Partners in Crime by Alisha Rai

Mira Chaudhary is tired of using Hema aunty’s matchmaking services. When nothing seems to be going her way, she hears of her aunt’s demise. And who else but her former boyfriend, Naveen Desai, is assigned the matter of settling her aunt’s will?

Soon, Mira and Naveen get caught up in a case of stolen jewels and must work together to keep their heads above water.

I’ve read The Right Swipe by Alisha Rai before, and it was plenty entertaining. While the same can be said about Partners in Crime, I couldn’t connect with the two main characters’ storylines.

It could be because a lot of the important details of their backstory are only revealed much later in the book. And these details are crucial to understanding why Mira and Naveen are the people they are in the present.

The writing is a good mix of dialogue and description.

You can clearly understand from the beginning how both Naveen and Mira haven’t had any closure; some part of them is still pining for the other. That sets the foundation for what’s to come.

I hadn’t read the synopsis of the book. So in the beginning, I would not have thought that the story would take the turn it did with the whole kidnapping and stolen jewel element.

The twists and turns up until the end were interesting; they kept my attention from wavering.

But I would’ve preferred for the ending to have been a bit more believable. There are two significant revelations there that change everything you’ve come to know about the plot. It felt unnecessarily dramatic.

There’s a lot going on in this novel. Indian matchmaking, art auctions, fake jewels, car chases, hacking, unknown mafia gangs, etc.

You might enjoy the book depending on what you expect from it. Want a light-hearted read where you don’t have to think too much? By all means, go for it.

Want to be able to connect with the characters and find some meaning in the story? Maybe, pass on this one.

I didn’t like reading Partners in Crime as much as I was hoping to.

Note – I received an ALC of this book from Libro.fm in exchange for an honest review.