Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.
This was a wonderful book and I'll be purchasing it for the library!

This collection features short stories about the cultural heritage of South Asian communities and their wedding traditions. The stories themselves fall under the young adult and romance genres. I liked most of the stories (there was just one that felt like it didn’t “fit” - A Very Bloody Kalynaman) and enjoyed the fairy godmother character present in each one. If you are looking for a sweet, easy read that features Desi weddings, this is one that I would recommend that you add to your list!

A beautiful anthology of short stories centered around weddings and family and most importantly explores the beauty of desi culture and family.

I enjoyed each short story and the touch of magical realism and Speculative Fiction was an added bonus for me.

it's always difficult to review anthologies because each story is its own and I always have some hits and some misses! Overall, I really really enjoyed this anthology! Obvious favorites were Aamna Qureshi and I definitely have added Sarah Mughal's name to my favorites list! some highlights include the whole soulmatism in Tashi Bhuiyan's story! It satisfied my soulmate tattoo au reading self from my ao3 days! It really threw me off with the use of Zayn malik's name and I couldn't take it seriously at alllll but it was still overall fun!

Would definitely recommend this for the hopeless romantics and desi girls that just like to have fun at weddings!

This is a collection of short Desi inspired stories and like any anthology, there are some stories that you’re going to like more than others. But overall, they were all good in their own way. I highly recommend

This anthology has a wide variety of stories, which really surprised me in a good way. I feel like it is rare to read a desi anthology that actually includes a LOT of different perspectives and backgrounds. And added to that, each story was really different and creative. I particularly enjoyed the inclusion of fantasy elements. I read this in a time where I really needed joy, so I had a great time reading these wedding stories. They were chaotic, wholesome, and felt like fan fiction in the best ways. Some stories hit more than others for me, and not every story resonated with me deeply, but I still would recommend!

The stories in this book are a mixed bag-some good, some bad. This is book probably isn't everything you'd want it to be, but it's still entertaining!

This a short and sweet anthology of Desi wedding inspired stories. I loved seeing so much representation of various kinds from the desi community — something I would have loved to read as a teenager. Spanning across various countries, each tale delves into unique wedding cultures and rituals, infused with a delightful touch of magic, and providing readers with fascinating insights into different ways of celebrating love and union.

Like any anthology I didn’t love every single story in it but overall it was quite enjoyable.

My Big, Fat Desi Wedding edited by Prerna Pickett (A YA Romance Anthology)

Thank you so much, @mlc_tours x @pagestreetya for choosing me as a host for this beautiful and super-relatable book full of desi romances, desi weddings, food, traditions, cultures, love, fights, friendships, relationships, heartbreaks, second chances, strength and so much more.

All of the eight short stories in this anthology will make you giddy especially if you have grown up in a desi household or with watching extravagant Bollywood romances (SRK-coded specifically) or are somehow related to it. No matter the country, be it India, New York, or California and no matter it is a Pakistani, Indian, Zoroastrian or a Tamil Wedding, they will make you feel all of the emotions depicted in them.

From enemies to lovers, second chance romance, strangers to lovers, rivals to lovers, or even lovers to exes to lovers again, all of these tropes are present in these stories.

The presence of that one mysterious but wise aunty in all those weddings was such a pleasant thing to read.

The Disaster Wedding: It shows how words have consequences but only when you give power to them, the way they navigated through this was lovely.

A Cynic at a Wedding: I was slightly irritated by it initially but then everything becomes relatable and I was glad that dealing with emotions was dealt perfectly.

Sehra: This hit home like no other. I felt it to the core. But I was annoyed at the mention of Tariq’s one bad habit esp when nothing came out of it.

Fate’s Favorites: The whole idea of soulmatism in it was insane. I loved it to bits.

The Wedding Biryani: How mutual loss and grief can bring two apparent rivals together was brilliantly done.

A Confluence of Fate: I absolutely adored the strong female lead in this and how she stood her ground.

A Wedding Recipe for Disaster: The idea of a Punjabi Pashtun wedding was such a treat and how Istikhara prayers actually help. 🥹

A Very Bloody Kalyanam: A Tamil Vampire wedding with all its shenanigans? Bring it on.

Just like with so many other anthologies this was sometimes a joy to read and sometimes a chore. I don’t think I’ve ever read an anthology where I liked every story. But for the most part, this one was a joy. I really hope y’all pick this up!

Just like with all other anthologies there’s some stories I loved and some I didn’t. Like the one with the words meaning things, and the one where the brother has to decide if he should attend his brother’s wedding both had me all in my feels. Those were the ones that stood out the most to me and they’re at the beginning so they are the ones that will suck you in. But you won’t be mad about it, trust me.

But of course, there were some that made me grimace as I read them. Like the one with the allergy. I wish there was a Content Warning. As someone with a peanut allergy my anxiety immediately sky-rocketed. My heart started hammering and I was hella worried about them. The other one with the wolf or vampire or whatever it was, that was weird af. I didn’t actually care for the one with the words on the people either. I think because it was it didn’t exactly transfer to a short story. I didn’t understand why these words were there and why it was happening. It was weird to me.

This was so much fun. Diverse weddings? I had to read it. And I’m glad I did. Anthologies are a hit or a miss for me, and this one is a go. This one is going to go places!

💍 Pick this up if you like/don’t mind:
📌 quick and an easy read ( this is an anthology of eight short stories which can easily be finished in one sitting )
📌 multiple POVs
📌 reading about desi culture & traditions
📌 what to expect at a desi wedding: food, fashion, dance, music, lots of family drama, meddling aunties and more food
📌 what happens when two cultures clash
📌 grumpy sunshine troupe/ second chance romance/ enemies to lovers/ dealing with grief and heartbreak/ finding your soulmate/ siblings bond/ parental relationship
📌 fantasy element 🧛
📌 relatable/ annoying characters
📌 lots of talk about desi “mouthwatering” food ( trust me this book is gonna make you crave for desi wedding food )

💍 I have been in a reading slump for quite some time now and this anthology did manage to get me out of it. I guess all I needed was a break from thrillers. 🙈 A few of the stories did become boring at times but overall it was a light and an enjoyable read. If you are a DESI and love weddings, then this book is for you. Thanks NetGalley for the ebook in exchange of an honest opinion.

3.5 ⭐️

My Big, Fat Desi Wedding" is an anthology of different short stories all related to the colorful and vibrant Desi weddings. The stories span over different countries and talk about their wedding cultures and rituals with a touch of magic!
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This was such a light, fun read and the flare of magical realism added the much needed razzle dazzle.. Different stories from different countries and cultures were not only fun to read but also informative in terms of giving you an insight into different cultures... I really loved the desi-ness of this book!
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Like I mentioned above, one of the best thing about the book was the element of magic which was included so immaculately that it felt so natural! From the. From soulmarks in 'Fate's Favorites' to Desi vampires (yep you heard it right!!!) in 'A Very Bloody Kalyanam' and the mysterious Aunti that popped up whenever needed, I loved all these moments in the book..
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My favorite story was 'Fate's Favorites' by Tashie Bhuiyan because 1) I am a romantic, 2) I am a romantic, and 3) did I mention that I am romantic?

As a wedding planner, I was intrigued by this book titled and couldn’t wait to read it! I enjoyed the different stories! I’d recommend reading this!

I am a huge fan of Desi wedding stories, especially learning about a culture that’s different from my own. I loved the premise of this book: a quick glimpse into several weddings throughout the season with big, messy families, drama, and a little romance, but I had a difficult time connecting with any of the characters. The stories themselves varied in length and I felt like I was thrown in halfway through a longer novel with tons of characters that were not really introduced and customs that aren’t defined (I know the onus is on the reader but it takes me out of the story every time I have to look something up). The stories didn’t really draw me in.

I always have trouble rating anthologies because some stories hit really well and others not so much. Sometimes it's hard to tell if more were a hit or if more were a hit. This was a series of mostly light-hearted stories of teen romance among Indian families, with most of them written as though they were geared toward the South Asian audience. Which I fell right into! I enjoyed reading it but I can't say the same for those who may not know anything about the rich and diverse cultures of India.

One of the stories that really stood out to me was that of a younger brother fighting his hard-headed parents in order to be at the wedding of his estranged brother, because even in the year 2024, I still hear of families disowning relatives for who they choose to marry based on religion, but there is hope yet for future generations to call out BS. Most of these are contemporary with the exception of the final story featuring vampires, which felt a bit jarring to read because of the difference in genre. I can't really say this is the best set of short stories I've read but might still be something for younger South Asian readers to enjoy.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing this arc in exchange for an unbiased review!

This book has multiple stories written by different authors. Each story revolves around Desi weddings and are filled with romance, love, food and celebrations.
Except for Fete' Favorite, I enjoyed reading all of them.

First and Foremost thank you to Page Street Publishing for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS BOOK. It healed the middle schooler in me who just wanted to see brown people fall in love and each story was a beautiful expression of culture and romance.

Not to pick favorites but I also kind of have to, "The Disaster Wedding", "Fate's Favorites" and "A Very Bloody Kalyanam" had to be all time favorites but each story showcased such a beautiful expression of love of the different South Asian cultures and each one had me on the edge of my seat to see how the couple would chose love despite their various issues and differences. I loved the magical aspect of the stories as well with Baji Lovely. Her inclusion in the story and appearance in each chapter was so fun and I was on the lookout for her in each story, I loved the role she played in each love story.

I truly feel if you go into this anthology you will find something to love in each story, I feel like the only thing I was upset with is that they weren't long enough for almost all of these stories but especially the three above I wished! that they were fully 300 page romance novels. It was almost frustrating how I wanted to stay in this world longer.

It at times was sad, hilarious, heartwarming, stressful, intriguing and frustrating but above all romantic and a celebration of Desi love that I couldn't help but smile and tear up over.

I will be running to my nearest indie bookstore to pick up a copy because I must own these worlds in my hands, you can't help but finish this novel with the intense need to put on your finest desi outfit and look for the nearest wedding. Pick it up right now!!

Rating: 4.75 stars

**Thank you to NetGalley and Page Street Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review**

I learned so much from reading these stories. They are packed full of culture, family, drama, love, and delicious food.

As the book begins, we meet an auntie who is trying to figure out which weddings she will attend this season. It is mentioned that the right ones always find her, so she makes appearances throughout the stories.

The Disaster Wedding [enemies to friends]

Jaanu's family was cursed by a witch way back in their history, and now "words have consequences." She is worried that because she muttered "this is going to be a disaster" about her sister's wedding, it will most certainly come true. What's more, the groom's little brother, Damian, mocked her for her beliefs in the past, and she responded by smashing ice cream in his face. Now she must face him again at the upcoming wedding.
Jaanu’s belief in the curse held too much power over her and it clouded her whole outlook. She manifested negativity because all she could see was everything falling to pieces before her eyes. But, as Damian mentions, weddings are stressful and these kinds of things are bound to happen. In other words, none of this is her fault and she needs to stop blaming herself.
We’ve all let negativity wash over us and obscure our view at some point, but we have to remember that one bad thing happening isn’t the end of the world and we can’t let it poison our day.


A Cynic at a Shaadi [grumpy x sunshine]

Sajal's relationship with her secret boyfriend has just ended in heartbreak, and she is in no mood to attend a wedding. Still confused about what happened, she can't stop ruminating about how it all went wrong. While at the wedding festivities, she sneaks away into her cousin's fiancee's house where a boy named Raza accidentally dumps dahi bhalla on her. Raza can't seem to shut up afterward, and Sajal is beyond annoyed. They begin to bond over their grief, and Sajal starts to see Raza in a new light.

I think this was my favorite story in the book. I love the use of the grumpy vs sunshine trope, and Raza is such a nerdy little sweetheart. It goes to show that we can always learn something from everyone we meet, and that everyone is going through things they don't talk about. The best we can do is always be kind.


Sehra

Burhan-ud-Deen "Han" Nishapuri is forced to pick a side within his family when his older brother, Tariq, decides to marry a non-Muslim, atheist, white girl named Faith. His parents do not approve, so much so that they refuse to even go to the wedding. This also means that his father will not pass down his turban and sehra to Tariq, as is tradition. Han has always been known for just going along with everything and being unproblematic, but can he stay quiet about this?

This story shows us how much pressure our parents can put on us to adopt their opinions and values as our own. However, we do not grow as people or get to know ourselves and what *we* actually want if we’re never given the chance to think about it. What Han’s parents are really teaching their children is that disagreeing with them could mean losing them, which is probably why Han was always so obedient.


Fate’s Favorites

The words from her soulmate have started appearing on Nivali Khan’s body in various places. She meets Aman Chowdhury during her sister’s wedding festivities, and he helps her to stop ruminating about what others might say or think about her, because she is always concerned about that. But, when words start showing up on Aman’s body too, she finds herself to be…jealous? She decides to take control and go after what she realizes she wants. Will it end in disaster, or was it meant to be?


The Wedding Biryani [forced proximity]

Zayna finds herself annoyed when her best friend, Deepika (Deepi),keeps ditching her to hang out with the popular girls in order to get to a boy. Zayna knows that Deepi’s family is never around and she is looking for someone to pay attention to her, but she just wishes it didn’t come at the expense of their friendship.
Zayna’s father is no longer in the picture after cheating on her mother and leaving her because she couldn’t give him a son. Experiencing firsthand what happened with her parents ruined her belief in love and marriage. She often pushes people away because she is afraid they will just leave too. Zayna does have her mom, though, and her mom’s catering business was just asked to make food for a wedding that their masjid is sponsoring. Zayn Malik and his father just so happen to be helping out too. Her feelings about Zayn are complicated, but what happens when they are forced to work in the same kitchen? After bonding over parental grief, they realize they aren’t so different after all.
This story teaches us not to judge others because we never know what they are going through. It also describes the very real, long-lasting effects of parental strife on a child.


A Confluence of Fates [forced proximity]

It’s been five years since Alia saw Jehangir (Jeh), her high school crush. Things ended badly when Jeh neglected to tell her he had a girlfriend even after all the time they spent together. Now, Alia’s friend Kavya’s sister, Naina, is getting married, and she’ll be forced to see him again because he is the groom’s cousin.
When the groom, Cyrus, goes mysteriously missing, Alia is paired up with Jeh to help look for him. Jeh eventually apologizes for what happened back then, but is now too little too late?


A Wedding Recipe for Disaster

Salama is getting married to Ismail, although she is not particularly thrilled about it. When a flyer from Khan Foods, the family’s business rival, arrives in the mail, her mother thinks it was deliberately sent to upset them. But, all Salama can think about is their son, Osama. A year ago, he had proposed that they get married to each other. After all, it would bring their two families together and help with the feud between their pickle businesses. Salama said no.
When the venue where Salama is supposed to have her wedding tells them that the refrigeration units have gone down and all the food has spoiled, her mom freaks out. The venue manager assures her that they can get the food replaced by a partner restaurant – which turns out to be Khan Foods. When they arrive, all hell breaks loose. Can Salama save her wedding, and what if she doesn’t want to?


A Very Bloody Kalyanam
Shloka has imprinted on another vampire, Kritik, and now she must marry him or she’ll die. What her father, now the leader of their cult, doesn’t know is that Kritik was her first love and they had been together for years previously. Then, his dad almost killed her dad, and she hated him for not telling her about the plan and ending things with a letter. But, there’s a lot Shloka doesn’t know about what really happened. Can Kritik win her back, or is this marriage doomed?

I love the fact that an anthology like this exists, with such diverse Desi authors on the page. It was great to read familiar words and see representation on every page.

That being said, I'm an older reader so this might fit a younger reader more. Many of the stories' voices blended together and I wasn't too emotionally invested in many of the couples or main characters - which is understandably harder to achieve from a reader in a shorter story. I had a hard time feeling the writing styles didn't feel the same, with common YA language. I also would've liked to see some more diversity in terms of MCs (religiously etc.).

I would like to commend Anahita Karthik's unique take on what she brought to the anthology. It was such a fresh idea and stood out as something unseen before.

Overall, I think this would fit a specific reader much better.