Book Review: “When Dimple Met Rishi” by Sandhya Menon
“When Dimple Met Rishi” by Sandhya Menon (2017)
Genre: YA, Romance, Contemporary, Fiction
Page Length: 380 pages (hardcover edition)
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. (description from Goodreads)
Review:
I was excited to read this book since I saw the gorgeous cover and found out that it’s a story embedded in STEM (I need more STEM books in YA!). The story follows two teens Dimple and Rishi, whose parents have matched them up for an arrange marriage. While Rishi accepts it, Dimple is against the whole idea. The two meet up at Insomnia Con where they end up working as a team to create an app.
I was hooked from the first page! I have never read an YA novel with a concept of an arranged marriage before this book. Dimple is outspoken and passionate about her dreams to work with technology even though her mother would like to settle down with a “nice boy”. Rishi is the obedient son that is kindhearted and shy, he has comic book art but doesn’t want to pursue because it isn’t practical like the plan his parents have laid out for him even though he’s very passionate about it.
Though Dimple and Rishi got off to a bad start they actually have more in common than they think. They both feel indebted to their own parents, want to follow their hearts, and are both comfortable with their nerdiness. I loved the cute intimate moments of their relationship and that they show their goofy sides too though they are very different readers see how well they really mesh each other.
On top of the romance, I loved the theme of pursing your passions. Because you’ll never know if you don’t try. It’s a richly diverse novel and is embedded in STEM. I thoroughly enjoyed each moment of Dimple’s story and I can’t wait to read more books by Menon!
Final Verdict:
