FINAL DECISION: Fabulous story of two people who struggle with their expectations and learn to communicate their wants, desires and needs. I absolutely adored Nayna and Raj who are sweet and sexy and have a relationship of mature respect. This is a great addition to a great series.
THE STORY: Nayna Sharma has agreed to an arranged marriage as part of her effort to keep things peaceful and happy in her family. Nanya has kept her own wants and desires suppressed to make her parents happy. One night out with her friend at a party results in her meeting a sexy hunk, Raj Sen. Raj is a man damaged by his childhood. He wants security and a traditional marriage. He meets a woman, however, that calls to him in passionate ways he never expected, but their conflicting dreams seem destined to keep them apart.
OPINION: This is a sweet and yet emotionally fraught story. Nanya and Raj feel a connection from the moment they see one another, but the question quickly arises of whether the two will be together because Nanya capitulates to her family's expectations, whether the two will be at odds because of their different desire for the future or whether they can manage to forge something new together.
I loved this story, loved this couple. Nanya is a woman finding herself for the first time. Indeed, her relationship with Raj gives her the springboard to forge a different life for herself. At the same time that she finds comfort and companionship with Raj, she also must face the possibility that her growth might take her away from Raj.
Raj is a man who wants a traditional marriage and life, but then he meets Nanya and he must confront the reality that he wants this woman above all other things. And yet, the tension remains as to whether giving Nanya the freedom she wants means that he will lose her forever.
This book is subtle and intense and personal. There aren't flashy, overdramatic events. Instead, this is a complex, emotional journey for these characters. Is it possible for Raj and Nanya to change and grow and reconcile their disparate visions of the future?
These characters are grounded in their families. Singh always has a wonderful way to creating community around her characters and this book is no exception. The people around Nanya and Raj matter. They are developed characters with personalities and complexities of their own. We get to see their culture, their personal foibles and strengths. It always seems that any of the secondary characters in Singh's books could be the subject of their own book. They are that interesting and well constructed.
This is a wonderful book about compromise and understanding, about change and the importance of family and tradition. There are no easy cliches in this book. And Nanya and Raj are just adorable together. Loved it.
WORTH MENTIONING: I love the inexperienced hero and heroine combinations.
CONNECTED BOOKS: REBEL HARD is the second book in the Hard Play series. The romance here is self-contained and can be read as a standalone. I think this book is so connected with the prior book in the series (and in fact happens concurrent with that book) that I would recommend reading the books in order.
STAR RATING: I give this book 5 stars.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in order to help prepare this review. I was not required to write a review or to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.
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Reviews with images
I have become addicted to ginger chai because of this book!
I have to admit that the descriptions of all the delicious Indian foods ended up being one of my favorite things about this romance. I love entering and experiencing new worlds and different cultures and I think Nalini Singh succeeds in masterfully evoking the traditions and dynamics of Indian family life and the tastes and textures and shapes of a thriving expat Indian community, even endowing it with a touch of Bollywood grandeur (the wedding of the heroine’s sister).Rebel Hard is the second book in her Play Hard series, but even though some of the secondary characters overlap and there are connections between friends (and family), it also works well as a standalone.I liked both the hero and the heroine (I mean what is there not to like?) and the story of their courtship is romantic and sweet, maybe a little too sweet for my tastes, as I am not really a fan of cloyingly sweet treats without any tartness to provide a counter balance. I also felt that the conflict they had to overcome to their happily ever after was a bit contrived. I get the pressure of family expectations, especially if they are mired in tradition, but at heart Nayna’s parents are nice people and really want the best for their daughter. At times it really seemed that Nayna was the person that put the most pressure on herself. More than once I wanted to slap her upside the head and never more so than when she ran off to a mountain retreat instead of communicating with Raj and explaining her fears and reservations to him. Especially considering that he is an immensely likable, considerate and understanding guy (while also being hot), thus almost falling into the category of hero of “too good to be true”.In the end they do get their happily ever after and though I think they could have gotten there much faster (as outlined above), I liked reading about their families and getting an understanding for their background and culture while they were getting there. So 4 stars overall from me.
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