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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
emotional
lighthearted
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Sonali Dev creates such wonderful characters. I wish she’d cut back on the word length. I tend to lose interest about three quarters of the way because the plot lines became too cumbersome.
"¿Qué clase de niña lloraba así? Como si tuviera el derecho a ser escuchada".
A bollywood affair es un romance que nos cuenta la historia de Mili, una joven india a la que casaron a los 4 años con otro niño al que nunca volvió a ver. Durante su vida, su condición de casada le dio una libertad no permitida para las chicas de su edad: estudiar, viajar o trabajar se justificaban en un intento de formar a la esposa ideal de ese marido fantasma. Sin embargo, un día llega Samir, famoso director de Bollywood y cuñado de Milli, exigiendo el divorcio.
La historia prometía. Tenía mucho interés por ver una visión autóctona sobre los matrimonios concertados y disfrutar de la cultura india. Y algo de eso hay, no voy a mentir. Sin embargo, la mayor parte de la historia se desarrolla en EEUU, y la autora, habiendo sembrado el campo perfecto para ofrecernos a una protagonista compleja e interesante, nos acaba dando a Mili, que es una actualización de la damisela en apuros. De Samir no voy ni hablar, porque aunque la novela intenta hacerle un lavado de cara, tiene momentos bastante problemáticos. La trama es entretenida si os gusta un buen cliché romántico tanto como a mí, pero hay ciertos giros de la historia pillados con pinzas y el sexismo casual de las conversaciones hacen difícil meterse en la historia de lleno.
A bollywood affair es un romance que nos cuenta la historia de Mili, una joven india a la que casaron a los 4 años con otro niño al que nunca volvió a ver. Durante su vida, su condición de casada le dio una libertad no permitida para las chicas de su edad: estudiar, viajar o trabajar se justificaban en un intento de formar a la esposa ideal de ese marido fantasma. Sin embargo, un día llega Samir, famoso director de Bollywood y cuñado de Milli, exigiendo el divorcio.
La historia prometía. Tenía mucho interés por ver una visión autóctona sobre los matrimonios concertados y disfrutar de la cultura india. Y algo de eso hay, no voy a mentir. Sin embargo, la mayor parte de la historia se desarrolla en EEUU, y la autora, habiendo sembrado el campo perfecto para ofrecernos a una protagonista compleja e interesante, nos acaba dando a Mili, que es una actualización de la damisela en apuros. De Samir no voy ni hablar, porque aunque la novela intenta hacerle un lavado de cara, tiene momentos bastante problemáticos. La trama es entretenida si os gusta un buen cliché romántico tanto como a mí, pero hay ciertos giros de la historia pillados con pinzas y el sexismo casual de las conversaciones hacen difícil meterse en la historia de lleno.
I was able to get thins as an eARC on Netgalley. I liked it enough to give it 4 stars. It wasn't anything overly good, however. I just found that I liked reading it. I liked the characters, I liked reading about the Indian culture. Or at least some of it. Will I recommend this book? I'm not sure. I wouldn't go out of my way to, but I wouldn't say don't read it if you were interested in it either.
There was one thing that annoyed me in this, is how the time passed. Sometimes it seemed really choppy, and would jump from one day to another or a few days past that. Because I was reading it as a document on my Kindle from Netgalley, I think maybe the formatting got messed up and it made the book seem more awkward than it actually is.
There was one thing that annoyed me in this, is how the time passed. Sometimes it seemed really choppy, and would jump from one day to another or a few days past that. Because I was reading it as a document on my Kindle from Netgalley, I think maybe the formatting got messed up and it made the book seem more awkward than it actually is.
Mili Rathod hasn’t seen her husband in twenty years—not since she was promised to him at the age of four. Yet marriage has allowed Mili a freedom rarely given to girls in her village. Her grandmother has even allowed her to leave India and study in America for eight months, all to make her the perfect modern wife. Which is exactly what Mili longs to be—if her husband would just come and claim her.
Bollywood’s favorite director, Samir Rathod, has come to Michigan to secure a divorce for his older brother. Persuading a naïve village girl to sign the papers should be easy for someone with Samir’s tabloid-famous charm. But Mili is neither a fool nor a gold-digger
--
On my quest to read more POC authors I stumbled on this book. THe story is steeped in Indian Culture and stays true to its roots whether it is in India or the US. Usually books, written by non POC authors, centred around Indian characters can be a stereotypical and cold but this one is so far from that. That comes from the author being of the same culture as the main characters.
THe bokk is open, hearty and engaging. The characters are relatable, even the ones that aren't that nice as so well written. This is an honest telling of love and all its complications including those that culture brings to the table.
This book and my ability to slip between its pages so easily further underlines my belief that I need to read more POC stories. The connections I form to them through the cultural touchpoints cannot be underestimated.
All my notes for this book were "I need to read more" - more of this book and more of this author. I love this book
Bollywood’s favorite director, Samir Rathod, has come to Michigan to secure a divorce for his older brother. Persuading a naïve village girl to sign the papers should be easy for someone with Samir’s tabloid-famous charm. But Mili is neither a fool nor a gold-digger
--
On my quest to read more POC authors I stumbled on this book. THe story is steeped in Indian Culture and stays true to its roots whether it is in India or the US. Usually books, written by non POC authors, centred around Indian characters can be a stereotypical and cold but this one is so far from that. That comes from the author being of the same culture as the main characters.
THe bokk is open, hearty and engaging. The characters are relatable, even the ones that aren't that nice as so well written. This is an honest telling of love and all its complications including those that culture brings to the table.
This book and my ability to slip between its pages so easily further underlines my belief that I need to read more POC stories. The connections I form to them through the cultural touchpoints cannot be underestimated.
All my notes for this book were "I need to read more" - more of this book and more of this author. I love this book
Loved this so much. The build to this was so great, and the characters were even better, but man, the way Indian culture was pulled into this and tied into the story was wonderful. Loved how full of affection every descriptor was, how easily identifiable certain character types were and how they were written in a loving, knowing way instead of playing a stereotype for the easiness of it. And honestly, I'm just so happy to see an Indian with an Indian? I think when you do find Indian romances at all, the dude tends to be some kind of progressive Other-Race Guy who matches this Westernised Chick - and this is a thing I'm guilty of liking too, unfortunately - but I loved the distance this took from that. An Indian dude who cooks amazing Indian food, and an Indian lady who is traditional to her core but open to trying things, to opening up her world - traditional culturally, but not in the mind. That feels authentic to me, and again, something that pulls both characters away from something that would feel a little too on-the-nose, a little too try-hard.
I got a little choked-up at several parts in this, which is always nice. Even story tropes I feel I should've become inured to due to Bollywood movies felt a little realer.
I'm only really knocking off a star because Samir felt a little less coloured-in than I'd wanted him to be. I can understand his background, his reasons, the fact that he did things the wrong way - but it felt like a superficial 'rogue with a heart of gold' story instead of anything that felt well-substantiated. I may be being a bit picky, though!
I got a little choked-up at several parts in this, which is always nice. Even story tropes I feel I should've become inured to due to Bollywood movies felt a little realer.
I'm only really knocking off a star because Samir felt a little less coloured-in than I'd wanted him to be. I can understand his background, his reasons, the fact that he did things the wrong way - but it felt like a superficial 'rogue with a heart of gold' story instead of anything that felt well-substantiated. I may be being a bit picky, though!
This one started off strong for me. I loved the concept and the author painted a word picture that got me in the Bollywood spirit. As the plot went off the rails I was along for the ride. In a way I kind of loved how the mains were the absolute worst in romcom archetypes (rich playboy with a penis that has a mind of its own and a sweet clutzy virgin that needs to be saved constantly), I guess my expectations were high and I expected that characters to shed the tropes as the romance started.
I got 1/3 of the way in and there was no end to the sexist stereotypes. I read some reviews and hooooboy. No thank you.
I realize that this was the author's debut and that this was before metoo, so I am curious to read one of her more recent books since I did enjoy the writing (outside of the jumping perspectives, yeesh).
But this one will be abandoned. I just wasn't enjoying myself.
I got 1/3 of the way in and there was no end to the sexist stereotypes. I read some reviews and hooooboy. No thank you.
I realize that this was the author's debut and that this was before metoo, so I am curious to read one of her more recent books since I did enjoy the writing (outside of the jumping perspectives, yeesh).
But this one will be abandoned. I just wasn't enjoying myself.
so i've fully read this twice... it's just the sort of insane wattpad fiction that gets me... but with an even more mentally ill (the illest) masala twist...
I enjoyed this book and the original plot set up. It was def a straight-up romance novel, complete with hunky muscular hero (did I mention how big his feet are?) and delicate beautiful heroine who keeps literally falling into his literal arms, causing some eye rolling by this reader.