Series: None
Author: Sandhya Menon
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publication Date: May 30, 2017
Source: Gifted. Thank you!
Dimple Shah has it all figured out. With graduation behind her, she’s more than ready for a break from her family, from Mamma’s inexplicable obsession with her finding the “Ideal Indian Husband.” Ugh. Dimple knows they must respect her principles on some level, though. If they truly believed she needed a husband right now, they wouldn’t have paid for her to attend a summer program for aspiring web developers…right?
Rishi Patel is a hopeless romantic. So when his parents tell him that his future wife will be attending the same summer program as him—wherein he’ll have to woo her—he’s totally on board. Because as silly as it sounds to most people in his life, Rishi wants to be arranged, believes in the power of tradition, stability, and being a part of something much bigger than himself.
The Shahs and Patels didn’t mean to start turning the wheels on this “suggested arrangement” so early in their children’s lives, but when they noticed them both gravitate toward the same summer program, they figured, Why not?
Dimple and Rishi may think they have each other figured out. But when opposites clash, love works hard to prove itself in the most unexpected ways.
Find When Dimple Met Rishi online!
This was really, genuinely, just so cute. Really, Rishi Patel was so cute. While I had a few problems with this book, for the most part, it just made me happy. This was the type of book that I would read to put a smile on my face. I loved learning more about Indian culture through Dimple and Rich's interactions with their families and with each other. The diversity and Rishi Patel was what really pushed this book up to four stars for me.
Like I've said, Rishi was definitely my favorite character in this book. He was so sweet and kind. I loved his goofy side and how sweet and protective he was of Dimple. He wasn't shy when it came to standing up for himself or for Dimple. The only problem I kind of had with him as a character was how he sometimes seemed to be two different people? Like . . . one moment he's a goofy, unsure, shy guy and the next he's prim and proper and saying exactly the right thing. While I liked both aspects of his personality, the changes were sometimes jarring.
I didn't warm up to Dimple as well as I did Rishi. To me, she came off as rude and sometimes a little Mary Sue-ish. Like, she judged other people really harshly and basically forced herself to be angry and rude to Rishi when they first began getting to know each other, despite how kind and apologetic he was. It felt like she was trying really hard to be a "strong female character" by forcing certain traits, despite the fact that there is many different ways in which a female (or any) character can be strong. She was also very adamant about making sure the reader knew that she did not wear make up (repeating this fact frequently) and that she didn't like clothes and at times made it seem like she believed that girls who did like those things weren't as good? I don't know, this was a vibe I got from her while reading.
As far as the plot goes, it kept me entertained and I had a fun time watching Dimple and Rishi work on their project. There were a few subplots that felt a little under developed to me and that I wish were explored further, but overall, I had a really good time reading this.
Despite a few problems with Dimple's character and some under developed subplots, I enjoyed this read a lot. I loved learning more about Indian culture and I adored Rishi so much. I'm excited to see what else this author comes up with and I look forward to reading her next novel!
“This is our life. We get to decide the rules. We get to say what goes and what stays, what matters and what doesn’t.”
Four out of Five Teapots
I adored this book! My life and parents and whatnot are so very like Dimple's and Rishi's in different ways (you saw how different their lives were, despite being so similar). I definitely connected with Rishi more, especially with his passion for his culture and traditions. Dimple is supposed to be an "unlikable heroine" - I didn't know there was terminology for that! Eventually I started liking her more but I didn't at first. I understood her though.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I'm so glad you ended up mostly enjoying this book, Ashtyn! Wonderful review!
Have a great week. =)
Alyssa @ The Eater of Books!
I'm glad to hear you liked this one so much! Knowing that Dimple was supposed to be an "unlikable heroine" while reading probably would have made a little more forgiving about how she acted toward Rishi haha.
DeleteThanks for stopping by, Alyssa!