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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
Wow I hate this so much. I picked this up on a whim since the blurb sounded light and I needed a quick read. I was not expecting a super cringey, over the top, sexed up romance. First of all the main male character (Samir) is a sexist, macho jerk who solves problems by punching (if they're men) or "turning on the smoulder" (if they're women) 🤢 And the main female character (Mili) is a one dimensional, idealistic village girl, who is immediately put into a situation of being entirely dependent on Samir. On top of the ridiculous plot and awful characters, the endless "he's so big, she's so small" is giving me an eye twitch. Finally, any author who consistently refers to a character's penis as "little sam" should put down the pen. Literally nothing could get me to pick up this author's work again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting
when you read an intro to sociology book and think you're an expert in indian culture and child marriage :))
I truly could not love this debut more. What a total delight: funny, smart, poignant, full of heart. Highly, highly recommended.
Every time you think you know what will happen because it's a romance, you get a twist. Whether you enjoy it or not is up to you. Overall, I did.
Bridgerton x Bollywood x Cinderella - loved it! 4 Star because a bit predictable/cliche but really enjoyable read nonetheless.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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
A Bollywood Affair
4 Stars
Married at the age of 4, Malvika "Mili" Rathod hasn't seen her husband for 20 years. Nevertheless, her married status has enabled her to achieve a freedom that other girls from her small village in India have been denied. Now if only her husband would come for her, Mili's life would be complete. Unfortunately, said husband has moved on with his life and needs an annulment. Enter his brother, Samir "Sam" Rathod, Bollywood's sexiest bad boy director, who travels to Michigan to confront Mili and get her to sign on the dotted line. What ensues is a delightful story of mistaken identity, yummy Indian cuisine and a romance for the ages . . .
The best word to describe this book is "cute". Sam's reformed rake persona will be familiar to any reader of historical romance, and it is great to see him falling so hard for Mili. Mili is a total Mary Sue but in such a sweet and caring way. Her klutzy moments only add to her charm. Sam and Mili's friends-to-lovers romance is enchanting and they have excellent chemistry together.
Usually, the dreaded keeping secrets trope is a complete no-no for me. Thankfully, Somali Dev manages to overcome its pitfalls as it makes sense in the storyline and never had me waiting for the other shoe to drop. Moreover, the manner in which it comes to light is very matter-of-fact and the ensuing drama and angst only enhance the romance.
The supporting cast is also great and some of the interactions, especially with Sam's family, are laugh-out-loud hilarious. It all made me think of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, but set in India.
On a final note, I started out listening to the audiobook but had to stop halfway through. While Priya Ayyar's Indian accent is engaging, her male and female voices sound the same. This is problematic in a romance, especially as Sam is supposedly a huge guy with a deep baritone, but he sounds like a young girl.
All in all, this is highly recommended for lovers of food and romance. Warning - do not read this book when you are hungry.
4 Stars
Married at the age of 4, Malvika "Mili" Rathod hasn't seen her husband for 20 years. Nevertheless, her married status has enabled her to achieve a freedom that other girls from her small village in India have been denied. Now if only her husband would come for her, Mili's life would be complete. Unfortunately, said husband has moved on with his life and needs an annulment. Enter his brother, Samir "Sam" Rathod, Bollywood's sexiest bad boy director, who travels to Michigan to confront Mili and get her to sign on the dotted line. What ensues is a delightful story of mistaken identity, yummy Indian cuisine and a romance for the ages . . .
The best word to describe this book is "cute". Sam's reformed rake persona will be familiar to any reader of historical romance, and it is great to see him falling so hard for Mili. Mili is a total Mary Sue but in such a sweet and caring way. Her klutzy moments only add to her charm. Sam and Mili's friends-to-lovers romance is enchanting and they have excellent chemistry together.
Usually, the dreaded keeping secrets trope is a complete no-no for me. Thankfully, Somali Dev manages to overcome its pitfalls as it makes sense in the storyline and never had me waiting for the other shoe to drop. Moreover, the manner in which it comes to light is very matter-of-fact and the ensuing drama and angst only enhance the romance.
The supporting cast is also great and some of the interactions, especially with Sam's family, are laugh-out-loud hilarious. It all made me think of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, but set in India.
On a final note, I started out listening to the audiobook but had to stop halfway through. While Priya Ayyar's Indian accent is engaging, her male and female voices sound the same. This is problematic in a romance, especially as Sam is supposedly a huge guy with a deep baritone, but he sounds like a young girl.
All in all, this is highly recommended for lovers of food and romance. Warning - do not read this book when you are hungry.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, Abandonment
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The premise is interesting, but not executed well in my opinion. The 4 weeks of growing friendship/attraction was so boring and unbelievable that I nearly DNF, but the intrigue picked back up again at the end.
I found both characters to be unrealistic and contradictory. Especially Mili - we're meant to see her as an innocent village girl clinging to this "marriage" to someone she hasn't seen in 20+ years; and she was very naive and innocent about the world. But also she was fiercely independent and had gotten herself to America to study (which, kudos, that's awesome and intriguing). But then it just goes back and forth between that strength and bumbling through her innocence/naiveité. I think the characterization just needed to be fleshed out a bit more.
My biggest beef is that her reaction tohaving sex with Samir and losing her virginity made no sense. Her somewhat coming on to him just did not fit AT ALL with her innocent character who was so committed to her "husband". Idk, maybe it just felt preposterous to me because of how boring/unbelievable I found their falling in love montage to be. But even so, she was still blushing about saying the word "dick" even when she started seeing it as more than friendship. So how could that same person then be found in this scene?!
Also her friendship with her roommate felt odd, and the whole driving out for the wedding just felt like wasted pages because we never actually saw them as close friends, and just kinda had to believe because the author said so
I found both characters to be unrealistic and contradictory. Especially Mili - we're meant to see her as an innocent village girl clinging to this "marriage" to someone she hasn't seen in 20+ years; and she was very naive and innocent about the world. But also she was fiercely independent and had gotten herself to America to study (which, kudos, that's awesome and intriguing). But then it just goes back and forth between that strength and bumbling through her innocence/naiveité. I think the characterization just needed to be fleshed out a bit more.
My biggest beef is that her reaction to
Also her friendship with her roommate felt odd, and the whole driving out for the wedding just felt like wasted pages because we never actually saw them as close friends, and just kinda had to believe because the author said so