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Bollywood #1
Una historia de Bollywood
Hace veinte años que Mili Rathod no ve a su marido; es decir, desde que tenía cuatro y la prometieron con él. Aún así, el hecho de estar casada le ha proporcionado una libertad de la que pocas jóvenes gozan en su pueblo.
Su abuela incluso le permitió dejar la India para irse a estudiar a los Estados Unidos durante ocho meses, para convertirla así en la perfecta esposa moderna. Y eso es lo que ella, precisamente, querría ser... si su marido viniera a buscarla.
El reconocido director de cine de Bollywood, Samir Rathod acaba de llegar a Michigan para gestionar los papeles del divorcio de su hermano mayor. Después de todo, el hecho de persuadir a una inocente muchacha de pueblo para que los firme debería resultar fácil para alguien con su encanto. Pero Mili no es ni una tonta ni tampoco una cazafortunas... Y tal vez sea... ¿el amor de su vida?
Su abuela incluso le permitió dejar la India para irse a estudiar a los Estados Unidos durante ocho meses, para convertirla así en la perfecta esposa moderna. Y eso es lo que ella, precisamente, querría ser... si su marido viniera a buscarla.
El reconocido director de cine de Bollywood, Samir Rathod acaba de llegar a Michigan para gestionar los papeles del divorcio de su hermano mayor. Después de todo, el hecho de persuadir a una inocente muchacha de pueblo para que los firme debería resultar fácil para alguien con su encanto. Pero Mili no es ni una tonta ni tampoco una cazafortunas... Y tal vez sea... ¿el amor de su vida?
384 pages, Paperback
First published October 28, 2014
623 people are currently reading
7685 people want to read
About the author
Sonali Dev
17 books3,230 followersSonali 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,463 reviews
February 6, 2015
Okay, I believe I have calmed down somewhat. Now before I write out my thoughts about this book, let me just say that my reading experience as an Indian woman who is well versed in "Bollywood culture" is probably different than any reader whose life experiences are different from my own. Reading is subjective but damnit, some things ought to be called out upon instead of being accepted as the norm because if women don't make statements and speak out about things they don't agree with then who will.
To say I had issues with this novel would be saying a hurricane is windy: a massive understatement. I almost liked Mili, almost but she is almost of no consequence when compared to the hero of the novel, Samir. I loathed Samir. I loathe Samir. I will forever loathe Samir.
If you've read or studied British lit you may have come across the "rake" character or as he (though rarely, the rake is she) or they are also called Libertines. Historical novels delight in this stereotypical character: the rake who is redeemed by the love of one true woman. Samir is presented initially as that rake. He doesn't respect women. He fucks them and then he expects them to engage in the same physical relationship with equal aplomb and coolness. He stereotypes Indian women as those who, after intimacy, expect some kind of emotional reciprocation. His dick is as much a character as he is in the novel, referred to affectionately as "Little Sam."
Because Samir has a traumatic past, readers are supposed to give him a green card where present and future ass hattery are concerned. But alas, this reader knows that a douche bag is a douche bag and asshole-ishness isn't excused by past mommy issues.
Then there's Mili. Sheltered, exploited Mili who was a child bride. Who has spent her entire life waiting for a husband who has forgotten her. Who wasn't even aware of her existence until a letter reached him and he had that proverbial "oh shit" moment. I almost liked her because I figured she had no choice in the matter. She seemed intelligent until she became completely stupid. Mili is reduced to being a damsel in distress the entirely of the time Samir spends with her: she fractures her wrist and ankle and is dependent on his help where moving is concerned. She has no money for groceries until he buys food for her. He picks her up and drops her off in his yellow corvette every day and she lets him. Even though she knows nothing about this man and has no reason to trust him beyond what he has told her.
But what ticked me off the most is when she attacks another woman who shows her a magazine that has an article alleging Samir beat up his ex-gf. Granted, he didn't but once again, she has known him at this point for only 2 weeks. She even attacks her best friend who Samir oh gallantly called "horse woman" because apparently Samir cannot respect anyone who he is either not related to or doesn't want to fuck, that is, Mili. Mili's blind devotion to Samir made me gag. Especially since at the time he is deceiving her about who he is and why he is there.
Mili is sexualized almost from the get-go. She is "tiny" with small hands compared to the big buff man. She has a "pert little nose" that, I don't know about you, sounds as condescending as anything I've ever heard. She doesn't just eat food, she has sex with it. Oohing and aahing her pleasure, I'd presume while Little Sam convulses in agony at the sight.
Samir goes through Mili's things, betraying her in the worst possible ways (wait, not yet, he can do worse) for the marriage certificate. Then he takes her virginity while she's pushed up against a tree and then we are told he didn't realized it was her first time. Right, right, she has told you she is married, you know she is the traditional type and you think she'd be experienced sexually why? The excuse given? He lost his mind. Right. And it killed me that SHE apologises afterward.
When shit finally hits the fan and Mili finds out his true purpose and identity, I thought we'd see some true growth and see Samir growing as well. But no. His solution to absolve the guilt he feels? Give the haveli (palace) to Mili and assuage his sore feelings. When she predictably turns up at his house to say no thank you, all conflicts and hostility are somehow magically swept away in the face of family drama and a baby being born. Mili and Samir end up together never mind the fact that the man didn't once apologise sincerely.
This? Is not romance no matter how much the book may want to sell you on that. If by A Bollywood Affair, you mean a shallow, superficial romance set against the backdrop of Bollywood thumka, a romance that doesn't consider too closely the emotional consequences of a betrayal that deep, that shoves logic and character growth aside for a quick and easy ever after, then yep, you've got that. But the true essence of Bollywood, the whole layla majnu deal, none of that here. Sadly.
To say I had issues with this novel would be saying a hurricane is windy: a massive understatement. I almost liked Mili, almost but she is almost of no consequence when compared to the hero of the novel, Samir. I loathed Samir. I loathe Samir. I will forever loathe Samir.
If you've read or studied British lit you may have come across the "rake" character or as he (though rarely, the rake is she) or they are also called Libertines. Historical novels delight in this stereotypical character: the rake who is redeemed by the love of one true woman. Samir is presented initially as that rake. He doesn't respect women. He fucks them and then he expects them to engage in the same physical relationship with equal aplomb and coolness. He stereotypes Indian women as those who, after intimacy, expect some kind of emotional reciprocation. His dick is as much a character as he is in the novel, referred to affectionately as "Little Sam."
Because Samir has a traumatic past, readers are supposed to give him a green card where present and future ass hattery are concerned. But alas, this reader knows that a douche bag is a douche bag and asshole-ishness isn't excused by past mommy issues.
Then there's Mili. Sheltered, exploited Mili who was a child bride. Who has spent her entire life waiting for a husband who has forgotten her. Who wasn't even aware of her existence until a letter reached him and he had that proverbial "oh shit" moment. I almost liked her because I figured she had no choice in the matter. She seemed intelligent until she became completely stupid. Mili is reduced to being a damsel in distress the entirely of the time Samir spends with her: she fractures her wrist and ankle and is dependent on his help where moving is concerned. She has no money for groceries until he buys food for her. He picks her up and drops her off in his yellow corvette every day and she lets him. Even though she knows nothing about this man and has no reason to trust him beyond what he has told her.
But what ticked me off the most is when she attacks another woman who shows her a magazine that has an article alleging Samir beat up his ex-gf. Granted, he didn't but once again, she has known him at this point for only 2 weeks. She even attacks her best friend who Samir oh gallantly called "horse woman" because apparently Samir cannot respect anyone who he is either not related to or doesn't want to fuck, that is, Mili. Mili's blind devotion to Samir made me gag. Especially since at the time he is deceiving her about who he is and why he is there.
Mili is sexualized almost from the get-go. She is "tiny" with small hands compared to the big buff man. She has a "pert little nose" that, I don't know about you, sounds as condescending as anything I've ever heard. She doesn't just eat food, she has sex with it. Oohing and aahing her pleasure, I'd presume while Little Sam convulses in agony at the sight.
Samir goes through Mili's things, betraying her in the worst possible ways (wait, not yet, he can do worse) for the marriage certificate. Then he takes her virginity while she's pushed up against a tree and then we are told he didn't realized it was her first time. Right, right, she has told you she is married, you know she is the traditional type and you think she'd be experienced sexually why? The excuse given? He lost his mind. Right. And it killed me that SHE apologises afterward.
When shit finally hits the fan and Mili finds out his true purpose and identity, I thought we'd see some true growth and see Samir growing as well. But no. His solution to absolve the guilt he feels? Give the haveli (palace) to Mili and assuage his sore feelings. When she predictably turns up at his house to say no thank you, all conflicts and hostility are somehow magically swept away in the face of family drama and a baby being born. Mili and Samir end up together never mind the fact that the man didn't once apologise sincerely.
This? Is not romance no matter how much the book may want to sell you on that. If by A Bollywood Affair, you mean a shallow, superficial romance set against the backdrop of Bollywood thumka, a romance that doesn't consider too closely the emotional consequences of a betrayal that deep, that shoves logic and character growth aside for a quick and easy ever after, then yep, you've got that. But the true essence of Bollywood, the whole layla majnu deal, none of that here. Sadly.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 31, 2014
I usually don't care for romances. Every once in awhile I'll get in the mood for them but it ain't often.
I guess the moon was right or something like that. This one was cute.
Mili was married at the age of four. He was twelve at the time. Yes, I know. Her village believed in a now considered outdated ideal. Her entire life after that she believes she is married.
Years later she has gone to America to study. While there the guy she "married" has an accident and has a pregnant wife. He finds out that Mili believes she is married to him still. He sends his brother Samir to America to convince her to sign the annulment papers.
The good: These characters are very easy to like. They come to life in the story and I loved Mili.
The flipping food: the descriptions of food in this book will make you crave great Indian food. This weekend at my house will have a cooking frenzy going on. I'm still hungry after finishing this book last night.
The bad: There are some cringe worthy moments. Pure cheesey dialog at times but I still liked it enough that I kept reading. Bollywood references are factored into the story so it helped dissolve some of the teeth clenching I normally would have done. I think the aim sometimes was for "over the top".
This is the author's debut and her writing is really pretty good. I look forward from more of her work.
So anyways I enjoyed a romance:
I received an arc copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I guess the moon was right or something like that. This one was cute.
Mili was married at the age of four. He was twelve at the time. Yes, I know. Her village believed in a now considered outdated ideal. Her entire life after that she believes she is married.
Years later she has gone to America to study. While there the guy she "married" has an accident and has a pregnant wife. He finds out that Mili believes she is married to him still. He sends his brother Samir to America to convince her to sign the annulment papers.
The good: These characters are very easy to like. They come to life in the story and I loved Mili.
The flipping food: the descriptions of food in this book will make you crave great Indian food. This weekend at my house will have a cooking frenzy going on. I'm still hungry after finishing this book last night.
The bad: There are some cringe worthy moments. Pure cheesey dialog at times but I still liked it enough that I kept reading. Bollywood references are factored into the story so it helped dissolve some of the teeth clenching I normally would have done. I think the aim sometimes was for "over the top".
This is the author's debut and her writing is really pretty good. I look forward from more of her work.
So anyways I enjoyed a romance:
I received an arc copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 10, 2017
One of my favorite romances of recent years. It just has so much emotion and heart and it left me with a goofy smile on my face at the end. :-) :-) :-) I recommend this book to every romance reader I know.
July 10, 2020
A Bollywood Affair by Sonali Dev
1st book in the Bollywood series. Contemporary romance with Indian protagonists.
As was sometimes custom, Mili was married at the age of four. Her husband only five. Obviously arranged by family.
This story follows Samir, the husband’s brother, as he meets Mili, and tries to find a way to convince her that divorce is her best option. But an accident delays the conversion until Samir finds himself enamored with Mili’s life and friends. Being with Mili changes his own stagnant lifestyle. How can he tell her about the divorce? It will crush her.
Engaging and emotional with vivid descriptions of Indian culture.
I didn’t care for the lies or Samir’s often selfish behavior. Especially when it comes to the relationship and the sex between the two.
1st book in the Bollywood series. Contemporary romance with Indian protagonists.
As was sometimes custom, Mili was married at the age of four. Her husband only five. Obviously arranged by family.
This story follows Samir, the husband’s brother, as he meets Mili, and tries to find a way to convince her that divorce is her best option. But an accident delays the conversion until Samir finds himself enamored with Mili’s life and friends. Being with Mili changes his own stagnant lifestyle. How can he tell her about the divorce? It will crush her.
Engaging and emotional with vivid descriptions of Indian culture.
I didn’t care for the lies or Samir’s often selfish behavior. Especially when it comes to the relationship and the sex between the two.
November 4, 2014
4.5 Bollywood Stars!
What a fantastic debut from this author!
A Bollywood Affair is a story of a young girl named Milli who was married off at a very tender age of 4 years old. It follows her journey as a young woman who waited for 20 years for her husband to finally claim her and bring her home. While "waiting" Milli immersed herself in her studies earning a fellowship to come and study in America.
Meanwhile, her "husband" unbeknownst to Milli got married to another woman thinking that the previous one already got annuled. When he found out that their evil grandfather didn't file the annulment papers, he sent his half-brother Samir to get Milli to sign them. When Milli and Samir met, they felt not only attraction but a genuine connection as well.
Samir is a hot-shot Bollywood director whose past was as heartbreaking and sad as Milli. And although he is successful with beautiful women falling all over themselves for him, he feels restless. He's also suffering from writer's block. So when words started flowing when he met Milli, he decided to stay close to her. He also didn't tell her the real reason why he was there.
This book took me on a journey from Balpur to Mumbai to Michigan and back. This book is steep with Indian culture, its dialogue peppered with local colloquialism. And while that might be a turn-off to some, it totally worked for me because it made the dialogue authentic. No worries though, despite the Bollywood references, the food, the rituals, you won't get overwhelmed by it. I am impressed with how the author made this book authentic enough without losing me -- a noob when it comes to anything Indian, may it be food, culture or otherwise.
I loved how the relationship with Sam and Milli developed. They started off as friends but the attraction between them, Milli's erronous belief about her marital status, and Sam's secret provided most of the amazing tension throughout the book.
Aside from the vivid descriptions of Indian culture, this book is also filled with vividly drawn secondary characters. Milli's crazy drama queen of a best friend, Ridhi and her family, Sam's loving mother and brother, added a lot of drama and laughs to the story.
I simply adored this book. Its tropes and themes are familiar yet completely new at the same time. That sounds contradictory but that's exactly how this book felt for me.
ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
What a fantastic debut from this author!
A Bollywood Affair is a story of a young girl named Milli who was married off at a very tender age of 4 years old. It follows her journey as a young woman who waited for 20 years for her husband to finally claim her and bring her home. While "waiting" Milli immersed herself in her studies earning a fellowship to come and study in America.
Meanwhile, her "husband" unbeknownst to Milli got married to another woman thinking that the previous one already got annuled. When he found out that their evil grandfather didn't file the annulment papers, he sent his half-brother Samir to get Milli to sign them. When Milli and Samir met, they felt not only attraction but a genuine connection as well.
Samir is a hot-shot Bollywood director whose past was as heartbreaking and sad as Milli. And although he is successful with beautiful women falling all over themselves for him, he feels restless. He's also suffering from writer's block. So when words started flowing when he met Milli, he decided to stay close to her. He also didn't tell her the real reason why he was there.
This book took me on a journey from Balpur to Mumbai to Michigan and back. This book is steep with Indian culture, its dialogue peppered with local colloquialism. And while that might be a turn-off to some, it totally worked for me because it made the dialogue authentic. No worries though, despite the Bollywood references, the food, the rituals, you won't get overwhelmed by it. I am impressed with how the author made this book authentic enough without losing me -- a noob when it comes to anything Indian, may it be food, culture or otherwise.
I loved how the relationship with Sam and Milli developed. They started off as friends but the attraction between them, Milli's erronous belief about her marital status, and Sam's secret provided most of the amazing tension throughout the book.
Aside from the vivid descriptions of Indian culture, this book is also filled with vividly drawn secondary characters. Milli's crazy drama queen of a best friend, Ridhi and her family, Sam's loving mother and brother, added a lot of drama and laughs to the story.
I simply adored this book. Its tropes and themes are familiar yet completely new at the same time. That sounds contradictory but that's exactly how this book felt for me.
ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 17, 2018
I WAS EXPECTING………...................
But it lived up to my expectations, ANYWAY!
Seriously, about the initial concept I could have bestowed all five-stars to it, BUT(**Trust me, it’s ugly but) the way it is executed is really, really, REALLY cliché.
[Well, definitely for the ones who love SRK dramas - hair flying, eye-lashes battering, undetectable romance music in background blah blah! (**NOT FOR ME)]
Concept: 4.0/5.0
Execution: 2.0/5.0
Characters Bespoken: 2.0/5.0
Cover: 2.0/5.0
Okay, summing up:
Samir Rathod:
Malvika(Mili) Rathod:
They both are perfect for each-other! (**I agreed finally, once!)
The plot – Total Bollywood Masaala Drama.
Too many unrealistic co-incidences lined up. The elaborate descriptive scenes are represented as common Indian couple would intertwine in a lifetime, which is a good part.
P.S.: So, it was the OKAY one. Thank You, Tadaazz!
But it lived up to my expectations, ANYWAY!
Seriously, about the initial concept I could have bestowed all five-stars to it, BUT(**Trust me, it’s ugly but) the way it is executed is really, really, REALLY cliché.
[Well, definitely for the ones who love SRK dramas - hair flying, eye-lashes battering, undetectable romance music in background blah blah! (**NOT FOR ME)]
Concept: 4.0/5.0
Execution: 2.0/5.0
Characters Bespoken: 2.0/5.0
Cover: 2.0/5.0
Okay, summing up:
Samir Rathod:
Malvika(Mili) Rathod:
They both are perfect for each-other! (**I agreed finally, once!)
The plot – Total Bollywood Masaala Drama.
Too many unrealistic co-incidences lined up. The elaborate descriptive scenes are represented as common Indian couple would intertwine in a lifetime, which is a good part.
P.S.: So, it was the OKAY one. Thank You, Tadaazz!
October 30, 2014
Favorite Quote: I love you. That’s what he was thinking. He wanted to mouth it to her. He wanted to whisper it into her lips, into every secret place in her body. He wanted to scream it out in front of the entire world.
When this book arrived unsolicited in the mail, I immediately turned it over and read the back blurb, because a Bollywood book intrigued me. The blurb interested me, so I threw it on my to-be-read pile and made a note to review it later. But then twitter started popping up little tweets about how amazing this book was. So I got excited, and antsy and finally grabbed it and read the entire book in one day. It made me smile and laugh, I got choked up more than once and it gave me all the feels that romance has to offer.
I feel like this book is different than other romance books in so many ways. First, the Indian culture. I’m not familiar with this necessarily, but the author makes that okay. She plops you down right into the thick of it, but then she slowly introduces us to this amazing, loyal, family oriented group. Mili lives with her grandmother and was married to a boy named Virat at the age of four. Now twenty years later, she has never seen her husband since her wedding day, but has been waiting and preparing for him her entire life. She wants to be the perfect wife for him, schooled in subjects that would make him proud. Her husband is in the air force, and she hasn’t seen him since she was four years old, yet she still believes he will one day come to her, as her husband and they will have a life together.
She had prayed for her husband’s success and safety every day of her life. She had fasted at every Teej festival so he would have everything he ever wanted. She had dreamed of him and yearned for him and although she tried really hard not to care about having those feelings reciprocated, she believed in love with all her heart.
Mili does everything with “all her heart” and it really endeared her to me. She is smart, but also a bit sheltered and naïve.
Mili often wondered if other people felt the same way about hings as she did. She was perfectly aware of the fact that there was nothing normal about her life. Even in her village, she was the youngest girl to have been married. And she had to be the only girl on earth who had no idea what her husband looked like after twenty years of marriage. She had never left her village until she was twenty years old, except for a school trip to New Delhi when she won an essay contest at fifteen. And until she was twenty-four she had never even left her home state of Rajasthan.
When she gets the opportunity to study abroad in Michigan for eight months, she accepts. Terrified, poor, yet passionate and determined, Mili goes to Michigan and starts school. She has a crazy roommate and together they make it work. But everything changes when Samir shows up.
Samir is Virat’s brother, but Mili doesn’t know this. After the wedding, Samir and Virat’s mother took them away from their extremely abusive father. Virat joined the air force and fell in love with someone. He assumes Mili won’t care about their marriage twenty years ago. Now he needs to make sure Mili and him are properly divorced, but after getting hurt on the job, he can’t travel. Being an extremely loyal brother, Samir travels to Michigan to facilitate the divorce. Samir is a hot-shot Bollywood director and screenwriter. He is a god among women and gets what he wants. So when he meets Mili, he gets a shock. First, she is terrified out of her mind of him, tries to run and ends up hurting her ankle and wrist badly. Realizing she has no one to help her (her roommate left) he lies and says he is her new neighbor and ends up caring for her. Something foreign comes over Samir – the feeling of loving a woman. He cares for Mili. He tries to figure out this woman who is so petite, can cry happy, sad, or really any tears at any time, is clumsy, is outspoken and brave yet scared. She is unlike any woman he has met. And he falls in love while lying about his true intentions of being in Michigan.
Mili on the other hand, is so loyal to her husband, this stranger she has never really met, that when she has feelings for Samir, she feels like she is betraying Virat. Oh the angst.
The best thing about this book is how rich everything is. The details of the Indian culture. The chemistry between Samir and Mili. Samir’s charm and sly ways verse his genuine big heart and good guy hidden underneath the player. Mili’s passion about life, and her big ideas about romance. It all weaves into this brilliant story about two people falling in love.
Mili and Samir’s romance is a slow one to build. Samir is intent on not falling in love with Mili, just as Mili is intent with only loving Virat. But as Samir cares for Mili while she recovers from her ankle injury, they become friends. They make each other laugh, Samir cooks for her, and their chemistry unfolds into something so sweet.
It’s hard to explain how this book truly felt. I remember when I finished, I stood up and kind of did a little hop while holding the book to my chest because I was so happy and my son looked at me like I was a crazy person. I just nodded and hopped again. Such a fulfilling book, with a hero and heroine who will stick with me for a very long time. Well done Sonali Dev. I can’t wait for something else from you.
Rating: A
When this book arrived unsolicited in the mail, I immediately turned it over and read the back blurb, because a Bollywood book intrigued me. The blurb interested me, so I threw it on my to-be-read pile and made a note to review it later. But then twitter started popping up little tweets about how amazing this book was. So I got excited, and antsy and finally grabbed it and read the entire book in one day. It made me smile and laugh, I got choked up more than once and it gave me all the feels that romance has to offer.
I feel like this book is different than other romance books in so many ways. First, the Indian culture. I’m not familiar with this necessarily, but the author makes that okay. She plops you down right into the thick of it, but then she slowly introduces us to this amazing, loyal, family oriented group. Mili lives with her grandmother and was married to a boy named Virat at the age of four. Now twenty years later, she has never seen her husband since her wedding day, but has been waiting and preparing for him her entire life. She wants to be the perfect wife for him, schooled in subjects that would make him proud. Her husband is in the air force, and she hasn’t seen him since she was four years old, yet she still believes he will one day come to her, as her husband and they will have a life together.
She had prayed for her husband’s success and safety every day of her life. She had fasted at every Teej festival so he would have everything he ever wanted. She had dreamed of him and yearned for him and although she tried really hard not to care about having those feelings reciprocated, she believed in love with all her heart.
Mili does everything with “all her heart” and it really endeared her to me. She is smart, but also a bit sheltered and naïve.
Mili often wondered if other people felt the same way about hings as she did. She was perfectly aware of the fact that there was nothing normal about her life. Even in her village, she was the youngest girl to have been married. And she had to be the only girl on earth who had no idea what her husband looked like after twenty years of marriage. She had never left her village until she was twenty years old, except for a school trip to New Delhi when she won an essay contest at fifteen. And until she was twenty-four she had never even left her home state of Rajasthan.
When she gets the opportunity to study abroad in Michigan for eight months, she accepts. Terrified, poor, yet passionate and determined, Mili goes to Michigan and starts school. She has a crazy roommate and together they make it work. But everything changes when Samir shows up.
Samir is Virat’s brother, but Mili doesn’t know this. After the wedding, Samir and Virat’s mother took them away from their extremely abusive father. Virat joined the air force and fell in love with someone. He assumes Mili won’t care about their marriage twenty years ago. Now he needs to make sure Mili and him are properly divorced, but after getting hurt on the job, he can’t travel. Being an extremely loyal brother, Samir travels to Michigan to facilitate the divorce. Samir is a hot-shot Bollywood director and screenwriter. He is a god among women and gets what he wants. So when he meets Mili, he gets a shock. First, she is terrified out of her mind of him, tries to run and ends up hurting her ankle and wrist badly. Realizing she has no one to help her (her roommate left) he lies and says he is her new neighbor and ends up caring for her. Something foreign comes over Samir – the feeling of loving a woman. He cares for Mili. He tries to figure out this woman who is so petite, can cry happy, sad, or really any tears at any time, is clumsy, is outspoken and brave yet scared. She is unlike any woman he has met. And he falls in love while lying about his true intentions of being in Michigan.
Mili on the other hand, is so loyal to her husband, this stranger she has never really met, that when she has feelings for Samir, she feels like she is betraying Virat. Oh the angst.
The best thing about this book is how rich everything is. The details of the Indian culture. The chemistry between Samir and Mili. Samir’s charm and sly ways verse his genuine big heart and good guy hidden underneath the player. Mili’s passion about life, and her big ideas about romance. It all weaves into this brilliant story about two people falling in love.
Mili and Samir’s romance is a slow one to build. Samir is intent on not falling in love with Mili, just as Mili is intent with only loving Virat. But as Samir cares for Mili while she recovers from her ankle injury, they become friends. They make each other laugh, Samir cooks for her, and their chemistry unfolds into something so sweet.
It’s hard to explain how this book truly felt. I remember when I finished, I stood up and kind of did a little hop while holding the book to my chest because I was so happy and my son looked at me like I was a crazy person. I just nodded and hopped again. Such a fulfilling book, with a hero and heroine who will stick with me for a very long time. Well done Sonali Dev. I can’t wait for something else from you.
Rating: A
November 11, 2014
This book is so genuinely terrible I presume it was written as a joke - it's not even sophisticated enough for that least-sophisticated genre, parody. The heroine, Mili, cries, faints, and pratfalls her way through a series of increasingly unlikely scenarios, all engineered to motorise a plot that shows no forethought, planning or skill in execution. To illustrate its ridiculousness, I will summarise.
Mili at age four undergoes an arranged marriage to Virat, a wealthy boy in her village. His family disappears and she lives the next twenty years waiting for him to return and practicing to be a good wife by ... studying sociology. Yup. Because that's right up there with baking, sewing, pandering and subjugating one's individual self in the roster of traditional wifely virtues. It's very, very hard to see how someone intelligent enough to earn a Masters in sociology and a paid fellowship to study abroad could also think a man who married you at four but never saw you since was a viable life partner. Or why she never mastered the arcane art of GOOGLING PEOPLE.
What bugs me is I thought this was going to be about a suave man-of-the-world having a culture clash with a traditional, old-fashioned girl, where they both learned from each other and grew to respect their differences. That wasn't this story.
To continue: Virat marries someone else, believing his childhood marriage was dissolved. When Virat has an accident, it falls to Samir to find Virat's first wife because she's been sending legal notices about his family estate, of which she's entitled to half. This puts the legitimacy of Virat's second marriage and unborn baby at risk. Samir goes to find Mili, who is now studying in America. She's living with another Indian girl who elopes with an unsuitable boy, so when Samir turns up on Mili's doorstep she thinks it’s an irate family member searching for her roommate. Instead of, I don't know, asking him about that, she JUMPS OUT A WINDOW, CYCLES A BIKE INTO A TREE AND WINDS UP WITH A BROKEN WRIST. For some reason, this requires a stay of several days in hospital with morphine drips and being waited on hand and foot after discharge. As there's no mention of this being a compound fracture requiring surgical intervention, I CALL BULLSHIT.
Samir then gets mixed up in the wedding of the eloping housemate and Mili gets mixed up in the Tragic Backstory of Samir's American birth mother. There are misunderstandings and horrible dialogue and primary-school composition level action scenes. Eventually they work out the needlessly complicated entanglements keeping them apart and get married, though not without Mili crying every few pages.
The worst part, however, has to be Samir's 'false accusation' of domestic abuse from his former girlfriend. Because 'fake' allegations are just so common and just so underrepresented in the media, what we really needed was ANOTHER, FEMALE author buying into this victim-blaming bullshit. Thanks.
Mili at age four undergoes an arranged marriage to Virat, a wealthy boy in her village. His family disappears and she lives the next twenty years waiting for him to return and practicing to be a good wife by ... studying sociology. Yup. Because that's right up there with baking, sewing, pandering and subjugating one's individual self in the roster of traditional wifely virtues. It's very, very hard to see how someone intelligent enough to earn a Masters in sociology and a paid fellowship to study abroad could also think a man who married you at four but never saw you since was a viable life partner. Or why she never mastered the arcane art of GOOGLING PEOPLE.
What bugs me is I thought this was going to be about a suave man-of-the-world having a culture clash with a traditional, old-fashioned girl, where they both learned from each other and grew to respect their differences. That wasn't this story.
To continue: Virat marries someone else, believing his childhood marriage was dissolved. When Virat has an accident, it falls to Samir to find Virat's first wife because she's been sending legal notices about his family estate, of which she's entitled to half. This puts the legitimacy of Virat's second marriage and unborn baby at risk. Samir goes to find Mili, who is now studying in America. She's living with another Indian girl who elopes with an unsuitable boy, so when Samir turns up on Mili's doorstep she thinks it’s an irate family member searching for her roommate. Instead of, I don't know, asking him about that, she JUMPS OUT A WINDOW, CYCLES A BIKE INTO A TREE AND WINDS UP WITH A BROKEN WRIST. For some reason, this requires a stay of several days in hospital with morphine drips and being waited on hand and foot after discharge. As there's no mention of this being a compound fracture requiring surgical intervention, I CALL BULLSHIT.
Samir then gets mixed up in the wedding of the eloping housemate and Mili gets mixed up in the Tragic Backstory of Samir's American birth mother. There are misunderstandings and horrible dialogue and primary-school composition level action scenes. Eventually they work out the needlessly complicated entanglements keeping them apart and get married, though not without Mili crying every few pages.
The worst part, however, has to be Samir's 'false accusation' of domestic abuse from his former girlfriend. Because 'fake' allegations are just so common and just so underrepresented in the media, what we really needed was ANOTHER, FEMALE author buying into this victim-blaming bullshit. Thanks.
October 23, 2017
Heartwarming and charming romance with fascinating insights into Indian culture.
I’m surprised how much I enjoyed the story because it had some elements that would normally turn me away. An accident-prone, Mary Sue-ish heroine that cries a lot would be one of them. But there’s something infinitely sweet about Mili that made me overlook these dislikes and cheer and root for her happiness.
I’m not a fan of Bollywood films and the story felt like reading a quintessential Bollywood film with its combination of playfulness and overwrought pathos. But it was so emotionally compelling for me and so addictive that I read it almost in one setting.
I loved the gradual build-up of the romance. But most of all I enjoyed rich descriptions of Indian culture and traditions from rural India to glitz and glamour of Bollywood to Indian immigrant community in America.
And the book made me hungry for Indian food, so a trip to my favorite Indian restaurant is in order.
I’m surprised how much I enjoyed the story because it had some elements that would normally turn me away. An accident-prone, Mary Sue-ish heroine that cries a lot would be one of them. But there’s something infinitely sweet about Mili that made me overlook these dislikes and cheer and root for her happiness.
I’m not a fan of Bollywood films and the story felt like reading a quintessential Bollywood film with its combination of playfulness and overwrought pathos. But it was so emotionally compelling for me and so addictive that I read it almost in one setting.
I loved the gradual build-up of the romance. But most of all I enjoyed rich descriptions of Indian culture and traditions from rural India to glitz and glamour of Bollywood to Indian immigrant community in America.
And the book made me hungry for Indian food, so a trip to my favorite Indian restaurant is in order.
June 2, 2018
Yeah... this is not for me.
See me talk about it briefly in my January wrap up: https://youtu.be/FXvc5r6ELYE?t=5m38s
See me talk about it briefly in my January wrap up: https://youtu.be/FXvc5r6ELYE?t=5m38s
January 5, 2017
This book was a sexist, misogynistic train wreck from start to finish.
Edited to add:
Please also read Nafiza's review.
Edited to add:
Please also read Nafiza's review.
October 26, 2014
Exquisite is the best word I can think of to describe Sonali Dev’s A Bollywood Affair. A beautiful, humorous, heartbreaking romance of a young married Indian woman who finds out her marriage and life was a lie and now must rediscover who she is. Dev uses old world tradition and modern sensibilities to paint readers’ a vivid picture of India’s culture and the complex dance that the younger generation has to navigate through. Emotionally poignant, your heart will hurt for the heroine who seems to be cursed with having her dreams ripped from her time and time again. Readers are sure to love this twist on the feisty ingenue and bossy alpha trope.
February 12, 2019
A Bollywood Affair is my book group's selection for February -- we do have a tendency to go romance-themed each year at this time, and the results have been decidely mixed for me. I'm not a romance reader, although I do enjoy a good love story every so often. Still, there are elements of the genre that just don't float my boat, but more on that later...
In A Bollywood Affair, we start with a marriage between two children. Mili, at age 4, is married off to Virat, a much older 12 years old, by arrangement between their grandparents. Apparently, mass weddings between children are traditional in the region of Mili's birth. And while the two children are immediately separated, they're expected to eventually live as man and wife once they're old enough. Meanwhile, Mili's grandmother raises her to be a perfect wife, and only at Mili's insistence that her husband would want her to be as educated as city girls is she allowed to attend university and pursue an education.
At age 24, Mili travels to Michigan for graduate work in sociology, aiming to work toward her goal of improving the lives of women in India. She has no money though, and her fellowship leaves her only the barest subsistence to get by on.
Back in India, Virat and his pregnant wife learn that the annulment of his marriage to his child bride was never finalized, and he's worried that this will interfere with the well-being of his wife and baby. Virat's younger brother Samir, a playboy heart-throb who is (of course) gorgeous and has (of course) a heart of gold hidden beneath his player, bad boy exterior, is sent to America to get Mili to sign the annulment papers once and for all. And (of course), things get complicated.
Mili is klutzy, innocent, and awkward, and immediately rides a bike into a tree and injures herself in Samir's presence, so he has no choice but to stay and take care of her, hiding the true reason for his arrival. He's drawn to her sweetness and beauty; she's drawn to his kindness and amazing biceps. They open up to each other emotionally, but the secret reason for Samir's presence looms in the background, ready to ruin the love growing between the two of them.
Mili is a little too naive to be believable, and Samir is too much of the bad-boy-who-is-secretly-good stereotype. Mili clings to her vision of her marriage and the husband who will someday claim her as his wife, even as she works to better the status of women's rights in India. Samir puts up with an awful lot to be near Mili, and it's kind of hard to buy his willingness to immediately devote himself to her. Both being gorgeous, amazing in the kitchen, and absolutely fantastic people, they are naturally and immediately drawn to each other, and (we're told) have a strong chemistry that keeps them both lusting after one another pretty much constantly.
Look, I basically liked the story, but I have issues. First off, please spare me from any book in which the main male character names his penis. Sorry, but no. I do not want to hear Samir refer to "Little Sam", not once and not repeatedly. I also don't want to hear about Mili's "dark crevices", as in...
Did I mention already that I'm not really a romance reader? I'm no prude, but I don't need every detail of a sexual encounter spelled out for me -- body parts and fluids and the rest. The overblown language during the sex scenes just immediately pulled me out (no pun intended) of the mood and made me giggle instead:
Yes. Hot. I get it.
Man, do I sound mean right now, but honestly, this kind of writing just doesn't work for me.
That said, I actually enjoyed a lot of the story, when the gasping and tasting and "liquid skin" and "sensitive, secret flesh" weren't getting in the way. I really liked the descriptions of the foods and the clothing and the traditions that we see through Mili and Samir's experiences, and the backstory about Samir's childhood is both upsetting and touching. The obligatory secret between the main characters (there wouldn't be much of a plot without it) makes the drama feel forced at times, but I came to care enough about Mili and Samir as people that I was willing to overlook most of the elements that I didn't care for.
Would I recommend this book? I'd say it's a very qualified... maybe. I don't regret reading it, and I'm looking forward to discussing it with my book group -- despite the fact that this isn't the type of book I'd usually choose to read. Still, if you're a fan of steamy scenes in the midst of your love stories, you may truly love A Bollywood Affair!
In A Bollywood Affair, we start with a marriage between two children. Mili, at age 4, is married off to Virat, a much older 12 years old, by arrangement between their grandparents. Apparently, mass weddings between children are traditional in the region of Mili's birth. And while the two children are immediately separated, they're expected to eventually live as man and wife once they're old enough. Meanwhile, Mili's grandmother raises her to be a perfect wife, and only at Mili's insistence that her husband would want her to be as educated as city girls is she allowed to attend university and pursue an education.
At age 24, Mili travels to Michigan for graduate work in sociology, aiming to work toward her goal of improving the lives of women in India. She has no money though, and her fellowship leaves her only the barest subsistence to get by on.
Back in India, Virat and his pregnant wife learn that the annulment of his marriage to his child bride was never finalized, and he's worried that this will interfere with the well-being of his wife and baby. Virat's younger brother Samir, a playboy heart-throb who is (of course) gorgeous and has (of course) a heart of gold hidden beneath his player, bad boy exterior, is sent to America to get Mili to sign the annulment papers once and for all. And (of course), things get complicated.
Mili is klutzy, innocent, and awkward, and immediately rides a bike into a tree and injures herself in Samir's presence, so he has no choice but to stay and take care of her, hiding the true reason for his arrival. He's drawn to her sweetness and beauty; she's drawn to his kindness and amazing biceps. They open up to each other emotionally, but the secret reason for Samir's presence looms in the background, ready to ruin the love growing between the two of them.
Mili is a little too naive to be believable, and Samir is too much of the bad-boy-who-is-secretly-good stereotype. Mili clings to her vision of her marriage and the husband who will someday claim her as his wife, even as she works to better the status of women's rights in India. Samir puts up with an awful lot to be near Mili, and it's kind of hard to buy his willingness to immediately devote himself to her. Both being gorgeous, amazing in the kitchen, and absolutely fantastic people, they are naturally and immediately drawn to each other, and (we're told) have a strong chemistry that keeps them both lusting after one another pretty much constantly.
Look, I basically liked the story, but I have issues. First off, please spare me from any book in which the main male character names his penis. Sorry, but no. I do not want to hear Samir refer to "Little Sam", not once and not repeatedly. I also don't want to hear about Mili's "dark crevices", as in...
Her name rumbled in his chest. She felt the sound rather than heard it and warmth melted through her like molten gold filling a mold at the goldsmith's. It slid into her heart and into the deep dark crevices of her body.
Did I mention already that I'm not really a romance reader? I'm no prude, but I don't need every detail of a sexual encounter spelled out for me -- body parts and fluids and the rest. The overblown language during the sex scenes just immediately pulled me out (no pun intended) of the mood and made me giggle instead:
She let him jab into her, free her, tangle her. She tasted him, breathed him in. His smoky taste, clean and dark and hot. His tongue, hungry and probing and hot. His heavy shoulders under her fingers, firm and yielding and hot.
Yes. Hot. I get it.
Man, do I sound mean right now, but honestly, this kind of writing just doesn't work for me.
That said, I actually enjoyed a lot of the story, when the gasping and tasting and "liquid skin" and "sensitive, secret flesh" weren't getting in the way. I really liked the descriptions of the foods and the clothing and the traditions that we see through Mili and Samir's experiences, and the backstory about Samir's childhood is both upsetting and touching. The obligatory secret between the main characters (there wouldn't be much of a plot without it) makes the drama feel forced at times, but I came to care enough about Mili and Samir as people that I was willing to overlook most of the elements that I didn't care for.
Would I recommend this book? I'd say it's a very qualified... maybe. I don't regret reading it, and I'm looking forward to discussing it with my book group -- despite the fact that this isn't the type of book I'd usually choose to read. Still, if you're a fan of steamy scenes in the midst of your love stories, you may truly love A Bollywood Affair!
October 31, 2014
He was arrogant and impatient and stubborn. But he was also self-deprecating and more gentle and generous than anyone she knew. And when all his contradictions mingled in his face, in his big muscular body, he was like a huge living magnet…
A huge living magnet that had totally sucked her in.
All the people in this book are completely....irrational. Is that the word I want to use? close enough, really.
But I had very much fallen in love with the words, the relationship, the Bollywood film references, the descriptions that I came to forget all the faults. But while I may have problems with this novel, I still think it's important to review this novel on the grade that I think is the most honest. My issues had nothing to do with the writing. The writing is what entranced and engaged me. My favorite part about this book is the prose and the characters' relationships with each other. It wasn't just the romantic relationship that I loved.
Relationships, in whatever form, are among the elements that fascinate me most when reading a novel. This was no different with Sonali's debut.
I also appreciated the confidence that the heroine portrayed. She explains to her reader that she used to feel shame in herself, and wonder's if there were some reason her husband had not come for her, but once she comes to realize that shame will fix nothing. But, understand, this is not a story of growth. She's already confident when the novel starts. Plus, she's got the hots for food which I love. In addition to being a hard core coffee addict, I'm also foodie.
The story is a tale that not everybody may get on board with. It centers around a heroine who was married at only four years old, and she's yearning to start a life with her "husband". She hasn't seen him in twenty years. And yet she believes they're married and one day he'll come. You'd think he'd at least contact her in some way in these twenty years, but does she still believe they're still married? Of course. Why not?
Virat, the husband of our dear heroine, he's got a life of his own now. As he should. Don't blame the guy. The letter he receives causes worry and and even fear amongst Virat and his brother. The love interest or hero, whatever word you prefer, Samir goes off to good ol' America to sort things out. He finds Mili and...the clumsy girl runs her bike into a tree thus ending her self in a hospital.
Samir and Mili grow a relationship based on friendship. They grow to know each other. They have many similarities. They argue about movies. He's turned on by her love for food. She's turned on by his confidence and kindness. One thing leads to another and....they fall in love. I loved the relationship they built together. The descriptions of the slow build until the satisfying part where the hero apologizes. Always a sexy thing, I might add.
I would have given this book a B, had I not been so uncomfortable with the portrayals of other women. It's not that I felt like the author didn't write strong women. She wrote some beautifully strong women like Samir's mother, Rima, and Mili. What I had issues with was the way the author made Mili's best friend into someone the reader would normally hate had she been the main character. I'll be straight with you, I believe this was done as a way to encourage or manipulate the reader into sympathizing with the heroine even more. Ridhi was bratty, whiny, entitled, and acted like an immature young girl. Surprising, considering she was about to get married. I have examples:
1. “What’s wrong with this? You told me to wear something casual for the henna ceremony. So, I wore casual.”
“I said casual, not Chandni-Chowk-whore slutty! Brainless daughter of an oaf.”
Mili smiled, but quickly covered her mouth when Ridhi glared at her.
2. The way the girl had gyrated on the floor last night it would be a miracle if she even woke up on her wedding day. No blushing bride at this wedding.
3. “How would I know? Who measures their waist?”
“Um, everyone with two X chromosomes.”
4. He was too distracted by the screaming banshee, who wouldn’t stop jumping up and down like a two-year-old.
The point is: it didn't need to be there. I saw no real reason why this was the way the author decided to portray the MC's best friend. Why in this fashion? Why was she portrayed like this? That's where my issue lies.
The other thing I had a hard dealing with was the way that even though it had been twenty years and she hadn't been in contact with her husband once, she believed she should stay chaste and even desired her marriage with him. Maybe it's because the way Mili grew up was very old fashioned and certain things were expected of women, but I just couldn't grasp being in love with someone when you've never met them. It's crazy and like I said...irrational:
"...The truth is I can’t imagine being married to anyone else. I know you don’t understand it. But my marriage is very real to me.”
Allow my favorite Bollywood Actress, Rani Mukherjee, to roll her eyes for me:
I could appreciate how honest Mili was about herself. But I think her desire for this "marriage" largely came from her Naani. I think sometimes when you grow up with someone wanting so much for you, that eventually you perceive that person's dreams as your own. This is what happened to Mili. Still her inability to realize this earlier, even after falling in love with Samir, fucking pissed me off.
But the writing is sorcery! sorcery I say!!! I enjoyed it a lot. Don't be put off by the bad, if you like all the things I've mentioned: this book is for you. It's got lots of swoony scenes with smooches and the hero makes a "i'm sorry speech". Guys are sexy when they apologize. It's like Darcy all over again. Oh and the fact that I actually used the word swoon means I've had too much coffee...again. Fucking god I hate that word.
ARC provided through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
October 14, 2017
First let me just say this: Priya Ayyar is an amazing narrator. A++ would listen again.
However, I am quitting this book (2 hours from the end! Of a 10-hour listen!) because the sex scene made me SO uncomfortable because it is so NOT romantic and sexy and it is SUPER problematic in so many ways, and it just erased all the goodwill I had towards the book until then.
Before I get into the spoilers, I just want to say that, in general, this was a pretty light listen though Samir (the male main character) has suffered some trauma that's brought up throughout the novel. (His grandfather was abusive, and it's something that comes up in the throughline of his character over and over again.) However, there are a lot of antics in the novel and colorful characters and situations, which helps the novel keep its light tone even when touching on that serious situation. I mean, I laughed out loud quite a few times at several things in the novel.
But, right, the sex. So everyone who knows me knows that I am generally not a fan of sex scenes because I find them kind of boring and, you know, I get it you're having sex. So when I say that I found the sex in this book problematic, please know that I am not talking about that. For that stuff, I roll my eyes and move on.
No, this sex scene was kind of violent (and not in a fun way) and also felt completely out of character.
THAT IS NOT ROMANTIC. THAT IS NOT SEXY. I AM INFURIATED.
Oh, and I also have a huge problem with Samir facing his trauma through sex. Like, literally, he has cured his demons by having sex around them and where his trauma happened. ARE YOU KIDDING ME WITH THIS? Nope. Nope nope nope nope nope.
Then, on top of all of that, Samir is a LIAR. And he is not just lying about dumb stuff like he's a big time director and doesn't want Mili to find out because it might change how she sees him. That kind of lying I would be fine with (in a general create conflict kind of way). NO. He is lying to her about MAJOR STUFF that will erode THE VERY FABRIC OF HER LIFE. And I have quit soap operas before because I couldn't stand that a character was being lied to. And he keeps saying he needs to tell her and he keeps NOT TELLING HER. And he knows, he knows, he knows, he knows how important all of this is to her.
So you couple being a huge lying liar with super problematic and unsexy sex, and I am 100% out.
Also, now that I am thinking about what I don't like about the book, there is also so much fetishizing of Samir's light skin and light eyes and honey hair. I HATE THAT, TOO. (Mili is pretty even though she's dark, don't you know.)
However, I am quitting this book (2 hours from the end! Of a 10-hour listen!) because the sex scene made me SO uncomfortable because it is so NOT romantic and sexy and it is SUPER problematic in so many ways, and it just erased all the goodwill I had towards the book until then.
Before I get into the spoilers, I just want to say that, in general, this was a pretty light listen though Samir (the male main character) has suffered some trauma that's brought up throughout the novel. (His grandfather was abusive, and it's something that comes up in the throughline of his character over and over again.) However, there are a lot of antics in the novel and colorful characters and situations, which helps the novel keep its light tone even when touching on that serious situation. I mean, I laughed out loud quite a few times at several things in the novel.
But, right, the sex. So everyone who knows me knows that I am generally not a fan of sex scenes because I find them kind of boring and, you know, I get it you're having sex. So when I say that I found the sex in this book problematic, please know that I am not talking about that. For that stuff, I roll my eyes and move on.
No, this sex scene was kind of violent (and not in a fun way) and also felt completely out of character.
THAT IS NOT ROMANTIC. THAT IS NOT SEXY. I AM INFURIATED.
Oh, and I also have a huge problem with Samir facing his trauma through sex. Like, literally, he has cured his demons by having sex around them and where his trauma happened. ARE YOU KIDDING ME WITH THIS? Nope. Nope nope nope nope nope.
Then, on top of all of that, Samir is a LIAR. And he is not just lying about dumb stuff like he's a big time director and doesn't want Mili to find out because it might change how she sees him. That kind of lying I would be fine with (in a general create conflict kind of way). NO. He is lying to her about MAJOR STUFF that will erode THE VERY FABRIC OF HER LIFE. And I have quit soap operas before because I couldn't stand that a character was being lied to. And he keeps saying he needs to tell her and he keeps NOT TELLING HER. And he knows, he knows, he knows, he knows how important all of this is to her.
So you couple being a huge lying liar with super problematic and unsexy sex, and I am 100% out.
Also, now that I am thinking about what I don't like about the book, there is also so much fetishizing of Samir's light skin and light eyes and honey hair. I HATE THAT, TOO. (Mili is pretty even though she's dark, don't you know.)
October 8, 2014
This book has an excellent premise, but unfortunately it's terribly executed.
When she was four and he was twelve, Malvika and Virat Rathod were married during an (illegal) mass religious ceremony. Virat moves away from the village, grows up, marries another woman, and is expecting a child, when he finds out that Mili – despite not having heard from him in twenty years - still considers them to be married. Virat is concerned about possible legal repercussions for his (current) wife and future child, and so he sends his brother Samir to talk Mili into signing divorce papers. Samir is a Bollywood director, infamous for dating a string of women and committing to none of them, so they both assume that he'll have no trouble charming Mili into doing anything he asks. Instead, obviously, he and Mili fall in love.
Every character is this book is written in a shallow and obvious manner, but the worst is probably Mili's supposed best friend Ridhi, who is consistently described as stupid, overly melodramatic, clothes-obsessed, and spoiled. One would think Mili hated her, except of course the point is really just to show how much better Mili is than those Other Girls. The first sex scene involves an incredibly inaccurate description of what a hymen is and where it's located, such that I would not have expected to read in a novel written after the 1980s. I don't mind a bit of miscommunication for the sake of drama, but these characters take it way beyond what is reasonable, refusing to talk to each other in scene after scene after scene. On the other hand, if you're into size kink, this is probably the book for you, as the author seems to really get off on describing how tiiiiiny Mili is and how biiiiiig Samir is, and mentions it pretty constantly.
I read this as an ARC via NetGalley.
When she was four and he was twelve, Malvika and Virat Rathod were married during an (illegal) mass religious ceremony. Virat moves away from the village, grows up, marries another woman, and is expecting a child, when he finds out that Mili – despite not having heard from him in twenty years - still considers them to be married. Virat is concerned about possible legal repercussions for his (current) wife and future child, and so he sends his brother Samir to talk Mili into signing divorce papers. Samir is a Bollywood director, infamous for dating a string of women and committing to none of them, so they both assume that he'll have no trouble charming Mili into doing anything he asks. Instead, obviously, he and Mili fall in love.
Every character is this book is written in a shallow and obvious manner, but the worst is probably Mili's supposed best friend Ridhi, who is consistently described as stupid, overly melodramatic, clothes-obsessed, and spoiled. One would think Mili hated her, except of course the point is really just to show how much better Mili is than those Other Girls. The first sex scene involves an incredibly inaccurate description of what a hymen is and where it's located, such that I would not have expected to read in a novel written after the 1980s. I don't mind a bit of miscommunication for the sake of drama, but these characters take it way beyond what is reasonable, refusing to talk to each other in scene after scene after scene. On the other hand, if you're into size kink, this is probably the book for you, as the author seems to really get off on describing how tiiiiiny Mili is and how biiiiiig Samir is, and mentions it pretty constantly.
I read this as an ARC via NetGalley.
May 25, 2017
I am a fan of Bollywood movies, and this book followed right along with the themes. My only problem is that I feel the hero was written a bit too much of a jerk. He takes a long time to redeem himself. But the ending with the meddling mothers and aunts is hilarious and very Bollywood. I loved that part.
July 13, 2017
No soy de contemporánea, quizás por eso esta novela no tiene mayor valoración.
La autora recrea muy bien esa sociedad que supongo conoce tan bien. Los protagonistas cumplen clichés que, aunque están muy bien construidos, tienen comportamientos que no me gusta encontrarme en las novelas que leo. De ahí, quizás mi puntuación.
Comportamientos, que dejando de lado ciertos aspectos algo machistas (que entiendo que son totalmente normales en el ambiente que envuelve la historia), ella peca de demasiado inocente, y poco ágil… por decirlo suavemente. Eso no me ha gustado.
Él, demasiado dominador. Pese a que tiene ese toque tierno y encantador, que en algunos momentos ha sabido conquistarme.
Lo que más me ha costado es creerme la historia, algo que me pasa mucho en contemporánea, por eso quizás la disfruto menos.
Lo mejor, en mi opinión, esa originalidad que le da la ambientación. Esas costumbres que me han parecido muy originales, esas descripciones.
Pero, sobre todo, esa crítica social que se lee entre sus líneas. Empezando por el comienzo de la novela y terminando por la complicación de un personaje que combina al mismo tiempo, ideas muy, muy, muy tradicionales con otras de total búsqueda de la independencia y absoluta determinación en mejorar. Ambos personajes crecen con la ayuda del otro.
En realidad, es un argumento muy clásico pero con unos personajes algo diferentes. Al final la historia ha mejorado mucho, con momentos muy tiernos.
Eso sí, admito que el último tercio de la novela resulta muy tierno y bonito.
La autora recrea muy bien esa sociedad que supongo conoce tan bien. Los protagonistas cumplen clichés que, aunque están muy bien construidos, tienen comportamientos que no me gusta encontrarme en las novelas que leo. De ahí, quizás mi puntuación.
Comportamientos, que dejando de lado ciertos aspectos algo machistas (que entiendo que son totalmente normales en el ambiente que envuelve la historia), ella peca de demasiado inocente, y poco ágil… por decirlo suavemente. Eso no me ha gustado.
Él, demasiado dominador. Pese a que tiene ese toque tierno y encantador, que en algunos momentos ha sabido conquistarme.
Lo que más me ha costado es creerme la historia, algo que me pasa mucho en contemporánea, por eso quizás la disfruto menos.
Lo mejor, en mi opinión, esa originalidad que le da la ambientación. Esas costumbres que me han parecido muy originales, esas descripciones.
Pero, sobre todo, esa crítica social que se lee entre sus líneas. Empezando por el comienzo de la novela y terminando por la complicación de un personaje que combina al mismo tiempo, ideas muy, muy, muy tradicionales con otras de total búsqueda de la independencia y absoluta determinación en mejorar. Ambos personajes crecen con la ayuda del otro.
En realidad, es un argumento muy clásico pero con unos personajes algo diferentes. Al final la historia ha mejorado mucho, con momentos muy tiernos.
Eso sí, admito que el último tercio de la novela resulta muy tierno y bonito.
November 7, 2014
A Bollywood Affair is a standalone, contemporary romance novel written by author Sonali Dev. This story is set in an Indian community in Michigan, USA. The plot that brought these characters together is interesting and inspired by a true story (see spoiler below), but what I found most fascinating are the characters in this novel. Their worlds may be similar but the differences in their personal cultures couldn't vary more. The female lead: Mili was raised in a tiny village in India, bound by traditions unique to the most archaic norms of the culture. The male lead: Samir grew up in a more westernized area of India, causing him to appear much more modern. Every interaction between these two characters reminds the reader of these individual differences. This story features humor, drama, romance, heartbreak... it’s just a well-rounded novel with a beautiful and palpable cultural component. You can hear the music, taste and smell the food, and envision the gorgeous color combinations that are all described in exquisite detail. Most of all, you can feel the incredible respect Mili has for the traditions that have shaped her throughout her life.
A Bollywood Affair is a refreshing addition to the contemporary romance genre and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I would recommend this debut novel to fans of the genre despite their own culture or upbringing. But do yourself a favor first: Add the latest Bollywood film to your Netflix queue. Download some culturally-appropriate music from iTunes. Get some trustworthy recommendations for local Indian food restaurants in your community. You’ll need them all when you read this book!
I read an online interview with the author Sonali Dev and she shared how she came up with the concept and the characters for A Bollywood Affair. Can you imagine???
My favorite quote:
“Oh heavenly God! Whoever discovered chocolate was a genius. And this Hershey person - may all the Gods from all the religions in the world bless him ten times over - was a divine angel.”
A Bollywood Affair is a refreshing addition to the contemporary romance genre and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I would recommend this debut novel to fans of the genre despite their own culture or upbringing. But do yourself a favor first: Add the latest Bollywood film to your Netflix queue. Download some culturally-appropriate music from iTunes. Get some trustworthy recommendations for local Indian food restaurants in your community. You’ll need them all when you read this book!
I read an online interview with the author Sonali Dev and she shared how she came up with the concept and the characters for A Bollywood Affair. Can you imagine???
My favorite quote:
“Oh heavenly God! Whoever discovered chocolate was a genius. And this Hershey person - may all the Gods from all the religions in the world bless him ten times over - was a divine angel.”
July 6, 2014
What do you get when you combine a heroine I have nothing (and I mean nothing) in common with, an author who uses a wonderfully rich and developed cultural background to bring two people together, and a story of two people you desperately want to find their happily ever after? You get a book that made me ache for the heroine--I thought my heart was being ripped out for her at just 12% in and it didn't stop all the way to the end--and a book that's on my list as the best contemporary romance I've read so far in 2014.
Mild spoilers in the next paragraph (and only the next paragraph) in regards to what I saw as the minor drawbacks of the book...
/end minor spoilers
This book doesn't release until October, and it looks like it's selling at the trade sized price (kind of a shame, but it does make it a contender for the airport readers and those who want to pretend they're not really reading romance because it's in trade format), but the story was charming and happy book sigh enough, that I feel comfortable recommending it to those who want a great contemporary romance read. And giving it 5 stars (which I pretty much never do these days!)
Cliffhanger: No
HEA:
Cheating:
Rape: No
Violence: No
Sensuality level (1 being kissing only and 5 being Penthouse Letters graphic::
Grammar errors/typo level (1 being what you'd see in any book, 5 being this read like a rough draft): 1
Would I re-read?: Yes. And I look forward to what's next from the author.
Mild spoilers in the next paragraph (and only the next paragraph) in regards to what I saw as the minor drawbacks of the book...
/end minor spoilers
This book doesn't release until October, and it looks like it's selling at the trade sized price (kind of a shame, but it does make it a contender for the airport readers and those who want to pretend they're not really reading romance because it's in trade format), but the story was charming and happy book sigh enough, that I feel comfortable recommending it to those who want a great contemporary romance read. And giving it 5 stars (which I pretty much never do these days!)
Cliffhanger: No
HEA:
Cheating:
Rape: No
Violence: No
Sensuality level (1 being kissing only and 5 being Penthouse Letters graphic::
Grammar errors/typo level (1 being what you'd see in any book, 5 being this read like a rough draft): 1
Would I re-read?: Yes. And I look forward to what's next from the author.
May 26, 2017
Trigger warnings: parent dying of cancer, premature labour, discussion of multiple parents having died in the past, child marriage, flashbacks to a childhood beating.
3.5 stars. I think??
I had a complicated relationship with this book. Because, like, it was super fast paced, very compelling, and I loved the dynamic between the romantic leads. I loved the fact that Samir wanted to take care of her, and that he showed it through cooking for Mili.
BUT.
Samir was kind of a controlling asshat? And he lies to Mili for the vast majority of the book?? The one sex scene is...weirdly violent (of the "he slammed into her again and again and again" variety. Ow). And the ending tied things up a little too neatly for my liking.
Basically? I wanted to know more about Samir's childhood and less about his playboy lifestyle, more about Mili's relationship with her grandmother and less of her CRYING ALL THE DAMN TIME OH MY GOD GIRL GET CONTROL OF YOUR TEAR DUCTS.
So yeah. I liked it and I sped through it. But I feel slightly icky about how much I liked it, and there were a bunch of cringeworthy moments. So I'm going with 3.5, but that may change the more I think about it...
3.5 stars. I think??
I had a complicated relationship with this book. Because, like, it was super fast paced, very compelling, and I loved the dynamic between the romantic leads. I loved the fact that Samir wanted to take care of her, and that he showed it through cooking for Mili.
BUT.
Samir was kind of a controlling asshat? And he lies to Mili for the vast majority of the book?? The one sex scene is...weirdly violent (of the "he slammed into her again and again and again" variety. Ow). And the ending tied things up a little too neatly for my liking.
Basically? I wanted to know more about Samir's childhood and less about his playboy lifestyle, more about Mili's relationship with her grandmother and less of her CRYING ALL THE DAMN TIME OH MY GOD GIRL GET CONTROL OF YOUR TEAR DUCTS.
So yeah. I liked it and I sped through it. But I feel slightly icky about how much I liked it, and there were a bunch of cringeworthy moments. So I'm going with 3.5, but that may change the more I think about it...
March 6, 2021
I really hoped I would like this more..
one time reference to - little Sam- as lovingly Samir calls his penis is funny but he does it so many times that becomes so annoying other than that he is one of my least favorite heroes I have read in a long long time...so many times I wanted to DNF it..now I wondering if there is a medal for finishing a book.. just because you had shitty past trauma doesn't excuse you from being an asshole and doesn't make me sympathetic towards you..there were many instances that were so awful from both sides of our leading couples..I just want to purge this from my mind..
I understand that this is Sonali's first book..but still..ugh..
if I had a physical copy of it I would definitely put it in the freezer that how mad it made me..
1,5 stars
one time reference to - little Sam- as lovingly Samir calls his penis is funny but he does it so many times that becomes so annoying other than that he is one of my least favorite heroes I have read in a long long time...so many times I wanted to DNF it..now I wondering if there is a medal for finishing a book.. just because you had shitty past trauma doesn't excuse you from being an asshole and doesn't make me sympathetic towards you..there were many instances that were so awful from both sides of our leading couples..I just want to purge this from my mind..
I understand that this is Sonali's first book..but still..ugh..
if I had a physical copy of it I would definitely put it in the freezer that how mad it made me..
1,5 stars
March 29, 2017
Una historia dulce y bonita, de esas que lees de principio a fin con una sonrisa en los labios. Sus protagonistas son achuchables y sus secundarios entrañables. Un soplo de aire fresco, al menos para mí, que estoy tan desencantada con la novela romántica que se publica hoy en día.
July 7, 2017
Hacia mucho tiempo que tenia este libro en pendientes nunca me animaba a ponerme con el. Como me alegro de hacerle dado una oportunidad pq me ha encantado...
He vivido un viaje a la india tradicional y la actualidad, me he empapado de olores, colores, tradiciones y comida ( que viaje gastronomico me he pegado y que ganas de comer cosas me han entrado)...
He disfrutado mucho de la lectura ya que el libro se lee de una forma amena y rapida, donde la pareja principal se va enamorando a fuego lento y donde vamos viendo lo que piensan las dos partes....
En un pais donde las mujeres no tiene voz, aqui aparecen personajes femeninos fuertes, con caracter y con ganas de cambiar el mundo.... Mil es un personaje adorable, que se intenta superar toda la vida con un fin concreto pero que descubre que sin ese fin tambien puede ser una persona fuerte, educada y con ganas de comerse el mundo...
Samir ( Sam), como me has gustado y cuanto he sufrido con tu historia... eres adorable....
Los secundarios de lujo todos, empezando por la abuela de mil, la madre de Sam,los hermanos, la amiga loca de mil... todos aportan algo a la historia y nos enseñan algo de la vida y cultura de la India Actual....
No lo dudeis, daros un viaje por este libro y disfrutareis....
He vivido un viaje a la india tradicional y la actualidad, me he empapado de olores, colores, tradiciones y comida ( que viaje gastronomico me he pegado y que ganas de comer cosas me han entrado)...
He disfrutado mucho de la lectura ya que el libro se lee de una forma amena y rapida, donde la pareja principal se va enamorando a fuego lento y donde vamos viendo lo que piensan las dos partes....
En un pais donde las mujeres no tiene voz, aqui aparecen personajes femeninos fuertes, con caracter y con ganas de cambiar el mundo.... Mil es un personaje adorable, que se intenta superar toda la vida con un fin concreto pero que descubre que sin ese fin tambien puede ser una persona fuerte, educada y con ganas de comerse el mundo...
Samir ( Sam), como me has gustado y cuanto he sufrido con tu historia... eres adorable....
Los secundarios de lujo todos, empezando por la abuela de mil, la madre de Sam,los hermanos, la amiga loca de mil... todos aportan algo a la historia y nos enseñan algo de la vida y cultura de la India Actual....
No lo dudeis, daros un viaje por este libro y disfrutareis....
August 5, 2014
I was so lucky to get an advance copy of this beautiful book. This is a great romance with hilarious and poignant insights into Indian culture. Your heart will break for our heroine over and over again. Great read!
March 6, 2021
This was a surprising gem, I really liked it.
March 30, 2015
Mili has been married to Virat and waiting for the day he would come to claim her - since she was four. Virat had no idea he was married to Mili, and sends his brother Samir to find Mili annul the marriage before his child is born. Then Mili and Samir meet and romance ensues.
The Good
-Excellent writing: This is Sonali Dev’s first book, and it is crafted beautifully. Her descriptions of locations and people immediately paint a vivid picture that allows you to really immerse yourself in this story. I managed to tear through this book quickly because I simply didn’t want to put it down. It was the perfect rainy day read for me.
-Immensely likeable leads: Mili and Samir are both decent people influenced by their past, romantics at heart who will sacrifice anything for those they love. There wasn’t a moment where I didn’t understand or empathize with their choices, even those that I knew would lead to heartache. I loved Samir’s protectiveness, and Mili’s determination to take care of herself.
-Fantastic chemistry: from their very first interaction, which was charming, to their love scene, I loved the buildup. Their friendship was engaging and pulled me into their story from the very first chapter.
-Fun Bollywood vibe: Samir’s a Bollywood director, and the glimpses of the behind the scenes workings, though honestly the real Bollywood vibe, for me, came from Mili’s friend Ridhi’s wedding.
-For all its differences, at the heart it’s just a very good romance: Yes, it’s set in India and Michigan, and the cultural touches give this its own unique flavor, but at its core, it’s still a forbidden romance with a side order of hidden agenda.The themes of family and the things you sacrifice for love are universal and easily relatable.
The (not so) Bad and Everything In Between
-Weepy heroine: Normally, a heroine that cries alot irks me, but there’s something infinitely sweet with Mili and it really didn’t bother me. As Samir says at one point, when Mili’s emotions “filled her up, it spilled from her eyes” and I completely agree.
-Just a touch of melodrama: Their first meeting/her mad dash is probably the most melodramatic interaction between Mili and Samir. The real melodrama is tied to the secondary story involving her best friend. Ridhi comes off as a little stereotypical Bollywood princess, in contrast to Mili’s more down-to-earth village girl. It’s fun, but it is a bit over the top.
-Price: I will admit, I would completely understand anyone’s hesitation in spending the money on an ebook from a first time author. I have my own limit on what I’ll spend on an ebook, even from authors I am familiar with, and this book’s price would have stopped me. That said, I have read it and I think it would be a shame to see that price stop people from reading this book. It’s certainly one of the best books I’ve read this year.
The Bottom Line
I save my five star reviews for books I can easily see myself re-reading. This is one of them. I absolutely loved it and I happily recommend it.
**ARC provided through publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review**
(release date October 28, 2014)
The Good
-Excellent writing: This is Sonali Dev’s first book, and it is crafted beautifully. Her descriptions of locations and people immediately paint a vivid picture that allows you to really immerse yourself in this story. I managed to tear through this book quickly because I simply didn’t want to put it down. It was the perfect rainy day read for me.
-Immensely likeable leads: Mili and Samir are both decent people influenced by their past, romantics at heart who will sacrifice anything for those they love. There wasn’t a moment where I didn’t understand or empathize with their choices, even those that I knew would lead to heartache. I loved Samir’s protectiveness, and Mili’s determination to take care of herself.
-Fantastic chemistry: from their very first interaction, which was charming, to their love scene, I loved the buildup. Their friendship was engaging and pulled me into their story from the very first chapter.
-Fun Bollywood vibe: Samir’s a Bollywood director, and the glimpses of the behind the scenes workings, though honestly the real Bollywood vibe, for me, came from Mili’s friend Ridhi’s wedding.
-For all its differences, at the heart it’s just a very good romance: Yes, it’s set in India and Michigan, and the cultural touches give this its own unique flavor, but at its core, it’s still a forbidden romance with a side order of hidden agenda.The themes of family and the things you sacrifice for love are universal and easily relatable.
The (not so) Bad and Everything In Between
-Weepy heroine: Normally, a heroine that cries alot irks me, but there’s something infinitely sweet with Mili and it really didn’t bother me. As Samir says at one point, when Mili’s emotions “filled her up, it spilled from her eyes” and I completely agree.
-Just a touch of melodrama: Their first meeting/her mad dash is probably the most melodramatic interaction between Mili and Samir. The real melodrama is tied to the secondary story involving her best friend. Ridhi comes off as a little stereotypical Bollywood princess, in contrast to Mili’s more down-to-earth village girl. It’s fun, but it is a bit over the top.
-Price: I will admit, I would completely understand anyone’s hesitation in spending the money on an ebook from a first time author. I have my own limit on what I’ll spend on an ebook, even from authors I am familiar with, and this book’s price would have stopped me. That said, I have read it and I think it would be a shame to see that price stop people from reading this book. It’s certainly one of the best books I’ve read this year.
The Bottom Line
I save my five star reviews for books I can easily see myself re-reading. This is one of them. I absolutely loved it and I happily recommend it.
**ARC provided through publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review**
(release date October 28, 2014)
October 19, 2017
Sometimes, an innocuous book sets off conflicting emotions in me. It is a little bit like laughing at videos of people doing stupid stuff and feeling bad because it probably hurt - a lot. In this case, the Indian culture made the story fun and more believable. But I couldn't shake the knowledge that the same elements of the culture have caused something absolutely horrifying.
Mili has been married since she was four-years old and spent her whole life waiting and preparing to be a good wife to a husband she has never met since their wedding. Despite tough circumstances, she holds on to hope and trusts people. She believes she loves her husband and that he will come for her. She may have come off as completely naive, but her optimism is more a choice. And she constantly trips over everything.
Samir is the handsome rich playboy with a dark past and brother of Mili's husband. He is a film director with a big contract and a serious case of writer's block. At his brother's request, he tracks down Mili to ask/convince her to sign the annulment papers. He ends up taking care of Mili after one of her mishap and suddenly can't stop writing. Samir is always caring, sometimes scheming and often in awe at how genuine Mili is.
The story of a bad boy bowled over by an innocent virgin usually doesn't work for me in historical romances (they don't spend enough time with each other alone) or in contemporary romances (hard to justify why such a gem of a woman is still single). But here, I could believe that Mili was waiting for her husband. And the relationship between Samir and Mili had time to develop. All of it is infused with tidbits about Indian people - like when Mili put a ton of sugar in her coffee, or the meddling of family members. It is too bad people can't burst out dancing and singing, like in Bollywood movies. It is great fun though.
But the story worked also because of the misogyny of Indian culture. Girls are married off, have to preserve their virtue, and are expected to take care of the home. I might have been able to let this go - with difficulty - but then there is this article, which tells us that a 100 million girls are "missing"
http://www.economist.com/node/15606229
I want to burn the whole culture to the ground. What terrifies me is the idea that, if I had grown up in a different time and different place, I could have made the same choice these families made. So yeah, I enjoyed this book...
Mili has been married since she was four-years old and spent her whole life waiting and preparing to be a good wife to a husband she has never met since their wedding. Despite tough circumstances, she holds on to hope and trusts people. She believes she loves her husband and that he will come for her. She may have come off as completely naive, but her optimism is more a choice. And she constantly trips over everything.
Samir is the handsome rich playboy with a dark past and brother of Mili's husband. He is a film director with a big contract and a serious case of writer's block. At his brother's request, he tracks down Mili to ask/convince her to sign the annulment papers. He ends up taking care of Mili after one of her mishap and suddenly can't stop writing. Samir is always caring, sometimes scheming and often in awe at how genuine Mili is.
The story of a bad boy bowled over by an innocent virgin usually doesn't work for me in historical romances (they don't spend enough time with each other alone) or in contemporary romances (hard to justify why such a gem of a woman is still single). But here, I could believe that Mili was waiting for her husband. And the relationship between Samir and Mili had time to develop. All of it is infused with tidbits about Indian people - like when Mili put a ton of sugar in her coffee, or the meddling of family members. It is too bad people can't burst out dancing and singing, like in Bollywood movies. It is great fun though.
But the story worked also because of the misogyny of Indian culture. Girls are married off, have to preserve their virtue, and are expected to take care of the home. I might have been able to let this go - with difficulty - but then there is this article, which tells us that a 100 million girls are "missing"
http://www.economist.com/node/15606229
I want to burn the whole culture to the ground. What terrifies me is the idea that, if I had grown up in a different time and different place, I could have made the same choice these families made. So yeah, I enjoyed this book...
December 21, 2017
This is my first read/audio by Sonali Dev and I can say it was a good first experience. Set between America and India in the context of Hindu culture, arranged marriage and empowered women it made for an interesting mix. I can’t speak to the realism of the book in contemporary culture but it was definitely entertaining with just the right mixture of plot complexity, relationships and romance. The romance was a slowish burn over a shortish time if that makes sense.
There’s a secret in this book and I wanted to knock Samir over the head with it multiple times because I knew disaster was afoot. Millie was a meek but also a strong woman who I really took to immediately. The emotional connection between these two grew beautifully and it wasn’t compelling to read.
Narration: Priya Ayyar was just perfection for bringing these characters to life, with background narrative in an American accent and Millie and Samir with authentic accents to my ears. I hope she narrates some more of Sonali Dev’s books.
This book felt like a fresh palate cleanser and after reading some similar books, this was just what I needed.
There’s a secret in this book and I wanted to knock Samir over the head with it multiple times because I knew disaster was afoot. Millie was a meek but also a strong woman who I really took to immediately. The emotional connection between these two grew beautifully and it wasn’t compelling to read.
Narration: Priya Ayyar was just perfection for bringing these characters to life, with background narrative in an American accent and Millie and Samir with authentic accents to my ears. I hope she narrates some more of Sonali Dev’s books.
This book felt like a fresh palate cleanser and after reading some similar books, this was just what I needed.
Read
October 25, 2015I’m not sure if I can say much more about A Bollywood Affair that hasn’t already been covered by other Rioters. Samir, a famous Bollywood director, travels to the U.S. to help his brother annul his earlier arranged and illegal marriage. He meets Mili, his brother’s wife, who still believes the marriage is legitimate. Through weddings and accidents and samosa-making competitions, they come to care for each other and, perhaps, begin to fall in love. A Bollywood Affair was the exact amount of sweetness and passion I wanted, with heart-wrenchingly lovely characters. — Nikki Steele
from The Best Books We Read In September: http://bookriot.com/2015/10/01/riot-r...
from The Best Books We Read In September: http://bookriot.com/2015/10/01/riot-r...
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