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The Bollywood Lovers' Club
Before you can reach for your dreams, you have to choose them.
Amrita Sidhu belongs: in her Indian extended family, in her Sikh faith, in her California home. But when a family fight makes up her father’s mind to take a job across the country in Ohio, she’s torn from the fabric of her community and left to find her footing in a new high school and a new life.
In Ohio, Amrita meets Dave Gill, who’s funny, part-Indian, and also Mormon. At a series of Bollywood movie nights with friends, they begin to connect—despite the pressure they both feel not to date outside their own faith.
As Amrita stares down diverging paths for her future, she knows only one thing for certain: she can’t hold on to everything. She’ll have to choose between her relationship with Dave, her family’s good opinion of her, and her place in her own community—
And once she makes the decision, there will be no going back.
Amrita Sidhu belongs: in her Indian extended family, in her Sikh faith, in her California home. But when a family fight makes up her father’s mind to take a job across the country in Ohio, she’s torn from the fabric of her community and left to find her footing in a new high school and a new life.
In Ohio, Amrita meets Dave Gill, who’s funny, part-Indian, and also Mormon. At a series of Bollywood movie nights with friends, they begin to connect—despite the pressure they both feel not to date outside their own faith.
As Amrita stares down diverging paths for her future, she knows only one thing for certain: she can’t hold on to everything. She’ll have to choose between her relationship with Dave, her family’s good opinion of her, and her place in her own community—
And once she makes the decision, there will be no going back.
- GenresRomance
245 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 19, 2021
2 people are currently reading
54 people want to read
About the author
James Goldberg
23 books52 followersJames Goldberg’s family is Jewish on one side, Sikh on the other, and Mormon in the middle. His plays, essays, and short stories have appeared in numerous publications, including Shofar, Drash, The Best of Mormonism: 2009, Sunstone, Dialogue, Prick of the Spindle, and Jattan Da Pracheen Ithas.
Goldberg works at the LDS Church History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. His wife, Nicole, teaches writing and runs literary contests with him. Together, they are raising three fascinating children.
Goldberg works at the LDS Church History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. His wife, Nicole, teaches writing and runs literary contests with him. Together, they are raising three fascinating children.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
September 30, 2021
YA, set in Ohio, with a Sikh-American girl and a multi-ethnic Mormon boy with Sikh heritage (and a full beard). The authors do a great job at developing the characters and creating a fully believable high school romance. They vividly portray Sikh culture and the Sikh-American experience to life, who wouldn’t want to go to that wedding and eat that food.
While YA romance usually emphasizes the importance of individual choice overcoming adversity, including family. This story shows two young people who have some conflicts with their parents, but deeply committed to remaining part of their familial and religious communities. I love that the authors created these characters, imbued with deep emotional lives.
This YA novel touched me deeply, reminding me of tough choices I faced at 17-18, between young love and heartfelt ties to one’s family and community.
While YA romance usually emphasizes the importance of individual choice overcoming adversity, including family. This story shows two young people who have some conflicts with their parents, but deeply committed to remaining part of their familial and religious communities. I love that the authors created these characters, imbued with deep emotional lives.
This YA novel touched me deeply, reminding me of tough choices I faced at 17-18, between young love and heartfelt ties to one’s family and community.
February 2, 2022
First off, I am not typically a romance reader, much less a YA romance reader. But this book had me shirking my responsibilities to race to the final page.
Our two protagonists, Dave and Amrita, are both well-fleshed out and loveable people. The interactions between the teens in school and out feel authentic, not the stereotypical cliques and meanness, but witty banter, obliviousness, and awkwardness. Both Dave and Amrita's cultures are portrayed vividly and sympathetically. I was disappointed the authors stopped short of portraying an LDS worship service the way they showed a Sikh service. Sunday dinner is just not quite equivalent. But maybe they left it this way as their assumed audience is Mormon.
The central tension of the book is the standard "will they, won't they" you'd expect of a romance novel. But the tension is ratcheted up because getting together implies abandoning their traditions and cultures. And therein lies the strength of the book: it treats religion and family as something inherently valuable to the individual, rather than an obstacle to the only true value (love). Though the ending may not be satisfying to typical romance readers, I found it to be authentic and healthy.
All together, The Bollywood Lovers' Club is up there with the best Mormon contemporary novels. I will be passing this one on to family, ward members, and lots of others as well. This is the novel I would have wanted to read as a teenager and young adult, when every decision you make is monumental and life-changing.
Our two protagonists, Dave and Amrita, are both well-fleshed out and loveable people. The interactions between the teens in school and out feel authentic, not the stereotypical cliques and meanness, but witty banter, obliviousness, and awkwardness. Both Dave and Amrita's cultures are portrayed vividly and sympathetically. I was disappointed the authors stopped short of portraying an LDS worship service the way they showed a Sikh service. Sunday dinner is just not quite equivalent. But maybe they left it this way as their assumed audience is Mormon.
The central tension of the book is the standard "will they, won't they" you'd expect of a romance novel. But the tension is ratcheted up because getting together implies abandoning their traditions and cultures. And therein lies the strength of the book: it treats religion and family as something inherently valuable to the individual, rather than an obstacle to the only true value (love). Though the ending may not be satisfying to typical romance readers, I found it to be authentic and healthy.
All together, The Bollywood Lovers' Club is up there with the best Mormon contemporary novels. I will be passing this one on to family, ward members, and lots of others as well. This is the novel I would have wanted to read as a teenager and young adult, when every decision you make is monumental and life-changing.
January 22, 2023
I usually don't like romance...
... but I was hooked with this one. Usually the obstacles in a romance seem contrived or silly; the kinds of problems that would be easily solved by, you know, TALKING to each other honestly.
But the problems Amrita and Dave face are not as easy. I honestly didn't know how the book would end, because I could see lots of good but opposing choices they could make. The two authors perfectly captured the senior year stage of life, where young people are deciding what they really want to do and what kind of person they want to be, while at the same time having powerful emotional experiences and attachments. I loved how both cultures and religions were taken seriously and how family is so important to both characters.
... but I was hooked with this one. Usually the obstacles in a romance seem contrived or silly; the kinds of problems that would be easily solved by, you know, TALKING to each other honestly.
But the problems Amrita and Dave face are not as easy. I honestly didn't know how the book would end, because I could see lots of good but opposing choices they could make. The two authors perfectly captured the senior year stage of life, where young people are deciding what they really want to do and what kind of person they want to be, while at the same time having powerful emotional experiences and attachments. I loved how both cultures and religions were taken seriously and how family is so important to both characters.
July 23, 2023
A cute and thoughtful YA romance. My own experience of being an LDS high schooler in Ohio made me connect with Dave and the desire to remain true to my faith connected me with both main characters.
My only frustration with the story was how Dave felt he couldn't tell his parents he was dating a Sikh girl because they would expect him to only date Mormon girls. My parents certainly set the expectation that we'd marry someone LDS, but the fact of the matter was that there just weren't that many Mormon kids to date, and if you wanted to date at all, it'd probably be with someone who wasn't Mormon. Of course, my parents expected us to have friends and dates who respected our values and choices and didn't pressure us to compromise those values, but that definition covered everyone I dated and all of my friends in high school, so that was a much more realistic standard to hold.
My only frustration with the story was how Dave felt he couldn't tell his parents he was dating a Sikh girl because they would expect him to only date Mormon girls. My parents certainly set the expectation that we'd marry someone LDS, but the fact of the matter was that there just weren't that many Mormon kids to date, and if you wanted to date at all, it'd probably be with someone who wasn't Mormon. Of course, my parents expected us to have friends and dates who respected our values and choices and didn't pressure us to compromise those values, but that definition covered everyone I dated and all of my friends in high school, so that was a much more realistic standard to hold.
September 2, 2021
A delightful, fun read about teen romance and navigating questions about love and religion and personhood and identity. A breezy and thoughtful book that takes its protagonists seriously but not too much.
February 26, 2024
one of the most beautiful books i've ever read, i loved how genuinely real this felt. i was practically in this story❤️ it very accurately describes how i love my own faith but how i also want everyone else to love their own faith
May 22, 2023
This was a really sweet book. Interesting story, nice characters, classic culture-clash romance.
August 12, 2021
Oh my. This book felt so nostalgic to me. I didn’t date a Sikh girl, but I did grow up Mormon and felt much of the protagonists confusion regarding religion convolved in my first dating relationship. However, I was nowhere near as self-aware as the protagonists (in respecting my girlfriend’s devotion to her religion) and thankfully I didn’t have to be secretive.
Dave, “one-quarter” Punjabi and Mormon, and Amrita, a Punjabi-American Sikh, meet in a predominantly white high school in Columbus, OH. It was equal parts delightful and painful to follow their tentative, burgeoning relationship, particularly as each teen misinterpreted personality quirks of the other as a reflection of their own personal self-worth. At times it was hard to let this story be it’s own (that’s how invested I got in the characters), but I loved every minute I got to spend with these two.
Dave, “one-quarter” Punjabi and Mormon, and Amrita, a Punjabi-American Sikh, meet in a predominantly white high school in Columbus, OH. It was equal parts delightful and painful to follow their tentative, burgeoning relationship, particularly as each teen misinterpreted personality quirks of the other as a reflection of their own personal self-worth. At times it was hard to let this story be it’s own (that’s how invested I got in the characters), but I loved every minute I got to spend with these two.
August 22, 2021
A new school in a strange state, a calling to follow an unsanctioned post-secondary lifepath, a crumbling family, an concerningly eager new friend, cognitive dissonance raised by thriving faith traditions that have to be reconciled with on the ground realities, and frequent detours into mouthwatering descriptions of foods that I fully intend to hunt down and try (how have I never even heard of salty lassi? Poached pear sorbet? Yes, please!) The portraits of the hearts and minds of the characters in "The Bollywood Lovers' Club" are brought to life in rich, loving detail that won me over in no time.
I loved every page of this novel - it had me laughing out loud in some sections, gasping in panic for the predicaments heaped upon Amrita and Dave, and agonizing with them as they processed the weight of the choices their hearts were forcing them to to take. The narrative device of switching first person voice between Amrita and Dave succeeded (James and Janci did really well with creating relatable streams of teenage consciousness), compounding both the humor and the drama while also rewarding a close read to see how characters' worldviews could work to constrain or liberate their thought processes.
At a first glance, this book seemed well outside of the type of text towards which I usually gravitate: I'm not an avid Bollywood fan and I've never read anything in which teen romance played a large part. While I don't feel I can compare it to other books that may fit into this vein of writing, I would still recommend it as an engaging read. The conflicts at the heart of this story felt so real and daunting, and should resonate with anyone, regardless of religious affiliation or ethnicity.
I loved every page of this novel - it had me laughing out loud in some sections, gasping in panic for the predicaments heaped upon Amrita and Dave, and agonizing with them as they processed the weight of the choices their hearts were forcing them to to take. The narrative device of switching first person voice between Amrita and Dave succeeded (James and Janci did really well with creating relatable streams of teenage consciousness), compounding both the humor and the drama while also rewarding a close read to see how characters' worldviews could work to constrain or liberate their thought processes.
At a first glance, this book seemed well outside of the type of text towards which I usually gravitate: I'm not an avid Bollywood fan and I've never read anything in which teen romance played a large part. While I don't feel I can compare it to other books that may fit into this vein of writing, I would still recommend it as an engaging read. The conflicts at the heart of this story felt so real and daunting, and should resonate with anyone, regardless of religious affiliation or ethnicity.
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September 23, 2021This is a YA novel about a young Mormon man with Sikh ancestry, Dave, and a young Sikh woman, Amrita who fall in love in high school. It is more about their respective relationships to their cultures of origin than it is about their romance. The opening Sikh wedding scene is very dense with cultural references, which I found difficult to get through, but be assured that the whole book isn't an avalanche of unfamiliar terms.
Dave is clearly a stand-in for James Goldberg himself. I found this really distracting, and felt that him writing about a young woman falling in love with his teenage self was a little self-serving. It almost felt like an invasion of privacy for me... and I'm a very nosy person! On the other hand, YA novels need more diversity in their male protagonists, so it was refreshing to have one who wasn't good at sports and was tall and gangly. And the characterization was very good, haha.
I liked that
YA isn't really my thing, so I won't mess up this book's rating with my "it was okay." It was a genuine and heartfelt story, even if it was replete with dramatic inner monologues that I find tedious (as most YA romance is).
Dave is clearly a stand-in for James Goldberg himself. I found this really distracting, and felt that him writing about a young woman falling in love with his teenage self was a little self-serving. It almost felt like an invasion of privacy for me... and I'm a very nosy person! On the other hand, YA novels need more diversity in their male protagonists, so it was refreshing to have one who wasn't good at sports and was tall and gangly. And the characterization was very good, haha.
I liked that
YA isn't really my thing, so I won't mess up this book's rating with my "it was okay." It was a genuine and heartfelt story, even if it was replete with dramatic inner monologues that I find tedious (as most YA romance is).
September 9, 2021
This is more than an easy-read romance, though if that's what you want, this book hits all the sweetness and confusion of first love. Add to it, though, the trickiness of navigating first love as it competes with devotion to family, religion, and culture (somehow the authors avoided a heavy-handed or corny tone, which is amazing to me), and this sweet romance reveals characters that consider more than their personal happiness, making mistakes and growing along the way. I so enjoyed watching Dave and Amrita appreciate their differences and similarities as they figure out if they fit together, along with their families and beliefs.
I was excited for this book to come out. Having read some of the authors' other works, I was curious how they'd pair up. James Goldberg doesn't shy away from complex issues in his writings, and Janci Patterson's characters and dialogue always shine. It was such an enjoyable pairing. I hope we get to see more.
I was excited for this book to come out. Having read some of the authors' other works, I was curious how they'd pair up. James Goldberg doesn't shy away from complex issues in his writings, and Janci Patterson's characters and dialogue always shine. It was such an enjoyable pairing. I hope we get to see more.
February 8, 2022
It is hard to talk about what I appreciated most about this book without giving any spoilers, but I’ll say that I appreciate the subtle ways it played with the romance & coming of age genres. There are countless journey books and movies out there that feature characters leaving their families and former ways of doing things to find themselves, or romances where their family/faith/culture/etc are obstacles to be overcome for true love and happiness. I really appreciate that this book gave full credit to the fact that sometimes these very forces that we bump up against as we try to find happiness are often the source of the very best parts of ourselves, and raise interesting questions about how if a person’s family/faith/culture/etc make a person who they are, can you really truly love the person if your relationship takes them away from that integral part of themselves.
Warm and nuanced with a great cast of characters I rooted for.
Warm and nuanced with a great cast of characters I rooted for.
August 4, 2021
This book presents as a romantic comedy with a Mormon and a Sikh as the costars. It hits the necessary beats to satisfy that expectation, but it becomes more than that. I won't say more so I don't spoil it for you.
The author's respectfully and realistically portray the Latter-day Saint characters (I'm LDS, and I grew up in Ohio as the male lead did, so I feel like I can say that authoritatively), and though I can't speak from an insider's perspective for the Indian Sikh female lead, I got the sense they gave her and her family the same fair treatment.
If you've ever wanted an inside look at what it's like to grow up Mormon in the Midwest, this is a pretty accurate picture for many of us. I certainly am more informed and curious about Punjabi Sikh immigrants now, too, and I'd love to read some reviews from their perspective.
The author's respectfully and realistically portray the Latter-day Saint characters (I'm LDS, and I grew up in Ohio as the male lead did, so I feel like I can say that authoritatively), and though I can't speak from an insider's perspective for the Indian Sikh female lead, I got the sense they gave her and her family the same fair treatment.
If you've ever wanted an inside look at what it's like to grow up Mormon in the Midwest, this is a pretty accurate picture for many of us. I certainly am more informed and curious about Punjabi Sikh immigrants now, too, and I'd love to read some reviews from their perspective.
July 28, 2021
Young people can feel different from peers in any number of ways, and many have been explored in literature for young readers. These authors focus on what it means to be a person of faith when few of your peers share that experience, and what it means to meet someone of equally strong faith, but in a different religious tradition. Navigating relationships with peers, immediate and extended family, and with one another, they learn a great deal about their heritages and themselves. The two strongly developed main characters, who are surprised by their attraction and unsure of how to respond, are reminiscent of the young couple in Ursula K. LeGuinn's Very Far Away From Anything Else.
September 17, 2023
This is the kind of story I wish I had been able to read in high school. This is the kind of book I could recommend to someone as just, genuinely a good story and also it includes Mormons. And Mormons done well! I feel like a lot of Mormon media I've seen focused a lot at making fun of ourselves, and I love that this book doesn't do that at all.
The end was
The end was
June 24, 2024
This is a wonderful book about two teenagers from different backgrounds who fall in love with each other. Dave is a Punjabi-American Mormon, and Amrita is a Punjabi-American Sikh. Both deal with questions of community, religious belief, family, and tradition and breaking tradition. There is much depth here as the characters struggle with love where it is frowned upon when it involves outsiders to one’s community. A great story.
August 17, 2021
I felt like I was reading a book about my own experience as a mormon teenager! It felt so authentic, like being in the brains of these two kids as they tried to figure out their lives. It was a delightful journey to take, and a read that pulls you in right from the beginning!
November 11, 2021
Cute book about a Mormon boy and a Sikh girl who fall in (high school) love with each other. It's a quick, pleasant read, and instructional for those of us who want to know more about Sikhs or Mormons.
September 19, 2023
Really enjoyed this. Two high school students: one a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, one of the Sikh faith. I loved reading about both of their experiences, how their lives converged and collided and also how they were different. And what informed their choices.
June 21, 2024
i liked how realistic this was! mixed-faith/culture relationships are hard, and there are lots of complicated dynamics involved. the ending made sense to me and i was really happy with the story overall.
December 15, 2024
ɪ ᴀʟᴍᴏsᴛ ᴅɪᴅɴ’ᴛ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴛʜɪs ʙᴏᴏᴋ, ᴀs ᴀ sɪᴋʜ ᴍʏsᴇʟғ, ɪ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ᴛʜɪs ʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴍɪɢʜᴛ ʙᴇ ᴄʜᴇᴇsʏ. ʙᴏʏ ᴡᴀs ɪ ᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴡʀᴏɴɢ! ɪ ʟᴏᴠᴇᴅ ʜᴏᴡ ᴀᴄᴄᴜʀᴀᴛᴇʟʏ ᴛʜɪɴɢs ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴅᴇsᴄʀɪʙᴇᴅ ʀᴇɢᴀʀᴅɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ғᴀɪᴛʜ, ᴀɴᴅ ғᴀᴍɪʟʏ ɪssᴜᴇs. ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴅɪɴɢ!! ɪ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴛʜɪs ʙᴏᴏᴋ ɪɴ ᴏɴᴇ sɪᴛᴛɪɴɢ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʀᴇᴄ ᴛʜɪs ʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴛᴏ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀs.
January 9, 2022
I loved this until the ending... although perhaps that was the best solution after all. Would be nice to have a list somewhere of the Bollywood movie recommendations for easy reference!
April 21, 2022
This was a sweet YA read with a less predictable ending to give it extra meaning.
January 2, 2023
Loved it! Great read and kept your interest!
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May 16, 2023The ending of this book is so perfect.
I recommend this book to everybody. It is refreshing and exciting, real in a way most literature isn't. I really enjoyed it.
I recommend this book to everybody. It is refreshing and exciting, real in a way most literature isn't. I really enjoyed it.
November 13, 2021
This was a good book, almost myopic in relation to Dave’s story line and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. But still fun. I enjoyed how the authors took the two religions of Sikh and LDS and showed how the dedication to who you are in relation to your religious beliefs can be a difficult thing— especially when it comes to matters of the heart. Punctuated with fun Bollywood-like scenes, likable characters, and a pretty good love story it’s a good read.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews