This book had some great scenes and set up but in the end I wasn't as invested in the couple as I had hoped to be

Sangeeta has her whole life planned out. She is a wedding planner and the last wedding she planned was her own. Only, just before she had to walk down the aisle, she ran.

She ran straight into Sonny. Their encounter was filmed and quickly went viral.

Now on top of all the personal drama, she had to deal with internet fame.

Sonny and Sangeeta meet a while ago and spend a little time together. He still can't get her out of his mind or forgive her for just leaving him, but there is something between them, mad chemistry that people are loving.

They get a chance to use the internet fame to their benefit, to help their careers and his sister's, but only if they pretend to be in a relationship.

But all that time spent together, holding hands, looking loving at each other, starts to feel very real.

It's a story full of all kinds of feelings. The chemistry between them is off the charts, you can just feel the sparks between them as you read the story. It's not without its fair share of drama thought. :)

I liked reading the story very much!

Good second chance story. The book opens on Sangeeta's wedding day, highlighting the preparations to marry her fiancé, Param, but something feels off. Instead of excitement and happiness, she has a sinking feeling of dread. She tries to convince herself it is nerves, but she can't do it when it comes time to walk down the aisle. She takes one look at the open doors and runs the other way, ending up in the alley behind Sonny's restaurant.

Sonny and Sangeeta have a history. They'd met at the beach a year earlier when Sangeeta and Param had broken up. For three days, they spent time together, talking about everything and nothing, connecting deeply. But when Param called, Sangeeta returned to him and was engaged shortly after that. But fate wasn't done with them. As Indian parents do, their parents set up an introduction between them, hoping they would suit. But Sonny can't forget how she left him, and Sangeeta is committed to Param, so nothing came of it.

Neither was pleased to see the other again. Sonny had worked hard to put his feelings for Sangeeta in the past, and seeing her again stirred them up. For Sangeeta, Sonny reminded her of a beautiful time that didn't fit her life plan. They want nothing more than to see the backs of each other when a video of her arrival at the restaurant goes viral. With what seems like the world looking for her, Sangeeta is stuck at Sonny's for now. Matters become more complicated when Sonny's sister Reena arrives with a plan. If they go along with a fake relationship for two months, it will save Sangeeta's job, boost Sonny's restaurant, and enable Reena to keep the family hotel. All they must do is play-act for a social media influencer who wants them to handle her wedding.

I enjoyed watching Sonny and Sangeeta's relationship develop. Because of their deception, they are forced into living and working together. It is rapidly apparent that the sparks between them are still there. Both fight hard against their feelings. Sonny doesn't want to get hurt again, and Sangeeta is convinced it's too soon after her non-wedding to have feelings for Sonny.

Sonny has a caring heart, and I loved watching him care for Sangeeta. Much of his love language is food related, and I loved the description of the food he made. I also liked how well he understood her need for plans and how he eased her into trying spontaneity now and then.

Sangeeta has been a planner all her life. Sometimes, her plans made me laugh, such as the hiking trip, and others when I wanted to shake her and tell her to lighten up. She had mapped out her life and career, and when things fell apart, she was lost. The chance to get back on track gave her a purpose, while the relationship with Sonny opened her eyes to what she had been missing.

As Sonny and Sangeeta got deeper into their deception, the playacting started to feel very real. Their fake dates to keep Asha happy became harder to separate fake from reality. Sonny felt his heart trying to have hope but was afraid to trust. Sangeeta kept fighting against her suspicion that her feelings for Sonny were real. When an unexpected twist made their deception public, both must decide if what they have is worth fighting for. I loved the ending and seeing the changes in both.

I enjoyed the family dynamics in this book. The large families are frequently over-involved in each other's business, but the love is undeniable. I understood Sangeeta's frustration with her mother, whose controlling ways contributed to Sangeeta's issues. I especially enjoyed seeing Sangeeta stand up to her at the end. Sonny has a similar problem with his father, as the differences in his and Sonny's visions drive them apart. I have yet to decide about his sister Reena, whose desperate focus on the family hotel started the process. The vibes between her and Akash in this book make me think something is happening there. I'm looking forward to the next book and seeing how it turns out.

What happens when you change your mind on your wedding day?
For wedding planner, Sangeeta Parikh, it means she runs away!
Leaving her groom and her family behind her there
She runs away but doesn't take good care.

An injury, nothing there to help, till she is rescued
By a chef she discovers makes the tastiest food.
Not only that but they met before
And the video of this encounter is viral before she's entered the door!

Dealing with the outfall from her running away,
Sorting out somewhere safe for her to stay.
An offer, a chance, for a fresh start,
If only she'll agree to lie and play her part.

A story of a fake relationship that soon feels real
Could this become for them a true deal?
A second chance romance they're trying to resist
In this heartwarming read that's not to be missed.

There's family drama, celebrations, romance and strife,
As this story gives an insight into Hindu family life.
A lovely story, a delightful read
I hope it is one you'll soon need.

For my complementary copy, I say thank you,
As I share with you this, my honest review.

No Rings Attached is a forced proximity, second chance, fake relationship that is rich in colorful details and excitment as the book opens with a wedding just about to start. Just before the bride is to walk down the isle she realizes that she can't say "I Do" and takes flight.

Sangeeta unintentionally finds herself in a predicament that quickly gives birth to a plan when her race to freedom reunites her with someone from her past. A plan that will change everything she thought she knew about love and marriage. This delightful plot twist takes us inside the family chaos, and all around shenanigans as everyone attempts to find the bride and figure out what happened.

Sangeeta Parikh is a wedding planner and when she decides that she can't say yes, with no idea what to do regarding her hesitation and no one to talk to, she takes off, running away from her own wedding. Will her family forgive her? Will her career survive? Who will hire a wedding planner that ran away from her own wedding?

Sonny Pandya had dreams os sharing his passon of cooking while working at his family hotel business. When differences in opinions and family conflict pushed him towards finding success on his own, he opened up his own restaurant where no one could give him restrictions. If he stayed, his vision of cooking and sharing his love of food would be controlled by someone else. Despite the differing opinions he still dreams of one day working with his family, having their acceptance, and recognition. With all the stress of family and work, will he have time for the one thing he wants, finding someone to share it all with?

When an unexpected reunion with a runaway bride gives Sonny an opportunity to change his future, he's reluctant. It will take a little convincing to go through with such a crazy plan. Family obligations and expectations weigh heavily for Sangeeta and Sonny. Can they avoid heartbreak? A second chance for a cosmic love might happen if the stars align, will they be that lucky?

Sometimes the best plan is not having a plan, being spontaneous and living in the moment. If a "fixer" and a "planner" can survive a fake marriage, they may discover that maybe there is something real. No marriage is perfect but if the foundation has love, and is built on trust and friendship it can be magical. In the end, it's a partnership with someone you can't live without, and who makes your life better.

Sangeeta and Sunny will discover that love doesn't care about plans, schedules, goals, or the weather. Love is messy, takes work, and like the stars, some days shine bright and for others, the nights are cloudy with occasional peeks of sunshine. In the end, it's learning to listen, be flexible, and sometimes not have a plan because you never know what you'll miss unless you take a chance.

Mona writes her stories with depth, heart, and infuses a blend of culture while emersing the reader into the book from the first page until the last, OMG. AMAZING. Mona's take on the classic runaway bride trope, was unique, refreshing and exciting, and full of all the feels. Usually the story focuses on the bride and groom, this .... the family gets involved and that makes it way better. I loved the chemistry between Sonny and Sangeeta, their story and the shenanigans that ensue. Oh, and I was totally craving all kinds of food and fun during and after ;).

Thank you Harlequin and Mona Shroff for this advance reader copy for a fair and honest review. Satisfy that bookcation and add this to your must read list.

If you love Own Voices books and Desi Contemporary Romance and haven't read Mona Shroff then you are missing out.

This Once Upon a Wedding series has been so much fun. This latest instalment gives you forced proximity and fake dating along with her trademark Desi culture through family customs, food, and wedding traditions. I always finish these books so hungry and this book is even worse since Sonny is a chef. I could really go for some Chai!

I really loved the slight underlying theme of arranged marriage or at least arranged introductions in this book. I also loved that both Sonny and Sangeeta were very strong and independent people. The fact that they both had their own hopes and dreams really worked for me.

If you love fake dating you'll love this book. They make all the mistakes you'd expect and of course things heat up but like all her books she keeps almost all of it off page while still keeping it slightly steamy.

I always leave her books super excited for the next book too. I think Reena's story is going to be amazing.

Special thanks to Shroff for the advanced copy! This is my honest review.

Runaway bride Sangeeta ends up in Sonny's arms—and a video of them goes viral. They fake date to save her job and get publicity for his restaurant. What happens when their pretend relationship starts to feel real?

This book is funny with great characters and a ton of chemistry between Sangeeta and Sonny. The plot is sweet and charming and immersive. I love light-hearted romances like this, and look forward to the next book in the series.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Thank you @monashroff for the signed copy of No Rings Attached, receipt of which did not impact my review. Pub date: 3/28/23.

I can always trust Mona Shroff to give us a contemporary romance that is sweet, funny, and charming. No Rings Attached is a fantastic edition to her Once Upon a Wedding Series!

Sonny and Sangeeta had a ✨ moment ✨ last year, but shortly after, Sangeeta got back together with her boyfriend/fiancé. On her wedding day, Sangeeta realizes this is not where her life should be and runs - straight into the alley behind Sonny’s restaurant. There’s an opportunity to help both Sangeeta’s career and Sonny’s family business by working for rising star influencer Asha Gupta’s wedding - if they pretend to be dating and in love.

This was a quick and lovely read with a fade to black/closed door romance. Both MCs had character growth throughout the story and the inclusion of couples from books one and two were great! I’m also looking forward to the next book in the series, which will pair nicely with this one!

Thank you NetGalley, Mona Shroff and Harlequin Special Edition for the ARC of No Rings Attached. This is my personal review.
I devour a good romance book that has a runaway bride, fake relationship and romance all wrapped up in one story.
This was an easy book to read even with a few spots that were a bit impossible to imagine and yet it all fit together.
This is the first book I have read by this author and I will now look for more.

Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin for access to this arc.

Sangeeta is just about to "walk down the aisle" to the mandap where her fiancé along with about 400 guests are waiting when she realizes she just can't do it. It's not that her fiancé is a creep or anything, he's actually a nice guy, but Sangeeta can't see herself spending the rest of her life with him. She knows it would have been better for all if she had come to this conclusion earlier - much earlier - but there it is. So dressed in her deep red wedding clothes which scream "I'm an Indian bride!" she heads for an open door. 

Sonny is taking out the trash behind his street food Indian restaurant when he sees an injured bride - the clothes give it away - then realizes that he knows her. They met nine months ago and had a wonderful connection for three days before Sangeeta's fiancé called her asking for their wedding to be "on" again after he had called a halt. Sangeeta left and except for a meeting set up by their matchmaking parents (it's complicated) Sonny hasn't seen her since. But he's a fixer so when he realizes that 1) she's injured her foot running through a back alley barefoot and 2) that she's attracted enough attention that this is going to go viral, he sweeps her indoors and fixes (some) things.

The internet catches up and offers them both some good and some bad. Sangeeta is about to be fired - because what bride wants a runaway bride to arrange her wedding? - when Sonny's sister arrives with a proposal. An influencer wants a new wedding planner and location and is charmed by the video from the back alley. If Sonny and Sangeeta play along, it's a win:win:win for everyone. The location will be the family hotel, Sangeeta will plan it, and Sonny will cook for some of the events. But can the two of them keep this up and will their families stop asking them questions?

Yay for the Indian American rep. Double yay for the Gujarati food Sonny can whip up and which makes Sangeeta moan with happiness as it takes her back to her childhood. I enjoyed seeing so many past characters even if I had to stop a time or three to mentally slot everyone back into place in the family trees. Triple yay that these characters aren't there to shill for the past two books, either. 

Fake relationships aren't my favorite but they're all over romance books now and the reasons behind this one make more sense than a lot of ones I've seen. I like that Sonny's closeness with his younger sister is the main reason he reluctantly agrees to it. Sonny is level headed, loves his family even if he and his dad have had past issues, and puts up with the fake relationship rather than being avaricious about what it can gain him. He's sure enough of his feelings to reveal them - publicly. Sonny also does some soul searching and fixes another relationship that he had let slip for a while. 

Sangeeta is harder for me to like. Both her parent's (and Sonny's) have deep and committed love marriages and though she wants that, too, she was willing to settle and hope for love to arrive with time. I approve of her stopping a marriage she knew would make her less than satisfied. Sangeeta is also a planner (both in her life as well as a career) so when she goes off of her wedding plan, I can understand her initially being frazzled. But yeah, she's a bit snippy towards Sonny as he's trying to help her. Then when she's unsure of her feelings for Sonny, she does the classic "I'll hurt him if I reveal how I really feel." I call BS as this trite excuse for a third act breakup does little but annoy me. Then she does another thing which initially had me rolling my eyes before she pulls it together and actually acts like an adult. Brava for that.          

Since I'm not really a fan of influencers, that part of the plot does little for me, leaving me to focus mainly on Sonny and Sangeeta. As Sangeeta tends to get a bit tightly wound and needs more character growth, there are times when she stretches my patience. Sonny is a love as well as Sangeeta's Dada (who was delightful in book 1). The two fathers were characters I like, too. I enjoyed this book for many reasons but ultimately, Sangeeta drags it down just a bit. B-

No Rings Attached is yet another adorable romance from Mona Shroff! Even if the stories are pretty straightforward, I've really been enjoying reading the individual romances among this group of interconnected characters in the Once Upon a Wedding series, and this time, I fell in love with Sonny and Sangeeta! I loved the fake dating and forced proximity between them, combined with a dash of second chance romance. The South Asian rep is so positively and proudly included as well, as with all of Mona Shroff's books. I look forward to reading Reena and Akash's book next--the tension between them was so palpable in this novel!

A runaway bride? Yes and Yes! Mona Shroff is such a good writer and give us such good cultural representation that I just eat it up every single time.

What a sweet romance from Mona Shroff! This is my first book by this author, and it definitely won't be my last.

One of my favorite things in a romance is the "one bed" trope, and buddy, does this have a cute one! Sonny is the star of this book, in my opinion. The pining is sooo good! I also love the fake dating trope, and this one is a knockout! I love Indian romances for a number of reasons, but one of them is the large family that usually accompanies them. I'm a fan of romances that have family dynamics. To me, it makes the story more believable.

I do want to mention that this is a relatively closed-door romance, so just know that going in. Overall, this was a wonderfully charming book that I'm so glad I requested. I look forward to reading more from Shroff!

No Rings Attached is a well written romance. I enjoyed the plot and the character dynamics. I recommend this book. I received an advance ebook from the publisher and Netgalley. This is my unbiased review.

Sangeeta has always lived life with a plan. If everything is carefully planned, life will be as it should be. Until her wedding day, when she realizes that maybe her plans were wrong, and she runs away.
Sonny Pandya is shocked when a woman in bridal attire runs into his restaurant. He is even more shocked to find that she is the same woman who broke his heart months ago.
In a twist of fate, they are forced to fake a relationship in order to save their jobs and families.
I have been waiting eagerly for the next installments of Mona Shroff's Once Upon A Wedding series. I love getting to know characters that we met briefly in previous novels. I wasn't a huge fan of Sangeeta's character, but I loved Sonny. Some of the story was a bit over the top, but it was cute, and I definitely recommend it for anyone who's a fan of lighthearted romance. I'm excited to read Reena's story in the next novel in the series!

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!