Thank you to Berkley for my copy of a Holly Jolly Diwali! All thoughts are my own.

When I saw the cover of this book, I KNEW I needed to have it. As a huge Christmas lover, I’m always looking to learn about other holidays that are celebrated in communities I am not a part of. A Holly Jolly Diwali did not disappoint in that aspect!

This is a perfect read if you want a little holiday magic but aren’t too interested in anything too festive. It’s a sweet, closed door romance about waking up in your late twenties and feeling like you’re not at all where you want to be.

Synopsis:

“Twenty-nine-year-old Niki Randhawa has always made practical decisions. Despite her love for music and art, she became an analyst for the stability. She's always stuck close to home, in case her family needed her. And she's always dated guys that seem good on paper, rather than the ones who give her butterflies. When she's laid off, Niki realizes that practical hasn't exactly paid off for her. So for the first time ever, she throws caution to the wind and books a last-minute flight for her friend Diya’s wedding.Niki arrives in India just in time to celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights, where she meets London musician Sameer Mukherji. Maybe it's the splendor of Mumbai or the magic of the holiday season, but Niki is immediately drawn to Sam. At the wedding, the champagne flows and their flirtatious banter makes it clear that the attraction is mutual.When Niki and Sam join Diya, her husband and their friends on a group honeymoon, their connection grows deeper. Free-spirited Sam helps Niki get in touch with her passionate and creative side, and with her Indian roots. When she gets a new job offer back home, Niki must decide what she wants out of the next chapter of her life—to cling to the straight and narrow like always, or to take a leap of faith and live the kind of bold life the old Niki never would have dreamed of.” —NetGalley

What I Liked:

The Setting—I LOVED getting to visit India with Niki. It was a cool vehicle for the reader since Niki had never visited before so it was like we were experiencing the magic and wonder for the first time together.

Learning about Diwali—I admittedly did not know a lot about Diwali before reading this book. I’d heard of it before, thanks to my love of Mindy Kaling, but I didn’t know about why it was celebrated or how. I really loved learning about it and getting to add a book about a different holiday to my holiday book collection.

The Character Arcs—I can really relate to millenial stories of starting over right now and when Niki was dealing with coming to terms on the state of her personal and professional life, it hit me right in the feels. I love being able to connect with a character like that.

What Didn’t Work:

Didn’t Love the Romance—It was a little Insta-Lovey for me, but I suppose that’s to be expected in a holiday read.

Pacing— I feel like things moved a little too quickly and I didn’t really get a chance to get to know all the characters.

Content Warnings:

N/A

Character Authenticity: 3.75/5 Steam Rating: 0/5 Overall Rating: 3.5

This is my second book by Sonya Lalli, and, unfortunately, I think it will be my last. I didn't particularly enjoy either of them, and I think it comes down to a writing style which doesn't resonate with me. Each have been more women's fiction than romance, and are oddly short but drag. There was nothing in this book that really kept me enthralled or made me root for the main characters.

This book, in particularly, I think suffers from a serious case of misbranding. Billed as a seemingly light-hearted holiday romcom, this book is far from it. There's not the typical charm and wit you see in romcoms, and the holiday references, while present, don't make up the overall vibe of the book, mostly because it spans such a long period of time. The book starts with Diwali and ends with Christmas, basically, and most of the story happens in between.

The book has great representation, and I loved how it took me to India and showed me different parts of the country, but unfortunately that doesn't make up for the overall plot. Ultimately, I just didn't particularly enjoy reading this book, and given the consistent style with her previous book, I don't think I'll try her work again.

Thanks to Berkley for my eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3 stars - 5/10

I'm always hunting for Holiday romances NOT centered around Christmas and was so happy to find A HOLLY JOLLY DIWALI!

I lived in an area for a few years that had a large Indian population, so I already knew a fair amount about this magical holiday. If you are less familiar with it, you will love reading this book since the author does a great job of incorporating it into the story without it reading like a textbook.

Niki and Sam are SO SWEET! I loved their story! They had great banter, sizzling chemistry, and a wonderfully real relationship that never felt too rushed or unrealistic. Niki is a female working in STEM (yay!!! Happy dance!) who is practical to a fault. I love a female lead who is the more "serious" one. While Sam is chasing his dreams, passionate, and much more open to fun.

A HOLLY JOLLY DIWALI also gives the reader a perfectly executed peek into the Indian culture, as a society and within families. Again, this information is woven into the story without feeling preach or heavy-handed. We get to witness the Indian-American heroine changing some of her preconceived ideas about her own culture as she visits India.

Now, for the good stuff! This book is really steamy WITHOUT having much steam! Whooo-Wheee! Are these two sexy, even without the sex. You won't be left wanting more (okay, maybe you will) because the chemistry and kisses are pretty great.

A HOLLY JOLLY DIWALI is such a great holiday read! It's smart, sweet, and swoony!

Emilie, RateTheRomance

I really enjoyed this book. It's a coming-of-age story with a large smattering of romance. I love stories where the characters are growing from one phase to another and discovering new parts of themselves. And that's exactly what Niki is going through.

I had so much fun reading Niki's story. I loved her romantic nature and could really relate to her responsible ways. I also really liked Sam, and the way the two interacted was really sweet.

I have to be honest, I knew nothing about Diwali before reading this book, but I loved learning about it. It sounds like a beautiful celebration.

enjoyed reading Sonya Lalli’s Serena Singh Flips The Script and was super excited to get approved for A Holly Jolly Diwali!

The title of the book itself has so much spark in it! Diwali is the biggest, brightest and beloved festival celebrated by most Indians regardless of where they are residing. To add to it there were literally fireworks between Sam and Niki! Oh my! their chemistry and flirting had such intense pull and immense spark!

I loved this book very much and could not help but visualize each and every scene in my head as if this was a movie! Thank you Sonya Lalli for giving us this firecracker right when Diwali is around the corner!

Thank you @berkleypub and @netgalley for the gifted galley of this fun, sparkly romcom that could be picked up at your nearest bookshelves as of Oct 5, 2021!

This romance novel took me on the perfect holiday adventure to India , & I loved every minute of it!

I also loved how it wasn’t just a novel about romance, but also about family, friendships, culture, and self discovery. I really appreciate the detail and insight into the South Asian community. I definitely learned a lot about Diwali and the culture surrounding the festival.

Another thing that I loved was the insta love between Nikki & Sam. Right away I saw the chemistry between them, despite their differences. If you enjoy feel good romance/holiday romance, then you need to read this! I absolutely recommend it, & I plan on re-reading for Christmas time !

The concept of this book is cute and the idea of a romance centered around a winter holiday that’s not Christmas is much needed, but this felt more like women’s fiction than a love story so it fell flat for me. There are positive things about this book but I wouldn’t suggest this to hardcore romance fans or if you are looking for a holiday themed read.

The good things first. The main theme of the novel focuses on the growth of a young woman and the discovery of what she wants in life and who she wants to be and I am here for it. It’s executed well, even though there were times I wanted Niki to be a little stronger and surer of herself but part of the conflict comes from her learning to be her own person. One of the strongest aspects of this book was the strength of the female relationships, whether it was Niki and Diya, Niki and her sister Jasmine, or when Niki opens herself up to new adventures and befriends Masooma. These relationships do a great job showing the reader who Niki is and what she finds important in life. The representation in this book is needed and welcome and I liked that it was about a holiday I knew nothing about and the differences between the various families. Niki’s feelings about not belonging in her Indian family while also not belonging in her American family felt authentic and I loved the conversation she had with her parents about the motivations behind their choices when they moved to the States and why they treat their daughters the way they do. Their relationship was sweet and their concern for Niki provided some comic relief and heart to the story. And even though I didn’t love the romantic relationship, I liked that Sam and Niki were foils of each other; she is flailing in life after spending most of it doing what she thinks she should and not having fun while he is flailing after spending his life pursuing lofty dreams and finding himself at a crossroads. This was a fun take on opposites attract that worked well with the story.

Now the things that didn’t work for me. Diwali is in the title of this book so I expected the holiday to be a more prominent part of the story but other than a few times in the very beginning and a mention at the very end, Diwali isn’t a big part. One of the plot points is that Niki doesn’t know why Diwali is celebrated so she asks various people why they celebrate and…we never really get an answer. Most of the people tell her what they personally think but nothing about the holiday is explained. The end of the book would have had more of an impact on me if the holiday had played a larger role in the story. My main issue with the book was the romance. To me, this isn’t a romance book, it’s women’s fiction. Yes, there is a romance plot running throughout but this is an insta-love story so we don’t get a lot of time to find out why Niki and Sam fall for each other so when the conflict is introduced, I didn’t feel anything. There wasn’t enough on the page to convince me that Niki would make life changing decisions for this relationship and because this is told from her point of view exclusively, we don’t know how Sam is feeling and his actions didn’t convince me he loved her. We get a few kissing scenes and that’s it for the heat level as well so the lack of physical heat combined with the insta-love didn't work for me. I was more interested in Niki's journey to personal acceptance than the love story, which would have been perfectly fine had I not expected something completely different.

This was a well written book that had likeable characters and a good story, but it wasn’t what I expected, and the romance fell flat. It also didn’t feel very holiday to me and that was one of the reasons I picked it up. Despite these issues, I would read another book by Lalli and I would recommend this book to someone but with the caveat that it isn’t a romance. Give this one a read if you are looking for a story about a woman changing her life for the better and discovering her true self but not if you're looking to get into the holiday spirit.

My favorite book by Sonya Lalli yet! Such a well written book, a romcom. The way family, and friendships are explored in relation to finding yourself. perfect 10/10 would recommend! As always I love how well the culture permeates the whole book.

I was given an arc via NetGalley for an honest review.
I came here expecting a funny read featuring diverse cultures. I'd say it's more a light contemporary with a diverse protagonist who's battling biracial imposter syndrome - alongside other stuff life throws her way, pushing her to make a decision. To be herself, or keep fighting for the good Indian girl persona she's been struggling to keep up with her whole life.
I read about 40% of it before I decided to DNF it. It definitely is a pleasant book but since I had other expectations that weren't exactly met, I gave up. I couldn't bring myself to care about the romance.
The comedy aspect was fine but not as strong as I expected from a rom-com.
The cultural side is also touched lightly. I'd say those who are familiar with the culture will enjoy it more.

This one was just ok for me. I enjoyed the overall story, and concept, but the details and some of the scenes just felt meh. I didn’t quite but into Niki and Sam’s relationship and how they fell for each other so quickly.

There were some sections with social commentary that just felt unnecessary and somewhat pulled me out of the story.

I keep hoping I’ll like her books more than I do, but oh well. I don’t go in with high expectations so I am not disappointed.

Long story short, this was just ok. It’s a pretty quick read though.

I haven't read any book by Sonya Lalli so when the opportunity to read her newest came up, I was excited. I ended up seriously unimpressed. The main characters, Niki and Sam, act much younger than their 29 years. Niki has a tendency to use far too many text abbreviations in her own head and daydreams about other people's lives, which got distracting for me. There were odd things, like the fact that she asks everyone what Diwali is (while they are celebrating it) and no one can answer her. In India she seems to focus on the worst, mentally complains about the caste system, economic troubles, etc. and wishes things were better- which made me wonder at first if she would discover she wanted to get a job doing social justice stuff or supporting a company that wanted to create change in the world- but ended up her just complaining and wishing it was better. The insta-like with Sam was ok, although I didn't really feel the sparks she claims were there after the first night. Loved Sam's mom, but all the other characters, including the main ones, felt flat and underdeveloped to me. The first hint of an obstacle (that no one should have been surprised by) and Niki and Sam are breaking apart and being miserable by themselves. Niki says she changes after her trip and focuses on discovering herself and growth, but I didn't see it.

Overall, potential was there but the characters and plot fell disappointingly flat for me.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

A Holly Jolly Diwali
By Sonya Lalli

This is an exceptionally well written read about following your dreams and your heart, in the context of the cultural expectations of what success means. It is a story about families, friendships and self-discovery. It's also about making tough decisions and how to move forward and picking yourself up when you fail short.

I enjoyed the love story between Niki and Sam, and all the beauty of India and the culture. This was a fantastic story that is so enjoyable. my first book with Sonya Lalli and I am definitely reading the rest.

The representation in this book made me super happy. Could it have been better? Yes, but I’ll take what I can get cause I never see Punjabi Sikh characters in a main lead. I get happy seeing South Asian representation in books, but they’re mostly Hindu, Muslim, Bengali or Gujarati characters. So to see all these Punjabi characters, warmed my heart, it made me genuinely happy. It was a little weird at first seeing all those familiar names just because they were barely there for any book I’ve read before. So for this, thank you Sonya.

In terms of the book, it doesn’t have a major plot honestly. So if you’re looking to read something that won’t overwhelm you with the plot but still be a good cute read, this is for you. I loved the issues raised in this book from colourism to casteism, which are all important. I loved how the author brought light to the meaning of Diwali and it’s celebrations in different religions.

Based on some reviews I saw some people didn’t like Niki, and that’s okay. I liked her enough because in a sense to me, she was realistic. She was how I view myself and the daughter I wanted to be for my parents. But it’ll be different for everyone. And Sam from the band, where does someone find a desi guy like you? Gosh I love the characters in this book! And the title of this book OH MY GOSH. When it finally clicked I was like so this is why it’s called this! It couldn’t have had a better name.

The only thing I didn’t like about this book was that there was a lot of filler. I wish we had more dialogue between Niki and Sam so we could see their relationship build more. But other than that I really liked it.

Love love love everything by Sonya Lalli!

Following Niki as she takes the leap to visit a friend in India, we get to see how her character grows, learning more about herself and her culture. Right after losing her job, she takes the time to discover what really matters to her, with the support of her close friend, the often-challenging relationships with her family, and the adventure of a new love interest.

But at the heart of it (of which there is a big heart!), this is a lovely romance story and I truly enjoyed getting to know Niki and following her journey.

A Holly Jolly Diwali is about Niki and Sam. Niki has always been the perfect Indian daughter, but when she loses her job, she impulsively decides to go to her friend Diya’s wedding in India. She arrives in time to celebrate Diwali, and she meets Sam, Diya’s childhood friend who is now a musician living in London. Niki and Sam have a whirlwind romance, and Niki has to decide what she wants for her future - does she take a chance on love or does she go back to being the good Indian daughter she’s always been?

Sonya Lalli is a must read for me - I love her books! (She’s also written a thriller that I’m contemplating reading next summer - or at least buying it for my sister.) A Holly Jolly Diwali is so good. I read it in a day, and I highly recommend it!

Thanks to @NetGalley and Berkley for my ARC! A Holly Jolly Diwali comes out on November 5th!

A Holly Jolly Diwali has all the high points of a romcom. There's plenty of tripping, tension, and catching of the feels. From the beginning I was drawn to Niki. The way she feels like she's played all her cards right, and still been fired and is back to square one. That feeling of always doing the right thing, staying in line, only for it to end up there resonated with me. I think we have this sense that if we work hard and don't act out, that things will be okay. No better than okay, but good. But that's just not the way life works.

And Niki's career exploding is just the beginning. I enjoyed watching her try to be spontaneous. To embrace the things she never would have before. It felt, in some ways, kind of how I might act if our roles were reversed. Additionally, I loved Niki's family and the tenuous relationship she has with her sister. Sister stories are my sweet spot and their relationship was an unexpected joy. Connected to her family, I enjoyed how Niki examines her emotions as being Indian, but having never spent much time in India. How she didn't feel like she fit into a community at home, or immediately when visiting India.

Niki Randhawa, heroine of the rhyming A Holly Jolly Diwali by Sonya Lalli, has always been risk-averse. She chose a practical career, lives with her parents, and dates only steady, proper men. This has not paid off, as she finds herself both single and unemployed. She decides to take a break from practicality by traveling to India for her friend’s wedding, where she meets an impractical match, musician Sam Mukherji. Is Niki’s flirtation with risk-taking nothing more than a vacation fling, or is she going to change everything to make it last with Sam? This is a solid (if not distinguished) romance with a strongly developed setting.

As a heroine, Niki is different in ways that both work and don’t. I enjoyed her reflections on being an American-raised, Anglophone, dark-skinned, Sikh woman of Indian descent returning to India for the first time, wondering how she fits into the concept of ‘Indian’. A heroine who is timid is atypical in romance, and I appreciated that this characterization was consistent. Once in India and having met Sam, Niki doesn’t throw caution to the winds but remains the indecisive waffler she was back home. She can’t even decide whether or not to have a fling with Sam, let alone conclude what a fling would entail or what to do after her friend’s wedding.

However, this character-type can be grating (you just want to shake her sometimes) and Sam’s willingness to stick it out when Niki runs so hot-and-cold is occasionally eyebrow-raising. Even a multi-day Hindu wedding isn’t enough for them to get it together - Niki needs a fortunate bout of food poisoning to delay her from visiting her family and ultimately allow her to join Sam on a group honeymoon to Goa. The separation device ‘He’s in London and I’m in Seattle and it will never work’ sounds less credible when Niki has neither property nor a job in Seattle, they’re meeting in Mumbai, and he went to college in California. Also, Sam has an odd, out-of-character panic that triggers the obligatory separation stage.

Niki’s family is richly developed. Her parents are complex and accurately reflect many immigrant experiences, especially in their conflicted desire to both see their daughters ‘it in’ in America and meet the value standards of their own Punjabi Sikh upbringing. I liked that the parents are in love, and the author develops their income struggles sympathetically and honestly. Niki’s sister Jasmine is especially well-rounded as the opposite of Niki, someone impulsive who follows her heart and seems, frustratingly to Niki, to have received all of the benefits Niki’s prudence hasn’t.

The development of the India setting is lovely. The descriptions of the Diwali celebrations, Niki’s friend’s wedding, and the beaches of Goa are vivid and lively without feeling touristy. The author mentions more serious issues, like gender bias and colorism, and sometimes this is effective. Niki gets frustrated by rude fellow guests behaving in a classist way towards the waiter at a dinner, then spends the next scene talking to Sam about how her family’s background is working class. This is a smooth transition to a scene that fills multiple narrative purposes. Unfortunately, other such scenes are not well integrated. You know how sometimes a celebrity realizes for the first time that bad stuff happens and they post a few sentences on instagram before going back to their regularly scheduled life? That’s Niki. For instance, after being followed by street-harassing men:

“I was one of the lucky ones. I’d only been followed, and in broad daylight at that, and I had the privilege and the means to order myself a ride back to the hotel, to pay for accommodation, where I could fall asleep feeling safe. What about all the women and girls who didn’t have that option? And not just here in India, but even in the US and the rest of this whole damn world? My head spun, thinking about all of them. Wondering if the world would ever fucking change.”

Next page:

“I wasn’t in the mood to go to a party, but when I got back to my hotel room, I changed into the midnight blue lengha I’d brought… and threw on a bit of makeup. The wedding itself would be religious, so tonight’s party would be the equivalent of a reception… a chance for all of us to drink and celebrate, as well as to enjoy performances by musicians and dance groups.”

Niki may get over not being in the mood to go to a party, but the reader doesn’t. You show me the heroine being stalked through the streets, then send her to flirt with the hero at a wedding bash, and I get whiplash.

The romance, as you can see from how little time I’ve spent talking about it here, is not the strongest part of the book. A Holly Jolly Diwali is at its best when it's the story of Niki growing into herself as an adult, a woman at a career turning point, an Indian-American, a daughter, and a sister. Based on where the author’s skills lie, I wish this book had been more ‘fiction with romantic elements’ than contemporary romance, but I still found it engaging.

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The most interesting parts of this book are not the romance. I thought this book did an interesting job highlighting the complexity of Indian diaspora identities, between nationality, region, language, religion, colorism, caste, etc. I like the idea that people can gather for a holiday and all have different concepts of what it is they're celebrating and why. It's one of the points that is very clear once made but I'd never thought about it before.

The romance, however, suffered in a similar way to a lot of what I read in contemporary romance. The couple wasn't the focus of the narrative enough for my tastes. Sam, the love interest, was thinly drawn and barely had a narrative arc for himself. Overall it was charming enough to enjoy but not love.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Niki was always practical. She made decisions not necessarily to please herself, but rather, to please others. When she is unceremoniously laid off from her job, Niki made an impulsive decision to attend her best friend’s wedding in Mumbai. There she rediscovered some things about herself she had long buried which sparked some life changing decisions for her.

I had read other books by Lalli, and she always does a wonderful job guiding her main character through some major life events. This time, though, I am happy to say, I got the romance I was looking for.

Niki’s whole life plan seemed to be unraveling, but going to Mumbai was one of the best decisions she had ever made. There she reconnected with her college friend, tapped into her culture in a new way, reawakened her passion, and found Sam.

All of these things were happening among multiple celebrations which just added to the effervescent story. Things kicked off at a Diwali celebration. Then we moved on to multi-day wedding parties, a group honeymoon, and Yuletide festivities. Each celebration brought me so much joy, and Lalli did an amazing job pulling me into the action. I truly reveled in each festive moment.

Though there was an immediate connection between Niki and Sam, their relationship was never meant to be more than a fling. Niki had to get her life in order, and she could not possibly maintain a very long distance romance. She was prepared for something light and easy with Sam, however, as they spent more time together, they grew more attached. It was obvious this union was going to hit many bumps in the road, and I knew Lalli was not going to take the easy way out. That said, I still enjoyed the romance part of this story very much. It felt right for these characters who were in a transitional phase of their lives, and I was very pleased with how everything developed.

Lalli did such a great job with this story! It was fun, sweet, and touching too. I loved getting to celebrate Diwali, a wedding, and Christmas with Niki, her family, and friends. Lots of festivities to enjoy along with the romance and Niki’s personal journey made this a winner for me. There was laughter and tears along the way, but at the end, I was left with a huge smile on my face.

Sonya Lalli's A Holly Jolly Diwali features delightful characters, in a light hearted story. Niki is first generation, and is having a bad day. Let go from a job she doesn't love, Niki is suddenly faced with deciding what to do with her life. After being the "good daughter" to her sister's "wild child", Niki has long denied herself in hopes of making her parents happy. After losing her job, she's suddenly free to attend her best friend's wedding in India. Being spontaneous has never been Niki's way, but she decides to take the chances in front of her and figure out who she actually is. I liked this book, but the romance with Sam fell a little flat for me, and the ending seemed rushed. I have read Lalli in the past, and will look for more from her -- but this one just wasn't one of my favourites.