The Takeover Effect by Nisha Sharma (Book Review)
THE TAKEOVER EFFECT
by Nisha Sharma
The Singh Family #1
The first book in a highly anticipated trilogy about three Sikh brothers who will do whatever it takes to save their father’s technology company from a takeover by a large conglomerate. The brothers Hem, Ajay, and Zail are determined to protect their father’s immigrant dream and save the family’s reputation.
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 regain 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.
Mass Market, 384 Pages
Category: Adult
Genre(s): Contemporary | Romance
Publishing imprint: Avon Impulse
Publication date: April 2nd 2019
BOOK REVIEW
NISHA SHARMA
The Takeover Effect
The Singh Family
I initially chose to read this book because it dealt with a business takeover and I suspected it would have some aspect of negotiation in it. As I’m presently enrolled in graduate school and my current class is on the principles of negotiation, I thought this book a fortuitous and timely read. Turns out, I was right, and since I’ve been in a reading slump due to a lot of academic assignments and research papers, I decided to claim this romance book as fictionally applied research in the art of negotiation (*insert wide grin here, please*). One scene toward the start of the book really stood out as something I’ve read about in my class: the art of persuasion and the influence of reciprocity (e.g. I give on this, you give on that) and I absolutely love that it was done so perfectly in this book.
The Takeover Effect by Nisha Sharma is an entertaining and well-written office romance. One of my favorite things about the story is that, even though the cultural aspects of the book were unfamiliar to me, the business and psychological facets of the characters were not. I loved how well Sharma combined the business, the romance, the culture, and the complicated family dynamics in this story.
I found Hem and Mina to be two strong, well-rounded, and intriguing characters, and though I had a hard time with the instant romance part, I did enjoy the growth and development of their relationship. Their personal drive for success and their devotion to family made this a fun read, and I loved that Mina knew who she was and had no qualms at all in owning it.
If you’re looking for a fun, intriguing office romance with two strong, intelligent and independent characters, The Takeover Effect by Nisha Sharma is a great read. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I cannot wait to read what book two has in store.
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What people are saying…
KIRKUS REVIEWS:
“Full of sharply etched characters with vibrant personalities. Armed with an insider’s insight, Sharma sketches a culturally authentic and emotionally rich portrait of a typical Indian-American family … A sweet love story enlivened by energetic displays of cool intellect, warm familial ties, and hot sexual chemistry.”
LIBRARY JOURNAL:
“Highly recommended for lovers of romances involving big business and family drama and romances imbued with diverse flair, as well as for fans who fell in love with the work of Sonali Dev and are looking for more stories with a bit of Bollywood sparkle and melodrama.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nisha Sharma is the author of the YA novel My So-Called Bollywood Life, and the adult contemporary romance The Takeover Effect. Her writing has been praised in NPR, Cosmopolitan, Teen Vogue, Buzzfeed, Hypable and more. Nisha credits her father for her multiple graduate degrees, and her mother for her love of Shah Rukh Khan and Jane Austen. She lives in New Jersey with her Alaskan husband, her cat Lizzie Bennett and her dog Nancey Drew.
CONNECT
Nisha’s work has been featured in NPR, Cosmopolitan, Seventeen, Bustle, Buzzfeed, and more. She’s best known for her YA romances, which have received thrilling praise across the board, including:
- “Sharma’s delightful contemporary rom-com debut is peppered with Bollywood references, and is the perfect timepass for both the Bollywood-obsessed and filmi (melodrama) novices.”—Teen Vogue
- “Charming, romantic, and super sweet, contemporary fans will fall hard for Sharma’s debut novel.”—Buzzfeed
- “A delightful and humorous debut.”—Kirkus Reviews*starred review*
- “A strong, winsome heroine; a solid supporting cast, including family; and a romantic triangle that rivals any Bollywood plot.”—Booklist
- “A satisfying story with a layer of dramatic intrigue.”—Publishers Weekly
- “This sweet, likeable novel will be a good addition to collections where romance and multicultural titles are popular.”—VOYA
I liked The Takeover Effect, but man, I wish I’d loved it. There was just a lot less romance than I was expecting, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I felt that the stuff with the company was overpowering the relationship between Hem and Mina.