I loved the premise of this book but the execution was so-so. CEO Manny is an Indian American woman who lost her parents and does not feel connected to her heritage and its rich traditions. Sammy is an Indian man who does not want to take his non-Indian girlfriend to a family wedding so the two decide to use each other and the wedding to achieve their own personal goals of learning more about how to be Indian and not to disappoint the family, respectively.

I did not connect to either of the MCs. They somehow developed feelings for one another despite there being virtually no one-on-one interactions between them in the book. The conflicts were rushed and didn't make much sense and the entire premise of the plot kind of just collapsed about 60% in.

Each chapter started with a different email from a Breakup client looking to hire the company for their breakup services, but we never got to see any of the Breakup responses which I think would have been a valuable add to the book.

Overall, very surface level in a way that left a lot to be desired.

Manny is a beautiful, successful business owner that helps people with their breakups. She is engaged to Adam, who is as much of a workaholic as she is. He comes from a wealthy family that is obsessed with business instead of relationships. Manny is still coping with the deaths of her parents. They raised her as the All-American girl with very little of her Indian background. When a magazine article shows her picture with lightened skin and missing her mother’s necklace, Manny realizes how little she knows of her Indian background. On the business front, and annoying potential client named Sammy Patel insists that she take on his relationship issue. When the come to an agreement that benefits both of them, they have no idea how it will change their lives.

Also reviewed on B&N under 1IrishEyes430 and Kobo under IrishEyes430

Manny Dogra, CEO of Breakup, a company that arranges breakups for customers, is looking to connect with her Indian culture. Enter Sammy Patel, a potential customer for Breakup, has an odd breakup request and offers to give Manny a crash course in their culture at his brother’s wedding.

As a white woman, I will not speak on what other reviewers have spoken about regarding this novel when it comes to stereotypes and other harmful issues. Please refer to other reviews that speak on this.

What I can say about this novel, is that I enjoyed the premise and plot I think it’s important for everyone to connect to their culture and make their life decisions according to their own values. I do feel that the novel felt very rushed. It was slow to pick up and then had to catch up in the last 20%. It had a lot of potential to be something really beautiful, had the timing been better and included less stereotypes that have been overdone and more actual culture and tradition. I would have loved to learn more than I did. Cultures have different aspects of family and tradition that we can relate to, even if we’re different culturally. We can all connect and relate to family drama. The writing was good, and I’d like to see where the author goes from here.

Manny Dogra is the CEO of Breakup, a company that crafts the perfect breakup e-mail on your behalf. Always buried under her work, it's hard for her to make time for her fiance Adam Jamieson, a successful architect. Having lost her parents, Manny feels like she missed out on learning about her South Asian heritage. Cue the arrogant Sammy Patel, who in exchange for Breakup's services, he will give her a crash course in being "indian" at his brother's wedding, where Manny starts to put together the pieces of her identity and culture.

I really enjoyed this book. As a first-generation Canadian myself, I can see how Manny might feel disconnected from her heritage. In trying to be "American" in her case, she loses her culture and it's wonderful to read her journey of reconnecting to it. There are some other realistic story lines, like her mother's long lost first love that was lost because of familial differences and Sammy keeping things from his family in fear of what others in the community would say. This story gave me some Cinderella vibes, with Aliyan her fabulous fairy godmother, coming through with the gorgeous Indian couture.

Whether you've always wanted to attend an Indian wedding, enjoy rom-coms or want to read about a powerful female main character, this book is for you!

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley for the eGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you love made for tv romance movies you will like this book. It has all the elements of those movies we love but with an East Indian twist. A story about finding oneself and owning your identity you will find the characters likeable and relatable. This book is both funny and charming and is the perfect light read.

Manny Dogra is the CEO of a company that helps people manage their breakup. Her parents wanted her to become an "All-American" girl. As a consequence, she knows very little about her Indian heritage and culture. When she has an unusual request for help with a breakup, she is given the opportunity to learn about her Indian culture. What she learns opens her eyes and makes her take a fresh look at life.

Thanks so much to the author, Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the gifted, advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts. All opinions are entirely my own. { partner } My reviews can also be found on Instagram @Tackling_TBR and on my blog at tacklingtbr.home.blog

TW: whitewashing POC, some racially/culturally insensitive language

I will start off here by saying that I really loved this book! Once I finished it I messaged my husband and told him that it might have already cemented itself as one of my favorite reads of the month, that's how much I enjoyed it.

I want to say early on in this review, however, that I am not Indian, so I don't have that insight into the story or characters that own-voices reviewers might have. I have seen some folks talking about this book in reviews and elsewhere online that the way it was written and the way the people and culture were represented may not have been as accurate or respectful as some folks would have liked, which is what will keep this from being a 5-star review for me.

A huge part of the plot of this book is that Manny is spending the week with Sammy (the love interest) and his family to really get a taste of the Indian culture that she didn't experience growing up, and that she's never felt like she's had access to. I've seen a lot of people online talking about how what is basically a week-long boot camp on how to be Indian is problematic because there is no one specific way to represent any culture or community, and I absolutely agree with that. The author makes a specific point more than once throughout the book to acknowledge this, and to have multiple characters tell Manny that or show her their own versions of their culture.

I think that the author adequately acknowledges this and it is therefore an intentional part of the story, as well as Manny's character development. However, as I said in the beginning, since I am not a member of this culture I don't believe I'm the one to speak on this. I've lowered my review by one star to reflect this, and will gladly re-evaluate it in the future if more own-voices reviewers come out to speak on it.

All of that being said, I think that the book was well written, and the characters were entertaining and engaging. And I absolutely fell for Sammy - I can't imagine why anyone wouldn't! For me, this was a book that I didn't want to put down.

Overall I would recommend this book to friends and fellow readers, but with the above note. I think that the best way to read this book would be out at a park or someplace with the buzz of activity and a large glass of white wine!

At my most generous, I can only muster a 3 stars rating. This is a novel about young woman with an identity crisis. Manny Dogra is a beautiful talented young entrepreneur of a successful company labelled Breakup; a company which helps clients sever relationships in an effective and thoughtful manner.

Manny is an only child of south Asian descent; she grew up removed from the culture of her parents who also did not have siblings. When her parents passed away, Manny feels very alone. With the help of a friend (Adam) who subsequently becomes her fiancé, she immerses herself into her business. She has a well-knitted team of loyal staff members who are definitely committed to her.

Adam is from a white family and he and his family are understandably not familiar or even interested in Indian traditions. Adam is mostly away on business and this puts a strain on Manny's relationship with him. Manny becomes friends with a street food vendor who is Indian and who is encouraging Manny to discover and embrace her Indian heritage. Manny seems keen to understand her heritage when an unlikely opportunity presents itself.

Sammy Patel faces a dilemma; he is leery about introducing his white girlfriend to his family at an upcoming wedding for his younger brother. He contacts Breakup to help him craft a tactful email to pause his current relationship with Lisa, a white girl, who is overwhelmed by the noise, chatter and demands of a large Indian family.

Sammy is able to persuade Breakup to take him as a client and he manages to ensnares Manny to attend the wedding as business partner and date at the wedding. From here, the books gets very slow and predictable. I did enjoy the emails from potential clients who are seeking help to effect a breakup. The descriptions of their reasons for severing the relationship is fun to read at the start of every chapter but it is disappointing not to read how these situations were handled.

So what did I learn about Indian culture having the book?

1) Indian families tend to obsess about their children finding spouses who they consider ideal meaning ethnicity, profession, and net worth.
"Old traditions from the homeland ask us to marry for other things - family, endowments, wealth. Love can come after, if it needs to..."
2) Often Indians converse in a strange mix of English and dialect which I found frustrating with no legend to explain the meanings of the phrases and words used.
3) Indian clothes are always bright coloured and heavily beaded or sequinned.
4) Indians tend to ignore time at events and are perpetually late - "I'll be there at late o'clock sharp."
5) Indian weddings tend to be "show-and-tell...showing off to the other families".
6) Indians take pride to show case their children or spouses as professionals or financially well-off - "Why they make so much money to spend on who?"
7) A few swear words to know include haramda (bastard) and harami sala (son of a bitch)
8) Indian cuisine is delicious and spicy.
Many of these may be stereotypes which I am repeating as gleaned from the book. Not a fan of rom-com as this book is labelled but overall an okay read.

I enjoyed this debut rom-com - I liked the cultural aspect of the novel and, even more, I liked that Manny is on a journey to discover not only her roots but also who she is. The side characters in the novel are fun and entertaining. And the connections that Manny has with the people in her life are long-lasting. I highly recommend this debut novel by a canadian author - not only is it a diverse read but it is also well-written and explores the idea of what it is to be Indian.

The romcom book of my dreams! I loved that the main premise of the book was about a person trying to connect with their culture and identity. Although some of the story felt a little rushed, it wasn’t a dealbreaker for me by any means. It was a quick read, and I absolutely loved it!

As a white woman, there is a not a lot I can say in regards to the racial elements of this story that will add to the conversation rather than take away from the thoughts of WOC. That said, I did read a few reviews by WOC prior to starting this book which inspired me to look at those issues from a different perspective. As I read, I found myself increasingly uncomfortable with the portrayal of certain characters as well as Sammy's aversion to Indian women. As I mentioned, I do not have a whole lot I can say on this topic that won't take away from the reviews of WOC so I'd recommend readers refer to those reviews before starting this book and making an informed decisions based on that.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Sari, Not Sari • Sonya Singh ⭐️ - 2.5 stars
•
•
I requested this book based on the cover alone and I wanted to like this book but sadly it fell short.
With Manny’s business being all about breaking up how could she not see all the red flags that Adam was giving! The fight they first had come on extremely fast - they are all in love then next thing she runs out on him and doesn’t talk to him until a couple days later it seems and why does he not seem more concerned about her basically ghosting him?! Manny also comes across as very naive. I am not Indian nor do I know much about the culture so apologies if I miss speak but I know from movies and tv shows and what I have read that Indian weddings are a big deal and I’ll say it is preferred that an Indian person marries another Indian so how is this some big surprise to Manny that Sammy an Indian man doesn’t want to introduce his non-Indian girlfriend to his family at his brothers wedding. I’m just blow away by how oblivious she is to this concept.
I know she was trying to learn more about her Indian culture which good for her but I’m sorry you just decide to basically crash a stranger’s brother’s wedding? And all without thinking of your fiancée.
The ending was so rushed they know NOTHING about each other but yet they are deeply in love?
It would have been more believable if they decided that they liked each other not they love each other

The only things I really liked was the history her mom had and the emails on the beginning of every chapter

⚠️ : Car accident resulting in death of parents (characters past)

Thank you to @netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review

This book had so much going for it but the female lead was a letdown. So many of her actions betray the notion that she is supposed to be this highly successful CEO that helps people with their breakups. She herself cannot seem to pull it together and see so many of the red flags in her own relationship. Manny’s character made it hard to enjoy the story.

I really liked this book! I think The plot itself was interesting and quite moving, however I don’t think that the leads had quite enough chemistry. Individually all the characters were great, but we didn’t really get to see the romantic lead’s relationship grow. Also I think that the short time frame of this book made their relationship and personal growth a little too unbelievable. All in all it was a nice read, though, and I thought the plot twist was well placed!

I was so excited to get an ARC of Sari, Not Sari. I loved the cheeky title, and I loved the idea of a story about a powerful female CEO of color.

It didn’t quite live up to my hopes. Manny Dogra wasn’t quite the strong woman I was hoping she would be. Throughout the story, it is clear her fiance is mistreating her: he can’t be bothered to make time for her or to choose a wedding date. Most egregiously, he approves a whitewashed photo of Manny to go on a major magazine cover. Despite all of this, Manny doesn’t break up with him, and break ups are her business! I was disappointed that Manny allowed herself to be treated this way.

I felt similarly about Sammy’s romantic situation in the story. He asks Manny to “temporarily break up” with his girlfriend, so he doesn’t have to bring her to his brother’s wedding. It becomes clear that Sammy’s girlfriend, Lisa, has been treating him very badly too and has been causing him to distance himself from his family. His family members say time and time again that he seems happy and more himself in a space without Lisa.

That being said, Manny and Sammy are very sweet together. They are able to joke with one another and share food off one another’s plates. They are able to confide in each other about diffcult moments in their lives like the death of Manny’s parents. It is also clear that Sammy’s family likes Manny as well and thinks they are good together, which is not for nothing.

I enjoyed learning more about Indian cultural traditions around weddings as I read Sari, Not Sari. I learned about the roka ceremony, which sets the tone for the rest of the wedding festivities. The descriptions of the lavish buffets of food at the wedding festivities made me hungry as I read. It was lovely to see Manny learning about Indian dance, clothing, and movies, and beginning to embrace her culture.

While I won’t spoil the ending, the last chapter of Sari, Not Sari feels like it races to a conclusion a little too quickly. It feels as though Singh is racing to give her characters a resolution without them actually earning it.

Sari, Not Sari is a fun and enjoyable read, but I would have liked to see more depth in the characters and their development.

This book felt like candy! Quick-witted yet heartfelt! While I did not read it while lounging poolside, I can totally see it how you could (maybe even should!)

The troupe was similar to other books and I felt like it was just trying to be like other contemporary romance novels. I tried to like this book but, just could not recommend it to anyone.

1.5 ⭐️ Started fine but by the end, I was done

My issues with this story aren't necessarily with the writing/sentence structure, but more with the concept, the characters, and the romance. I was expecting a fun rom-com filled with rich Indian culture but was let down.

First off, the romance between Manny and Sammy was forced. They had absolutely no connection, so when they finally got together it felt random and abrupt. The author literally just announces that they suddenly like, no LOVE, each other without hardly any romantic buildup besides him picking a leaf out of her hair one night.

Second, and most problematic, there was a lot of stereotyping of Indian and LGBT characters/cultures. Many characters were portrayed as a caricature, and it was honestly uncomfortable and somewhat offensive.

Third, everything surrounding Adam and his relationship with Manny was bizarre. Adam was the most one-dimensional character I think I've ever met. He's a rich, business-driven white guy who doesn't have time for family and 'doesn't see color'. (If anyone has seen The Wedding Singer, he reminds me of an even more boring version of Julia's finance, Glenn Guglia. Like all we really know is that he's a massive jerk lol). And Manny, who is a beautiful, successful CEO is with him because . . . he helped her ignore the pain of her parent's death by encouraging her to work hard on building her company. They don't ever spend time together and when they do, it's all work. For a woman who runs a business that deals with relationships, she's unbelievably shite at them herself.

Fourth, most of the side characters act so immaturely that I couldn't believe they're supposed to be in their 30s.


As I mentioned earlier, the actual writing shows promise, so I don’t want to discourage the author. I genuinely believe she has talent, but the plot and its development needed a lot more work, and I blame the editors and publishers for that.



Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review! As always, all opinions are my own.

This was a cute story, with lots of cultural representation that I could relate to.

I enjoyed reading this and watching Manny grow to understand her culture and realize what I felt she should have known, courtesy of her parents.

Most readers would say that the HEA was rushed, but not in my opinion — I was waiting for it lol.

I'd love to read more from this author.

Um, I went into this one thinking it was going to be a fantastic Indian romance/contemporary along the lines of Farah Heron, Sajni Patel, or Uzma Jalaluddin…instead it’s a story that sets out to “teach Indian culture within a week”, which reeks of pandering to white folks. Hard pass.