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A Holly Jolly Diwali
7 hours, 12 minutes
One type-A data analyst discovers her free-spirited side on an impulsive journey from bustling Mumbai to the gorgeous beaches of Goa and finds love waiting for her on Christmas morning.
Twenty-eight-year-old Niki Randhawa has always made practical decisions. Despite her love for music and art, she became an analyst for the stability. She's always stuck close to home, in case her family needed her. And she's always dated guys that seem good on paper, rather than the ones who give her butterflies. When she's laid off, Niki realizes that practical hasn't exactly paid off for her. So for the first time ever, she throws caution to the wind and books a last-minute flight for her friend Diya's wedding.
Niki arrives in India just in time to celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights, where she meets London musician Sameer Mukherji. Maybe it's the splendor of Mumbai or the magic of the holiday season, but Niki is immediately drawn to Sam. At the wedding, the champagne flows and their flirtatious banter makes it clear that the attraction is mutual.
When Niki and Sam join Diya, her husband and their friends on group honeymoon, their connection grows deeper. Free-spirited Sam helps Niki get in touch with her passionate and creative side, and with her Indian roots. When she gets a new job offer back home, Niki must decide what she wants out of the next chapter of her life--to cling to the straight and narrow like always, or to take a leap of faith and live the kind of bold life the old Niki never would have dreamed of.
One type-A data analyst discovers her free-spirited side on an impulsive journey from bustling Mumbai to the gorgeous beaches of Goa and finds love waiting for her on Christmas morning.
Twenty-eight-year-old Niki Randhawa has always made practical decisions. Despite her love for music and art, she became an analyst for the stability. She's always stuck close to home, in case her family needed her. And she's always dated guys that seem good on paper, rather than the ones who give her butterflies. When she's laid off, Niki realizes that practical hasn't exactly paid off for her. So for the first time ever, she throws caution to the wind and books a last-minute flight for her friend Diya's wedding.
Niki arrives in India just in time to celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights, where she meets London musician Sameer Mukherji. Maybe it's the splendor of Mumbai or the magic of the holiday season, but Niki is immediately drawn to Sam. At the wedding, the champagne flows and their flirtatious banter makes it clear that the attraction is mutual.
When Niki and Sam join Diya, her husband and their friends on group honeymoon, their connection grows deeper. Free-spirited Sam helps Niki get in touch with her passionate and creative side, and with her Indian roots. When she gets a new job offer back home, Niki must decide what she wants out of the next chapter of her life--to cling to the straight and narrow like always, or to take a leap of faith and live the kind of bold life the old Niki never would have dreamed of.
Audiobook
First published October 5, 2021
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About the author
Sonya Lalli
8 books803 followersSonya Lalli is a Canadian writer of Indian heritage. She studied law in her hometown of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and at Columbia University in New York City. She completed an MA in Creative Writing and Publishing at City University London in 2015, and currently works as a journalist at a legal magazine in London. She has a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and loves travel, yoga, piano, reading and cocktail bartending.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,372 reviews
December 23, 2021
Woohoo! In my opinion: This is so far the best book of the author! It was like watching a riveting, heartfelt, entertaining romcom. I already visualized each scenes in my head. One of my favorite scenes of the book depicted at its lovely cover: Niki in her vivid yellow sari held in Sam’s arms, facing away from the pool and squinting at him, slightly leaning backward as the fireworks erupted! That’s the night they met!
I already worked on cast options and visualized Niki as Alia Bahatt and Sam from the Band …well, actually I went back and forth between Sidhart Malhotra and Shahid Kapoor ( actually my first choice was Ranbir Kapoor but he might be a little older for the character)
Anyways: this book has everything for my romcom craving soul but this is not only a random love story. It’s about self discovery, family conflicts, cultural discovery, reconnecting with your roots story! It was also educational to learn more about Sikhism and Hinduism and their rituals, differences.
Niki was data analytics manager at a start up that sold e-products who was hired straight out of college as analyst and easily climbed the corporate ladders. Yes, I’m using past tense. Because she got sacked! Yes, after spending her years working her ass off to get her promotion one year ago for moving out from her parents’ house now she is going back to ground zero! She didn’t take risks, she didn’t fool around. She was always the responsible, all work no play girl, a quiet workaholic, a good daughter never flirts with random guys. Is this the way how universe rewards her!
She always envies her sister Jasmine who is going with flow, getting risky decisions, doing the opposite what her parents told. But she has her dream job, living with her boyfriend: she has it all. This is not fair!
Well, the same day she’s sagged, she reluctantly goes an arranged date with flirty doctor Raj. ( thanks to her nosy parents) When she hits the bar with her date, getting too drunk, motivated by the extra flirting doctor, she calls her bestie Diya who is going to marry in a few days and as an unemployed 29 years old single woman she has no better things to do to fly to Mumbai and attend her best friend’s wedding.
This may be a great way to reconnect with her roots by visiting her relatives and traveling to the places where her parents came from.
Of course her lack of knowledge about Punjabi culture, her fashion style and lack of language skills create some issues to connect with people. But thankfully Aasha Auntie takes her under her wings and insists to arrange her a date with her son. She rejects at first but when she discovers her so is the same guy at the band she’s ogling all night long, she has second thoughts.
Sam from the band a.k.a. Sameer: Diya’s childhood best friend, chased his dream to be a musician, moving LA with his sister instead of getting a secure job in Mumbai, then moving to Europe to tour around with his band at several venues. He’s her polar opposite: a rebel, pursuing his dreams in music , passionate, free spirited, going with the flow.
But their attraction is mutual and as their connections get deeper after attending honeymooners’ vacation in Goa, Niki realizes she has to make a decision about her next path she’ll follow in her life! Should she go back to the states, dating with her awaiting, family approved doctor, finding a secure job or taking risks and following Sam to London to start a new life without knowing what future brings!
Overall: I’m rounding up 4.5 stars to 5 happy Festival of Lights, long distance relationship, feel good romance stars!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
I already worked on cast options and visualized Niki as Alia Bahatt and Sam from the Band …well, actually I went back and forth between Sidhart Malhotra and Shahid Kapoor ( actually my first choice was Ranbir Kapoor but he might be a little older for the character)
Anyways: this book has everything for my romcom craving soul but this is not only a random love story. It’s about self discovery, family conflicts, cultural discovery, reconnecting with your roots story! It was also educational to learn more about Sikhism and Hinduism and their rituals, differences.
Niki was data analytics manager at a start up that sold e-products who was hired straight out of college as analyst and easily climbed the corporate ladders. Yes, I’m using past tense. Because she got sacked! Yes, after spending her years working her ass off to get her promotion one year ago for moving out from her parents’ house now she is going back to ground zero! She didn’t take risks, she didn’t fool around. She was always the responsible, all work no play girl, a quiet workaholic, a good daughter never flirts with random guys. Is this the way how universe rewards her!
She always envies her sister Jasmine who is going with flow, getting risky decisions, doing the opposite what her parents told. But she has her dream job, living with her boyfriend: she has it all. This is not fair!
Well, the same day she’s sagged, she reluctantly goes an arranged date with flirty doctor Raj. ( thanks to her nosy parents) When she hits the bar with her date, getting too drunk, motivated by the extra flirting doctor, she calls her bestie Diya who is going to marry in a few days and as an unemployed 29 years old single woman she has no better things to do to fly to Mumbai and attend her best friend’s wedding.
This may be a great way to reconnect with her roots by visiting her relatives and traveling to the places where her parents came from.
Of course her lack of knowledge about Punjabi culture, her fashion style and lack of language skills create some issues to connect with people. But thankfully Aasha Auntie takes her under her wings and insists to arrange her a date with her son. She rejects at first but when she discovers her so is the same guy at the band she’s ogling all night long, she has second thoughts.
Sam from the band a.k.a. Sameer: Diya’s childhood best friend, chased his dream to be a musician, moving LA with his sister instead of getting a secure job in Mumbai, then moving to Europe to tour around with his band at several venues. He’s her polar opposite: a rebel, pursuing his dreams in music , passionate, free spirited, going with the flow.
But their attraction is mutual and as their connections get deeper after attending honeymooners’ vacation in Goa, Niki realizes she has to make a decision about her next path she’ll follow in her life! Should she go back to the states, dating with her awaiting, family approved doctor, finding a secure job or taking risks and following Sam to London to start a new life without knowing what future brings!
Overall: I’m rounding up 4.5 stars to 5 happy Festival of Lights, long distance relationship, feel good romance stars!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
November 8, 2021
this was sweet! i will admit the romance wasn't the most swoon worthy or developed but i really loved learning more about Diwali and seeing Niki's growth over the course of the story! definitely a feel good holiday romance
November 25, 2021
1 star - As per goodreads' standards, I didn't like it - at all. Nothing - not the setting, the plot, the characters, the romance, nor the cultural/religious aspects of the novel - were given the attention and treatment I expect from a Berkeley Romance novel.
I just want to preface this by saying that I respect authors and the work they produce. The following review is just one reader’s opinion.
——
This was a book about a young woman realizing that while she was busy playing by the rules and making sure she was the "good Indian daughter" her parents didn't have to worry about, the people who broke all the rules and didn't give a hoot about disappointing their parents and danced to the beat of their own drum were leading successful, interesting, uncompromising lives. They weren't any worse off for not doing things properly and disobeying their parents, and she wasn't necessarily better off for having complied with everyones rules and expectations.
So in an impulsive move unlike her typical nature, after she suddenly gets laid off from her job, Niki takes off to attend her friend's wedding - in India. A country whose culture and ethnicity she embodies but ultimately a place she has never been. In India, she meets the bride's friend Sam(eer) and what ensues is a flirtatious game of will they or won't they admit their feelings for each other and realize that what's going on between them is more than just a wedding "fling".
It's insta-love romance, sometimes funny, and good for anyone looking for that "love overcomes all obstacles" kind of story.
Now, this is your warning: I'm about to go on a big rant on the specific things that didn't sit right with me about this book. I want to preface this by saying that I don't think an American of any other background or race or religion would feel the same way I did. But because I am an American, born and raised by Indian parents who immigrated here from Kolkata before I was born, who speaks fluent Bengali and celebrated all major holidays at our Hindu temple for the first 18 years of my life, and visited India every other year to visit family and grandparents since I was born, I feel somewhat qualified to make these criticisms.
I wish the main characters were slightly more developed and the periphery Indian characters Niki encounters didn't feel like caricatures of who and what they were trying to portray. Almost all of the side characters Niki meets/encounters in India seem to serve the purpose of showing Niki (and the reader) how awful, outdated, rude, disrespectful Indian people can be, and how out of place Niki feels as an American in India. One Auntie is a complete stranger and just decides to tell Niki that she should stay out of the sun as she's looking kinda dark (this makes 29 y/old Niki sad and she cries). Then another Auntie, Sam's mom, is SO MODERN AND WESTERN AND COOL, she assumes - nay, WANTS - Sam and Niki to share a bed and room so that they will have sex and be in love and get married... while they're all living under the same roof. Mind you, Niki, Sam, and Sam's mom have all only known each other for a week. But Auntie is so desperate for her son to get married she encourages them to sleep together? Look, there's modern and there's ridiculous. Even by American standards that's crazy. If the mother of a guy I've known for a week and haven't even been on a date with insists that I share a bed with her son I AM RUNNING AWAY SO QUICKLY. So every Auntie Niki meets is her own caricature for what's wrong with or great about India.
As an American-born Indian whose parents took her back to India from the time I was 6 months old (and every 2 years thereafter), I can say with authority that the India and Indian people that Niki meets and Sonya Lalli portrays is a unique and singular experience, not a universal one. I have been in Kolkata and Mumbai and Delhi, Kerala aged 16, 18, 20, wearing dresses, skirts, shorts above the knee and also in traditional Indian dresses. No one has ever leered or catcalled me, made me feel uncomfortable or at risk of being raped. That doesn't mean these things don't happen. But it's like writing a book about a foreign family visiting America and saying they feel like they're going to be victims of gun violence because they see it on the news headlines all the time. I don't know, Lalli packed a lot of backwards assumptions about India in this romance novel. Time and time again she chooses to discredit, ridicule, and mock the rigidity or superfluousness of deep rooted traditional Indian customs (reading and aligning horoscopes, having housekeepers, cooks, drivers, butchers, for example). Niki gets mad when two other bridesmaids are discussing the incompetence of their domestic help. And while those characters were being rude, the whole scene and conversation gave nothing to the plot other than to show that there are Indians who talk about their maids behind their backs and don't value them highly.... Why was this criticism about Indians necessary to input into a romance novel?? I just feel like Sonya Lalli used this book as an opportunity to make characters out of all the things wrong with Indian society. I thought this book would be a celebration of India and its diverse religions, cultures, foods. Instead, LIKE ANOTHER CARICATURE, Niki eats out at restaurants and spends a day bedridden from food poisoning and diarrhea. Look, I wasn't expecting Niki to have an Eat Pray Love moment, but Lalli literally took every opportunity to highlight the flaws in India, and it really took away a lot of the enjoyment of the atmosphere for me.
And, the main character Niki goes around the whole novel asking people why they celebrate Diwali and somehow no one has an answer, so at the end of the novel she decides to use Diwali to mark the beginning of her love story with Sam... Like, okay that's called an anniversary - not Diwali. As a Bengali Hindu, Kali Puja, or a celebration of the Goddess Kali (which we celebrate instead of Diwali) has a distinct purpose. Kali is the Goddess known to destroy evil and fight for justice. So we celebrate her and remember that even in our quest to do justice, we must be just and good ourselves. You can't eradicate evil with evil - only light can do that. At least, after 28 years of celebrating Kali Puja, that's what I am thinking about. As someone who grew up in America, I'm surprised I know that and yet the 15 Indians Niki asked in the novel couldn't come up with a satisfactory answer as to why they or anyone celebrates Diwali/Kali Puja - other than it's the Festival of Lights, light over darkness, (character named Diya says - it's the celebration of ME). I mean, Diwali/Kali Puja is an actual celebration of something and it's not like a make it whatever you want holiday. I think Lalli has one of her characters compare it to non-Christians celebrating Christmas in America... OK but we don't go to church and celebrate it with them. We go to the mall and a MASSIVE tree happens to be there and everything in the mall is on SALE so we buy gifts for ourselves and everyone we know… not exactly the same as a Hindu girl going to India for the first time and celebrating Diwali with her friends. Like, it's not just a party she showed up to, she could actually be involved and practice the religion if she wanted to.
Finally, the chances of randomly running into and not recognizing Shah Rukh Khan in India is just too implausible for me. His VOICE is so distinct. The man could be wearing a SCREAM mask and I'd recognize him by his voice alone. Niki is a fake Bollywood fan and she didn't deserve that photo with Shah Rukh. Just saying.
All the little things Lalli brings up about why Indians are rude, outdated, etc are not incorrect. Those stereotypical thoughts (fair skin is better, casteism) definitely exist throughout the country. It's just not the dominant thought anymore in modern, progressive circles and it's insane to think that Niki encounters all the worst things about India all in unique people and instances in the 2 weeks she spends there (in major cities like Mumbai and Goa nonetheless). None of them, by the way, lend themselves to furthering ANY plot or character development - except maybe to further Niki's distaste for India.
But again, these nuances won't irk the average reader, because the average reader isn't as sensitive as me, probably. But, whatever. I had high hopes for this book specifically because of the South Asian representation. And in the end I felt like I read a book about how Niki met and fell in love with Sam because he was the only nice stranger in all of India that she encountered. The India Sonya Lalli describes through Niki's lens is a smoggy, hot mess. It's dangerous, dirty, rude, ungrateful, ungracious, and their traditions, customs, and beliefs are nonchalant, loosey goosey, open to interpretation and can/should be completely disregarded when possible. I'm proud to be an American citizen with Indian heritage and ethnicity. And I'm so sorry Niki's first experience in India was so shitty. That the only time she had fun was a day out with her friend's family cook and driver (what person would send their international houseguest sightseeing with the cook is beyond me??). Ultimately, I cannot relate to Nikki and Sonya Lalli's harrowing depiction of Indians and India. And that's sad because now I want to write/read a book from an Indian - American perspective talking about how wonderful and meaningful India is - the people, the culture, the food, the religious ceremonies and celebrations. But I think only white people write those books LOL. ANYWAY, rant over. This was a tolerable book if you focus on the romance only. Even then, it was beyond subpar. I don't see what was so lovable about Sam other than the fact that he was persistent in trying to date Niki and was her shoulder to cry on every time someone hurt her feelings.
So, despite having high hopes, this book was barely just ok for me. In the end, the negative atmosphere overwhelmed the lukewarm romance between two very confused and directionless lead characters.
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley Romance, and Netgalley for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
I just want to preface this by saying that I respect authors and the work they produce. The following review is just one reader’s opinion.
——
This was a book about a young woman realizing that while she was busy playing by the rules and making sure she was the "good Indian daughter" her parents didn't have to worry about, the people who broke all the rules and didn't give a hoot about disappointing their parents and danced to the beat of their own drum were leading successful, interesting, uncompromising lives. They weren't any worse off for not doing things properly and disobeying their parents, and she wasn't necessarily better off for having complied with everyones rules and expectations.
So in an impulsive move unlike her typical nature, after she suddenly gets laid off from her job, Niki takes off to attend her friend's wedding - in India. A country whose culture and ethnicity she embodies but ultimately a place she has never been. In India, she meets the bride's friend Sam(eer) and what ensues is a flirtatious game of will they or won't they admit their feelings for each other and realize that what's going on between them is more than just a wedding "fling".
It's insta-love romance, sometimes funny, and good for anyone looking for that "love overcomes all obstacles" kind of story.
Now, this is your warning: I'm about to go on a big rant on the specific things that didn't sit right with me about this book. I want to preface this by saying that I don't think an American of any other background or race or religion would feel the same way I did. But because I am an American, born and raised by Indian parents who immigrated here from Kolkata before I was born, who speaks fluent Bengali and celebrated all major holidays at our Hindu temple for the first 18 years of my life, and visited India every other year to visit family and grandparents since I was born, I feel somewhat qualified to make these criticisms.
I wish the main characters were slightly more developed and the periphery Indian characters Niki encounters didn't feel like caricatures of who and what they were trying to portray. Almost all of the side characters Niki meets/encounters in India seem to serve the purpose of showing Niki (and the reader) how awful, outdated, rude, disrespectful Indian people can be, and how out of place Niki feels as an American in India. One Auntie is a complete stranger and just decides to tell Niki that she should stay out of the sun as she's looking kinda dark (this makes 29 y/old Niki sad and she cries). Then another Auntie, Sam's mom, is SO MODERN AND WESTERN AND COOL, she assumes - nay, WANTS - Sam and Niki to share a bed and room so that they will have sex and be in love and get married... while they're all living under the same roof. Mind you, Niki, Sam, and Sam's mom have all only known each other for a week. But Auntie is so desperate for her son to get married she encourages them to sleep together? Look, there's modern and there's ridiculous. Even by American standards that's crazy. If the mother of a guy I've known for a week and haven't even been on a date with insists that I share a bed with her son I AM RUNNING AWAY SO QUICKLY. So every Auntie Niki meets is her own caricature for what's wrong with or great about India.
As an American-born Indian whose parents took her back to India from the time I was 6 months old (and every 2 years thereafter), I can say with authority that the India and Indian people that Niki meets and Sonya Lalli portrays is a unique and singular experience, not a universal one. I have been in Kolkata and Mumbai and Delhi, Kerala aged 16, 18, 20, wearing dresses, skirts, shorts above the knee and also in traditional Indian dresses. No one has ever leered or catcalled me, made me feel uncomfortable or at risk of being raped. That doesn't mean these things don't happen. But it's like writing a book about a foreign family visiting America and saying they feel like they're going to be victims of gun violence because they see it on the news headlines all the time. I don't know, Lalli packed a lot of backwards assumptions about India in this romance novel. Time and time again she chooses to discredit, ridicule, and mock the rigidity or superfluousness of deep rooted traditional Indian customs (reading and aligning horoscopes, having housekeepers, cooks, drivers, butchers, for example). Niki gets mad when two other bridesmaids are discussing the incompetence of their domestic help. And while those characters were being rude, the whole scene and conversation gave nothing to the plot other than to show that there are Indians who talk about their maids behind their backs and don't value them highly.... Why was this criticism about Indians necessary to input into a romance novel?? I just feel like Sonya Lalli used this book as an opportunity to make characters out of all the things wrong with Indian society. I thought this book would be a celebration of India and its diverse religions, cultures, foods. Instead, LIKE ANOTHER CARICATURE, Niki eats out at restaurants and spends a day bedridden from food poisoning and diarrhea. Look, I wasn't expecting Niki to have an Eat Pray Love moment, but Lalli literally took every opportunity to highlight the flaws in India, and it really took away a lot of the enjoyment of the atmosphere for me.
And, the main character Niki goes around the whole novel asking people why they celebrate Diwali and somehow no one has an answer, so at the end of the novel she decides to use Diwali to mark the beginning of her love story with Sam... Like, okay that's called an anniversary - not Diwali. As a Bengali Hindu, Kali Puja, or a celebration of the Goddess Kali (which we celebrate instead of Diwali) has a distinct purpose. Kali is the Goddess known to destroy evil and fight for justice. So we celebrate her and remember that even in our quest to do justice, we must be just and good ourselves. You can't eradicate evil with evil - only light can do that. At least, after 28 years of celebrating Kali Puja, that's what I am thinking about. As someone who grew up in America, I'm surprised I know that and yet the 15 Indians Niki asked in the novel couldn't come up with a satisfactory answer as to why they or anyone celebrates Diwali/Kali Puja - other than it's the Festival of Lights, light over darkness, (character named Diya says - it's the celebration of ME). I mean, Diwali/Kali Puja is an actual celebration of something and it's not like a make it whatever you want holiday. I think Lalli has one of her characters compare it to non-Christians celebrating Christmas in America... OK but we don't go to church and celebrate it with them. We go to the mall and a MASSIVE tree happens to be there and everything in the mall is on SALE so we buy gifts for ourselves and everyone we know… not exactly the same as a Hindu girl going to India for the first time and celebrating Diwali with her friends. Like, it's not just a party she showed up to, she could actually be involved and practice the religion if she wanted to.
Finally, the chances of randomly running into and not recognizing Shah Rukh Khan in India is just too implausible for me. His VOICE is so distinct. The man could be wearing a SCREAM mask and I'd recognize him by his voice alone. Niki is a fake Bollywood fan and she didn't deserve that photo with Shah Rukh. Just saying.
All the little things Lalli brings up about why Indians are rude, outdated, etc are not incorrect. Those stereotypical thoughts (fair skin is better, casteism) definitely exist throughout the country. It's just not the dominant thought anymore in modern, progressive circles and it's insane to think that Niki encounters all the worst things about India all in unique people and instances in the 2 weeks she spends there (in major cities like Mumbai and Goa nonetheless). None of them, by the way, lend themselves to furthering ANY plot or character development - except maybe to further Niki's distaste for India.
But again, these nuances won't irk the average reader, because the average reader isn't as sensitive as me, probably. But, whatever. I had high hopes for this book specifically because of the South Asian representation. And in the end I felt like I read a book about how Niki met and fell in love with Sam because he was the only nice stranger in all of India that she encountered. The India Sonya Lalli describes through Niki's lens is a smoggy, hot mess. It's dangerous, dirty, rude, ungrateful, ungracious, and their traditions, customs, and beliefs are nonchalant, loosey goosey, open to interpretation and can/should be completely disregarded when possible. I'm proud to be an American citizen with Indian heritage and ethnicity. And I'm so sorry Niki's first experience in India was so shitty. That the only time she had fun was a day out with her friend's family cook and driver (what person would send their international houseguest sightseeing with the cook is beyond me??). Ultimately, I cannot relate to Nikki and Sonya Lalli's harrowing depiction of Indians and India. And that's sad because now I want to write/read a book from an Indian - American perspective talking about how wonderful and meaningful India is - the people, the culture, the food, the religious ceremonies and celebrations. But I think only white people write those books LOL. ANYWAY, rant over. This was a tolerable book if you focus on the romance only. Even then, it was beyond subpar. I don't see what was so lovable about Sam other than the fact that he was persistent in trying to date Niki and was her shoulder to cry on every time someone hurt her feelings.
So, despite having high hopes, this book was barely just ok for me. In the end, the negative atmosphere overwhelmed the lukewarm romance between two very confused and directionless lead characters.
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley Romance, and Netgalley for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
December 5, 2021
I was really excited to pick this one up. The heroine is unexpectedly fired from her job and decides to attend her friend's wedding in India. There, she meets a musician and has a whirlwind romance. This one turned into a very insta-love relationship and I wasn't really into it. I enjoyed the heroine finally taking time for herself and not being the perfect daughter while her sister got to do everything she always wanted to do. But the romance was insta-love and she was literally ready to give up her life in Seattle for him. A guy she met a week ago. Without talking to him about it. I also would have loved even more Diwali. This more focused on her friend's wedding and their group honeymoon they took their friends on. Overall, this was just an okay read.
December 10, 2024
A Holly Jolly Diwali is a cute contemporary romance, following Niki, a tech analyst who gets laid off from her job in Seattle. This unexpected change of plans allows her to attend a friend’s traditional wedding festivities in India.
There, Niki meets Sam, one of the bride’s longtime childhood friends who’s a musician in London. Niki is charmed by Sam and comes around to the idea of having a fling, for fun, trying to live in the moment. But, as someone who strives for stability and is a frequent planner, is she really built for that type of casualness? Sam doesn’t make it any easier with his kindness and obvious interest in Niki.
I enjoyed learning more about aspects of Indian culture in this story as well as the vacation/travel and celebratory elements. The audiobook of A Holly Jolly Diwali was an easy listen, Richa Moorjani did a good job narrating.
There, Niki meets Sam, one of the bride’s longtime childhood friends who’s a musician in London. Niki is charmed by Sam and comes around to the idea of having a fling, for fun, trying to live in the moment. But, as someone who strives for stability and is a frequent planner, is she really built for that type of casualness? Sam doesn’t make it any easier with his kindness and obvious interest in Niki.
I enjoyed learning more about aspects of Indian culture in this story as well as the vacation/travel and celebratory elements. The audiobook of A Holly Jolly Diwali was an easy listen, Richa Moorjani did a good job narrating.
April 19, 2023
Stop I really loved this 🥹
Of course I really did think they were going to bang it out but alas I’m used to being hurt.
I loved the narrator and Niki’s journey throughout the book. I too would also suggest moving to london after knowing a guy for a week 💀
It definitely skewed towards general fiction, but I was very immersed in the story and atmosphere it created to care!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
Of course I really did think they were going to bang it out but alas I’m used to being hurt.
I loved the narrator and Niki’s journey throughout the book. I too would also suggest moving to london after knowing a guy for a week 💀
It definitely skewed towards general fiction, but I was very immersed in the story and atmosphere it created to care!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
June 12, 2022
changing from 4 to 3 cause i was just on my book high
———————————————————————-
this book has me craving for Goa- specifically and a proper indian wedding AND SRK- god i forgot how much i loved that man.
how tf does srk come in front of you and you don't recognize him right away? that scene was painful to listen to
no actually i just wanna go back a week in time to be on the beach and read pwmovand then meet srk and attend a wedding. no actually i wanna go to india and eat panipuri and roam in the streets and buy lots of stuff that i don't really need
i supposed, when it came to love, it didn't really matter who we were and where we came from, the only thing that mattered was that each person made space for and respected the other.
Nikki has a very bad experience with relationships and all she started caring about is her career. she's portrayed as a very mature and understanding daughter unlike her sister and doesn't like disappointing her parents. she's the "work to home and home to work" type until she loses her job and decides to go to india for one of her very good friends- Diya's wedding and meets Sam(eer)
i liked almost every part of this book but i just felt like some description was vague and the epilogue was just rushed and diwali passed by so fast like bro mihir had a dialogue that lasted longer than the diwali. that's obviously exaggeration but i was just expecting more about diwali than just "diyas" and basic explanations
i think i'm just a teeny-tiny bit disappointed cause i was expecting something else after seeing the title- i do get the title's relevance after finishing the book but still
it is however a very fun read and you get to see lots and i loved it otherwise as you can see the 4 stars
----------------------------------
i have so many thoughts
review to come- probably 3/4 stars :)
----------------------------------
pre-read
what's better than diwali vibes in june?
———————————————————————-
this book has me craving for Goa- specifically and a proper indian wedding AND SRK- god i forgot how much i loved that man.
how tf does srk come in front of you and you don't recognize him right away? that scene was painful to listen to
no actually i just wanna go back a week in time to be on the beach and read pwmov
i supposed, when it came to love, it didn't really matter who we were and where we came from, the only thing that mattered was that each person made space for and respected the other.
Nikki has a very bad experience with relationships and all she started caring about is her career. she's portrayed as a very mature and understanding daughter unlike her sister and doesn't like disappointing her parents. she's the "work to home and home to work" type until she loses her job and decides to go to india for one of her very good friends- Diya's wedding and meets Sam(eer)
i liked almost every part of this book but i just felt like some description was vague and the epilogue was just rushed and diwali passed by so fast like bro mihir had a dialogue that lasted longer than the diwali. that's obviously exaggeration but i was just expecting more about diwali than just "diyas" and basic explanations
i think i'm just a teeny-tiny bit disappointed cause i was expecting something else after seeing the title- i do get the title's relevance after finishing the book but still
it is however a very fun read and you get to see lots and i loved it otherwise as you can see the 4 stars
----------------------------------
i have so many thoughts
review to come- probably 3/4 stars :)
----------------------------------
pre-read
what's better than diwali vibes in june?
December 19, 2022
I wanted to like this book. The cover is beautiful and the plot seemed fun. The first time I heard of Diwali was from the show The Office. Obviously that wasn't a great representation of the Holiday but it did make want to learn more.
In short Diwali is the festival of lights. It's the biggest holiday in India. It celebrates the ability to over obstacles, good or bad. From the videos I've seen online it looks fun as shit.
So that's what I was expecting from this book. I fun romance that takes place in India during Diwali and Christmas.....
What I got was a overly long book with a dull protagonist and a romance that did nothing for me. Our main character Niki meets Sam at her friend's wedding in Mumbai and falls head over heels in love with him in 2 weeks. After 2 weeks she wants to uproot her whole life be with him....But why?
Sam and Niki have no chemistry at all. I think Sam is fine but I don't know why he likes Niki or why she likes him other than he's hot.
Overall this book didn't feel like a Romance. If you removed the romance and kept the rest of the plot I probably would have enjoyed it more.
No recommendation but I'm not saying other people shouldn't read it.
In short Diwali is the festival of lights. It's the biggest holiday in India. It celebrates the ability to over obstacles, good or bad. From the videos I've seen online it looks fun as shit.
So that's what I was expecting from this book. I fun romance that takes place in India during Diwali and Christmas.....
What I got was a overly long book with a dull protagonist and a romance that did nothing for me. Our main character Niki meets Sam at her friend's wedding in Mumbai and falls head over heels in love with him in 2 weeks. After 2 weeks she wants to uproot her whole life be with him....But why?
Sam and Niki have no chemistry at all. I think Sam is fine but I don't know why he likes Niki or why she likes him other than he's hot.
Overall this book didn't feel like a Romance. If you removed the romance and kept the rest of the plot I probably would have enjoyed it more.
No recommendation but I'm not saying other people shouldn't read it.
April 28, 2025
I love everything about the book except that I wish there was more focus on Niki visiting her family in India and more focus on the holiday of Diwali.
October 13, 2021
I was so surprised by how much I ADORED THIS BOOK!! it follows a plotline we know. A fling turned into something more but it was so fun to visit India with our characters and her to find herself /learn more about her culture!
October 31, 2023
4.5 stars rounded up
Loved this! What a fun and charming romance with excellent use of slow-burn tension between characters. A Holly Jolly Diwali follows Niki who has always been the perfect daughter and perfect employee, but goes off script when she is laid off from her data analyst job. She impulsively decides to fly to India for her friends wedding and while there meets a guy...
There is definitely some drama and the requisite third act breakup but I found this so entertaining and really felt the chemistry between the characters, even though there aren't any explicit scenes on page. And this takes it a step farther by doing a bit to explore real issues like colorism in India and struggling to connect with your identity as an immigrant. A fun and fresh take on a holiday romance from an author I would like to read more from!
Loved this! What a fun and charming romance with excellent use of slow-burn tension between characters. A Holly Jolly Diwali follows Niki who has always been the perfect daughter and perfect employee, but goes off script when she is laid off from her data analyst job. She impulsively decides to fly to India for her friends wedding and while there meets a guy...
There is definitely some drama and the requisite third act breakup but I found this so entertaining and really felt the chemistry between the characters, even though there aren't any explicit scenes on page. And this takes it a step farther by doing a bit to explore real issues like colorism in India and struggling to connect with your identity as an immigrant. A fun and fresh take on a holiday romance from an author I would like to read more from!
March 9, 2022
such a cute, light read. i really loved the representation in modern times.
November 18, 2022
This book has been all over Instagram so I had to read it. I expected more of romance, but it was good.
October 1, 2021
Thank you so much to Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I really need South Asian Romance authors to stop writing about fictional South Asian men that set the bar so high for South Asian men IRL. A Holly Jolly Diwali is a perfect holiday read about identity, family, and finding your passions sprinkled with a swoon-worthy romance.
Sonya Lalli is known for writing stories within Women’s Fiction that center on the main character’s growth as a person rather than putting the focus of the story on the love they find/do not find. And although A Holly Jolly Diwali is marketed as a romance, I think what stole the story was, again, Niki’s journey to finally take charge of her life and pursue avenues that truly made her happy within her career and within her social life. As someone who is also Type A like Niki, I liked watching her come out of her shell and think about what things actually deserve her time and attention in her life.
I also liked the discussions about socioeconomic class, identity, and family that Niki and Jasmine have as daughters of first-generation desi immigrant parents. The scenes in which Niki described how she felt always being compared to Jasmine were deeply accurate for the children of desi immigrant parents who grew up with siblings. I also thought that Niki’s relationship with her roots back in India was explored perfectly. It’s very common for second-generation Americans to feel disconnected with their home country, culture, and language. I especially loved the discussions about the socioeconomic status of Niki’s family (who are of the working class) and how their inability to pay for trips back to India inadvertently caused Niki and Jasmine to be more disconnected with their culture. I also liked the discussions of colorism, casteism, and rape culture in India and how instead of fully bashing on Indian culture, the Sonya Lalli pointed out that it's the people who are abusing their power that are causing these cultures to exist.
Lastly, I can’t end this review without talking about my new fave: Sameer Mukherji. This is the first time I’ve read a South Asian rom-com (let alone rom-coms period) in which the love interest is Bengali. And the fact that he has a British accent with long shaggy black hair (I’m literally just picturing Dev Patel at this point), and calls her ‘love’ killed me. This man literally swept both Niki and me off my feet and I’m obsessed with his mom, Asha Auntie (yes Bengalis are just as cool and open as Niki thinks they are). I do wish the book was slightly longer and that his relationship with Niki was a little more developed. Their love was a little rushed and insta-lovey, but I believe that with a longer plot and more of a slowburn romance, I would have fully believed Sam's feelings for Niki throughout and at the end of the book. Their moments during the book and in the epilogue were very cute though and I love that we got to see an inter-faith relationship in this novel that was supported wholeheartedly by both Niki and Sam's parents!
Overall, if you’re looking for a spice-free, festive romance, I definitely recommend A Holly Jolly Diwali!
I really need South Asian Romance authors to stop writing about fictional South Asian men that set the bar so high for South Asian men IRL. A Holly Jolly Diwali is a perfect holiday read about identity, family, and finding your passions sprinkled with a swoon-worthy romance.
Sonya Lalli is known for writing stories within Women’s Fiction that center on the main character’s growth as a person rather than putting the focus of the story on the love they find/do not find. And although A Holly Jolly Diwali is marketed as a romance, I think what stole the story was, again, Niki’s journey to finally take charge of her life and pursue avenues that truly made her happy within her career and within her social life. As someone who is also Type A like Niki, I liked watching her come out of her shell and think about what things actually deserve her time and attention in her life.
I also liked the discussions about socioeconomic class, identity, and family that Niki and Jasmine have as daughters of first-generation desi immigrant parents. The scenes in which Niki described how she felt always being compared to Jasmine were deeply accurate for the children of desi immigrant parents who grew up with siblings. I also thought that Niki’s relationship with her roots back in India was explored perfectly. It’s very common for second-generation Americans to feel disconnected with their home country, culture, and language. I especially loved the discussions about the socioeconomic status of Niki’s family (who are of the working class) and how their inability to pay for trips back to India inadvertently caused Niki and Jasmine to be more disconnected with their culture. I also liked the discussions of colorism, casteism, and rape culture in India and how instead of fully bashing on Indian culture, the Sonya Lalli pointed out that it's the people who are abusing their power that are causing these cultures to exist.
Lastly, I can’t end this review without talking about my new fave: Sameer Mukherji. This is the first time I’ve read a South Asian rom-com (let alone rom-coms period) in which the love interest is Bengali. And the fact that he has a British accent with long shaggy black hair (I’m literally just picturing Dev Patel at this point), and calls her ‘love’ killed me. This man literally swept both Niki and me off my feet and I’m obsessed with his mom, Asha Auntie (yes Bengalis are just as cool and open as Niki thinks they are). I do wish the book was slightly longer and that his relationship with Niki was a little more developed. Their love was a little rushed and insta-lovey, but I believe that with a longer plot and more of a slowburn romance, I would have fully believed Sam's feelings for Niki throughout and at the end of the book. Their moments during the book and in the epilogue were very cute though and I love that we got to see an inter-faith relationship in this novel that was supported wholeheartedly by both Niki and Sam's parents!
Overall, if you’re looking for a spice-free, festive romance, I definitely recommend A Holly Jolly Diwali!
November 8, 2021
The representation in this book made me super happy. Could it have been better? Yes, but I’ll take what I can get cause I never see Punjabi Sikh characters in a main lead. I get happy seeing South Asian representation in books, but they’re mostly Hindu, Muslim, Bengali or Gujarati characters. So to see all these Punjabi characters, warmed my heart, it made me genuinely happy. It was a little weird at first seeing all those familiar names just because they were barely there for any book I’ve read before. So for this, thank you Sonya.
In terms of the book, it doesn’t have a major plot honestly. So if you’re looking to read something that won’t overwhelm you with the plot but still be a good cute read, this is for you. I loved the issues raised in this book from colourism to casteism, which are all important. I loved how the author brought light to the meaning of Diwali and it’s celebrations in different religions.
Based on some reviews I saw some people didn’t like Niki, and that’s okay. I liked her enough because in a sense to me, she was realistic. She was how I view myself and the daughter I wanted to be for my parents. But it’ll be different for everyone. And Sam from the band, where does someone find a desi guy like you? Gosh I love the characters in this book! And the title of this book OH MY GOSH. When it finally clicked I was like so this is why it’s called this! It couldn’t have had a better name.
The only thing I didn’t like about this book was that there was a lot of filler. I wish we had more dialogue between Niki and Sam so we could see their relationship build more. But other than that I really liked it.
If you liked the movie “Yeh Jawaani Hai Dewaani” you need to try reading this book!
A bollywood playlist for the book: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7nU...
In terms of the book, it doesn’t have a major plot honestly. So if you’re looking to read something that won’t overwhelm you with the plot but still be a good cute read, this is for you. I loved the issues raised in this book from colourism to casteism, which are all important. I loved how the author brought light to the meaning of Diwali and it’s celebrations in different religions.
Based on some reviews I saw some people didn’t like Niki, and that’s okay. I liked her enough because in a sense to me, she was realistic. She was how I view myself and the daughter I wanted to be for my parents. But it’ll be different for everyone. And Sam from the band, where does someone find a desi guy like you? Gosh I love the characters in this book! And the title of this book OH MY GOSH. When it finally clicked I was like so this is why it’s called this! It couldn’t have had a better name.
The only thing I didn’t like about this book was that there was a lot of filler. I wish we had more dialogue between Niki and Sam so we could see their relationship build more. But other than that I really liked it.
If you liked the movie “Yeh Jawaani Hai Dewaani” you need to try reading this book!
A bollywood playlist for the book: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7nU...
December 27, 2021
The best part of this book was the Shah Rukh Khan sighting. I had a feeling it was going to go there when Niki blurted out his name.
The rest of the story was cute and enjoyable. I didn't form any special attachments to the characters, but I also wasn't expecting to.
I recommend the audiobook, it's perfect.
The rest of the story was cute and enjoyable. I didn't form any special attachments to the characters, but I also wasn't expecting to.
I recommend the audiobook, it's perfect.
October 7, 2021
✨Any hot brown musicians wanna make sizzling chemistry filled eye contact with me at my best friend’s wedding? I am accepting applications✨
Tropes:
💻 STEM heroine
🇮🇳 OwnVoices South Asian romance
😍 unique, accurate representation
🎶 musician, geeky hero
💁🏽♀️ women’s fiction
🪔 lush culture
Swipe for Summary
Sonya Lali is known for writing fantastic women’s fiction with wonderful South Asian representation and I will say this is another great addition to that reputation 😍
While there is more romance in this one, this book has a focus on Niki and her inner struggles as she becomes familiar with her culture. And that is totally ok! As long as you know this is more of a women’s fiction.
The representation in this book was amazing. If you know me, you know I am so tired of the toxic aunty, strict parents, forced arranged marriages, religion shown in a bad light, etc. stereotypes in South Asian literature. This book had none of that. I was seeing my culture being painted in such a accurate and wonderful light. The flaws were pointed out in such a healthy way. The beauty was pointed out in such a touching way. I love love loved the representation 🙌🏼
The depiction of the Diwali season had me calling my mom to make sure my OCI was current so I can visit India. I was so homesick in the best way 😍
Sameer. Oh Sameer just marry me. Sam was truly one of the swooniest brown boy heroes I have ever read. Sonya Lali, you cannot do this to me. My expectations are already high enough 🥺 I was just imagining his accent and shaggy hair, trying to stop myself from swooning.
The romance was not developed enough and a little rushed but the book did focus more on Niki’s personal development.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I would definitely recommend A Holly Jolly Diwali to you if you are looking for a fun, festive, lush story with a sprinkle of romance and a swoony hero.
Happy Diwali to everyone 🪔🪔
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/ 5 stars | Steam free
Thank you to Berkley, Sonya Lali, and Edelweiss for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion ❤️
Tropes:
💻 STEM heroine
🇮🇳 OwnVoices South Asian romance
😍 unique, accurate representation
🎶 musician, geeky hero
💁🏽♀️ women’s fiction
🪔 lush culture
Swipe for Summary
Sonya Lali is known for writing fantastic women’s fiction with wonderful South Asian representation and I will say this is another great addition to that reputation 😍
While there is more romance in this one, this book has a focus on Niki and her inner struggles as she becomes familiar with her culture. And that is totally ok! As long as you know this is more of a women’s fiction.
The representation in this book was amazing. If you know me, you know I am so tired of the toxic aunty, strict parents, forced arranged marriages, religion shown in a bad light, etc. stereotypes in South Asian literature. This book had none of that. I was seeing my culture being painted in such a accurate and wonderful light. The flaws were pointed out in such a healthy way. The beauty was pointed out in such a touching way. I love love loved the representation 🙌🏼
The depiction of the Diwali season had me calling my mom to make sure my OCI was current so I can visit India. I was so homesick in the best way 😍
Sameer. Oh Sameer just marry me. Sam was truly one of the swooniest brown boy heroes I have ever read. Sonya Lali, you cannot do this to me. My expectations are already high enough 🥺 I was just imagining his accent and shaggy hair, trying to stop myself from swooning.
The romance was not developed enough and a little rushed but the book did focus more on Niki’s personal development.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I would definitely recommend A Holly Jolly Diwali to you if you are looking for a fun, festive, lush story with a sprinkle of romance and a swoony hero.
Happy Diwali to everyone 🪔🪔
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/ 5 stars | Steam free
Thank you to Berkley, Sonya Lali, and Edelweiss for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion ❤️
December 8, 2024
A holiday jump into another culture - a candy floss romance read - was surprisingly just what I needed this week.
An ambitious young woman, Niki Randhawa, with parents worried about time passing while single, responds to the pressure by being impulsive (which was a good thing. . .she was a little stuck) and accepts her best friend's invitation to her wedding in India - where she would be one of 1,500 participants. The wedding was timed during Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights.
This is a very easy read, even with all the eye-rolling for exhaustive TMI according to this reader, but learning more about Niki's culture and the societal expectations therefrom as it relates to women, marriage and the caste system was appreciated.
24/52:40
An ambitious young woman, Niki Randhawa, with parents worried about time passing while single, responds to the pressure by being impulsive (which was a good thing. . .she was a little stuck) and accepts her best friend's invitation to her wedding in India - where she would be one of 1,500 participants. The wedding was timed during Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights.
This is a very easy read, even with all the eye-rolling for exhaustive TMI according to this reader, but learning more about Niki's culture and the societal expectations therefrom as it relates to women, marriage and the caste system was appreciated.
24/52:40
December 28, 2021
I'm so here for more holiday romcoms that are not Christmas!
A Holly Jolly Diwali is about 29 year old data analyst Niki Randhawa. Niki has always made rational and logical decisions. But when she's laid off, she decides to embrace the spontaneous and books a ticket to India for her best friend's wedding. She doesn't expect to hit it off with Sam, but as the two are thrown together during a group honeymoon, they see where the sparks could lead to.
This was such a feel good story! I really enjoyed Niki as a character and I was rooting for her the whole time. I also shipped her and Sameer the whole time, what can I say? I am a sap. I really loved exploring the little bit of India through this book. Also I need someone to make Diya's wedding into a movie because it sounded absolutely beautiful in my head.
This book had it all for me: a great MC, a good romance and strong friendships and familial bonds. I need more romances like this one!
Rep: Indian-American female MC, Indian-British male love interest, various Indian and Indian-American side characters.
CWs: Alcohol consumption, racism (more so classism, MC is condescended to for her caste). Moderate: Discussion of possible infertility (never confirmed), vomit.
A Holly Jolly Diwali is about 29 year old data analyst Niki Randhawa. Niki has always made rational and logical decisions. But when she's laid off, she decides to embrace the spontaneous and books a ticket to India for her best friend's wedding. She doesn't expect to hit it off with Sam, but as the two are thrown together during a group honeymoon, they see where the sparks could lead to.
This was such a feel good story! I really enjoyed Niki as a character and I was rooting for her the whole time. I also shipped her and Sameer the whole time, what can I say? I am a sap. I really loved exploring the little bit of India through this book. Also I need someone to make Diya's wedding into a movie because it sounded absolutely beautiful in my head.
This book had it all for me: a great MC, a good romance and strong friendships and familial bonds. I need more romances like this one!
Rep: Indian-American female MC, Indian-British male love interest, various Indian and Indian-American side characters.
CWs: Alcohol consumption, racism (more so classism, MC is condescended to for her caste). Moderate: Discussion of possible infertility (never confirmed), vomit.
November 27, 2021
This book was the perfect read to get me out of my reading slump. It was super cute, and Sam was a swoon-worthy book boyfriend. Some of the drama was stupid, and I hate when authors use abbreviations like OMFG and LOL and IRL as apart of dialogue to show their characters are ‘young and hip’ but other than that, it was PERFECT.
October 20, 2021
Oh man! This rom-com was really good. I had all the things I crave in a good love story.
Awesome storytelling ✅
Likable characters ✅
Personal growth/character development ✅
Realistic Family dynamics ✅
Humor & Romance ✅
This story would have gotten 5-stars had it been a dual pov because both characters had a story that was worth telling. But the heroine Niki Randhawa was the vehicle that the author chose to navigate this journey. It’s worth noting that while its a holiday romance, the story wasn’t eclipsed by Diwali or Christmas.
Niki was the “good” daughter who followed all her parents rules and edicts so they wouldn’t stress about her like they did with her older sister. When she lost her job unexpectedly, she took it as a sign to throw caution to the wind for once. With two days planning, she traveled from Seattle to India for her BF Diya’s wedding.
Niki’s arrived in India during the festival Diwali and at a banquet she met a musician Sameer Mukherji who was part of a well known band based in London. Niki and Sam had an Instant connection much to the delight of Diya but they decided it could only be a fling since they live in different continents. But you know how hard it is to predict when the love bug will bite.
The author laid a good foundation of Niki as a character. I felt like she was a friend that I was rooting for. I wanted her to win so bad. She didn’t give her parents grief, she was intentional and rational about almost everything. She was just a good person. When she met Sam, it’s like when Christmas lights go on, they both lit up. The pacing of the story was even and realistic.
It gave a glimpse into the Indian culture particularly in the areas of parental expectation and marriage. I would have loved to see Sam’s family interactions from his perspective.
I really liked Sam and I felt for him as he attempted to reconcile the future his family envisioned for him and the dreams he had for himself. That’s always a tough thing to navigate when you care what your parents think and when you wish to please them.
Awesome storytelling ✅
Likable characters ✅
Personal growth/character development ✅
Realistic Family dynamics ✅
Humor & Romance ✅
This story would have gotten 5-stars had it been a dual pov because both characters had a story that was worth telling. But the heroine Niki Randhawa was the vehicle that the author chose to navigate this journey. It’s worth noting that while its a holiday romance, the story wasn’t eclipsed by Diwali or Christmas.
Niki was the “good” daughter who followed all her parents rules and edicts so they wouldn’t stress about her like they did with her older sister. When she lost her job unexpectedly, she took it as a sign to throw caution to the wind for once. With two days planning, she traveled from Seattle to India for her BF Diya’s wedding.
Niki’s arrived in India during the festival Diwali and at a banquet she met a musician Sameer Mukherji who was part of a well known band based in London. Niki and Sam had an Instant connection much to the delight of Diya but they decided it could only be a fling since they live in different continents. But you know how hard it is to predict when the love bug will bite.
The author laid a good foundation of Niki as a character. I felt like she was a friend that I was rooting for. I wanted her to win so bad. She didn’t give her parents grief, she was intentional and rational about almost everything. She was just a good person. When she met Sam, it’s like when Christmas lights go on, they both lit up. The pacing of the story was even and realistic.
It gave a glimpse into the Indian culture particularly in the areas of parental expectation and marriage. I would have loved to see Sam’s family interactions from his perspective.
I really liked Sam and I felt for him as he attempted to reconcile the future his family envisioned for him and the dreams he had for himself. That’s always a tough thing to navigate when you care what your parents think and when you wish to please them.
September 11, 2022
![/](https://c.tenor.com/36BMxqCRqAQAAAAd/annoyed-fake-smile.gifwidth="40")
i meannnnnnnn
its a different kind of irk when an author tells the reader instead of shows the reader.
and the characters weren't BAD, they were just surface level, kind of superficial 😞
and the Diwali stopped after 50 pages
but whyyyyyyyy WHYYYYY was the relationship between Niki and Sam so fReAkInG aWkWaRd? they were so passive and their relationship was kind of sort of a secret (but not really) so no one had to know about them idkk it was all just so weird!!!!!
I kind of knew going in that this book would be mid but i gave it the benefit of the doubt and i cant say im not surprised :)
December 14, 2024
This was really cute. A little too insta-love for me, and I feel like there was some lack of communication between Niki and Sam. But through that, we did wrap up some loose ends, so I kind of get it. But overall, the wedding was a vibe, and it was really nice to learn more about Diwali and Indian culture. I liked it.
November 11, 2021
Niki wasn’t planning to attend her best friend, Diya’s, wedding — Niki lives in Seattle and the wedding is in Mumbai — but when she’s unceremoniously laid off from her IT job, a change in scenery and time with a friend looks very good. At a pre-wedding Diwali party, Niki is strongly attracted to Sam, a musician. But Sam lives in London, and Niki isn’t looking for a fling. There’s no way anything can happen between them. Is there?Everyone who knows me in real life knows that I cannot stand the song Holly Jolly Christmas, and if you call me Holly Jolly, you will get no response. And yet I grabbed this book. Somehow, adding Diwali to the mix made it cute and not annoying.
And I’m glad I did. I really enjoyed this. It was lighthearted and fun, with well-drawn, interesting characters and believable situations. Sam was entirely likable, with no alpholeness or red flags; I was consistently rooting for Niki and Sam. I appreciated the realistic approach to romance in this story, as well. Are Niki and Sam “perfect” for each other? Who knows, and it doesn’t matter. They’re clearly good together, and come across as people who would be friends even if they never became lovers. I have all faith that they will handle whatever comes their way. I also really liked that the Epilogue did not show a saccharine perfect happy ending — I’m such a sourpuss about those — but only showed Niki and Sam actively planning their future.
This book was a good time. I’ve given it 4 stars only because I was never intensely invested in it, but that did not detract from my enjoyment. I plan to read Sonia Lalli’s other books in the near future; this definitely won her a new fan.
![Profile Image for laurel [the suspected bibliophile].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1645808644i%2F7494844._UX200_CR0%2C6%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
November 9, 2021
This was straight up adorable.
I liked Niki's transformation from practical, do-good daughter to someone who became more independent and willing to take risks, and I loved the way her family supported her. Another highlight was her reconnecting to her Punjabi roots, first with her best friend in Mumbai and later with Sam at the beach town. I really, really liked the chemistry she shared with Sam.
It was cute, it was fun, and the breakup scene was completely realistic—which made the reconciliation so much better!
I liked Niki's transformation from practical, do-good daughter to someone who became more independent and willing to take risks, and I loved the way her family supported her. Another highlight was her reconnecting to her Punjabi roots, first with her best friend in Mumbai and later with Sam at the beach town. I really, really liked the chemistry she shared with Sam.
It was cute, it was fun, and the breakup scene was completely realistic—which made the reconciliation so much better!
February 13, 2022
I began reading this book yesterday and I found Niki Randhawa very boring. She has the "Good Girl Syndrome", she has always been the good girl, sensible, must get it right the first time, she keeps it all so tidy, she MUST live up to her parents' expectations. Unlike her sister who does her best to be nothing like her parents or sister. One day, her parents tell her she is too proper and a spinster, she is 29, lives at home, has no friends, or relationships... the next day they set her up with a doctor, and she gets fired. She decides to get reckless and go to India for her best friend's wedding. I hope she meets someone there because I'm not vibing with the doctor.
Niki is 29 but feels younger in experience but more boring, I wanted a romcom with a true adventure in India but I felt the story though short was very slow and uneventful. The ending was the sweetest part.
Niki is 29 but feels younger in experience but more boring, I wanted a romcom with a true adventure in India but I felt the story though short was very slow and uneventful. The ending was the sweetest part.
January 3, 2022
A Holly Jolly Diwali was one of this holiday romcom books that I was completely excited to jump into. Mostly because I don't know much about the holiday and wanted to learn about it.
In it, you will meet Niki and Sam. She absolutely loved her job until the day that she got let go. It definitely sucks that she was recently promoted too. So, when randomly gets drunk on a date and decides to go to her best friends, Diya, wedding. Well, I don't think she expected to run into Sam.
Now I absolutely loved Sam. He was a great book boyfriend in my eyes. While on this vacation, I didn't think some things would happen. I about died when she fell into the pool. Then when her and Sam started to catch feelings, well, my heart was really happy. However, I did think things moved a bit too fast in some areas, but I still enjoyed everything that happened.
In the end, it was a really cute book. The romance, tension, and drama made it a page turner. I just wished I didn't hit the part where it felt dead. Like nothing was really happening. Other than that, it was a good book, and I would love to see a movie made one day.
In it, you will meet Niki and Sam. She absolutely loved her job until the day that she got let go. It definitely sucks that she was recently promoted too. So, when randomly gets drunk on a date and decides to go to her best friends, Diya, wedding. Well, I don't think she expected to run into Sam.
Now I absolutely loved Sam. He was a great book boyfriend in my eyes. While on this vacation, I didn't think some things would happen. I about died when she fell into the pool. Then when her and Sam started to catch feelings, well, my heart was really happy. However, I did think things moved a bit too fast in some areas, but I still enjoyed everything that happened.
In the end, it was a really cute book. The romance, tension, and drama made it a page turner. I just wished I didn't hit the part where it felt dead. Like nothing was really happening. Other than that, it was a good book, and I would love to see a movie made one day.
October 18, 2021
This was ok, kinda cute.
I wasn't overly invested.
I wasn't overly invested.
October 31, 2021
cute but I cared about everything more than the romance storyline..
July 10, 2024
2.5 ⭐️
It was fine. The story could have had a lot more to it and it would have been great but there was a lack of character connection/chemistry which was unfortunate.
It was fine. The story could have had a lot more to it and it would have been great but there was a lack of character connection/chemistry which was unfortunate.
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