Review: When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandya Menon

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandya Menon

Publishing Date: May 30, 2017
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pages: 384
Young Adult Contemporary

The Premise from the Publisher: "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" (Simon Pulse).

My overall thoughts and review: I opted for the Audible version of the book and I need to take a moment to applaud Sneha Mathan & Vikas Adam. They did an amazing job bringing the characters to life and I honestly felt as if I was sitting right next to the characters listening to the story unfold. I absolutely LOVED this book. I couldn't stop smiling the entire time I was listening to it and it made me laugh and cry on multiple occasions. If I could describe this book in a few words it would be: adorable & cute. Seriously, these characters are just adorable. To begin with, Dimple is not your typical female protagonist in a YA contemporary. She has ambitions and wants to pursue coding and web developing. It would seem that the pressure to find a husband (because of her parents) is the last thing on her mind. This was such a nice contrast to Rishi, whose parents fell in love through an arranged marriage definitely feels like meeting Dimple could be the game changer in his life. He believes in love at first sight and it was so adorable seeing him swoon over Rishi. They had a hilarious beginning and I love how the cover of the book makes so much more sense now ;) They end up as partners in this summer program and actually forming a beautiful friendship. Rishi helps Dimple overcome her fears and pursue what she wants and helps her form stronger relationships with her parents. Dimple on the other hand, helps Rishi pursue what he really loves and not what he is expected to. I also just loved their families so much. They may have been traditional in some moments but you could see how much they loved their children and only wanted the best for them. I know in some YA contemporary reads, the parents are either completely absent, or even the catalyst to the problems, but this was such a nice change. They weren't the perfect but they were such an integral part of the narrative and I really appreciated that. Dimple and Rishi's relationship was simply beautiful and I loved how it developed. It was seriously incredibly romantic and I can't think of many YA couples I love as much as them. I also really liked how they both handled the Aberzombies together and didn't stand for petty bs. I just loved this book so much. It had everything I love and more. I also really appreciated all the manga and anime references. Overall, if you are looking for a YA contemporary that will make you smile from ear to ear, this is definitely the read for you. Please read it because it will make your summer. Definitely one of my favorite books from 2017! I can't wait to see what Menon writes next because I will be over here impatiently waiting  ;)

My rating of the book: ✮✮✮✮✮ (5/5 stars)

Available for purchase at:
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