I came for the cover and stayed for the absolutely delightful, funny, heartwarming and daring story!

It makes my heart full, reading such a delicious, feminist (more-than-just-a-) romance featuring people of color. The Rules of Arrangement is a story of Zoya, a plus-size Indian girl who, at the age of 26, is already past the age of an ideal wedding according to the society. When her aunties are ready to match her with a suitor, Zoya receives a job offer in New York that she doesn't want to pass on. This is when she needs to decide if she will follow her own heart or stay obedient to her family - whom she nonetheless loves to pieces.

But what's more, this novel is also focused on the struggles of a darker skinned, plus-size woman in the world of modern dating which is hypercritical of bodies like hers. Zoya is honestly just perfect and a character and the reader can tell she loves herself unconditionally, but the pressures she faces on a daily basis would inevitably get to anyone.

This book was so much fun - sprinkled with humor yet very clever and profound, memorable and powerful. Zoya is a character I would want to become best friends forever in a heartbeat.

*Thank you to the Publisher for a free advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was full of heart and ended up being so much more than just the romance that I was expecting. It was about family and friends and following your dreams even when the people and culture surrounding you is against it. The book also addresses the struggle that women who are of a larger size have when it comes to not only dating but acceptance from those around them. I don’t know how accurate the representation of Indian culture was, but the book shared a new perspective that may be new and will be valuable to readers.

Zoya knows that her family expects her to get married, while she is more focused on her successful career, they are ready to arrange her marriage as she has been unsuccessful on her own. Zoya has always been the “fat one” and doesn’t see herself having many prospects for a good match. When a rich handsome man makes her an offer she can’t refuse Zoya gets engaged, even though she’s pretty sure the health crazed Lalit is not a good match for her and seems to have ulterior motives. She is convinced that love isn’t in the cards for her, but a surprise twist involving a secret admirer may show her that she has been wrong all along.

When i read the synopsis for this title I was excited. I'd adored books by Sonali Dev and Sajini Patel last year with similar themes and loved them. I initially thought I was going to enjoy this book, but I was soon easily annoyed. The descriptions of the aunties and the protagonist herself just made me angry. It brought nothing to the story. Sorry of the scenarios set up along the road to the end were funny, I will grant that. Overall I was frustrated, disappointed and sad at the route this book took.
Thank you to netgalley and the author for the arc in exchange for an honest review

*****ARC provided in exchange for an honest review****
I loved this book! As a single girl in my late 20s I could very much relate to the main character Zoya. That was the beauty of this book, the relatability. Even though the main character Zoya is living in Bombay and in that regard lives a life very different from my own I could connect with her as a character, and relate as she struggled to find herself and what life had in store for her. I also enjoyed the romance in this book, although there were times when I struggled when I knew that Zoya deserved better but I was happy with the way that it ended. I think that reading culturally diverse books is so important and am really glad I gave this book a shot! I would gladly read anything else by Anisha Bhatia

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to review an eARC of The Rules Of Arrangement in exchange for an honest review.

Zoya is a marketing MBA from a rich family living in a fancy area of Mumbai and loves to explain the food she eats in excruciating detail to people not acquainted with Indian cuisine. That's how narratives presumably go in her head. My real angst with this book is her internal incoherence- that she wants to live with her family's approval and doesn't put up resistance to most things and yet wants to rebel and live the exact same family life she's sick and tired of being subjected to. Even worse, her fatphobia is startling, whether internalized or not. This protagonist we're supposed to root for is a bumbling buffoon (could have been charming) with progressive ideals (smoking pot and casual sex, not in terms of opposing endogamy and patriarchy rampant in her own life) and little to no self esteem.

Her growth arc was incomprehensibly despondent. If it takes so much for a rich, privileged, accomplished woman in India to find "freedom" (going to NYC for work for a 5% salary raise), the odds are it's never going to happen to anybody else. She's meant to be relatable and somehow the book fails to deliver on that by dovetailing it to a Bandra girl who speaks the way Shobaa Dé writes, has curly hair and refuses fairness creams and has incredibly hot friends and a suspiciously nice boss. The freedom arc with her aunt is suspiciously similar to her own, and it doesn't bode well for Zoya's life after the book ends. I hope she finds her freedom, but I'm not sure that is likely with someone of her Bombay-ness and her droll acquiescence with "tradition" (aka the Rules of Arrangement) and internalized misogyny ever can.

I think I have the same problems with this book that I'd with a Karan Johar film. They take on big issues and slap some five star glitter on it and decide that a resolution isn't the real endgame, but a wedding (or a prospect of). I also know in my gut that my mom and everyone in her demographic will enjoy this book, and that it will be a success by and large. Not to say that I didn't enjoy the brief interactions of Zoya and Arnav. They just got impossibly lost in the whole OTTness of the rest of it- which maybe was the point, but I'd like a solid HEA if I had to go through all of the family drama to get to the romance.

I am happy this book ended the way I wanted... I wanted to shake Zoya and tell her to speak up, say no, tell them off. But of course she has traditions and rulea to follow.. This book gave me great insight on indian marry culture and women treatment...
The fact that Zoya realized her worth and power is the true win for me.
I love the book cover, loved what the book represents and means.. Just loved it

I really enjoyed this book. This book is not like your typical romance. I was anticipating just from the title a romance between a guy and girl thrown into an arranged marriage and that alone BUT this book is so much more. This book is definitely one that should not be passed up if you want to read a romance and learn something. Not just about the character but about yourself too. Zoya is a plus sized girl and throughout the book she does acknowledge it. She loves herself and is not apologetic about it. I commend her for that since its not easy to do so if that is all you think about-or family members point it out constantly. She opens herself up to the possibilities of life. I did not quite understand why the author spent so much time on the family but as I read the book and turned the final pages, I understood. Zoya has a deep love for her family and for her ambitions in life and must choose who to honor, them or herself? I loved Zoya's character and how fun it was to read about her love for food, family and New York City. I too love all those things so I felt like I could relate. This book will make you make you laugh and make you want to hug every family member after you finish. I personally have never heard of the author Anisha Bhatia, but I would definitely read more books from her in the future.