After 36 years of an arranged marriage, Lata Raman decides she doesn't even like her husband Suresh and asks for a divorce. Lata moves into a friend's vacant condo and Suresh stays in the family home. Always grumpy and never happy about anything, Suresh isn't sure how to deal with being alone so he signs up for internet dating services. Lata, who never had a job or a date, finds both when she leaves the home. Torn by her insecurities, she isn't sure where her life is taking her. Add in her two dysfunctional children and it is a merry mix of firsts for everyone in the family. A very enjoyable lesson in culture and how it shapes a person's life.

Late Bloomers follows the four members of the Raman family after the parent's divorce. This story started so strong for me. I loved the intimate perspective we got from each character. I particularly loved it when the two or more characters narrated the same events from their own perspective. It was so interesting to see the different ways their own view and feelings changed your perception. Unfortunately about a quarter of the way through the story stalled for me. I appreciated the honest portrayal of imperfect characters but I didn't build enough of a connection to them to root for them despite their failings. I thought the ending was solid, if not a bit forced. It was an enjoyable read nonetheless!

Late Bloomers was… interesting. It had its clever fun moments, but I was tired by just how selfish the characters were. Switching between four perspectives (divorced mom and dad in their sixties, and son and daughter in their thirties) worked well and kept things moving when one character was unenjoyable. However the character of Suresh in particular was difficult to connect with and care for - he was just so clueless and selfish!
Would please fans of literary/family fiction, just not my cup of tea.

Late Bloomers is a fiction novel that follows the perspectives of an Indian American family as they navigate each of their complicated lives.

The family consists of 2 divorced parents and 2 adult children. The parents’ divorce after over 30 years of marriage. We get to see them date and parent their adult children separately for the first time. We also see their adult children navigate different relationships in their 30’s. I enjoyed reading from each character’s perspective in each chapter. I love coming of age stories for adults. The book shows how honesty with yourself and others will ultimately make you happier in life. It also shows several examples of how shame can steer your life in different directions if you allow it to do so. Overall it was a great read.

Thank you NetGalley, Deepa Varadarajan, and Random House Publishing Group for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Late Bloomers is a debut novel by Deepa Varadarajan that follows an Indian family of four as they struggle to come to terms with new beginnings and endings. Suresh and Lata have just divorced after a 36 year arranged marriage. Their kids, thirty something Priya and Nikesh are facing their own struggles as well. The old standard of Indian families not relating to eachother on gritty issues and romantic issues is confronted headfirst with the more modern first generation Indian American children dealing with issues that would cause their ancestors to be shocked. The flawed nature of each character was masterfully done, albeit almost to a point where it becomes a little frustrating seeing the characters face problems that could be resolved with asking for help! I was prepared to say this book ended too quickly and too neatly but once I got to the end I was glad that was not the case and not everything was resolved in a tidy manner. I’m shocked this is a debut, because the writing style and character development was excellent!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this eARC in exchange for my honest review and opinion!

I received a free e-arc of this book through Netgalley.
This book is hilarious and touching in that way that feels like real people and not just characters on a page. It's hard for me to believe it's a debut novel because of the writing style that makes it all come to life so easily in my thoughts. If you've ever been in a relationship, you need to read this book.

I personally LOVE reading stories by Indian-origin authors, about Indians.... but I have not had a chance to read too many. When Late Bloomers showed up on the list, I jumped at the opportunity to read it, and am so glad I did!

I loved reading the different perspectives, the internal conflicts (not just about their own lives and decisions, but also regarding the decisions made by other family members). I connected with Lata (the mother)'s story, where she is finally figuring out what she likes and doesn't, and how she wants to spend the next phase of her life.

I was able to follow each character's journey and was rooting for them to do the "right" thing....

The writing and story are thoroughly engaging... some parts are unrealistic (for example, Mallika's story, the physicality of Lata's story, etc.), but still semi-believable.

Overall, I loved the book and the writing style of the author! Looking forward to reading more from her.

#LateBloomers #NetGalley

This is a cute book. All the characters are a hot mess and it is a bit frustrating watching them stumble along and make mistakes just because they prefer to run away rather than confront their problems. The daughter is particularly tiresome. Not much happens really, other than some of the characters do grow. My favorite character was Deanna. It was an enjoyable and quick read with some truly funny moments.

Late Bloomers tells a story that is often not told and was very refreshing to read! The author’s humor was expertly written and never overshadowed the characters. Although each character was a late bloomer in their own way, the journey to each of their own self love, growth, and acceptance made for an excellent read!

This debut novel by Deepa Varadarajan was such a fun read! I could not put it down. If you enjoyed the movie Crazy Stupid Love, this is a must read. This multigenerational family drama is full of twisty, hilarious surprises and there were actually times I shocked myself by laughing out loud. The brutal honesty of online dating, arranged marriage, navigating cultural and familial expectations, and relationships between parents and their grown children are just a few of the issues that are treated in a silly, relatable, and down-to-earth way.

I loved the Indian culture woven throughout the story and appreciated the way that cultural differences were explored through the four different family member's perspectives. A huge extra bonus in this story is the amazing Indian cuisine that Lata and Mallika make throughout the story. I couldn't help but highlight all of the delicious foods, no doubt fueling an indulgent order (at the top of which will be samosas) for our next Indian take out night.

Thank you so much, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group, for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Late Bloomers is an excellent debut novel by Deepa Varadarajan. The story follows the Ramans, an Indian American family as they attempt to navigate a huge upheaval in their family dynamics. Suresh and Lata had an arranged marriage and now, after 36 years and raising two children, they have broken away from cultural norms and have divorced. What follows is a gripping tale of the fallout from this decision and how it affects both them and Priya and Nikesh, their grown children. Suresh is trying to navigate the online dating scene, Lata is looking for herself after being stuck in an unhappy marriage for so long, and Priya and Nikesh are also both dealing with challenges and uncertainties in their own lives and relationships.

I found all of the characters in this book to be well developed and realistically portrayed. I felt their pain, laughed with them, and cringed at some of their decisions. So many times I wanted to both shake some sense into them and offer them a big hug and reassure them that everything would be alright.

Overall, a very moving and delightful story of family and second chances.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for sending me an advance copy of this book for review consideration.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group this Advanced Reader Copy, in exchange for my honest review.

Late Bloomers is the story of an Indian-American family and the aftermath and daily lives when the parents, Suresh and Lata, divorce after 36 years. The story is a heart-warming and dryly humorous story, about family and relationships. The story is told from four perspectives of the family, including the adult children, Priya and Nikesh. The stories are individual but all connecting, as the individual family members navigate through the chaos of life; online dating after divorce, co-parenting, relationships with someone married. And realizing that family may be the people that you know the least about.

All the characters were likeable and flawed, in the best way. There is a great supporting cast who adds to this quirky gem.

I particularly enjoyed reading a book about an Indian-American family and learning about the cultural aspects of family.

Rated 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Authentic and entertaining!
I loved it from the start, we discover this family from the point of view of the newly divorced Indian father and it's a very fresh point of view. What I also loved about this book is how it can speak to everyone: the sixty something looking for a second chance, the adults kids worried for their parents, the newly parents that discover that as a parent you can (and probably are) still a little lost.... The writing was very good too ! So without a doubt a five stars !! Very well done !
Thank you very much Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

In Late Bloomers, Shuresh is the Patriarch of a rather traditional Indian family, his own marriage to Lata having been an arranged one. Married over 30 years, Lata decides she has had enough of ebullient Shuresh's negativity and curmudgeonly behavior and divorces him. This is a beautifully written, bittersweet tale by Deepa Varadarajan, of the trials and tribulations of this family, navigating their lives and loves with twists and turns and abandoning what they think they "should be" to discover who they actually are. Shuresh is deep into the world of internet dating, but really just wants to be reunited with Lata. Lata finds herself a job for the first time in her life and is overwhelmed with fear when she realizes she is the object of a college professor's admiration and attention. There is great attention to detail to the lives of their children and friends, and they all seem to come to the conclusion that "You have to appreciate what you have and take care of the people in your life. Unselfishness -- that's the key to happiness." I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the careful development of each of the characters in the storyline.

Very nice, well written novel. I enjoyed it and would read more from this writer. I don't often give a 5 star rating, but this one deserves it. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Late Bloomers is a delightful and thoughtful family story focused on parents Suresh and Lata, newly divorced after a 40+ year marriage, and their two adult children both stumbling with their own 30-something issues. Each main character has a distinct voice and engaging arc. By its satisfying conclusion, all four main characters are finally and separately 'blooming', having navigated challenges and experienced believable emotional growth.

In Late Bloomers, author Deepa Varadarajan has delivered a layered and relatable story filled with nuanced characters and terrific dialogue.

Fun, interesting, and inoffensive. Divorce splits an Indian arranged marriage couple and they each get to explore the modern (and Western) world of dating and the accompanying internal culture clashes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

One of the themes of this story is growth and change and the journey that both of those can take us on as we get older. An issue that I had with this story was, I felt like by the end, even though a lot of character growth had occurred, the characters were still blaming their own shortcomings on those around them so I had wished to see more evident growth in that regard.

Late Bloomers is the heart-warming and funny story of Suresh and Lata Raman, an Indian-American couple who divorce after over thirty years of an arranged marriage. As they navigate the new world of online dating for Suresh and a new suitor for Lata, they are both surprised and unsure about their new lives apart. Meanwhile, their adult children are harboring their own doubts about the lives they are living as well as worry about their parents. It is a truly engaging and satisfying read.

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for providing this advance copy for me to read and review.

Late Bloomers is a delightful debut novel by Deepa Varadarajan. Suresh and Lata Raman have recently divorced after 36 years of marriage. As was trypical at the time,for young Indian couples, theirs was an arranged marriage; they barely knew one another on their wedding day. Lata, a recent college graduate, set aside her hopes and dreams to become a traditional wife. Their years together were not all bad, there were happy times and they had 2 wonderful children, Praia, a historian, and Nikesh, an attorney. This story of change is told from the perspective of those 4 major characters.
Suresh, is sad about the divorce, yet is exploring the world of internet dating. That world definitely holds some surprisesfor him. Lata is working in a college library, happy to be on her own and independent for the first time. Nearing 60, she occasionally wonders if there will ever be romance in her life again. She's never been on a "real date." Pryia, is teaching at an Austin college, and is involved with a married man. Is this the life she envisioned or wants? Nikesh is an attorney in a Brooklyn law firm. He and the woman he is involved with have had a child, and are learning to cope with all of the challenges a baby presents.
I thoroughly enjoyed Late Bloomers, there were times I laughed out loud, and others when I could feel the character's emotions. It is about family, traditions, the courage to start anew and of course the tie that binds, love. I highly recommend Late Bloomers.