The Secret Diary of a Bengali Bridezilla

Secret Diary of a Bengali Woman #2

by Halima Khatun

(Alternate cover edition of ASIN B08T21DSFD.)

One couple. Three months. 600 guests (most of whom I’ve never met) and LOTS of opinions.

Welcome to my big fat Bangladeshi wedding.

To
- [ ] Find top makeup artist
- [ ] Create meaningful favours
- [ ] Outdo my cousins impending nuptials
- [ ] Have nervous breakdown?

I’ve found my dream man but will my wedding day be a nightmare? If Fleabag and Bridget Jones got together over tea and a samosa, this is what you’d get. Former journalist Halima Khatun’s hilarious follow-up to The Secret Diary of an Arranged Marriage is a must read for anyone looking for British wit with a multicultural twist.

Genres: Family

352 pages, ebook

First published January 13, 2021

About the author

Halima Khatun is a former journalist (having worked for ITV and the BBC), writer and PR consultant.

Since she was a child, she knew that words would be her thing. With a lifelong passion for writing, Halima wrote her first novel - a coming-of-age children's story - at the age of 12. It was politely turned down by all the major publishing houses. However, proving that writing was indeed her forte, Halima went on to study English and Journalism and was one of just four people in the UK to be granted a BBC scholarship during her postgraduate studies.

She has since written for a number of publications including the HuffPost and Yahoo! Style, and has been featured in the Express, Metro and other national publications. Halima also blogs on lifestyle, food and travel and parenthood on halimabobs.com. This is where she also shares updates on her novels.

Reviews

[Goth Gone Grey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heavy on the bridezilla, light on humor

If reading about someone losing their mind pre-wedding is amusing, then yes, this is hilarious. Otherwise, not so much.

It's a frenetic, last minute rush of wedding plans, heavy on personal appearance concerns and The Best Wedding Ever, as shown here:

"He doesn’t care that we’re getting married sooner, he doesn’t care what our wedding day will look like. He just wants... me. I’ve learnt that, perhaps for the first time in my life, I am enough.

I should say the same thing about him, but who am I kidding? I still want a better wedding than Hassna’s. Even if I have to run around like a mad b!t€h to execute it in record time."

Do I like the bridezilla determination of this character? No, to the point of being fairly disgusted by her. The introspective, gentler moments are far between, and feel fleeting.

[Ritu Bhathal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness, I had such fun listening to this audiobook as I walked, with laugh-out-loud moments, and could relate to many of the situations our hapless Bridezilla goes through!
From letting her parents know she had found a suitor, without letting them know she had actually found and met him herself, to the rigmaroles of setting dates, wedding shopping, managing family expectations, and the always-present aunties... this was a true delight to listen to.
I have the rest of the series on my TBR, but I would love it if they were all on Audiobook!

[Rez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a sequel to The Secret Diary of an Arranged Marriage and follows the journey of a British Bengali Bride as she plans her wedding day.

I enjoyed reading this book, even better than the first in fact! The author has really been able to capture some funny moments that occur in the run up to a Bengali wedding which actually can happen within months of being arranged! She also gives a pretty good insight into the culture and life of British Bengalis. I’m sure anyone who has been through this process either yourself or as a family or friend of someone getting married can relate to at least one of the bridezilla moments! It really made me chuckle at some points and think back and reflect on my own experiences.

I like the way the author makes you feel like you are being invited into the confidence of a close friend as she recounts her highs and lows in a witty, humorous and engaging way. You are left with a warm feeling that will stay with you even after reading.

[Misbah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing about the character was likeable

Nothing about the plot was all that interesting

Love interest was very one dimensional and one toned, basically followed the protagonist and did whatever she wanted without questioning her even when she's being difficult/pretentious/'bridezilla'-y.

Very one toned book

[Shutki Crew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this sequel a lot more than the first book. It had me giggling from early on, and the writing felt more natural and immersive. The characters, especially the FMC (female main character) and her fiancé, were cute and realistic in their interactions, and her mum was an absolute riot. The humour really landed this time.

That said, I had some issues with the realism. The FMC claims halal meat and takeaways are hard to come by in Bristol, and that eyebrow threading isn’t a thing there, but as someone who lives nearby, I know that’s just not true. It would have been more believable if she mentioned a small town.

The biggest drawback for me was the FMC herself. She was incredibly self absorbed and seemed to lack basic empathy. She never checked in on her close friend who had a baby, which was frustrating to read. Despite her efforts to appear westernised, she still came across as a competitive and petty character, seemingly taking joy in others misfortunes, basically all the negative traits found in some bengalis. Honestly, I just know I wouldn’t get along with her in real life.

Culturally, some aspects felt outdated. It wasn’t clear which year the story was set in, but some of the wedding customs described (like receiving the engagement outfit on the day and changing at the venue) felt off. As someone who's grown up in the community, even 15 years ago that wasn’t the norm. The price complaints also didn’t align with current market realities. The prices mentioned for full body waxing or mehndi or makeup seemed sooo cheap by today’s standards.

Despite my gripes, I was entertained, and the side characters really shone. The story had charm, it just would have been stronger with a more grounded, likeable protagonist. It’s a fun and engaging read with moments of real humour and heart, but dragged down by an unlikeable main character and a few cultural inaccuracies.

[Tasnim Rahman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I rarely giggle and cry when reading but boy did this sequel make me sob and cackle or what! I love the sequence of events and wish there was more cultural descriptions or more build up, it would have made it so much more fun to experience. For instance I’d love to know what Bollywood song was being played at the mehndi when everyone got emotional.

As well as preparing for a Bengali wedding, the novel has a lot on work life, friendships and general life. I like that there’s the discussion on brown people (or people of colour in general) putting in twice the amount of work because you have to prove that you fit in, in a work setting. You want to be reliable and there are some work events that you just can’t be a part of.

The school bit where she paints her mum and it is the only Brown mum in the classroom, leaving her feeling embarrassed got my heart sinking. she feels embarrassed. She compares her self esteem to her fiancé is who is a lot more confident and talks about his culture and identity, openly with colleagues where as she is unable to.

I can’t wait to start reading the next book tomorrow 😊

[Vihara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only after reading this did I realise that I don't remember the name of the protagonist, I don't think her name is mentioned at all, in fact. I didn't expect our girl to be a proper bridezilla, because most of the concerns she had seemed normal, but I did see how the pressure got to her. As a South-East Asian myself, it was so fun to read about the food and the various other aspects that seemed common occurrences in our households. As for the writing, I felt like it was witty and fun. There were some moments that were poignant, especially the way they talk about the mother-daughter relationship sometimes. This was a fun and lighthearted read.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

delightful

And proves that Bengali brides are not so different from any others after all. It seems that all brides have nervous fits about the dress, the makeup, the venue, and everything in between. The culture may be a little different but everything else is pretty much the same. I giggled my way through the book, remembering my first wedding many years ago, and grinned with relief when I thought how much easier it was the second time around…but I digress. This book is fun. Read and enjoy. You might even shed a tear or two.

[Cora Mincer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I said this for my review of the first in the Secret Diary series, but I could not physically put this book down. I read whenever something on my work computer was loading, into the wee hours of the morning, and through most of Thanksgiving weekend. I adore Halima's writing style and laughed out loud at the most inappropriate of times (in my reality....of course in our heroine's reality too I suppose 🙈) I can't wait to start on the next one. May can't come soon enough! ☺

[Madeeha Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I definitely reached for some samosas after reading this!

I really enjoyed reading this. Even though I am Pakistani, I really felt all the inside jokes, the bridezilla'ness of an asian bride, the tears and to be honest, I even fried some samosas for dinner though I doubt they were as good as the heroines mums.
I think the whole story was so relatable. Having married in 2018 myself, it just brought back all the memories. 5/5

[Nataliya Montgomery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bridezilla , but funny.

This book is the next in what I hope will be a series. In the first book we saw our gal going through the "manhunt". In this book we see her find her prince charming, get engaged and married. Traditions and customs both old and new are joined in an interesting blend of both cultures. Great read.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book about a Bengali Bridezilla. Her upcoming marriage, it’s different cultural activities and relationships are all covered in this lighthearted account. It touches on deeply felt bonds and different points of views as well. She was honest in both with her readers. I liked her style of writing and wish her well!

[Judith Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny, warm and engaging

Thoroughly enjoyed this book- funny and engaging and providing a fascinating insight into Bengali family life. There’s sniping and frustration but warmth, humour and love shines through. I was sorry to reach the end.

[nora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg, this writer! Fantastic! I loved this whole book, whole series. Kept me up, turning pages when I should have gone to bed. Super story, excellent!

[Ruchi · Rating 5 out of 5]

damn she got me out of MY self pitying rut

[Kath · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this as much as the first. So much was about money and one upmanship. I appreciate a lot was tongue in cheek but all the same...

[N · Rating 5 out of 5]

the bridezilla we all deserve to follow

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Khatun writes brilliantly. And, I have to say, despite being completely annoyed with the main character's over-the-top bridezilla nature, this book made me laugh, cry, and cringe in equal measure.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read. Now reading 3rd in series

[Kia Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

I thoroughly enjoyed the first book and really enjoyed reading about the character developments in this book. Looking forward to the next one.

[Cynthia Gurreri · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is well written, but I found the need for the fancy wedding a bit more then I was interested in. I may revisit it at a later date to see if the story ages better.

[Claudette · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most neurotic series that I’ve read but I’m loving it so far! I’m loving the writing and the glimpses into Bengali culture.