also funny. I very much would like to see this turned into a movie because it would be so much fun. The MCs were flawed, but in good ways and all the side characters were great. I was also surprised by the ending. I knew things couldn’t be simple, but the ending was still a surprise. But in a good way. I hope there’s more to come!

This book had me asking the age old question.... Was it me? Or was it the book? This time.. I’m leaning towards the book, unfortunately.
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Right off the bat, I think the issue is the age of the lead characters. I want my characters to act their age and when you’re 35, that means they need to be mature adults, or I get sick of them quickly. There were moments thrown in that really worked, but for the most part, I just couldn’t get into this one and I ended up skimming until I got to the end just so I knew how it ended.

This was a fun book. The author keeps you wondering what will happen next. I really liked both of the MCs, Naveen and Mira. They were both well written and, even though there were extraordinary circumstances, believable. While I did enjoy this fast paced action romance, I wouldn't call it the next big thing. Entertaining yes, groundbreaking no.

Full review withheld in support of the Harper Collins Union seeking higher pay, a greater commitment to diversifying staff, and stronger union protection.

Ex-lovers get a second chance at romance when they find themselves caught up in a jewel theft gone wrong in Alisha Rai's Partners in Crime, a delightful romance with a heavy dose of heist. Amira Patel has put her past behind her and built a quiet, safe life as an accountant. Now all she needs is a husband, but after a dozen failed matches, she's worried her matchmaker is going to fire her. She's feeling down about her "dismal love life" when she gets a call for Mira Chaudhary--her given name and part of the dysfunctional past she's trying to leave behind--and learns that her Aunt Rhea has died. To add fuel to the fire, the lawyer settling her aunt's estate is none other than Naveen Desai, the first of her many failed matches and the only one she had any real feelings for. When the two are kidnapped in the mistaken belief that Rhea's will includes clues to track down a stolen diamond necklace worth millions, their awkward reunion turns into a run for their lives.

This cat-and-mouse caper is exciting and compelling in its own right, filled with twists and turns and larger-than-life con artists, big bets and plenty of scheming on all sides. Within that plot structure, though, Rai (Girl Gone Viral; Hate to Want You) turns her attention to the inner lives of her characters in all the ways she's become known for: probing what sets them off, what turns them on and what sends them running. The combination results in a romantic romp that is pure delight from start to steamy finish. --Kerry McHugh, freelance writer

I wasn't expecting this to be more of a romantic suspense action story compared to her other rom-coms I've read. I enjoyed it but not as much as her other books.

I DNFed this one; I wasn't vibing with the characters or the plot at all. I love Alisha Rai, but this one just wasn't doing it for me!

I love Alisha and this sounded amazing... sadly it was a bit underwhelming.

I liked Mira and Nareen well enough. They're both good people with secrets in their pasts. They're thrown back together amid this so-called mystery, but I just didn't connect with them as a couple. I did enjoy several of the side characters and could have done with more of them.

Plot wise, it was a little boring. Even though they were on the run, the tension was non-existent. There wasn't the sense of urgency I was expecting for this sort of set up and that made it easy for me to set down and ignore.

Overall, something kept me reading and I did like the ending and epilogue, but I could have easily left this unfinished.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**

I really enjoyed this book! It gave me Mr and Mrs Smith vibes. I haven't read many action adventure romances, but I would definitely love to read more books like this! Great romance. Great representation. And a fun page turner! Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book!

A cute book on second chances, the good the bad and the ugly of family ties, and casually stealing diamonds or sneaking around trying to avoid both criminals and cops. A fun blast to read when you're in the doldrums.

One of my all time favorite kind of movies has always been the 'caper' movies like Ocean's 11, and this book delivers all of the best of that in book form!

Alisha Rai created a gem in this book. Not only do the escapades of these characters delight, but the matchmaking and the romance is on point. I enjoyed the dynamic between our characters, and this was probably my favorite of Alisha Rai's to date!

TW: gun violence, kidnapping, body shaming, alcoholism, death of parent

This romantic suspense novel about a jewelry heist that utilizes the second chance romance trope is the first book I’ve read by Alisha Rai.

Overall, I liked the book because it was unique given the suspense elements but didn’t love it. Though I didn’t expect the twists, the ending felt a little too convoluted and far-fetched. That being said, I think this book would make a great movie.

What I liked:
- Mira was a forensic accountant
- complicated family dynamics, which affected how Mira handled her dating life
- Indian Matchmaking (reality TV show on Netflix) influences
- the setting of Little India in Artesia, a place I’ve visited quite often
- the book was quite steamy 🌶️🌶️🌶️