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The Marriage Code
In Brooke Burroughs’s endearing debut novel set in vibrant India, enemies turned allies encounter obstacles in an unexpected multicultural romance only to discover that in the end, love is love.
Emma has always lived her life according to a plan. But after turning down her boyfriend’s proposal, everything starts to crumble. In an effort to save the one thing she cares about—her job—she must recruit her colleague, Rishi, to be on her development team…only she may or may not have received the position he was promised. (She did.)
Rishi cannot believe that he got passed over for promotion. To make matters worse, not only does his job require him to return home to Bangalore with his nemesis, Emma, but his parents now expect him to choose a bride and get married. So, when Emma makes him an offer—join her team, and she’ll write an algorithm to find him the perfect bride—he reluctantly accepts.
Neither of them expect her marriage code to work so well—or to fall for one another—which leads Emma and Rishi to wonder if leaving fate up to formulas is really an equation for lasting love.
Emma has always lived her life according to a plan. But after turning down her boyfriend’s proposal, everything starts to crumble. In an effort to save the one thing she cares about—her job—she must recruit her colleague, Rishi, to be on her development team…only she may or may not have received the position he was promised. (She did.)
Rishi cannot believe that he got passed over for promotion. To make matters worse, not only does his job require him to return home to Bangalore with his nemesis, Emma, but his parents now expect him to choose a bride and get married. So, when Emma makes him an offer—join her team, and she’ll write an algorithm to find him the perfect bride—he reluctantly accepts.
Neither of them expect her marriage code to work so well—or to fall for one another—which leads Emma and Rishi to wonder if leaving fate up to formulas is really an equation for lasting love.
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First published January 1, 2021
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About the author
Brooke Burroughs
2 books97 followersBrooke Burroughs is an award winning writer of fun love stories about women with a heart for adventure. Brooke lives in Austin, Texas with her husband, who she met on one of her own real life adventures living in India. When she's not writing, she conducts experiments in vegetarian cooking, performs with a Bollywood dance troupe, travels whenever she can, and is frequently seen at the dog park with her Great Dane which is often mistaken for a horse.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 492 reviews
December 22, 2020
Thank you to the author, Amazon Publishing & Montlake for gifting me an advance copy of this book in exchange for a honest review!
——
This is a multicultural romance with the familiar “lovers to haters” trope but with the twist of including India and tradition throughout. Emma and Rishi both work in IT in Seattle but a project that doesn’t go as planned, lead them to Bangalore, India. With his financial plan gone awry, Rishi is left with no choice but to get married and follow his traditional hierarchical role as the older Indian brother who has to marry first before his younger sister can.
Rishi gets the help from Emma who builds a web code for Rishi to find that perfect Indian bride who is both traditional and progressive at the same time. And succeed they do. But fate has its ways when the two realize no code can change their desires for each other. Can Rishi usher a white American woman into his traditional household or will this crumble the fabric of his conservative family? Read to find out!
This book hit home in so many ways so to put some perspective, I would like to say that I was born in the same Indian state where a good chunk of this book takes place. My Indian mother’s cultural background is also identical to that of the parents’ of Rishi. My mother was born of the same caste (although I do not like referring to castes) in a very traditional family and she married my father, a French white man and faced a very similar ostracism described in this book. Why am I saying all this? To say that this book is SPOT ON when depicting traditional Tamil families. Although my parents are more progressive, the background described throughout the book is what I grew up with.
I was also amazed how the author knew to depict the very fine details. For example: white people are always given a ceramic cup to drink their coffee while Brahmins drink theirs in small steel cups (or tumblers). For a Westerner, this makes absolutely no sense but it has deep significance in a Tamil Brahmin’s mind. This book is going to be read by many Americans who will probably not understand some of the background or think it’s embellished, but trust me it’s not.
The only minor criticism I have is that it was fairly unrealistic how Emma quickly adjusted to moving to India. In reality, when a Westerner travels to India for the first time, there is a great cultural shock and varying adjustment period. I have personal experience of this from my American husband, numerous family members from my dad’s side and others. I think throwing in some shocks would have added humor to the book but I also realize that a book can only have so much content in it and this aspect was probably omitted for that purpose. So it appears the author concentrated on Rishi’s character more than Emma’s.
All in all, a wonderful book! I usually don’t read romance books much but this is clearly my No. 1 favorite of the few I have read! I expect American reviewers (those who have zero knowledge about India) to be flabbergasted by some of the content on this book but enjoy the ride and appreciate that there is a whole different world out there. If you read this book with such an open mind, you’ll enjoy this cute multicultural romance.
A completely unnecessary point for a review but ironic nonetheless that I want to share: the author moved from Kentucky to Tamil Nadu but I moved from Tamil Nadu to Kentucky. :-)
——
This is a multicultural romance with the familiar “lovers to haters” trope but with the twist of including India and tradition throughout. Emma and Rishi both work in IT in Seattle but a project that doesn’t go as planned, lead them to Bangalore, India. With his financial plan gone awry, Rishi is left with no choice but to get married and follow his traditional hierarchical role as the older Indian brother who has to marry first before his younger sister can.
Rishi gets the help from Emma who builds a web code for Rishi to find that perfect Indian bride who is both traditional and progressive at the same time. And succeed they do. But fate has its ways when the two realize no code can change their desires for each other. Can Rishi usher a white American woman into his traditional household or will this crumble the fabric of his conservative family? Read to find out!
This book hit home in so many ways so to put some perspective, I would like to say that I was born in the same Indian state where a good chunk of this book takes place. My Indian mother’s cultural background is also identical to that of the parents’ of Rishi. My mother was born of the same caste (although I do not like referring to castes) in a very traditional family and she married my father, a French white man and faced a very similar ostracism described in this book. Why am I saying all this? To say that this book is SPOT ON when depicting traditional Tamil families. Although my parents are more progressive, the background described throughout the book is what I grew up with.
I was also amazed how the author knew to depict the very fine details. For example: white people are always given a ceramic cup to drink their coffee while Brahmins drink theirs in small steel cups (or tumblers). For a Westerner, this makes absolutely no sense but it has deep significance in a Tamil Brahmin’s mind. This book is going to be read by many Americans who will probably not understand some of the background or think it’s embellished, but trust me it’s not.
The only minor criticism I have is that it was fairly unrealistic how Emma quickly adjusted to moving to India. In reality, when a Westerner travels to India for the first time, there is a great cultural shock and varying adjustment period. I have personal experience of this from my American husband, numerous family members from my dad’s side and others. I think throwing in some shocks would have added humor to the book but I also realize that a book can only have so much content in it and this aspect was probably omitted for that purpose. So it appears the author concentrated on Rishi’s character more than Emma’s.
All in all, a wonderful book! I usually don’t read romance books much but this is clearly my No. 1 favorite of the few I have read! I expect American reviewers (those who have zero knowledge about India) to be flabbergasted by some of the content on this book but enjoy the ride and appreciate that there is a whole different world out there. If you read this book with such an open mind, you’ll enjoy this cute multicultural romance.
A completely unnecessary point for a review but ironic nonetheless that I want to share: the author moved from Kentucky to Tamil Nadu but I moved from Tamil Nadu to Kentucky. :-)
January 6, 2021
*2.5/5*
There are some potential spoilers ahead, as well as some quotes, so be warned~
A factor that drew me into reading this book was that it's set in India, which is where I'm from! Having grown up in a place where the stereotypes & general prejudice against Indians is high, it always surprises me to see a foreigner taking an interest in our country & it's culture, as there aren't very many of those. Seeing the other reviews left here, it seems that there are at least a handful of other people who are interested in India too! I'm glad to see that there are so many people who actually may care to learn about our country & what it has to offer :')
Like most other cutesy, cliche romance books, it's not very unpredictable, & instantly from reading the synopsis, I could pretty much tell the direction this story would eventually take. It's one of those typical stories of Indian boy (in this case, Rishi) meets an American girl (in this case, Emma), they fall in love & he decides to defy all his family's traditions to be with her, since her existence in his life gives him clarity & practically solves all his problems. I understand this is supposed to be a lighthearted romance book, but since the author is describing another culture & society, I was hoping there would be a sense of depth to the story. I hope the rest of my review doesn't come off as me wanting to gatekeep writing about India, or any other country for that matter; I would just like to touch on some qualms I've personally had with this book while reading it.
In more aspects than one, I feel that Emma was written much better compared to Rishi. This is probably due to the author herself being American, & being able to relate more easily to this character. From the very first chapter, I could tell what kind of person Emma is in general; a spunky redhead, a classic smart, independent lead character with a determined demeanour. However, despite having finished the book, I have no idea what kind of person Rishi would be outside this situation. Almost every dialogue or thought the author presents from him includes either his arranged marriage situation, his family, or how infatuated he is with Emma. The threat of a looming arranged marriage can put immense pressure & stress on someone, I understand that, but I really wish there were more instances of them getting to know one another thoroughly. I didn't feel like I came out fully understanding these characters, & as a result, their preceding romance felt very bland & rushed.
Rishi's entire character feels like a flat representation of an average person in the same situation. I really wish there was more to him, & I expected there to be as I progressed through the book. I could understand if I was getting this impression from just being exposed to Emma's perspective & her opinions & experiences with Rishi, but not much changes about him & how I perceive him when reading his perspective on what's happening. I often found myself questioning, why write from his perspective at all? Nothing much is being added to how I see these characters from his end, it's just there a means to push the plot forward. The most personality I got from Rishi was when he elaborated on one of his actions, ("He’d heard that the whole “cheers” thing was invented by a king who wanted to make sure his drink wasn’t poisoned and so heartily hit his goblet against his dinner guests’. In the same spirit, Rishi clunked his mug hard against hers, although the foam was too resilient to splash anything out."), but I can't recall learning anything new about him after this.
I would have much preferred the book solely to be from Emma's perspective; I think omitting Rishi's chapters entirely would allow for more space for Emma to get to know him thoroughly, & over a larger span of time. Additionally, the author could have included more scenes of Emma struggling to understand Indian culture or experiencing culture shock, which is common due to her own culture being so vastly different. Rishi could help her navigate through this, & they could have gotten to know each other better & learned more about the other's opinions & ideals. Seeing such aspects would make them both feel more like real people, which is something this book heavily lacks with pretty much all its characters.
The writing style of this book isn't something I was particularly a fan of. Personally, I don't mind flowery language to an extent, but along with that, the author uses a lot of rhetorical questions & keywords. of. importance. which. are. broken. up. like. this. & it's something that's present pretty often. This is especially prevalent in Rishi's chapters. I found myself being told what the stakes are in his situation rather than being shown what they are & how they affect him. I don't mind seeing a character's inner monologue depicting their struggles & mindset, however, this felt more like an omniscient narration on the situation as opposed to Rishi's own thoughts & feelings.
The author also....mentions food a lot? & I don't just mean in scenes of Rishi & Emma hanging out (albeit there are way too many of those too), but also as part of the figurative language?? May I present:
"There wasn’t enough chutney in existence to cure this fiery tension between them."
&
"Her eyes were sparkling. Almost like they were on the verge of tears, but in a happy way. This was something new. This sort of joy only got released over the best tomato chutney or the crispy edges of a dosa."
Like...food is a big part of our culture & all...but realistically, who mentions food this much? Imagine reading a book where an Indian girl meets an American boy, & the boy's inner monologue compares her to cheeseburgers & bacon. It would be a pretty strange way of describing things, & I kind of had to pause for a moment to take it in.
This is another issue in a lot of Rishi's dialogue. Why do so many of his descriptions include comparisons to Indian food, religious places like temples, & Indian holidays? Why not give the same treatment to Emma, & have her compare everything to fast food places, Churches, & American holidays? One of these characters reads like a normal person, the other reads like a bad stereotype. Unfortunately, it just comes off a bit ignorant.
The dialogue in the book, like many others in the genre, is quite strange & "quirky". One thing that caught me off guard was Emma's description of Rishi at the beginning of the book, where she stated how, "Maybe Rishi was better looking and didn’t smell like hay and stale beer with a slight tinge of urine. He smelled more like a dark forest with something spicy in the air."
...Ah yes. The duality of Indian men. Either they smell like piss or like curry. Quotes like this, which may not intend to sound strange, are worded so strangely it can't help but coming off like that.
In other instances of quirky dialogue, there was the time Rishi described Emma's hair, stating how, "He’d noticed the one purple curl that hung down her face in the middle of all that red hair, but he was getting a much more intimate view of it now. It reminded him of the syphilis bacteria he’d once seen through a microscope in college. Magnified, it had been a bright-purple curlicue, almost cute for something so diabolical. He could make a similar comparison to her. But the smell of her hair was more like oranges and honey than whatever syphilis smelled like.", & Emma stating how she "watched Rishi lick his fingers. Maybe she was a little envious of those fingers." Some of it is funny, some are slightly cringy. But I suppose this kind of dialogue is present in almost every other book in the same genre, & enjoying this factor is a matter of preference.
The pacing of this book was also quite all over the place. I felt that there were some things that required a bit more dialogue between characters, such as Rishi's parents, who were initially so against him not getting an arranged marriage, coming around to accepting Emma. Things like this just take more time to develop in real life, & aren't so easily & perfectly wrapped up. This is also a factor I wish Emma & Rishi discussed more, as it seems to be a large part of their relationship which is only ever hinted at casually. The ending entirely felt flimsy, & the initial reason for Emma being in Bangalore felt more like an afterthought that came in at the right moment to make Rishi's parents accept her. This is what I mean by feeling that this story lacks depth; there are so many aspects that could have been developed further but just weren't due to the author seeming to want to conclude the story in this rushed, unrealistically perfect way.
All in all, I didn't hate this book. I went into it skeptical but was hoping to come out satisfied with its contents. Unfortunately, I just can't get myself to fully like it. I'm NOT AT ALL against authors writing people of different cultures, & I’m definitely NOT trying to gatekeep here. I can tell that the author is very passionate about India from certain parts of this book, which is, again, incredibly lovely to see. However, when writing characters from another culture to yours, I feel it's important to ensure that they seem like actual people, as opposed to bland, stereotypical versions of such. Personally, I feel this story sorely lacks that, the uninteresting characters & lack of emphasis on certain aspects regarding the plot really bring down what could have been an interesting take on falling in love with a person whose culture is vastly different from yours.
There are some potential spoilers ahead, as well as some quotes, so be warned~
A factor that drew me into reading this book was that it's set in India, which is where I'm from! Having grown up in a place where the stereotypes & general prejudice against Indians is high, it always surprises me to see a foreigner taking an interest in our country & it's culture, as there aren't very many of those. Seeing the other reviews left here, it seems that there are at least a handful of other people who are interested in India too! I'm glad to see that there are so many people who actually may care to learn about our country & what it has to offer :')
Like most other cutesy, cliche romance books, it's not very unpredictable, & instantly from reading the synopsis, I could pretty much tell the direction this story would eventually take. It's one of those typical stories of Indian boy (in this case, Rishi) meets an American girl (in this case, Emma), they fall in love & he decides to defy all his family's traditions to be with her, since her existence in his life gives him clarity & practically solves all his problems. I understand this is supposed to be a lighthearted romance book, but since the author is describing another culture & society, I was hoping there would be a sense of depth to the story. I hope the rest of my review doesn't come off as me wanting to gatekeep writing about India, or any other country for that matter; I would just like to touch on some qualms I've personally had with this book while reading it.
In more aspects than one, I feel that Emma was written much better compared to Rishi. This is probably due to the author herself being American, & being able to relate more easily to this character. From the very first chapter, I could tell what kind of person Emma is in general; a spunky redhead, a classic smart, independent lead character with a determined demeanour. However, despite having finished the book, I have no idea what kind of person Rishi would be outside this situation. Almost every dialogue or thought the author presents from him includes either his arranged marriage situation, his family, or how infatuated he is with Emma. The threat of a looming arranged marriage can put immense pressure & stress on someone, I understand that, but I really wish there were more instances of them getting to know one another thoroughly. I didn't feel like I came out fully understanding these characters, & as a result, their preceding romance felt very bland & rushed.
Rishi's entire character feels like a flat representation of an average person in the same situation. I really wish there was more to him, & I expected there to be as I progressed through the book. I could understand if I was getting this impression from just being exposed to Emma's perspective & her opinions & experiences with Rishi, but not much changes about him & how I perceive him when reading his perspective on what's happening. I often found myself questioning, why write from his perspective at all? Nothing much is being added to how I see these characters from his end, it's just there a means to push the plot forward. The most personality I got from Rishi was when he elaborated on one of his actions, ("He’d heard that the whole “cheers” thing was invented by a king who wanted to make sure his drink wasn’t poisoned and so heartily hit his goblet against his dinner guests’. In the same spirit, Rishi clunked his mug hard against hers, although the foam was too resilient to splash anything out."), but I can't recall learning anything new about him after this.
I would have much preferred the book solely to be from Emma's perspective; I think omitting Rishi's chapters entirely would allow for more space for Emma to get to know him thoroughly, & over a larger span of time. Additionally, the author could have included more scenes of Emma struggling to understand Indian culture or experiencing culture shock, which is common due to her own culture being so vastly different. Rishi could help her navigate through this, & they could have gotten to know each other better & learned more about the other's opinions & ideals. Seeing such aspects would make them both feel more like real people, which is something this book heavily lacks with pretty much all its characters.
The writing style of this book isn't something I was particularly a fan of. Personally, I don't mind flowery language to an extent, but along with that, the author uses a lot of rhetorical questions & keywords. of. importance. which. are. broken. up. like. this. & it's something that's present pretty often. This is especially prevalent in Rishi's chapters. I found myself being told what the stakes are in his situation rather than being shown what they are & how they affect him. I don't mind seeing a character's inner monologue depicting their struggles & mindset, however, this felt more like an omniscient narration on the situation as opposed to Rishi's own thoughts & feelings.
The author also....mentions food a lot? & I don't just mean in scenes of Rishi & Emma hanging out (albeit there are way too many of those too), but also as part of the figurative language?? May I present:
"There wasn’t enough chutney in existence to cure this fiery tension between them."
&
"Her eyes were sparkling. Almost like they were on the verge of tears, but in a happy way. This was something new. This sort of joy only got released over the best tomato chutney or the crispy edges of a dosa."
Like...food is a big part of our culture & all...but realistically, who mentions food this much? Imagine reading a book where an Indian girl meets an American boy, & the boy's inner monologue compares her to cheeseburgers & bacon. It would be a pretty strange way of describing things, & I kind of had to pause for a moment to take it in.
This is another issue in a lot of Rishi's dialogue. Why do so many of his descriptions include comparisons to Indian food, religious places like temples, & Indian holidays? Why not give the same treatment to Emma, & have her compare everything to fast food places, Churches, & American holidays? One of these characters reads like a normal person, the other reads like a bad stereotype. Unfortunately, it just comes off a bit ignorant.
The dialogue in the book, like many others in the genre, is quite strange & "quirky". One thing that caught me off guard was Emma's description of Rishi at the beginning of the book, where she stated how, "Maybe Rishi was better looking and didn’t smell like hay and stale beer with a slight tinge of urine. He smelled more like a dark forest with something spicy in the air."
...Ah yes. The duality of Indian men. Either they smell like piss or like curry. Quotes like this, which may not intend to sound strange, are worded so strangely it can't help but coming off like that.
In other instances of quirky dialogue, there was the time Rishi described Emma's hair, stating how, "He’d noticed the one purple curl that hung down her face in the middle of all that red hair, but he was getting a much more intimate view of it now. It reminded him of the syphilis bacteria he’d once seen through a microscope in college. Magnified, it had been a bright-purple curlicue, almost cute for something so diabolical. He could make a similar comparison to her. But the smell of her hair was more like oranges and honey than whatever syphilis smelled like.", & Emma stating how she "watched Rishi lick his fingers. Maybe she was a little envious of those fingers." Some of it is funny, some are slightly cringy. But I suppose this kind of dialogue is present in almost every other book in the same genre, & enjoying this factor is a matter of preference.
The pacing of this book was also quite all over the place. I felt that there were some things that required a bit more dialogue between characters, such as Rishi's parents, who were initially so against him not getting an arranged marriage, coming around to accepting Emma. Things like this just take more time to develop in real life, & aren't so easily & perfectly wrapped up. This is also a factor I wish Emma & Rishi discussed more, as it seems to be a large part of their relationship which is only ever hinted at casually. The ending entirely felt flimsy, & the initial reason for Emma being in Bangalore felt more like an afterthought that came in at the right moment to make Rishi's parents accept her. This is what I mean by feeling that this story lacks depth; there are so many aspects that could have been developed further but just weren't due to the author seeming to want to conclude the story in this rushed, unrealistically perfect way.
All in all, I didn't hate this book. I went into it skeptical but was hoping to come out satisfied with its contents. Unfortunately, I just can't get myself to fully like it. I'm NOT AT ALL against authors writing people of different cultures, & I’m definitely NOT trying to gatekeep here. I can tell that the author is very passionate about India from certain parts of this book, which is, again, incredibly lovely to see. However, when writing characters from another culture to yours, I feel it's important to ensure that they seem like actual people, as opposed to bland, stereotypical versions of such. Personally, I feel this story sorely lacks that, the uninteresting characters & lack of emphasis on certain aspects regarding the plot really bring down what could have been an interesting take on falling in love with a person whose culture is vastly different from yours.
January 7, 2021
Check out all of my reviews at: https://www.avonnalovesgenres.com
THE MARRIAGE CODE by Brooke Burroughs is an enchanting debut enemies-to-lovers multi-cultural romance set in India. This story is written around a romance trope, but it is so much more with the culture, food and traditions of India blended throughout.
Rishi is sent to his IT company’s Seattle headquarters with the belief he will be heading up a new project. He plans on sending the extra pay home to help with his sister’s wedding and while living in the U.S., the pressure is off him to marry first. Then he finds out, he has been passed over and has to return to India and work with the woman who stole his project position and his family is now putting extra pressure on him to find a wife.
Emma discovers her division in headquarters will be closing down and she jumps at the chance to head up a new project even though she will have to relocate to India. She is named the project head, but has no idea the position was promised to Rishi and now she has to get his professional help on her team for the project to succeed.
Emma proposes a deal. If Rishi will join her team and help her succeed, she will write an algorithm for him to find him the perfect wife. Neither are prepared for the marriage code to be so successful even as they fall for each other.
I enjoyed this debut romance. Rishi and Emma are wonderful main characters that have past hurts and present pressures constantly working against them to overcome for their HEA. All the secondary characters are fully fleshed and add extra depth to the multi-cultural story. Ms. Burroughs is talented at making the reader understand the cultural differences, smell and taste the Indian food and not get bogged down in technical IT descriptions all while intertwining the growing romance throughout.
I can highly recommend this debut multi-cultural romance.
THE MARRIAGE CODE by Brooke Burroughs is an enchanting debut enemies-to-lovers multi-cultural romance set in India. This story is written around a romance trope, but it is so much more with the culture, food and traditions of India blended throughout.
Rishi is sent to his IT company’s Seattle headquarters with the belief he will be heading up a new project. He plans on sending the extra pay home to help with his sister’s wedding and while living in the U.S., the pressure is off him to marry first. Then he finds out, he has been passed over and has to return to India and work with the woman who stole his project position and his family is now putting extra pressure on him to find a wife.
Emma discovers her division in headquarters will be closing down and she jumps at the chance to head up a new project even though she will have to relocate to India. She is named the project head, but has no idea the position was promised to Rishi and now she has to get his professional help on her team for the project to succeed.
Emma proposes a deal. If Rishi will join her team and help her succeed, she will write an algorithm for him to find him the perfect wife. Neither are prepared for the marriage code to be so successful even as they fall for each other.
I enjoyed this debut romance. Rishi and Emma are wonderful main characters that have past hurts and present pressures constantly working against them to overcome for their HEA. All the secondary characters are fully fleshed and add extra depth to the multi-cultural story. Ms. Burroughs is talented at making the reader understand the cultural differences, smell and taste the Indian food and not get bogged down in technical IT descriptions all while intertwining the growing romance throughout.
I can highly recommend this debut multi-cultural romance.
December 1, 2020
Sweet and laidback
For me, this is the kind of debut that starts out strong then loses steam along the way. It's a true romance, complete with an enemies to lovers style relationship and some lighthearted friction. It's got closed door intimate scenes and just a touch of sexiness, yet still feels like a modern love story. I really enjoyed getting to know both characters, and the story will completely immerse the reader into Indian culture. Where this falters for me is the heavy, heavy focus on that Indian culture. Rishi is searching for the perfect, parent-approved bride for the vast majority of the story, and it gets extremely detailed. There's a point where enough was enough and the details became boring, but I also loved the uniqueness. There's a fine line between the two.
The story follows Rishi, a man returning to his home of India after working in the States for years. Rishi has largely separated from his traditional upbringing, but after seeing how his brother's marriage to a non-parent-approved woman tore the family apart, he's decided to go back to his roots in a lot of ways. He's looking for the perfect traditional Indian wife, and using a search engine he developed to do so. The problem? His new co-worker, a red-headed American who stole his job, invaded his life, and seems to hold all of his interest.
I had every intention of rating this higher, because I actually did like a lot of the story. But it just dragged SO MUCH in the middle. The focus becomes very much about India, their food and culture, before slowly transitioning back into the romance. During the middle, Rishi also just bugged me like crazy with his determination to please his parents. That took some of the sparkle out of this love story, but that doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy a lot of it. Ultimately, this is a very promising debut. It's got the laidback, kinda sweet vibe that you'd expect from the cover, it remains clean for the most part, and it was pretty charming. Travel lovers will appreciate all of the detail, and modern romance lovers will fall for the characters.
For me, this is the kind of debut that starts out strong then loses steam along the way. It's a true romance, complete with an enemies to lovers style relationship and some lighthearted friction. It's got closed door intimate scenes and just a touch of sexiness, yet still feels like a modern love story. I really enjoyed getting to know both characters, and the story will completely immerse the reader into Indian culture. Where this falters for me is the heavy, heavy focus on that Indian culture. Rishi is searching for the perfect, parent-approved bride for the vast majority of the story, and it gets extremely detailed. There's a point where enough was enough and the details became boring, but I also loved the uniqueness. There's a fine line between the two.
The story follows Rishi, a man returning to his home of India after working in the States for years. Rishi has largely separated from his traditional upbringing, but after seeing how his brother's marriage to a non-parent-approved woman tore the family apart, he's decided to go back to his roots in a lot of ways. He's looking for the perfect traditional Indian wife, and using a search engine he developed to do so. The problem? His new co-worker, a red-headed American who stole his job, invaded his life, and seems to hold all of his interest.
I had every intention of rating this higher, because I actually did like a lot of the story. But it just dragged SO MUCH in the middle. The focus becomes very much about India, their food and culture, before slowly transitioning back into the romance. During the middle, Rishi also just bugged me like crazy with his determination to please his parents. That took some of the sparkle out of this love story, but that doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy a lot of it. Ultimately, this is a very promising debut. It's got the laidback, kinda sweet vibe that you'd expect from the cover, it remains clean for the most part, and it was pretty charming. Travel lovers will appreciate all of the detail, and modern romance lovers will fall for the characters.
December 4, 2020
I'll read pretty much anything set in India but this one wasn't for me. I'm not a fan of chick-lit and no amount of banging on about programming code and apps could hide that there's not a lot of substance to this novel. Nothing happens that's in the slightest bit unpredictable.
The book perhaps suffers for being based on the author's own experience of falling in love with an Indian guy. When reality gets in the way, writers too often over-describe, stuff the book full of things relevant to them but just dull and unnecessary to the plot.
I thought it would be a quick romp through a light book but it was so dull that I really had to force myself to get through this one as the second half really dragged. All you'll learn about Bangalore (which is a pretty boring city as far as Indian cities go) is there's lots of food and lots of traffic. Not exactly inciteful.
Unless you love this sort of thing, give it a miss.
The book perhaps suffers for being based on the author's own experience of falling in love with an Indian guy. When reality gets in the way, writers too often over-describe, stuff the book full of things relevant to them but just dull and unnecessary to the plot.
I thought it would be a quick romp through a light book but it was so dull that I really had to force myself to get through this one as the second half really dragged. All you'll learn about Bangalore (which is a pretty boring city as far as Indian cities go) is there's lots of food and lots of traffic. Not exactly inciteful.
Unless you love this sort of thing, give it a miss.
January 10, 2021
When Emma gets the chance to lead a team developing an app for a project she's put her heart and soul into, she jumps at the chance--even if it means moving to Bangalore for a year. What she doesn't realize is that the job was promised to Rishi, who she has to court into become her lead developer. In exchange for joining the team, Emma agrees to help him develop code to find the perfect wife. But after Emma and Rishi start spending more and more time together, both of them maybe wish she hadn't.
To be honest, I was a little nervous reading a book by a non-Indian author that so heavily involves Indian culture and most of which takes place in India. The author's website and brief bio in the book explain it's based a little bit, at least, on her own experiences, of moving to India for work and falling in love. I kind of wish this had been one of those at-the-beginning-of-the-book author's notes; I think it makes the story more... relatable? Digestible? I'm not sure--something.
Overall, I quite enjoyed the book. The characters were wonderful and I LOVED the food descriptions (seriously I ordered Indian food immediately after reading). The character of Rishi was in such a difficult position, but I really understood each of his actions--the author did a great job of showing us each character's motivations and making them seem fully real and three-dimensional. I also love the representation of a woman in STEM leading a romcom! It's not something we see often, and as a woman in STEM myself, I loved seeing that--especially because the book hardly even addressed that she was a woman in STEM. Not every book with a woman in STEM lead has to point out every five seconds that she's the only woman in a room or groundbreaking or different; I love that this book just treated it as a normal career and not a point of adversity or plot point.
I will say, the book was definitely on the long side. It's a bit of an epic for a rom-com (and maybe it's more of a romance than a rom-com). But, on the other hand, I'm not really sure what could have been cut. Maybe I wouldn't have had the same praise for how well-developed and explained the characters were if it were a 75 pages shorter. But it did make me a bit antsy when it just kept going and going.
Overall, would recommend!
5 stars - 8/10
Thank you to Amazon Publishing and Montlake for my ARC in exchange for an honest review!
To be honest, I was a little nervous reading a book by a non-Indian author that so heavily involves Indian culture and most of which takes place in India. The author's website and brief bio in the book explain it's based a little bit, at least, on her own experiences, of moving to India for work and falling in love. I kind of wish this had been one of those at-the-beginning-of-the-book author's notes; I think it makes the story more... relatable? Digestible? I'm not sure--something.
Overall, I quite enjoyed the book. The characters were wonderful and I LOVED the food descriptions (seriously I ordered Indian food immediately after reading). The character of Rishi was in such a difficult position, but I really understood each of his actions--the author did a great job of showing us each character's motivations and making them seem fully real and three-dimensional. I also love the representation of a woman in STEM leading a romcom! It's not something we see often, and as a woman in STEM myself, I loved seeing that--especially because the book hardly even addressed that she was a woman in STEM. Not every book with a woman in STEM lead has to point out every five seconds that she's the only woman in a room or groundbreaking or different; I love that this book just treated it as a normal career and not a point of adversity or plot point.
I will say, the book was definitely on the long side. It's a bit of an epic for a rom-com (and maybe it's more of a romance than a rom-com). But, on the other hand, I'm not really sure what could have been cut. Maybe I wouldn't have had the same praise for how well-developed and explained the characters were if it were a 75 pages shorter. But it did make me a bit antsy when it just kept going and going.
Overall, would recommend!
5 stars - 8/10
Thank you to Amazon Publishing and Montlake for my ARC in exchange for an honest review!
November 13, 2020
Burroughs weaves a realistic yet romantic tale of two characters who appear opposite in nearly every way, and yet so compatible. Rishi and Emma are both great protagonists that you can’t helped but root for. India is presented in loving detail, and with such passion you’d be hard pressed to not feel Emma’s excitement at every ‘adventure’. Burroughs’ debut is a solid offering, and I’ll be looking for more from her in the future.
July 6, 2021
The Marriage Code is the perfect epitome of two cultures colliding and then slowly melting into each other with the fire of love. Would you rely upon an algorithm to find the one you're destined to marry?
Rishi and Emma get off on the wrong foot when they first meet as Emma unknowingly bags the position of the project head that Rishi was to be offered. There begins my most treasured enemies to lovers trope! Ah, give me more. The slow burn romance, the beautiful setting of India, the writing dipped with humour, everything worked out in favour of the story.
I was literally amazed by the author's deep understanding of the Indian culture. So I did some research, and omg this is based on the life of the author herself! Personal experience always count for authenticity and I must say, Brooke Boroughs has put the words down in paper quite eloquently where her story came alive.
The characters breathe more life into the story, because honestly being a Indian I found them quite relatable. The narrative is very quirky and it always livens up the mood. The Marriage Code is definitely worthy of your time, and if you're into realistic romances this one would be right up your alley.
Rishi and Emma get off on the wrong foot when they first meet as Emma unknowingly bags the position of the project head that Rishi was to be offered. There begins my most treasured enemies to lovers trope! Ah, give me more. The slow burn romance, the beautiful setting of India, the writing dipped with humour, everything worked out in favour of the story.
I was literally amazed by the author's deep understanding of the Indian culture. So I did some research, and omg this is based on the life of the author herself! Personal experience always count for authenticity and I must say, Brooke Boroughs has put the words down in paper quite eloquently where her story came alive.
The characters breathe more life into the story, because honestly being a Indian I found them quite relatable. The narrative is very quirky and it always livens up the mood. The Marriage Code is definitely worthy of your time, and if you're into realistic romances this one would be right up your alley.
November 19, 2020
The Marriage Code is a great debut that is immersed in Indian culture, has a strong female character in STEM, and is a charming romance with an enemies to lovers trope that readers will fall in love with.
Emma is a strong, independent woman who is dedicated to her job. She is smart and shows that a woman can dominate in the STEM world. She has been in a relationship for a while and when her boyfriend proposes, she declines. She questions whether she was truly in love or just comfortable with the idea of being in a relationship. After the breakup, she focuses even more on her project and lands the promotion she has been wanting. But that means she will have to work with her nemesis, Rishi.
Rishi is a programmer that is hoping to make big changes for his future. He wants to land the promotion and be the lead for taking project Helix and turning it into an app. And he is facing pressure from his parents to find a wife that fits all of their criteria. When he learns that Emma got the promotion, he he doesn't really want anything to do with project.
Emma knows that she needs Rishi so she makes him a proposal; join the team in exchange for Emma finding him a wife with her marriage code algorithm. They team up and agree to make the most of it.
Their job takes them to India which is Rishi homeland. They really make a great team and as they work together it was so nice to see their chemistry build. They begin to develop feelings and act on them. How could their feelings be so strong in such a short amount of time?
Things progress and yet Emma and Rishi know that it will be difficult for a future because of Rishi's plan's to marry an Indian woman like his parents. Will Rishi ever stand up to his parents for love? Can Emma handle another heartbreak?
I was so excited to read this book for many reasons. I love an enemies to lovers trope and I always like learning about different cultures. Brooke Burroughs wrote one great debut. I loved her writing style. The build up was so worth the wait.
I give The Marriage Code 5 stars. This story is perfect for romance readers who enjoy an unexpected romance and a strong female lead character. After reading the author's bio, you can tell that she wrote this based on her own experiences in the STEM world and working in India. She tied in her experiences and wrote such a charming romance. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.
Emma is a strong, independent woman who is dedicated to her job. She is smart and shows that a woman can dominate in the STEM world. She has been in a relationship for a while and when her boyfriend proposes, she declines. She questions whether she was truly in love or just comfortable with the idea of being in a relationship. After the breakup, she focuses even more on her project and lands the promotion she has been wanting. But that means she will have to work with her nemesis, Rishi.
Rishi is a programmer that is hoping to make big changes for his future. He wants to land the promotion and be the lead for taking project Helix and turning it into an app. And he is facing pressure from his parents to find a wife that fits all of their criteria. When he learns that Emma got the promotion, he he doesn't really want anything to do with project.
Emma knows that she needs Rishi so she makes him a proposal; join the team in exchange for Emma finding him a wife with her marriage code algorithm. They team up and agree to make the most of it.
Their job takes them to India which is Rishi homeland. They really make a great team and as they work together it was so nice to see their chemistry build. They begin to develop feelings and act on them. How could their feelings be so strong in such a short amount of time?
Things progress and yet Emma and Rishi know that it will be difficult for a future because of Rishi's plan's to marry an Indian woman like his parents. Will Rishi ever stand up to his parents for love? Can Emma handle another heartbreak?
I was so excited to read this book for many reasons. I love an enemies to lovers trope and I always like learning about different cultures. Brooke Burroughs wrote one great debut. I loved her writing style. The build up was so worth the wait.
I give The Marriage Code 5 stars. This story is perfect for romance readers who enjoy an unexpected romance and a strong female lead character. After reading the author's bio, you can tell that she wrote this based on her own experiences in the STEM world and working in India. She tied in her experiences and wrote such a charming romance. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.
January 7, 2021
Thank you to Montlake for a gifted copy of this ARC. All opinions are my own.
This book will make you want to order everything off the menu at your local Indian restaurant as well as book a plane ticket to India to eat everything in sight (and maybe visit a few temples). It's a cute enemies to lovers romance that focuses on the cultural expectations of a traditional Indian family. Not much angst and it's closed door. Overall, it was good but I was hoping it would have something different to set it apart from other romance novels that I've read.
This book will make you want to order everything off the menu at your local Indian restaurant as well as book a plane ticket to India to eat everything in sight (and maybe visit a few temples). It's a cute enemies to lovers romance that focuses on the cultural expectations of a traditional Indian family. Not much angst and it's closed door. Overall, it was good but I was hoping it would have something different to set it apart from other romance novels that I've read.
January 1, 2021
Such a beautiful written debut romance.
I enjoyed this story more than I have expected. There’s a lot of chemistry in an enemies to lovers trope usually and this one hasn’t missed the mark with all the great banter and fierce characters.
I really need to try out some of the indian dishes because this story left me wanting to read and know more about some cultures that I haven’t before.
A great debut and a new author that needs to be looked up.
I enjoyed this story more than I have expected. There’s a lot of chemistry in an enemies to lovers trope usually and this one hasn’t missed the mark with all the great banter and fierce characters.
I really need to try out some of the indian dishes because this story left me wanting to read and know more about some cultures that I haven’t before.
A great debut and a new author that needs to be looked up.
January 6, 2021
It was a mistake to start this boo at 10 pm :P
Another night without sleep ,LOL
Review to come soon :)
Another night without sleep ,LOL
Review to come soon :)
January 18, 2021
I wanted to like the book, since it had a promising blurb, but it fell short for me.
Note: To anyone in the programming/coding world, do not expect much on that front. This could have been set against nearly any professional background. The only way it comes into play is that Emma codes a marriage search engine (a techy best friend could have stepped in to take care of that part).
The whole thing reads a bit clichéd and the plot and character evolution were too slow through the first 80% of the book and too rushed through the last 20%.
The editing team did a disservice to the author - the idea was there, but the ball was dropped in the execution.
Side note: The reviews pitching this is a RomCom - where was the comedy? I did not chuckle, giggle, or smirk once through this book.
Note: To anyone in the programming/coding world, do not expect much on that front. This could have been set against nearly any professional background. The only way it comes into play is that Emma codes a marriage search engine (a techy best friend could have stepped in to take care of that part).
The whole thing reads a bit clichéd and the plot and character evolution were too slow through the first 80% of the book and too rushed through the last 20%.
The editing team did a disservice to the author - the idea was there, but the ball was dropped in the execution.
Side note: The reviews pitching this is a RomCom - where was the comedy? I did not chuckle, giggle, or smirk once through this book.
Read
January 4, 20214 Coding Stars
* * * * Spoiler Free-A Quick Review
I am always interested in a different perspective than my own. I find it important to hear/read stories that give me other life experiences. I love learning and being able to put myself in other's shoes.
The Marriage Code allowed me to do just that. I felt it a strong example of cultural differences, dealing with them, and overcoming the challenges. Since I am someone who does not believe in reinventing the wheel, Savitri (IG: bookishcatsavant)'s review is perfect. Please take a moment to read it as it gives you everything you would want plus a very special perspective.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Marriage Code
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
* * * * Spoiler Free-A Quick Review
I am always interested in a different perspective than my own. I find it important to hear/read stories that give me other life experiences. I love learning and being able to put myself in other's shoes.
The Marriage Code allowed me to do just that. I felt it a strong example of cultural differences, dealing with them, and overcoming the challenges. Since I am someone who does not believe in reinventing the wheel, Savitri (IG: bookishcatsavant)'s review is perfect. Please take a moment to read it as it gives you everything you would want plus a very special perspective.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Marriage Codehttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
December 1, 2020
A Book You Want to Like, But…
This debut novel has gotten good buzz, and the book itself is at least in part based on the author's experience as an American woman working in India in IT (fun to have a STEM heroine based in reality… that part does come across well) and as someone who married an Indian man (some of which is supposedly depicted in the book). However, the book suffers from flaws typical of debut novels, even though according to the acknowledgments, she has worked with a host of people to shape this book, including those at her publisher and her critique writing partners. I was turned off right away by the info-dumping that starts the book; seriously, that is the first thing a publisher should prune! That's just always a big turnoff for me. A skilled writer—as we assume one who got a book contract from a publisher should be—should weave that information into the book proper instead of trying to tell us everything she deemed important for us to know right at the start.
I also thought the book had issues with pacing. It is a long book, nearly 400 pages, but it starts off glacially slow. Things pick up and even out a little once she gets to India, but at times even in that part, unimportant details and conversations slowed the story's pace. But then the end feels rushed. Despite the massive team she had, she didn't seem to have the people who would help her shape this somewhat amorphous mass of a book into a better one—nor did she have that knowledge herself. By the way, there's also profanity in this book, including the F-bomb. I don't like to see profanity in any book, and I honestly think that authors should warn about this in their book descriptions so those of us who don't like to be exposed to such things in their reading material don't have to be. Unfortunately, Amazon did not include the Look Inside ability for any of December's First Reads, as I certainly would not have chosen this book if I had seen the info dumps and profanity.
This debut novel has gotten good buzz, and the book itself is at least in part based on the author's experience as an American woman working in India in IT (fun to have a STEM heroine based in reality… that part does come across well) and as someone who married an Indian man (some of which is supposedly depicted in the book). However, the book suffers from flaws typical of debut novels, even though according to the acknowledgments, she has worked with a host of people to shape this book, including those at her publisher and her critique writing partners. I was turned off right away by the info-dumping that starts the book; seriously, that is the first thing a publisher should prune! That's just always a big turnoff for me. A skilled writer—as we assume one who got a book contract from a publisher should be—should weave that information into the book proper instead of trying to tell us everything she deemed important for us to know right at the start.
I also thought the book had issues with pacing. It is a long book, nearly 400 pages, but it starts off glacially slow. Things pick up and even out a little once she gets to India, but at times even in that part, unimportant details and conversations slowed the story's pace. But then the end feels rushed. Despite the massive team she had, she didn't seem to have the people who would help her shape this somewhat amorphous mass of a book into a better one—nor did she have that knowledge herself. By the way, there's also profanity in this book, including the F-bomb. I don't like to see profanity in any book, and I honestly think that authors should warn about this in their book descriptions so those of us who don't like to be exposed to such things in their reading material don't have to be. Unfortunately, Amazon did not include the Look Inside ability for any of December's First Reads, as I certainly would not have chosen this book if I had seen the info dumps and profanity.
December 29, 2020
The only reason I kept reading the book was because of the descriptions of India and the food. The story started off well then began being repetitive as if the author had nothing else to write. Seriously, the same exact sentence was repeated a paragraph later. The ending was a total cop-out. Rishi's parents were SO against him marrying outside of an arranged marriage and then all it took was one family meeting and everyone was happy. I'm still not sure whether the parts about India were worth the time to read this book. I won't be reading anything else by this author.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 26, 2020
Beach read. Fair predictable, slightly eye-rolling journey. Emma and Rishi were alternatively semi-likable and annoying, but entirely devoid of "will they or won't they" tension. We know they will so it's hard to care about the journey.
Best part was the descriptions of the food. Now I want some spicy Indian food and lots of coffee.
Best part was the descriptions of the food. Now I want some spicy Indian food and lots of coffee.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 25, 2023
Cuando has leído tantas novelas de amor, es difícil encontrar una historia que sea diferente y que además te enganche.
No sé si ha sido que este ambientada en la India, o que se trate un tema sobre el que yo nunca había leído, pero esta historia se lleva mis primeras 5 estrellas.
El personaje de Rishi me encanta y la relación que hay entre los dos me parece muy bonita. Además, por una vez en la vida ambos protagonistas se nota que son maduros.
Enamorada
No sé si ha sido que este ambientada en la India, o que se trate un tema sobre el que yo nunca había leído, pero esta historia se lleva mis primeras 5 estrellas.
El personaje de Rishi me encanta y la relación que hay entre los dos me parece muy bonita. Además, por una vez en la vida ambos protagonistas se nota que son maduros.
Enamorada
January 14, 2021
See the full review & more at HarlequinJunkie
The Marriage Code was an office romance that spanned two continents and paired together two very different cultures that initially clashed but eventually meshed in the loveliest of ways.
I’m always happy to pick up a debut novel and get a chance to hear a new voice in literature. With Brooke Burroughs’ Marriage Code, not only was it an enemies-to-lovers trope, but it had a tiny bit of a romantic comedy vibe to it as well, which enriched the rivalry between the hero and heroine perfectly. The storytelling itself had a nice flow to it. And I loved all of the minute details Burroughs added to make the settings–Seattle and India–really come to life... Read More
The Marriage Code was an office romance that spanned two continents and paired together two very different cultures that initially clashed but eventually meshed in the loveliest of ways.
I’m always happy to pick up a debut novel and get a chance to hear a new voice in literature. With Brooke Burroughs’ Marriage Code, not only was it an enemies-to-lovers trope, but it had a tiny bit of a romantic comedy vibe to it as well, which enriched the rivalry between the hero and heroine perfectly. The storytelling itself had a nice flow to it. And I loved all of the minute details Burroughs added to make the settings–Seattle and India–really come to life... Read More
January 11, 2021
This was such a cute romance novel with a little bit of spice. The novel follows Emma, just getting over a fresh break-up, overseas to Bangalore where she has had to relocate for her IT job as the lead on a new app. Rishi can’t believe that the job was given to Emma instead of him and he will be relocating as well to work under Emma. The tension between these two was palpable. There were lots of details about culture and food in this story. I loved how much detail was given about Rishi’s culture and the details about his family home. The author’s personal experience and knowledge definitely contributed to the vivid details of the story.
I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishing house, Montlake, for providing an advanced copy for review. All thoughts and opinions written in this review are my own.
I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishing house, Montlake, for providing an advanced copy for review. All thoughts and opinions written in this review are my own.
November 24, 2020
4 stars.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good RomCom.
Emma is a very organized, career driven and structured woman. After she ends up turning down her boyfriend’s proposal, things start to get messy. But at least she has her job. She is told to recruit Rishi, a new colleague that transferred branches, to be on her new App development team. However, Rishi was told that he was going to be the leader of the app development team, not Emma. What he thought was going to be his big promotion becomes butting heads with Emma. If things could not get any worse, they figure out the development team will be relocated.. to Bangalore, India. His hometown. Where his parents are expecting him to find a wife and get married very soon. Emma tries to talk Rishi in joining her team, even though he was supposed to be leading it, but telling him she will help him find a wife for him.
Great read, just wish it was a little shorter. I felt like it was stretched out a bit.
Thank you Amazon Publishers for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good RomCom.
Emma is a very organized, career driven and structured woman. After she ends up turning down her boyfriend’s proposal, things start to get messy. But at least she has her job. She is told to recruit Rishi, a new colleague that transferred branches, to be on her new App development team. However, Rishi was told that he was going to be the leader of the app development team, not Emma. What he thought was going to be his big promotion becomes butting heads with Emma. If things could not get any worse, they figure out the development team will be relocated.. to Bangalore, India. His hometown. Where his parents are expecting him to find a wife and get married very soon. Emma tries to talk Rishi in joining her team, even though he was supposed to be leading it, but telling him she will help him find a wife for him.
Great read, just wish it was a little shorter. I felt like it was stretched out a bit.
Thank you Amazon Publishers for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
July 9, 2021
Also Posted on For The Love of Fictional Worlds
Disclaimer: A physical Copy was provided by Westland Booksin exchange for an honest review. The Thoughts, opinions & feelings expressed in the review are therefore, my own.
A sweet debut that was romantic and entertaining in ways an Indian reader like me definitely enjoyed.
Rishi, who has lived in the States for a while hasn’t exactly been connected to his traditional roots in India. Though, after his familial clashes after his brother married a woman his Indian parents didn’t approve of.
So, he knows that he will follow his parent’s heart and marry the traditional Indian bride and even builds a whole search engine to help him with just that.
But what he didn’t expect was that the American woman, Emma who is the bane of his existence and who stole his job, is never far away from his mind.
The Marriage Code is amalgamation of two cultures coming together - however, the author did focus the extra attention on the Indian Culture, which per say isn’t a bad thing, in theory.
But this attention to the minute details of the Indian Culture pretty much dragged the book from it core - the romance between Emma and Rishi - and ended up dragging the book, enough so that there were times when I actually wished I could keep it aside.
Only my interest in Rishi and Emma’s enemies to lovers subtle shift had me persevering through the book.
Anyone who loves learning about new cultures or is especially interested in the Indian Culture and traditions would definitely find far more enjoyment I. This book; for me however it was only Rishi and Emma that made sure I would read through the entirety of the book.
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December 28, 2020
3.5 stars
Thank you to Amazon Publishing/Montlake Romance for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.
Emma has just turned down her longtime boyfriend's marriage proposal and then has a run-in with a new guy at her work, Rishi. They don't start out on good footing and then when she gets promoted at work to a position he was promised, things are not going to get any better. The job promotion could have helped him to help his family by sending money home to his parents. He also could have avoided marriage that his mother is pushing him into. As part of the promotion, Emma has to move to India for a year and Rishi will be part of her team as he is the best app developer.
When Emma learns of Rishi's predicament, she offers to write him a Marriage Code to find the perfect bride for him. He doesn't want to get married, but he doesn't want to disappoint his parents. As he and Emma work closely together, they both start to develop feelings for each other, but his mother is still actively planning his wedding. Soon, Rishi is going to have a decision to make if he wants a future with Emma.
This multicultural (closed door) romance started out strong for me, got a little long-winded in the middle, but came back around some in the end. I did think the ending was a little rushed. With a book that is over 400 pages, the ending just wrapped up too quickly. I enjoyed both Emma and Rishi's characters and was so glad that we got both of their POV's.
Thank you to Amazon Publishing/Montlake Romance for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.
Emma has just turned down her longtime boyfriend's marriage proposal and then has a run-in with a new guy at her work, Rishi. They don't start out on good footing and then when she gets promoted at work to a position he was promised, things are not going to get any better. The job promotion could have helped him to help his family by sending money home to his parents. He also could have avoided marriage that his mother is pushing him into. As part of the promotion, Emma has to move to India for a year and Rishi will be part of her team as he is the best app developer.
When Emma learns of Rishi's predicament, she offers to write him a Marriage Code to find the perfect bride for him. He doesn't want to get married, but he doesn't want to disappoint his parents. As he and Emma work closely together, they both start to develop feelings for each other, but his mother is still actively planning his wedding. Soon, Rishi is going to have a decision to make if he wants a future with Emma.
This multicultural (closed door) romance started out strong for me, got a little long-winded in the middle, but came back around some in the end. I did think the ending was a little rushed. With a book that is over 400 pages, the ending just wrapped up too quickly. I enjoyed both Emma and Rishi's characters and was so glad that we got both of their POV's.
July 28, 2021
I enjoyed this one way more than I thought I would. I loved Emma and Rishi's story so much and don't get me started on the food. I felt like catching the next flight to India while reading this one.
Coming from a place where tradition is pretty strong especially in terms of marriage, I totally understand Rishi and his concerns. The marriage code was such a neat idea, I wish someone could make something like that for me lol. I don't think this is a series but I'd love a story for Rishi's sister as well as Emma's best friend.
I see myself reading more from this author. Her writing style is enjoyable and makes the story easy to read.
Coming from a place where tradition is pretty strong especially in terms of marriage, I totally understand Rishi and his concerns. The marriage code was such a neat idea, I wish someone could make something like that for me lol. I don't think this is a series but I'd love a story for Rishi's sister as well as Emma's best friend.
I see myself reading more from this author. Her writing style is enjoyable and makes the story easy to read.
March 21, 2021
This story is adorable! I love Emma and Rishi. The culture, the traditions, the FOOD!! The entire adventure is just fueling my desire to travel and experience other places and cultures! India I am coming for you. You sound incredible and I want to experience all you have to offer!
August 6, 2024
Easy to read and a little predictable, but that’s what I was after! The detailed descriptions of India and all the amazing food took me right back. The main characters work in tech coding and app development and the story revolves around their career vs relationship.
December 24, 2020
First of all thank you to Montlake Romance for asking me to be apart of Brooke Burroghs debut novels release. It was a joy to be apart of.
The Marriage Code combined two of my favourite things: IT and interracial relationships. I am a super tech nerd so this story fuelled that end of me. And as a POC, I'm always so ready to see more reads with people like me, especially interracial relationships, because love finds itself everywhere.
The story follows Emma and Rishi. They're first meet is cute until a doughnut ruins it all. They start on the wrong foot to be simple and thereafter there's just a mass of misunderstandings and stepping on each others toes incidentally.
When eventually Rishi realises Emma is going to be the lead on a project he was supposed to manage he assumes defeat. However as Emma feels bad not having known he was promised the position, she offers her services to him.
She'll help him with his marriage code to help him find the perfect bride, as his family is on his back for him to settle; and he'll cooperate with her on her beloved project.
It starts simple but of course seeing each other so much and Rishi helping Emma discover more of India causes them to see each other in a different light.
I loved how most of the book was set in India and that we're able to see the world from Emma and Rishi's point of view. It also helps broaden your culture if you've never been to such a country before.
It was beautiful read and a great debut novel. It follows a lot of themes of culturally resets and how it can be hard to step out of the norm but there's always room for acceptance if you do.
An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review.
The Marriage Code combined two of my favourite things: IT and interracial relationships. I am a super tech nerd so this story fuelled that end of me. And as a POC, I'm always so ready to see more reads with people like me, especially interracial relationships, because love finds itself everywhere.
The story follows Emma and Rishi. They're first meet is cute until a doughnut ruins it all. They start on the wrong foot to be simple and thereafter there's just a mass of misunderstandings and stepping on each others toes incidentally.
When eventually Rishi realises Emma is going to be the lead on a project he was supposed to manage he assumes defeat. However as Emma feels bad not having known he was promised the position, she offers her services to him.
She'll help him with his marriage code to help him find the perfect bride, as his family is on his back for him to settle; and he'll cooperate with her on her beloved project.
It starts simple but of course seeing each other so much and Rishi helping Emma discover more of India causes them to see each other in a different light.
I loved how most of the book was set in India and that we're able to see the world from Emma and Rishi's point of view. It also helps broaden your culture if you've never been to such a country before.
It was beautiful read and a great debut novel. It follows a lot of themes of culturally resets and how it can be hard to step out of the norm but there's always room for acceptance if you do.
An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review.
August 3, 2021
3.5 🌟 Classic guilty read- boy meets girl story. Light and fun.
December 19, 2020
No wonder their female deities sometimes had so many arms. Men were impossible with their demands.
Emma has always lived her life according to a plan. But after turning down her boyfriend’s proposal, everything starts to crumble. In an effort to save the one thing she cares about—her job—she must recruit her colleague, Rishi, to be on her development team…only she may or may not have received the position he was promised. (She did.)
Rishi cannot believe that he got passed over for promotion. To make matters worse, not only does his job require him to return home to Bangalore with his nemesis, Emma, but his parents now expect him to choose a bride and get married. So, when Emma makes him an offer—join her team, and she’ll write an algorithm to find him the perfect bride—he reluctantly accepts.
The truth was that he’d been hiding who he was and what he wanted for so long that his own parents didn’t even know him.
I went into this expecting a light, fluffy geek romance. That isn't what I got but I honestly am not too upset about it (though if that's what you're looking for, I'd recommend The Kiss Quotient).
Ultimately, at its core, Emma and Rishi both explore what it means to know what you want rather than what you think you want. While Emma has less growing to do than Rishi (it's complicated), I really liked how they took on the challenges...together. And while it had a bit more angst than I wanted, and not near enough geek, it was absolutely fitting and served as the catalyst to really make lasting changes for everyone.
Recommended for romances lovers that enjoy personal growth...especially for foodies because the food experiences are real.
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