As I said on my Of Curses and Kisses review, I've meaning to read other books by Sandhya Menon and When Dimple Met Rishi seemed like the right choice: I thought it'd be a fun and easy going reading, perfect for a Sunday night.
And, boy, what a rush.
I started reading When Dimple Met Rishi on Sunday and got through about 12 chapters? Or like, 10% of the story and then life took over and I just couldn't concentrate enough/stop everything I was doing to pick up a book. Anyway, cut to four days later, on Thursday, and I finally found some time (at 11 pm, because I hate my sleep schedule, apparently) and read the book in one sitting, pulling an all-nighter and finishing the whole thing at 6 am, just before I heard my mom's alarm go off and freaked out. It was pretty cool, a great reminiscent of my preteen reading-under-the-covers-at-unholy-hours days.
But now, let's get into the review (written while I was sleep-deprived, I may add).
by Sandhya Menon
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Pages: 380
★★★/.5
Synopsis: 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.
“He already knew the first time he saw Dimple’s picture that their story would become a sort of legend”― Sandhya Menon, When Dimple Met Rishi
When Dimple Met Rishi is a college-aged YA (we don't see enough of that, sadly) set in California. It's the perfect summer-love story between Dimple Shah, an aspiring programmer who has big plans concerning her career that include a) winning the competition at the summer pre-college coding program she desperately wants to get into and b) never (ever) finding (or marrying) the Ideal Indian Husband™ (none of which her mom seem to understand or approve).
And Rishi Patel who, on the other hand, is totally on board with what his parents have planned for him. He's supposed to start Engineering at MIT on the fall (even if his passion lies elsewhere), uphold his Indians traditions (which he firmly believes in) and, of course, court his possible future wife at the summer program (he is, by the way, really looking forward to this “suggested arrangement”). So, when they both meet and their encounter is far from being perfect (or amicable), they find out they have so much to figure out yet.
“I feel like I need to speak out, because if no one speaks out, if no one says, This is me, this is what I believe in, and this is why I’m different, and this is why that’s okay, then what’s the point? What’s the point of living in this beautiful, great melting pot where everyone can dare to be anything they want to be?”
― Sandhya Menon, When Dimple Met Rishi
One of my favorite things about this book is how different the two main characters are concerning their Indian background. It shows how there are so many ways you can relate to your heritage (all of them valid) and I couldn't praise Sandhya Menon for this creative choice. That being said, I could relate to both Dimple — being a girl born into a tradition that hasn't been always kind to girls — and Rishi — in his wish to protect and uphold his beliefs and customs and be a part of something bigger than himself.
Concerning the characters, I also found them very refreshing. I stopped reading contemporary romance for a while because I felt it was getting too much of the same, you know? So, it was a nice surprise to find that Sandhya Menon' spin on the classic tropes. I loved how obsessed Dimple was (totally relatable) and how determined she was to achieve her dreams. Rishi was so much better than the usual angsty-borderline-toxic love interest, I couldn't get enough of him!
As for the plot, well, it's a contemporary romance YA, so clearly we all know how it goes: boy meets girl, conflict happens, the girl doesn't like boy, except she does a little bit, then there's banter and they get together, but then conflict (or something related to it) is BACK, they split, there's a big revelation and them BOOM, happily ever after.
What I just poorly described is the plot of every rom-com/romance ever, but how does one make it interesting?
“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.”
― Sandhya Menon, When Dimple Met Rishi
Easy, make it a story we want to read. Add real interests of the main characters and separate/personal arcs, sprinkle some twists to the conflict, maybe a dash of family drama. And, of course, TONS of cute romantics scenes and characters the reader will swoon over. That's exactly what Sandhya Menon did and not even sleep could keep me from turning the pages.
Speaking of the author, she's so good writing contemporary. I have to say, I liked When Dimple Met Rishi better than Of Curses and Kisses. I think this kind of summer-love/arranged-relationship spoke more to me than the Beauty and the Beast retelling. Nevertheless, Sandhya Menon is one of this year's greatest finds! I'll run off to read all her other books as soon as I'm done here.
When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon is the bubbly, happy reading you need. I recommend it to anyone looking for the perfect #ownvoices, refreshing rom-com.
till next time!
till next time!
“But that was Rishi... he was like a pop song you thought you couldn't stand, but found yourself humming in the shower anyway.”― Sandhya Menon, When Dimple Met Rishi
7 comentários
Well this sounds adorable. Sure, predictable - but what rom com isn't, honestly? I love these kinds of books when I just want something lighthearted that makes me smile in the midst of some heavy times! Thanks for sharing your review.
ReplyDeleteThank YOU hahahah. I also love those kind of books (sometimes all we need is a bit of cuteness, right?)
DeleteI literally wrote a post earlier this week on how I want to read When Dimple met Rishi this year! I'm glad to hear that its a refreshing rom-com.
ReplyDeleteReally?! I'll check it out then! This book is so cute <3
DeleteSounds like such a sweet book, I love summer romance novels!
ReplyDeleteYes it is!
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