shelovestoread 's review for:

The Marriage Game by Sara Desai

4.0

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Oh say hello to my new favorite south asian- american lead, own voices story. 

Honestly this such a breath of fresh air, seeing my culture, language, food featured in a really well written romance.

Meet Layla Patel, our main character, she is fiesty, and proudly brown. With a huge extended family of aunties and uncles and cousins all hailing in their roots  from Pakistan to India.

Her life is falling apart, and she is returning home to her family in San Francisco. To just patch her life and have a fresh start. And  open a new business for her recruiting job.

Meet Sam Mehta, CEO of a corporate downsizing company, In search of a quiet new office, he finds the perfect space above a cozy Indian restaurant that smells like home.

 

And that's where things get conflicting because lost in communication Layla's dad has offered the place to both her and Sam to run their office.

 

And as they are forced to share the office space............... arguments happens, things(literally xD) and sparks both fly in between them.

 

Also along with all this drama there is a woven mix of Layla finding his father’s email account her finding out he evaluated the guys and chose 10 special candidates and 10 blind dates for her daughter. And due to her constant bad history of relationships, she decides to honour him, because who can think the best for her than her dad??

 

Ah this story is so close to my heart, i mean all the talk about marriage, arranged marriage and how the institution works in south asian families. From abusive marriages, to dowry to marrying for a green card, to marrying so than they can find someone to cook, clean their house , take care of their parents, to wanting a virgin wife, tbh it in its humorous way discussed it all.

 

It handled such a sensitive topic so well. Like it delivered the impact, but also had a light tone woven on how it was narrated. I MEAN SO BRILLIANT. 

 

Some of the candidates were really hilarious, one was literally a CIA agent!?!?eowdjfnkuwckjfdjf like all he did was tell her its Classified about every question she asked it was hilarious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

OH THEE BROWN-NESS OF THIS BOOKS.

ALL THE UNCLE AUNTIES, CHACHIES. THE WHOLE EXTENDED FAMILY WITH EVERYONE HAVING SUCH QUIRKY PERSONALITIES. 

THE FOOD OMG THE DAAL, SAMOSAS, DOSAS, AND CHAI AND GULAB JAMAN. HELLO HUNGER GAMES. 

 

this book although a romance, has so wonderfully handled dark side of arranged marriages in south asian culture. It  discusses the bads, but also the goods, juxtaposing the two sides of the same coins. 

 

it talks about self worth issues, its talk about forgiving and moving on. its uplifting and moving. it tells you yes you can do better. yes you can move on from dark past of you lives and carry on.

 

Please please do give it a read, more so if you are south asian!  One of MY FAVORITES>

 

 

Thankyou so much for prh international and net galley for the arc.
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Oh my word! this was an absolute epic-ly hilarious one.