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Saturday, March 25, 2017

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon ARC Review

Format: Paperback ARC, 380 Pages
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pub. Date: May 30th, 2017
Buy it: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository
A laugh-out-loud, heartfelt YA romantic comedy, told in alternating perspectives, about two Indian-American teens whose parents have arranged for them to be married.

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.


Before picking up When Dimple Met Rishi, I had heard nothing but praise. I do my best to go in with as much of a blind eye as possible when reading and reviewing books. However, other reviewers and friends who typically have similar taste in books were raving about it, so I couldn't help having extremely high expectations. Thankfully, I am so thrilled to report that everything positive that people have said about this book is true!


When Dimple Met Rishi is one of the cutest books I have ever encountered. It's incredibly fun, quirky, and truly heartfelt. I really loved watching Dimple and Rishi fall for one another. This book actually reminded me of some of my favorite teen romantic comedies—with an Indian spin. The cultural aspects of the story were effortlessly and organically woven into the plot, and I enjoyed learning more about Indian family life, music, and traditions. Overall I was incredibly impressed with this novel, and I look forward to reading more books by Sandhya Menon in the future!

1) First of all, Dimple and Rishi are so freaking cute. Each of their interactions, conversations—literally everything about them together—left me with a huge smile on my face. I loved those two from their very first meeting; They were quite literally made for one another, and they made me so happy!


2) The dialogue, you guys! Oh my gosh, it is so hilarious, adorable, and witty! I was thoroughly dazzled ;) Dialogue—to me—is often the best part of books, and it was definitely one of my favorite aspects of this one!

3) I love how culturally rich the story is! Thanks to this book, I looked up many different Indian dishes, listened to new music, and I even looked up several Bollywood movies! At the same time, Sandhya Menon highlights certain biases and negative stereotypes that many Indian people face, which I appreciate as well. This novel is not only fun, adorable, and interesting—it's also enlightening.


4) I love how Rishi struggles with pursuing his passion for art versus a more "practical career." This was something I truly identified with, so I'm sure that many people in the book and art community will feel the same. It was really moving, and it made me reflect on my own struggles in this area. At the same time, the book has a very positive and hopeful feel about it, so it made me feel better about some things at the same time.

5) Dimple and Celia's friendship was both delightful and complicated. Not only are they friendship goals, but their relationship accentuates different molds and pressures that are put on females. I loved watching their bond grow and be tested. I found it to be very realistic and gratifying.


1) The main reason I'm not giving this book the full five matryoshkas is because of the last third of the book.


*slight spoilers ahead* 
Suddenly, the plot is rushed forward so quickly that I almost got whiplash. Dimple and Rishi had been insanely cute and sweet until this point, and then out of nowhere, Dimple randomly starts to second-guess her relationship with Rishi. I didn't feel like there was any build-up to this part of the book. It was like everything is adorable, my heart is singing, and then BAM—heartbreak, angst, and the sound of my dreams dying. Granted, there is a happy ending, but I just wish we could cut out a little bit of the extra drama before we get there.
*end spoilers*

2) I wish that Rishi and Dimple had more equal character arcs. We see more of how Rishi changes and deals with his family's expectations, and I would have loved to see more of that with Dimple.








21 comments:

  1. EEEK I am so excited to read this book! I have an ARC of it but I have been super slow in getting to it but so good to hear you enjoyed it! I am very much looking forward to reading this gorgeous book!

    xx Anisha @ Sprinkled Pages

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  2. AHHH IT SOUNDS AMAZING. I've read glowing reviews from other bloggers and can't wait to read it! I'm so glad that you enjoyed it, and that it has a lot of Indian cultures that just effortlessly weaves into the story. I'm so excited! <3

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  3. I'm literally so excited for this book!! 😭😍😂
    Mia @ Pen and Parchment

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  4. We've started this one and love it! Ugh, so good.

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  5. I love Bend it like Beckham and rom coms so it sounds like I should preorder this book (: Awesome review!

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  6. AHHHHH AHHHHHH AHHHHHHH AHHHHHHHH I'm glad you loved it! I really can't wait to read it, like I NEED THIS BOOK NOW LOL I loved your review!!! <3 *inserts tons of emojis*

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  7. This book looks so incredibly adorable. I just can't wait to read it!! (Oh, and I really love the gif you used under your "Culturally Rich" bullet point. I found myself watching it over and over again!

    Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction

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  8. I'm so glad to hear that you loved this book! It's on my most anticipated list for this year and your review is the first I've read. So, yeah, I'm even more excited to read this now! I actually requested it on NetGalley but have yet to get approved or declined so fingers crossed lol. Great review!! :)

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  9. Beautiful review, Brittany! I'm so glad to hear you loved this book so much, it's one of my most anticipated books <3

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  10. I wasn't interested in reading this before, but I am now. It sounds so adorable. Great review! :)

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  11. AHHH I'M SO EXCITED FOR THIS!! *flails about wildly* I have it to read I just haven't gotten to it yet because my TBR is a horrible beast haha. And I admit I was staring at that gif after #3 for such a long time because that is like synchronized dancing of perfection how even.😍😂😂
    Also witty fun dialogue?!?! I'M SO IN.

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  12. I can't wait for this book, it sounds like everyone has loved it so far! I love how cute the couple sounds and the diversity and banter sounds fantastic. Lovely review Brittany!

    Jeann @ Happy Indulgence

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  13. I am so excited for this book! The main reason is that I am Indian as well, SO CAN I FINALLY GET SOME REP? LOL. Great review Brittany! I loved your GIF selections :)
    Prabhleen @ Booksarelife987

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  14. Thanks for the lovely review. When Dimple Met Rishi is on my TBR list and now I am even more excited to read the novel. And yes for Dimple's love for vintage things!

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  15. Amazing review, Brittany! This sounds like an awesome book, and I LOVE good dialogue. It can seriously make or break a book.
    So glad you enjoyed it!

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  16. I haven't heard about this book, but I will need to check it out. I love a good quick, cute, and funny book! I also enjoy books with rich cultures. Great review!

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  17. I cannot wait for this book! I'm so looking forward to a YA contemporary romance that isn't over complicated. Plus, I want to learn more about the culture! I haven't watched any Bollywood movies and my only reference to the whole culture is the third Cheetah Girls movie, which I'm sure isn't the most accurate depiction. :D Great review Brittany!

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  18. Yay, I'm thrilled to hear how much you enjoyed this story! I just starting reading a few reviews about it last week and it sounds so amazing!

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  19. I'm sooo excited about ALL of this! I love witty conversations, Rishi sounds adorbs, AND I love learning about other cultures.

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  20. I've been seeing this one everywhere, and am super curious about it. Especially since's it's a contemporary romcom, which is my favored genre! :) Thanks for the review!

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  21. Eee :D Stunning review Brittany. <3 SO glad you enjoyed this one :D Yesss for cute. <3 I'm curious about this. Everyone seems to love it :) And it's so gorgeous. Thank you for sharing. <3

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