Back of Book: 

Dimple Shah has it all figured out. With graduation behind her, she’s more than ready for a break from her family—and 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—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 gravitating 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. 

Book Number: One

Genre: Young Adult | Contemporary | Romance

Review: 🌟🌟🌟

Dimple is finally getting to pursue her dreams in STEM without her strict Indian parents pressuring her to get married. . . until she learns that her parents only let her go to the summer camp of her dreams in the hopes that she will hit it off with their candidate for the Ideal Indian Husband after all. 

Dimple has always been different than the other kids. As one of the only Indian students and one of the few girls with an interest in computers and coding, Dimple's never felt like she belonged. That is why she is super excited to attend Insomnia Con, a six-week camp in which young web developers and coders get to pitch their apps to investors in the tech industry. Dimple never expects her parents to agree to send her, but she is pleasantly surprised. That is, until she gets on campus and meets Rishi. It turns out that Rishi and Dimple's parents are friends and that they are all on board for a union between Dimple and Rishi. Wanting nothing to do with him and his traditional ways, Dimple wishes him her best and leaves. When circumstances bring them together again and again, Dimple begins to accept that maybe Rishi isn't all that bad. 

Over the years, I've heard many things about "When Dimple Met Rishi." Some people praise it as an authentic, diverse romance. Others comment on how funny it is. Some people constantly rant about how cringey the writing is and others can't help but scream about how awful Dimple is. Strangely enough, I kind of agree with all of it. I think many aspects of this book are cringe and Dimple is a pretty awful person, but at the same time, I found this book to be a fine read with plenty of humorous bits. Yes, this book definitely has some issues, but I don't think it's all that terrible in the long run. 

First, let's start with Dimple. Personally, I really disliked this woman. She is super selfish, hardly regards her parents' opinions, and is honestly how I'd define a brat. It is neat that she loves technology and that she is super into going to Insomnia Con, but this wasn't enough to redeem her character, especially because the tech element of this book was barely even touched on. She is also really shortsighted, but I know some people really do live in the moment and don't worry much about the future. 

Rishi, on the other hand, is much more relatable and down-to-earth. He values the traditions of his people and is looking forward to a life with an arranged marriage. He plans to attend MIT, secure a stable job, and support his family. He's also a funny guy filled with witty quips, is willing to stand up against the injustices in the world, and is willing to realize his shortcomings. I'm not saying that he is perfect, but he is worlds better than Dimple. He recognizes when he is flawed and apologizes for it. Beyond that, he is also willing to change his plans when he realizes that he isn't following his passion in the arts and wants more than his parents' wishes. 

Despite having a great disdain for Dimple, I didn't mind the experience of reading about Dimple and Rishi falling for one another. Some things heated up a little fast for me (I mean, the whole book takes place over six weeks), but many people are willing to dive all in rather quickly. After finishing this book though, I can recognize that these two are truly not that great of a couple. But if they make each other happy, who am I to complain? Some of my favorite moments between them was the photo scavenger hunt, the fancy dinner, and them practicing for the talent show. 

Something that I found rather odd about this book is that it alternates between Dimple and Rishi's POVs sometimes dozens of times per chapter. I honestly don't know why the author decided to do this, but I found it quite odd. It worked better than I thought it would, but it makes me think that the author wasn't confident that they could portray both characters at one time through a single perspective. It did add to the comedy a couple of times, but that's the only thing this style really has going for it. 

Overall, "When Dimple Met Rishi" is an okay romance that had many things going for it. Even though I spent most of this review commenting on some of the less-than-optimal parts of this book, I found it to be a fine read. Long story short, this book is a romance meant to entertain, and I feel that it did that. Yes, it was a bit cliché and it reinforces many negative stereotypes, but this book definitely isn't as bad as many people complain about it being. This book is riddled with really funny moments, and it was solid enough that I think I'll check out the rest of the series someday. 

Back of Book: 

Will Dimple and Rishi find their happily ever after? Find out in this funny, romantic, endlessly charming enovella companion to the New York Times bestseller When Dimple Met Rishi!

Dimple Shah has a lot of opinions about marriage, but they boil down to It’s not for her. Sure, she loves her boyfriend, Rishi, but why does she need to validate that with an institution that has historically never favored the woman? Why go through all that hassle?

Rishi Patel deeply disagrees. He believes in the power that comes with combining love and tradition, and when the time comes, wants nothing more than to honor those things in a huge celebration with his friends and family. He knows Dimple loves him, but in hearing her rant about how marriage is a “construct of hegemonic masculinity” for the millionth time, a small, niggling part of him worries that it’s not the institution of marriage Dimple has a problem with; maybe it’s him.

The two lovebirds find themselves at a philosophical impasse. Can they find a way to work it out, or does kismet have other plans? 

Book Number: 2.5 

Genre: Young Adult | Contemporary | Romance | Novella

Review: ? 

Back of Book: 

Ashish Patel didn’t know love could be so… sucky. After he’s dumped by his ex-girlfriend, his mojo goes AWOL. Even worse, his parents are annoyingly, smugly confident they could find him a better match. So, in a moment of weakness, Ash challenges them to set him up.

The Patels insist that Ashish date an Indian-American girl—under contract. Per subclause 1(a), he’ll be taking his date on “fun” excursions like visiting the Hindu temple and his eccentric Gita Auntie. Kill him now. How is this ever going to work?

Sweetie Nair is many things: a formidable track athlete who can outrun most people in California, a loyal friend, a shower-singing champion. Oh, and she’s also fat. To Sweetie’s traditional parents, this last detail is the kiss of death.

Sweetie loves her parents, but she’s so tired of being told she’s lacking because she’s fat. She decides it’s time to kick off the Sassy Sweetie Project, where she’ll show the world (and herself) what she’s really made of.

Ashish and Sweetie both have something to prove. But with each date they realize there’s an unexpected magic growing between them. Can they find their true selves without losing each other? 

Book Number: Two 

Genre: Young Adult | Contemporary | Romance

Review: ?

Back of Book: 

From New York Times bestselling author Sandhya Menon comes a delightful enovella sequel to When Dimple Met Rishi and There’s Something about Sweetie, about a Valentine’s Day group date gone hilariously, disastrously awry.

Ashish Patel has never considered himself a hopeless romantic. But now that he’s found his other half, Sweetie Nair, there’s nothing he wants more than to celebrate love in all its forms. So when Valentine’s Day rolls around and he hears about a romance-themed escape room, he knows it’s the perfect opportunity to bring together Sweetie along with his newly engaged brother and sister-in-law-to-be, Rishi Patel and Dimple Shah.

On their way to the escape room, the group runs into Pinky Kumar and Samir Jha—both friends to Ashish but nemeses to each other. Despite Pinky’s kneejerk reaction to the cheesy theme (which gets her a high-five from Dimple), the two of them agree to join the group.

The escape room is as insufferably saccharine as Pinky feared, but even she is surprised when she and Samir actually… work well together. Samir embodies everything Pinky despises—following rules, having no fun, consuming single-use plastics. Getting along with someone like him—a shiny Volvo when she’s so used to junkers—sends Pinky into a tailspin.

Sparks are definitely flying, but it’s unclear if that’s a good thing. Could this be love at first fight? 

Book Number: 2.5

Genre: Young Adult | Contemporary | Romance | Novella

Review: ? 

Back of Book: 

Pinky Kumar wears the social justice warrior badge with pride. From raccoon hospitals to persecuted rock stars, no cause is too esoteric for her to champion. But a teeny tiny part of her also really enjoys making her conservative, buttoned-up corporate lawyer parents cringe.

Samir Jha might have a few... quirks remaining from the time he had to take care of his sick mother, like the endless lists he makes in his planner and the way he schedules every minute of every day, but those are good things. They make life predictable and steady.

Pinky loves lazy summers at her parents’ Cape Cod lake house, but after listening to them harangue her about the poor decisions (aka boyfriends) she's made, she hatches a plan. Get her sorta-friend-sorta-enemy—who is a total Harvard-bound mama’s boy—to pose as her perfect boyfriend for the summer.

When Samir’s internship falls through, leaving him with an unplanned summer, he gets a text from Pinky asking if he’ll be her fake boyfriend in exchange for a new internship. He jumps at the opportunity; Pinky’s a freak, but he can survive a summer with her if there’s light at the end of the tunnel.

As they bicker their way through lighthouses and butterfly habitats, sparks fly, and they both realize this will be a summer they'll never forget. 

Book Number: Three (Last Book) 

Genre: Young Adult | Contemporary | Romance

Review: ?