Hitched In Hawaii (Vacation & You #1) (2024)

I received an ARC of the fun book in exchange for an honest review. This was a very light and quick read. Very likable main characters. I felt myself rooting for them.

Not that these stories are supposed to be real life, but it was a pretty huge stretch that these two actually recognized each other in the beginning. They were friends in kindergarten and first grade and haven’t seen each other since, because his family moved away. And he recognized her by her eyes from a long distance? And as soon as she saw him, she knew exactly who he was? It was just too far of a stretch for me.

Once I got past that, I thought the story progressed nicely. It was sweet (but pretty much insta-love) how they developed their relationship. I loved that she put forth such an effort to learn the ways of his culture. And I loved how he took her feelings into consideration, even when she didn’t voice them.

The end went a little into the pretty far fetched area again. Without spoilers, his dads involvement just a little too unbelievable. I’m glad they got their HEA. Overall a fun read!

ARC REVIEW this was my first ever book written by the author and I must say by reading this one makes me excited for her others! Dev & Emily’s story was very cute & well written. I really enjoyed that it was a short book yet the plot was still there without feeling rushed!
Really cute, quick read!

Got this book as an ARC reader, and 10/10 recommend. Such a good book. The plot was amazing and I couldn’t put it down. I found myself relating to the characters more than I thought, and I’ve recommended this book to literally everyone I know. You won’t be disappointed. Cant wait to read more from this author.

I received this ARC for an honest review. Thank you @dharashahauthor

2/5 ⭐️
0.5/5 🌶️

Dev and Emily reconnect after several years and agree to a marriage of convenience.
SPOILERS
The storyline was fine and was very fast paced however I found the writing to be lacking. The characters feel very one dimensional. The inner monologue of Dev and Emily felt very flat. For example, Emily was thinking and would refer to her mother by name “My mother Linda” The most we learn about Emily (over and over again) is how deeply she loves shoes and of course we cannot forget about her honey brown eyes. Dev is slightly better as we learn about his culture and conveniently his LACK of shoes. The chemistry between the two did not feel genuine in my opinion. The couple spoke very formally to each other with the constant use of their first names when talking.
This book is meant to be “spicy” and although it did have some parts that went into brief detail the majority of the romantic interactions involved “making out for a few minutes”.
The biggest issue I had with this story were the parts that just made no sense. They were diving deep into the ocean with life vests? Doesn’t seem likely. Her grandmother was dying on hospice care and attached to several machines? That is not how hospice works. She had a hysterectomy and was told by doctors she should’ve frozen her eggs and will never have children? Your eggs are in your ovaries. I just needed it to be said that her ovaries were removed in the process. Such a large third act revelation and it didn’t make sense to me.
Overall the story was not bad but the finished result felt sloppy at times.

ARC review!

When you think your life is in order, the universe always has a way of telling you different. Imagine having a pre wedding photoshoot, only to throw your engagement ring into the ocean. Hitched in Hawaii is a twist on love. Having to find a husband is hard, but add time against you allowing for only 10 days? That makes it even harder. Emily does just that. After being able to find someone to have a convenience marriage, following their love story is worth while.

Dhara Shah did a wonderful job with this story. The perfect amount of suspense, love, culture, and modern reality. Being a part of the ARC team has truly been a blessing and joy! I can't wait to read more of her future books!

Available on:
Amazon Paperback and Kindle Unlimited
198 pages
54,000 words

Release date:
February 14, 2023

4 ⭐️ 2 🌶️

ARC READER

Billionaire marriage of convenience? Say no more!
It took me a few chapters to really get into this book & Dhara’s writing style but by 20% I was so emotionally invested in Dev & Emily that I couldn’t put my kindle down. I definitely recommend this one for a quick read 💛

ARC Reader!
This is not normally the type of book I like to read, but it was a pleasant little surprise. I enjoyed the quick storyline and it was easy to read. I had fun reading this book and look forward to anything else Dhara Shah publishes in the future. Maybe even a little epilogue for these characters!

Emily is in Hawaii with her fiancé Dave preparing for their wedding in 10 days. We don’t know why but he leaves her in the middle of the photo shoot they are having. She’s sitting on a bench crying. Meanwhile someone is watching her. Dev.

Dev is in Hawaii running away from his parents because they are trying to put set him up in an arranged marriage. He wants to find love. He’s out on his balcony watching Emily and her now ex fiancé. He watches her for a few hours and eventually goes down and sits by her. She’s till crying. They talk and he knows who she is. They have known each other years before.

Emily doesn’t want to disappoint her dying grandmother and decides to look for someone in Hawaii with the name Dave. Dev helps but then they decide to just marry each other since she’s starting to like him and he is liking her and both sides of family come and the wedding happens.

Emily is hiding a big secret. She has a habit of ruining relationships with this secret and she doesn’t want to hurt Dev. They have fallen in love but her love is much bigger for him than putting him through the burden of something she can’t give him.

I would have loved to know Emily more in depth. We know she loves shoes, she was a social worker at a hospital, her family dynamic but that’s it. I didn’t get a real depth in knowing her character. Dev, we got to know his culture, his family, a bit of his job, his personality for caring deeply about others.

I didn’t think this book was spicy but it’s a cute romcom. Quick read. Some timing events seemed out of place but that aside it’s still a good read. I’m hoping to see a book for Ayan in the future. He seems like he’d be a lot of fun.

I got this book as an ARC read for an honest review. I have to say this is my first time reading a book by Dhara, and I really enjoyed reading this story.

Dhara really has a way with words. Her story wasn't boring or hard to read. I really enjoyed reading about the characters and learning bout Indian customs also. This book is a Billionaire marriage of convenience.

Blurb about book:

Emily has bad luck in love. Her last relationship just ended over something out of her control. She is sitting in Hawaii crying cause her wedding is coming up & no groom.

Then Dev comes up to her & starts eating his dinner (having seen the whole thing from his balcony). He sees how much pain she is in. He just wants to help.

He tells her they aren't strangers they went to school from kindergarten to second grade when he moved.

He is so kind, so she tells him everything. He brings up just replacing Dave with a new Dave. So she is looking for a new groom days before her wedding.

Read about Emily & Dev, this clean marriage of convenience won't disappoint.

An arc read!

Emily is in Hawaii to marry her fiancée, but that changes when he decides after a fight during their photo shoot that he no longer wants to marry her. Dev, notices the fight and watches Emily through her ring into the ocean.
Emily is set to be married to a “Dave” in 7 days but now she needs to find someone named, “Dave” aka Dev to marry. Dev agrees to marry Emily until her grandmother dies or ~1 year.

This story set on the big island of Hawaii and San Fran and is one very sweet, meet cute, marriage of connivence story. Dhara’s writing style was beautifully fluid and allows you to feel captivated by all emotions depicted in this story.

The storyline was strong but I really wanted to the spice to be more spicier in detail with Dev and Emily. However, the heartbreak and sadness was greatly detailed and allowed me to channel those emotions. And I love me a great HEA 😍

Rating 4/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️/5

Tropes:
✔️ Marriage of convenience
✔️ Millionaire Romance
✔️ Marriage Pact

I loved this ARC read! Thank you Dhara for allowing me to be on your team for an honest review!

The setting of Hitched in Hawaii was both on the Island of Hawaii, and also in San Francisco! I loved that about Dev and Emily’s story! One is a billionaire running away from an arranged marriage and the other is a stilted bride! Neither of them want to disappoint their families, so they become fast friends and come up with a plan to keep everyone happy!

I enjoyed this sweet and spicy romance! It was a very fun easy read of a sweet meet cute.

“Everyone falls in their life, but if the person has the spirit to get back up, that is what counts.”

Blurb…

Emily is a jilted bride by the end of her pre-wedding photoshoot in Hawaii. She must find a husband in ten days before everyone shows up for the wedding. Dev, a billionaire, is taking an impromptu vacation to avoid his parents from setting him up for an arranged marriage. This marriage of convenience works for both, especially because they find things they want in their partner in each other. They say ‘I do’ with a plan to call quits on their marriage in one year if they don’t fall in love. But will this plan work when love and secrets both come into the mix? Will love last when their definition of happily ever after differs significantly?

Read this spicy marriage of convenience romantic comedy with love, laughter, and all the swoons!

Emily is having her worst day yet. Only 10 days before her location wedding in Hawaii, her fiancè Dave breaks up with her. Witnessing from his balcony, extremely wealthy Medical Physicist Dev inserts himself into the situation to comfort her, only realising on meeting that they have a shared past. When Emily decides she needs to find a new Dave so that her frail grandmother can see her married, Dev steps in. But will this blow up for both of them? Or lead to true love?

I really enjoyed the storyline of this book (classic fake dating/marriage trope) and the detail given on Dev's Indian culture. Emily & Dev's relationship is fun but it did feel very 0-100 and I wasn't really set on his reasoning to jump into the marriage.

I'll admit I struggled with the writing style. As someone for whom grammar and language really stands out in a book, I did feel myself pulled out of the story when a sentence didn't mean exactly what the Author intended.

Thank you to Author Dhara Shah for providing this ARC to me freely, in exchange for an honest review of the book.

Such a cute and easy read! I read this in a day! I loved how different both Dev and Emily were but yet they were the perfect match. The spicy scenes were really good. Personally, I feel like the beginning of their feelings happened too quick but that’s what insta love is, so if you like that, this one’s for you. Dev is such a good guy and so incredible kind and he treats Emily so well. I liked how happy Emily was to adapt to the Indian culture once she joined the family. I didn’t enjoy the whole pregnant/not pregnant plot line but then again that isn’t a trope I enjoy reading about. I didn’t like how Dev was so against surrogacy and adoption, I don’t believe there is anything wrong with either and you should love your child regardless of them having your blood or not. I get wanting to have your own kids with your partner but when Dev immediately shut it down it annoyed me because some of my siblings are adopted and I love them just as much as my biological siblings. Because of that I’m gonna have to give it a 4 star. I liked the rest of the book though!! And it did have an HEA! So all for that!!

4/5 ⭐️
2/5 🌶

Honestly, this book didn't seem like my "cup of tea" once I started reading it. The writing style seemed a little off to me... I still can't put my finger on what was weird to me. The phrasing of things was very odd to me...
THAT BEING SAID - I enjoyed the book. Dhara Shah writes amazing characters that you really care about. Dev and Emily are adorable.
It's a friends-t0-strangers-to-lovers story with a marriage of convenience. Will they fall in love in the end? Will they get their happy ending and the family they both want? Read it to find out! This story will be available on Kindle Unlimited and Paperback on Valentine's day (February 14th).
Check it out - you won't be sorry!

This was a marriage of convenience trope.
Dev had escaped to Hawaii, from his mums match making scheme.
He wanted prenup but that's frowned upon in Asian community.
Emily was there to get married but her fiancé left her 10 days before the marriage.
When Dev goes to see her to help her while she was crying from her break up, he realises he recognises those big brown eyes. He almost fell in love with those eyes immediately.

Anyway one thing leads to another they end up agreeing to get married to please ith side of the family, as it's her grandma's last wish.

Along the way they fall in love but too scared to admit it.
So much drama, heartbreak (Emily has a deep secret), love humour, banter and some spicy moments.

I liked all the characters apart from Ayan. He is meant to be Dev's best friend but I felt he was very negative and not supportive at all.
It was great love story.

This is the the first book I’ve read by this author and I really enjoyed it. From the beginning, I cared about Dev and Emily. I was shocked when they “knew” each other and that their mother’s remembered them as babies. Their marriage of convenience storyline was solid you could tell they liked each other from the beginning and knew there would be hurdles. She had me laughing and crying, happy and sad in this book not is so well written. I especially loved Emily‘s grandmother and a particular shoe burning scene at the end. Great story! I will look for more of her stories.
I received a free copy and am voluntarily leaving a review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ FOUR STARS

Emily is a young woman in a tough spot. She’s come to Hawaii to get married, but with just days to go before her nuptials, her fiancé calls it quits. Dev, an old friend of Emily’s, has come to Hawaii to stave off the arranged marriage that awaits him back home. Together, they choose to enter an arranged marriage that will hopefully give them both what they need.

I received an eARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

Simply put, I loved it. It’s a light, fun read that still has heart, and tells a nice story. The writing style, while a little different to what I’m used to, especially at first, lent a fresh feeling to the story, made it feel unique. I loved Dev and Emily together, and found myself really rooting for them. Learning about Dev’s culture was a definite bonus, as well. My only possible complaint is that I want more! I want to find out what’s next. 💕

ARC REVIEW

I rated Hitched in Hawaii by Dhara Shah 4 out of 5 stars because the storyline was impressively thought out and the characters, while complex, fit into easy categories making this book reader-friendly. Along with the storyline and characters, I learned many new things about Indian culture, which has actually helped me in a current class that I am taking in college.

Now for some tropes: marriage of convenience, friends to lovers, millionaire romance, marriage pact, forced proximity, fake dating/marriage

Overall, the characters were easy to fall in love with and the story wasn't super spicy for being a spicy book (like a dollop of sour cream on top of a spicy dish... the perfect amount of spice without being overpowering).

Do I recommend this book? Yes, if you like romance books including diverse cultures represented and a wee bit of spice, this book if definitely for you!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I won't lie this was such a fun and quick read. I loved Dev and Emily's chemistry in the book alot too. From friends to strangers to friends to life partners ... It was sure as hell of a ride 👀

Emily's desire of wanting to get marry in 10 days so she can prove to her grandma that she broke the curse in her family of not being able to set foot in the alter made me laugh alot. My girl made a whole list of every single Dave or Dev in Hawaii whom she can marry when she had a Dev sitting right infront of her 😂 Plus her technique of setting things on fire to feel better (UGH EMILY I FEEL YOU)

Dev's patience in the book was so sweet he was always so gentle and calm and the kindest man ever (low-key need a man like him in my life tho 🫂) and Emily's stupidity in the second half of the book was too much that I had to resist the urge to knock some senses in her (But she had her own reasons for it which you'll find out once you'll read it) 🥴

– Anyways all I'm saying is since this book is released today on Valentine's day, make sure to check it out. It's available on Kindle Unlimited and you can also buy Paperback version through Amazon 💗

(I was sent this book by the author herself to do a honest review in exchange)

Cute easy to read romance. Not super heavy on the smutty/spice, so if you are interested in more of a love story this is for you. I wasn't a fan of Emily keeping her secret for so long from every relationship I felt that was something that should be disclosed early on before getting overly involved with someone. It shows how secrets can destroy relationships but I understand why it's a difficult topic to discuss, overall I was glad to see a HEA.

I received this book as an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I really liked the story and the message it conveys; “That’s the thing about kindness, kids. It always comes around for you in ways you don’t understand”.
I wish there were lots of Devs out in the world; it would definitely be a better place. Em got on my nerves; her grandma was right about what she told Dev.
Its a good story, with good characters, but some things were a little far fetched. How can you recognize someone you haven’t seen since second grade? Other details would be more credible if they happened in a longer span of time, but overall, its a fun read that leaves you wishing for your own Dev.

ARC REVIEW

Let me start with saying that the plot was gorgeous.

Also, the Plot - DEV ACHARYA

I'm not kidding when I say I read this in one sitting - cover to cover. It was so adorable, I just couldn't stop.

Dev is a greener flag than grass. He's so perfect that he's not even real (cries in realisation). Emily was so lovable in the beginning but somewhere around the middle she just became annoying and I just didn't vibe with it. Ayan on the other hand was a chef's kiss of a best friend and I need me someone like him.

When I say the plot was adorable, it was goddamn adorable. Short chapters, fast paced writing and lovable characters make this book so easy to read.

What I didn't like about this book aside from Emily's character arc downfall was the ending that had some comments that went against my personal moral beliefs. That and the insta love. I know slow burn is not for everyone but there's this grey area between both these arcs which i would have preferred. Apart from these few points, the book was a great, great read.

Thanks Dhara for trusting me with the ARC copy!

This book was SO cute! I loved everything about it and I’m definitely a sucker for a HEA.

Dev, torn over whether he should go through with an arranged marriage, takes off to Hawaii, where he meets Emily. Emily was just days away from a wedding of her own when her fiancé Dave calls it off, leaving her devastated. Racing against the clock, Emily needs to find a replacement groom. The two become fast friends and decide to enter into an arranged marriage of their own- with each other.
Ultimately they fall madly in love and although they hit some turbulence, they find their way back to each other.

This book was so well written. It had romance, a few steamy scenes, marriage of convenience, past friends reunited turned lovers, and was a great little rom com.

I was worried that the ending would feel rushed (as I was nearing the end) but it didn’t at all. I didn’t find that it was missing anything but would have loved an epilogue to see how everything played out for Dev and Emily.
If you’re looking for a light and quick read this Valentines Day be sure and check this story out.

Emily is left to find a new future husband after her fiance left her crying on the beach during their pre-wedding photoshoot. Dev runs away to Hawaii for a vacation to delay an arranged marriage by his parents. After realizing Dev may be her best chance at making this wedding work, Emily lets Dev convince her that marrying each other could be the best way to solve both of their problems.

I love a good marriage of convenience story as much as the next. Emily and Dev were such well written characters and it was hard not to fall in love with them. There was a good amount of spice, some really fun explicit scenes. Dhara Shah has a specific type of writing that I found difficult to decipher at times. However, the plat was there and once I got deep in the story, it was hard to put it down! I cannot wait to see what Shah can come up with in terms of an epilogue or second point so I can see how Emily and Dev's relationship plays out in the future.

📚ℬℴℴ𝓀 ℛℯ𝓋𝒾ℯ𝓌: ℋ𝒾𝓉𝓋𝒽ℯ𝒹 𝒾𝓃 ℋ𝒶𝓌𝒶𝒾𝒾 𝒷𝓎 @dharashahauthor 📚
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Happy Valentines day my lovely bookish friends! Todays Release day 💕

I received this book as an Arc and so happy I did! I read this for free in exchange for an honest review and here it is!

I loved it! I love Dev from the very beginning and was skeptical of Emily at first. But I loved the contrast in their personalities and how it actually made their relationship work. I laughed, yelled, awed throughout the book which in my opinion means it’s perfect. I couldn’t put it down even at parts when I was yelling at the characters. I was so sad when I finished it. I definitely recommend it. I also really loved the change in point of views. It definitely helped with the flow of things.

This is available as a paperback and on Kindle Unlimited. Make sure to grab a copy 💕

The angst! So raw it pulses off the page. A real story of love and commitment on the highest levels . The cloud of turmoil between Dev and Emily pulses off the page and then some…When Dev sees Emily’s world come crashing down on the beach ,he needs to know she’s ok. He’s escaping from another marriage arrangement meet as he vacations on Big Island Hawaii . The character portrayals are so realistic and each character woven into the story very well and wise older generations show the youngsters their wise ways and knowledge. Even his best friend gives his advice and love.The heart anxiety as well as the unconditional love described here are very well written
and realistic

I received an advance copy of this book and my review is my own words voluntary given

I was incredibly lucky to have been a part of the ARC team for this book.

Hitched on Hawaii was super cute! Dev and Emily’s relationship was so beautifully written. It is a wonderful mix of fluff and spice. Dev and Emily had such a cute connection right off the bat!

I absolutely adored the diversity and how it was so carefully and thoughtfully explored within the story.

I would have loved to see a longer introduction to these characters. For me, I felt the first chapter was a little too fast. I would have also loved to see an epilogue.

Overall, this was a really good book and would definitely recommend it!

3.5⭐️

✨4/5✨
I enjoyed this book so much!!! Such a quick easy read that will definitely get you out of a slump. This was my first read from the wonderful @dharashahauthor and she truly knows what she’s doing when it comes to romance. Loved seeing the development of the relationship between Emily and Dev and I adored the way representation in this book🤍🤍 Can’t wait to read more from Dhara!!

This book was delightful!
I loved that the characters were intertwined from the beginning.
As most romance goes, the ending was predictable but I love a good happy ending.
There a little spice, but not too much.
Overall it was a great story, but I still wanted a little more.