There's Something About Mira

by Sonali Dev, Soneela Nankani (Narrator)

From USA Today bestselling author Sonali Dev comes the heartfelt story of a woman determined to reunite a lost ring with its owner, who ends up finding herself along the way.

Mira Salvi has the perfect life—a job she loves, a fiancé everyone adores, and the secure future she’s always imagined for herself. Really, she hasn’t a thing to complain about, not even when she has to go on her engagement trip to New York alone.

While playing tourist in the city, Mira chances upon a lost ring, and her social media post to locate its owner goes viral. With everyone trying to claim the ring, only one person seems to want to find its owner as badly as Mira journalist Krish Hale. Brooding and arrogant, he will do anything to get to write this story.

As Krish and Mira reluctantly join forces and jump into the adventure of tracing the ring back to where it belongs, Mira begins to wonder if she is in the right place in her own life. She had to have found this ring for a reason…right? Maybe, like the owner of the lost ring, her happy ending hasn’t been written yet either.

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Contemporary Romance, Ebooks, Audiobook

Audiobook

First published February 1, 2025

About the author

Sonali Dev’s first literary work was a play about mistaken identities performed at her neighborhood Diwali extravaganza in Mumbai. She was eight years old. Despite this early success, Sonali spent the next few decades getting degrees in architecture and written communication, migrating across the globe, and starting a family while writing for magazines and websites. With the advent of her first gray hair her mad love for telling stories returned full force, and she now combines it with her insights into Indian culture to conjure up stories that make a mad tangle with her life as supermom, domestic goddess, and world traveler.

Sonali lives in the Chicago suburbs with her very patient and often amused husband and two teens who demand both patience and humor, and the world’s most perfect dog.

Reviews

[Shee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever a read a book that takes you so completely by surprise that it consumes every part of your mind and heart that the only solution is to read it again because you can’t let the characters go. Don’t be fooled by the description, this book not your typical self-discovery novel, it’s also about the suffocation of society, the guilt of outgrowing the ideology of your immigrant parents, the existence and beauty of queer love through the years, and finding your voice when you’ve been brought up to forget it. I really hope everyone picks up this beautiful story, it’s touched me in ways I cannot articulate in words.

SPOILERS BELOW:

I loved our protagonist, Mira, she was instantly relatable, and Dev (the author) captured her struggles finding her voice in an Indian society so seamlessly. I deeply sympathised with her character, someone who is apt at helping others through pain that she forgets her own, her instinct to defend her parents out of responsibility when they’ve been far from kind to her and her brother. She was incredibly well fleshed out, particularly with her career in pain management, evident in all her interactions through the book, recognising the hidden pain in Krish and resentment in Rumi. My heart broke for what she went through when she was 17, and how she was made to feel like it was her fault and isolated – its cruel how little parents can care for their children when they ‘slip up’ in their eyes. Her relationship with her parents is instantly relatable to anyone who has grown up with or around people in conservative immigrant households; the fact that love, fear, guilt, responsibility, and anger can coexist in parental-child dynamics is rarely explored. The journey Mira embarks on was beautiful, the thing I appreciated most about this story is how she healed on her own, not because she fell in love but by taking lessons from those around her, whether that was Krish or Rumi or just her own intuition – she saved herself. I appreciated that conversation she has with her brother, where he expresses how much he wanted her to take a stand against her parents, it had me in tears; it was wonderful to see her find her footing and strength to defend her brother when it mattered most.

It was interesting, upon my re-read, to see how much Mira had convinced herself that she was happy with Druv, how in every conversation they had she was almost convincing herself that he was the one instead of just knowing. The way Dev handled the ultimate demise of Mira and Druv’s relationship was done well – as Mira shed her older skin, it was clear she was hiding so many parts of herself from him that she began to unravel in New York. One standout scene was at the end when she called things off and his main rebuttal was asking whether she’d cheated on him and that they were too far through the process to quit – nothing about him wanting to fight for her or knowing her well enough to understand she would never do that. The greyness of Mira falling out of love and realising Druv wasn’t right for her was handled with such nuance here; I liked how there was no obvious ‘bad guy’ in this break up, it was just two people that could’ve settled but one was brave enough to call it off. I really enjoyed Mira’s chapters with Krish, how they could so clearly see through each other despite being strangers. All their scenes felt like a movie: the motorcycle rides, their quests to locate the owner of the ring, and seeing them slowly open up to one another. It was obvious to me that he fell first and when he finally admits it and they get together, it felt really earned. Even though their romance was not the focus of the story, this was definitely Vasu and Suru’s love story, I enjoyed these characters together so much. I did feel like they were trauma-bonding for a lot of the book; therefore, it would’ve been nice to see more of them together as a couple to understand how they fit together outside of their shared pain.

The part of this story that I didn’t expect, and wholeheartedly loved, was the beautiful portrayal of queer love. The letters between Vasu and Suru had me in a chokehold, they were just so magical together and Dev really captured the love they had for one another so intimately, in a way that it felt so personal. I felt the palpable fear throughout the letters and in the hunt to find what happened to Suru, this aspect of the book kept me on the edge of my seat until the end. I’m thankful these characters found themselves back to each other, but my heart broke for the years they had lost due to the cruelty of their family. So much of their story can be linked to Rumi and Saket, how they both fell in love and felt the cruelty of Rumi’s parents, the only difference is that they escaped and built a life together. Seeing Rumi and Saket so happy and in love through Mira’s eyes was wonderful and you could tell she was questioning whether her life could look like this.

Some additional thoughts, I wish the epilogue was slightly longer, I really wanted to see the wedding and more of these characters being happy after dealing with so much pain – Sonali Dev if you are reading this, please send me all your deleted scenes! It was nice to see Mira’s mom take that first step in mending the rift between them, but I can’t help but feel Mira deserved a lot more apologies for her assault, I wanted one character to say it wasn’t her fault and that her attacker(s) deserved jail – I did feel incredibly happy when she said this herself but I did want someone to affirm her belief that she didn’t deserve to feel any of that guilt. I also felt we needed a bit from Priyanka’s character, as a women, her adding to Mira’s guilt didn’t sit well with me, especially as Mira didn’t get her kicked off the society – her story felt unfinished.

Ultimately, this story has cemented itself as one of my favourite books ever, I don’t know how I will move on from this brilliantly crafted story and these incredibly human characters. I think I’ll carry parts of this story for the rest of my life. I felt so inspired I have created a playlist for this story so please let me know if you are interested in listening and I’ll share!

P.S. I know this is obvious, but I wanted to say that one story is not meant to represent every single Indian immigrant experience so if you grew up in a much more accepting home (like Saket) that’s a beautiful thing, but please don’t come to discredit this story because it doesn’t match your own.

A big thank you to Lake Union Publishing for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book!

[Kristan Higgins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sonali Dev only gets better, and that’s saying a lot. Mira Salvi is living the dream—great job, dreamy fiancé, a wonderful future spooling out in front of her. But when her doctor fiancé can’t go to their already twice rescheduled trip to New York, Mira goes alone. There, in one of those moments that feel fated, she finds an elegant ring on a chain. She takes to social media to reunite it with its owner, and from there, Mira’s life suddenly blossoms.

Sonali Dev has a way of taking a sweet idea and making it into a gorgeous, heart-shattering, achingly wonderful journey. I love stories of coincidence and the notion that the universe puts us in a place for a reason. Sonali, too, grabs this idea and runs with it. The friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend who might know the owner turns out to be both incredibly irritating and attractive at the same time, and the banter between them is top-notch. But behind the ring lies a story of forbidden love and friendship that will make your heart ache with sorrow, and then, of course, joy.

[Kyra Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this. I honestly am upset there is not more to this book, but it is perfect the way it ended. I enjoyed being able to witness the person Mira grew to be and the way the love stories felt so cheesy but real and how well the pain they had to endure was reflected. An emotional, wholesome, feel-good book all in one. 

[Bethany · Rating 2 out of 5]

Everyone in this book was insufferable.

[g the book dragon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full disclosure: this book was advertised as a rom-com. I think it is neither a comedy nor a romance novel. But it is an amazing story regardless of how I was conned into reading it. (PS zero spice.)

The story pulls no punches. There's trauma. And then more trauma. And shenanigans. But mostly, the trauma is the invisible string.

I recognize the kind of hate that makes people think it’s okay to hurt someone. I’ve seen it up close. In my own home.

There are plenty of differences between East Asian and South Asian families but there is also a great deal of overlap. Just. Oof.

I don't want to drop spoilers but there are a good number of triggering themes/plot points in this book. But I think it's also very ... cathartic?

You can’t judge your courage in a different world based on the world you’re in right now.

Also not as impactful but one moment that DID make me laugh as a nonnative English speaker: "one drinks soup" 😂 (not me asking my husband to confirm that Americans say "eat" soup bc it's definitely "drink" in Chinese)

I'm not doing great expressing how I feel about this book. Hands down, recommend. Just don't expect a rom-com.

[Mary-Joy Sidhom · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are two types of books: ones where you say “I can’t believe I’m already 90% done!” And ones where you say “I can’t believe I’m only 50% of the way through”

Unfortunately, this book was the latter for me.

2.5 stars.

[Luv2TrvlLuvBks · Rating 2 out of 5]

Prime member ? Reader?

If so, this is one of January’s “First Reads” options.

Here the thing. I loved this author’s Indian American twist on the Jane Austen’s classics (see Rajes series) and really enjoyed “The Vibrant Years” but Amazon got it wrong billing this book as “romantic comedy “. Other than the scene where the two main characters are trying to evade some bad guys and find themselves in an awkward position, this is more “women’s fiction” or just plain “fiction”.

There’s two parallel stories that are nicely tied in at the end. The thing is did not have much empathy for the FMC despite the trauma she endured as a teen. Felt she was wishy washy and as frustrated with her as her twin was.

[Raj · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an Amazon First Read, and I got the impression of a cosy rom-com when I picked it up. As it turns out, it really wasn't. Don't get me wrong, it was an excellent book, which I thoroughly enjoyed, but cosy and rom-com, it is not.

Mira is months away from getting married when she ends up taking a trip to New York alone. She was supposed to go with her fiancé, but he's a surgeon and those spines won't operate on themselves. While doing the tourist thing on her own, Mira finds a lost ring, and her social media post about it goes viral, and she, and a (brooding, handsome) journalist, end up going on a journey to discover the ring's story and to reunite it with its lost owner.

Despite that synopsis, this is a story about courage and bigotry. Mira's upbringing in the closed and inward-facing South Asian community in Chicago is stifling. Her parents have no trust in her and use all sorts of emotional manipulation to control her. Always telling her how much they gave up for their children, but always in a performative way, to show other people what good parents they are, not out of any feeling for their children. Her twin brother, Rumi, managed to escape and is living in New York, where Mira reunites with him for the first time in several years.

The story of the ring is also told in epistolary form from the other direction, as we see letters between its owner and the owner of its paired piece, as young women just finding their way out a similar stifling situation in India in the 1980s. The bigotry that they faced is mirrored by that shown by Mira's parents to her twin when he comes out as gay. And when you think they can't be any worse parents, we finally discover the Mira's secret, that has been looming over the book from very early on. When there needed to be empathy and love, there was only cruelty and violence.

I went through a lot of emotions while reading this book. I still feel very sorry for Mira's fiancé, Druv, who was never a bad person, and he was trying to understand her the whole way through the book. Vasu and Suru's story was heartbreaking, and it was a joy to see Rumi and Saket be able to be happy together, as a sort of mirror to that.

This is a book that speaks to one specific kind of immigrant experience, but it's very powerful and accessible. Definitely worth your time.

[Lochi's Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

“If returning to your old life will make you happy, I will be okay. As long as you feel seen and cared for, I’ll be okay. As long as no one makes you feel like you’re lucky to have them, I will be okay. As long as you promise to never put yourself away again, I will be okay....As long as I know you’re happy, I will be okay.”

I’m simply overwhelmed. There’s Something About Mira just makes me feel lighter. Mind you I devoured this book quickly because it weaves history, romance, and mystery into a perfect journey. Sonali provides a full emotional journey that meanders along different paths that makes you smile, laugh, contemplate, and dare I say get teary eyed. Something that I’ve come to appreciate in all my years reading Sonali Dev’s books.

When Mira’s fiancé Dhurv is unable to join her on a scheduled engagement-honeymoon trip to New York City, she throws caution to the wind and goes alone. The trip to New York is life changing as she reconciles with her twin brother Rumi and his partner Saket. But she also finds mysterious ring that leads to a winding path of self discovery. Determined to return the ring to its owner, Mira goes on a journey from New York all the way to India and is joined by Krish. An eager journalist covering the story but is also dealing with an emotional past that comes to fruition in later chapters. The reveals in this are sooo good and also un-expected that I’m not risking any spoilers.

For me the stand out: Chapter Twenty-Four . A reveal that was heartbreaking that I had to put down my kindle for a bit and return to it. Women’s reproductive health and access to care and education is vital. It’s important, and matters now more than ever. Sonali’s very good at infusing real world themes in her books and doesn’t shy away from tough topics. Several are covered in the course of the novel and written with care and caution. Mira and Krish quietly reveal pain that has been silenced for years. How it festers and manifests weighs on you. But both characters transforms.

My only wish is that we never get to read Krish Halle's finished article!

Finally, another favourite quote:

“My home just came to me”.

[Elizabeth E · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 ⭐️ This book is hard for me to rate. The writing style in the beginning was hard to connect with. I described it to my friend as “withholding.” Many things were mentioned but not explained and so it felt very disjointed at first. I assume it was written that way to encourage the reader to keep going. About 1/3 of the way in it was fairly obvious where the book was going but I kept with it mostly to see if I was right. The plot summary on the back of the book also felt a bit bait and switch. The book did not promise to be light and fun but it also did not hint at the heavy topics the books it actually about.

I almost DNFed but I wanted to see how the author worked out for the main love story as it was kind of a love triangle.

I know there are mixed feeling on if trigger warnings should be included but I kind of feel like this book could have benefited from some. However, even as I say that I feel like it would have given some plot point away.

[Ritu Bhathal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sonali Dev writes beautiful stories and I have read a good few of them.
There's Something About Mira is a heartrending tale of a woman torn between her family and her own wishes. It's never easy, as a child of immigrants, to navigate the new world around you, stepping around your parent's delicate threads of connection back 'home', and trying to create your own threads as a person with East/Wets heritage.
As her marriage looms, Mira has a lot on her shoulders. She has to consider everyone's thoughts and feelings as she tries to plan for her future.
Druv is perfect. Everyone says so, and he really does seem it. But his wonderful job is always getting in the way.
Then, the one chance they had, pre-wedding, to spend time together gets snatched away, and Mira goes away herself (agreed by the relevant powers who oversee her whole life, though somewhat begrudgingly and with the blessing of her intended).
While out in New York, she rekindles her relationship with her brother and gets tangled up in a lost-and-found incident when she happens across an intriguing ring and necklace. She then meets Krish, someone who can help her with the mystery she is determined to solve, as well as may be other things.
Oh, the way this story unfolded was just brilliant. The family dynamics, as well as learning how to be true to yourself, were played perfectly. There are some key themes that are still considered somewhat taboo within the South Asian culture, even now, especially with some of the older generations, and they are dealt with, with such sensitivity.
I loved it! #TeamMira!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure how to think about this book. It's got some romantic elements to it, but is it a romance? Not sure. Spoilers below.

I kinda want to make my book club read this so I can have some good chats and rants.
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I actually feel pretty angry about the romance part of this. While I get Mira's coming to know herself and realizing she wants to change paths, I hate that she made this choice from one man to another. I would have rather this be a story about her choosing herself. I know there will be people that will say that's what she did, but breaking up with your fiancé because there is a man you've known for one month with whom you can be yourself? Nope. Don't like it. Didn't feel romantic to me.

Also, yes, they shared some deep things with each other... but Krish was so emotionally immature. I HATE the romance part.

This is a story with a current romance and a past romance and I feel like both were awkward and not very believable. The flowery letters back and forth that tried to lead us through a forbidden lesbian romance? No.

There was something powerful about this book and part of me wants to talk about it with some folks.

The bigotry and hate are so sad... and I see them, in a different way, in my own conservative Christian culture. I wish I didn't believe these kinds of things happened... but... I sadly do.

This author's writing is both beautiful and terrible... and I'm not sure if I really think this is a 4-star book... but also... I don't know.

[Mitzi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here's another example of a book I may not have picked up were it not for a book club choice, but I'm so glad I did! At the start, it's a story of a pain therapist and an orthopedic surgeon who are engaged and whose families (both from India) are over the moon with excitement. But then you encounter an estranged brother, a lost ring, past trauma and you realize there is a lot more to this story than a sweet romance. In my opinion, it's really a multicultural story about finding yourself and then finding the courage to follow your heart. It will pull on your heartstrings, keep you intrigued with a mystery and also make you chuckle. It's delightful!

[voracious reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sorry , but found it drawn out and too predictable. Really missed the mark in classification. Not the light comical story as promoted. It was muddled attempt at social acceptance.

[Ellie Green · Rating 1 out of 5]

got this book free on my kindle and just could not get into it - DNF

[Genni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audio 4⭐️
Book overall 4 ⭐️
Though- I was all over the place with this one. Started as a 3⭐️ sometimes a 5⭐️ sometimes a 2⭐️ (that was short lived in the middle).
I recommend if at any time you get to a point you aren’t feeling it- KEEP GOING!!! The ending is well worth it!!!

This book has a bit of everything. Various intertwined love stories, heartache, heartbreak, heartwarming, family dynamics, culture, history and mystery.

The author did a wonderful job of bringing her culture into this book, providing the reader with an understanding of the elders behaviors, beliefs and customs. This brought on great rage for me… I really struggled with the MFC mother.

There were so many lovable supporting characters as well as so many dislikable characters- the balance was there to give this book an overall 4 ⭐️ rating. And have I mentioned the ending! When I hit a small stretch of a 2⭐️ gray area i almost DNF. Silly I thought. Why give up so easily! Again- so glad I was able to get over that hump!!

I also enjoyed that the main character FINALLY was able to break free of the traditional family expectations and roles and becoming her own self, following her heart, and finding her own true identity. Mira was starting to annoy me as she starts of a whiney prude… until she grew up, found her voice, spoke up for herself, and never looked back.

Extra bonus- Mira is from Naperville, Illinois… I’m always partial to local suburban and Chicago references.

I recommend this read 🤩

[Lori Boyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was so different than what I expected. By the cover and the description, I expected a light-hearted RomCom, but it was so much more. This book was filled with adventure, love, social issues, mystery and a dash of drama. It was a little slow at the beginning, but it did pick up. I think Mira’s struggles to be herself and be heard are relatable. The way of parents born in a different country are most times not the way of the world we grew up in. Mira is torn by her duty to her parents, her love for her brother and her need to be herself and do the right thing. You will be cheering for Mira through it all. Many social issues were touched upon, showing how far we’ve come and how much farther we need to go. The characters are all strong, all dealing with their own issues. This was the first book I’ve read by this author and I look forward to reading her again.

Thanks to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC. This is my honest opinion.

[Myra✧₊⁺ · Rating 2 out of 5]

the amount of unrealistic things happening in this book is insane

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some grittier topics than previous books I’ve read by this author. There is a romance element but I wouldn’t classify it as romance.

[Audrey Alai · Rating 4 out of 5]

Last 20 pages wrecked me

[Miriam Balasundram · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved it

A beautiful story, that encapsulates desi American struggles of coming to terms with one’s identity while battling the inner turmoil from going against the cultural grain.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did not finish. It was an Amazon first read but not what I thought it would be about.

[Mindy Antiel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok this book had me eye rolling the entire time due to the need to hit all the topics it really didn’t need to… But I did like the adventure throughout the book and ending as well:)

[Shey Wilkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The start of this story made me deeply uncomfortable because I see so much of my immigrant childhood in how Mira was raised. Being the perfect, obedient, helpful, even-keeled daughter that's controlled by shame and fear hit really close to home, and I had stated that I wasn’t sure l'd gone through enough therapy yet to keep reading.

“When you’re true to yourself, even when something hurts, it feels good. When you’re betraying yourself, even when something is supposed to feel good, it hurts.”

I’m so glad I did keep reading though. This story hurt my heart but also healed a bit of it. I’m going to be thinking of Mira for quite a while and admit that I would have loved to read more about her healing journey. This was a tough, heartwarming, heartbreaking journey that landed in a very hopeful spot.

[Kelsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to this audiobook because it was a part of the AAPI badge in the reading challenge. Thank goodness I did, I loved it and was surprised by how much I did. I usually am not into moody male MCs, so that is why I judged it based on the synopsis. There is so much more to this story than falling for grumpy guy. Mira acted on her realizations of who she became as a result of trauma and control and then made changes, which is admirable.

[Andrea | andrea.c.lowry.reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's Something About Mira is such a unique story about self-discovery and finding one's voice and not being afraid to use it.

What appealed to you the most in this story?

I found myself fully absorbed in the mystery surrounding the necklace and how the dual timelines would fully come together in the end.

Also, the supporting characters were so thoroughly developed which added so much more depth and emotions to the story.
 
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁:

Family drama
Mystery
Dual timelines
Love triangle
Diverse Characters
Banter
Laugh out loud moments
Self-discovery
Cultural identity

How was the pace?

With an engaging and fluid writing style that drew me in from the very beginning, I found that the story held a steady pace.

Do you recommend this book?

There's Something About Mira is an emotional yet heartwarming and thought-provoking story that will resonate with all readers.

Thank you Amazon Publishing and NetGalley for this gifted copy.

[Katie Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow start, but so worth it. ❤️

[Sarah (bookofsari) [semi-hiatus… in Japan✨] · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sonali Dev’s There’s Something About Mira is a charming blend of romance and self-discovery, though it doesn't quite hit the mark on all fronts. Mira Salvi’s journey to return a lost ring takes her from New York to India, bringing some unexpected moments of introspection and romance along the way. The story is intriguing, especially as Mira and Krish, a brooding journalist, find themselves reluctantly teaming up. Their bickering dynamic has sparks, but sometimes it veers into predictable territory, and their chemistry lacks the depth to make it truly compelling.

While the plot's twists offer some engaging surprises, Mira’s reflections on her “perfect” life and looming marriage don’t feel fully explored. Readers who enjoy a thoughtful romance and Dev’s characteristic exploration of cultural ties will find much to enjoy, but it may leave some looking for a bit more substance behind the romance.


Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Marissa Murray · Rating 3 out of 5]

First half was toughhhhh to read but second half rounded it up to 3 stars.

[Veronica (Honey Roselea Reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this through Amazon Prime First Reads so I was able to read this early

4.5 stars. I was skeptical of this book at first but I came to really enjoy this. One thing I really enjoyed was the journey. I wasn't expecting Krish and Mira to go on this crazy ass adventure but man I was here for it. It was more fun than I thought and I'm so glad I read this. Definitely a change of pace that I needed