Pub date: Feb 1, 2025.

Mira Salvi, the daughter of Indian immigrants, is getting ready to get married to a successful Doctor. She finds a mystery ring on her engagement trip to New York City and joins forces with Krish, a reporter, to find it's owner. It sounds like a simple quest but there is so much more to this story .....

I went into this book expecting something very different but this book was so much deeper than the rom com I was thinking it would be. It was a beautiful story about family relations, family expectations, forbidden love, same sex couples and finding one's self. The dynamics of the Indian culture and family dynamics were woven throughout this book.

I really enjoyed this book a lot, just a gem of a novel that completely surprised me!! I give this a 4/5.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and Net Galley for a digital ARC copy of this book in exchange for a review.

It’s overwhelming to realize how alike we all are. While our cultures may differ in traditions, foods, and clothing, we behave similarly when it comes to human interactions, particularly family relationships. This book was beautiful in every aspect. Yes, the writing, plot, and storytelling were incredible, but it’s the meaningful life reflections that make this book so amazing.

Mira is a determined and focused woman who lets her parents’ guilt-infused love dictates her life. When it comes the time to make lifelong decisions, such as marriage, her past and personal doubts start to create struggles. During a solo trip to New York, she decides to reconnect with her estranged twin brother, while also engaging in touristy activities. That’s when she stumbles upon a lost ring and becomes determined to discover its owner. This is where her adventure begins—and so does her quest to find herself.

I wished I could’ve given more than the limit of 5 stars to this book, that’s is how much I loved it. It helped me to understand so much about my life, plus there are brilliant and simple reflections at the end of the book that I plan to use for myself from now on.

I’m truly grateful to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC. This is my honest and voluntary review of a book I loved.

I liked the part of the story that dealt with the mystery and seeing Mira's growth. I did feel like the end was rushed, but overall enjoyed it.

This novel was an absolute joy to read! At first it started out just a little intriguing- a young Indian-American woman (Mira) traveling alone in New York (without her workaholic fiance back in Chicago) stumbles and falls to the ground where she discovers a unique ring. Somehow she is intuitively drawn to finding its owner. But very soon the story became so much more than about the mystery of ring.

There is much here about oppressive parents and how Mira grew during her journey to find the ring's owner(s), about how she grew into herself and found the pieces of herself that went missing after the trauma she experienced when she was only seventeen.

There are several different levels of love story here and one that I can't fail to mention is the love between Mira and her twin brother Rumi. Also the love between Rumi and his partner, and the love between the two owners of the ring, as well as the love interest that Mira finds along the way.

Fascinating, intriguing, and kept me turning the pages. Such a unique premise, and a powerful statement about a few different kinds of racism and bigotry. I will be reading more by this author!

Thanks to Netgalley, the author, and publisher, for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

There's Something About Mira
Written by: Sonali Dev
Pub Date: February 1st, 2025

"There's Something About Mira" is a touching novel that explores the struggle between family expectations and personal dreams. The story follows Mira, as she prepares for her wedding to Druv, who seems like the perfect man but is often consumed by his demanding job.

When Mira gets the chance to visit New York, she takes it, despite her family's reluctance. In the city, she reconnects with her brother and literally stumbles upon a mysterious ring and necklace. This discovery leads her to Krish, a journalist with more at stake than just writing an interesting story. He helps her uncover the mystery and challenges her views on love and identity.

Mira went on a journey of self-discovery, finding her voice and learning to speak up for what she wants. This sometimes is a struggle for many children growing up in immigrant families. The challenges that Mira faces are something that many of us can relate to. It was so nice to read about these challenges and experiences in stories.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC.

Sonali Dev is a master storyteller and her latest book, There's Something About Mira, is an emotional addition to her body of work. Fans of Sonali Dev will be happy to find familiar themes of family, love and how the present is informed and shaped by the past. In this story Mira is forced to confront who she is and what she wants out of life. Mira's parents are thrilled to see her about to be married to a kind if neglectful surgeon. When Mira finds herself on her engagement trip alone, she finds a ring that sets her on a journey to find it's owner. Mira soon finds she is much more interested in the story of the ring than her own wedding,

I found this book to be a slightly more serious and emotional story than her previous (and also wonderful) Rajes series, but I think most fans will love this book as well. It's tender and emotional with a touch of adventure. I was swept up in the world and couldn't put the book down. When it ended I had a good cry, I fell in love with the characters and have a feeling this book will stick with me for a long time.

There is no way I can do this book justice in a review. Weaving romance and mystery together with a bit of history as well, it is both heartwarming and heartbreaking in its explorations of grief and race and queerness and social status. I mean it hits SO MANY CHORDS and somehow hits them all just right? This will be one to watch in 2025 for sure!

Sonali Dev crafts a fabulously layered story that's two love stories in one that explores the challenges of being caught between two worlds, homophobia within Desi communities and the weight of filial obligations.

When Mira finds a ring on a New York street while on her ‘engagement-moon’ without her busy surgeon fiancé Druv, she reluctantly joins with journalist Krish to find it's origins. Little does she realise her adventure will become a journey of self-discovery. In 1983, we're treated to an epistolary flashbacks between two young women.

This was such a page turner that I couldn't put down. While she's Indian in identity and culture, Mira's first visit to India makes her realise she's still foreign. Mira was the sort of person you know would be a supportive friend, but it was so hard to watch her squish herself into a box to meet her controlling parents' expectations which were disguised as cultural obligations to be the good daughter. I was rapt when finally she started to speak her mind. Krish wasn't as well fleshed out but there was enough there for me to root for his character. He's been removed from his Indian heritage after being adopted into a white family and a bit adrift as to who he is. He clearly cared for Mira despite the way she treated him! I really enjoyed both their arcs, though I'd loved to have put them together more, just to sell the romance more and because they were fabulous together.

Overall this was poignant, moving and sweet and I really enjoyed this. I teared up when both stories combine and when Mira unloads about her past to Krish. The epilogue was a surprise as I honestly didn't expect that character to change. Now I'd love a follow up charting the two years that made that character change.

Thanks to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

Have you ever a read a book that takes you so completely by surprise that it consumes every part of your mind and heart that the only solution is to read it again because you can’t let the characters go. Don’t be fooled by the description, this book not your typical self-discovery novel, it’s also about the suffocation of society, the guilt of outgrowing the ideology of your immigrant parents, the existence and beauty of queer love through the years, and finding your voice when you’ve been brought up to forget it. I really hope everyone picks up this beautiful story, its touched me in ways I cannot articulate in words.

I loved our protagonist, Mira, she was instantly relatable, and Dev (the author) captured her struggles finding her voice in an Indian society so seamlessly. I deeply sympathised with her character, someone who is apt at helping others through pain that she forgets her own, her instinct to defend her parents out of responsibility when they’ve been far from kind to her and her brother. She was incredibly well fleshed out, particularly with her career in pain management, evident in all her interactions through the book, recognising the hidden pain in Krish and resentment in Rumi. My heart broke for what she went through when she was 17, and how she was made to feel like it was her fault and isolated – its cruel how little parents can care for their children when they ‘slip up’ in their eyes. Her relationship with her parents is instantly relatable to anyone who has grown up with or around people in conservative immigrant households; the fact that love, fear, guilt, responsibility, and anger can coexist in parental-child dynamics is rarely explored. The journey Mira embarks on was beautiful, the thing I appreciated most about this story is how she healed on her own, not because she fell in love but by taking lessons from those around her, whether that was Krish or Rumi or just her own intuition – she saved herself. I appreciated that conversation she has with her brother, where he expresses how much he wanted her to take a stand against her parents, it had me in tears; it was wonderful to see her find her footing and strength to defend her brother when it mattered most.

It was interesting, upon my re-read, to see how much Mira had convinced herself that she was happy with Druv, how in every conversation they had she was almost convincing herself that he was the one instead of just knowing. The way Dev handled the ultimate demise of Mira and Druv’s relationship was done well – as Mira shed her older skin, it was clear she was hiding so many parts of herself from him that she began to unravel in New York. One standout scene was at the end when she called things off and his main rebuttal was asking whether she’d cheated on him and that they were too far through the process to quit – nothing about him wanting to fight for her or knowing her well enough to understand she would never do that. The greyness of Mira falling out of love and realising Druv wasn’t right for her was handled with such nuance here; I liked how there was no obvious ‘bad guy’ in this break up, it was just two people that could’ve settled but one was brave enough to call it off. I really enjoyed Mira’s chapters with Krish, how they could so clearly see through each other despite being strangers. All their scenes felt like a movie: the motorcycle rides, their quests to locate the owner of the ring, and seeing them slowly open up to one another. It was obvious to me that he fell first and when he finally admits it and they get together, it felt really earned. Even though their romance was not the focus of the story, this was definitely Vasu and Suru’s love story, I enjoyed these characters together so much. I did feel like they were trauma-bonding for a lot of the book; therefore, it would’ve been nice to see more of them together as a couple to understand how they fit together outside of their shared pain.

The part of this story that I didn’t expect, and wholeheartedly loved, was the beautiful portrayal of queer love. The letters between Vasu and Suru had me in a chokehold, they were just so magical together and Dev really captured the love they had for one another so intimately, in a way that it felt so personal. I felt the palpable fear throughout the letters and in the hunt to find what happened to Suru, this aspect of the book kept me on the edge of my seat until the end. I’m thankful these characters found themselves back to each other, but my heart broke for the years they had lost due to the cruelty of their family. So much of their story can be linked to Rumi and Saket, how they both fell in love and felt the cruelty of Rumi’s parents, the only difference is that they escaped and built a life together. Seeing Rumi and Saket so happy and in love through Mira’s eyes was wonderful and you could tell she was questioning whether her life could look like this.

Some additional thoughts, I wish the epilogue was slightly longer, I really wanted to see the wedding and more of these characters being happy after dealing with so much pain – Sonali Dev if you are reading this, please send me all your deleted scenes! It was nice to see Mira’s mom take that first step in mending the rift between them, but I can’t help but feel Mira deserved a lot more apologies for her assault, I wanted one character to say it wasn’t her fault and that her attacker(s) deserved jail – I did feel incredibly happy when she said this herself but I did want someone to affirm her belief that she didn’t deserve to feel any of that guilt. I also felt we needed a bit from Priyanka’s character, as a women, her adding to Mira’s guilt didn’t sit well with me, especially as Mira didn’t get her kicked off the society – her story felt unfinished.

Ultimately, this story has cemented itself as one of my favourite books ever, I don’t know how I will move on from this brilliantly crafted story and these incredibly human characters. I think I’ll carry parts of this story for the rest of my life. I felt so inspired I have created a playlist for this story so please let me know if you are interested in listening and I’ll share!

P.S. I know this is obvious, but I wanted to say that one story is not meant to represent every single Indian immigrant experience so if you grew up in a much more accepting home (like Saket) that’s a beautiful thing, but please don’t come to discredit this story because it doesn’t match your own.

A big thank you to Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book!

There were themes in this book that I felt were addressed really sensitively by the author, both culturally and socially. I felt the cultural themes very strongly throughout the story, and whilst not my own culture, I was stillvable to sense and resonate with Mira and some of her experiences.
Having said that, I truly did not sense the development of the relationship between our protagonists in the way the story was written. There are scenes purporting to show a deep, meaningful, quite life-changing connection between the two. I really did not sense this and wondered if I'd missed something within the story.
Overall, this was a lovely read and insight into a culture I know very little about, but definitely think I've learnt from.
Thank you to netgalley, the author and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

A wonderful South Asian-American read that was slightly different to the typical desi stories in novels; in this book, amid the vibrant atmosphere between two Indian (Marathi) families in Chicago, US, was an intriguing mystery surrounding a lost ring and its respective owner. I have read a few books with the main characters as migrants to the West by now, and I always enjoy the culture fusion and language mix- because they are done accurately well.

The relationships in the book were explained well and hence convincing. How one character’s feelings changed and why, were consistent to the said character.

Though Mira seemed indecisive and confused at times, her brother, Rumi and his fiancé, Saket, appeared to over-compensate for this. Despite being secondary characters in the novel, their personalities seemed to jump off the pages and engaged with the reader. Rumi’s and Saket’s experiences spoke to the reader in a raw, honest way, and I always looked forward to their scenes in the story.

Now, having talked about Rumi and Saket, I will also touch upon the elephant in the room in this South-Asian fictional novel: the LGBT community. This matter was treated with caution by the author, and it was written realistically. The theme of gay relationships tied into the main theme of the story, and it was lovely to read it in parallel with the other characters. The stigma of gay people in desi communities (even now, in modern times); the disapproval, the shunning of family members; and the courage and will to fight back- were all discussed in this book.

Overall, this was a nice book which read a bit differently to the other novels in this genre.

– Much as I will miss seeing New York City, that’s not what’s at the heart of my disappointment. That would be Rumi, my twin brother.

– “I need one more sherwani,” I say to the salesperson. (…)
“Who’s that for?” Romana asks.
“My brother, Rumi.”
Aie’s body goes very still. She glares daggers at me over Romona’s shoulder. (…)
“We weren’t sure if he and his fiance were going to be able to make it, but they are.”
Aie looks like she might spontaneously combust.

Another gem by Sonali Dev! I couldn't put this book down., and even stayed up really late to finish it. Thanks to Sonali Dev, Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for this advance reader's copy. I am a huge Sonali Dev fan. I've read all of her books and loved each one of them, especially the Jane Austen adaptations about the Raje family. Her books are in my read and reread pile, I love them so much.
There's Something About Mira is a heart wrenching story about Mira, a 28 year old physical therapist from the suburbs of Chicago. She is engaged to Druv, the handsome doctor and hero of the community. She is a first-generation Indian immigrant, and has a difficult relationship with her parents. Her parents are extremely controlling and expect her to fulfill every one of their dreams and be grateful to them for everything in her life. They have also disowned her twin brother, Rumi, because he is gay. The family dynamics in this novel are complex and so developed in such a sensitive way by Dev. She adds small details about the family interspersed with the main plot of the book, and I just couldn't stop reading, always wanting to know more about Mira and her experiences growing up in "Brown Town" (her words).
Mira goes to NYC alone when her fiance is unable to leave his demanding and intense job as an orthopedic surgeon. She finds a ring on the ground on Times Square, and dedicates herself to finding the owner on social media. A journalist with personal ties to the ring, Krish, reaches out to her through her brother's partner, and Mira works with him to find the ring's owner. This part of the story was revealed slowly to the reader, and there was a mystery element that I really enjoyed. As time goes on, we learn more about Krish and his ties to the ring, and they find the owner of the ring and learn more about her tragic story. Mira and Krish end up in India looking for the ring owner's long-estranged lover. They encounter all sorts of challenges. This part of the book felt like an adventure story - like Indiana Jones - to me. The story wraps up in a beautiful way, with Mira choosing love and her own path in life, including where she lives and who she marries.
Sonali Dev crafts beautifully complex and layered stories with multi-dimensional characters. At the end of each of her books, I really care about the characters and what happens to them. The diversity of her characters' experiences is always really interesting and informative. I loved Mira's story and can't wait to read more by Sonali Dev.

There’s Something About Mira had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

Sonali Dev is an auto-buy author for me and is now an auto-request for ARCs. This book is no different. This was a beautiful, soul-crushing, heart-wrenching, deeply moving story.

I love both leads. I love their dynamic from the beginning and then how it shifts. I love the look at the family dynamics and the complexity of emotions and characters shown throughout this beautiful book.

There are some reveals that may be triggering for some revolving around women's reproduction, but they are written well and add to the story instead of detracting.

Thanks to the publisher, the author, and NetGalley for the ARC!

When Mira's fiance' is unable to join her on a trip to New York, Mira goes alone. While there, she hopes to
reconcile with her twin who has been estranged from the ffamily. While sightseeing, Mira falls and
discovers a ring on a chain and is determinedto return it to the rightful owner. The mission will be life changing
as she identifies what she truly wants in life.
#TheresSomethingAboutMira #LakeUnioublishing #NetGalley

There's Something About Mira is the most wonderful book and I would highly recommend it. I enjoyed the dual story and timeline and how both stories build until their inevitable intersection. Mascara warning for the ending though ...

Enjoyable read. A good description of the Indian immigrant community. Mira is bogged down by the expectations her parent place upon her. She finds herself and learns to stand up for herself

Thank You, NetGalley for the opportunity to read There's Something About Mira by Sonali Dev.

I was really looking forward to this book. The story of a daughter who is out to do everything to please her parents or to avoid her parents lashing out. It felt familiar. The burden of being 'good'.

However, there was something missing in this story. I can't quite put my figure to it but I couldn't feel anything for the characters. They felt superficial most of the time.

But still worth a one time read, I guess.

I have mixed feelings about this book. When it came to the complex female characters, I thought Sonali Dev did an excellent job. However, the romance aspect fell flat for me. The romance felt secondary to the plot, so even though I knew they’d end up together, I didn’t feel like the proper groundwork was laid.

there's something about mira by sonali dev follows mira salvi as she reluctantly join forces with journalist krish hale to find the owner of a lost ring she found when she was in new york. this was the first book i read by sonali dev and it definitely won't be the last.

tbh it took me a second to get into this book but in the end, i did like it!

at first, i was going to add this book to my (huge) tbr list because of emily henry, but then i was scrolling on netgalley and i found this book and read the synopsis and i got so gripped that i decided to start reading it this second, and i did.

so from the second, i started this book i didn't like druv (mira's fiancé) i thought maybe it was because i was rooting for krish from the start (without having met him yet lol), but that wasn't it. it seemed like he was gaslighting her somehow. and the fact that her parents have been manipulating her and she kept defending them was annoying.

i wanted to like rumy at first because of the way mira talked about her wanting him at her wedding and her going to new york could be a way to convince him but he was just so mean to her all the time, only in the end he became the brother she needed all along. i get where he's coming from but he wasn't the only one who had a rough childhood. and he was trying to manipulate her at some point too. but i did start to like him again in the end im not going to lie.

the fact that vasu and suru finally got together in the end despite everything they've been through!!!! it was nice to get to know both of them through their letters to each other.

and now let's talk about krish, oh krish, dare i say, my new favorite book boyfriend? he's the only one who understands mira and even though he wouldn't show it at first, with him being all broody and mysterious, he did need her. and also mira had her expectations way too low to be impressed by every little thing he does for her.
and this next quote could quite possibly be my new favorite quote;

"if returning to your old life will make you happy, i will be okay. as long as you feel seen and cared for, i'll be okay. as long as you feel seen and cared for, i'll be okay. as long as no one makes you feel like you're to have them, i will be okay. as long as you promise never to put yourself away again, i will be okay . . . as long as i know you're happy, i will be okay, mira"

THIS MAN!!!!!! he literally made me cryyyy, and it was not the first time. the first time he made me *almost* cry was when he told her that he have a girlfriend and that they'd been together for a year (but that's not exactly what made me feel that way) what made me want to cry was when he pointed at her face, then at his heart and told her "that. how you just felt. that's how i feel every time you say his name. . . ." this hit hard

so to conclude this review i want to say that i genuinely liked this book, i definitely recommend it!

thank you netgalley and lake union publishing for the arc!