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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
This was such a lovely and believable modern romance. Mili was married in India when she was four years old. Unbeknownst to her though, her groom’s mother had the marriage annulled shortly afterwards. However Mili and her grandmother kept sending money and offerings to his grandfather as per custom. The groom has moved on and married and his wife is expecting a baby. However, he receives a court notice about the family property which makes him realise that Mili still thinks she is married to him. So he sends his brother, Samir, to talk to Mili and get her to sign divorce papers. When Mili and Samir meet, sparks fly. Really great story.
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A fascinating combination of American and Indian romance- great detail, adorable heroine and handsome damaged hero.
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Read this a while back, but had trouble articulating why I did not fall in love with it, as so many other readers had. Then I read Meoskop's review at LOVE IN THE MARGINS, and I had my answer:
http://loveinthemargins.com/2015/04/22/a-bollywood-affair-by-sonali-dev/
http://loveinthemargins.com/2015/04/22/a-bollywood-affair-by-sonali-dev/
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
2.5 stars.
This isn't a bad book. As a straightforward romance goes, it's perfectly fine. It just really wasn't to my taste (for all that the descriptions of Indian food sounded mouthwatering).
Firstly, I hate the 'liar revealed' storyline, where one character hides a HUGE secret for way too fucking long and then the lie is revealed by someone else to the person they've lied to.
Secondly, I just didn't like the chemistry between Samir and Mili. Samir was, in my opinion, kind of an asshole, and I didn't like that Mili forgives him because he's so good with his family. And Mili could have been such a kickass heroine; I wanted Samir to not only be better for her, but also to fall in love with her because of her passion for her work in a women's shelter and her amazing academic skills (she co-authored a sociology paper during the novel, how cool is that? He never acknowledges it). Instead he falls in love with her physical beauty, 'adorkable' clumsiness, and habit of constantly crying. Which, honestly, I think the crying was done pretty well, as a repudiation of many modern authors' total rejection of all 'feminine' traits like high empathy and strong emotions, but the fact that he totally ignored her actual accomplishments and passions left me feeling pretty cold.
That said, Sonali Dev's writing is very good, and the many side characters do add considerably to the story. So even though I questioned pretty much every decision the two main characters made, I still had an okay overall ride. But... the story gave me anxiety. I HATE the liar-revealed trope so much.
This isn't a bad book. As a straightforward romance goes, it's perfectly fine. It just really wasn't to my taste (for all that the descriptions of Indian food sounded mouthwatering).
Firstly, I hate the 'liar revealed' storyline, where one character hides a HUGE secret for way too fucking long and then the lie is revealed by someone else to the person they've lied to.
Secondly, I just didn't like the chemistry between Samir and Mili. Samir was, in my opinion, kind of an asshole, and I didn't like that Mili forgives him because he's so good with his family. And Mili could have been such a kickass heroine; I wanted Samir to not only be better for her, but also to fall in love with her because of her passion for her work in a women's shelter and her amazing academic skills (she co-authored a sociology paper during the novel, how cool is that? He never acknowledges it). Instead he falls in love with her physical beauty, 'adorkable' clumsiness, and habit of constantly crying. Which, honestly, I think the crying was done pretty well, as a repudiation of many modern authors' total rejection of all 'feminine' traits like high empathy and strong emotions, but the fact that he totally ignored her actual accomplishments and passions left me feeling pretty cold.
That said, Sonali Dev's writing is very good, and the many side characters do add considerably to the story. So even though I questioned pretty much every decision the two main characters made, I still had an okay overall ride. But... the story gave me anxiety. I HATE the liar-revealed trope so much.
The concept of this story was unusual and intriguing. Mili was married at 4 years old. She hasn't seen him since he lives in America. Now grown, Mili wins a fellowship to study in America. She expects her husband to come and claim her. Meanwhile, her husband has gotten married and has a child. He sends his famous Hollywood director brother to get an annulment from Mili. The possibilities were exciting. Mili was a throw-back to the very early romantic heroines, as was Samir, the bad-boy who at heart was a true knight in shining armor. Yet, because Mili was an Indian and a stranger in a strange land it did not offend my modern sensibilities. Unfortunately, right at about page 100, I lost interest. It became repetitive, the plot was not advanced and it seemed to go around in circles. I still liked the characters, but I got bored, and skipped through the rest of the book to the big reveal, and lingered over an unexpected plot development regarding Samir. However, the comeuppance was ruined by severe over-reaction on the part of our heroine, and not balanced by enough groveling on the part of the hero. A great plot, but a missed opportunity.
https://rebekahsreadingsandwatchings.com/
https://rebekahsreadingsandwatchings.com/
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes