A quest to find the owner of a lost ring. Multiple love stories. A journey towards authenticity and living one’s truth. A deep study into identity and belonging. And a trip to New York?!

There’s Something About Mira delighted me, especially in the second half of the book. I loved witnessing Mira’s evolution towards becoming her true self. The letters between Vasu and Suru were so beautiful. This book was magical.

“I am there you know. On your shoulder. As you are on mine.”

Huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is such a lovely, insightful story centering on parents' expectations. Mira goes along with everything in hopes it will keep peace in her family and perhaps, reconcile her brother with their parents. She doesn't even explore her own wants and wishes, keeping everything locked up. The irony is she takes away people's pain in her profession. An unexpected solo trip and her desire to help others trigger a series of adventures that cracks open everything she's hidden away. I rooted for Mira all the way!

There's Something About Mira
By Sonali Dev
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I have loved every book I've read by @sonali.dev so it comes as no surprise that she has done it once again with her new release, "There's Something About Mira."

This is a story of love and healing. With healing comes discomfort and pain. As anyone who has embarked on a therapy journey can tell you, it's it not a comfortable or quick and easy process. It also comes at great cost & not just the bill to a therapist. Healing requires change and growth. What I love about this book is the way Dev highlights the pay off: freedom and truth are all that is left when you live with authenticity. For Mira, for Rumi, for Sureva and Vasudha. It means being fully themselves and being fully loved. What more can we ask for?

This book has so many beautiful moments & profound passages - 157 of which I saved as Kindle highlights. It also has a fair number of heavy topics - from painful childhood memories to abuse, homophobia, & unplanned pregnancy (in the past). I prefer to read human stories with the full breadth of the human experience & Sonali Dev captures life in all its brutal humanity with "There's Something About Mira." I hope you'll read it for the perspectives she offers, the immersion into Indian culture, and the journey Mira takes back to herself. I'm so glad I did. 💛

One of my favorite quotes:

"(My dad) had a theory that for centuries humans have tried to control the world by forcing everyone into matching molds by getting them to close their minds. It’s why the pressure of discontent has turned humanity into a ticking bomb. The only way to defuse it is to change one heart at a time. Every time a single person opens their heart, the magic gets stronger." ✨

Thank you to @netgalley and Lake Union Publishing @amazonpublishing for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest feedback. As always, all opinions are my own. #TheresSomethingAboutMira is out now and also available on Kindle Unlimited.

Nailed it!
It had mystery, romance, personal struggle, self discovery and adventure.
At no point did I feel that one part of the story was over shadowing another, or that I didn't get enough time with a plot point. I enjoyed it cover to cover.

A few months before her wedding, Mira take a trip to New York and finds an obviously loved ring on a broken chain. The need to find the owner overtakes her, anyone who wears a ring on a chain must have a deep love for who ever gave it to them.

While scratching away the layers of mystery surrounding the ring, Mira also scratches away some of her own layers. Layers that have built over years of being a people pleaser.

This book had me in tears by the end.

Mira, a therapist specializing in pain management, is engage to Druv, a doctor who, by all accounts is the perfect man, even if he is a bit too attentive to his patients. When Druv cancels their pre-wedding trip to New York for the second time, Mira decides to go alone and use the trip as an opportunity to convince her twin brother Rumi to attend her wedding. The only problem is that Rumi has been disowned by their Indian parents because he is openly gay and in a relationship with Saket, who is invited to the wedding as long as he and Rumi aren't there together as a couple. Their reunion is fraught with tension, as Rumi cant' believe how under their thumb Mira still is. It is only Saket's skill, and love for both Rumi and Mira, that the visit goes well at all.

To add to the tension, while Mira is out behaving as a tourist, she discovers a ring on a chain. Wishing to find the owner, she makes an emotional post asking the owner to contact her. The post goes viral, which again puts Mira and Rumi at odds. It is through Saket that Mira meets journalist Krish, who is willing to help her find the owner of the ring, as long as he can use their search as fodder for an article. Once Mira finally agrees, she and Krish travel the world and back, finding not just the owner of the ring (s), but something each of them has been missing as well.

Labeled as a Romcom, Something about Mira is anything but. Part romance, part cultural discourse, part parent-child dynamics, part journey of self-actualization and introspection, and part understanding and accepting that families, regardless of nationality, are made up of individual yet interconnected people with wants, needs, and desires of their own.

The book should be read with a mind that is open to learning about others as well as self. Not to negate that this book is, first and foremost, the story of a first generation Indian American woman coming to terms with her family, her culture, her opposing beliefs, and her own needs, the brilliance of this book, and Sonali Dev's writing, is that as much as it gives the reader insight into Indian cultural norms, which for many non-Indian readers may seem archaic or outright impossible, there are simple themes throughout that speak to the humanness of all people. It doesn't force acceptance, as much as it invite introspection.

Sonali Dev takes us on a deep dive of the beauty and pain that tradition and culture can hold. Mira’s journey to understand herself, her culture, her brother, & her parents is met with laughs, tears, pain, beauty, shame, love, & everything in between.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the dialogue between Mira, her brother, & her brother’s fiance. I also loved that Dev doesn’t shy away from the harder aspects of her Indian-American culture. I not only laughed, but learned while reading There’s Something About Mira.

Thank you to Sonali Dev, Lake Union Publishing, & NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book for free in exchange for my honest review!

I adore Sonali Dev's writing. There is something just so comforting about it and this felt like a warm cup of hot chocolate for me. Mira was such a relatable character for me and I was rooting for her.

This book started out kinda ok for me... Druv and Mira are engaged, Druv is ambitious and doesn't want to go on a trip so Mira heads to NYC on her own. Cue an accidental ring discovery and Mira gets set on a journey...

I really was pulled in during the second half, where the pieces of the story start coming together and it also moves into more action than I bargained for!

It's dual timeline and perspective, and whether you love or hate the characters, it's beautiful to see how it unfolds.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for an ARC.

I enjoyed reading There's Something About Mira by Sonali Dev. You will fall in love with all the characters. I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely. Happy Reading!

I thoroughly enjoyed Sonali Dev's series about the Rajes, so I was excited when the author offered this advanced reader's copy of, "There's Something About Mira" to her Facebook followers.

Mira is the youngest child of first generation Indian parents who came to the US and worked their way up to owning their own grocery store. She's approaching 30, is engaged to be married, and preparing for the wedding festivities with her mother and fiancé's mother.

As part of her engagement gift, she and her fiancé are  heading to NYC. Mira has never been and she's hoping to visit her estranged brother.

While sightseeing in NYC, she finds a ring, and vows to find the owner. This sends her on an adventure from NYC, through India, and back home.

At first, I did not really like the character of Mira; however, this story is about Mira finding herself while she searches for the owner of the ring. Mira has always done what was expected of her and this has led to an unremarkable life. She is a recent graduate in pain management, and I think I would have liked to know more about this part of her life and why she chose that profession. I think this calling/profession could have played more into the end of the story as well.

Overall, I enjoyed this story very much, especially once Mira decided to find the owner of the ring. It was a slow start, but definitely picked up as the story progressed.

Thank you to the author, Lake Union Publishing, and NetGalley for the ARC.

When Mira embarks on a solo trip, the last thing she expects to find is a lost ring. Finding the owner of this heirloom becomes Mira's sole focus and as she does, she comes to realize that maybe her story isn't as clear cut as she thought. This was quite an emotional read. I enjoyed following Mira's journey and applauded her standing up for what she wanted. Whilst there was romance, it was more a coming of age story than a romcom. Sonali Dev fans will love her new one!

THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT MIRA – and it’s absolutely wonderful!

Mira is a pain therapist and fully immersed in the Indian expatriate community in Chicago. She’s nearly 30, still lives at home and is recently engaged to Druv, an orthopaedic surgeon. He’s apparently the perfect guy and she’s lucky to be with him (or so she’s told). When Druv ducks out of a pre-engagement trip to New York, Mira goes on her own as she also wants to see her brother who is estranged from their parents.
In New York Mira finds a gold ring and her social media post about finding its owner sets up the chain of events that form the rest of the novel. Through that social media post, she meets journalist Krish who has his own reasons for wanting to be in on the ring’s story. Once Mira is back in Chicago we see a bit more of her family dynamic and there’s clues that something is amiss in her family, although we don’t find out what until much later. Her parents are closely aligned with her fiancé’s and both their mothers are more invested in their engagement and wedding, than are Mira and Druv.

Mira travels to India with the two mothers to purchase wedding outfits – and secretly to follow up a lead about the ring. Krish follows her and by sharing a road-trippy adventure with some danger and drama, Mira and Krish are thrown together. Readers might note this is a closed door romance and Mira is still with her fiancé for 90% of the novel – but there’s no cheating. Krish is mysterious, vulnerable and very attractive and when they open themselves to each other it’s tender and heartbreaking.

Mira’s parents prioritized their own social value over the wellbeing of their children. Mira has something devastating in her past, and it’s slowly revealed how both her parents and the community itself were involved. Queer love is explored through two same-sex relationships, one involving Mira’s brother and his partner, the other between the ring’s owners (almost lovers Vasu and Suru). Their story is initially told in letters, set thirty years previously and which slot in between the present-day action.

Even with the busyness of the visit to India and the backstory of the ring, I was never confused by the secondary characters – they are all well-drawn and play their parts so effectively. The mood is very cleverly handled, as there’s lots of joy – New York is wonderful for Mira, both with Krish and her sibling – her brother’s partner is a gem – but there’s also some difficult truths to process.

I would have liked more on-page connection between Krish and Mira, and comeuppance for Mira’s parents, who are so caught up in their social position that they reject their son and (almost) forsake their daughter.
I recommend this as contemporary and multicultural fiction, and closed-door romance. It’s dense and layered and celebrates the Indian diaspora, even as it illuminates some of its darker complexities. Beautifully written and author Sonali Dev skilfully juggles all the moving parts – so clever! I adored the understated tenderness between Mira and Krish and their hard-won happily ever after.

Thank you Sonali Dev, Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT MIRA – and it’s absolutely wonderful!

Mira is a pain therapist and fully immersed in the Indian expatriate community in Chicago. She’s nearly thirty, still lives at home and has recently become engaged to Druv, an orthopaedic surgeon. He’s apparently the perfect guy and she’s lucky to be with him (or so she’s told). When Druv ducks out of a pre-engagement trip to New York, Mira goes on her own as she wants to see her brother, who is estranged from their parents.

In New York Mira finds a gold ring, and her social media post about finding its owner sets up the chain of events that form the rest of the novel. Through that post, she meets journalist, Krish, who has his own reasons for wanting to be in on the ring’s story. Once Mira is back in Chicago we see a bit more of her family dynamic and there are clues that something is amiss in her family, although we don’t find out what that is until much later. Her parents are closely aligned with her fiancé’s parents, and both their mothers are more invested in their engagement and wedding than are Mira and Druv.

Mira travels to India with the two mothers to purchase wedding outfits – and secretly to follow up a lead about the ring. Krish follows her, and by sharing a road-trippy adventure with some danger and drama, Mira and Krish are thrown together. Readers might note this is a closed-door romance; Mira is still with her fiancé for 90% of the novel, but there’s no cheating. Krish is mysterious, vulnerable and very attractive, and when they open themselves to each other it’s tender and heartbreaking.

Mira’s parents have their own social value over the wellbeing of their children. Mira has something devastating in her past, and it’s slowly revealed how both her parents and the community itself were involved. Queer love is explored through two same-sex relationships, one involving Mira’s brother and his partner, the other between the ring’s owners (almost lovers Vasu and Suru). Their story is initially told in letters set thirty years previously and which slot in between the present-day action.

I won’t detail any more of the plot as it’s intricate and I don’t want to spoil it. Even with the busy-ness of the visit to India and the backstory of the ring, I was never confused by the secondary characters – they are all well-drawn and play their parts very effectively. The mood is very cleverly handled, as there’s lots of joy – New York is wonderful for Mira, both with Krish and her sibling (her brother’s partner is a gem) – but there are also some difficult truths to process.

I would have liked more on-page connection between Krish and Mira, and comeuppance for Mira’s parents, who are so caught up in their social position that they reject their son and (almost) forsake their daughter.

I recommend this contemporary and multicultural tale. It’s dense and layered and celebrates the Indian diaspora, even as it illuminates some of its darker complexities. There’s Something About Mira is beautifully written and author Sonali Dev skilfully juggles all the moving parts – so clever! I adored the understated tenderness between Mira and Krish and their hard-won happily ever after.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing/Amazon Publishing for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest novel by Sonali Dev. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars rounded up!

Mira Salvi's life is going according to plan - she loves her job, she has a fiancé that her family adores, even though as a busy surgeon he can't accompany her on their engagement trip to NYC. Mira is anxious to enjoy her time as a tourist in the city. A chance fall leads to her discovering a beautiful ring on a chain, which she thinks is so romantic. Desperate to reunite the ring with its owner, she posts on social media and it goes viral. Only one other person seems to be as anxious as she is - journalist Krish Hale. They reluctantly join forces to trace the ring back to its rightful owner.

Best not go into this book thinking that it's going to be a rom com. While there are sweet and humorous moments, this is a wonderful book about trauma, forbidden love, standing up for yourself, and magical coincidences. The characters are so great - I could easily picture them in my mind. Mira was conditioned to be the peacemaker in her family and to hide away anything that wasn't perfect, and it was fabulous to go along her journey of self-discovery. Krish was another tortured soul, but was such a kind and caring man. It's emotional and I loved the ending. Grab this one for sure!

This is how a romance book is done! This blew me away. I was so attached to Mira and her story and her growth. This story is written with characters in mind - the cast is amazing and you can easily put yourself into the story. I love every bit of this.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for an early copy. This is out Today!

I love Sonali Dev books. There's Something About Mira is a really good read. I found the characters relatable and funny. I didn't expect the journey this book took me on but I loved it. Thank you for the opportunity to read this arc.

3.75 🌟

This book was not what I expected. At all.

This is definitely a book you should not judge by its cover. I thought I was getting a lighthearted romcom and this was anything but. I enjoyed watching Mira grow and come into her own during this book. Also, the mystery of finding the owner of the lost ring gripped me from the beginning. But this book deals with a lot of tough subjects - adoption, homophobia etc and was heavier than I expected.

Thanks, Netgalley for this ARC.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC!

Loved this book and the main characters. Explores very interesting social themes. A bit predictable but that's ok!

There’s Something about Mira by Sonali Dev is a thought-provoking novel that blends romance, self-discovery and family expectations in a deeply moving story.

"What if the love story you were searching for… was actually about loving yourself first?"

I really admired Mira’s strength and found her character to be relatable and her transformation was very inspiring. Her struggles with self-worth, Indian cultural pressures, and the fear of disappointing those she loves also felt deeply authentic and reclaiming her voice and happiness was both empowering and emotional in this book. The South Asian Indian cultural pressures and the challenges faced by immigrant families adds another layer of depth to the story.

There’s Something About Mira is perfect for readers who like second-chance romance, strong heroines, and stories about breaking free from expectations to find true happiness.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me a copy of the ARC.

Mira was such a compelling main character, and I loved following her journey of self-discovery. The lost ring gave her a purpose beyond her carefully planned life, and her adventure with Krish was both engaging and emotional. Krish was an unexpected but great character, adding depth to the story. Some parts of the book felt slow, especially before Mira’s trip to India, but the last quarter was incredibly moving and brought me to tears. While this book had some humor, it tackled serious topics, making it more emotional than a typical rom-com. The family dynamics were tough to read at times, but they added to the depth of the story. In the end, I’m really glad I stuck with it. Sonali Dev did a great job portraying complex characters and real-life struggles. If you can push through the slower parts, this book is definitely worth the read.