Kensington Books, September 27, 2016.
Four Stars
Nikhil works as a doctor on a cruise ship, drowning
his sorrows in alcohol after the death of his wife two years before. Jen, Nik’s
wife, was working for Doctors Without Borders in Mumbai when she discovered a
black market organ transplant right – her knowledge of this criminal element
likely led to her murder. Instead of trying to discover the truth about Jen’s
death, Nikhil hides his feelings in a bottle, until another woman appears and
challenges his views on life.
When Jess first meets Nikhil, she seems to know
secrets about his life with Jen that she couldn’t possibly have access to – she
claims that she was the recipient of Jen’s heart, and that Jen is speaking to
her, not only about her life with Nik but also about the circumstances
surrounding her death. The gaps in the story are filled in by quotes from Jen’s
diary at the beginning of each chapter, and they give hints of what is to come.
Jess convinces Nikhil that they need to return to his hometown of Chicago to
search for clues and find out the truth – meanwhile, we find out the truth
about Jess, and she has an ulterior motive in recruiting Nikhil.
The perspective alternates between Nikhil and Jess,
so we know right away that she isn’t who she seems to be. Her abusive childhood
led her to a career in a Bollywood dance troupe, and she trusts no one, with
the exception of her young son, Joy. Everything she does is for Joy, although
we don’t learn the full extent of Joy’s involvement in Jess’s actions until
much later. Meanwhile, we also see inside Nikhil’s head as he slowly but
passionately begins to fall in love with Jess.
A complicated bond forms between the two, and
although their relationship often felt emotionally manipulative, it was always
riveting. It felt like a new adult romance with a touch of melodrama – two damaged
people trying to save each other while sacrificing themselves. On a deeper
level, the novel also explores the darkness under the surface of modern
Indian-American life – and I liked the references to Indian culture that were
made without dumbing them down for a white audience. Nikhil’s family features
strongly in the story, and they are also characters in Dev’s other novels.
A Change of
Heart combines romance and intrigue with a
thrilling mystery. It is about tortured, broken people struggling to reach a
happy ending, but it never sinks into cliché – at the last second, Dev
surprises us with fresh and new twists. The ending is happy, but not perfect,
as the soap opera melodrama comes on a bit strong. Although the story wasn’t the
most believable, it still gets a solid four stars for emotional impact.
I received this book from Kensington Books and
NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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