When Dimple met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

Standalone

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Publication date: may 30^th, 2017

Source: Hardcover bought on Book Depository

Rating: 5 hearts

Synopsis

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.

Review

Dimple is a unique girl, her ambition is to become a Web Designer, for that she absolutely wants to go to this summer camp in Stanford where she will have to create an application and can won a meeting with her idol and especially get her help to create this application, and sell it. The only problem is that her parents, especially her mother, have only one idea in mind that is she meets the perfect man. For that she doesn’t need to have a brain but just to be beautiful and kind. Arriving in San Francisco she will meet Rishi and I will let you discover the continuation.

I liked Dimple, she’s smart, her application project is really something good and respectable. She loves her parents even if she has more trouble with her mother and her desires, she isn’t very focused on Indian traditions, mainly because she was born in the USA and her parents aren’t rich enough to return in India every year. Dimple feels more American than Indian and this is what her mother finds difficult to understand. I loved the first reaction when she saw Rishi, I found this reaction quite normal and it set the tone for the rest of the book.

Rishi is a character that I particularly appreciated, he’s kind, attentive and he has the repartee, especially if one attacks the people he loves. I loved his respect for Dimple, and the fact that he respects his traditions, he loves his country. He’s passionate about comics, he draws very well and has a real talent, unfortunately as he’s the oldest, he feels that he must please his father and abandon his passion.

When Dimple met Rishi is a refreshing story, where romance evolves slowly and I liked the interaction of the characters together or with the Aberzombies. (You will understand by reading and I hope that they will leave this word in the French translation) I find that this book is perfect, it has some defect certainly, the reactions of Dimple are sometimes exaggerated but at the same time she’s a teenager and her mother isn’t always easy to live. I really liked the part where we talk about the application and I found it too short because the idea is great. The relationship between Dimple and Rishi is built slowly and first by a friendly relationship.

Sandhya Menon knew how to capsize my heart with this romantic story as I love them. The style is poetic and is a good read for this summer.

Quick word: The arranged meeting of two young Indians that will turn into a beautiful romance.

About the author

Bestselling novelist of Indian origin, currently living in the United States.

Links

Amazon – Goodreads