Veena’s review of The Takeover Effect (Singh Family Trilogy, Book 1) by Nisha Sharma
Contemporary Romance published by Avon 30 Apr 19
Bollywood meets mainstream American contemporary romance in this debut adult offering from Ms. Sharma. The author draws upon a rich cultural heritage of first and second generation Indian Americans and their successes, particularly in the technology field. Add in steamy romance, intrigue, dirty dealing, and corporate espionage and you have all the ingredients for a successful launch.
Full confession – I am a Punjabi born in India and transplanted to this country at a young age. Many of my friends and family fit into the demographics of the characters from this story. While there are some things that I could be critical of from a purist perspective, this is a well-written story and conveys the rich cultural heritage and the family values of the Punjabi American Indians. I love the story of the Dos Hut that embodies the humble beginnings for many of us who have achieved success, thanks to the opportunities materialized through sheer hard work and brain power.
Hem and his brothers, with their expensive education, their love of all things bright and shiny, and the deep and abiding family values and love they share, embody the best and the brightest of the young Indian Tech entrepreneurs in this country. The struggle to find a girlfriend/wife who can accept all that entails is real, and so I rejoice when Hem and Mina find each other, even if Mina is originally playing a deep game.
The chemistry between Hem and Mina from the get-go and the way she fits in with his brothers and ultimately his family is a dream come true. Hem has been around the block and definitely experienced the reverse earlier. I like the nice arranged marriage trope where Mina’s uncle is trying to get her into a marriage arranged for business and financial considerations, and definitely applaud Mina when she finally decides there’s more to life and relationships than laying down and being walked over, especially by her unscrupulous uncle.
The story comes together well with the nice touch of espionage adding spice, if there wasn’t enough spice already. I’m definitely game for the next book in the series and can’t wait to see how Mina’s friend does with her close encounter with a Singh brother.
Grade: A
Summary:
Hemdeep Singh knows exactly what he wants. With his intelligence and determination, he has what it takes to build his own legacy away from Bharat, Inc. and the empire his father created. But when his brother calls him home, Hem puts his dreams on hold once again to help save the company he walked away from. That’s when he encounters the devastating Mina Kohli in the Bharat boardroom, and he realizes he’s in for more than he had bargained.
Mina will do whatever it takes to recover control of her mother’s law firm, even if it means agreeing to an arranged marriage. Her newest case assignment is to assist Bharat in the midst of a potential takeover. It could be the key to finally achieving her goal while preventing her marriage to a man she doesn’t love—as long as her explosive attraction to Hem doesn’t get in the way.
As Mina and Hem work to save Bharat, they not only uncover secrets that could threaten the existence of the company, but they also learn that in a winner-takes-all game, love always comes out on top.
No excerpt available.
