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Janam Janam Ka Saath #1
Dulhaniyaa: A Desi Lesbian Romance
Esha Arora is the last person anyone would have expected to acquiesce to an arranged marriage. Outspoken, opinionated and forward-thinking, she has made her thoughts on these archaic institutions known to anyone who’d lend her an ear. To her traditional family’s surprise and joy, however, when a good rishta for her hand comes along, Esha agrees to abruptly quit her MFA program in the States and returns to India to be wed. Her mother wastes neither time nor expense in preparing for the most bombastic wedding money can afford—she has more than a few friends to outdo and impress, after all!
In the pursuit of extravagance, Esha’s mother arranges a dance instructor for her, to train her to perform a Bollywood-style, choreographed dance routine at the wedding, as is en vogue. Despite Esha’s lack of enthusiasm, her mother will not be swayed. Knowing that the wedding isn’t actually about her wishes, Esha reluctantly agrees, deciding that if she’s going to put on a show for her relatives, she might as well put on a good one.
That’s when Billu, a cyclone in a salwar and dance instructor extraordinaire, bursts into the dull monotony of Esha’s pre-wedding existence. To her shock and delight, Esha finds herself enjoying her lessons with Billu, in addition to every other moment with her that she finds herself trying to steal away. Slowly, it begins to dawn on Esha that she isn’t nearly as resigned to her marital fate as she once thought—but can she un-make a commitment to her family so easily? Will she be able to confess her feelings to Billu before the latter exits her life, or will she be consigned to her role of dulhaniyaa?
A Bollywood-inspired desi lesbian romance, 'Dulhaniyaa' is a story of class, queerness, and the struggle to accept your identity even when it seems to be in conflict with your family and culture.
In the pursuit of extravagance, Esha’s mother arranges a dance instructor for her, to train her to perform a Bollywood-style, choreographed dance routine at the wedding, as is en vogue. Despite Esha’s lack of enthusiasm, her mother will not be swayed. Knowing that the wedding isn’t actually about her wishes, Esha reluctantly agrees, deciding that if she’s going to put on a show for her relatives, she might as well put on a good one.
That’s when Billu, a cyclone in a salwar and dance instructor extraordinaire, bursts into the dull monotony of Esha’s pre-wedding existence. To her shock and delight, Esha finds herself enjoying her lessons with Billu, in addition to every other moment with her that she finds herself trying to steal away. Slowly, it begins to dawn on Esha that she isn’t nearly as resigned to her marital fate as she once thought—but can she un-make a commitment to her family so easily? Will she be able to confess her feelings to Billu before the latter exits her life, or will she be consigned to her role of dulhaniyaa?
A Bollywood-inspired desi lesbian romance, 'Dulhaniyaa' is a story of class, queerness, and the struggle to accept your identity even when it seems to be in conflict with your family and culture.
122 pages, Paperback
First published April 18, 2024
12 people are currently reading
693 people want to read
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June 3, 2024What a delightful read. A Mumbai-set f/f romance with trans woman dance teacher Billu instructing desi Esha on the dances for her upcoming arranged marriage oops.
Tremendous atmosphere and sense of place, including the dislocation of divided cultures, countries and households. Wonderfully vivid writing. Absolutely lush pining, longing, and extended falling in love, which is delightful.
And then after the lengthy slow burn, the entire book shifts gears into a full on Bollywood sequence of the most bonkers sort, and it's even better, ahaha. (It's one of those points where you might kind of go WTF because the tonal shift from a very real feeling story to crazed melodrama action is a bit sudden, but just let go and have fun, honestly.)
A crackingly enjoyable f/f read, highly recommended.
Tremendous atmosphere and sense of place, including the dislocation of divided cultures, countries and households. Wonderfully vivid writing. Absolutely lush pining, longing, and extended falling in love, which is delightful.
And then after the lengthy slow burn, the entire book shifts gears into a full on Bollywood sequence of the most bonkers sort, and it's even better, ahaha. (It's one of those points where you might kind of go WTF because the tonal shift from a very real feeling story to crazed melodrama action is a bit sudden, but just let go and have fun, honestly.)
A crackingly enjoyable f/f read, highly recommended.
April 17, 2024
**ARC given by author**
Dulhaniyaa is a absolute crowd pleaser of a Bollywood inspired sapphic romance. With every 90s archetype, dream sequences, yearning and dramatic chases, music woven through in lyrics, Mumbai and street food, NRI's and their existential crises.
A dreamy surrealist romance born from KJO movies, Dulhaniyaa follows certain movie beats reminscient from DDLJ but it subverts it with a low-level grief and distance that pervades through the book of being distanced from your own culture and facing the insurmountable barrier of institutional prejudice that makes that distance a survival tactic.
Esha as a character is implied at every level to be privileged, she's diaspora, lives very comfortably in Mumbai with a whole helper staff to care for her every need, which she acknowledges at the beginning makes her life easier. But patriarchy is coming for her and she knows it. ulhaniyaa's inspirations being kjo movies is obvious in its surrealist execution. The big boss monster of arranged marriages awaits Esha's friends, with the only options either resignation or abandonment of everything u know, rich ground for a prince charming to come dancing in.
Mumbai is also very all very early kjo esque vibes. Sarso ke khet for punjab, grand central station for new york. You can feel the salt of the salt on your face and taste the street food, but its tied in to feeling not geography, it's a romance after all.
If you grew up with the movies you know where this is going, but Dulhaniyaa turns the tables by not condescending to the bride or making the prince the only 'sane' voice in the room, but making lesbian solidarity and allyship the core jumpstart to the final airport chase. Like if you've watched ddlj, the scene with Simran and her mother sticks with you- a melancholy monologue of the promises a mother makes to her daughter, but when the rest of the movie focuses on a patriarch's approval it comes off as tokenization of that struggle.
Dulhaniyaa also has that dynamic, a Jane Austen-esque anxious mother and a distant "sane voice" father. But in the book, when her mother tells Esha how happy she seems dancing with her groom, it casts her as much a tragic figure as Inu, trapped and justifying her imprisonment.
On Billu, our resident princess charming, she is the trans lesbian princess of your dreams. But also she feels so emotionally real in her joy of dancing, her love for Mumbai's food and her resignation to being unchosen for the rest of her life. I won't lie I wanted so much more of Billu, like honestly im not alone in the fact i really wanted the book to be longer and have multiple chapters dedicated to Billu and her family, but what we got was genuinely lovely, a delightful tornado who comes in breaking Esha's life.
But what really fascinated me is that Billu is not some implacable prince hero, she keeps Esha at a distance from her with the "ma'am's" and "ji's" while being as close as one can with a dance student, attracted but also reluctant to open herself up to more rejection.
Trans lesbians are not stalwart walls to be leaned on constantly, Billu needs someone to choose her. When you are a trans woman in a country that despite its claims to historical acceptance is institutionally fucked for trans people, love needs ACTIVE WORK, not just emotion.
Billu's trans status is not something that pervades through the book, because the story is from Esha's perspective, but when it comes to the inherent theme of the book- sometimes you cannot reconcile queer agency and love with a deeply patriarchal society for your own survival, they are struggling one and the same. Compromise shouldn't be our only option, love should be unfettered and if being yourself and living your own truth and love is what you truly want, it is a fucking jail break.
Dulhaniyaa is a absolute crowd pleaser of a Bollywood inspired sapphic romance. With every 90s archetype, dream sequences, yearning and dramatic chases, music woven through in lyrics, Mumbai and street food, NRI's and their existential crises.
A dreamy surrealist romance born from KJO movies, Dulhaniyaa follows certain movie beats reminscient from DDLJ but it subverts it with a low-level grief and distance that pervades through the book of being distanced from your own culture and facing the insurmountable barrier of institutional prejudice that makes that distance a survival tactic.
Esha as a character is implied at every level to be privileged, she's diaspora, lives very comfortably in Mumbai with a whole helper staff to care for her every need, which she acknowledges at the beginning makes her life easier. But patriarchy is coming for her and she knows it. ulhaniyaa's inspirations being kjo movies is obvious in its surrealist execution. The big boss monster of arranged marriages awaits Esha's friends, with the only options either resignation or abandonment of everything u know, rich ground for a prince charming to come dancing in.
Mumbai is also very all very early kjo esque vibes. Sarso ke khet for punjab, grand central station for new york. You can feel the salt of the salt on your face and taste the street food, but its tied in to feeling not geography, it's a romance after all.
If you grew up with the movies you know where this is going, but Dulhaniyaa turns the tables by not condescending to the bride or making the prince the only 'sane' voice in the room, but making lesbian solidarity and allyship the core jumpstart to the final airport chase. Like if you've watched ddlj, the scene with Simran and her mother sticks with you- a melancholy monologue of the promises a mother makes to her daughter, but when the rest of the movie focuses on a patriarch's approval it comes off as tokenization of that struggle.
Dulhaniyaa also has that dynamic, a Jane Austen-esque anxious mother and a distant "sane voice" father. But in the book, when her mother tells Esha how happy she seems dancing with her groom, it casts her as much a tragic figure as Inu, trapped and justifying her imprisonment.
On Billu, our resident princess charming, she is the trans lesbian princess of your dreams. But also she feels so emotionally real in her joy of dancing, her love for Mumbai's food and her resignation to being unchosen for the rest of her life. I won't lie I wanted so much more of Billu, like honestly im not alone in the fact i really wanted the book to be longer and have multiple chapters dedicated to Billu and her family, but what we got was genuinely lovely, a delightful tornado who comes in breaking Esha's life.
But what really fascinated me is that Billu is not some implacable prince hero, she keeps Esha at a distance from her with the "ma'am's" and "ji's" while being as close as one can with a dance student, attracted but also reluctant to open herself up to more rejection.
Trans lesbians are not stalwart walls to be leaned on constantly, Billu needs someone to choose her. When you are a trans woman in a country that despite its claims to historical acceptance is institutionally fucked for trans people, love needs ACTIVE WORK, not just emotion.
Billu's trans status is not something that pervades through the book, because the story is from Esha's perspective, but when it comes to the inherent theme of the book- sometimes you cannot reconcile queer agency and love with a deeply patriarchal society for your own survival, they are struggling one and the same. Compromise shouldn't be our only option, love should be unfettered and if being yourself and living your own truth and love is what you truly want, it is a fucking jail break.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 9, 2024
Such a great book, it is evident from the beginning that there is an immediate attraction between Esha and Billu, which is so strong that it cannot be overlooked. The connection between the main characters is undeniable. The way they dance together and the way Esha gazes at Billu makes it apparent that there is love in the air.
I thoroughly enjoyed the development of the characters' feelings for each other throughout the novella. Additionally, the vivid descriptions of the food made my mouth water and left me craving the exquisite dishes mentioned.
I thoroughly enjoyed the plot; it is exceptionally easy to follow, and I relished the immersion into Hindi culture. It was a delight to read.
Star rating. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice rating.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I thoroughly enjoyed the development of the characters' feelings for each other throughout the novella. Additionally, the vivid descriptions of the food made my mouth water and left me craving the exquisite dishes mentioned.
I thoroughly enjoyed the plot; it is exceptionally easy to follow, and I relished the immersion into Hindi culture. It was a delight to read.
Star rating. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice rating.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 6, 2025
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.
This sweet and sometimes action-filled story follows a young woman returning home to her family in Mumbai to get married in an arranged marriage. However when she meets her dance instructor her conviction to finally acquiesce to her family's desire wavers and she will have to decide if her happiness is more important than her mother's approval.
My favorite part of this story is its cultural focus and the atmosphere it builds. Particularly the focus on food and the descriptions of it, as well as the feeling of the city really helped draw me into the story and follow Esha's story with heightened interest. I also adored the inclusion of classic Indian movies and romantic stories, as well as the many cultural references and untranslated words and phrases. Since it is not something I have a lot of experience in myself, I found myself googling quite a lot, but I also felt that it increased my immersion in the story and made the world feel incredibly rich. While some aspects of the story are a bit cliche (getting stuck together due to external circumstances, discovering they have the exact same music taste, the desparate motorcycle chase at the end - however, this is a romance after all and romance lives from cliche and with this book this felt like a movie drama in the best way), it was clearly written with love and care and worked well for me. Billu was a really interesting character, caring and very polite, but also someone that needed (and deserved) to be persued and shown that she is worthy of love and care. I would have liked to get to know a bit more about her, especially her own experiences and feelings outside of the relationship, but I still found myself caring a lot for her. I also really liked the friendgroup and the exploration of relationships between them. And furthermore I absolutely adored the dance scenes, the bonding through music and the realization how actual attraction is supposed to make you feel.
This is a quite short novella and while I was able to suspend my disbelief for the quick progression of the romance due to the external circumstances forcing deeper connection (as well as isolating the main character), I would have loved some more moments of them exploring the city and discovering their feelings for each other as I feel it would have increased my enjoyment of their relationship. I always enjoyed these scenes a lot and I mainly just wish there had been more of them, they were so cute! As I already mentioned I would also love to learn more about Billu. The end itself felt rather abrupt (especially after the very long motorcycle chase, which was cool, but a bit too long for the lenght of the novella and especially compared to the rather sudden end) and I think a longer epilogue would have increased my enjoyment of the story further. Despite this, I really enjoyed this story!
All in all this is a lovely ownvoices story by a Desi trans lesbian about deciding against an arranged marriage, recovering from getting one's heart broken, rebelling against cultural and familial norms and finding love and I am very happy I read it!
This sweet and sometimes action-filled story follows a young woman returning home to her family in Mumbai to get married in an arranged marriage. However when she meets her dance instructor her conviction to finally acquiesce to her family's desire wavers and she will have to decide if her happiness is more important than her mother's approval.
My favorite part of this story is its cultural focus and the atmosphere it builds. Particularly the focus on food and the descriptions of it, as well as the feeling of the city really helped draw me into the story and follow Esha's story with heightened interest. I also adored the inclusion of classic Indian movies and romantic stories, as well as the many cultural references and untranslated words and phrases. Since it is not something I have a lot of experience in myself, I found myself googling quite a lot, but I also felt that it increased my immersion in the story and made the world feel incredibly rich. While some aspects of the story are a bit cliche (getting stuck together due to external circumstances, discovering they have the exact same music taste, the desparate motorcycle chase at the end - however, this is a romance after all and romance lives from cliche and with this book this felt like a movie drama in the best way), it was clearly written with love and care and worked well for me. Billu was a really interesting character, caring and very polite, but also someone that needed (and deserved) to be persued and shown that she is worthy of love and care. I would have liked to get to know a bit more about her, especially her own experiences and feelings outside of the relationship, but I still found myself caring a lot for her. I also really liked the friendgroup and the exploration of relationships between them. And furthermore I absolutely adored the dance scenes, the bonding through music and the realization how actual attraction is supposed to make you feel.
This is a quite short novella and while I was able to suspend my disbelief for the quick progression of the romance due to the external circumstances forcing deeper connection (as well as isolating the main character), I would have loved some more moments of them exploring the city and discovering their feelings for each other as I feel it would have increased my enjoyment of their relationship. I always enjoyed these scenes a lot and I mainly just wish there had been more of them, they were so cute! As I already mentioned I would also love to learn more about Billu. The end itself felt rather abrupt (especially after the very long motorcycle chase, which was cool, but a bit too long for the lenght of the novella and especially compared to the rather sudden end) and I think a longer epilogue would have increased my enjoyment of the story further. Despite this, I really enjoyed this story!
All in all this is a lovely ownvoices story by a Desi trans lesbian about deciding against an arranged marriage, recovering from getting one's heart broken, rebelling against cultural and familial norms and finding love and I am very happy I read it!
March 28, 2024
This is a delightful balance of larger-than-life Bollywood homage with vivid, grounded sensory details—I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that captures the joy of cheap food from your favorite greasy restaurant so well. The romance is a whirlwind, sweep-you-off-your-feet kind of romance, with everything I want from that: lingering gazes! So many emotionally charged dance scenes! A dramatic motorcycle chase! (Did I know this was necessary for romance? No. I have learned.)
September 5, 2024
[ 2.5 rounded up ]
this is one of those times i read the reviews for something and feel like i accidentally stumbled into another piece of work. the writing and descriptions were beautiful but i was wholly unable to care about the characters, specifically the main character, because they felt like nothing burgers. the groom at the end of the book had more personality in her first two sentences with the dad than the main character had in the entire book. my girlfriend (who i buddy read this with) didn’t even fully register it was mc being married off at first because of how little of a reaction we got out of her. i didn’t feel the this intense passionate connection between the couple and when the big airport confession happened i didn’t feel it was earned and felt it was too much (and this is coming from a lesbian, demographic famous for being too intense too quickly!) i don’t think the author is a bad writer because the chase scene and again the descriptions of the city and food were so fun! but this book should’ve been longer to flesh out the characters, which at the end of the day, is the heart of the romance and wtf was that ending?
a good plus of this tho is that while reading this together i got to learn more about my gf’s culture and language
this is one of those times i read the reviews for something and feel like i accidentally stumbled into another piece of work. the writing and descriptions were beautiful but i was wholly unable to care about the characters, specifically the main character, because they felt like nothing burgers. the groom at the end of the book had more personality in her first two sentences with the dad than the main character had in the entire book. my girlfriend (who i buddy read this with) didn’t even fully register it was mc being married off at first because of how little of a reaction we got out of her. i didn’t feel the this intense passionate connection between the couple and when the big airport confession happened i didn’t feel it was earned and felt it was too much (and this is coming from a lesbian, demographic famous for being too intense too quickly!) i don’t think the author is a bad writer because the chase scene and again the descriptions of the city and food were so fun! but this book should’ve been longer to flesh out the characters, which at the end of the day, is the heart of the romance and wtf was that ending?
a good plus of this tho is that while reading this together i got to learn more about my gf’s culture and language
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November 25, 2024Schade dass es nicht lektoriert ist, denn eigentlich ist die Idee cute. Es ist halt (vor allem am Ende rip) geschrieben wie ein Bollywood Film, das muss man mögen. Leider war es nichts für mich.
December 6, 2024
got this book Thursday night, finished 110 pages by Friday 5pm.
no notes other than would like to marry Esha.
no notes other than would like to marry Esha.
April 20, 2024
I. Did. Not. Like. It.
At. All. Dude.
Why the fuck is this book not under the trans category?
At. All. Dude.
Why the fuck is this book not under the trans category?
June 24, 2024
This book knocked my socks off!!! It might be vying for fave of the year? Beautiful turns of phrase had me gasping. The yearning...THE YEARNING. The only thing that would make it better would be an accompanying playlist. Anyone have a playlist?
My favourite bits:
-falling in love through food and music and dancing
-loving trans women and choosing trans women
-refusing to compromise
-one of the best "I love you" speeches ever
I won't spoil the ending but ??? !!! Listen, I know the tone shift can be jarring but it's Bollywood, let it take you along for the ride. I am stunned and awed by the author's range.
The author is also a trans lesbian, which I didn't know before reading!
I'd say check out Goodreads for other readers' thoughtful reviews and analyses, because right now all I have is squealing.
My favourite bits:
-falling in love through food and music and dancing
-loving trans women and choosing trans women
-refusing to compromise
-one of the best "I love you" speeches ever
I won't spoil the ending but ??? !!! Listen, I know the tone shift can be jarring but it's Bollywood, let it take you along for the ride. I am stunned and awed by the author's range.
The author is also a trans lesbian, which I didn't know before reading!
I'd say check out Goodreads for other readers' thoughtful reviews and analyses, because right now all I have is squealing.
February 7, 2025
Great concept, meh execution
January 9, 2025
This book was recommended by author KJ Charles on her best books of 2024 list, and I immediately snapped it up from Libby. In Dulhaniyaa, lesbian Esha agrees to travel back to India for an arranged marriage in a fit of depression. Unfortunately, she finds herself dangerously attracted to her trans dance instructor, Billu, and increasingly dreading the wedding...
Dulhaniyaa is very short for a romance novel, only just over a hundred pages, which can make it tricky to establish a relationship with the limited space. Bhatt does a good job with Billu, and it's easy to piece together her attraction to Esha, her love for dance, and why she'd want to move abroad from the spare details we get. However, I found Esha a little more opaque. It's clear she's upset about her recent breakup and developments with her career, but not quite so obvious why she'd want to explode her life so thoroughly by agreeing to the marriage. In my opinion, the romance doesn't quite come across either--it's very abstract. I was also baffled by the turn in the last quarter of the novella, where it very abruptly and shockingly became unrealistic slapstick action.
I didn't gel with this novella in a few places, but I will say it's worth a read as a Desi trans lesbian romance set in India. There's not very many of those out there and there deserves to be more.
Dulhaniyaa is very short for a romance novel, only just over a hundred pages, which can make it tricky to establish a relationship with the limited space. Bhatt does a good job with Billu, and it's easy to piece together her attraction to Esha, her love for dance, and why she'd want to move abroad from the spare details we get. However, I found Esha a little more opaque. It's clear she's upset about her recent breakup and developments with her career, but not quite so obvious why she'd want to explode her life so thoroughly by agreeing to the marriage. In my opinion, the romance doesn't quite come across either--it's very abstract. I was also baffled by the turn in the last quarter of the novella, where it very abruptly and shockingly became unrealistic slapstick action.
I didn't gel with this novella in a few places, but I will say it's worth a read as a Desi trans lesbian romance set in India. There's not very many of those out there and there deserves to be more.
April 20, 2024
A copy of the book was provided to Sapphic Book Club for free in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5 stars
I had a wonderful time reading Dulhaniyaa! I'm far from an expert on desi culture or Bollywood, but I was really in the mood for a nice, light read this weekend and Dulhaniyaa hit the spot perfectly. My only complaint is that it went by far too quickly!
Dulhaniyaa follows Esha as she prepares for an unwanted arranged marriage with Billu, a talented choreographer recommended to her by her friend. Her time with Billu quickly becomes the highlight of Esha's wedding preparations (and the possibility of something more).
One major strength of this book is the atmosphere it creates. Though I've never been to India, I fell in love with the descriptions of street food in Mumbai and it's now top of my travel list! I found myself reaching for Google to help aid my imagination in what were stunningly emotional descriptions of traditional clothing and dancing. I commend Talia Bhatt on making such a culturally-specific yet emotionally relatable and accessible book!
Bollywood-inspired is a great way to describe this romance. It's got larger-than-life action scenes, extravagant dancing, and a killer romance. It also does a great job of handling discussions of queerness that fall outside the realm of traditional culture without dipping too deeply into the angst those situations can entail. Overall, this is a really well-done, fun read and Bhatt is certainly an author to follow!
Rating: 5/5 stars
I had a wonderful time reading Dulhaniyaa! I'm far from an expert on desi culture or Bollywood, but I was really in the mood for a nice, light read this weekend and Dulhaniyaa hit the spot perfectly. My only complaint is that it went by far too quickly!
Dulhaniyaa follows Esha as she prepares for an unwanted arranged marriage with Billu, a talented choreographer recommended to her by her friend. Her time with Billu quickly becomes the highlight of Esha's wedding preparations (and the possibility of something more).
One major strength of this book is the atmosphere it creates. Though I've never been to India, I fell in love with the descriptions of street food in Mumbai and it's now top of my travel list! I found myself reaching for Google to help aid my imagination in what were stunningly emotional descriptions of traditional clothing and dancing. I commend Talia Bhatt on making such a culturally-specific yet emotionally relatable and accessible book!
Bollywood-inspired is a great way to describe this romance. It's got larger-than-life action scenes, extravagant dancing, and a killer romance. It also does a great job of handling discussions of queerness that fall outside the realm of traditional culture without dipping too deeply into the angst those situations can entail. Overall, this is a really well-done, fun read and Bhatt is certainly an author to follow!
January 8, 2025
A fantastic Bollywood-inspired romance
If you've ever wished for the drama and romance of Bollywood musicals to be applied to a lesbian love story for once, this book is for you. It's sweet and heartfelt, funny, action-packed and underpinned by both the love that the author has for her culture (the ode to Mumbai street food will make your mouth water) as well as a critical view of how women, especially queer ones, can be trapped by India's stifling societal expectations.
This is a short read, just on the border between novella and novel, and the biggest complaint you're likely to have is that it didn't last long enough.
If you've ever wished for the drama and romance of Bollywood musicals to be applied to a lesbian love story for once, this book is for you. It's sweet and heartfelt, funny, action-packed and underpinned by both the love that the author has for her culture (the ode to Mumbai street food will make your mouth water) as well as a critical view of how women, especially queer ones, can be trapped by India's stifling societal expectations.
This is a short read, just on the border between novella and novel, and the biggest complaint you're likely to have is that it didn't last long enough.
July 13, 2025
3.5
i really liked the idea of this book and TBH it would be sick asf as a movie but it just lacked a lot of the interiority that books need. also it was quite instalove-y, very “telling through summaries” instead of scenes, and would just randomly switch povs without letting you know for a paragraph.
so… not the best written story ever but ugh the potential and the vision was really there and i hate to hate on a trans woman of color’s work about trans lesbian joy!!
i really liked the idea of this book and TBH it would be sick asf as a movie but it just lacked a lot of the interiority that books need. also it was quite instalove-y, very “telling through summaries” instead of scenes, and would just randomly switch povs without letting you know for a paragraph.
so… not the best written story ever but ugh the potential and the vision was really there and i hate to hate on a trans woman of color’s work about trans lesbian joy!!
April 20, 2024
Firstly, I'd like to say I love how the book already starts as a love story to Mumbai. I've never been there (never been anywhere, really) and I'm not too versed with Indian culture, but it made me want to visit.
About the actual love story between Esha and Billu, I love how it has hints of a romantic comedy, with the set up being Esha learning a Bollywood dance and Billu being her dance instructor. It would be a very cliché (although a good one) setting if it weren't for the differential of the chautha and forced marriage. I think Talia was able to intertwine telling a great love story and talking about how patriarchy is fucked up in a way only an experienced feminist can. It feels like a light read, as you're completely caught up in the romance, but it actually shows a very profound and nuanced reality for women in India. At the same time, although I said the set up makes it feel like a romcom, it's not a comedy at all, it's full of sad moments that make you think about the fucked up reality of women, especially women in the Global South, but all of the obstacles are overcome at the end, making it a beautiful romance.
I'd also like to focus on the trans aspect. I like how Billu is introduced and treated always as a woman. Dolly, who sets up the whole thing and knows Billu beforehand, never differentiates her from other woman and neither does Esha upon meeting her. A lot of people writing about trans women could have highlighted how she had aspects of her appearance that seemed masculine or how she didn't look like a "real" woman, especially in the situation that Billu lives because, as far as I know, trans rights in India are very poor and you can't transition (it's even said that Billu's name in her certificate is not Billu), but of course, talented as Talia is and with so much understandment of trans women's realities, she never does that. She treats Billu as the real woman that she is and how she deserves to be treated, especially by someone who deeply loves her. Of course, the fact that she is trans makes a difference and you can see it in how Billu is traumatized and thinks Esha shouldn't be with her because her life is gonna become too complicated. She believes no one cares enough about trans women, no one fights for them. She's not wrong. Almost no one does. Trans women are often mistreated and third sexed and discarded, but as the amazing romance writer that Talia is, she makes sure that Esha is different and that she loves Billu for who she is, not despite what she is, but exactly because of who she is.
I think, most of all, this is a story about hope. About love, of course. But first and foremost a hopeful story about how lesbians (both cis and trans) should get the right to love freely.
About the actual love story between Esha and Billu, I love how it has hints of a romantic comedy, with the set up being Esha learning a Bollywood dance and Billu being her dance instructor. It would be a very cliché (although a good one) setting if it weren't for the differential of the chautha and forced marriage. I think Talia was able to intertwine telling a great love story and talking about how patriarchy is fucked up in a way only an experienced feminist can. It feels like a light read, as you're completely caught up in the romance, but it actually shows a very profound and nuanced reality for women in India. At the same time, although I said the set up makes it feel like a romcom, it's not a comedy at all, it's full of sad moments that make you think about the fucked up reality of women, especially women in the Global South, but all of the obstacles are overcome at the end, making it a beautiful romance.
I'd also like to focus on the trans aspect. I like how Billu is introduced and treated always as a woman. Dolly, who sets up the whole thing and knows Billu beforehand, never differentiates her from other woman and neither does Esha upon meeting her. A lot of people writing about trans women could have highlighted how she had aspects of her appearance that seemed masculine or how she didn't look like a "real" woman, especially in the situation that Billu lives because, as far as I know, trans rights in India are very poor and you can't transition (it's even said that Billu's name in her certificate is not Billu), but of course, talented as Talia is and with so much understandment of trans women's realities, she never does that. She treats Billu as the real woman that she is and how she deserves to be treated, especially by someone who deeply loves her. Of course, the fact that she is trans makes a difference and you can see it in how Billu is traumatized and thinks Esha shouldn't be with her because her life is gonna become too complicated. She believes no one cares enough about trans women, no one fights for them. She's not wrong. Almost no one does. Trans women are often mistreated and third sexed and discarded, but as the amazing romance writer that Talia is, she makes sure that Esha is different and that she loves Billu for who she is, not despite what she is, but exactly because of who she is.
I think, most of all, this is a story about hope. About love, of course. But first and foremost a hopeful story about how lesbians (both cis and trans) should get the right to love freely.
January 13, 2025
I really enjoyed reading this, and would love to read more by Bhatt in the future. Reading this felt very much like watching a Bollywood movie, both in the good and the bad (minor). It's bombastic, the characters are all clearly drawn, and the structure fits together well.
-NITS IGNORE-
That said, there were some things about the book that bugged me, which I want to put down for my record. I still think it's a great book and that you should read it, to be very clear.
- target demo: the treatment of Hindi and Indian culture in this book really makes me wonder what the target audience is. On one hand, a lot of the Hindi is left untranslated, which helps with immersion. On the other, basic cultural artifacts of clothing or food are explained in a way that doesn't feel right for the sort of audience who wouldn't need that Hindi translated.
- too filmic: I do like the Bollywood masala in the plot character structure scenes etc. I'm not a fan of how much of the book sometimes reads like someone describing a movie, instead of reading a narrative. This is a common issue with a lot of fiction, imo, but thrown into sharper relief when so much of the story pulls from a specific film language for its narrative tropes too.
- characterization: I don't mind all the characters being bizarrely good at (and comfortable with violent) fighting and stunt driving. That comes with the genre, and is also lampshaded within the story. I don't particularly mind the dulhan's characterization feeling like it was meant for whichever joke the scene wanted to set up - especially since the first felt like it fit the DDLJ archetype and the second really tests our main character's transformation. I just don't think anything in how Eshwar was set up is consistent with him calling someone a failson.
- misc - NOT EVEN NITS, just personal preferences: I wish the main character wrote the letter she kept reading, it would have fit her journey back towards romance better if she was the one to first end it. I wish the climax of the book also touched on how different in class the characters are considering how consistent the ma'am and ji-ing is as part of their dynamic.
- editing: might just be my copy, but I had a full on typo and some sentences that felt like they could use some edits to be less confusing. Not something that I really mind, but the former felt like something the publisher really should have caught when proofing.
-NITS IGNORE-
That said, there were some things about the book that bugged me, which I want to put down for my record. I still think it's a great book and that you should read it, to be very clear.
- target demo: the treatment of Hindi and Indian culture in this book really makes me wonder what the target audience is. On one hand, a lot of the Hindi is left untranslated, which helps with immersion. On the other, basic cultural artifacts of clothing or food are explained in a way that doesn't feel right for the sort of audience who wouldn't need that Hindi translated.
- too filmic: I do like the Bollywood masala in the plot character structure scenes etc. I'm not a fan of how much of the book sometimes reads like someone describing a movie, instead of reading a narrative. This is a common issue with a lot of fiction, imo, but thrown into sharper relief when so much of the story pulls from a specific film language for its narrative tropes too.
- characterization: I don't mind all the characters being bizarrely good at (and comfortable with violent) fighting and stunt driving. That comes with the genre, and is also lampshaded within the story. I don't particularly mind the dulhan's characterization feeling like it was meant for whichever joke the scene wanted to set up - especially since the first felt like it fit the DDLJ archetype and the second really tests our main character's transformation. I just don't think anything in how Eshwar was set up is consistent with him calling someone a failson.
- misc - NOT EVEN NITS, just personal preferences: I wish the main character wrote the letter she kept reading, it would have fit her journey back towards romance better if she was the one to first end it. I wish the climax of the book also touched on how different in class the characters are considering how consistent the ma'am and ji-ing is as part of their dynamic.
- editing: might just be my copy, but I had a full on typo and some sentences that felt like they could use some edits to be less confusing. Not something that I really mind, but the former felt like something the publisher really should have caught when proofing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 23, 2024
This short, beautiful book tells the story of a woman who returns to Mumbai for an arranged marriage she's resigned herself to and falls in love with a woman instead.
The romance is delicious and well-paced, a slow-ish burn intermingled with some fantastic family and friendship dynamics. It really has a classic romance feel to me, with no rush to push the couple together but enough sparks early and often to make you hungry for the inevitable joyful moment.
The setting is richly but economically described, especially the food (OMG) and the city of Mumbai itself, which come across almost as a character, or a part of the family. And the author uses authentic dialogue, including bits of other languages, in a way that enriches the setting and the story further. It's really delightfully written.
The love interest is trans, but it's only hinted at, never stated outright, and this aspect is handled perfectly. Similarly, the main character's lesbian identity is a clear fact of the narrative but the words are never used. I loved this means of portraying queer identities in a culture that rigorously enforces cishetero norms but also understands that these norms are only on the surface. The arranged marriage and the associated preparations and activities are shown as part of a deeply rooted cultural process that's not terribly different from the "chosen" marriages in other cultures, which are, as we know, often anything but. It's a negotiated convenience, and while the main character hates it, she's accepted the match and doesn't rebel against it externally until--well, no spoilers here.
I do wish the book had been a bit longer, or that it had had a different focus in the last 20%. We spend an awful lot of time in a motorcycle chase, which would have been fine if we had more time to savor what happens afterwards. This is a romance, so of course the couple gets together, but I wanted a little more time with them united. Not to say I needed a love scene (I mean, I always enjoy those), but seeing the couple together in private, carefree moments, even in an epilogue, would have clinched the romance for me.
That said, it's a delightful read, which I highly recommend, and I will absolutely be reading whatever the author puts out next!
The romance is delicious and well-paced, a slow-ish burn intermingled with some fantastic family and friendship dynamics. It really has a classic romance feel to me, with no rush to push the couple together but enough sparks early and often to make you hungry for the inevitable joyful moment.
The setting is richly but economically described, especially the food (OMG) and the city of Mumbai itself, which come across almost as a character, or a part of the family. And the author uses authentic dialogue, including bits of other languages, in a way that enriches the setting and the story further. It's really delightfully written.
The love interest is trans, but it's only hinted at, never stated outright, and this aspect is handled perfectly. Similarly, the main character's lesbian identity is a clear fact of the narrative but the words are never used. I loved this means of portraying queer identities in a culture that rigorously enforces cishetero norms but also understands that these norms are only on the surface. The arranged marriage and the associated preparations and activities are shown as part of a deeply rooted cultural process that's not terribly different from the "chosen" marriages in other cultures, which are, as we know, often anything but. It's a negotiated convenience, and while the main character hates it, she's accepted the match and doesn't rebel against it externally until--well, no spoilers here.
I do wish the book had been a bit longer, or that it had had a different focus in the last 20%. We spend an awful lot of time in a motorcycle chase, which would have been fine if we had more time to savor what happens afterwards. This is a romance, so of course the couple gets together, but I wanted a little more time with them united. Not to say I needed a love scene (I mean, I always enjoy those), but seeing the couple together in private, carefree moments, even in an epilogue, would have clinched the romance for me.
That said, it's a delightful read, which I highly recommend, and I will absolutely be reading whatever the author puts out next!
June 2, 2024
Dulhaniyaa" by Talia Bhatt. Read on Scribd.
Dedication: To my jaan-e-jaana, my dearest in this life and every other, without whom I would be nothing and no one.
To my mother, who told me where I came from, and ensured that I knew where I had to go.
To my dearest Bee, without whose guidance this book would never have become a reality.
And to all the friends brought to me by fortuitous winds, every one of whom has left upon me an indelible mark.
First sentence: Esha didn’t even realize she’d been nodding off until a soft chime echoed through the cabin, alerting her to the seatbelt sign being turned on.
Favorite sentence: Yeah, I’m sure he’s a blank with no plans for our future, and will be happy to drop everything for my dreams. Historically, this has happened often and worked out well.
I liked this book overall, it was a nice short romance book. The characters and their relationships weren’t fully developed or fully defined. I read this after recovering from surgery, thinking it would be a quick, sugar-sweet read. I was wrong - I had to focus to understand so much, because I felt like the cultural events weren’t really explained at all. I had to do so much googling on the language, and the cultural norms and expectations that weren’t defined in the book. For preface, this is my first Desi/Indian book I’ve ever read, so I wasn’t familiar with any wedding customs or cultural norma going in. I found myself feeling confused a lot of the time trying to figure out the days of the wedding, and expectations from the bride. I’m not sure if I’m just ignorant and uneducated but I really wished the context of the relationships and characters had been more fully developed.
Dedication: To my jaan-e-jaana, my dearest in this life and every other, without whom I would be nothing and no one.
To my mother, who told me where I came from, and ensured that I knew where I had to go.
To my dearest Bee, without whose guidance this book would never have become a reality.
And to all the friends brought to me by fortuitous winds, every one of whom has left upon me an indelible mark.
First sentence: Esha didn’t even realize she’d been nodding off until a soft chime echoed through the cabin, alerting her to the seatbelt sign being turned on.
Favorite sentence: Yeah, I’m sure he’s a blank with no plans for our future, and will be happy to drop everything for my dreams. Historically, this has happened often and worked out well.
I liked this book overall, it was a nice short romance book. The characters and their relationships weren’t fully developed or fully defined. I read this after recovering from surgery, thinking it would be a quick, sugar-sweet read. I was wrong - I had to focus to understand so much, because I felt like the cultural events weren’t really explained at all. I had to do so much googling on the language, and the cultural norms and expectations that weren’t defined in the book. For preface, this is my first Desi/Indian book I’ve ever read, so I wasn’t familiar with any wedding customs or cultural norma going in. I found myself feeling confused a lot of the time trying to figure out the days of the wedding, and expectations from the bride. I’m not sure if I’m just ignorant and uneducated but I really wished the context of the relationships and characters had been more fully developed.
December 25, 2024
⭐3.5
As to be expected: Very over the top, fun and unnecessarily dramatic. It definitely would've worked better in a visual medium I think, since there's so much telling instead of showing and the underdeveloped insta-love romance with its big declarations wouldn't feel quite as unconventional in movie format. It's kinda like reading a script, it feels incomplete in it's current form.
I loved the surprise trans love interest, she was on the more subtle side and I wish we would've gotten to know her a bit better instead of keeping it so surface-level. As a result she had some issues that kinda came out of nowhere and felt forced in just to create conflict.
But I loved the theme of feeling out of touch with your own culture, it's explored in multiple characters and shows off both the good and the bad. The descriptions of Mumbai, its streets, food, language and music were absolutely beautiful and probably my favorite part of it all. Listening to romantic desi playlists while reading really enhanced the experience for me as well.
cw: transphobia (mentioned), sexism, physical violence, injuries
As to be expected: Very over the top, fun and unnecessarily dramatic. It definitely would've worked better in a visual medium I think, since there's so much telling instead of showing and the underdeveloped insta-love romance with its big declarations wouldn't feel quite as unconventional in movie format. It's kinda like reading a script, it feels incomplete in it's current form.
I loved the surprise trans love interest, she was on the more subtle side and I wish we would've gotten to know her a bit better instead of keeping it so surface-level. As a result she had some issues that kinda came out of nowhere and felt forced in just to create conflict.
But I loved the theme of feeling out of touch with your own culture, it's explored in multiple characters and shows off both the good and the bad. The descriptions of Mumbai, its streets, food, language and music were absolutely beautiful and probably my favorite part of it all. Listening to romantic desi playlists while reading really enhanced the experience for me as well.
cw: transphobia (mentioned), sexism, physical violence, injuries
April 21, 2024
4 stars. Gorgeously written and rich with culture. I thought this was a great read and a lovely debut for this author. The characters are extremely charming and I loved the connection between Esha and Billu from the moment they met. They work so well together and I thought both characters were great as individuals and I loved the way that their relationship developed. There’s also Esha’s family whom I also really liked. They were close and wanted the best for Esha even if what they wanted wasn’t exactly what she desired. Great read and I will for sure keep an eye out for whatever this author has next.
{Challenges completed:
✔The Challenge Factory: Super Series Team Challenge - Week 10
✔Romance Readers Reading Challenges: Pass the Parcel Team Challenge - Week 3
✔Turn of a Page: Rom-Com Challenge}
{Challenges completed:
✔The Challenge Factory: Super Series Team Challenge - Week 10
✔Romance Readers Reading Challenges: Pass the Parcel Team Challenge - Week 3
✔Turn of a Page: Rom-Com Challenge}
April 17, 2024
If you have watched Crazy Rich Asians, you’ll have a very good idea of what to expect in the opening pages of Dulhaniyaa, where the protagonist Esha comes home to Mumbai from America—the extravagance, the street food, the marital promises in the air. Unlike Crazy Rich Asians though, this is a queer story, and one of the very small handful of romantic comedy novels published in English by a desi trans lesbian.
It wears, then, its politics on the sleeve: the dance instructor Billu, vivacious and larger than life, is Esha’s love interest and a trans woman. Esha herself meantime must navigate the politics of the diaspora, the complexities of homecoming, and most of all the repression of her sexuality—she is a lesbian but, after her ex-girlfriend (also desi) resigned herself to patriarchy and arranged marriage, Esha lost hope and gave in. It’s time to grow up, she is told, and submit to compulsory heterosexuality. There’s no future in the life she really wants for herself. In this regard, while the book nods to romcom conventions, it’s not really comedic at all: if anything it’s quite sad, all the more so because Esha has seen her own future in her parents’ arranged marriage—loveless, estranged, quite literally separated by continents because her father doesn’t care to remain in India.
In a fraught conversation, Billu and Esha come out to each other, revealing to each other their queerness—a queerness that they both know will be subsumed by compulsory heterosexuality, with Esha’s marriage in the wings. It’s heartbreaking, a deep engagement of the difficulties of not just gender relations but the crushing weight of heterosexuality as a regime: Esha, despite everything, feels a duty and attachment to her family. ‘I cannot clasp your hand in mine and turn to the world, to our families,’ her ex-girlfriend tells her in an email that has haunted her since their break-up. ‘We are not Americans, Esha, no matter how much we sound like them.’
Between all this, there’s a lot of love and warmth poured into the descriptions of the city, so much so that the book doubles as a love letter to Mumbai: not just its streets and architecture, but its street food, which itself serves to score many of the book’s emotional beats. More than anything Dulhaniyaa is deeply steeped in culture, from the melodious Hinglish dialogue to musings on gender segregation, and it is relentless in both how it treasures and critiques that culture.
Because this is romance, there is a happy ending—even though the path toward it is so painful and difficult. ‘No one fights for women like me, Esha,’ Billu tells our protagonist, and she’s right: no one fights for trans women. The book concludes on a note of joy, but it’s not one that many western books would have ended on—there is no easy acceptance, no wholesale embrace from Esha’s family (quite the opposite: she and her arranged groom—who also turns out to be gay—may have to enter a marriage where they’re each other’s beard); both she and Billu must contend, on and on, with the forces that would see them miserable or dead. But happiness, the story promises, is still possible, and they will be each other’s strength.
It wears, then, its politics on the sleeve: the dance instructor Billu, vivacious and larger than life, is Esha’s love interest and a trans woman. Esha herself meantime must navigate the politics of the diaspora, the complexities of homecoming, and most of all the repression of her sexuality—she is a lesbian but, after her ex-girlfriend (also desi) resigned herself to patriarchy and arranged marriage, Esha lost hope and gave in. It’s time to grow up, she is told, and submit to compulsory heterosexuality. There’s no future in the life she really wants for herself. In this regard, while the book nods to romcom conventions, it’s not really comedic at all: if anything it’s quite sad, all the more so because Esha has seen her own future in her parents’ arranged marriage—loveless, estranged, quite literally separated by continents because her father doesn’t care to remain in India.
“Jab main chota, I mean, sorry, choti …” Billu trailed off and shook her head slightly, gathering her composure. “Dancing … was the only way I could express myself as a … child, Esha ma’am.”
Unsure of what exactly Billu meant, but realizing that it was a difficult topic for her to broach, Esha nodded.
“It was fine when I was doing the bits of both,” continued Billu, drumming her fingers on the table and staring determinedly at her own knuckles. “Lekin … I never pictured myself as the hero, Esha ma’am, you know? Always the heroine, but that was a problem. That was not allowed.”
In a fraught conversation, Billu and Esha come out to each other, revealing to each other their queerness—a queerness that they both know will be subsumed by compulsory heterosexuality, with Esha’s marriage in the wings. It’s heartbreaking, a deep engagement of the difficulties of not just gender relations but the crushing weight of heterosexuality as a regime: Esha, despite everything, feels a duty and attachment to her family. ‘I cannot clasp your hand in mine and turn to the world, to our families,’ her ex-girlfriend tells her in an email that has haunted her since their break-up. ‘We are not Americans, Esha, no matter how much we sound like them.’
Between all this, there’s a lot of love and warmth poured into the descriptions of the city, so much so that the book doubles as a love letter to Mumbai: not just its streets and architecture, but its street food, which itself serves to score many of the book’s emotional beats. More than anything Dulhaniyaa is deeply steeped in culture, from the melodious Hinglish dialogue to musings on gender segregation, and it is relentless in both how it treasures and critiques that culture.
Because this is romance, there is a happy ending—even though the path toward it is so painful and difficult. ‘No one fights for women like me, Esha,’ Billu tells our protagonist, and she’s right: no one fights for trans women. The book concludes on a note of joy, but it’s not one that many western books would have ended on—there is no easy acceptance, no wholesale embrace from Esha’s family (quite the opposite: she and her arranged groom—who also turns out to be gay—may have to enter a marriage where they’re each other’s beard); both she and Billu must contend, on and on, with the forces that would see them miserable or dead. But happiness, the story promises, is still possible, and they will be each other’s strength.
January 18, 2025
I found this book recommended on a list somewhere and the synopsis intrigued me. I just don’t think I was the right audience for the book. I was hoping for a little bit more development of the back story and why Esha was going through with arranged marriage even though it seemed completely against her nature. We kinda get it but most of the book is just filler. The actual romance is only in the last 40% percent of the book and I feel like we barely even get to know Billu. It was super short which I why I didn’t DNF the book, but I didn’t really care for the characters or the plot. It’s more of a 2.5 but I rounded up. I do think that this would make a really cute movie though. It read more like a script than a book anyway.
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May 22, 2024I have no idea what to rate this, because I liked it up until the point where the main character and her friends beat up and/or almost kill most of the groom's wedding party in a John Wick-style car chase to the airport??? So that was wild.
Mostly, this book is a sweet sapphic romance between a bride-to-be and her dance instructor. If the whole thing had been over the top, I would have appreciated the finale more, but it seemed to come out of nowhere. The bizarre finale was really well written, and had the potential to be quite funny if I hadn't taken it seriously, so I don't even know what to say about that. It was certainly entertaining!
Mostly, this book is a sweet sapphic romance between a bride-to-be and her dance instructor. If the whole thing had been over the top, I would have appreciated the finale more, but it seemed to come out of nowhere. The bizarre finale was really well written, and had the potential to be quite funny if I hadn't taken it seriously, so I don't even know what to say about that. It was certainly entertaining!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 21, 2025
It was a great story but I felt like the ending was a bit rushed.
I really liked the story, and was fully into it. It had such great moments but the ending from the girls trying to take control of the third jeep until the ending was in my opinion too rushed. I also couldn't get all behind the car pursuit, because while the story felt grounded in reality this one wasn’t at all. I’m pretty sure it was a reference to Bollywood movies but I still couldn’t get into it
Otherwise really good story I had a good time reading and learnt a lot too. I love the main characters, her friends and her father.
I really liked the story, and was fully into it. It had such great moments but the ending from the girls trying to take control of the third jeep until the ending was in my opinion too rushed. I also couldn't get all behind the car pursuit, because while the story felt grounded in reality this one wasn’t at all. I’m pretty sure it was a reference to Bollywood movies but I still couldn’t get into it
Otherwise really good story I had a good time reading and learnt a lot too. I love the main characters, her friends and her father.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 21, 2024
I often struggle with reading, but this book was impossible to put down. Every few pages I was delighted by something new, from the way Mrs Bhatt describes food, to how she conveys the romance of dance, to the palpable nostalgia she and the protagonist, Esha, have for their home despite how alienating it can be. Mrs Bhatt's prose is just beautiful throughout, the characters are painfully likeable at times, and I want more. It feels like a beautiful movie translated expertly to prose and, my goodness do I want to see it translated to film again.
February 10, 2025
Lovely! Very short lesbian novel written by a trans lesbian which makes some stuff on the book even greater!! Some parts were a bit slow for me, and I feel there is something missing (would've loved to learn more about what took Esha to come back, for example), but in general (as a huge yearning TM and bollywood fan), I enjoyed this. Loved the dramatics too.
But, like I said, I can totally see why this might not be the cup of tea of many people - specially regarding the pacing and how it might feel incomplete if you expect something longer or simply "more".
But, like I said, I can totally see why this might not be the cup of tea of many people - specially regarding the pacing and how it might feel incomplete if you expect something longer or simply "more".
March 15, 2025
The only complaint I have is the excessive vocabulary used here and the turns of phrase that made it sound more like an English PhD thesis than a book.
Other than that, this was euphorically queer and very wholesome. I love books set in Mumbai because it makes for a vivid, descriptive and dramatic backdrop in the hands of a capable writer. On top of that, you're telling me we get lesbian and trans rep? Count me in.
The author wove in twists as well as some dhamaka into a fairly basic premise with her humor and succint characters.
Other than that, this was euphorically queer and very wholesome. I love books set in Mumbai because it makes for a vivid, descriptive and dramatic backdrop in the hands of a capable writer. On top of that, you're telling me we get lesbian and trans rep? Count me in.
The author wove in twists as well as some dhamaka into a fairly basic premise with her humor and succint characters.
April 22, 2024
Honestly the book was amazing and I tore right through it in a single sitting.
It captured the feel of a Bollywood movie - at times reading it, especially the dancing scenes - I felt it very much become a movie I was watching rather than a book I was reading (but please turn it into a movie, I need more of Esha and Billu!)
It was also a frank depiction of the stifling societal expectations that entrap you (as a woman/as a lesbian) and how hard it is to fight them and inertia - and who you are willing to smash your chains for :)
In terms of impact - I've carried the final scene in my heart for a while now, smiling at it warmly :)
It captured the feel of a Bollywood movie - at times reading it, especially the dancing scenes - I felt it very much become a movie I was watching rather than a book I was reading (but please turn it into a movie, I need more of Esha and Billu!)
It was also a frank depiction of the stifling societal expectations that entrap you (as a woman/as a lesbian) and how hard it is to fight them and inertia - and who you are willing to smash your chains for :)
In terms of impact - I've carried the final scene in my heart for a while now, smiling at it warmly :)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews