The Bollywood Bride

“The modern Indian-American setting offers a glimpse of a rich culture . . . A bright, beautiful gem” from the bestselling author of A Bollywood Affair (Kirkus Reviews, starred review). Ria Parkar is Bollywood's favorite Ice Princess—beautiful, poised, and scandal-proof—until one impulsive act threatens to expose her destructive past. Traveling home to Chicago for her cousin's wedding offers a chance to diffuse the coming media storm and find solace in family, food, and outsized celebrations that are like one of her vibrant movies come to life. But it also means confronting Vikram Jathar. Ria and Vikram spent childhood summers together, a world away from Ria's exclusive boarding school in Mumbai. Their friendship grew seamlessly into love—until Ria made a shattering decision. As far as Vikram is concerned, Ria sold her soul for stardom and it's taken him years to rebuild his life. But beneath his pent-up anger, their bond remains unchanged. And now, among those who know her best, Ria may find the courage to face the secrets she's been guarding for everyone else's benefit—and a chance to stop acting and start living. “Heartrendingly beautiful . . . [a] vivid depiction of two individuals, surrounded by the rich and engaging pageantry of evocative Indian culture, who struggle to reach each other despite past hurts.” —Fresh Fiction Praise for Sonali Dev's A Bollywood Affair “A fresh new voice.” —Susan Elizabeth Phillips, New York Times bestselling author “Deeply romantic and emotional, with characters I fell in love with . . . simply unputdownable.” —Nalini Singh, New York Times bestselling author “The characters are so richly drawn, the writing is utterly breathtaking.” —Kristan Higgins, New York Times bestselling author

Mini's big sister is getting married. Their mom passed away seven years ago and between Dad's new start-up and Vinnie's medical residency, there's no one but Mini to plan the wedding. Dad raised her to know more about computers, calculus and cars than desi weddings but from the moment Mini held the jewelry Mom left them, she wanted her sister to have the wedding Mom would've planned. Now Mini has only two months to get it done and she's not going to let anything distract her, not even the persistent, mysterious and smoking-hot Vir Mirchandani. Flower garlands, decorations, music, even a white wedding horse - everything is in place. That is, until a monster cyclone heads for Boston that could ruin everything. Will Mini come through as sister of the bride and save the day?

“An impressive debut . . . Vibrant and exuberantly romantic, Affair is chock full of details that reflect India’s social and cultural flux.”—NPR.org 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. Open-hearted yet complex, she’s trying to reconcile her independence with cherished traditions. And before he can stop himself, Samir is immersed in Mili’s life—cooking her dal and rotis, escorting her to her roommate’s elaborate Indian wedding, and wondering where his loyalties and happiness lie. Heartfelt, witty, and thoroughly engaging, Sonali Dev’s debut is both a vivid exploration of modern India and a deeply honest story of love, in all its diversity. “Deeply-felt emotions that will keep readers turning the pages.”—Susan Elizabeth Phillips, New York Times-bestselling author “Debut author Sonali Dev writes a beautiful love story in A Bollywood Affair . . . One of the best romances I’ve read this year.”—USA Today

What makes a marriage-love or compatibility? Passion or pragmatism? Shobhan Bantwal's compelling new novel explores the fascinating subject of arranged marriage, as a young Indian-American woman navigates the gulf between desire and tradition. . . To Soorya Giri, arranged marriages have always seemed absurd. But while her career as an environmental lawyer has flourished, Soorya is still a virgin, living with her parents in suburban New Jersey. She wants to be married. And she is finally ready to do the unthinkable. . . Soorya's first bridal viewings are as awkward as she anticipated. But then she's introduced to Roger Vadepalli. Self-possessed, intelligent, and charming, Roger is clearly interested in marriage and seems eager to clinch the deal. Attracted to him in spite of her mistrust, Soorya is also drawn into a flirtation with Lou, a widowed colleague who is far from her family's idea of an acceptable husband. In choosing between two very different men, Soorya must reconcile her burgeoning independence and her conservative background. And she must decide what matters most to her-not just in a husband, but in a family, a culture, and a life. . . "One of the best [novels] I've read this year. I couldn't put it down. . .this book is a gem!" --Mary Monroe, New York Times bestselling author on The Unexpected Son "Compelling and memorable." -Mary Jo Putney, New York Times bestselling author on The Forbidden Daughter "Vivid, rich. . .expertly portrays a young woman caught between love and duty, hope and despair." -Anjali Banerjee on The Dowry Bride "Dazzles you with a taste of Desi culture in America." -Caridad Pineiro

The romance of Stephanie Perkins meets the quirk of Maureen Johnson, then gets a Bollywood twist in this fate-filled debut that takes the future into its own hands. Winnie Mehta was never really convinced that Raj was her soul mate, but their love was written in the stars. Literally, a pandit predicted Winnie would find the love of her life before her eighteenth birthday, and Raj meets all the qualifications. Which is why Winnie is shocked when she returns from her summer at film camp to find her boyfriend of three years hooking up with Jenny Dickens. As a self-proclaimed Bollywood expert, Winnie knows this is not how her perfect ending is scripted. Then there's Dev, a fellow film geek and one of the few people Winnie can count on. Dev is smart and charming, and he challenges Winnie to look beyond her horoscope and find someone she'd pick for herself. But does falling for Dev mean giving up on her prophecy and her chance to live happily ever after? To find her perfect ending, Winnie will need a little bit of help from fate, family, and of course, a Bollywood movie star. AN NPR BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR "A delightful and humorous debut."--Kirkus Reviews, Starred review "The perfect timepass for both the Bollywood-obsessed and filmi (melodrama) novices."-Teen Vogue

The author who is “unparalleled in the world of romantic fiction” beautifully evokes all the complexities of modern-day India—and the human heart (Kristan Higgins). Her name means “miracle” in Sanskrit, and to her parents, that’s exactly what Kimaya is. The first baby to survive after several miscarriages, Kimi grows up in a mansion at the top of Mumbai’s Pali Hill, surrounded by love and privilege. But at eleven years old, she develops a rare illness that requires her to be confined to a germ-free ivory tower in her home, with only the Arabian Sea churning outside her window for company . . . until one person dares venture into her world. Tasked at fourteen years old with supporting his family, Rahul Savant shows up to wash Kimi’s windows, and an unlikely friendship develops across the plastic curtain of her isolation room. As years pass, Rahul becomes Kimi’s eyes to the outside world—and she becomes his inspiration to better himself by enrolling in the police force. But when a life-saving heart transplant offers the chance of a real future, both must face all that ties them together—and all that keeps them apart . . . Praise for Sonali Dev and A Change of Heart “In Dev’s seductive and complex story of love lost and then found, one layer of mystery leads to the next . . . Will hold a permanent place in readers’ hearts.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) “Mystery, adventure, and romance are spiced with Bollywood glamour in this heart-stopping novel . . . Riveting.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

The story is inspired by real life events of an Indian guy, who is stuck in the process of an arranged marriage. It all started on his 24th birthday, when his mother realized that her youngest son had all grown up and was ready for a marriage. This is the story of how he meets up with various interesting girls, and the anxiety he feels meeting the girl's family for the first time. The author also depicts the insecurities and the heartbreak of his life, while trying to find a bride. His complicated political work life entangled with a love story that would compel you to fall in love with the main character and at the same time feel sorry for him. How situations over power his logical reasoning at times. This book is for those who want to have a laugh at the awkward situation author is put through by his mother, to meet up random girls over a cup of coffee.The author also depicts the various complex issues of his life and how those things add up to whom he gets married to. The story involves various characters in author's real life that change the way he thinks about marriage. The emotional turmoil that would make you feel his pain. This book also provides some of the vital information and processes involved in an arranged marriage. It also shows the desperation of the author to get out of an arranged marriage and his mother's perseverance to overcome it. This book would take you into a roller coaster ride depicting his every emotion, which ultimately affects his decisions. Societal pressure and beautiful distractions in his life, accompanied with his own insecurities makes it harder for him to decide what is the best choice for him. It is an internal fight between his brain to make a practical decision and his heart to make an emotional decision. This is his mother's proposal to get her son married to a girl she chooses for him. You have to read his story to know what he finally decides and would he do an arranged marriage or is there any more surprises that life has in store for him.The author has depicted every emotion of his life in an exciting Bollywood style writing with lots of humor. The motive behind writing this book was to showcase the awkward moments and the thought process a contestant in an arranged marriage goes through. The romantic and dramatized real life events of the author's life is not the only take away from this book. Author cleverly embeds the following points in his book:What someone feels while visiting a girl's family for the first time?What awkward questions one has to face in the meet up?Does fate really decide your destiny?Is it possible to fall in love with a person you have just met?What would you do if you have two good proposals in hand? What complicated process one has to go through for an arranged marriage?Which is better a practical or an emotional approach towards marriage?What role family plays in an arranged marriage?Is arranged marriage only about fulfilling certain criteria?What is the power of love and fear?Can you go to any extent to fulfill your dream?Does Love thrive in an arranged Marriage?Do you believe in love at first sight? Meet you at chapter one.