This was disappointing. Interesting concept of two Sri Lankan single people living in London who get married so their parents will be happy. Chaya does this because she can't be with the man she loves and had already broken up with and Gimhana does this because he's gay and that's illegal in Sri Lanka and being married will get him a partnership. They also get married because they are lonely and can truly be themselves when they're with each other.

This book felt flat with lack of development. Most of the development is building Gimhana's and Chaya's friendship. There is an ease about them when they are married. Their love interests are boring. I felt nothing about these men who the main characters fall in love with. Even when I'm constantly told that a part of them feels missing with they lose their love interest.

Quick read, though.

I received this earc from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

SPOILERS

I rarely read romantic book, but I was intrigued by this book and sincerely hoped it wouldn't be a boring and predictable reading. It wasn't. This book surprised me. Not a first. I read the first chapters just to understand what was about, but then it got me. I fell in love, suddenly. Jeevani Charika wrote about two amazing and different main characters. The story swing from past to present, from 1994 to 2005, to 2012 and 2013. Chaya is in the 1994 a young Sri Lankan woman, with a scholarship for Oxford, away from her family and culture for the first time. Gimhana is from Sri Lanka too, a closeted gay man, afraid to come out, not only because he fears his family's disappointment, but because he was bullied and hurt. Years later Chaya and Gimhana encounter each other, both pressured by their family to marry (because having 30 years old it's considered being old in that community, above all for a woman).Slowly they become friends, after seeing each other at a party in Sri Lanka, in London, where both of them are workaholic and where Gimhana struggle to advance in a law firm with "traditional" values (seeing withouth a girlfriends was frown upon) and where Chaya struggle too, with her anxiety and panic attacks. They build a strong friendship, helping and understanding each other and decide to get married to free themselves from their families ' desires. They make a deal. No affair, No children. Discretion. Be there for each other. Stop drinking for Gimhuna, seeking help for Chaya.
I was really upset reading how both of them have to fake to be other persons, Chaya fighting to contain and solve on her own her panic attacks, with only Gim's help, (until the end, when she decided to take medications and counsueling), Gim hiding his sexuality, for fear from himself and his family's thoughts, both trying to twist into their families expectations. I was interesting to read how Chaya fight to make her family proud, with her studies, with her fake marriage, Leaving her first and only love, Noah, at the college (because she thought that was the only way to respect her family's wishes and couldn't see a live for them) is a never closed wound, Chaya carries with herself, forced to live to other's expectation. Their charade goes on until Gim falls in love and get discovered by Chaya's niece and he and Chaya have to face the damage. I was pretty angry when Chaya's brother in law compared being gay with being a sexual predator and about the whole gay stigma, in Sri Lanka and how, even in London, Gim finds himself forced to leave his firm because of the rumors. I loved his relationship with Chaya, how both of them create a unconventional family, helping each other, worrying about each other, if Chaya ate, if Gim worked too much, if they slept, taking care of one other. Their friendship is really amazing and I loved how after the "scandal" they decided to start over, to be true to themselves, Chaya telling Noah the truth and Gim trying to repair his relationship with Zack. I love Zack as character and how he pushed Gim, with Chaya's help, out his comfort zone, pushing him to be open and free to be himself. I really liked Noam, too and, even though the ending was too perfect it appeal to my hidden romantic soul. Seeing Noah deciding to give himself and Chaya another chance, Gim and Zack living together, Chaya going to a therapist, she and Gim supporting each other...
This book was really beautiful. The writing is fluid and I've read it in an afternoon, because I needed to know what was going on, how thing would be sorted out. I loved how the main characters, after being forced to respect other's desires, finally decided to be true to their souls and loves. It was really empowering. I liked Chaya, a lot. A research scientist, fighting her own past and panic attack, and how she grown in the book. Gim was an amazing characters, funny, thoughtful and caring. I loved them.
Thanks to Jeevani Charika for this book.