Looking for a cute romcom over many orders of takeout Indian food?

The premise of this book is incredibly cute and made me oh-so-hungry! Gia freaks out after kissing her boss at a party and begins making a list of goals to plan for her inevitable termination at work. She orders Indian takeout and her list accidentally gets attached to the takeout bag and into the hands of Ben from the takeaway. Ben and Gia begin exchanging handwritten, honest notes over many deliveries of Indian food. They’ve never met but it’s like they know one another deeply. (Side note: Ben works at the takeaway but doesn’t do the deliveries. 😉)

I’m a total fan of snail mail and pen pals! I still have some today and the conversations I have with my friends over letters are sometimes deeper and more honest/raw than conversations I’d have with friends face-to-face. Hence, this little love story that developed over the exchange of letters was incredibly sweet and endearing. (Anyone’s love language words of affirmation?)
(On a trashier reality tv side note, this also reminded me of an innocent Love is Blind — falling in love, sight unseen. Lol!!!)

As for the storytelling, I thought the writing was straightforward, easy to read, and humorous. The author did a great job bringing the plot and each of the characters’ stories to a complete resolution.

Overall, this is a fun little romantic story about falling in love over letters and good food. This book doesn’t have any smutty scenes and is a clean read.

Really enjoyed well written rom.con I was immediately drawn in by the characters their story.A book that’s engaging fun.#netgalley #avonbooksuk

A very cute story, but not for me. Halfway through I was weary with the politics and dynamics at Gia's office. Also, but that could be a coincidence, I don't understand that often in romance novels the female main character has to be in event or wedding planning, or in marketing.

If you're in for a happy ending, that's what you're gonna get. But alas, it is way too good to be true: closure on a painful subject and acknowledging poor behavior from the past, loads of new friends, a happy environment to work in instead of thinking losing that exact job...

Love on the Menu will be perfect for readers of women's fiction. Not quite so much for readers looking for a light romcom. Good story and engaging characters.

Not strictly a Rom-com, Mimi Deb's book is more contemporary fiction, looking at relationships between family, friends, and romantically.
Gia, the female MC, is on a work visa from India and is perilously close to losing the one job she has, which would keep her in the country due to some mishaps. One at the work Christmas party that she is convinced will be the final nail in her coffin. She has a close relationship with Ma, her mother, or MiMasa as she is entered in her phone, Probably more open than the average relationship between an Indian mother and daughter, but then, Ma isn't your average mother figure, either.
Gia writes a list of things she needs to do in the new year to make things better.
Somehow the list ends up travelling to her local Indian takeaway, of which she is a regular customer, and the list sparks the start of a note correspondence with someone who works at Namaste London - Ben.
Ben is the male MC, and he is struggling to find a place in the world that will fulfil his family's hopes, as well as his own.
They disapprove of his job at the takeaway, but given the struggles he has already faced in life, they don't say too much...
I enjoyed how the book was written, with the correspondences between the characters, as an end note to a chapter, or the beginning and the details of their lives, how they meet, and their lives intertwine as time progresses.
It is good to read of a heroine not cut from the same stereotypical cloth as many, with Gia being a woman of colour and not a lythe, tall, 'dusky' beauty, but someone with the beauty that shines from within.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books for an ARC

I would classify this as more of a women’s fiction book than a romcom. A lot of drama for both main characters. I tend to go more for the romcom vibe, so it wasn’t really my cup of tea. Those of you who like more drama… give it a read!

The e-book itself had some formatting issues that I’m guessing will be fixed prior to publication.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Watch for Love on the Menu to come out April 13, 2023!

I am not sure how to review this book. It’s a love story , a forgiving your friend , an Indian mother who loves you dearly, making a career in London when you work colleagues are interesting and a boss who you don’t really understand . The male in the love story Ben has secrets and they meet through an Indian takeaway order.. I won’t spoil it. I love the orders in each chapter. A perfect ending . Read it is my advice