Excellent book, loved it! Looking forward to more from this author! Apologies for the lateness of my review

The Arrangement by Sonali Mishra is hinged on the unique and refreshing perspective of a 30-year-old South Asian male character (Arjun) in San Francisco who really desires a relationship, marriage, and commitment. We follow Arjun as he goes through the matchmaking process, navigates family pressures, and grapples with feeling like he's getting left behind as his friends get married and have kids. As he goes through this process, he happens to meet our FMC Nisha and they strike up a friendship. This was a beautiful, heartwarming romantic story filled with lessons about life and love. I highly recommend this book!

Thank you to NetGalley, Harbor Lane Books, and Sonali Mishra for providing this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

The names were hard for me to conquer (wish it was audio) but other than that this was a delightful story!

*2.5

This was just a very slow moving book. It took forever for them to be friends and then he didn't even get a match for the arranged marriage until like 70% in. This would be better if it was dual pov and we got to know more about Nisha. It was also weird that we didn't get a scene of him breaking off the engagement, we just jumped straight to a love confession. Not that important but it was unrealistic that he just out of nowhere made a cookbook in about a week and then somehow made four more over two years.

I received an arc through netgalley.

This was a very unique romance, told entirely from the POV of the MMC, hopeless romantic Arjun is a 30 year old Indian guy looking for true love! He's been determined to find it himself and not settle for an arranged marriage but after yet another bad date, he finally gives in to his mom and agrees to an arranged marriage. However, just as he's starting to meet with potential women/families, he also meets Nisha, a spunky, fierce divorcee who doesn't believe in marriage anymore and they begin a friendship that helps both of them grow. I loved this story and learning more about the arranged marriage process and it was just super fun to see the script booked and have our lead man be so focused on love, marriage, and the desire to be a parent!

Such a fun read! Highly recommend.

Many thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

I really wanted to love The Arrangement but I had some issues with it.

What I loved: Arjun's family, even if they were over the top about the arranged marriage (which culturally is their thing), you could feel their familial love shine through. Nissa standing up for herself and being a strong women. The friendship that Arjun and Nissa developed first.

What I struggled with: Arjun and his inability to see what was right in front of him and turn it away bc there is a match. This part dragged on for a long time.

Thirty year old Arjun Chowdhury has a great job in San Francisco, a nice house, wonderful friends, just one thing is missing, a life partner. He always thought he and his future wife would have a great love story, but after having his heart broken, he's realized that it's not realistic. He decides to give in to his pestering mother and try the old-fashioned arranged marriage route. After several meetings with different women, he finally feels he's met his perfect future wife. The only bump in the road is his new office mate and nemesis turned friend, Nisha Nandan.
This was a cute story, although Arjun's character did annoy me at times. It was refreshing to see a love story from the male protagonist's perspective. I loved the additional characters in the book as well, and the ending was really sweet.
Thank you to Netgalley and Harbor Lane Books LLC for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

✨I received this as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review ✨
I really wanted to like this book. I really did. I tried so hard to get through this, and it clearly took me forever, but I was just so bored the entire time. I feel really bad, but I did end up DNFing this book at about 50%. I just couldn’t seem to gain an interest in the characters. I would have liked it a lot more if it had been dual POV instead of everything through Arjun’s eyes.
I think one of the main things that was hardest for me specifically was how for the first 100 pages or so there wasn’t a clear love interest. I am more used to being introduced right away and the conflict developing from there. I didn’t really expect to be kept kind of in the dark for an incredibly long stretch of time.
The book itself did do a really good job of explaining and handling the intricacies of modern arranged marriages. I didn’t realize how much really went into it, and honestly it could all be made up, but the author did a really thorough job of explaining everything in a perfectly palatable way.
This book could really work in a lot of ways, it just simply wasn’t for me. And that’s fine! I fully understand not everything is for me. It just wasn’t my personal cup of tea, but I know that others may absolutely enjoy it.

Sonali Mishra’s The Arrangement is a charming rom-com that explores the tensions between tradition, modern love, and the complications of following one’s heart. With a relatable protagonist, plenty of humor, and an exploration of family expectations, the novel offers an engaging read for fans of Sandhya Menon’s When Dimple Met Rishi and the quirky romance of The Rosie Project.

Arjun Chowdhury, the novel’s protagonist, is the quintessential "good son." He’s successful, handsome, and approaching his 30th birthday—an age where his family, particularly his mother, is more than ready for him to settle down. Despite his initial reluctance, Arjun agrees to be set up through an arranged marriage. Mishra handles this traditional concept with nuance, showing how the arrangement offers stability and cultural respect, even if Arjun isn’t entirely sold on the idea.

Enter Nisha Nandan, a failed romance novelist whose chance encounter with Arjun sends his well-ordered life spiraling in a direction he never anticipated. Nisha is a refreshing counterpart to Arjun’s composed personality; she’s witty, relatable, and slightly chaotic in her pursuit of both her dreams and a stable romantic life. Mishra gives Nisha just the right amount of vulnerability to make her likable, especially as someone grappling with professional failure while trying to figure out where she belongs.

The chemistry between Arjun and Nisha is undeniable, and Mishra does a fine job of letting their relationship develop slowly, balancing humor and emotional depth. Their banter is witty, and their blossoming romance feels organic, despite the looming shadow of Arjun’s upcoming arranged marriage. This conflict creates the core tension of the book—Arjun is torn between fulfilling family expectations and following his heart. Mishra explores this dilemma thoughtfully, highlighting the pressure many people feel to honor their heritage while pursuing a life that feels authentic to them.

One of the novel’s strongest aspects is its portrayal of cultural dynamics, particularly the way Mishra navigates the arranged marriage tradition. Rather than treating it as a mere plot device, Mishra gives it depth, showing the nuances and advantages of such arrangements while also allowing Arjun’s personal conflict to shine through. His family’s involvement, particularly his mother’s well-meaning but sometimes overbearing influence, adds layers to the story, making it more than just a typical love triangle.

However, while the plot is engaging, it’s fairly predictable. Readers can see where the story is heading long before Arjun does, and some of the romantic tropes—while enjoyable—feel familiar. The tension between "head versus heart" in rom-coms is a well-worn path, and though Mishra adds cultural richness to it, the outcome feels inevitable.

The secondary characters are a fun addition, particularly Arjun’s family and friends, who provide comedic relief and emotional support in equal measure. Still, some of these characters could have been more developed, as their roles often serve the main plot without much individual growth.

Final Thoughts:
The Arrangement is an enjoyable, feel-good rom-com that balances humor, cultural expectations, and the complexities of modern love. While it follows a somewhat predictable path, Sonali Mishra’s relatable characters, witty dialogue, and thoughtful exploration of arranged marriage dynamics make it a satisfying read. Fans of heartwarming romance with a cultural twist will find much to enjoy here, particularly those who appreciate the balance between tradition and individual desire. If you’re in the mood for a light, breezy romance with emotional depth, this novel is a great pick.

Thank you for the ARC.
I liked the possibilities of this book- but the execution didn't lure me in.
It was slow-moving but once the plot finally got there I was enjoying myself.
Decent read

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this book a lot. It was a fun book!

This book was not a true genre romance, pacing wise or story wise. We don’t even meet the FMC until a third of the way in and even that’s for a split second until shes back on the page. This is a story about Arjun and his life and journey which isn’t what I thought I was getting. It follows Arjun and strictly his POV and the romance is a tiny side plot.

DNF

I enjoyed this sweet and light romance and the insights into how marriages are arranged in the Indian diaspora in the U.S. Arjun has a great job and a large apartment but he is 30 and longs for romance. He wants to hear the patter of little feet, as well. He is tired of dating and recovering from a broken heart so when his mother suggests an arranged marriage, he finally accepts the idea. The problem is that he has to share an office in the basement with Nisha, and he finds himself very attracted to her.

Arjun and Nisha were engaging and likeable characters and I also liked reading about Arjun’s amusing experiences in India.

I received tbis free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Sonali Mishra is a new author for me. I enjoyed this book very much. My 2 complaints are that there were a few typos. Also, in the beginning of the story, Arjun says he's out of sparkling water and if his Mom would like tap water. On the next page, it says she sipped her sparkling water. I was a little worried, but I continue reading. I'm glad I did. Nisha and Arjun are likeable characters. I loved that the story takes place in San Francisco. I would read more books by this author.

A cute and light read. I like the premise of an Indian man overseas and his search for his partner. The storyline around him wanting to get married seeing his friends getting hitched, ticking clocks, family pressure and wanting to settle down is shown quite well.

Ready for your next romance novel? Pick up The Arrangement by Sonali Mishra. You won’t be disappointed.

Just as Arjun has agreed to an arranged marriage he meets Nisha. They become friends as she doesn't want to get married again, but will she change her mind? A great read.

While I appreciated the attempt this book made, it was not captivating. The plot of an arranged marriage sounds intriguing as someone who has not experienced that but I felt like it was an asynchronous episode where we just cut and pasted to different parts of Arjun’s life. I find myself forgetting parts of it mere days after reading.

This book was SO GOOD!!! It was sweet and racy and dreamy and dripping with story butter. Truly a must read!!