The alternating perspectives of late-fifties divorcees, Suresh and Lata, and their two adult children, Priya and Nikesh, was fresh and engaging. Each character is going through something and learning about themselves. I enjoyed the musings on family and relationships, and I think many people will find bits of themselves and their loved ones in these characters.

A fun, quick-read about an Indian-American family of four, each trying to navigate their love lives, and their relationships with each other. The family includes a recently divorced husband and wife after 36 years of an arranged marriage, their daughter, Priya, and their son, Nikesh, who is in what appears to be a happy marriage, but which has its hidden struggles as well. The reader gets to understand each character as the story alternates between each person's perspective. A heartwarming and entertaining story for Deepa Varadarajan's debut novel!

This was a super fun read! It feels like a solid recommendation to followup Pineapple Street with a wacky cast of family driven by love and circumstances.

What happens when an arranged marriage doesn't work any more? Late Bloomers explores that topic while upending the expectations of traditional Indian values. At the end of the day, which is more important. finding one's happiness or staying true to cultural norms?

This book was one I looked forward to reading, but the characters frustrated me a bit. I feel as though that was the author's intent. Because otherwise, at least one of the characters would have just told the truth about their situation. Still, by the end of the book, I found myself cheering for more that one of them. Even though this book will not be counted among my favorites, it was a solid 3.5+ star read.

Enjoying this fast-reading, well-written novel about the four members of an Indian-American family.

Will be writing a review when I finish reading it.

There were parts of this I enjoyed--family drama and complicated dynamics. But there was something about all of the characters that felt flat. I didn't find myself empathizing with them, even though by the facts of their stories I thought I would. I also found the Mallika/Bobby plotline superfluous. The writing felt a little... obvious? I always feel bad giving negative reviews like this but it just didn't do it for me.

A sweet and funny and poignant book about an Indian couple who married young (arranged marriage) and moved to the US to find good jobs and start a family. Now, 36 years and two children later, they're divorced, and navigating being single in late middle age. Meanwhile, their two children are having their own issues being grown-ups. Add in a fabulous "supporting cast" of characters, and you have a simply wonderful read.

Well, this was a delight of a read. The story centers on a couple who has divorced after 36 years of marriage and their two adult children. Each individual is navigating their new normal individually, as well as how they interact with one another. There are also secrets they're each working through. This was a good relationship-driven read on what happens when life just isn't what we thought it would be. Thanks to NetGalley for the early look at this May 2023 release!

I'm sad this one didn't quite work for me. I think the author's writing style just wasn't a good fit. I enjoy reading stories of families and how their lives connect and deviate from each other. Perhaps if this had been written in third person, or not with so many points-of-view I could have more easily get into the story. I just felt like I wanted to focus on a couple of the characters as opposed to so many.

50+ year old Indian couple recently divorced, trying to find their way in their new lives. Suresh is addicted to internet dating, traveling all over to meet younger Indian women, only to find out they have lied on their profiles. Lata, living alone in her small apartment, disappointed in life...her 30 year old daughter is in marry and her son and only grandson live after he country. Did not enjoy the book...too depressing for me.

Thanks to NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review. 3.5 stars rounded up.

Late Bloomers is a family drama about two Indian-immigrants, Suresh and Lata, in the aftermath of their divorce after several decades of marriage. While Lata is enjoying her newfound independence, Suresh is lonely and trying his hand at internet dating. Their adult children are experiencing their own relationship challenges and hiding realities from their parents. All secrets come to light and hijinks ensue.

I enjoyed the multiple POVS, especially as Suresh is confronted with the modern world of online dating. This is a sweet and heartwarming novel about forgiveness, growth and the importance of understanding different perspectives.

There’s something about a family drama that I just love. This book follows the lives of two parents and their children following divorce and alternates point of view between them. These characters are incredibly imperfect but I still rooted for all of them - so much so that I read the book in less than 24 hours. The parents’ reflection on parenting and how it changes throughout different chapters - and how it stays the same - will stick with me.

Although the book's start might suggest that it is a romance (older characters trying to start again), the book is much more of a family drama, exploring family secrets, lies, and resentments. Suresh and Lata are recently divorced: he tries to find love in online dating; she begins her first-ever job at the university library, where a professor shows interest in her. Their two children are appalled at the thought of their parents dating. Their daughter Priya is having an affair with a married man who won't leave his wife; their son Nikesh has had a child with a woman he's not sure he loves -- and told his parents he's eloped with her (when they in fact are not married). It's all a hot mess, and the conflicts and tensions are wonderful premises for a novel. At the start, I was drawn in, but as the story progressed, the characters did not. In fact, some seemed to regress, becoming more self-centered and self-absorbed. The end was even more disappointing, with too many problems too neatly wrapped up.

First off, let me just say WOW. What a debut novel! Deepa Varadarajan knocked it out of the park with this story. If you are someone who loves character-driven narratives, this one is for you.

Centered around four members of an Indian American family over the course of just a few weeks, this novel details the complex relationships we hold with our family, as well as how we reflect on our own actions within the context of these relationships. Each family member gets their own POV in the book which I absolutely LOVED. It was so immersive to be in the mind of each main character to see how they are navigating their own life and struggles. Sometimes, having multiple perspectives can only add confusion to the story. In this case, having multiple perspectives worked exceptionally in its favor.

Deepa’s writing style is heartfelt, hilarious, and extremely entertaining. As for the characters themselves, they were complex, relatable, and felt so realistic. I felt for each of them as they were journeying through their own problems but trying to still fit within familial expectations. It was such a delight to watch the characters evolve both individually and as a unit. Overall, I gave this read a solid 4.5 star review! The only thing that was not my favorite was the ending. It was beautifully written, but I felt like Suresh’s character almost stagnated and left me wanting just a bit more. I did love the wrap up for the other three characters, however!

Is it too much to guess already that Deepa Varadarajan will become an auto buy author for me? I highly highly highly recommend checking out this book when it is published on May 2, 2023.

Thank you to Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group for providing me with an ARC of Late Bloomers!

Late Bloomers is a family drama that centers on the Raman family. Suresh and Lata end their traditional, arranged marriage after more than 30 years. Suresh dives into online dating and is often dismayed by the lack of honesty in women's dating profiles. Lata is hired for her first job at a library and a professor of jazz history takes a liking to her.

While Suresh and Lata are navigating their new love lives after divorce, their adult children, Priya and Nikesh, are also learning to how to balance their relationships and their personal values: Priya is a history professor currently in a relationship with a married man. Her younger brother, Nikesh is an attorney in New York, has a one year old son with the woman he recently eloped with... that no one in the family seems to like.

The story of the Raman family alternates between each person's perspective and is one of the strengths of this novel. The reader gets to experience each family member's thought processes, their fears, hopes, insecurities, and perceptions of everyone else in the family. Each person has their flaws and that is what makes them endearing. This story leaves you rooting for each person as they figure out what it means to be a "late bloomer" and exploring second chances at happiness.

After thirty-six years in an arranged marrige, Lata Raman has divorced her husband Suresh.
Story is told in four voices - Lata, Suresh, daughter Priya and son Nikesh.
Lata has moved into her own apartment and started working and Suresh has entered the world of
on-line dating. Priya and Nikesh both have secrets regarding their private lives.
The effect the divorce on family dynamics is explored and what second chances may hold.
Heartwarming story about family and forgiveness.
 #LateBloomers #NetGalley

This is a great debut and I am already looking forward to the next book by this author. . It is an interesting plot about an arranged marriage and the impact on the couple’s grown children. I enjoyed each one of the characters, but loved the mom the best. I enjoyed her courage and bravery and I was rooting for her from the beginning. This book is for anyone who likes to read about i retesting people and their relationships. Thank you NetGalley for a ArC.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing group for this advance readers copy, in exchange for an honest review. Late Bloomers is the story of an Indian American family that is rocked to its core when the father and mother, Suresh and Lata, decide to get divorced after nearly three years of marriage. The story is told through both of their perspectives and that of their son and daughter, Nikesh and Priya. All are currently facing romantic/personal challenges and the ultimate challenge of trying to reorganize their lives around these new changes.

Right from the start, I really enjoyed this book and cared about the main characters. It was easy to recognize the characters imperfections right away but, I found that their flaws were actually endearing. I thought the writing style made the story extremely relatable and easy to see in my head; I think it helped move the story along swiftly, rather than dragging. Also, while the ending was a bit ambiguous, in terms of the characters future, I think it was still satisfying to read and more realistic to what you might expect from these scenarios in real life. I definitely had a smile when I finished the story and found myself thinking about these characters for a while thereafter.

I would definitely recommend this book to fans of family oriented fiction or contemporary fiction. While this is not necessarily a deep family saga, I think that fans of this genre would certainly enjoy this book!

This is a story about a family where the parents have recently divorced. The parents and their adult children are all adjusting to this life. It’s an interesting book.

I really enjoyed the different characters in this book, seeing them handle balancing a culture they were born into while living in a completely different one. As someone who has lived in several other countries it can be disorienting and difficult. The one part of you pulling you to explore and embrace the new culture while also being pulled to try and maintain the other one. This book had me hating and loving each character at different times, something I really enjoy in a book because it means that the author has written them well because I am not indifferent to them, I am invested in them. This book is also about starting over, realizing that if the path you chose at the start of your life is not the one you want to be on in the middle, then it is okay to start on a different path. In all cultures, some more than others of course, the idea of “being too old to make a change” is a strong belief. I loved how the characters in this book struggled with that in different ways but decided to take the leap and make the change so that they could enjoy the rest of their lives. Another element that is universal across cultures was the idea that we often only see the achievements of others and assume their life must be perfect because they have those that are meant to be signs of success. Then we take those and only compare them to the things we want in our own life making us feel like we are somehow less than.

I think this book is a great example of why reading books with characters from different backgrounds is important because it shows us that there are so many fundamental things that are the same for us all. It allows us to connect and empathize because it is not an ‘us’ and ‘them’ world but a ‘we’ world.

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this lovely book!