Review: The Bollywood Bride

I loved this second chance romance by Sonali Dev! Ria has a tragic past, but summers in suburban Chicago with her cousin Nikhil and his distant cousin Vikram got her through a challenging adolescence. Unknown to everyone in their circle, Vikram and Ria fell in love and had made plans for the future, but life made other plans. Years later, Ria is a Bollywood star who left her family behind, but of course she kept in touch with her surrogate parents; her aunt and uncle, Nikhil's parents. Nikhil is getting married, and Ria needs to come home.

When Ria returns and Vikram is there, the old feelings are obviously there, but the old bitterness over their breakup is still a living, breathing beast that lives within Vikram. These former lovers are strangers now, but Ria can feel the attraction that never left and she knows that acting on that passion leads nowhere. She is returning to her career, as it is, in Mumbai and Vikram will be in Chicago with his girlfriend. Except if things were that easy, there wouldn't be this delicious book to read.

Vikram is pissed at Ria, and at the way she left their relationship. He is truly swoonworthy, and everyone needs to meet him. Ria is a complex, sympathetic but strong character that I loved getting to know. The peek into the rich customs of the Indian culture were wonderful and there were more aunties than you could shake a stick at. This was easily one of my favorite books this year.