A STUNNING piece of work. Alisha Rai has been one of my favourite authors for a while and this book keeps her at the top. The incredible heist plot was so gripping that I could not stop reading. The romantic tentino between Naveen and Mira is incredible. I loved the softness the have for each other despite their history and I loved even more how their tenderness for each other grew after learning their tense histories. The whole book was flawless!

3.5/5 💎

I love Alisha Rai (if you don’t already follow her on TikTok, please do and thank me later for the adorable videos of her explaining internet drama to her sweet fiancé). I was super excited for her next book and was a bit mixed in my feelings for it, unfortunately. It just doesn’t have the sizzling chemistry that her previous books had. Once you give up on a steamy romance you do get flung in for some fun, fast paced, caper hijinks. Mira gets flung together with her hot ex Naveen as they try to find a missing diamond necklace in Vegas with a friend syndicate after them. It felt very Oceans Eleven mixed with The Lost City. It was a little bit tender, a little bit silly, and a lot bit fun. So don’t walk in expecting the same sort of steamy crackle of chemistry and come in for some heist fun and you’ll be fine.

*Thank you to Avon, Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review*

Lemme preface by saying I've been a fan of Alisha Rai's other books so I was really anticipating this (and its also a second chance romance which is my kryptonite).

Off the bat this was superrrr different from her other books, which were all interconnected standalones about social media. In this case, Mira is a thirty-five year old looking for more stability in her personal and romantic life after her wild early years. She decides to use a match making app and find a normal, "boring" Indian American man to settle down with, who is none other than Naveen Desai, your regular Joe and ex flame (props for diversity, love to see it).

Things get progressively more insane from there because of course Mira can't find exactly what she was looking for, it wouldn't be a action packed rom-com if she did. But maybe the best love connection was one she didn't expect, or something else cheesy heh.

First a big thank you to Alisha Rai, Avon and Harper publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of Partners in Crime which comes out October 18, 2022.

This is my first Alisha Rai books I have read and I did really enjoy the premise of the story. Exs Mira and Naveen are thrown together after getting kidnapped by men looking for a outrageously expensive necklace that Mira's late father stole. In the race to find the necklace while evading their kidnappers both start to question if the feelings that were developing in their first try are actually really dead.

Honestly my favorite part of this books was Mira and Naveen. After being continuously let down by the people in her life, Mira has built the walls high and thick around her heart. It was amazing to see Mira slowly opening up and becoming vulnerable without taking away from how much of a badass she is. Naveen is sweet, nerdy and appreciates Mira for the unusual skills she developed in her childhood.

The reason this book was a 3 star review for me is because everything is a little too fast paced, most of the action takes place over a single day. Even with their past history it still felt like they connected too quickly and with very little angsts. I would have loved for it to be little more drawn out. But over all Partners in Crime is a funny, sweet, action-packed and twisty read.

3.5
this was a fun action romantic comedy. the main romance was nice, i love a good second chance romance, but i needed more drama form the side plots personally. i was hoping for a better wrap up between the sisters, like that’s it?, and felt that the family dynamics had really good potential that was a bit wasted. some elements could have been more used or just been little more, i guess, in general.

*Thank you NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager for providing a copy of the book*

THIS WAS SO FUN!!!! While not as steamy as Rai's previous works, this was such a fun and fast read that I wasn't missing it.

Thank you to the author and publisher for this advanced copy.

This was one of those books that just was weirdly amusing like part of me wanted to skip to the ending but the wild adventure was also amusing. Wasn’t happy with the ending though didn’t feel right for the book.

Alisha Rai’s rom com “Girl Gone Viral” is one of my favorite romances so I was super excited for her newest book. Unfortunately, I didn’t really enjoy the focus on a fast-paced adventure instead of on our two main characters. That being said, I liked both Mira and Naveen, their interactions, and their backgrounds. I think I would’ve enjoyed this more if it fit only in the romance genre.

My favorite Alisha Rai yet! Love the fast paced, twisty, action packed nature of this tile. It was a romance novel with some major thriller undertones, ad I enjoyed the mashup.

This book had an uneven tone. It was too light-hearted for romantic suspense but too serious for romantic comedy. I fell like we didn't get to know either character that well. And the whole reason the heroine left him the first time was because of her family and then they get back together after going through a frankly traumatic showing of her family. I

points for diversity and a pretty unique plot!
no points for how much unnecessary titty mentions there were! like seriously! we get it!
points for covering more serious topics like grief!
no points for the aggressive amount of head hopping so much so to the point where i had to reread chapters because i was so confused whose pov we were in!
no points for the ending! wtf!

This book was super fun--Alisha Rai is a must-read author for me, and PARTNERS IN CRIME does not disappoint. It's an action-packed slow-burn exes-to-lovers romance that is clever, current, and engaging, but where Rai struck me with not just the fun of her writing but with her technical skill as well was in the first few chapters.

In the first three chapters, she sets up both Mira and Naveen's personal stakes--her long quest to find a suitable match, paired with her anxiety about not coming from a 'good family' as well as Naveen's past burnout, struggles with addiction, and love for his family--and their past, really cementing why we should care about their tensions as exes. On top of that, the crime/abduction element of the plot is set up and threaded in--we understand why Naveen would defend Mira, are starting to understand why Mira's romantic past is troubled, and can already begin to see why the things that separated them the first time may not apply anymore (always a challenge in an exes romance--making readers believe that the same issues that caused the couple to break up before won't come separate them again, which is essential for a believable HEA).

There have been so many contemporary romances in recent years that have had this kind of plot front-loading become incredibly clunky, or where the dumping of plot devices or tropes outweigh character development, leading to leads who are strangers to the reader, thereby rendering the romance un-engaging. But Rai deftly intertwines the setup (and it IS a lot of backstory!) without ever feeling like the exposition drags, or feeling like the characters are being sacrificed to plot. Also, Mira and Naveen's chemistry is executed so well. It's just good writing! PARTNERS IN CRIME is not to be missed.

I love Alisha Rai and I love a good caper. This was ao fun to read. I hope she continues this as a series.

Romantic suspense is really not my favorite subgenre, but I love Alisha Rai, so here I am!

The second chance romance trope is pretty hit or miss for me, but in this case it worked. It wasn’t some ridiculous misunderstanding that kept these two apart, it was her very real insecurities that she needed to work through. He was mad for a bit bit ultimately understood that she’d had a rough childhood that she hadn’t wanted to discuss. I believed that these characters could have reconnected and quickly rekindled their romance.

Some things I didn’t love about this book:
It felt like way more time had passed during some of these scenes, but a large chunk of this book happened in like one day. I understand that this genre tends to be fast paced but I just felt like there was way too much going on in too short a time frame.

Also, some of the big family reveals just fell flat for me. I don’t know why exactly, and maybe it’ll work for other readers.

Mira has been using a matchmaker for years, but I’m not sure that I actually understand why? Why is she so set on finding someone to commit to? I’m not sure that was explored quite enough.

This was a quick read, and I liked it but didn’t love it, I love a lot of other Alisha Rai books but this one will probably appeal more to other readers.

I loved this book. In fact, days later I am still thinking about it and wanting to go back and see Mira and Naveen again.

Naveen and Mira were set up by a matchmaker a while back. They dated pretty seriously and were considering getting engaged right up until the moment Mira snuck out in the middle of the night and dumped Naveen by text. Since that time - a lot has changed for Naveen, but Mira is still looking for the right match. When Mira's aunt dies - it turns out Naveen's new law firm is handling her estate. This brings them back into contact - but what brings them back together is a mad-dash across Vegas filled with twists and turns. It turns out Mira has been WAY less than truthful about her background and the past has caught up to her - and Naveen in a major way.

Even though this book takes place over a very short period of time - you can see that Mira and Naveen were very much right for each other before. But both of them needed to grow and change before a relationship could work. A lot of Mira's change comes during the story - but Naveen grows a lot as a person as well.

I recommend this one so highly. The whole book reads so vividly that is almost jumps off the page. I'd REALLY like this to be made into a movie. Overall,. everything Alisha Rai writes is worth reading - but this book is definitely a star. Five of them to be exact.

I received this via NetGalley as an ARC, but these opinions are all my own.

I enjoyed the journey that this book took me on. Mira is trying to find a good match she has just been dumped by her latest attempt when she is informed that her aunt has passed away. This brings her back into contact with Naveen Desai her aunt's lawyer and a former match that she ran away from. Mira wants nothing else but to get through her aunt's will and have a minute to collect herself. Her aunt's will leads her on a journey into her past back to Vegas where she swore never to return after running away as fast as she could from who she used to be. Naveen is swept along in her wake will this be a new beginning or will the legacies from her past catch up with them both. I loved this book. Mira and Naveen were difficult to get to know at first but that was intentional they were both hiding from themselves and were a bit inscrutable on purpose. There was so much between them but I couldn't help but root for them because they really wanted that connection but feared opening themselves up to getting hurt. There was so much emotion, and action it is a very cinematic type of book and honestly I could absolutely see this as a movie.

Mystery? Hot main characters? Second chance romance? Yes please!! This book truly has it all. Partners In Crime was such a refreshing take at a romance novel. I sat down and powered through this book in one sitting. Not only did I love Mira and Naveen, but the mystery surrounding Mira’s family and past had me flying through the book trying to get to the bottom of it! Not to mention… there were a few *ahem* spicy scenes with Mira and Naveen that had me swooning! Solid 4 star read. I enjoyed it and will be recommending it! Thank you Alisha Rai, NetGalley, and HarperCollins for giving me a chance to read and review this wonderful book!

Before I say anything else, I need to say I love that cover. Animated covers are always amazing but seeing Mira and Naveen in one of the best scenes from the book just hits different (only second to the scene at the club, of course!).

Amira Patel has spent a long time running from her identity as Mira Chaudhary, becoming this 9-to-5 accountant who has her life together, and isn't embroiled in the constant high-stakes of her childhood. But when her aunt dies, leaving her a will that drags her back to her ex, Mira finds herself stuck in those same high-stakes.

Naveen Desai has had a rough couple of years, with the matchmaking service not working out on him, leaving his job, not speaking to his brother and turning away permanently from the bottle. But he's settled now, in his grandfather's little firm, dabbling in family law instead of the high-profile cases that he used to chase.

Mira is, when she shows up, very clearly Naveen's "the one who got away." You can tell off the bat that Mira is someone he's never forgotten no matter how many girls he's been matched up with in the time since them. But while Mira is more stoic about it, Naveen's world carefully implodes when he realizes that the girl he was well on his way to loving had been lying to him the whole time.

Naveen unwittingly gets wrapped up in Mira's family issues, and they're thrown together on a goose chase for a necklace that refuses to be found, and answers to questions Mira and Naveen have been asking themselves for years - Mira about her father and her family, and Naveen about Mira.

I love fast-paced action books so much, particularly ones that require amateur sleuthing and skills. In some scenes, it's clear that neither of them have any idea what they're doing in the world of gambling, cons and scams, but in others, at least one of them has some clue.

I love Mira's take-charge attitude, and I love that Naveen doesn't let her take it too far. He clearly recognizes when she's the one with the better chance, and gives it to her but when he senses Mira running or spiraling, he knows exactly how to bring her back on track.

Not only did this have the second-chance romance, but it also had a healthy dose of Indian matchmaking. Both Naveen and Mira are older than the protagonists I usually read about, and I think that lends to the depth of the secrets they uncover as they go. The references to South Asian culture were sparse, but very much present - you don't forget them, but you're overwhelmed by them either. By all other accounts, Mira and Naveen weren't props for desi culture, and I loved that.

Another thing that might be a little underrated is that the author didn't make these protagonists to be the size-zero bombshells, or the rough-and-tough-eight-pack-bearing heroes either. Both Mira and Naveen are in their mid thirties, and I loved that they were shown to be sturdy without vanity muscles, if that makes any sense! Especially for Naveen, who's described to be strong and muscular - but that doesn't have to equal cut ridges in his abs, and it shows in the book!

There's not much I didn't like about this book, but one downside to fast-paced action can be that when the secrets start unfolding, they unfold too fast? At the end, I felt like there were too many unknown variables, too many people coming back in from places we thought they were permanently done with. It wrapped up very quick for the drawn out action that came before, and even though Mira's head was spinning with all the revelations, I don't think ours was supposed to spin just as fast!

The other thing that felt lackluster was the romance, ironically enough. We don't get too far into the romance save for a couple spicy scenes, but the second-chance of it all didn't shine through as much as I'd initially assumed. Part of me was wondering why they even got back together at the end, even though I knew it was coming!

This is my first book by Alisha Rai, even though the author's been on my list for years, and I'm probably going to binge the whole backlog as soon as I get time, but as for this book...the summary has it bang-on: Indian Matchmaking meets Date Night!

Highly recommend for fans of fast-paced reads that can be completed in one sitting!

[Thank you NetGalley, Alisha Rai and Avon Books for providing this ARC to me in exchange for an honest review.]

I have really enjoyed Alisha’s previous works and this one is no different. I finished this book a little over a day because I wanted to know how it all goes down for our main character, Mira! I love the rekindled romance between Mira and Naveen. I felt like these two were finally getting to see each other for who they truly are and I love the emphasis on togetherness through their wild adventure in Vegas. This is a dual POV book and I really liked getting to read both characters’ changing perspectives on the situation, each other, and their families and future throughout the book. A great book to start the summer!

Big thanks to Avon Romance for the e-ARC of this book via NetGalley. This review is being given honestly and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

3.5 rounded up to 4 stars

CWS: parental neglect, kidnapping, talk of alcoholism, child exploitation and endangerment

Partners in Crime is an action packed second chance romance between Mira and Naveen, two perfectly flawed characters.

I really liked this book and thought it was a lot of fun. Definitely loved how low angst this was (between our MCs) because when they are initially reunited there are a lot of unresolved feelings. Mira is a young professional who is out to find her perfect mate through a popular matchmaker…only she’s three years and 13 men in and on the verge of being dropped by said matchmaker. Naveen is recovering from a couple of things that have happened including a girl he thought he could have it all with suddenly dumping him a few years ago.

Naveen and Mira are suddenly dragged into a ‘family matter’ of Mira’s that leads to being kidnapped and on the run in Vegas while simultaneously rekindling residual feelings between the two. This is full of quite a bit of action and some surprises but was a pretty good romance. Overall, I really enjoyed this and had a good time.