Luv (Un)Arranged

Luv Shuv #3

by N.M. Patel

Luv (un)Arranged is a Steamy, Desi Arranged Marriage contemporary romance, packed with before-marriage courting, the magical engagement period, and living with the in-laws after marriage. Just like a Bollywood Masala movie, it's full of Romance, Dancing, and a very, chaotic Indian Family.

Kriti Pandya
The eldest daughter of the Pandya family.
I have three nonnegotiable conditions for marriage:

I will continue working after marriage, even after having children.
I won’t sleep with my husband for the first six months.
I will have full control over the money I earn..
After being rejected and ridiculed by countless men for my "unreasonable" demands, I meet him.

Aakar Mishra, the eldest son of the Mishra family.
The first man who not only agrees to my conditions but also believes they’re perfectly reasonable.

The man who bends the unwritten rules of arranged marriage to truly get to know me.
The man who takes me on dates and long drives.
The man who lives in a joint family of fourteen.
The man who expects me to move in with his large family and make it my own after marriage.

Yikes.

Coming from a small nuclear family, I’m worried I won’t be a good daughter-in-law. But more than that, I’m downright terrified of losing myself in the process.

And what happens when family secrets start to emerge, forcing me to choose between being a good wife—or a good daughter-in-law?

Will this arranged marriage bring us the love we’ve always longed for?

Genres: Romance, Love, India, Contemporary Romance, Indian Literature, Marriage, Romantic

512 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 8, 2024

About the author

N.M. Patel is a passionate author who writes romance novels inspired by her love of Bollywood movies. Her books are filled with humor, steam, and plenty of love, featuring strong heroines and swoon-worthy heroes. Get ready to be transported into a world of desi culture, unforgettable characters, and a romantic escape that will leave you feeling warm and fuzzy inside.

Reviews

[Saranya ⋆☕︎ ˖ (i.a.) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Insta love:(
Overexplained:(
Boring:(
I think the writing is a bit not okay-ish? It didn't appeal to me:(
I don't like the characters:(
The mmc is an insensitive, immature jerk:(

I wanted to like this. I really did. I had wanted to read something Indian, not to overlook the fact that I haven't read any romance novel for quite a long time now. But somewhere between the insta-love and the overexplained emotional detours, I found myself rooting for the book to end rather than the characters to get together.

The male lead? Think emotionally unavailable with a side of immaturity. He’s the kind of guy who thinks being rude is charming. Spoiler: it’s not.
The female lead? She deserves better. Like, a refund on her fictional dating life.

The writing style tries to be quirky and heartfelt but ends up sounding like someone read a self-help blog and decided to turn it into a novel. Every feeling is spelled out, underlined and then explained again — just in case you missed it the first three times.

If you enjoy love stories that feel like a group project where no one did their part, this might be for you. Otherwise, maybe swipe right on something with actual chemistry.

How quickly she transformed from a sexy goddess to Goddess Kali, the Goddess of Death, I’ll never know.

Hanji aap sun rahe hain na?
Agar aapke dimaag mein yeh sab khayal na aaye, to aap mere nhi!

02:07 ━━━━●───── 04:14
ㅤ ㅤ ◁ㅤ ❚❚ ㅤ▷
Now Playing: Sawar Loon by Monali Thakur

Pre-Read
Haan bhai

Yeh hi sab to padhna tha 😆😆🥹💋💋😭

[Preeti · Rating 1 out of 5]

Such a golden boy this guy, ya see. He apologized after kicking his wife out of the house! Why did he kick her out you ask? For protecting HIS family and apparently betraying him by doing that!! Poor boy was so hurt because of a secret she kept (not even hers), he couldn't bear to see his wife's face.

"Yes, I screwed up. Royally.
But surely, I wasn’t the first man in love who fucked up."
OMG yes, that makes it so much better! But it's alright tho, he also said he was sorry 😐

There's a reason I am holed up in my bed reading abt fictional men. If I just wanted to see a red flag, I would take a stroll in the park.

[Mish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vivah meets hum sath sath hai, fr!

Luv (un)arranged is Kriti and Aakar's story, where they meet in an arrange marriage set up, date behind their parents back, fall in love, tie the knot in the big fat Indian wedding style, and then go on to explore the life of a new bride in a joint family.

The story has depth, and has really shelved the characters out. There are tough conversations before and after marriage, there are family dynamics that will tug at your heart because of how relatable they are ( from the mom being hard on her own daughter and hurting her in her quest to get her daughter married right, to the in-laws loving their daughter in law and still being confined to the in-laws space), there is the relationship development between Aakar and Kirti that goes from strangers to lovers to being confidents.

If you are desi, you would root for them. If you aren't, you will find out about desi culture to the T.

What didn't work for me was-
A. The smut. The sexual tension in the beginning was top notch, but after a point, it becomes repetitive and page filler. There are consecutive chapters filled with smut that I personally ended up skimming.
The fact that eventually sex became their way to end fights didn't work either. I couldn't decide if they were genuinely sorry or just horny.


B - this book in its 500 pages, takes in a lot of themes to be explored, and in that quest, ends up asking a lot of right questions but does nothing about it, really.

In an Indian arranged marriage, the biggest threat the wife has is to her autonomy, because she left her maiden house and her in laws house is still primarily her husband's. So for the husband to ask her to leave his 'house' is leaving her stranded. And Akaar makes that mistake without thinking twice, after all the promises of love and trust - after he already has lashed on her before for the same reason and promised not to.

So where does that leave us in trusting him?

The grand gesture and groveling is there, yes, but as a reader, it didn't build MY trust. If I knew an Akaar , he wouldn't be for me. Not as a friend, not as a lover.

Kriti's monologues are spot on. Like I said, she asks all the right questions, there are just not satisfactory answers or solutions. How do we know that after the last chapter, Akaar never threatened her to leave again? How do we know Kriti balanced being the DIL and her work when it was never addressed within the family that she was uncomfortable about certain things? Similarly The pregnancy epilogue could have come later - it didn't work with the story right after their third act fight. In the end I really was questioning their love if I am being honest.

It's a fictional world, and we don't always stay tethered to reality so I would have liked better solutions to the wonderful questions that this book raised, instead of going the usual one grand gesture and sex marathon way. Too much was happening in the last 40 percent of the book, and the conclusion hence felt very rushed to me.


Nevertheless, Ria and Zayan and Abhi/Karan -i am excited to know you better!

[Sou · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 73%

First time I did not try to slough through and dnfed a book by a poc author, so yay I guess.....?

This was your run of the mill Indian daily soap but in written format. Nothing of consequence really happens - at least it didn't until I gave up on this book - and it's mostly filled with innane daily happenings which don't add anything to the story. Like the constant mention of the air-conditioning being switched on - in a house, in a car, in an office - what does it add to the story??? Why am I being informed of this repeatedly? Does it become an important plot point? No? Then shut up about the AC already! A whole lot of the 'I woke up, I took a shower, I ate, I changed clothes, we went shopping' could have been easily omitted and it would have been a better reading experience. The book definitely would have benefitted from a heavy edit. There is no reason why it should be 500 pages long.

There wasn't much of a chemistry between the MCs although it did start out good, with the MCs wanting to get to know each other before they get into an arranged marriage. But there is a whole lot of telling and very little showing that happened there. They are maybe 3 conversations between them and they met thrice in person, before they get married.

The characterization of the FMC was very confusing for me. Is she a village girl who has no idea how to make a ppt, comes from a conservative family and hasn't worn a dress before or is she a gay romance reading liberal who is a-okay with with her BIL being gay or bi or demi and is wearing skimpy sexy nightdresses? Her characterization was all over the place and it felt like the author just wanted to stuff as many tropes as possible into this one. She is fat shamed but is confident in her body but also is insecure. She is innocent and demure, so much so that she hasn't even held hands with a guy before but she is also constantly horny and is ok jumping him from the get go. Is supposedly well educated, is a teacher, is smug about speaking good English (lol) but also doesn't know how to make a ppt. I mean come on!!! Enough with the contradictions!
The MMC was whatever. He is your typical Indian guy you would see portrayed in TV serials, but ofc we need to make him palatable for a wider audience, so he says sorry a lot....? I guess that was it...? And lets not forget he is constantly horny.

I do not understand why authors feel the need to add in steam where it isn't necessary. Don't get me wrong, I love me some good spicy scenes but only when they are tastefully done. But for the love of god and all that is holy, please do not write spice if you have no aptitude for it. Especially when the prose is mediocre at best and reads very much like something off of wattpad. All the steamy scenes were cringe fests with a whole lots of fucks and oh yes's thrown in. It very much reads like the script from a cheap porno. I started skimming those very early on.

First time author for me, and I'm kinda sad that the experience was this bad. Finding good South Asian authors is harder than finding a needle in a haystack apparently. For anyone looking for a Bollywood-esque story, with a lot of heart, great chemistry between the MCs, amazing sexual tension, real and believable behavior from virgin MCs and a really nice character arc written in the best prose, check out Rebel Hard by Nalini Singh. Raj Sen is THE dream man.

[Ankita · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

Things I liked in the book:
1) the Mishra family. I swear to god if I ever get married , they are the type of people I would want in my life.
2) ABHI!!!!! He is so much better than his brother Aakar ( MMC )
3) All the heart warming moments before their marriage.

Things I disliked:
1) I am not big on reading spice. And this book had so many spicy scenes. It’ll be perfect for people who love spice.
2) The third act break up.
3) There were a lot of repetitive words that I noticed in the writing.

Now, in all, the third act breakup showers a realistic approach towards the story. Which makes me mad but I absolutely understand and can see it happening.
FUCK YOU AAKAR but LOVE YOU ABHI!!!!
I LOVED how Kriti stood her ground because I would have only forgiven him after his death.

This book was such a fun book. You can read it when you’re in a mood of reading not too crazy and yet something that will make you smile and laugh as it was giving major Bollywood vibes with all the drama and spice!!!!

[Thya (wiltedpages) · Rating 1 out of 5]

cringe dialogue and overexplaining

[Navneet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, where to start with this book I have quite a few feelings I need to let out. It felt as if the author wanted this to be a very Bollywood vibes book with the arranged marriage trope, basically Vivah vibes, we see a trope of she’s from the village he’s a city boy.

When I picked up this book and saw Bollywood songs at the start of the chapters I was so excited because I love making Bollywood playlists for desi books so seeing one already included was like a dream come true. First half of the book, I really enjoyed it. There were so many sweet moments and it felt as the arranged marriage trope was being executed very well.

There was a line that caught me SO off guard tho, with the MMC being like how can she go from looking like a sexy goddess to goddess Kali. Idk if I’m dramatic but how can you write that in the same sentence 😭

SPOILERS HERE:

Then we get to second half of the book, it just felt as if all that was happening is smashing smashing and MORE smashing and then there were some conflicts sprinkled to actually have a plot. We didn’t need all that, because honestly it didn’t even seem fitting. We saw a certain somebody come out and that didn’t feel as if it was handled well or resolved properly, because I feel as it might just be content for another book. We saw him kick his wife out after him being portrayed as an ideal man to be someone you would want to marry, but nope. It seemed as if it came outta nowhere, she forgave him way too easily tbh. This just seemed like such a basic toxic Bollywood moment where she’s kicked out of the house and he wins her back. I liked the things Kriti was questioning and standing up for though.

Also this book was almost 500 pages and please we do not need romance books that long 😭 this could have been shorter if we didn’t have like 10 chapters of them just smashing. It was really repetitive and I had to skim a lot. There was so much potential for certain issues that could have been raised better but we saw them go nowhere. How do we know if her MIL never had problems with her work life balance etc as we never really saw that convo between them happening, it was just laid out between her and Aakar.

I really loved the first book so I was expecting better tbh. This book had so much potential so I am a little disappointed with how it went. If you’re looking for a filmy vibes book then I guess give it a shot but there might be better options out there.

[Black Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, thank you NM Patel and Swipethebookpr for letting me read and review this amazing book.

Aakar and Kriti are goals. And not just them, their whole joint family dynamic is so desirable. I loved how independent Kriti was and how sure, confident, sassy yet kind and gorgeous she was. It is feels so good to read about women who know what they want and don't shy away from standing for themselves. And I loved how her father was proud of her and had her back, always. She was never alone. She always had someone in her corner, her father. And even though her mother came off as rude and offending, she really was not. She may have pushed Kriti for meetings with potential prospects but not once did she force her to marry a man she did not want. I also loved how Kriti was so present for her students and always ready to go bat for them.

And Aakar. OMG AAKAR! He is the dream man. Even though he is not perfect and controlling. He himself realises that too, even if a little late, but he does. He is human and he makes mistakes. But he is a better human because he accepts his mistakes, apologises for them and works on himself to not make them again. He is sweet and responsible and kind and the greenest forest flag ever. And I love how he listened when he was wrong. And being the eldest child I absolutely relate to him in more ways than one.

And omg their chemistry was off the fricking charts. I swear to God! They had me blushing. I loved how two virgins had the best sexy times. I love how they went on dates and took their time deciding if they wanted to marry.

And being an Indian, I deeply relate to and understand all the social issues in this book. Like how Kriti's mom was body-shaming her even though she didn't mean to be hurtful. How Kriti's in-laws were always calling upon her to do their stuff even when she was exhausted and working and not someone else in the family, not because they didn't love her like their daughter but because somehow because of the kind of society we they live in, they subconsciously think it's Kriti's job to be at their beck and call.

I also see the concept of arrange marriages can be a little too much. Even though it's not bad to meet someone through your parents but what is bad is being forced to make a decision within weeks of meeting someone. And so like Aakar and Kriti, everyone should have time to get to know each other before arriving at such an important decision.

Also, Abhi was my favourite in the book. And his life and orientation is also a stigma in the society which led Aakar to react so poorly even if he didn't mean to hurt Abhi. And honestly, I don't think we can change much about the perceptions of our elders but I do believe that the younger generation and the youth can bring about change for the future generations. It might be slow but it will be there. And I really hope that Abhi gets his own book.

I ABSOLUTELY ADORED THIS BOOK TO BITS! Now, I'll shut up because this the longest book review I have ever written but this book wouldn't have it any other way and I was all happy to oblige. I am honored to get the ARC for this book!

[Deepthi · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

Tropes: Arranged Marriage, strangers to lovers, Desi romance, Slow burn, he falls first, Both Virgins, Indian vibes and Big fat wedding,
Spice:🌶️🌶️🌶️

I lived through this book! Every character Especially Aakar & Kriti, and the whole Mishra family sucked me deep into their world. This book is where you slow down on reading just because you don’t want it to end. I don’t know what to do with myself after reading it.

Aakar and Kriti’s chemistry is so done well right from the beginning. The slow burn, courting, getting to know each other phase, and reading about them falling in love slowly is so worth it. Both of them being the eldest, the care, love & understanding they have shown to each other is amazing and beautiful to read. 
To have a family like Mishra’s you must have done something good in your life. The way they made Kriti welcomed and supported in everything she did is wonderful. I love Kriti’s relationship with everyone in the family, especially with Abhi and her In-laws. 

Also getting titbits of Akira & Sam, and Luke & Meera is another thing I loved.
We get to witness the most magical wedding and some swoony moments.

Another Comfort read to the sack. This would be the book I would want to give my future (maybe his family too!) partner to read 😌😉#iykyk to get some pointers from Aakar and the whole family.

Grovelling is on point but I didn’t like the purpose full breakup as I saw it coming long way. It felt forced. However the ending made it all better 💗💕

[Samira Jahin · Rating 1 out of 5]

First book of this year and I am already dnfing jt, this is a work of shit. I just couldn’t get myself to complete the book because of the writing style. IT WAS SOO POORLY WRITTEN AND I ALMOST GAGGED. She must be kidding herself by calling her an author , since I am pretty sure Indian authors have better writing sense and style. She needs to work on herself by uploading short stories on wattpad first since I was about to buy this book thankfully it was not available. Fortunately I got to save my money on this worthless book that seemed like written by a 14-year-old. I got so excited at first since I finally got a book exactly how I wanted, but she really disappointed me. Book influencers giving positive reviews on this book should work on themselves too since i was about to spend my money on this because of you

[Sohini · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first half, and I tried to enjoy the other half but while reading I realised that it should have been shorter. Both the characters were already in love in like 60% and the rest was just repetitive, though I loved Kriti, her character was written well, even Aakar was nice from the start but that one reason made his image lower in front of me, like bro it wasn't that serious. It's 2024 😬 also considering his nature, that felt like a stupid reason to get angry over. Third act breakups are really not my thing.
I wanted to love this like I loved the first book, but this was not it.

[swipethebook · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was everything. Kriti and Aakar have the most insane chemistry , the family dynamics in this book is bang on and the entire arranged marriage scene made me feel seen. This book is for all the women in their late 20’s, going through arranged marriage, you will hardcore relate.

Desi Romance + Arranged Marriage = Perfection

[Farah ♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

this was a cute and realistic read on arrange marriages in India (as far as my knowledge goes about that, which is through Hindi dramas lol) but outside of that, I thought the author did her due diligence in countering many taboo topics in a desi household.

I liked that Kriti was semi-realistic in terms of her expectations after marriage in a middle class family. I also liked that nonetheless she stood up for herself.

I also liked that Aakar, quite often understood his mistakes and took appropriate action towards fixing them.

I did not however like that she got pregnant so soon, I mean to each their own but couples who just get married and are getting to know each other while being married and in such a big surrounding, definitely do not need the added pressure of a baby.

I look foward to reading Abhi and Ria’s books, they were both such cuties. I think the author brining up important topics like a women’s value/role in a home despite being a working woman, homosexuality and Islamophobia are just great topics for the Indian audience to engage with and think about. I look forward to reading more about these topics in Ria and Abhi’s books.

Lastly the song choices at the beginning of each chapter were top tier

Thank you swipethebook PR connect & N.M. Patel for the arc

[Shweta Jaiswar · Rating 1 out of 5]

Girl, why are your books so bad? I mean, the writing is so terrible that even an 11-year-old could write better. And bro, the smut is so poorly written that I literally laughed. There's no plot whatsoever.
"One star for the book cover."

[Hana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book, and from the moment I started reading, I was immediately hooked from chapter 1 when “Woh Ladki Hai Kahan” by Kavita Subramanyam played. I knew then that I was in for a great read.

This book resonated with me deeply, making me feel both understood and seen. As someone who grew up in a Desi family, I connected with the many nuances and traditions that the story portrayed. In particular, I related to the experience of being the eldest daughter, with all the sacrifices and selfless acts that come with that role. The book captured the emotional complexities of being the oldest child so well. Not to mention the struggle of curvy Desi women face from the community and being fat shamed and told you’re never going to meet a husband unless you lose weight. But seeing how Kriti continue to love herself and handled everything with resilience and grace was really admirable.

What I especially loved was how the story portrayed arranged marriage. It beautifully demonstrated that an arranged marriage doesn’t mean a lack of love. Watching Kriti and Aakar get drawn to each other from their very first meeting and witnessing how they navigated the challenges of marriage was heartwarming. The way their relationship unfolded was written with such care and depth.

P.S. Kriti definitely made sure Aakar knew he’d have some groveling to do—loved that part!

[Sakshi · Rating 5 out of 5]

"My wife , my jaan."
Literally the best desi romance, every moment was magical .
I couldn't stop reading the book once i received my ARC and it has all my favourite tropes.😍
If I would ever consider arrange marriage as a brown girl I would want my husband to be like Aakar and his family was to die for , just so loving and adorable.
Ohh and the spice was real 🤭🌶️
Tropes:
✨ Arrange marriage
✨Desi romance
✨Curvy FMC
✨Indian wedding vibes
✨ Loveliest in laws

The book was so well written . If I ever had an opportunity to read this book for the first time , I would take it without a second thought. 😭

[Neeki · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars.
My first desi romance didn't really live up to my expectations. The writing was mediocre, and honestly, there were a lot of things in the story that felt unnecessary. It starts with an arrange marriage setting where the MMC is immediately lusting after the FMC just did not sit well with me, how do you start lusting over someone you've just seen?? I thought it was supposed to be a love story. I think I’d have enjoyed it more if the lust and attraction built up naturally as the story progressed.
The pacing of their relationship was another issue for me. They meet in person only three times before deciding to get married. How do you marry someone after just meeting them in person thrice?? I get that the FMC's family is from a more traditional village setting so they might not be open to meeting and getting to know the person for a certain amount of time before they get married, but the MMC's family seemed modern. Like, later in the story the mom and aunts are reading "spicy romances" lent to them by the FMC but they want the MMC to give his decision for marriage after one meeting with the girl? lol. That didn't add up.
I don't mind smut in my romance but this book went overboard. I felt there were more smut scenes than necessary, they could have explored deeper about arranged marriages and adjusting to a new family. Instead, the main characters spent most of their time acting like horny teenagers which was pretty cringey tbh.
On top of that, there were so many contradictions and inconsistencies that the story just felt all over the place. The MMC just felt bleh to me; a typical desi man, his actions didn't feel genuine to me idk why :/. Sadly, this book was just not it for me :(

[Ruchita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Firstly, this book was fantastic. I enjoyed every line of this book. This book kept me glued to my seat. It was swoon-worthy, adorable, entertaining, and fantastic.❤️


The chemistry between Aakar and Kriti was excellent.❤️‍🔥 It was so wonderful to experience the entire Desi family dynamic. Everything about the wedding was lovely and wholesome. And I adored the scene in which Aakar made a huge mistake and hurt Kriti, and his entire family turned against him and supported her. 😭😭🤌
 


Aakar was fantastic, except for the one time he messed up, which he quickly corrected. So he earned an overall rating of 10/10. 🤭He's cool, collected, charming, witty, and amazing!" He was so supportive and understanding, which made me swoon.😩
I was head over heels for him. 🥹😭
 

Kriti was exceptional. She is powerful, independent, intelligent, determined, confident, and courageous. I truly love her character. She's kind, cute, and amusing. Her bond with Aakar's family was wonderful. 🥹🤌
 


It is a steamy, Desi Arranged Marriage contemporary romance that includes pre-marriage courting, the beautiful engagement phase, and life with the in-laws after marriage. It's full of romance, dancing, and an extremely chaotic Indian family, just like a Bollywood movie.💕

[Isha ツ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars!

Honestly this book surpassed my expectations and made me feel so warm and fuzzy inside.

What I loved most about this book has to be the Mishra family and Abhi 🤌 the support and love they gave to kriti filled my heart with so much joy 🫶 I honestly loved the family dynamics

For me the first half of the book was my favourite because the way Kriti and Aakar talked about everything before getting wedding and TENSION between them>>>> 🙂‍↕️🥵

Loved the wedding part too! I wish it was longer ✨
And the spice in this book really spicing 👀🌶️

Also all the snippets we get of Akira and Sam + luke and Meera were bonus for me.

Overall I enjoyed loved this desi romance A LOT! The only complaint I’ve is the third act break up. I was FUMING while that happened but the grand gestures did it for me🫠

[Chaitra · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNFed

I love arranged marriage tropes. I never read an Indian one. Idk what exactly attracted me about this book I tried giving it a read. I didn't expect to cross across many chapters.

Writing was not so good. Seemed straight off Wattpad influence. Nevertheless I liked the plot and it was good until they married..

This book reminded me again I'm not into romcoms that thrust smut everywhere. Okay, I get it but this book literally forced shit.

Besides, the narration bugged me a lot.. there's no plot building, there's no characters building it just feels like a girl reporting stuff she did everyday. That's it. I found the book too shallow and the characters were insufferable to me. Especially the FMC.

Ugh. I tried skipping the parts I don't like but I don't find this book worth my time, anyway. Didn't workout for me.

[Anjali Anil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Luv (Un)Arranged by N.M. Patel is a beautiful book that brings out the joy, excitement, and chaos of a classic Indian arranged marriage. It literally gives you all the feels of a delightful Bollywood movie with an extra pinch of spice 🤭🤭.

This story is about Akar and Kriti, who meet and fall in love unexpectedly through a traditional desi setup of arranged marriage and end up marrying in a grand, big-fat Indian wedding.

But mind you it’s not just a fairytale ending, because the real journey begins after marriage, as Kriti now has to adjust to life in a joint family of 14, stepping into a world that is so much different from her small, familiar household that she was grown up.

Kriti’s experiences are really heartwarming and it will be relatable to a lot of girls who has been through this. As she navigates
through her new journey she has to deal with the push-pull of wanting to fit into her new family without losing her sense of self at the same time.

Patel has does a beautiful job portraying Kristi’s dilemma like her struggle to gain acceptance without surrendering her identity,which I think will be relatable to a lot of readers. Aakar, on the other hand, is the quintessential romantic hero. He is thoughtful, supportive, caring, romantic and what not. He does have his own adorable flaws.
What I loved the most about Aakar is his commitment to making Kriti comfortable, even if it means traveling hours just to be by her side, and that is so swoon-worthy….

The slow-burn romance between Aakar and Kriti builds with a delicious tension, combining with the sweetness of their secret dating and formal courtship before marriage.

Our Author carefully infuses just the right amount of drama, long drives, and ice-cream dates to make their relationship sparkle. Also the “spicy” moments between them add intensity and so much more to the book I’m sure those who have read it can relate. We will be constantly blushing 🤭🤭🤭…
One of my most favourite things about the book is that beautifully adds to the Bollywood vibes are the iconic songs that are at the beginning of each chapter. It just perfectly matches the scenes and emotions and it will make us feel like if we are watching a lively, colorful film unfold.

N.M. Patel also explores deeper questions of love versus arranged marriage through Aakar and Kriti’s differing views, giving readers a fresh perspective on both sides.

This novel is indeed a heartfelt, spicy, and entertaining read that celebrates the beauty of tradition and the challenges of building a life together.

If you’re someone who is looking for a romance that has both nostalgic and modern touch, with all the highs and lows of real-life relationships, Luv (Un)Arranged is an unforgettable experience.

[Aishwarya Shetty · Rating 4 out of 5]

An arranged marriage story every desi girl wishes for❤️🌟

Luv (un)Arranged 💍🏖💑🌷

𝙎𝙪𝙢𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙮 : Kriti is a teacher who is kind and simple, and her strength is the best part about her. Aakar is a businessman who lives in a joint family. Their path crosses with each other through arranged marriage proposals. Aakar, being the elder sibling in the family, is very strong headed. His mum wants him to get married to a girl through arranged marriage process.
Will he be able to find love in an arranged marriage?
Read the book on Kindle Unlimited to find out🌷

𝙒𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 : Relatable characters with emotional depth. The book captures the process and every little thing of arranged marriages very beautifully.

𝙁𝙖𝙫 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙧 : Kriti and her Dad ?!! The way he understands and stands for her!! Fav part💕
Also Abhi ?!!! Fav fav fav. He always helped Kriti and acknowledged her⭐️

𝙁𝙖𝙫 𝙌𝙪𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙨 :
"And why did he feel so much like home? so
much so that I slipped into his warmth when I
closed my eyes and finally slept for the first time in what felt like ten days."

[Kayalvizhi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ It was a pretty fun read. I loved it but also felt like skipping a few pages since it was too long. What I loved the most in this book was the Mishra family and Abhi ♥️ I loved the support and love the whole family gave to Kriti. I loved how Kriti and Aakar spoke about everything before marriage and the tension between them OMG 🥵 I did not like the third act breakup and come on it was a stupid reason too.

[Kyshaf⁷ (Jacks version) · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I’m so fucking glad that you agreed to marry me and made me the luckiest fucking man on this planet.”


I've been wanting to read this book for so damn long & boy it turned out to be way more good than what i was expecting. Loved it so much.
Tbh I wasn't expecting aakar to be this thoughtful & understanding damn he's so good & Kriti my beautiful brave girl you're amazing i love you ❤️

[Rebeca S.C · Rating 1 out of 5]

la trama brilla por su ausencia, el romance es casi instantáneo para luego tener cientos de páginas de relleno sobre sus costumbres y smut

él un gilipollas de cuidado, si fuera por mi di-vor-ci-o y se acaba la cosa a las 200pg

[Shruti Gupta · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25🌟

[naanbread · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’d read this for an easy read and honestly it was fun! Truly head empty no thoughts and obviously there were some cliches and parts I’d skim over, BUT otherwise pretty cute hehe

[Nazifa Afroz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh 🫤

[danii · Rating 4 out of 5]

i wish there was a spice free version of this book that i could get my (south-asian) parents to read so that they would see how to treat females vs males

edit: i totally forgot to write this lol but this book was a 10/10 until i reached the ~80% mark- I HATE THIRD ACT BREAKUPS SO MUCH

[Reader Firecracker · Rating 1 out of 5]

I for the first time, felt like I was reading something which has no end. It was like reading and reading and reading the same thing and waiting for something to happen. The book truly doesn’t have a story line. Kriti (the FMC)met a man Aakar( MMC) , found him marriage worthy, married him. Too much smut , to be precise in every chapter after their marriage. The plot is fucked up, the Male protagonist is shown to be green forest for his girl but one minor inconvenience in their course of life , he does something like nothing exists between them. The story is stretched at too many instances. Like what we had to do with the syllabus of 9th graders, or the part where they are revealing their secrets , was that necessary ? No. I don’t usually come out to criticize a book but this one had me pulling my hairs. Skipped pages to end this book. The only good thing was how it discusses the stereotypes and the patriarchal society we live in. And how supportive her In-laws were for her. Rest the book is total waste of time . More like Ekta kapoor serial running years without a good storyline and no end.