When Dimple Met Rishi

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon Published by: Simon Pulse Genre: YA, Contemporary, Romance Length: 380 Pages Goodreads Rating: 4.21* Copy: Paperback

A laugh-out-loud, heartfelt YA romantic comedy, told in alternating perspectives, about two Indian-American teens whose parents have arranged for them to be married. Dimple Shah has it all figured out. With graduation behind her, she’s more than ready for a break from her family, from Mamma’s inexplicable obsession with her finding the “Ideal Indian Husband.” Ugh. Dimple knows they must respect her principles on some level, though. If they truly believed she needed a husband right now, they wouldn’t have paid for her to attend a summer program for aspiring web developers…right? Rishi Patel is a hopeless romantic. So when his parents tell him that his future wife will be attending the same summer program as him—wherein he’ll have to woo her—he’s totally on board. Because as silly as it sounds to most people in his life, Rishi wants to be arranged, believes in the power of tradition, stability, and being a part of something much bigger than himself. The Shahs and Patels didn’t mean to start turning the wheels on this “suggested arrangement” so early in their children’s lives, but when they noticed them both gravitate toward the same summer program, they figured, Why not? Dimple and Rishi may think they have each other figured out. But when opposites clash, love works hard to prove itself in the most unexpected ways.

I cannot begin to describe my love for this book! Dimple and Rishi, both, had me at "Hello, future wife." <3 I regaled in every single Indian reference! It was just enough to have me laugh out loud and feel like such a kindred spirit, but not so much that it felt forced or unnatural!

Dimple: A woman after my own heart, Dimple Shah is fiercely independent, passionate and nerdy! She rebels against societal expectations and is unapologetically; always herself, even when it drives her mother crazy. Her aching need to prove herself to the world is something I can easily relate to. She is an absolute firecracker and I love her for it. The fact that she is secretly a Bollywood princess and actually loves her parents to bits is another thing I love! <3

Rishi: Mr Practicality is the world's biggest romantic and I love it. I love how much respect he has for his parents and how he feels the weight of their dreams and tradition on his shoulders coz again it's something I can relate to. His dorky sense of humour and the way he perfectly harmonises Dimple is what made me fall in love with him. His talent is just the cherry on top! Seriously, sweet, cares about his family and tradition, funny, confident, stands up for his girl and can draw circles around other artists?! <3 <3

Coconut-ness: (We Non-resident Indians who have grown up in western countries are often referred to as being brown in the outside but white on the inside). I have to admit I was a little sceptical about a YA novel about Indian teens. I worried that the Indian subtext would feel forced, or unnatural somehow, but Dimple and Rishi captured the migrant experience really well. The way dimple described always feeling a little like a foreigner, and how Rishi struggled with the contradiction of his traditions and his passions, the way Dimple was such an adamant independent American girl, who wore Kurtis every day and thought of a Bollywood dance like it was the only natural solution... it was all just perfect. So authentic!

I absolutely loved the Bollywood reference of Hum tum ek kamre mein bandh ho air chaavi kho jaye! this actually made me half yelp in excitement, half laugh out loud.

There was only one thing missing!!!!!!!!! "Bade Bade Deshon Mein Aisi Choti Choti Baatein Hoti Rehti Hai......"<3

<3 So Much Love!

Rating: <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

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