Cutest. book. ever. When Dimple Met Rishi is a fun, sweet and super romantic YA novel that leaves you with all the feels. The characters are so full or personality that I found myself with a constant smile on my face as I read the book and definitely experienced a few laugh-out-loud moments. I really appreciated all of the cultural elements that were thrown in the mix to give these characters small worlds some added depth and life. One million stars.

One of my favourite reads of 2017! I loved this book so much! I fell in love with the characters from the beginning and they held my heart in their fists right up until the very end. I even cried TWICE! The rest of the time I couldn't stop laughing as Dimple the main character is so sarcastic and funny and Rishi the other main character's sweet and mischievous sense of humour meant they had so much chemistry and bounced of each so well!

I also loved how this book wasn't just a romance but an in-depth look at how family, friendship and following your passion intertwined around first love. All these factors made the book such a refreshing and exciting read. I can't WAIT for the author's next book!

“But that was Rishi... he was like a pop song you thought you couldn't stand, but found yourself humming in the shower anyway.”

DNF this one on about 20%.

Just really couldn't get into it. May be great for teens, but as 20-something reader of YA it wasn't the book for me.

YES! Where has this book been all my life? Fun, spirited and with a voice that I just loved - I've been recommending this book to EVERYONE.

My review: I read this in a day and thought it was a delight. I loved the fact Dimple was a modern girl and Rishi supported the old traditions – the story wouldn’t have worked if Rishi hadn’t been willing to keep trying to win her over, and that meant it also didn’t fall into the old instalove trap. I think my Indian friends would totally relate. The minor characters didn’t interest me as much, but I liked Rishi’s brother a lot. This book is geeky and swoony and fun. Highly recommended.

***Disclaimer: This e-ARC was provided to me by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Huge thanks to them. ***

My rating: 4/5

Wonderful, diverse, and the perfect feel-good YA romance!

When Dimple Met Rishi was so adorable I was fully set on recreating the cover for an Instagram post - me holding my Starbucks Green Tea Frappuccino (because I don’t drink coffee), biting my straw and grinning… but then Starbucks stuffed up my order (why does it always happen at this one Starbucks? Why do I never learn?) and I gave up. Anyway my point is, I loved this book so much I thought it was worth the effort had Starbucks not gotten my order wrong.

I was showing one of my Indian colleagues WDMR to help me translate some of the phrases and she said all the Dimples she knew had very happy/bubbly personalities. I can’t say that’s the same for this particular Dimple though. If I had one word to describe her, it would be FIERCE. I could relate to this girl so much – she’s a feminist but at the same time she cannot deny her culture which has conservative traditions. I loved how she felt conflicted because she wanted to uphold those values and make her parents happy, while still putting her ambitions and career first. She is driven, dedicated but also a great friend. During her 6 weeks at Insomnia Con, she’s on a journey to self-actualisation with the people around her and it was so endearing to watch her grow.

Rishi couldn’t be more of an opposite to Dimple if he tried. And yet they were also very similar. While Dimple tried to put her career progression over her parents’ traditional wants for her, Rishi embraced everything culturally. But they are both wonderful friends who stick up for others, loving children who want to please their parents, and all round great people who I honestly wish I knew in real life. Rishi, the hopeless romantic that he is, warmed my heart. I wanted to give him a big hug and tell him to step back and slow down. He seems to have everything sorted out, or does he? I loved that Rishi wasn’t there as just the love interest, he’s got his own story and things to figure out himself. Can I just say I would LOVE to see his art work?

The romance ermagherd. So so SO cute. I loved the way it started, with Dimple throwing her coffee at Rishi. I adore romances that start off with either party (or both) hating the other. Then watching them get to know each other, grow accustomed to one another, find out that hey, they actually like some of their qualities. The outings they planned with each other were so thoughtful (RISHI U R TRU MVP), like let me find a guy like that in real life. Not gonna lie, the romance was quite full on I was like HEY FRIENDS MAYBE HIT PAUSE YOU’RE- ok well if you must, carry on LMAO because I shipped it so hard. But y’all know it’s never quite that simple and remember they’re both only at this con for 6 weeks so…???

The plot doesn’t lose focus which I think Menon deserves extra brownie points for. There’s a lot going on with the romance, the side stories with friendships and family. I loved Celia and Ashish, and the way they juxtaposed Dimple and Rishi. At the heart of it all is Dimple’s purpose at Insomnia Con: to develop an app that will win the con and allow her to meet her programming idol. Dimple will do anything to win, and Menon has her step out of her comfort zone which really added to my belief in Dimple’s dedication. I want to add that I’m so appreciative of Menon for making the ‘bitchy/bad person’ the guys. In so many books I feel like women are demonised, labelled the ‘bitch’ but here the females all kind of stick up for each other. In my own personal experience, when guys want to be horrible/gossipy they’re a million times worse than girls – the stuff they say is more malicious and hurtful. So yeah, GIRL POWER.

Menon’s writing is fun and engaging, her characters multifaceted and the kind of real people you know in real life. She gives the whole San Francisco setting a little extra oomph by introducing us non-SF noobs to Karl. YES, APPARENTLY SAN FRANCISO PEOPLE HAVE NAMED THEIR FOG. I can vouch for this because I asked my SF friend and he said it’s an attraction. He then proceeded to show me a time lapse and Karl looks like this sea and it’s cool and also kind of creepy. This really gives the whole book the tech-vibe because ya know SF, Silicon Valley?

I hear Menon’s next book is called From Twinkle, With Love? Gimme!

when dimple met rishi is one of the cutest books i've ever read. i didn't think i'd like this book to begin with as it's not something that i'd typically read, but i'm glad i picked it up!

when dimple met rishi is the first book that i've read that features arranged marriages. i've heard that other books don't focus on it in a positive light, and i was pleasantly surprised with how it was handled in this book, not to mention the supportive family members.

i really loved dimple, i found her very relatable (however, i'd never throw something so expensive at someone). she's a down to earth and likeable character. if this is a series, i'd definitely read more just for her.

on the other hand, i wasn't a fan of rishi. i found him rather annoying and unrelatable. i'm pretty sure i'm the only person who feels this way, but ugh w h y ?! not only that, but i really didn't like the romance very much. i felt that there wasn't a lot of development. (feelings don't just appear overnight)

one of my absolute favourite things about this book was celia and the whole meeting an online friend thing. it's a very common thing  these days, yet loads of YA contemporary books forget this. it was really nice to see an online relationship such as this and it not be some creepy 40 year old dude.

when dimple met rishi is an amazing book if you're looking for a cutesy contemporary to read, or something to read between series as a little break type thing. even if you're not looking for any of that, just read it anyway -- it's so worth it.

When Dimple Met Rishi was a nice fluffy contemporary which I think will appeal to most readers of contemporary coming of age/romance novels. The story focuses on Dimple, an Indian American girl who is set up in an arranged marriage with a family friend's son, despite her not wanting to be married and wanting to focus on her career in web app development.

I think what made this book quite good, despite the relatively simple story, was how there was a large focus on Indian culture. I have to admit I don't know a lot about Indian culture except for what I gleaned from reading a book named A Fine Balance back when I was in high school. It was interesting to see the different value that Dimple's mother put on things like beauty and making "a good wife" etc. And looking at reviews from bloggers who have Indian backgrounds, it seems like Menon does an excellent job in portraying the Indian culture properly.

The character development was pretty decent, with Dimple being a young woman with relateable aspirations and ways of thinking. Rishi on the other hand was less Americanised and was more focused on traditional Indian values, and I think the balance between the two worked well. While the romance did seem a little bit on the swift side, it was still quite adorable. They are obviously pretty compatible, despite Dimple being pretty reluctant to become friends with Rishi in the first place.

Overall, a novel that was needed in the current diversity-seeking environment of young adult. Would definitely recommend to those looking for a light contemporary romance.

Ratings
Overall: 8/10
Plot: 4/5
Romance: 3.5/5
Writing: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Cover: 2/5

Do you ever get nervous about reading a book because there's so much hype and you're worried that there is no way it can be as good as everyone is saying? This was me with When Dimple met Rishi. There has been SO MUCH HYPE about this book. But, you know what? It was AT LEAST as good as everyone said (yes, maybe I thought it was even better!)

WHEN DIMPLE MET RISHI is a frothy, funny contemporary romance set at a coding convention in San Francisco over one exciting summer. Told from the dual perspectives of two Indian American protagonists, Dimple is fighting her family traditions while Rishi couldn't be happier to follow in the footsteps of his parents.
Could sparks fly between this odd couple, or is this matchmaking attempt doomed to fail?

I don't even know what to say, since everyone has probably said all the good things already!

One of the reasons I picked this up (besides the cover, I mean!) was that I love reading about lives and experiences that are different to mine - Dimple and Rishi are both young Indian Americans and have grown up with their Indian heritage playing a big role in their lives. What is fantastic about this book is that we don't just get one view of what that's like, in fact we don't even just see what Dimple and Rishi's experiences have been, but we also get some insight into Ashish and Hari and even Seemi's lives as young Indian-Americans and THEY ARE ALL SO DIFFERENT (I know, that sounds like a completely crazy thing to say, but sooooo often where there are POC or culturally diverse - for lack of better words - characters in a book their experiences seem to be just one big stereotype. So this was super refreshing and interesting and felt REAL).

For anyone doing the Book Riot Read Harder Challenge this would be perfect for task "Read a book wherein all point-of-view characters are people of color" (which I'm ticking it off against) but also "Read a debut novel" and I think it might even count for "Read a book in which a character of color goes on a spiritual journey".

As far as read-alikes, I have to confess to not reading a whole lot of contemporary YA, but I'm pretty sure that readers of Rainbow Rowell will love this - the book I can think of that felt the most similar for me is Kindred Spirits.

In any case, this book is completely adorable and reading it just made me feel good - it actually felt like watching a favourite rom-com movie. There were bits that made me laugh, and some where I cried. So good.
All the feels and 4.5/5 stars (just read it now, ok?)

When Dimple met Rishi by Sandhya Menon is out now week from Hachette I received an e-book copy in exchange for an honest review, but only chose to read it because it sounded like something I would enjoy (life's too short to read books we don't think we'll enjoy). All opinions on my blog are my own, and I wouldn't tell you it was good if I didn't really think so. =)

This has to be one of the most adorable books I've read this year.

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon feels like sipping sweet iced tea while stretched out in the sun. It is an energetic and lighthearted YA romance as well as an exploration of culture, young adulthood, and identity with warmth and sincerity. Featuring the dual perspectives of Indian-American teenagers and infused with Hindi culture, Menon portrays exactly what it is like to be a young adult on the edge of the future with questions about your dreams and aspirations. With Insomnia Con as the backdrop of this tale, a competitive summer tech program on app development in San Francisco, when the worlds of Dimple and Rishi collide, the result is nothing short of beautiful.

So let's get into what I loved about this book.

The book reminded me of the sensation of falling in love.

I felt the slow tumble into the world of first love like an old memory. Menon's storytelling brings to life the excitement and thrill of romance, weaving the tender and vulnerable moments of blooming love with the joy of friendship. I absolutely adored the characters, I thought my heart would explode.

Dimple Shah, you make me want to high-five you. Dimple's dream to be in the tech world as an independent woman who is judged by her intellect and not her face had me cheering. She also has no plans to find her IIH (Ideal Indian Husband), and she thinks and acts like a feminist. It is refreshing to see more of that in YA.

Rishi Patel, you made me swoon. Rishi is an utterly hopeless romantic who likes tradition and wants to honour his parents while struggling to follow his dream to be a comic book artist. He's totally on board with his parents' idea to match him with Dimple. What made him so undeniably cute was his belief in destiny and the fabric of history, a complete contrast to Dimple who comes across as practical and not interested in sticking to tradition at all.

Their first encounter is simply hilarious: Rishi approaches Dimple, thinking she knows about the arrangement and jokingly says, "Hello future wife". This is promptly followed by Dimple throwing her iced coffee at him and running away in shock. #couplegoals. But what follows this rather rocky start is a blooming friendship where Dimple and Rishi constantly challenge each other. They're a recipe for laughs and adorable moments. They're also both huge nerds with an understanding of parental expectations and the pressure to strive for excellence. The development of their relationship felt organic, each moment filled with banter and chemistry.

There is a strong presence of culture and family throughout this novel, something I found to be quite brilliant.

Although I'm not Indian, I felt a familiarity with the burden of parental expectations and personal dreams. I liked how the book embraced both Dimple and Rishi's cultural identities with no shame and expressed it with enthusiasm. I particularly loved the hybrid dialogue of Indian and English, especially in the conversations between Dimple and Mamma.

I also liked how the prospect of arrange marriage was portrayed in a positive light. The term itself sounds mortifying, but the whole idea is to see if they are compatible. Their parents, while not so chill all the time (the Ideal Indian Husband is just around the corner, Dimple!), were completely understanding and only want what is best for their children. This gave the story such an genuine voice within the Indian culture.

The writing is also absolutely fantastic. I loved how it was in third person because it's not often I find a YA novel in third person that is executed so well.

It shows the realistic process of starting a new chapter in your life.

Leaving high school and moving onto university is a huge step. It's terrifying and you're stuck navigating waters you don't have a map to. That's the beauty of YA though, the uncertainty that lies before the characters forces them to make decisions; like the choice between following what you love and what is realistic enough to land you a job is something a lot of young adults will struggle with. The book also taps into family expectations and the pressure young adults put upon themselves to succeed with a genuine manner.

When Dimple Met Rishi is incredibly sweet, full of laughs and driven by characters you will fall in love with - a truly delightful read. It will take you on a swoon-worthy adventure, filling your heart with adorably dorky moments and impeccable food appreciation. This book has snuggled itself in a corner of my heart, so I suggest you make room for this on your YA shelf.

With a lot of luck and arm twisting Dimple's parents have agreed that she can go to Stanford University but before school starts she's going to try and sell the idea of going to Insomnia Con as well to her parents, who think further education is mostly a good opportunity to meet an I.I.H, Ideal Indian Husband. Dimple knows it'll be hard to get another thing like this past her parents but it will give her an edge when she gets to Standford and the winner has an incredible chance to partner with Jenny Lindt, who will help their app get market reading and fund all the advertising.

Rishi Patel's parents were good childhood friends when Dimple Shah's parents so naturally they sent each other photos of their children as an invitation to form a marriage between them. Dimple has no plans to marry anytime and especially not by an arrangement but Dimple's parents agree to send her to Insomnia Con because they know Rishi plans to be there to meet Dimple has no clue about any arrangement with her and Rishi's parents so when he introduces himself and calls her his future wife she does the most sensible thing and throws her drink in his face and runs off.

At first, Dimple is understandably upset at her parents and Rishi but when he learns she had no idea about the plan he backs off, she feels guilty for being so rude to him and they begin a friendship since they're attending the same program for the next few weeks, but Dimple stresses that it is NOT turning into a relationship and definitely no marriage in their future ever. It's interesting that this book is formed around a subject I have no first-hand knowledge on, arranged marriage and Indian tradition, but it's mostly an adorable romantic comedy about two teenagers that click and become so close after a disastrous start. The biggest perk though is that I get to read about Indian-American teenagers and get an inside look into their joy and their pressures and it was so touching.

One thing that was really saddening was when Dimple told Rishi how alone and foreign she felt visiting her home country and feeling disconnected to the people and culture because she was born in America. It's an odd feeling to be in one country and have some people there immediately see you as a foreigner and put you in that box and then to go to the country your parents were from or your heritage is based and feel just as foreign there because you experienced a hybrid upbringing of the two countries so you can't be put in either box. That's the biggest thing I can relate to in this book but the other side is wonderful because Rishi feels at home in both his countries and loves experiencing both so that's super cute but Rishi has his own inner turmoil. He's constantly torn between what he would love to do with his life and his sense of duty to his family.

Overall, this book was an utter delight to read and full of romance, cuteness and a little well-written drama! I had no trouble finishing it because the story went by so quickly and the ending was brilliant. I'm really glad that Dimple and Rishi found each other because they ended up also finding their dreams and fulfilling their aspirations. It's not only a story about unlikely love but also a story about following your own path.

Thank you, Hachette Australia for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon
3.85 Stars out of 5

This is the cutest book, I have read in a little while. I did really enjoy myself reading it but there were a few things that I didn’t connect with. I can’t elaborate in that without giving to much away. When the book is released ill come back in and pop in what I didn’t enjoy.
I really loved the flow, and the writing that the author has given us, it is fast paced and the humour is on point.
Dimple I loved her but then I grew to annoyed with her, but I freaking adored Rishi! Their parents have this arranged marriage for them only Dimple didn’t know until she did find out in one of the funniest ways. I like that she can call her mum out on her ways, and that Dimple is 100 % true to herself and know what she wants in life.
Rishi is this cute little puppy that I just want to squish, he is just to loveable, and goofy and just wants to make the people in his life happy.
One thing I love also is the cover art, I just love how cute the cover is!
Live the life you want and believe in what you believe in!
If you love rom coms this is the one for you, it’s a YA so you know if your loving that genre that this one is for you.