Welcome to Litsy!

• Bookly Winter Readathon 2021
• Audible audiobook • Scribd e-book

Publisher's Summary:
In the tradition of Shobhan Bantwal's successful Indian American novels, Sonali Dev's debut captures the colorful spirit and fascinating details of Indian and Bollywood culture - including a lavish wedding - while delivering an emotionally layered and accessible story.

This is a sweet, if predictable, romance. Some of the minor characters didn't thrill me but I liked Mili and Samir a lot which is what matters. I listened to this one and loved the narration. 😊

Pretty much my exact thoughts on the subject of chocolate! (Hershey isn't actually the best chocolate but I sure don't turn it down. Something about those kisses! 😋)

Thank you for the tag, Akhila @Blackink_WhitePaper and sorry for the late response. #IndianIndependenceDay

1. The tagged one is the last book I read. Need to read more 😅

2. Yes.

3. Yes, everyday 😉😋

2. I think just Sonali Dev maybe, but I enjoy her and she‘s awesome to meet!
3. Yes! #indianindependenceday

My second Sonali Dev after Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors, her debut novel fell flat after my high expectations. It is the love story of Mili Rathod and her ex-brother-in-law, Samir. Mili was a child bride and her marriage was annulled but she believes she‘s still married. Samir meets her in the US to persuade her to sign the divorce and property claim papers. Despite using exotic stereotypes, the women are interesting & the plot is all right

Need a little romance.

@Heatherfeather Thank you so much for the wonderful #LitsyLove #WinterSwap package! You were so kind to have it signed for me. I cannot wait to read it! Thank you so much! 💛❄💛

Super excited about my #littlefreelibrary find today! I've been wanting to try one of Sonali Dev's books for quite a while. This will be perfect to bring on an upcoming trip... if I don't read it first.

This was just too melodramatic for me. But then that‘s probably the aim a because it‘s Bollywood themed and Bollywood movies can be super melodramatic. Fun, just not my sort of fun.

Latest contemporary romance read.

I really enjoyed this book and its description of a traditionally raised young woman who still manages to break some barriers and go study in America... while waiting for the husband she met and was married to at the age of four and hasn't seen since. When her brother-in-law comes to the States to get her to sign annulment papers, the story gets, well, complicated.

4⭐
#romantsy

A friend recommended Sonali Dev to me. Her 2nd book in series Bollywood Bride has been in my TBR for awhile. I don't think you have to, but since my Library had this 1st one, thought I would read in order. Wasn't crazy about this one. To many Romance Novel Tropes: misunderstanding, helpess female, & bad boy changed by good girl. Going to read next one and give author another chance.

Cute.

Just no. If your name is Samir and you name your penis “Little Sam” and often refer to it, you are a dick. Actually, if you name your penis at all, you are a dick.

I wanted to like this book, but I can‘t go along with rape culture. I hated the sex scene in this book, it made me feel sick.

Sick in bed, taking advantage of the down time to catch up on my reading.

I‘m enjoying this title but am growing eager for some action. Hopefully it‘s just a few pages away....

This was an entertaining read with some really excellent details and characters worth rooting for. It was not a perfect book (partly because I think the characters were a little *too* perfect and I don't love the trope of the super clumsy heroine), but I enjoyed reading this, and it was absolutely a page turner. I read this b/c my fave podcast, Book Club For Masochists is taking on the romance genre!

So apparently my cat isn't into this book. I'm really glad that the library copy I checked out was older and already had some water damage from previous patrons, otherwise I'd be buying the system a new copy. For what it's worth, I think her judgment was a bit quick and she should give it another chance. I think the book is pretty good so far.

I‘m one of those people who carry a book around with them absolutely every where I go. I have read waiting for a movie to start, in countless airplanes and at the base of Arenal Volcano in Costa Rica.
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Do you take a book everywhere you go, and where‘s the best place you read a book?

Sooooo much toppling over, and sobbing, and I'm personally of the opinion that one vomit scene in a romance is generally one too many. I also got stuck, as I am wont to do, on the medical inaccuracy of the heroine's injury and its treatment.

Unicorn chaser!

Why did it take me so long to finally read this? I adored this way more than her later books. It's sweet, charming, and full of heart. #romantsy #ownvoices #authorofcolor

So good. A little steamy, but with depth and character development=the best kind of romance.

Dev is fantastic and this was so cute. I don‘t see how it ties into the other books, I suspect it‘s a passing reference to a character.

For the #readharder2018 challenge, this is my pick for a romance by or about a poc. I haven‘t really read romance since I was a kid... but it will be a light read after Homegoing.

With 20 minutes to go until the 12-hour mark, this was a delightful read. Challenges: author of a different ethnicity for #pop2018, romance novel by/about a person of color for #readharder, and 16/100 for the year. #24in48

Shifting from audiobook back to physical book as I head into hour 9...woo!! #24in48

While I did enjoy the humour a lot of the time and enjoyed this peek into Indian cultures from different regions, overall it didn't really do it for me. The playboy tamed by the innocent virginal woman trope in general does not appeal to me at all and I don't think the author sold this pair in particular well either. Plus the way the author dealt with a few aspects (the sex scene and a woman lying about domestic violence) felt not very feminist.

Very funny and very romantic so far. #Romantsy #AwesomeAudiobooks #Audiobooks

This one suprised me. I really enjoyed it more than I thought I would. It's a sweet and funny romance with fascinating insights into Indian culture. I'll definitely read her other books.

I saw this on Overdrive‘s books for the book riot read harder challenge and I‘m so glad I got down to reading it! It was so cute and it taught me a lot about the Indian culture and the differences of the areas of India! It‘s a great cutesy read about Milli and her search for her husband. Definitely not what I expected. It was so much better!

Starting my second book for #LitsyPartyOfOne I've never read any books with an Indian theme and since the author lives nearby, I thought I'd try this one. @Ambrosnazzy

Absolutely loved this book. Surprisingly sexy. Deep characters I wanted to be real. I can't wait to read the next one! I read so much as an author interviewer and book reviewer and the pressure to read even more is intense - yesterday two ARCs arrived in the mail from the same publicist! I'm only one person! :) - so for me to say I can't wait to read the next one for pleasure is the highest compliment I can give.

What a good story! More plot and story than a generic romance. Being set in, and written by an author of a different culture from mine was enlightening and enjoyable. The narrator was excellent as well.

17/52 Reading challenge. Very cute! Mili drove me crazy in the beginning but it ended great! #romantsy

Starting my read with a passed out pup ☺️ #petsoflitsy #romantsy

4.5🌟
In love. Loved Mili. Loved Samir. Loved all of the Indian food descriptions. This story was sweet but also dealt with real issues. I am now solidly a Sonali Dev fan. #romantsy
Book 4 of Summer

Reading at the beach is so hard to beat. I am loving this book so far. #romantsy #beachread

Too much foul language and sex for my tastes. If you don't mind that sort of thing, it's a lovely, complicated romance that offers a fascinating look at Indian culture.

Can't wait to dig into this one!

This was my second book by Sonali Dev and I was a bit disappointed. I wasn't invested in the characters as much as I was in the first book. The story felt too rushed. But I still love the author and will definitely read her other books.

Can't wait to dive into A Bollywood Affair, which takes place in the town where I went to grad school as well as places I visited in India last year!

I can appreciate the Indian dishes, customs, and traditions mentioned so it's a 3 star book for me. The romance made me roll my eyes one too many times but I'd be open to reading book #2. Most of the book takes place in America; you will also visit Mumbai and Rajasthan too. I think I'm going to watch my first Bollywood film. 😊

Three #DiverseRomances for today's #fiestyfeb from my #tbr. Want to get to these asap!!

40% in. The characters are meh, plot is meh. Going to keep reading anyway.

New book, new yarn, another pussyhat. #pussyhatproject #ReadHarderChallenge2017

Really looking forward to starting my first ever reading challenge! The list is almost complete. Here it is (in parts) so far! #LitsyAtoZ #readingchallenge