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A review by abrunettereads
Sister of the Bollywood Bride by Nandini Bajpai
4.0
Let me start this review by admitting to not having read as many South Asian authors as I should have, especially being SA myself. But here I am, trying to rectify that.
When I picked up this book, I was all set to read about a cute meet-love story about two sisters finding their loves and having a happily ever after. Not that this book isn’t just that, it’s much more.
Mini and Vinnie lost their mother 7 years before, and as much as they have “moved on” there are several gentle reminders of not having their mom around. I absolutely loved how Nandini Bajpai mixed greif in subtle moments when one wouldn’t think about it. It’s such a real portrayal of greif, especially the loss of a parent. One can never move on completely, they could be doing something VERY mundane and get a rush of emotions of loss.
The other few things I fell in love with in this book is how much the Indian Culture is showcased. From marriage customs and all the way down to phrases and day-to-day chats. I felt super included in their story, and very represented. There were some inconsistencies with some of the Indian Customs, such a confusing “Godh Bharai” (baby shower) with “Shagun” (custom of the father of the Groom and his uncles to formally ask for the Bride’s hand) but overall it was absolutely perfect.
Mini stole my heart. She is everything I’d want in a sister, and everything I’d want to be to my siblings. Her dad is another roshgulla (sweetie pie) and I absolutely loved their family dynamics.
With all the things I loved, there were some things I disliked (hence the 4 stars rating). For example, when Mini starts dating Vir, Vinnie wasn’t told or didn’t appear to have the knowledge. Then there was the over-reaching for the Bollywood actress to not only show up at their house (uninvited) but to also fix the issues between Vir and Mini. There were several other small things that irked me in the second, but they didn’t leave a lasting taste.
In all, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is into or are looking for:
✨ an Indian romance fit for a Bollywood movie
✨ a real depiction of greif
✨ amazing family dynamics
✨ sort-of-enemies to lovers
My favorite quote:
«Mum always said when you can’t buy something because it is very, very expensive, go treat yourself to something happy, and fun, and beautiful that is very, very cheap—a pretty pair of earrings, a bright scarf, or a small cup of Haagen-Dazs ice cream »
When I picked up this book, I was all set to read about a cute meet-love story about two sisters finding their loves and having a happily ever after. Not that this book isn’t just that, it’s much more.
Mini and Vinnie lost their mother 7 years before, and as much as they have “moved on” there are several gentle reminders of not having their mom around. I absolutely loved how Nandini Bajpai mixed greif in subtle moments when one wouldn’t think about it. It’s such a real portrayal of greif, especially the loss of a parent. One can never move on completely, they could be doing something VERY mundane and get a rush of emotions of loss.
The other few things I fell in love with in this book is how much the Indian Culture is showcased. From marriage customs and all the way down to phrases and day-to-day chats. I felt super included in their story, and very represented. There were some inconsistencies with some of the Indian Customs, such a confusing “Godh Bharai” (baby shower) with “Shagun” (custom of the father of the Groom and his uncles to formally ask for the Bride’s hand) but overall it was absolutely perfect.
Mini stole my heart. She is everything I’d want in a sister, and everything I’d want to be to my siblings. Her dad is another roshgulla (sweetie pie) and I absolutely loved their family dynamics.
With all the things I loved, there were some things I disliked (hence the 4 stars rating). For example, when Mini starts dating Vir, Vinnie wasn’t told or didn’t appear to have the knowledge. Then there was the over-reaching for the Bollywood actress to not only show up at their house (uninvited) but to also fix the issues between Vir and Mini. There were several other small things that irked me in the second, but they didn’t leave a lasting taste.
In all, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is into or are looking for:
✨ an Indian romance fit for a Bollywood movie
✨ a real depiction of greif
✨ amazing family dynamics
✨ sort-of-enemies to lovers
My favorite quote:
«Mum always said when you can’t buy something because it is very, very expensive, go treat yourself to something happy, and fun, and beautiful that is very, very cheap—a pretty pair of earrings, a bright scarf, or a small cup of Haagen-Dazs ice cream »