Thank you Net Galley and Grand Central Publishing for the arc.

First read by this author.

I thought it was just okay. The very beginning and a few chapters in afterwards had me excited. “Poor” Lata was a vibe, realistic and fun. As the story started moving towards the middle the pace seemed to drag. While also having a lot going on that could have possibly been cut out. Things got a little interesting when “Rich” Lata came on the scene. Good getting insight on her. I liked the titling of the chapters. Maybe someone more fashion forward would love this book. Wish it would have stayed light, fun, with that exciting feeling throughout.

Fast paced book that was okay. It was a fun read but just didn't resonate with maybe because I'm just didn't care about that rich lifestyle.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC

In The Other Lata, Lata receives email invites addressed to someone with her name but who has a much more glamorous lifestyle. One day, she says yes to one of these invites, which sends her world into a tailspin. This novel was so entertaining and loaded with personal growth.

The Other Lata is an addicting novel about what it means to find yourself when everyone around you has so much more. In this novel, Lata Murthy, a girl from New Jersey who now lives in New York, decides to respond to an email where she's mistaken for a Mumbai socialite. After attending a party pretending to be "the other Lata", this quickly snowballs as our main character finds friends and a sort of belonging with her new life, which she has no means to keep up. Not to mention, the woman she's impersonating is NOT happy and wants Lata to pay.

Overall, I LOVED this novel! It's the first book by Kirthana that I've fully read and you can bet I'll be reading her other novels that are already on my shelf. I enjoyed the way she balanced the Indian American experience and the feelings that come with not being one of the majority. When she describes how Lata was overlooked and how easy it was for her to pass as another woman with the same name, it's an experience that as an Indian American I resonate with.

While I wish we got to explore her family dynamics deeper and her friendship with Mimi, I appreciated the novel's focus on Lata's struggles and how she got to the place she was at by the end of the book. I loved the ending of the book as well as how Kirthana brought the character there, in a way that felt completely normal and authentic.

This was an enjoyable, addicting, and easy read and I gave it 4.5/5 stars. Thank you to Hachette Book Group, Grand Central Publishing, and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This is the story of a young woman of Indian ethnicity, living a broke and unfulfilled life in New York City, whose world is turned upside down after she mistakenly receives — and accepts — an exclusive invitation meant for someone else with the same name. The “real” Lata Murthy, known as the elusive “Mumbai Princess,” is a generous donor and a fixture at high-society fundraisers attended by New York’s wealthiest elites.

Our protagonist (or perhaps antagonist?) steps into this glamorous identity, quickly embedding herself into a core circle of wealthy friends and spending the summer racking up debt in her desperate attempts to look the part of a wealthy socialite. Her elaborate deception leads to a swanky new apartment, a prestigious job, and even a new romance — until the day she receives a message from the other Lata Murthy, who’s ready to call her bluff.

What follows is a slow, calculated unraveling of the imposter’s fragile house of cards, all orchestrated by the real Lata herself. The question is: when all is said and done, which Lata Murthy will be left standing?

I found this book both entertaining and engaging. It kept me hooked as I anxiously wondered how it would all end. Despite her flaws, the main character was surprisingly likable, which made her story all the more compelling.

I love this author’s books, so was excited to read this one. The Other Lata is pretty fast paced, and a quick read. I loved the concept and truly didn’t know what to anticipate, so it kept me on my toes! Although I enjoyed the book, the time jumps often confused me. I would likely recommend the author’s other books to this one, but still, pretty enjoyable if you’re looking for something fun and fast paced.

Thanks to Netgalley & Grand Central Publishing for the E-ARC! Beautiful story & writing style. Great characters. Will definitely read another from this author.

Lata Murthy, 33, living in NYC, stuck in a dead end job, finds herself on the receiving end of fabulous party invites, meant for socialite Lata Murthy, who splits her time between Mumbai and New York.
Intriguing story, fun seeing it come together, I just wish the dialogue wasn’t so stilted?

Fun little fast paced book! I'd never read this author before, so this was my introduction.. It was a little humorous and wrapped up nicely.

This is a very fast paced fiction book in which a struggling Indian New Yorker impersonates a rich socialite that looks similar to her. The fmc goes by Lati and becomes friends with people in the rich group. Someone pitched it as Gossip girl with Bollywood vibes and I would say yes the rich wealthy lifestyle of GG and the the fmc heritage and Indian culture. The fmc did get very hooked to the presence and when the original Lati found out it brought a tension to the book. There is also a mini romance plot that was cute. Overall this is fun and lighthearted, it doesn’t go very deep into the characters but is good for getting out of a slump. Thanks to grand central for this arc for an honest review.

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for the digital ARC!

This book was a pleasant surprise for me. It was a fun and quick read for the weekend. Lata is just a girl (lol) and came up on a once in a lifetime opportunity when life was getting a bit bland. Was it ethical? Maybe not, but it was a good time. This book was full of chaos, but it was a good time. Even though Lata is literally in her 30s, this book felt very coming of age to me. I always enjoy reading stories about people in their late 20 and early 30s because even though we're technically adults, we're still figuring things out. Sometimes that means making questionable choices. I wouldn't make some of the choices she made, even if they benefited her at times (until it didn't), but I can't say I don't understand why she would. This was a very heartwarming story and romance between Lata and Rajeev was cute. Overall, a very fun time.

Meet Lata Murthy, our relatable and charming heroine. In her mid-thirties, she’s struggling to stay afloat—buried in debt, stuck in a dead-end job, and wondering how her life veered so far from the dream she envisioned. But then, something extraordinary happens. Lata starts receiving email invitations meant for another Lata, one who moves in exclusive, glittering circles and rubs elbows with the elite.

With nothing to lose and a touch of boldness, Lata takes a leap of faith. Armed with her last credit card and a savvy shopping spree, she begins attending these high-profile events, slipping seamlessly into a world she’s always fantasized about. For a while, it seems like her life is finally turning around—new friends, glamorous parties, and the promise of something more. But then, the real Lata reaches out, and everything begins to unravel.

Part rom-com, part self-discovery, The Other Lata is an absolute joy to read. It’s a story about identity, ambition, and finding one’s place in a world that often feels out of reach. With humor, heart, and an irresistibly fun premise, Kirthana Ramisetti delivers a novel that’s perfect for anyone who’s ever dreamed of reinventing themselves.

A charming, laugh-out-loud read that also tugs at the heartstrings, The Other Lata is one not to miss!


#grancentralpublishing #theotherlata #kirthnaramisetti

What a wild ride! I loved this book, I read it in two sittings. This was such a fun exploration of class, wealth, identity, social mobility, and the need to be seen and to belong. I did not see the twists coming, which made for an exciting read! Very fun, would definitely recommend

Book Name: The Other Lata
Author: Kirthana Ramisetti

ARC
Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for an ARC

Stars: 4
Spice: 0 Closed Door

Standalone
Fast Paced
Contemporary Humorous Comedy of Errors with Indian Representation

Pros

- Short and Sweet
- Themes of Class and Belonging
- Super Funny
- Likeable yet immensely flawed FMC
- Fashion Scene and Luxury Parties
- Gossip Girl Vibes
- Summer Shenanigans
- Low Romance
- High Enjoyable
- Summer Coded
- Recommended Beach Read

Cons

- Strange Time Jumps
- The ending was too clean
- Wish more emphasis was given to the love story (it could easily have been missing from the story and only added to the ending)

This was SO fun and such a quick read and it was easily entertaining without crossing into cotton candy land. it hit on some major themes such as class privilege, capitalism and belonging without being preachy or requiring A TON of brain power. This is a perfect summer poolside book or beach read. my only complaint is the semi-strange timeline of the book and time jumps. The book takes place over the course of a year or so but honestly, it feels like it reads like it took place over 1 summer. overall 8.5/10

This novel is about an email address mix up that leaves LATA, with a bunch of invitations meant for THE OTHER LATA. When LATA decides to accept these invitations, she starts a journey into the world of the young and wealthy influencers and socialites who she believes represent OL (other LATA).

She begins to mold herself to the image she believes will impress her new circle, while she travels away from her middle class Indian roots. This is a great premise, but I soon found it tiring and at times silly, especially when OL sends her ridiculous, dangerous and illegal demands.

I loved Ramisetti’s earlier novel, “Advika and the Hollywood Wives,” but I found this novel really strained credulity. So, I liked some parts, I felt disappointed at some of the over the top segments.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC from a very gifted author.

I enjoy all of Ramisetti's plots and books -- this felt like the weakest of her three in terms of writing style and pacing, but I still enjoyed it.

I was really vibing with the first half of this book. It was really fun and a good break from my reality into someone else’s (albeit fictional). I loved this author’s other books but this one fell a little flat for me about halfway through and it was a slog to finish.

The pacing of this felt off. The narrator explains massive time jumps, which are necessary to move the story along, but it felt awkward in execution. Months would pass by in a sentence or two and could be really easy to miss. Even with the time jumps, it felt like this book took place over a summer rather than over a year, which I honestly think would have been better as just summer shenanigans. This gets even worse at the end where each chapter is at least a month time jump. They are literally titled “One month later”, “Two months later”, “Three more months later”.

Getting too into it would require spoilers but the ending was too nicely wrapped up in a perfect little bow. Though I did enjoy aspects of the ending and what we find out about the other Lata, most of the ending was absurd.

Overall this book was fine but I would recommend reading Ramisetti’s other books instead of this one.

I really enjoyed the romantic comedy perfectly and how everything worked in this story. The characters were everything that I wanted and enjoyed the overall feel of this. Kirthana Ramisetti has a great writing style and enjoyed the overall concept to this. It had that romance element and was glad it worked overall. I enjoyed the high society element and glad I got to read this.

I found this book to be super entertaining. The author took a story about identity "theft" and made it about self-discovery and added humor and glam to it! I really got into Lata's head with the way the author described the action of the story. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. I think this would be a great book club choice!