I received a complimentary ARC of this excellent novel from Netgalley, author Deepa Varadrajan, and publisher Random House Trade Paperbacks. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read Late Bloomers of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. Deepa Varadarajan is an author I will follow. Her work, with poignancy and humor, maps the commonalities of the peoples of the world. We really are one people, divided only by oceans and sand.

Funny yet sad story about an Indian family who are all experiencing growing pains at the same time. The story is told from four POVs: Suresh and Lata-parents who've broken up their 36 year arranged marriage after their children have grown and their own parents have died-and Nikesh and Priya-siblings who are somewhat unmoored by their parents' breakup. Suresh is navigating online dating-his chapters contained prickly ruminations followed by sweet memories of his family when they were together. Lata is shy and coming into her own as an independent woman -something that she has never been since she went right from her parents' home to her arranged marriage to Suresh. Nikesh has a young child with a woman that he is not married to is lying to his parents about their marital status. Priya is having an affair with a married man and is especially lost without her parent's normal dynamics. I enjoyed the story-flipping in between POVs kept it interesting. I was satisfied by the non-traditional ending. It suited the story.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for my honest review.

Just finished "Late Bloomers". I really enjoyed following this extended Indian American family of characters as they navigate their romantic and family situations. Each chapter was voiced by a different character (not just two main character voices, as in many romances) so the reader gets to dive into more characters' minds than is usually the case - great fun! Suresh and Lata are older Indian parents who divorce after their nest is empty, and thus land in the complicated world of modern dating. Having had an arranged marriage, they are completely unprepared for this. Their adult children, son Nikesh and daughter Priya, also find themselves in slightly unusual modern relationship situations. The inner dialogues that each character is able to present in their chapters really bring out their thoughts and conflicts, and the writing is very energetic and witty. The events of the story have a little of a "random slapstick yet believable" feeling, which keeps the story moving along.

In Late Bloomers we follow a family that has been struggling. The parents, Suresh and Lata, have recently divorced and their children, Priya and Nikesh, are facing their own relationship problems as they navigate adulthood. As this family is drawn back together over the course of three weeks, they're forced to confront their feelings about themselves and one another.

This is one of those clever books that lures you in with a beautiful cover, but makes you stay for the beautiful story. My favorite part of this book has to be the characters. I became incredibly attached to these characters over the course of the novel as we alternate POVs between each of the family members. That narrative choice might sound like too much, but its execution is perfect for this story. We get to understand each member of the family; their perspective, their reasoning for action or inaction, and also their reflections on certain experiences. My favorite characters were Suresh and Lata because it's rare to see such dynamic older narrators. I loved Lata because she felt so genuine with her reflections on life and deciding what kind of life she really wanted to live. Suresh could be the stereotypical dad most of the time, but his sense of humor had me literally laughing out loud many times while reading!

While this story could be funny, it was often balanced with seriousness. Throughout the book we see both Suresh and Lata reflect on their married life and parenting. There was a lot of vulnerability here as the parents realize they were never shown how to approach taboo topics with their children and that now as single adults they don't know how to approach some of these topics for themselves! I also liked that we see these parents acknowledge their mistakes and the feelings of their children as they navigate unfamiliar territory. Miscommunication is used pretty frequently in this novel and is admittedly not my favorite trope. However, the miscommunications in this story make sense and the situations feel very genuine considering just how much is happening in everyone's lives. I appreciated that this trope never felt forced in or contrived.

Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed with the ending as the last 50 pages had a lot going on. There were quite a few plot twists that felt shoe-horned in and I wish that maybe more time and space had been given to wrapping up the major threads of the story. It was an ambiguous enough ending that I questioned if there was room being left for a sequel; I hope this is not the case as only a few extra pages could have succinctly concluded this story. Overall though, this novel was an enjoyable, humorous, and emotional read!

Thank you to Random House for an e-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

3.5/5: This was cute, sad, and even hilarious at times. I feel it was a true depiction of a typical American family dealing with a later in life divorce which includes curious (aka jealous) ex spouses, first dates after 30+ years of marriage, online dating, and adult kids still playing the roles of their younger selves around their parents. It was an easy, quick read. I wasn’t blown away, but it was enjoyable.

I really enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone looking for a quick read.


Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Late Bloomers is a funny, quirky and sometimes sad book about an Indian family, Suresh, Lata, Priya and Nikesh. After 36 years of an arranged marriage, Suresh and Lata have divorced. Suresh is trying to embrace the single life by internet dating. Lata has joined the workforce and finds herself also dipping her toe in the dating scene, something she has no experience with. Their children, Priya and Nikesh are also in dysfunctional relationships. Over a short period of time, all four family members examine their lives, trying to determine what would make them happy. Each chapter is told from the POV of one of the family members. Their thoughts toward the other family members is part of what they use to determine what will make them happy.

I received an ARC of Late Bloomers in exchange for an honest review.

I was expecting this to be a disjointed family drama-comedy, but that’s not quite what I got. I didn’t find myself drawn to or even really liking the four main characters; they were annoying at times with the decisions and choices they made, and felt a bit immature. They also didn’t have a lot of depth, even though there was so much potential for delving deep into how divorce within an Indian American family later in life affected each of them. Overall, I think the execution of the plot fell a little flat for me. However, I did enjoy the premise of the book and hadn’t read anything like this before, and liked how each POV offered something different to the plot. I liked seeing how societal pressures within the Indian community influenced how each of these characters behaved, and even wish this was explored further.

Home truths!

The interplay of the Ramon family life after divorce is brilliant.
The angst and worry have half truths flowering into full blown stunners dropped at the most inauspicious times.
Suresh is the ex husband, addicted to internet dating, whose dating life develops startling and unexpected off shoots.
Lata, his ex wife whose marriage was arranged, finds herself somewhat hesitantly dating a music professor from the university where she works, spurred on by her be-ringed and tattooed co-worker.
Priya, the Professorial daughter who’s been having an affair with a married man for quite some time and hasn’t told anyone
Nikesh, the son who is not married to the mother of his child but hasn’t had the courage to tell his parents. When he tries, his parents are so involved with their own challenges that he misses the opportunity.
Simultaneously hilarious and thought provoking, we hear from each of the family members in alternating chapters.
A novel about truth telling, timing, about second chances, and defining for ourselves what’s important in life
Simple family life is a myth affectionately exposed in Late Bloomers.
Endearing, sometimes funny, intersecting with the characters fears and failures, a novel to be sipped at with wonder at how loving and dyslexic a family, even a damaged family, can be.

A Random House invitation ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

This was a wonderful read that captured and held my attention from the very first page. The story starts off with Suresh, almost 60 years old and recently divorced, attempting to find love again through internet dating. Lata, his ex-wife, needing to find a job even though she has never worked and not knowing how to date because her marriage to Suresh was arranged when she was only 20. These two middle aged adults, Indian immigrants, who have raised two children together, Priya and Nikesh, now adults with lives of their own, are the late bloomers. It's refreshing to see middle aged protagonists who are still learning new things every day and trying to find their way in life after their circumstances have changed. Life does not end when we become a certain age, or after we divorce, and this is not seen in contemporary fiction nearly enough. Late Bloomers, with its family of four at the center, and several notable and interesting side characters, is a lovely exploration of what it means to be continually reinventing oneself, despite cultural and familial expectations. Grateful to netgalley for sending me this ARC.

LATE BLOOMERS is a wonderfully well-crafted tale of a family-in-transition as divorced 60 year old parents grapple with new potential partners and their thirtysomething children struggle with adulting. In the background, playing without pause, is the sound that imbues their lives together and apart: their Indian cultural experiences and expectations. By turns light-hearted and sober, this is a genuinely moving tale of four people and the multiple lives they touch as they struggle to reform; a family with a different shape serving changing needs. I read this in one sitting and enjoyed it enormously. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

this was a heartfelt and well-written book about complicated family relationships. I learned a lot of Indian culture and perspective from this book and look forward to reading more from this author.

United States Publication: May 2, 2023

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this advanced reader's copy. In exchange, I am providing an honest review.

Suresh and Lata Raman lasted 36 years in their arranged marriage before calling it quits. Their adult children, Priya and Nikesh, are unsure what to think about their father on a dating website and their mother working in a library. But they are navigating their own lives and have little time for their crazy parents that felt like divorce was a good call 36 years in. Told in alternating voices, the reader is allowed into the private lives of all four Ramans as they navigate this new life of singleness, divorced parents, first-time parent, and romantic entanglements. And despite their ages, all four find themselves just now coming into themselves. Some people are just late bloomers.

I really enjoyed this story and its characters. The kids, Priya and Nikesh, are thoroughly American despite their Indian heritage, and even their parents, Suresh and Lata, seem to have turned their backs pretty firmly on their Indian foundations. And yet, there was a remnant of the culture of India that was woven into everything they said or did. It was an interesting look at someone who has a rich culture in their background and yet feels the pressure to assimilate to the facade of America. Nikesh's choice in romantic partners was weird and she annoyed me. I didn't feel warm toward her at all. And I didn't trust Priya's choice of partner either. For me, as the reader, this seemed to be a reflection of what both Priya and Nikesh took away from watching their parent's marriage. It created unhealthy ideas within the children as they grew into adults.

Honestly, I don't know what exactly I enjoyed so much about this book. It had the potential to annoy me with the immaturity each character was grappling with, but instead of annoying me, I was eager to discover if there was to be any positive change or growth in each person.

Late Bloomers
By Deepa Varadarajan


Late Bloomers is a charming family drama about second chance love. Lata and Suresh divorce after living thirty-six years in an arranged marriage. Suresh is experimenting with online dating and continually complains about the batty and dishonest women he meets. Lata finds herself at a loss when the sweet Professor Greenberg burns her a CD of his favorite jazz music and passes it to her across the checkout-return desk of the music library where she works. Lata is conflicted, divorced Indian women only have a few culturally sanctioned options, DATING is not one of them. Their adult children Priya and Nikesh have no idea what to make of their parents’ behavior. But Priya is having an affair with a married man, and Nikesh is pretending to be married to his baby-mama. Children who live in glass houses, should beware of stones. The novel plays out over the course of three topsy-turvy weeks during which family secrets will be revealed and perceptions of parents and children will be challenged.

If you need a witty, bittersweet tale about how complicated finding love can be no matter the age, then Late Bloomers is the book for you!

Many thanks to author Deepa Varadarajan, @randomhouse and @NetGalley for the pleasure of reading this digital ARC. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

🎁 📚 𝑳𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝑩𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒔 - 3/5 - Heartwarming story of the Raman family - parentsSuresh and Lata, have divorced after a 36 year arranged marriage, and their adult children Nikesh and Priya. All four have secrets they’ve kept from the others which eventually come to light during one tumultuous weekend. There are no perfect endings where which makes the story feel authentic and real.

Absolutely delightful debut novel about the divorced parents of two adult children and the mishaps and adventures when the parents begin dating again. I thoroughly enjoyed this story which is told in chapters rotating between each of the family members, Suresh and Lata Raman who have divorced after a 36-year arranged marriage, and their adult children, Nikesh and Priya who are each involved in relationships that are not picture-perfect while also struggling to accept that their parents may have moved on to new partners.

Late Bloomers is funny, without trying to be, and will tug at your heartstrings. The humor to be found in Suresh's forays into online dating, the 'lying women' he meets and the 'I hate you, but I still care about you' relationship he has with Lata post-divorce is true-to-life. Nikesh and Priya responded to their parents' dating as I think many adult children would, and it was interesting to read how differently they approached the news. Each of the main characters is likable in their own way, and the peripheral characters are also easy to care about.

I will be looking forward to reading future books by Ms. Varadarajan. Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing for the digital ARC of Late Bloomers by Deepa Varadarajan. The opinions in this review are my own.

I bounced around between 3 and 4 stars here. At first I wanted to say this is a perfectly predictable rom-com, but then I sat with it a bit longer and realized, it's not actually that predictable. Several expected happy endings are left purposefully unresolved, so while the story is light hearted over all, it doesn't gloss over the complexity of relationships. It holds a delicate balance of not fixing the characters' flaws (and they are many) but allowing the reader to see each family member as both infuriating and endearing. This complexity of character isn't always easy to achieve, and I appreciated that it neatly avoided several tropes. Perhaps most important, this story made me laugh out loud on several occasions. All of these factors elevated this seemingly simple story of love and family, to a richer and more intimate portrait of humanity in all our messy vulnerability.

I cannot begin to describe how much I appreciate and love this story about an Indian American family, their marriage life, the food, the culture, and most of all the Indian-ness even though they are in America!! An original #DesiBook.

The characters are brilliant and so original I felt like an aunty snooping into neighbour’s house 😂 You’d understand the reference if you were Desi! Late Bloomers is like an Indian commercial film that has chapters of love, compassion, heartbreak, and humour.

Deepa Varadarajan is a brilliant debut author. 2023 has been a good year so far for noteworthy South Asian voices!! Thank you Random House for the gifted eARC

Late Bloomers by Deepa Varadarajan tells the unique story of a family after their parents separate... which at face value doesn't sound so unique. But, these parents had an arranged marriage and had never dated anyone before. Now, the parents are navigating the single life for the first time in their lives in their late 50s, while their 30-year old children are navigating their own relationships. We get chapters from the point of view of each member of the family, which I loved. I thought it was such an interesting way to tell the story, since usually there are only 1 or 2 POVs of the family and maybe an outsider looking in. However, we see all the miscommunications, difficulties, and hear the feelings of each family member, helping us connect with and care about each of them in their own special way.

I loved the characters and the ruminations on parenthood, raising children, and there were some very funny situations in the book. The plot wasn't super strong and toward the end I was wondering where the book was going. Ultimately, I enjoyed this debut novel and I think anyone who is a parent or who has separated parents will appreciate this book!

I really enjoyed this somewhat-comedic drama about an Indian-American family in which each of the 4 members is finding themselves and figuring out how to be in the world and with each other. Alternating chapters between each of the four POVs kept the story engaging and interesting, and it had a quiet humor that made me laugh out loud several times. I also appreciated the representation of the Indian parents and their American-born children. I'm looking forward to reading more by this author. Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for the advance digital copy!