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The Wedding Tamasha
A sweet romantic tale about love, family, values and traditions.
Twenty-eight-year-old Shweta Menon finds refuge from an abusive husband by working at a Mexican café in the US. She doesn’t know how to tell her parents the truth about her marriage and return to India. But then her brother’s wedding leaves her no choice.
Entrepreneur Chef Niraj (Niru) Karthik is in charge of catering for his best friend's wedding. He isn't looking forward to meeting his childhood crush—the one that got away—but he finds himself drawn to her again.
Shweta has only thought of Niru as her older brother's best friend, but now she’s falling head over heels in love with him. As both try to come to terms with their true feelings, they realize that a lot more than friendship is at stake.
And then, there’s Shweta’s family, mixed up in a dilemma: an overbearing father, an over-anxious mother, and three very disparate yet close siblings.
Will Shweta get the love and acceptance she yearns for? Or will upholding the family honour be more important?
Twenty-eight-year-old Shweta Menon finds refuge from an abusive husband by working at a Mexican café in the US. She doesn’t know how to tell her parents the truth about her marriage and return to India. But then her brother’s wedding leaves her no choice.
Entrepreneur Chef Niraj (Niru) Karthik is in charge of catering for his best friend's wedding. He isn't looking forward to meeting his childhood crush—the one that got away—but he finds himself drawn to her again.
Shweta has only thought of Niru as her older brother's best friend, but now she’s falling head over heels in love with him. As both try to come to terms with their true feelings, they realize that a lot more than friendship is at stake.
And then, there’s Shweta’s family, mixed up in a dilemma: an overbearing father, an over-anxious mother, and three very disparate yet close siblings.
Will Shweta get the love and acceptance she yearns for? Or will upholding the family honour be more important?
267 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 2, 2017
578 people are currently reading
650 people want to read
About the author
Sudha Nair
28 books105 followersI'm the author of The Menon Women Series books - The Wedding Tamasha, Priyamvada&Co., and About That Summer.
My debut novel, The Wedding Tamasha, a sweet romantic tale about love, family, and traditions, was a winner of the Amazon Pen To Publish Contest in 2017.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
Also part of my story collection are short stories - The Girl With A Secret Crush, Three Of Hearts, Mr and Mrs Nambiar, and Ahoy Amrika.
You can find out more about me at: www.sudhanair.com
My debut novel, The Wedding Tamasha, a sweet romantic tale about love, family, and traditions, was a winner of the Amazon Pen To Publish Contest in 2017.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
Also part of my story collection are short stories - The Girl With A Secret Crush, Three Of Hearts, Mr and Mrs Nambiar, and Ahoy Amrika.
You can find out more about me at: www.sudhanair.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 157 reviews
January 2, 2018
A never-ending Indian serial with loads of loopholes, grammatical errors and "please stop it, dear author, I can't handle it anymore" moments.
Let's start with praising the book because I don't have much to say in this segment:
1. The book cover. I just loved it.
2. The rank book has on Amazon. Bestseller! Though, I am surprised how it is managing to be there. Some sort of tactics, I must say, otherwise, this book has nothingnew to offer.
Now Let's talk about stupidity this book offers:
So many editing errors:
1. The chicken and beef needed to be prepped
2. 'Simbu and Lekha have decided to get married'
'what? when? Was her brother getting married?
Keertana continued.
This sentence didn't make any sense and book has many such errors.
3. Shweta listened some more to Keertana's chatter before she heard her yawn.
I want to tell you, dear author, when someone is chatting with you, talking about this and that with pure interest, he/she has no chance of yawning. I mean Shweta could yawn listening to her mom's chatter but yawning her mother, Keertana, makes no sense.
4. "Yes, I better hung up," Keertana said, talking through another yawn.
OH MY GOD, somebody please kill me or tell the author how it works.
at many places story was told, not shown and it was literally boring to go through this. I mean I better watch a TV serial where I don't at least have to swipe the pages.
The book makes no sense until chapter 10. It is just beating around the bush.
Loopholes:
The book has not a few but so many loopholes. It feels like a rough draft to read this book. Let me show you some instances:
"Was it Alex?" she asked propping an extra pillow behind him to support his head"
Dear author, the guy has just broken his nose and he got bandages at his bleeding nose and instead of resting without a pillow, you are giving him extra ones. Do you want it to get healed or see him die with the bleeding nose? Put some logic to it.
The protagonist has only a pair of jeans that she wears every day and washes it every Sunday. OOps, poor lady?
She has all the money to prepare Biryani for her roommate, Max, she has all the money to buy DVDs of the movies but she has no money when it comes to buying another pair of jeans.
"WOW" So stupid and unhygienic it is.
Dear author, please get her a pair of jeans, will you? for the sake of God, I beg you because I cannot digest this fact.
Another situation. The protagonist's friend, Shipra. She knows Shweta has only a pair of jeans. They both go shopping. She buys something for herself but does not even think of gifting her friend a pair of jeans. That's cool. They do even have Starbucks coffee. Cool thing! Spreading unhygienic habits even in Starbucks. Yuck ... I should stop going to Starbucks if it is inspired by a real character. LOL
More than two months when Shweta Ran away from her home (USA) because she had a fight with her husband last night but neither her husband made a call to his parents or parents in law nor filed a missing report nor did search for her. Can it happen? This illogical thing was really hard to digest.
What kind of fight they had by the way that she decided to run away from her home?
You leave your husband's home just because you had a fight with him last night. A single fight and you ran away. That too when you are an Indian bride. That too when you are alone in the USA with him. Still, you decided to run away. Oh, I got it, it was somehow inspired by the Movie Queen. Not only this scene but many such but miss author you miserably failed in it too.
Shweta's father had been unable to contact Raj for some strange reason. Tell us that strange reason, please otherwise I would die please please, please.
This situation was later explained that he had lost his phone. His family too lost their phone. Too many lost- lost. Were the thefts happening in their family, dear Author?
She was even not able to manage a ticket for herself to return to India and then she managed two with the help of her brother-in-law. One for herself and for MAX, just because he wanted to see the indian wedding. Cool thing it was. You know why you did this illogical thing miss author because you wanted your daily soap to go on and on and on with stupid dramas around.
"He lifted Shweta in a bear hug and twirled her around until she squealed and begged him to put down"
You know who was him? Shweta's husband? Nope. Her co-worker cum room partner cum...MAX
What's wrong with you MIss author? Did you exchange her husband's script role with MAX? That's too cheesy if it was a deliberate attempt.
"I am glad," Shweta said, out of breath when he finally released her.
Oops, it was a too tight. A really tight hug. A very tight hug was given by the co-worker that she even ran out of breath. LOL.
[image error]
I wish some girl from my office too lifts me in her arms, too tight, twirls me around and then puts me down so I can take few breaths and laugh out loud with her saying, "I am glad".
I did not feel connected to any single character. Neither they touched my heart nor I felt sympathy or happiness for them. They are poor and dull at the same time.
P.S. I have DNFed the book after 18 chapters of sheer torture. I couldn't handle anymore.
P.S.S. I don't write long reviews, but it tortured me completely. I checked its rating and then I decided to write what piece of shit this book is just to let the people know that this book stands nowhere.
New year started with a really bad read :( *Sobs
Let's start with praising the book because I don't have much to say in this segment:
1. The book cover. I just loved it.
2. The rank book has on Amazon. Bestseller! Though, I am surprised how it is managing to be there. Some sort of tactics, I must say, otherwise, this book has nothing
Now Let's talk about stupidity this book offers:
So many editing errors:
1. The chicken and beef needed to be prepped
2. 'Simbu and Lekha have decided to get married'
'what? when? Was her brother getting married?
Keertana continued.
This sentence didn't make any sense and book has many such errors.
3. Shweta listened some more to Keertana's chatter before she heard her yawn.
I want to tell you, dear author, when someone is chatting with you, talking about this and that with pure interest, he/she has no chance of yawning. I mean Shweta could yawn listening to her mom's chatter but yawning her mother, Keertana, makes no sense.
4. "Yes, I better hung up," Keertana said, talking through another yawn.
OH MY GOD, somebody please kill me or tell the author how it works.
at many places story was told, not shown and it was literally boring to go through this. I mean I better watch a TV serial where I don't at least have to swipe the pages.
The book makes no sense until chapter 10. It is just beating around the bush.
Loopholes:
The book has not a few but so many loopholes. It feels like a rough draft to read this book. Let me show you some instances:
"Was it Alex?" she asked propping an extra pillow behind him to support his head"
Dear author, the guy has just broken his nose and he got bandages at his bleeding nose and instead of resting without a pillow, you are giving him extra ones. Do you want it to get healed or see him die with the bleeding nose? Put some logic to it.
The protagonist has only a pair of jeans that she wears every day and washes it every Sunday. OOps, poor lady?
She has all the money to prepare Biryani for her roommate, Max, she has all the money to buy DVDs of the movies but she has no money when it comes to buying another pair of jeans.
"WOW" So stupid and unhygienic it is.
Dear author, please get her a pair of jeans, will you? for the sake of God, I beg you because I cannot digest this fact.
Another situation. The protagonist's friend, Shipra. She knows Shweta has only a pair of jeans. They both go shopping. She buys something for herself but does not even think of gifting her friend a pair of jeans. That's cool. They do even have Starbucks coffee. Cool thing! Spreading unhygienic habits even in Starbucks. Yuck ... I should stop going to Starbucks if it is inspired by a real character. LOL
More than two months when Shweta Ran away from her home (USA) because she had a fight with her husband last night but neither her husband made a call to his parents or parents in law nor filed a missing report nor did search for her. Can it happen? This illogical thing was really hard to digest.
What kind of fight they had by the way that she decided to run away from her home?
You leave your husband's home just because you had a fight with him last night. A single fight and you ran away. That too when you are an Indian bride. That too when you are alone in the USA with him. Still, you decided to run away. Oh, I got it, it was somehow inspired by the Movie Queen. Not only this scene but many such but miss author you miserably failed in it too.
Shweta's father had been unable to contact Raj for some strange reason. Tell us that strange reason, please otherwise I would die please please, please.
This situation was later explained that he had lost his phone. His family too lost their phone. Too many lost- lost. Were the thefts happening in their family, dear Author?
She was even not able to manage a ticket for herself to return to India and then she managed two with the help of her brother-in-law. One for herself and for MAX, just because he wanted to see the indian wedding. Cool thing it was. You know why you did this illogical thing miss author because you wanted your daily soap to go on and on and on with stupid dramas around.
"He lifted Shweta in a bear hug and twirled her around until she squealed and begged him to put down"
You know who was him? Shweta's husband? Nope. Her co-worker cum room partner cum...MAX
What's wrong with you MIss author? Did you exchange her husband's script role with MAX? That's too cheesy if it was a deliberate attempt.
"I am glad," Shweta said, out of breath when he finally released her.
Oops, it was a too tight. A really tight hug. A very tight hug was given by the co-worker that she even ran out of breath. LOL.
[image error]
I wish some girl from my office too lifts me in her arms, too tight, twirls me around and then puts me down so I can take few breaths and laugh out loud with her saying, "I am glad".
I did not feel connected to any single character. Neither they touched my heart nor I felt sympathy or happiness for them. They are poor and dull at the same time.
P.S. I have DNFed the book after 18 chapters of sheer torture. I couldn't handle anymore.
P.S.S. I don't write long reviews, but it tortured me completely. I checked its rating and then I decided to write what piece of shit this book is just to let the people know that this book stands nowhere.
New year started with a really bad read :( *Sobs
January 8, 2018
Bought this book as Amazon kept reminding me about it sending emails after emails just because I have bought something similar. I curse the moment when I made a purchase. This book was an exact replica of Balaji teleshops aired on TV. Yes, decade-long, never-ending, saas-bahu serial.
First, the plot is a cliche.
Second, the situations are over dramatic.
Third, the language is mediocre Indian with the non-smooth flow.
Fourth, it is predictable.
Fifth, there is nothing to talk about in this book.
First, the plot is a cliche.
Second, the situations are over dramatic.
Third, the language is mediocre Indian with the non-smooth flow.
Fourth, it is predictable.
Fifth, there is nothing to talk about in this book.
January 4, 2019
I know Sudha for more than a year. She was a fellow participant in the Amazon Pen to Publish Contest 2017, we were selected as finalists of the contest, and she eventually went on to win the competition. I had been thinking of reading her book ever since the past year, but I finally got a chance only recently.
I had read the sample (the first couple of chapters, I guess) of the book long back, and from that itself I knew that she was a talented author. The admiration only increased as I progressed through the book. Her prose is marvelous. She has employed the third person limited POV approach throughout the book, and she has implemented it almost perfectly, which is commendable for a debut author. The characterization is also done beautifully—using dialogues and actions to gradually “show” their development rather than “telling” it to the readers. I could feel for Shweta, the protagonist, throughout, identify with her fears and inhibitions, and also admire her strength during tough times. The other characters have also been weaved beautifully, each complementing the other and their complex relationships adding a rich flavor to the narrative.
The plot is intriguing, and you can’t help but admire its intricacies and the beautiful way in which the interactions between the characters help move the story forward. However, the one flaw that I noticed was that even for a casual reader like me, it was quite easy to predict what would happen at the end. That is something that Sudha does need to work on. One or two scenes in the second half of the book were a bit too dramatic for my liking, but on the positive side, I did get emotional towards the end, which always feels satisfying in a book. Actually, this book would be absolutely perfect for a Bollywood movie; it has all the elements of a blockbuster.
The language is classy, and the editing is nearly flawless. I could not find any grammatical errors, and considering how observant I am about this aspect of writing, Sudha deserves accolades for producing such a neat book. I did observe a couple of missing punctuation marks, but that is totally forgivable in a 280-page book. I loved how she has used short, clean paragraphs instead of long ones that make reading cumbersome. Her vocabulary is excellent, and she possesses a huge repertoire of phrases, both of which she uses expertly in her narrative. Another wonderful thing I noticed was how, despite her lucid, easily-understandable language, she plays with metaphors occasionally and weaves lyrical prose that would delight even those readers who like wordplay. Similarly, she has managed to maintain a perfect balance between over and insufficient description, which is the hallmark of a proficient author. I also loved the vivid descriptions of the food, the culture, and the traditions, especially the food which made my mouth water many times. Not many authors can achieve all this in their very first novel.
The only other—minor—issue I found was one particular aspect of the relationship between Max and Shweta. It felt a bit unnatural for a married Indian woman who is quite new to the US to get so comfortable and even end up living together with a man, despite him being gay. But that is just my personal opinion, and other readers might feel otherwise.
Overall, I think this is a fantastic effort by a debut author, and her future looks very bright in the Indian literary industry. 4.3 stars from my side.
I had read the sample (the first couple of chapters, I guess) of the book long back, and from that itself I knew that she was a talented author. The admiration only increased as I progressed through the book. Her prose is marvelous. She has employed the third person limited POV approach throughout the book, and she has implemented it almost perfectly, which is commendable for a debut author. The characterization is also done beautifully—using dialogues and actions to gradually “show” their development rather than “telling” it to the readers. I could feel for Shweta, the protagonist, throughout, identify with her fears and inhibitions, and also admire her strength during tough times. The other characters have also been weaved beautifully, each complementing the other and their complex relationships adding a rich flavor to the narrative.
The plot is intriguing, and you can’t help but admire its intricacies and the beautiful way in which the interactions between the characters help move the story forward. However, the one flaw that I noticed was that even for a casual reader like me, it was quite easy to predict what would happen at the end. That is something that Sudha does need to work on. One or two scenes in the second half of the book were a bit too dramatic for my liking, but on the positive side, I did get emotional towards the end, which always feels satisfying in a book. Actually, this book would be absolutely perfect for a Bollywood movie; it has all the elements of a blockbuster.
The language is classy, and the editing is nearly flawless. I could not find any grammatical errors, and considering how observant I am about this aspect of writing, Sudha deserves accolades for producing such a neat book. I did observe a couple of missing punctuation marks, but that is totally forgivable in a 280-page book. I loved how she has used short, clean paragraphs instead of long ones that make reading cumbersome. Her vocabulary is excellent, and she possesses a huge repertoire of phrases, both of which she uses expertly in her narrative. Another wonderful thing I noticed was how, despite her lucid, easily-understandable language, she plays with metaphors occasionally and weaves lyrical prose that would delight even those readers who like wordplay. Similarly, she has managed to maintain a perfect balance between over and insufficient description, which is the hallmark of a proficient author. I also loved the vivid descriptions of the food, the culture, and the traditions, especially the food which made my mouth water many times. Not many authors can achieve all this in their very first novel.
The only other—minor—issue I found was one particular aspect of the relationship between Max and Shweta. It felt a bit unnatural for a married Indian woman who is quite new to the US to get so comfortable and even end up living together with a man, despite him being gay. But that is just my personal opinion, and other readers might feel otherwise.
Overall, I think this is a fantastic effort by a debut author, and her future looks very bright in the Indian literary industry. 4.3 stars from my side.
November 4, 2017
I came across this book in Kindle Unlimited, the blurb looked interesting so thought of giving it a try. It is a short fun read. The story starts off Swetha who has escape from her abusive husband and is now working in a cafe. She has not told her parents about Raj, but is forced to as her brother wedding gets fixed. To know if her parents accept Shweta and what happens at the wedding please read the book.
When you have read too many romance novels, all plots look same to you. Girl and Boy are in love, but they are afraid to tell each other, then girl gets married. Girl's marriage is a disaster, she comes back and then girl and boy gets married. I loved reading about a Keralite wedding in bollywood style. Being a Keralite myself I enjoyed that part.
Recommended for romance readers
When you have read too many romance novels, all plots look same to you. Girl and Boy are in love, but they are afraid to tell each other, then girl gets married. Girl's marriage is a disaster, she comes back and then girl and boy gets married. I loved reading about a Keralite wedding in bollywood style. Being a Keralite myself I enjoyed that part.
Recommended for romance readers
January 12, 2019
In terms of what I expected going into this novel, I was satisfied with reading this book. It’s a light-hearted romance with some interesting family dynamics which obviously revolves around a wedding. I can’t say I loved this book and honestly, it has many shortcomings but the truth is I read it very quickly and to a certain extent even enjoyed reading it.
The story is about Shweta, who after managing to escape from the clutches of her abusive husband is now working as an illegal immigrant in a small Mexican café in America. Her parents and family are oblivious of Shweta’s situation and she wants to keep it that way, at least until she can secure enough money to return to India and safety. However, all her careful planning upends when her brother Simbu decides to get married in a few months and she has no choice but go back to India. When she arrives though, not only is she caught in the whirlwind of the marriage preparation but also in the rift between her and her parents in the aftermath of her failed marriage. Her father wants Shweta to work things out with her husband but Shweta wants out from her sham marriage. It doesn’t help that she feels drawn to her brother’s friend Niru. What will Shweta do? Will she follow her heart or will she surrender to her father’s whims?
I have read Sudha Nair before and what is most striking in her books is the subtle and lucid way she tells her stories. This book is no different, it’s neat, quick to grasp and has the quality to suck you in instantly even if the plot itself is cliché and ordinary. The characters though are quite relatable. To be honest, the major reason I even enjoyed reading this book is because of its MC Shweta. I really liked her character, she strong-minded, down to earth, resourceful and knows what she wants and deserves. She doesn’t cower in front of her bullying father and I loved the fact that she tries to make her mother financially independent, for that alone she has all my love. The Indian mentality regarding marriage and divorce are very well represented through Shweta’s parents. As for Shweta’s siblings, I thought they made a good support cast and Niru’s character is written in such a way that he is instantly likeable.
Now, the problems with this book. The very first problem with this book at least for me is the lack of humour in it. Now, “Tamasha” is a Hindi word which translates to “Drama” in English and God knows Indian Weddings are filled with those. But despite the usual music, dance, food and numerous wedding rituals I felt the fun was missing from the story. Yes! It has some sweet moments between siblings and their friends but it is just that, it’s sweet but not funny. The story swayed more towards Shweta’s own personal struggles even throughout the wedding. It isn’t a bad thing, it just misleads the readers.
The other misleading thing about the story is the character of Max. now, Shweta befriends Max while working in the café. It is clearly stated that she has known him for only like a week and a half and already she trusts him so much. The problem with that is first, even under normal circumstance it takes time to be friends with someone whom you just met and in Shweta’s case she has already been abused by her husband and her actual reaction is supposed to be wary of strangers and not make them your bosom friend. Just saying. The second problem with Max’s character is that it isn’t confirmed until we are midway through the book that he is gay and even then, it referred to as “gender preference”. Now, why beat around the bush? If he is gay why not mention it earlier in the story because until then I was assuming Max to be a viable romantic option for Shweta. Again, it misleads the readers. In fact, it made me question his importance in the story. He doesn’t really contribute much.
The story gets a little stretchy in the last five chapters or so. In fact, once the wedding is over, the book comes to a standstill and many situations which would otherwise have been quite complicated in real life resolves with far ease. Honestly, nothing really happens once the wedding is over. It’s clear by then that Shweta and Niru are going to end up together, it is just the matter of when they will express their feelings to each other. Meanwhile, we are just supposed to wait for them to catch up and everything just felt like a long winding epilogue. As for the original Epilogue, well I did not care for that at all.
That being said, I think the book could seriously be benefited from one or two more rounds of editing. Because even though I didn’t pick many errors there’s at least one instance where the name of the character is spelt wrong. It may just be a typing mistake but little blunders like that just give the wrong impression of the book. Overall, it’s a simple book with relatable character and situations, which could have been executed better. Nevertheless, even with all the shortcoming, my expectations were still met regarding the story and characters. So, I suppose it’s okay! Pick this up if you are looking for something light and easy to read.
Review copy provided by the author, in exchange for my honest opinion.
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The story is about Shweta, who after managing to escape from the clutches of her abusive husband is now working as an illegal immigrant in a small Mexican café in America. Her parents and family are oblivious of Shweta’s situation and she wants to keep it that way, at least until she can secure enough money to return to India and safety. However, all her careful planning upends when her brother Simbu decides to get married in a few months and she has no choice but go back to India. When she arrives though, not only is she caught in the whirlwind of the marriage preparation but also in the rift between her and her parents in the aftermath of her failed marriage. Her father wants Shweta to work things out with her husband but Shweta wants out from her sham marriage. It doesn’t help that she feels drawn to her brother’s friend Niru. What will Shweta do? Will she follow her heart or will she surrender to her father’s whims?
I have read Sudha Nair before and what is most striking in her books is the subtle and lucid way she tells her stories. This book is no different, it’s neat, quick to grasp and has the quality to suck you in instantly even if the plot itself is cliché and ordinary. The characters though are quite relatable. To be honest, the major reason I even enjoyed reading this book is because of its MC Shweta. I really liked her character, she strong-minded, down to earth, resourceful and knows what she wants and deserves. She doesn’t cower in front of her bullying father and I loved the fact that she tries to make her mother financially independent, for that alone she has all my love. The Indian mentality regarding marriage and divorce are very well represented through Shweta’s parents. As for Shweta’s siblings, I thought they made a good support cast and Niru’s character is written in such a way that he is instantly likeable.
Now, the problems with this book. The very first problem with this book at least for me is the lack of humour in it. Now, “Tamasha” is a Hindi word which translates to “Drama” in English and God knows Indian Weddings are filled with those. But despite the usual music, dance, food and numerous wedding rituals I felt the fun was missing from the story. Yes! It has some sweet moments between siblings and their friends but it is just that, it’s sweet but not funny. The story swayed more towards Shweta’s own personal struggles even throughout the wedding. It isn’t a bad thing, it just misleads the readers.
The other misleading thing about the story is the character of Max. now, Shweta befriends Max while working in the café. It is clearly stated that she has known him for only like a week and a half and already she trusts him so much. The problem with that is first, even under normal circumstance it takes time to be friends with someone whom you just met and in Shweta’s case she has already been abused by her husband and her actual reaction is supposed to be wary of strangers and not make them your bosom friend. Just saying. The second problem with Max’s character is that it isn’t confirmed until we are midway through the book that he is gay and even then, it referred to as “gender preference”. Now, why beat around the bush? If he is gay why not mention it earlier in the story because until then I was assuming Max to be a viable romantic option for Shweta. Again, it misleads the readers. In fact, it made me question his importance in the story. He doesn’t really contribute much.
The story gets a little stretchy in the last five chapters or so. In fact, once the wedding is over, the book comes to a standstill and many situations which would otherwise have been quite complicated in real life resolves with far ease. Honestly, nothing really happens once the wedding is over. It’s clear by then that Shweta and Niru are going to end up together, it is just the matter of when they will express their feelings to each other. Meanwhile, we are just supposed to wait for them to catch up and everything just felt like a long winding epilogue. As for the original Epilogue, well I did not care for that at all.
That being said, I think the book could seriously be benefited from one or two more rounds of editing. Because even though I didn’t pick many errors there’s at least one instance where the name of the character is spelt wrong. It may just be a typing mistake but little blunders like that just give the wrong impression of the book. Overall, it’s a simple book with relatable character and situations, which could have been executed better. Nevertheless, even with all the shortcoming, my expectations were still met regarding the story and characters. So, I suppose it’s okay! Pick this up if you are looking for something light and easy to read.
Review copy provided by the author, in exchange for my honest opinion.
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January 2, 2018
Picked this book seeing it on Amazon Pentopublish 2017 5 Finalists and thought it would be a good read, but the disappointment is what welcomed me. Utter nonsense it was with the poor storyline, immature characters, and cliche setup.
Will recommend to others? Will warn them instead.
Will recommend to others? Will warn them instead.
January 2, 2018
A three-hour torture with cliche situation, poor characters, and loads of loopholes.
October 5, 2017
Just finished reading The Wedding Tamasha. And, true to its word, it was a "tamasha" indeed! A lovely story, a nice mix of romance, family drama, and friendships. Sudha Nair has such an effortless, breezy story telling style, it was the perfect romantic read for a rainy day - just wish I'd had some pakodas and chai :-) As a Bangalorean, especially loved that it was set in Bangalore - so nice to see all our fave spots peppered into the narrative...
I have been enjoying Sudha Nair's short stories for a while now, so was very eager to read this - her first full novel. From the first chapter, I was drawn into Shweta's life and wanted to know more. I love how the author drops little hints along the way, and keeps the reader guessing on the details. And, then it's fun when she reveals it in a later chapter. I enjoyed her descriptions of the characters, the setting, the surroundings, and especially the mouth watering wedding sadya!
A breath of fresh air - go ahead and order, you won't regret it.
I have been enjoying Sudha Nair's short stories for a while now, so was very eager to read this - her first full novel. From the first chapter, I was drawn into Shweta's life and wanted to know more. I love how the author drops little hints along the way, and keeps the reader guessing on the details. And, then it's fun when she reveals it in a later chapter. I enjoyed her descriptions of the characters, the setting, the surroundings, and especially the mouth watering wedding sadya!
A breath of fresh air - go ahead and order, you won't regret it.
December 11, 2020
A romantic drama
All Sudha stories have many twists,
Characters moving in and out,
And a happy ending
This one appears well done with these... Like the ending, specially
All Sudha stories have many twists,
Characters moving in and out,
And a happy ending
This one appears well done with these... Like the ending, specially
October 11, 2017
After two slightly disastrous quick reads (This is not your story) and (No matter what I do), almost on the verge of losing my interest in Indian lite fiction, I picked this book up. All cheers to the author, the aspects that the above-said books lacked, "Setup, Imagination, Character building" were wonderfully etched into this one. This is one of the finest pieces you can read on Indian weddings and South Indian characters. The protagonist Shweta is well constructed and her inner conflicts well narrated. Giving it four stars for my uninterest in weddings. Still, this one is in line for some big awards.
March 16, 2022
An avoidable book - extremely predictable and cliched... I do not understand the audience of this book. If it is Indians, then one does not need to describe what Mehndi is. If it is for NRIs, then wedding details still are okay. The family is shown to be Malyali and the wedding is all Bollywood. Boring!!
January 6, 2019
Terrible book. It feels like I am reading a fan fiction of an Indian TV show
December 18, 2017
Cliched
Think of something new.... and please don't forget the name of your own characters...
It is just an opinion from my side.
Think of something new.... and please don't forget the name of your own characters...
It is just an opinion from my side.
August 4, 2020
"Whatever I do next will be for the right reasons, not for the sake of convenience,
And only for love."
The Wedding Tamasha
Sudha Nair
Weddings are always fun to attend. And its an unwritten ritual for South Indian families to plant the seed for another wedding(s) in one wedding. The Wedding Tamasha is one such story, a light read in my opinion.
The protagonist Shweta trying to escape the clutches of an abusive arranged marriage and her father trying to mend it at all costs for the sake of family's respect, the "respect to elder" card easily pulled out the moment kids speak their mind, the gossiping aunties are all too familiar .
With the marriage of her brother Simbu fast approaching, her husband Raj makes to it from US with the intent of getting back with her. Things get complicated when her teenage crush Niru pops up in her life again. Marriage plans for Niru with Trisha whom he meets in the wedding gets seeded in both their family members mind during Simbu's marriage,while Niru harbors unprofessed love for Shweta too and lost his chance earlier.
Did Shweta get out of her abusive marriage past her father's conservative mind set? Did Niru find the courage to express his love for Shweta or failed again and ended up with Trisha ? Did the untold love story of Niru and Shweta had a happily ever after or did they gave up on love for the sake of family's honour? is the storyline.
I loved the description of the wedding and the related functions. And was more in love with the part where food preparation for the wedding comes up in detail, which reminded me of my friend's wedding I attended in Kerala.
The characters are all lively and well described and even though the plot was bit predictable like a familiar neighbourhood family drama still its a good, fun read in my opinion.
And only for love."
The Wedding Tamasha
Sudha Nair
Weddings are always fun to attend. And its an unwritten ritual for South Indian families to plant the seed for another wedding(s) in one wedding. The Wedding Tamasha is one such story, a light read in my opinion.
The protagonist Shweta trying to escape the clutches of an abusive arranged marriage and her father trying to mend it at all costs for the sake of family's respect, the "respect to elder" card easily pulled out the moment kids speak their mind, the gossiping aunties are all too familiar .
With the marriage of her brother Simbu fast approaching, her husband Raj makes to it from US with the intent of getting back with her. Things get complicated when her teenage crush Niru pops up in her life again. Marriage plans for Niru with Trisha whom he meets in the wedding gets seeded in both their family members mind during Simbu's marriage,while Niru harbors unprofessed love for Shweta too and lost his chance earlier.
Did Shweta get out of her abusive marriage past her father's conservative mind set? Did Niru find the courage to express his love for Shweta or failed again and ended up with Trisha ? Did the untold love story of Niru and Shweta had a happily ever after or did they gave up on love for the sake of family's honour? is the storyline.
I loved the description of the wedding and the related functions. And was more in love with the part where food preparation for the wedding comes up in detail, which reminded me of my friend's wedding I attended in Kerala.
The characters are all lively and well described and even though the plot was bit predictable like a familiar neighbourhood family drama still its a good, fun read in my opinion.
August 17, 2020
The Wedding Tamasha is such a fine read. The author has penned down the story of Shweta very nicely that the reader will like being a part of the same. The story is a great mix of love, heart break, marriage, drama, happiness with a good portion of chaos in between.
Nair narrates the story of Shweta, a protagonist, a newly wed, who escapes from her husband, Raj’s house in the US, due to his abusive behaviour. She tries to hide all this from her parents Prabhu and Keertana, who are there in India. Meanwhile, her brother Simbu decides to marry his girlfriend Lekha. Amid the wedding period, she finds her teenage crush Niru back in her life. As the time passes things start to get complicated between her and the teenage crush Niru. And the rest is full of love, drama, happiness and chaos.
So get your hands on the book to find out where Shweta ends up. Will she get out of an abusive marriage or not? or Will the love story of Niru and Shweta get a happy ending⁉️
The author has managed so well to bring each of the characters to life with a beautiful description. The book will also pleases the food lover in you with the food description she has made throughout. Not just the characters and the food , but also the outfits, situations and the locations are nicely described. The desiness of this book was really a treat for me.
And just for your information, the book is Amazon KDP Pen to Publish winner for 2017, the inaugural session.
Overall, I loved the book and I recommend it to all the drama lovers.
Nair narrates the story of Shweta, a protagonist, a newly wed, who escapes from her husband, Raj’s house in the US, due to his abusive behaviour. She tries to hide all this from her parents Prabhu and Keertana, who are there in India. Meanwhile, her brother Simbu decides to marry his girlfriend Lekha. Amid the wedding period, she finds her teenage crush Niru back in her life. As the time passes things start to get complicated between her and the teenage crush Niru. And the rest is full of love, drama, happiness and chaos.
So get your hands on the book to find out where Shweta ends up. Will she get out of an abusive marriage or not? or Will the love story of Niru and Shweta get a happy ending⁉️
The author has managed so well to bring each of the characters to life with a beautiful description. The book will also pleases the food lover in you with the food description she has made throughout. Not just the characters and the food , but also the outfits, situations and the locations are nicely described. The desiness of this book was really a treat for me.
And just for your information, the book is Amazon KDP Pen to Publish winner for 2017, the inaugural session.
Overall, I loved the book and I recommend it to all the drama lovers.
April 8, 2021
Reading the synopsis of this book, I felt it had so much potential to convey an important message about a topic that isn’t often explored in books. I was looking forward to seeing how Nair would handle the subject of abuse in an Indian arranged marriage and the ramifications of it on those involved. However, I was left disappointed at the cliche and dramatic writing that the book heavily relied on. The romance was weak and there was very little of the history revealed that the MC’s shared, hence making it difficult for the reader to believe they may have once liked and continue to yearn for each other. Parts of the story and the writing felt very repetitive and monotonous with certain characters following almost the same daily routine with little action. I did appreciate the backdrop of the Indian wedding and the various festivities and rituals that were vividly described. I truly hoped to enjoy this book more than I did and was very let down with the outcome of how I felt towards it.
December 11, 2018
The book is a great amalgamation of marriage, breakup, love, adventure, food, shopping and drama - all things churned into a single book. The book is a fresh and humorous take on Indian marriages, along with some heartbreak and drama equally depicted by the author.
Shweta is not happy with her marriage to Raj as he always ignores her, and sometimes assaults her. She wants fer freedom from him and is successful in it. She moves out from their home and lives in with Julie, working in her cafe. She has a friend in Max, another worker there, and we get to know that he loves Hindi movies, although he can't understand the language, he enjoys them. He also loves Indian food. Max tells Shweta about his wish to visit India to have a trek on Himalayas and attend a Indian wedding.
Shweta's brother is getting married, and her parents invite her and Raj to the wedding. Shweta goes to India without Raj, along with Max. His sister Neha joins her later on along with her husband Mohan and daughter Ria.
The book explores the journey of Shweta from US to India, and the way she handles her parents' pressure of going back to Raj. She slowly falls in love with Niraj Karthik aka Niru, her childhood crush and is shocked to know the exact reason of her marriage with Raj.
We see some anxious moments when Raj physically assaults Shweta and her father, and abuses her during the ring ceremony event. Shweta is helped by her brother and her neighbour uncle Mr. Prasad while obtaining divorce from Raj. She enjoys her brother's wedding and loves Niru very much.
The book is written very well, from Shweta's journey in the US to her love for Niru, the book has everything a bibliophile demands - the things I mentioned in the beginning.
Barring some grammatical mistakes and some sentencing flaws, I enjoyed the book very much.
Shweta is not happy with her marriage to Raj as he always ignores her, and sometimes assaults her. She wants fer freedom from him and is successful in it. She moves out from their home and lives in with Julie, working in her cafe. She has a friend in Max, another worker there, and we get to know that he loves Hindi movies, although he can't understand the language, he enjoys them. He also loves Indian food. Max tells Shweta about his wish to visit India to have a trek on Himalayas and attend a Indian wedding.
Shweta's brother is getting married, and her parents invite her and Raj to the wedding. Shweta goes to India without Raj, along with Max. His sister Neha joins her later on along with her husband Mohan and daughter Ria.
The book explores the journey of Shweta from US to India, and the way she handles her parents' pressure of going back to Raj. She slowly falls in love with Niraj Karthik aka Niru, her childhood crush and is shocked to know the exact reason of her marriage with Raj.
We see some anxious moments when Raj physically assaults Shweta and her father, and abuses her during the ring ceremony event. Shweta is helped by her brother and her neighbour uncle Mr. Prasad while obtaining divorce from Raj. She enjoys her brother's wedding and loves Niru very much.
The book is written very well, from Shweta's journey in the US to her love for Niru, the book has everything a bibliophile demands - the things I mentioned in the beginning.
Barring some grammatical mistakes and some sentencing flaws, I enjoyed the book very much.
October 24, 2018
I came across this book in Kindle Unlimited. The book title and its cover page looked interesting to me and caught my attention.
It is a short and a quick read. It is a typical 'Indian Bollywood type' romantic book and I would recommend if you are not fond of romantic novels, please do not buy/read this book.
It is a short and a quick read. It is a typical 'Indian Bollywood type' romantic book and I would recommend if you are not fond of romantic novels, please do not buy/read this book.
August 22, 2018
Amazing
I just couldn't out down this novel. Whilst it dealt with the serious issue of spousal abuse, there was a funny twist to this story. It's one of those novels that make you cry and laugh as well.
I just couldn't out down this novel. Whilst it dealt with the serious issue of spousal abuse, there was a funny twist to this story. It's one of those novels that make you cry and laugh as well.
March 19, 2019
Typical Indian Wedding Love story
Typical story ....decent plot which I wished was little more spicier :) with little more twists and turns ....worth one read..
Typical story ....decent plot which I wished was little more spicier :) with little more twists and turns ....worth one read..
October 18, 2020
Very Relatable.. Enjoyed every bot of the story.
Its a fast paced enjoyable setting around a wedding and all emotions that go with it.
Its a fast paced enjoyable setting around a wedding and all emotions that go with it.
December 25, 2018
Typical Bollywood movie plot. You can either love it or hate it! Simple book after some serious heavy reading... the climax is expected as is the flow of the plot.
June 9, 2018
A fun read full of drama and romance. Filmi style. Loved it.
November 15, 2018
Good read
A journey of a women escaping from a marriage is the core theme. A good narrative........
Enjoyed reading, characters well firmed....
A journey of a women escaping from a marriage is the core theme. A good narrative........
Enjoyed reading, characters well firmed....
December 16, 2018
Anyone who knows what it means to be married in Indian families will recognize the astute observations Nair has made. It is an engaging and easy read that talks about arranged marriages and how a woman discovers her husband's abusive side, but chooses to walk out on him and faces the ensuing drama.
May 15, 2019
This could have been such a great book if the writing didn't completely suck. The idea for the story had so much potential but it just fell flat. So much about this book bothered me, just a few examples:
- We are told that Shipra's husband, Virat, thinks that Shweta has gone to India, but several pages later he is one of the people that takes them to the airport! Was he not confused???
- Shweta, at one point, mentions she doesn't really drink, but then several times later in the book she is drinking alcohol with the group as if it's no big deal.
- Since when is Beezus and Ramona an "adult" movie?!?!
- It seems like Shweta's family is pretty traditional, but then they are totally ok with so much. Nobody really questions that she had a man as her roommate
I wanted to know so much more about each character, some were just thrown in there for no reason. I still don't understand what Max brought to the story at all.
Shweta's character was horrible, most of the time she's acting like a 12 year old, in fact, the book felt as if it was written for tweens. She is constantly getting mad and throwing a tantrum over the randomest things. I almost felt bad for Niru. There was no depth to the characters, there was no deep emotions felt while reading. This woman just left a seriously abusive relationship, so many opportunities to really make this an outstanding story.
If you want a quick read without having to really think, or have expectations, this is the book for you.
- We are told that Shipra's husband, Virat, thinks that Shweta has gone to India, but several pages later he is one of the people that takes them to the airport! Was he not confused???
- Shweta, at one point, mentions she doesn't really drink, but then several times later in the book she is drinking alcohol with the group as if it's no big deal.
- Since when is Beezus and Ramona an "adult" movie?!?!
- It seems like Shweta's family is pretty traditional, but then they are totally ok with so much. Nobody really questions that she had a man as her roommate
I wanted to know so much more about each character, some were just thrown in there for no reason. I still don't understand what Max brought to the story at all.
Shweta's character was horrible, most of the time she's acting like a 12 year old, in fact, the book felt as if it was written for tweens. She is constantly getting mad and throwing a tantrum over the randomest things. I almost felt bad for Niru. There was no depth to the characters, there was no deep emotions felt while reading. This woman just left a seriously abusive relationship, so many opportunities to really make this an outstanding story.
If you want a quick read without having to really think, or have expectations, this is the book for you.
November 25, 2017
The book is a short-read book. However, the author could have shortened the story-telling to make it more interesting.
October 15, 2017
I am glad I spent my Sunday reading this book. It is filled with all emotions with a good dose of humor n romance.
It's a first time reading about a keralite wedding that was truly celebrated in the Bollywood way with a the mehandi and dance n fun.
Shweta is the new age girl although gets married the arranged marriage route is not ready to stay in a bad one. A few months after she walks out of her marriage she is being summoned to India to attend her brother's wedding. So what's the tamasha that's waiting to happen?
A very nicely written medium paced romantic story.
I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a light romance with all the drama, emotion and relatable lovable characters.
It's a first time reading about a keralite wedding that was truly celebrated in the Bollywood way with a the mehandi and dance n fun.
Shweta is the new age girl although gets married the arranged marriage route is not ready to stay in a bad one. A few months after she walks out of her marriage she is being summoned to India to attend her brother's wedding. So what's the tamasha that's waiting to happen?
A very nicely written medium paced romantic story.
I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a light romance with all the drama, emotion and relatable lovable characters.
June 11, 2018
I picked it up for the 4-star rating on Amazon, but was a bit disappointed.
It reads like an India based M&B, but of a better quality.
It reads like an India based M&B, but of a better quality.
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