REVIEW: Incense and Sensibility by Sonali Dev

Incense and Sensibility by Sonali Dev: Yash Raje is used to being the creator and controller of his own destiny, firmly believing that if you control your feelings you can be in control of your world. Determined to use this mantra and his affluent background to help bring change to the poor and disenfranchised while facing the ugly side of racism head on, Yash is well on his way to becoming the first Indian gubernatorial candidate. However things go terribly wrong at a rally and one of Yash’s close friends and bodyguard is badly injured, Yash finds himself questioning his carefully constructed world and everything that he knows.

If having faced such a hate fueled attack wasn’t bad enough Yash now finds himself crippled with immense anxiety and panic at the prospect of getting back out on the campaign. Desperate to help Yash overcome this fear the Raje’s seek out the help of family friend India Dashwood in the hopes that she will be able to help heal Yash’s torched soul.

India Dashwood is well known for using yoga and lifestyle changes to help sooth the high strung and stressed filled lives of her students however that very last thing she wanted was to have to work closely with guy that broke her heart ten years ago. However not being one to turn away someone in need of her help India vows to keep Yash at arms length and protect her still hurting heart while she helps him overcome the trauma that is holding him hostage. The only thing neither of them expected was for their old feelings to resurface but the question now is, is Yash willing to give up the dream him and his family have been going after for so long so that he can follow his heart?

Dev has been taking us on an intensely emotional and relatable journey with this series, Incense And Sensibility is the third book in the Raje’s series and by far my favorite. I loved the dynamic between India and Yash. Also I have to say this book hit a lot of very relevant issues that are being faced by much of the world and I loved the way Dev approached them. The only thing I was not to fond of was the pace of the novel, I just felt that I was a bit to slow for my liking however this is just a minor thing.

Both India and Yash were great characters and it was really nice getting to see them find their way back to each other. Yash was such an amazing guy, I loved watching him over come the traumatic events and reflecting on how he hurt India all those years ago. One of the thing I really liked about Yash was that he was genuinely a good, humble guy that wanted the best for his community. As for India, it was impossible not to love her, not only did she put her heart on the line by helping Yash but she also took care of her mother with such grace.

I would definitely recommend reading Incense And Sensibility, this book as with the rest of the books in this series have just the right amount of realism and romance to draw you in and hold your heart hostage.

Book Info:

Publication: July 6th 2021 | William Morrow | The Rajes #3

Yash Raje, California’s first serious Indian gubernatorial candidate, has always known exactly what he wants—and how to use his privileged background to get it. He attributes his success to a simple mantra: control your feelings and you can control the world.

But when a hate-fueled incident at a rally critically injures his friend, Yash’s easy life suddenly feels like a lie, his control an illusion. When he tries to get back on the campaign trail, he blacks out with panic.

Desperate to keep Yash’s condition from leaking to the media, his family turns to the one person they trust—his sister’s best friend, India Dashwood, California’s foremost stress management coach. Raised by a family of yoga teachers, India has helped San Francisco’s high strung overachievers for a decade without so much as altering her breath. But this man—with his boundless ambition, simmering intensity, and absolute faith in his political beliefs—is like no other. Yash has spent a lifetime repressing everything to succeed.

Including their one magical night ten years ago—a too brief, too bright passion that if rekindled threatens the life he’s crafted for himself. Exposing the secrets might be the only way to save him but it’s also guaranteed to destroy the dream he’s willingly shouldered for his family and community . . . until now.