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.

Page Street Publishing, Page Street YA and NetGalley provided an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed here are solely my own.

I really enjoyed the 8 short stories in this collection and the way each offered a different take on the central theme.

A Cynic at a Shaadi and The Wedding Biriyani were my absolute favorites of the bunch. Two very different stories they both had the right balance of humor and emotion to resonate with me.

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

This book was beautiful!! For all the desi readers out there, it makes you feel like, maybe for the first time, you are seen and acknowledged. The desi rep was absolutely stunning to the point where I felt like I was about to start tearing up just from how seen I felt in this book. Growing up, I never saw myself represented in the books I read so seeing more desi culture incorporated (and wonderfully at that) is something my younger self could've never dreamed of.

Tashie's story was by far my favorite out of them all. In fact, I was drawn to this book because of Tashie and she DID NOT disappoint as per usual but I enjoyed the other stories a lot as well. I was pleasantly surprised to see some magical realism and paranormal things in this collection of short stories, which seamlessly integrated the world of magic and superstition and supernatural creatures with the wedding season.

From the spilling of dahi balle to the wearing of lehengas to the feuding families and gossiping aunties, I enjoyed every single second of this book. It was a surreal experience to read and I recommend everyone should read it.

This anthology exudes a sense of cultural appreciation and joy from every page. Every story offered a unique perspective, highlighting the rich diversity across the Desi community. Some stand outs include A Wedding Recipe for Disaster and a Cynic at a Shaadi. In the former story, the Sarah Mughal Rana weaves a heartfelt tale rivals-to-lovers tale while addressing the issue of racial divides in the South Asian community. For the latter, Aamna Qureshi seemed to be setting up her story as a prequel to her upcoming adult romance which left an intriguing door open for the future of all the characters mentioned. Altogether, My Big Fat Desi Wedding is a celebration of Desi storytelling!

This YA short story romance collection was exactly as described--a group of short stories set around South Asian weddings featuring primarily young women and men. They were pretty light and didn't delve into a lot of controversy. I enjoyed the cultural aspect of them, since I've never been to a Desi wedding but have read about them before. There wasn't a whole lot of discussion of fatness--whether fat-positive or anti-fat, so I think the title was just a plan on the movie title. Nevertheless, if you're looking for some light romance stories set in a non-white American culture, this will fit the bill.

Oh this was so good! I love reading stories about Desi weddings anyway but this short story collection is filled with magic and family and food and love. It’s fantastic and fun, truly worth a read. I think my favorite story is the first one, The Disaster Wedding. So good, I’m looking forward to owning a physical copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Page Street Publishing for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was very cute and fun. I found a lot of the stories taking me back to when I was younger and the feelings/crushes I had and how i would deal with those feelings. With all anthologies, there are some stories I liked more than others but overall they come together and make a good book.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the ARC!

This novella contained many things I enjoy - magic, love, multiple POVs, easy reads, and humor. Each novella allowed me to connect to its characters and put me right in the feels!

I really enjoy learning about other cultures, especially weddings (as I recently got married myself). This was an easy anthology to read that revolves around various relationships. I did also enjoy some paranormal elements in a couple of the stories as well. These stories were tied together by one Aunty and all focuses on strong women.
This is labelled as YA, but some are definitely more mature than others.

voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4.3 rounded down to 4/5.

"My Big, Fat Desi Wedding" is a delightful anthology that immerses readers in the vibrant tapestry of South Asian cultures through the lens of eight distinct and beautifully woven short stories. Edited by Prerna Pickett, along with the contributions of talented authors Tashie Bhuiyan, Anahita Karthik, Payal Doshi, Aamna Qureshi, Noreen Mughees, Syed Masood, and Sarah Mughal, the anthology takes us on a captivating journey through the drama, love, and festivities of Desi weddings.

The anthology's strength lies in its diversity, both in terms of the authors' voices and the multifaceted Desi cultures they explore. Each chapter unfolds a unique narrative, showcasing the richness of traditions from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. The anthology successfully captures the essence of the Ultimate Family Gathering, intertwining the threads of eight Desi weddings through the eyes of a single auntie.

The brilliance of "My Big, Fat Desi Wedding" lies in its ability to offer something for everyone. With each chapter penned by a different author, readers are treated to a variety of writing styles, perspectives, and themes. From heartwarming tales of love to explorations of parental relationships and challenges posed by caste ideology, the anthology is a true celebration of the diverse facets of South Asian life.

The anthology predominantly focuses on weddings, and the authors skillfully navigate the intricacies of these grand celebrations. The vivid descriptions of wedding traditions, the sumptuous array of foods from various South Asian cultures, and the colorful tapestry of attire bring the celebrations to life. The stories also shed light on the strength of Desi women, portraying them as resilient individuals navigating the complexities of familial expectations and societal norms.

One notable aspect of "My Big, Fat Desi Wedding" is its ability to transcend cultural boundaries, making the universal language of love a central theme. While rooted in Desi traditions, the anthology resonates with readers from all walks of life, inviting them to connect with the universal emotions that bind families together.

In conclusion, "My Big, Fat Desi Wedding" is a captivating anthology that beautifully encapsulates the spirit of Desi weddings. With its diverse stories, rich cultural tapestry, and universal themes, it is a literary feast that leaves a lasting impression. Whether you're familiar with South Asian traditions or discovering them for the first time, this anthology is a compelling and heartwarming read that celebrates the beauty of love, family, and the grand spectacle that is a Desi wedding.

I used to be a huge fan of reading YA short story anthologies a few years ago - fantasy or otherwise - but it’s been a while now. So, when I first got to know about this collection, I was very excited because this seemed like the perfect one to get back into reading short stories. And I was right. With a very intriguing narrative framing, this collection is full of very cute, adorable and charming stories of budding love or second romances, while also showing off the grand wedding traditions and sumptuous foods of numerous South Asian cultures. I loved the gorgeous descriptions of clothes, ceremonies and so much mouth watering khaana that I now want to attend a shaadi.

Anyways, I will definitely recommend this lovely collection, especially if you love desi stories. And look below for my little thoughts about each individual stories.

The Disaster Wedding by Prerna Pickett

This was a typical desi shaadi where you’re scared of which aunties or uncles will get offended for some made up reason and our protagonists trying to ensure everything goes smoothly - with a wee touch of the magical. It was pretty cute.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Cynic at a Shaadi by Aamna Qureshi

This was another sweet tale of a young woman finding the courage to open herself up to love again after suffering through a bad heartbreak. Her emotions felt so real and the end was sweet and hopeful.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sehra by Syed M. Masood

A tug of war between carrying forward religious traditions and following one’s heart, being true to oneself vs being obedient and avoiding conflict, this was actually a very interesting little story with depth and heart.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Fate’s Favorites by Tashie Bhuiyan

A sweet story of young love blossoming at a wedding, with a touch of soulmate magic thrown in.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Wedding Biryani by Noreen Mughees

I liked how this story tackles grief, and how that feeling can either bring two people together, or separate them, based on how one is able to process their grief.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

A Confluence of Fates by Payal Doshi

A shot at a second chance during a wedding; trying to see if it’s possible to get together with the one that got away - this one had a strong goal oriented young woman who wasn’t gonna compromise on her goals but still open herself up for a possible relationship and I really liked it.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Wedding Recipe for Disaster by Sarah Mughal Rana

This one had all the religious beliefs and superstitions, family rivalry and wedding drama you can ask for - things moved a bit too quickly I guess but it was still fun.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Very Bloody Kalyanam by Anahita Karthik

Wow was this unique. A tam bram wedding, with vampires and imprinting, another second chance romance - this was angsty and bloody but definitely a great end to the collection.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

This 288-page YA short story anthology, weaving together eight tales of Desi weddings, is delightful and engaging.. An auntie with a distinctive bob haircut and a mysterious disappearing mole, connects the stories, which delve into magical realism,

The anthology explores diverse themes such as weddings, culture, parental relationships, strong women, caste ideology, and the promise of happy endings which makes it a good fit for the YA community of readers.

Thank you Page Street and Net Galley for this ARC.

I love Desi weddings and I love anthologies, so two of my favorite things put together is double the love! What made this collection of Desi wedding stories even better was that two of the stories had magic! Fate’s Favorites, by Tashie Bhuiyan, had magical realism in the form of soulmarks, words that appear on a person’s body in regards to their soulmate. This was such a unique form of magic and the fact it was placed unobtrusively in a real-world setting was a lovely bit of juxtaposition.

The last story, A Very Bloody Kalyanam by Anahita Karthik, was about my favorite of all magical beings: vampires! I’ll read any vampire story, but this South Asian take on vampire lore was new to me, which made it even more interesting and exciting–I’d read a whole book on that!

I was also really excited to read my first story by Sarah Mughal Rana as I was approved for her upcoming debut Hope Ablaze, so getting a little taste of her writing before diving into a book-length work was a nice treat. And speaking of flavor and treats, her story, A Wedding Recipe for Disaster, made me crave Pakistani food! Her story also stood out in that it brought the drama–not that the other stories didn’t have drama, since love is drama, but Sarah’s story had a touch of heartache too, which brought higher stakes!

Overall, each and every one of these stories was vibrant; full of color, culture, family, food, and, of course, love! I had a wonderful time reading this collection and would love to read more like it! Five stars!

This book is a collection of short stories beautifully written centering on South Asian weddings. Each one had me wanting more and more! It was a perfect read during the busy holidays, getting to read these captivating short stories.

Some of the stories had magical realism and fantasy elements too that were really well done!! I can’t pick a favorite story, they were all wonderful and left me wanting to know more about their story.

Thank you #NetGalley for this eARC.

I love Desi stories, big or small and from any part of this huge South Asia, every one of those feels a bit like home. This anthology was filled with such stories. from second-chance romance to enemies to lovers to lgbtq+ individuals in our community as well as ancient vampire folklore, this anthology had a place for all of it.
My favorite stories were the ones by Aamna Qureshi and Anahita Karthik but every single one of these fills you with an equal amount of joy.
It's hard to give anthologies 5 stars but this one is a definite 5/5 for me.

This 288 page YA short story anthology features eight stories of Desi weddings threaded together by an auntie with a bob haircut and a mole on her lip that appears and disappears into stories with magical realism, Tamil Brahman vampires, competing food dynasties, high school debate rivals, gorgeous clothes, delicious food, and sparks of romance. Usually collections are hit or miss with writing quality and interest, but I found this collection enjoyable from start to finish. My only real critique is that of the YA label and as a result some stories read more juvenile and at least one a bit more mature. As a whole, the book, particularly for the genre, is fairly clean. It is YA, it is romance, there are a lot of Muslim characters, with five of the authors being Muslim, but I would not classify any of the relationships or stories as halal. That being said, I think mature teens 16 and up won't find anything too alarming in the pages. There is music and dancing, close male female friends, secret relationships, a few kisses, some dances and hand holds, and a few that mention sex, condoms, and LGBTQ+ possibilities in passing, but most focus on weddings, culture, parental relationships, strong women, caste ideology, and hinting at happy every afters. Many of the stories are simply set during a wedding or wedding prep, others are the bride or groom themselves, I don't have a favorite or even a least favorite, as each has its own flavor, writing style, and focus.

SYNOPSIS:

Framed from an Auntie embarking on the wedding season, the short stories begin and follow one after another until the Auntie returns to conclude the book.

The Disaster Wedding by Prerna Pickett: In a family where the words the females speak can come to fruition, the claiming that her sister's wedding will be a disaster brings on the challenges for the enemies to lovers side characters trying to not upset the marital couples multicultural Indian/American dream wedding.

A Cynic at a Shaadi by Aamna Qureshi follows a young Muslim girl nursing her broken heart from a recent breakup with her secret boyfriend. Set during her cousins wedding, an upbeat optimistic boy makes her smile and gives her heart hope.

Sehra by Syed Masood involves a Muslim marrying a non Muslim girl that has the family refusing to attend. The groom-to-be's brother is torn and wants to attend, but he never goes against his parents. His best friend who has grown up with the family and is facing her own community othering because of her "Mickey Mouse" hijab style, is planning to go, and together the two friends help wrap the groom's turban.

Fates Favorites by Tashie Bhuiyan features magical realism with the words of soul mates appearing on skin. The words appear and disappear sometimes unseen and possibly even as a result of one's subconscious, thus the couples don't always find one another, but when they do, the relationships can be magical.

The Wedding Biryani by Noreen Mughees is possibly the most religious of the short stories with high school debate rivals finding themselves cooking at the masjid for a couple that doesn't have a family to celebrate the marriage. Themes of losing a parent to death and simply leaving are present, as well some internal reflection of boundaries, Allah swt, and body image. The conclusion is the teens meeting up to dance.

A Confluence of Fates felt like the longest short story and while many Zoroastrians it notes did come to India, the story focuses on Iranian Zoroastrian culture. It is almost a story within a story as a couple gets a second chance at their relationship with the backdrop of a marriage play during the wedding unfolding in the background.

A Wedding Recipe for Disaster by Sarah Mughal Rana has competing family businesses: one Punjabi and the other of Pashtun culture coming to ahead when the offspring of the rival companies decide at the girl's wedding to someone else, that they should be together. With vibes of a Romeo and Juliet family feud the happy ending has readers craving achar and contemplating racism within the community.

And finally, A Very Bloody Kalyanam By Anahita Karthik goes gothic with a Tamil Brahmin vampire wedding occurring when offspring from two enemy cults imprint on each other. This story is more mature with talk of sex, but has an emotional forgiving between the bride and her parents that makes the vampires lovable.

This was everything I love about Desi Romance. It was a little bit of magic from all different points of view and had such great short stories. From meddling aunties, to true love, there was something for everyone here. I love novellas and short stories because they give me little bits with big feels.
Thank you to the authors, Netgalley and Page Street for an early copy.

I LOVE ANTHOLOGIES! I will recommend an anthology every single time someone asks for a recommendation because it is a low-stakes way to find new authors! The same goes for this YA romance anthology <3

I loved the range amidst these stories (I wasn't expecting paranormal/fantasy because I didn't read the premise HAHA) and almost all of the characters were incredibly lovable from the start!

I will absolutely be reading more from all of these authors, and I highly recommend this Desi YA romance anthology to every romance lover!

Thank you for the digital ARC!

This anthology was fun, and I loved the variety of stories, ranging from fluffy, light-hearted romance to paranormal vampires. Tashie Bhuyian's story was a particular standout. It was so sincere and sweet.

My Big, Fat Desi Wedding is an anthology by eight award-winning and debut authors. Centered around love, family, hope, and of course, Desi weddings, these stories took me on a journey to the Indian subcontinent and I witnessed these entertaining and glamourous stories unfold. But frankly speaking, I enjoyed the spectacular dances, the drama, and the mouthwatering Desi foods a bit more than the stories themselves!