Hi, there I’m USA Today Bestselling Romance Author Aarti V Raman. I write all shades and forms of romance or will in the future because I suffer from writing attention deficit disorder. I must tell all the stories! So, my romances range from romantic comedy, chick lit to romantic suspense and dark romance starring tortured billionaires and suffering military types! Before I turned to writing and telling these stories full-time, I was a teacher, business journalist and editor for close to fifteen years. So my heroines are career-minded, city-living, strong-willed hot messes who still have their lives together. I believe in writing what I know and I know me best so most of these heroines are Indian (South Asian women of color). I also believe in writing more of what I want so my heroes are indecently hot, filthy rich, fiendishly smart with secret hearts of gold. Thus, the angst and steam-meter are off the charts when stubborn force meets immovable object on the way to happy ever after. So does the banter and danger, because what’s love without a little bit of jeopardy, am I right? I’m a TEDx speaker and 24 of my romances have hit the Amazon Bestseller Charts so I can also proudly call myself an Amazon 100 International Bestselling Author. My chick lit dramedy “The Worst Daughter Ever” has been optioned for screen. My bestselling Millionaire Foes series is part of the Writers on the Moon Project, on a time capsule to go to the actual moon. Most notably, I’ve been absolutely privileged to be part of two fantastic for-charity anthologies, Stand for Ukraine and Dissent. I’m also known as Writer Gal. I live in Mumbai with my large and largely loveable extended family in a version of my three favorite words – Happy Ever After.
This was my first book my Aarti. I felt drawn in by the characters and felt their discomfort, love and connection throughout out the pages. The culturally parts were a challenge for me as that's something I am unfamiliar with however I appreciated how things were described.
This was a short read but had strong willed and loving characters.
It was a good short book. Liked the characters, how they realised that they are the ones for each other. Second chance being my favourite trope made me giddy while reading it. It was too short but nonetheless a good one.
No Other Love gripped my heart from the start, and I was instantly enchanted by Anika and Vikrant's story. Initially, the tender moments between them made my heart bloom with warmth and joy, only to be shattered when, in the first chapter, they were already divorced. That emotional turn left me heartbroken.
Throughout the story, I felt frustration with Vikrant's expectations of Anika—he wanted her to pretend to be his wife again for the sake of his family, even though their past hurt still lingered. Yet, at the same time, I understood his motives and couldn't entirely blame him. Both characters were right in their own ways, standing on opposite sides of a line drawn by their individual struggles and regrets.
What I loved most was how their relationship evolved through these struggles. Despite their pain, there was something so heartwarming about how they never stopped caring for one another. The way Vikrant and Anika's feelings remained unchanged, even after all they had gone through, made the story incredibly moving. It was a beautiful reminder that true love can withstand time, distance, and hardship.
The small-town drama, the festive desi elements, and the nuanced portrayal of a marriage in trouble—all of it blended together to make this second-chance romance an emotional rollercoaster. In the end, the story was about more than just fake appearances; it was about two people rediscovering each other and realizing that the love they thought they had lost was still there, waiting for them to rekindle it.
Vikrant and Annika unknowingly became my comfort characters. The theme of this book-which was having to choose between family and career-with the family pouring rocks onto the married life of their kids-resonated with me on a personal level.
Vikrant had an awful amount of character development. He stood up fro Annika in front of his mom and the revelations at the end left no questions about his love fro Annika.
Annika’s choices in the start felt robotic. She wore a saree for Vikrant’s sake, because they were apparently faking everything but later, even she seemed to consciously do things that she had not done before.
I love how authors are picking up relevant themes in today’s time. The book talks about how a woman is expected to make sacrifices including her career. She is ‘required’ to follow her husband blindly wherever he goes but Annika stood her ground. She did not stop being a surgeon.
Such strong female characters give me hope for the future and build strength in me for the kind of woman I want to be when I grow up.
I enjoyed the whole vibe of Ganesh Chaturthi. Getting to read about the different cultures in the different parts of India is my favourite thing to do and this book provided me ample insights into a kind of festival I had never seen before.
All in all, I highly approve of the book and I think every woman (at least but men too) should read it.
Omg!!! I can't believe I completed most of it in one day. This is such an easy go-to-read. For sure this is your perfect read for tonight, if you like -
✨️ Tropes
🌹A marriage in trouble 🌹Second Chance 🌹Indian couple in love 🌹Faking it for the family 🌹One Bed 🌹She falls first, he falls harder
The storyline, the plot, the characters, the spice and the way book develops throughout the book has hooked. 🤌🏻
Loved the fact that the book felt so realistic in today's world, and the message depicted that Love can conquer all, touches all corners of my heart. ❤️🩹
Specially the fact that the characters were aware of there bads and the wrongs they did and also that they were willing to work through there issues and put in efforts to save the love they have for each other, no matter the sacrifices they'll have to make. 🥺
One thing I feel could have been included more was the bonds of the MC's with the family and cousins would might have make it so much more better. 🙊
Yet the book didn't disappoint at all, it got me hooked till the end.😍
This was my first time reading the author's work and I can surely say, I'm so looking forward to read the author's next book named 'Heartbreak Vows'. 🤭🤌🏻
Thank you, Aarti for the ARC opportunity, I'm so grateful to be a part of this beautiful book. 💖💖
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Such a cute, wholesome book! Two characters who lost sight of what was important in their relationship and let the outer noise keep them apart! Vikrant and Anika were ambitious but came from different view points which most times clashed and led to trouble. However, whenever they came together, it was such a great chemistry and fireworks and understanding and so much love for the other.
A quick, fun and a little spicy read that was a breath of fresh air and came with my favourite "my wife" moments.
First of all I need to say this, the book was quite relatable to me considering how the plot seemed to revolve around 2 aspiring doctors with different goals in mind and how their decisions might not align together all the time but they had to find a way for love.
I loved how it was full on desi book and had all the right mentions of traditions and festivals.
I liked how the whole second chance romance plot was described.
If you want to read a short, desi and second chance romance, this book is for you.
This book is an intense, emotional romance that beautifully captures the highs and lows of love and second chances. The chemistry between Anika & Vikrant is electric, and their emotional depth makes the story feel raw and real. Though the pacing slows a bit in the middle, the heartfelt conclusion more than makes up for it. If you love romance with a blend of passion and pain, this book is a must-read.
It was a short story.Anika and Vikrant are cute couple.But the story was lacking something.It is good buy there is some void here and there.The differences of two people who are in relationship was shown beautifully, like the conflicts and everything, I liked the differences she shown.Everything in this book was written well.But I missed the connection to the characters.
I loved the book. It's a sweet story of two people in love but also people who are passionate in their field. It's the journey they go through and the trust they earn between each other! Vik & Ani are just a couple that had their fair share of obstacles and they even at a point let it define them but Love triumphs all I guess 😭🫶🏽🫶🏽🫶🏽
I started the book yesterday and I m done today! This second chance romance just really made a special place in my heart plus the close proximity 🫶🏽🫶🏽🤌🏽🤌🏽🤌🏽
"No other love was ever going to come close to what we had."
Thank you so much to the author, Aarti V. Raman, for providing me with an ARC copy of this book! As a second generation Indian in a western country, I'm always looking for books with Desi representation as a way of connecting with my roots. This book was so spot on with all of the representation and captured all of my memories of India and my experiences in my grandma's village.
I loved reading about Anika and Vikrant, they were cute together and the story was so angsty. They had so much chemistry that the second chance romance/marriage in crisis trope was so natural. It was a fast paced read, and definitely had all of the spicy moments I was anticipating. I did lower my rating only because I feel like the initial problem between them wasn't really something I enjoyed, but nevertheless it was an amazing read!
Finally, I am currently studying anatomy, and seeing all of the medicine related references throughout the book made me so so happy! It felt natural as well, due to both Vikrant and Anika's doctor backgrounds. It was a really nice touch to the story and helped make their doctor backgrounds more realistic due to their knowledge of anatomical concepts!
Tropes: 🌱Marriage in Crisis 🌱"My Wife" 🌱One Bed 🌱Second Chance 🌱Small Town Festivities 🌱Desi Representation
Tropes- Marriage in Trouble, Desi romance ,medical romance,second chance, My wife moments, one bed trope
This is a very short book with such an intense range of emotions. It was so good and emotional. Marriage in trouble trope always breaks your heart and this book did the same. The hard choice between career and Love. It is so relatable. The depiction of all the festivities and desi family is so on point. Truly showed how most of us women have to sacrifice to get either love or our dream career. Anika and Vikrant two aspiring doctors,madly in love but IS LOVE ENOUGH? Vikrant comes from a humble background and have responsibilities towards his parents while Anika comes from a family of Famous doctors. In the hustle bustle of achieving their dream career and surviving in an expensive city like Mumbai their love loose the battle but Destiny have given them one more chance🥹 Read the book to figure out how that chance goes✨ Also He reads Romance novels🤭 He was reading “Heartbreak vows throughout the book, it was so fun to see him talking about Simon and Lia”❤️ Thank you so much Aarti for the ARC❤️
A book that deals with real life problems Indian girls/ couple feels in terms of chasing love and career but also being their for their family. I absolutely enjoyed this book.
I really enjoyed No Other Love! The second-chance romance between Anika and Vikrant was full of heart and emotional depth. The tension of their complicated relationship, mixed with the 'faking it for the family' trope, made this such a page-turner. The chemistry between them felt so real, and I especially loved the saree scene—it was a beautiful, intimate moment that captured the spark they still had for each other. The small town setting, along with the Desi cultural elements, added so much charm. If you love heartfelt romances with strong cultural vibes, this one is a must-read!😍🥰❤️🔥