There was so much praise and fuss when Dev's debut book, "A Bollywood Affair" came out last year that when a publicist offered this book for review, I jumped at it. I wanted to see the fuss about Dev for myself (I have "A Bollywood Affair" in my TBR, waiting its turn). 
 I read the book in one afternoon, in one sitting really. It was hard to relate to Ria at times, she's emotionally distant and has many secrets she's keeping from various people. There are so very many secrets, and not all of them are Ria's. But she has reasons for shutting herself off from other people. Dev took a long time to get to the heart of the matter; it was frustrating at times. I wanted the pace to be a little faster. As Dev slowly pulled back the layers, I became both impatient and steadily more invested in Ria and Vikram's story. I admit, at first I didn't like Vikram. He spent the first third of the book being an asshole but he slowly turned himself around and I ended up liking him quite a bit. 
 I loved seeing life in India, a country I would love to visit some day, as well as what life is like for some Indians living in the USA. The daily details, the food, the wedding rituals, all added texture and depth to the story. I did get frustrated with the Indian attitude towards mental illness and my heart broke for those characters. The portrayal of Ria's family was sweet and made me laugh, smile,and tear up. They're not a perfect family, they make mistakes, but they love each other and care for each other. Dev gives us more than a second chance romance, addressing culture, mental illness, secrets, forgiveness, sacrifice, and finding your passion. "The Bollywood Bride" was gripping, intense, angsty, and emotional. I need to push "A Bollywood Affair" higher up my TBR pile.