Review copy was received from NetGalley, Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Emma Project by Sonali Dev Narrator: Soneela Nankani
Series: Rajes #4
Published by Avon on May 17, 2022
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 416
Length: 13 hours, 38 minutes
Format: Audiobook, eARC
Source: NetGalley, Publisher
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No one can call Vansh Raje’s life anything but charmed. Handsome—Vogue has declared him California’s hottest single—and rich enough to spend all his time on missions to make the world a better place. Add to that a doting family and a contagiously sunny disposition and Vansh has made it halfway through his twenties without ever facing anything to throw him off his admittedly spectacular game.
A couple years from turning forty, Knightlina (Naina) Kohli has just gotten out of a ten-year-long fake relationship with Vansh’s brother and wants only one thing from her life…fine, two things. One, to have nothing to do with the unfairly blessed Raje family ever again. Two, to bring economic independence to millions of women in South Asia through her microfinance foundation and prove her father wrong about, well, everything.
Just when Naina’s dream is about to come to fruition, Vansh Raje shows up with his misguided Emma Project... And suddenly she’s fighting him for funding and wondering if a friends-with-benefits arrangement that’s as toe-curlingly hot as it is fun is worth risking her life’s work for.
All the stories in the Rajes series, are smart and emotional. I can’t speak to the Jane Austen aspects as it has been too long since I read those books. There is a twining of personal growth and evolving relationships, along with the daily aspects of life and careers.
There is only one unattached Raje brother remaining, Vansh. He has been a world traveler for causes, working for the Peace Corps and other organizations. We learn why he is such a passionate defender of those who are innocent or marginalized. He’s the youngest and his family is supportive and protective of him.
Naina is feeling anxious and a bit displaced. She is no longer the fiance of the future governor of California, which stabilized her world and relationships for a decade. She finds her lifelong friendship with the Raje family clouded and her financing in jeopardy. Her own family is just another fight for her.
As lifelong friends, Vansh and Naina have strikingly similar agendas with helping others in need. But the friends turn into sort of enemies when Vansh’s project threatens the funding Naina has worked for years to obtain. Surprisingly, their skills sets are very compatible in building non-profit projects though. And they are compatible in other ways as well.
We see some of the family but especially Esha who has lived with her grandma and the rest of the Raje family since her parents died when she was 8. She has had visions and a strong empathy ability to feel all the emotions of those around her. She would often blackout if anyone touched her, even her loving family, from the emotional intensity. She meets someone and we get to see her learn how to “read” people and interact without feeling their emotions. Her growth, opening up and learning to be with people, is a compatible layer along with Naina’s constant struggle to block all her feelings so she can’t be hurt anymore.
I enjoyed the personal growth of all these characters and peeks at the people from other books. The relationship development was not just those of a romantic nature. There was growth in understanding with family and friends as well.
Narration:
One of the reasons I enjoy audiobooks is, I don’t have to ponder over how to pronounce things. Whether the narrator pronunciations and accents are accurate I don’t have to decide. So it’s a gift if I don’t know how they should be. I was pleased to have the same narrator as the rest of the series her excellent performance of the various male and female voices. I was able to listen at my usual 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip:
Giveaway:
New print copy of The Emma Project by Sonali Dev. (US only).
About Soneela Nankani
Soneela Nankani is a classically trained Brooklyn-based actress. She has performed at many prestigious theaters and is an ensemble member of the award-winning Sojourn Theatre. In addition, Soneela has worked in film and television and has narrated over 60 audiobooks. Soneela holds an MFA in Acting from Columbia University.
Award-winning Audiobook Narrator with 250+ titles / Consultant in Arts + Social Justice / Ensemble Member. In June 2021, Soneela Nankani was inducted as a Golden Voice, AudioFile’s lifetime achievement honor for audiobook narrators.
About Sonali Dev
Sonali Dev’s first literary work was a play about mistaken identities performed at her neighborhood Diwali extravaganza in Mumbai. She was eight years old. Despite this early success, Sonali spent the next few decades getting degrees in architecture and written communication, migrating across the globe, and starting a family while writing for magazines and websites. With the advent of her first gray hair her mad love for telling stories returned full force, and she now combines it with her insights into Indian culture to conjure up stories that make a mad tangle with her life as supermom, domestic goddess, and world traveler.
Sonali lives in the Chicago suburbs with her very patient and often amused husband and two teens who demand both patience and humor, and the world’s most perfect dog.
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I read all types of books but my favorites are urban fantasy and romantic suspense.I like some romance and some action / adventure / mystery in everything.I like sex in my books but please, only between TWO people.Intimate conversation is equally important to the sex in a book.It lets me see the characters.The other thing I enjoy is humor.
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 22-COYER
I’m desperately trying to start this series. Loved this review, Anne💜 I also agree with your opinion of the narrator, too.
I love this series and the author is such a kind and funny person. I started it last year I think for a diversity challenge because she had been on my tbr forever.
Yes
I really enjoy this series.
Love this series. I didn’t get picked to review this one, but I still plan on reading it at some point.
I read from the library to start.
I loved this book too. Nice review, I liked that you wrote about Esha who was my favorite character in this book.
Thanks Wendy. I try to cover things without spoiling.
This sounds really interesting. I may have to check out this series at some point.
I have totally loved this series. The narrator is excellent.
Yes, listening helps with names, etc. This series sounds good!
Listening helps with names but it sucks for spelling. 🙂
I’ve read several of her books.
I’ve only read this series but I’d be happy to try other books she has written.
I love this series – I’ve got the book on my phone to listen to soon. Can’t wait!
I’ve really loved this series. The narrator is excellent. Enjoy!
Enjoyable series indeed. Looking forward to getting to this one soon.
Recipe for Persuasion is one I read recently that was a fun one.
The characters are so well developed with very realistic feelings.
This is such a fun series. Every time I read one of the books, I immediately want to go back and re-read Austen.
I’ve thought about doing that also.
I enjoyed the standalone by this author that I read, now I just need to read this series. Great review!
Thanks Lisa! I’ve really enjoyed this series.