I luuuuuurved this book! There were so many important themes in this book, from arranged marriage - personally, I didn't know this happened in Western countries and I'm very happy this book opened my eyes to it - to "every day" feminism (“Heyyy. We’re just as good as you guys.” “Well, maybe you need to expand your idea of how girls behave,” are just a couple of quotes I highlighted, and RISHI is so supportive as well and fully believes in all of the girls' ability in such a stereotypically male-dominated sector such as coding and I'm so appreciate of that 👏🏼 ) to anxiety, which I cannot express how delighted I was for the representation.

Dimple is definitely one of my favourite female characters of this year, she's her own person and SO. PETTY. Even though she's completely against the concept of having a boyfriend, never mind a fiancée, when she has so much more important things to think about (I can relate), she's not horribly mean to Rishi (okay... after that first incident she's not horribly mean to Rishi) which I am v happy about bc I LOVE Rishi.

Is there a fan club for Rishi yet?? I will be the one holding the light up sign saying something like "LOVE 4 RISHI" bc this boy, is what my dreams are made of. Even though Dimple clearly having no interest in him hurts him, he is ever the gentleman and is just there for her, but not pursuing her and waiting for her consent at every step of the way which is so important to me - more boys like that pls. I love how he refers to Dimple so passionately and he truly sees the best in her, "he could definitely see her being born with lava in her veins," who he wished he could "keep in his pocket." As well as his relationship with Dimple, his relations with his mother, father and brother are really telling - being the eldest, he feels responsibility to do what is right for the whole, not just for himself, and the character/relationship development between him and his brother was something I totally didn't expect (and should probably relate to me and my sister haha).

The plot was definitely fuelled by the romance and not the other way around, which I am not complaining about but just bare that in mind if you don't want sweet, blossoming romance between teens in a foreign city with a deadline on their days together ❤️

I would hope that being an own voices novel, Menon would provide characters and a culture that South Asian YA readers would feel comfortable in and be able to relate to - I am not South Asian so can't speak of how true the culture was, but with the abundant use of an Indian language (I'm not sure which? I know "Indian" isn't a language though), and the recurring themes of Bollywood, and the culture found in their love of foods etc, the culture seemed very immersive but fused with the more recognisable and less interesting American scene.

I'm so happy I read this book, thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for providing me with a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so cute, I liked how both characters grew as people. and that it gave insight into how arranged marriages work, dimple and rishi kind of reminded me a little about my own relationship and how I was at first reluctant and scared to be in a relationship, and rishi is just so wonderful and reminds me so much of my own boyfriend, and how we both helped each other grwo

“But that was Rishi... he was like a pop song you thought you couldn't stand, but found yourself humming in the shower anyway.”

When Dimple met Rishi is a sweet little romance story about a girl called Dimple who comes from an Indian family, she is a bit of an outcast preferring to keep her hair short and not wear make up, she is obsessed with coding and when the chance comes to go to Insomnia Con a convention where you write and programme your own app with the winner having it produced and published Dimple jumps at the chance, what Dimple doesn't know that her parents have only agreed because they have set up an arranged marriage to a boy named Rishi who is travailing all the way to the convention to meet Dimple and the rest is history.

This was such a sickly sweet story. I loved the concept of following your dreams and being who you are, I felt that I learned lots about the Indian culture and it was handled very well throughout the whole novel, I couldn't rate this higher than a three star though because I felt that it was nothing I hadn't read before and the will they won't they aspect of the story got a bit annoying after a while.

Overall though I would recommend this book if you are looking for some light reading and a sweet little love story.

It's a hard task, to write a love story that's good-humoured, funny, truthful and sweet without being completely twee. In When Dimple Met Rishi, the story of two Indian-American teenagers from traditional backgrounds, Sandy Menon manages to pull off the feat. It's a touching story, full of wonderful funny moments as well as taking the reader on a voyage of discovery as both Dimple and Rishi prepare for their future lives - but will this be separate lives or together?

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This review will contain very, very small spoilers.



There was so much hype surrounding When Dimple Met Rishi. It is the kind of book that YA readers have been crying out for ages, and Menon absolutely hit the nail on the head.

Dimple Shah has it all figured out. With graduation behind her, she’s more than ready for a break from her family, from Mamma’s inexplicable obsession with her finding the “Ideal Indian Husband.” Ugh. Dimple knows they must respect her principles on some level, though. If they truly believed she needed a husband right now, they wouldn’t have paid for her to attend a summer program for aspiring web developers…right?

Rishi Patel is a hopeless romantic. So when his parents tell him that his future wife will be attending the same summer program as him—wherein he’ll have to woo her—he’s totally on board. Because as silly as it sounds to most people in his life, Rishi wants to be arranged, believes in the power of tradition, stability, and being a part of something much bigger than himself.

The Shahs and Patels didn’t mean to start turning the wheels on this “suggested arrangement” so early in their children’s lives, but when they noticed them both gravitate toward the same summer program, they figured, Why not?

Dimple and Rishi may think they have each other figured out. But when opposites clash, love works hard to prove itself in the most unexpected ways.*

I cannot express how much I absolutely adored this book. If there’s one book you must read this year, I urge you to run out and get a copy of When Dimple Met Rishi. It’s smart, sweet, and represents the conflicts that kids can undergo with their parents and the cultural clash between generations. I cannot speak to the accuracy of both Dimple and Rishi’s Indian backgrounds, home life, and the expectations that go with, but I can relate to the feelings of helplessness surrounding life after high school and one’s personal wants versus what is best for their future.

I went into this book fully expecting to relate most to Dimple, the whip-smart coding feminist who rebels against her mother’s desires for her to find the Ideal Indian Husband, but I came out of it relating most to Rishi. Rishi is the hopeless romantic who loves hearing tales of how his parents met, the oldest son in his family, and is eager to follow the path his parents lay out for him. I wont spoil the what Rishi wrestles with throughout the book, but his struggle really spoke to me. I see a lot of myself in him, and I can guarantee that many readers, particularly readers around his age, will feel the same.

The relationship that develops between Dimple and Rishi over their summer program is absolutely delightful. They are complete opposites, but learn to respect each other as they get to know each other. This book is more character driven than plot drive, so the summer program does take a backseat to their developing relationship, however this is not a bad thing. As a friendship emerges, they learn so much about each other and themselves.

I’ve already rambled on enough. I don’t want to say too much, except go get this book. This was an unexpected delight that will give you warm, fuzzy feelings. It is a frontrunner for favorite book of 2017.


Rating: 4.75/5


*copy courtesy of Goodreads

3.5 Stars (rounded up to 4)
I had some problems with the book - I wanted to shake Dimple a few times to stop her being an idiot. She was such a whirlwind of contradictions and so many decisions and actions were just downright wrong.

However I appreciated reading about a different culture and the way that culture and society issues were handled. I also enjoyed a female character who didn't give in to peer / mother pressure.

Overall despite some problems, I found it a mindless fun and fast read.

Ok, I'll admit, at first I genuinely thought that this was a book that centred around two Indian lesbians meeting each other and falling in love. I was all about that life and it was one of the reasons why I was so excited to read it. Wow, how wrong was I?! If anything, this highlighted my ignorance towards Indian culture as I didn't realise that Rishi was actually a male name. However, even though I had found out that this was a heterosexual relationship book, I was still intrigued because of the diversity and because the female protagonist is a computer coder!

Dimple Shah has it all figured out. With graduation behind her, she’s more than ready for a break from her family, from Mamma’s inexplicable obsession with her finding the “Ideal Indian Husband.” Ugh. Dimple knows they must respect her principles on some level, though. If they truly believed she needed a husband right now, they wouldn’t have paid for her to attend a summer program for aspiring web developers…right?

Rishi Patel is a hopeless romantic. So when his parents tell him that his future wife will be attending the same summer program as him—wherein he’ll have to woo her—he’s totally on board. Because as silly as it sounds to most people in his life, Rishi wants to be arranged, believes in the power of tradition, stability, and being a part of something much bigger than himself.

Dimple and Rishi may think they have each other figured out. But when opposites clash, love works hard to prove itself in the most unexpected ways.

I fell in love with this book from the very first page. Even though Dimple sometimes came across as really unfair towards her parents and towards Rishi, I could see where she was coming from. She didn't want to follow the path that had already been laid out for her by her parents and by her culture. She wanted a career and not to be tied down as a domestic wife. But then this brings up the long-time feminist argument of: 'well, why CAN'T a woman have both a good career and a good home life? Why does she have to choose?' And I think that this book explores this notion very well. It's about both protagonists embracing their culture, but also about the struggles that they go through with their passions and also the struggles they go through in their relationship because of this.





"Seriously? That's what you think I should be relegating my brain space to? Looking nice? Like, if I don't make the effort to look beautiful, my entire existence is nullified? Nothing else matters - not my intellect, not my personality or my accomplishments; my hopes and dreams mean nothing if I'm not wearing eyeliner?"

― Sandhya Menon, When Dimple Met Rishi






Also, where did that story arc with Rishi's brother come from? It kind of just flew out of nowhere and smacked us in the face. It was so random and I'm not even sure it added anything to the story apart from Rishi respecting his brother more? I don't know. I don't think it was really needed. The character of Ashish itself was really well written though and I loved how he helped Dimple and Rishi with the dance routine, but it was his whole romance story arc that flew out of nowhere. If Menon had kept Ashish as just a secondary character who supports his brother and Dimple then that would have been better, in my opinion. What do you guys think?

I absolutely loved learning about Indian culture as well. Rishi explained it in such a romantic, educational and descriptive way that made me fall in love with the culture. It's about time that we saw Indian-American characters as the main protagonists in a YA contemporary. I am actually currently reading an episodic story that is also about the adventure that an Indian girl goes on when she goes to college. The episodic story is called The Sunshine Time and I actually highly recommend it! But anyway, back to When Dimple Met Rishi... The descriptions of the culture were amazing, I loved how the cultural appropriation was perfect, and I loved how Menon embraced Indian culture 100% and showed how wonderful it was to her readers.

If you can't tell already, I absolutely loved this book and even though I had a few very minor issues with it * , I still think it's an amazing contemporary that I really do think everyone should read because it's just that good!

*I rated it 4.5 stars as a whole but I decided to put it in the 5-star category

Disclaimer: this book was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

I was excited to hear about an #ownvoices contemporary YA romance focusing on the Indian diaspora in America and, by and large, When Dimple Met Rishi delivered. Let's start with the positives: Dimple Shah is immediately winning as a central character - feisty, fun, ambitious and sarcastic - while Rishi, who could so easily come across as a Nice Guy™, is adorable, too. The opening chapters, as the two main characters converge at a San Fransisco-based coding camp, are fast, witty and engaging. The cultural representation is a breath of fresh air; it's so great to see a book with a brown girl on the cover and I loved the way Menon incorporated bilingualism, with Hindi being spoken frequently, while other cultural touchstones - from food to Bollywood films - are peppered throughout the narrative.

However, my big problem with the book was what I perceived to be a disproportionate focus on Rishi's ambitions and work as a comic book artist. I am So There for books about female coders and tech nerds, but this - despite the initial promise - was not it. Although it's set at a coding camp, we see next to nothing of Dimple & Rishi actually working on their app. Instead they rehearse a dance routine for a talent show, wander around San Fran, and clash with rich kids (I loved the nickname Aberzombies). It would have been a much stronger book had there been an equal focus on Dimple's coding talents as on Rishi and his art.

Overall, When Dimple Met Rishi is a sweet romcom with a great premise, but one that loses pace and interest as the book goes on. A solid 3.5 stars.

I loved this book, on the surface a simple YA romance but so many layers. It made me cry in public

I received When Dimple Met Rishi from Netgalley in exchange for honest review,
In the beginning of this read I felt that this was merely your average contemporary, boy meets girl they fall in love the end but it had a lot more depth than I first thought and there was so many things that I did really enjoy whilst reading this book.

The Character of Rishi can be summed up by saying that he is both caring and sweet and his background has given him a true belief that arranged marriage can work and become a wonderful thing. The downsides of his character is mainly that he carries the weight of the world on his shoulders doing everything to please his parents even when it comes to a possible career move for his future putting a chance of the idea of a career in art that he is passionate about on the back burner simply because he doesn't think his parents will approve.

Dimple on the other hand is more of a free spirit or at least she wants to be, she wants to go out there into the big world, have her heart broken by several boys, travel and experience everything and has no desire to marry anyone. Her future career on the other hand is important to her, she is ambitious and not afraid to reach for those goals.

So you can imagine when these two characters meet for the first time at Insomnia con they don't just hit it off, Dimple is outraged that her family would assume she would marry a boy she doesn't know whilst Rishi simply wants to give it a chance and with them being place together as partners they are forced to work together and that leads to a beautiful friendship that processes.

The Indian representation of this novel, I really enjoyed, it was great to see the culture and have a novel with two main characters who were Indian.
I recommend this novel and I give it 3.5 star rating

This was an okay book about two Indian-American teenagers who have their marriage arranged only to develop feelings for each other when they eventually meet. I was really looking forward to reading this book and I thought it was quite a sweet read.

The thing I liked most about this book was the way it shone a light on Indian culture (which I find really interesting) and how tensions develop when kids grow up exposed to two different cultures. And this book did a pretty good job of portraying that. I felt sorry for Dimple and Rishi with the weight of their parental expectations and likedhow they tried to find their own happiness.

Dimple was an okay character, and it’s always good to see girls in STEM subjects doing well, but I didn’t really engage with her that much. She seemed super proud of the fact that she never wore make up or bothered about what she wore, which is fine, her decision, but she was also incredibly judgey about other people who were invested in their appearance which felt hypocritical.

When we were first introduced to Rishi I thought he was a bit chloroform-and-duct-tape, but as the book wore on I warmed to him a bit. He was really keen to please his parents, which was sweet, but I was also glad he got to follow his own dreams in the end.

This book borrows heavily from the Bollywood trope of two youngsters having their marriage arranged and them both protesting wildly about it until they meet each other and find that they do actually have feelings for each other. In Bollywood, however, (and FYI, I’m definitely not a Bollywood expert, but this is something that I’ve noticed and have seen referenced) the story usually has an added tension because the parents of the couple call off the arranged marriage and re-arrange their weddings to other people instead. And I think this added level of tension was what this book lacked for me.

After a rocky start, Dimple and Rishi quickly fall in love but there’s nothing really that prevents them from being together. We just watch them fall in love and go on dates. And it was fine, but not exactly thrilling.

One scene I did find a little odd was when Dimple and Rishi were trying to decide whether to sleep with each other for the first time. They’re talking about it and it’s all good, except then Rishi starts wondering to Dimple if their parents would be disappointed at them having sex. Huh?!? What eighteen-year-old guy thinks about HIS PARENTS OPINION when his girlfriend is asking him to have sex with her?

And yeah, I realise that all cultures are different, but seriously, if a guy pulled out a line like that with me, I’d be all, ‘Dude, you’re killing the mood a little here. Stop talking about my parents and sex in the same breath.’

So yeah. That was a bit strange. As was the overuse of the word tongue while Dimple and Rishi were kissing.

Other than that, though, this was quite a sweet book. A nice romantic Summer read, easy on the tension.

This is one of those books that you see absolutely everywhere - Twitter, Instagram - that everybody seems to be loving and you know that before you even read it, you know you're going to enjoy it very much also. I don't know about you, but whenever Summer hits I am always in the mood for a good contemporary novel to sit up all night and reading and waste them blissfully hot days reading a book that makes your heart feel as warm as your body. This is absolutely perfect for that kind of thing. Before reading this book I knew I was going to like it, just not as much as I expected. It was fun and refreshing from the typical YA contemporaries you are used to - although I must admit that some things were a bit cliché and cheesy at times (especially the ending), but isn't that what makes theses kind of books so lovable? The kind where you can just let go of everything and delve into the life and world of someone else for a few short hours? 

I think Sandhya perfectly captured the teenage part of this book that focuses on other things of an 18 year-olds life that doesn't revolve around love and having a romantic relationship. Instead, she points out through the protagonist of Dimple that there are much more important things to life than finding a suitable husband to care for her. Instead Dimple is much more focused on her career in web/app development after being accepted into Stanford, and finding a suitable husband is by far the last thing on her mind. I think this is an important message for the younger generation as it influences them to go their own path  and do what they want in life -- and if we're going to go all feminist, which I usually do, that women don't need a man in life to succeed of take care of her. I absolutely love it! However, Dimple's mother does not. Being the only child of her parents, Dimple's mother constantly puts pressure on Dimple to find a suitable husband and settle down with him and make children - something Dimple really does not want to do. Dimple is a headstrong individual who is extremely passionate about coding and web development, much to her parents disappointment. To further her skills and get some good connections in the industry, she goes to 'Insomnia Con' (which her parents very surprisingly agree too) in San Fransisco which is a 6 week programme/competition where people compete to create the best app idea in order to win a prize at the end. Of course everything was almost too good to be true. This is where we meet Rishi - the boy in which her parents secretly arranged Dimple to marry and meet at said competition - very, very sneaky. 

Rishi himself is a complete cherub and I would date him if I got the chance to because he has the whole package - good looks, charm, sense of humor, decency, morality and a passion for comic book art (honestly I could keep going). He is the prime example of 'adorkable'. Much to Dimple's dismay he is her partner for the app and they have to work together for 6 weeks developing her app which she has invested endless amounts of time working on, so you can imagine how that all turns out... or can you!??? In addition to being Dimple's love interest and 'Insomnia Con' partner, to me he is also someone who allows you as the reader to learn about the Hindu culture. Throughout references to Hindu and Hindu language are seamlessly integrated throughout ranging from anecdotes from Rishi at dinner time which are an absolute pleasure as they transport you to another culture and also through conversations with parents where snippets of Hindu language are shown and we get a glimpse of their traditions - something which I personally am not very familiar with, but found it very interesting to read about as I think it's such a beautiful culture. 

It was so fun and nice to read and had me up most nights reading late because I just couldn't put it down. I loved seeing Dimple and Rishi's relationship grown as well as intertwining with their own personal dreams such as Dimple's app and Rishi's outstanding talent and love for comic book art and how they have to battle through obstacles, parents and privileged white rich boys putting them down because they deem themselves somewhat superior because their dads can pay for anything and everything and have never struggled for anything in their lives! Very sorry but them characters really irritate me because that is what some people are like and it's frustrating!! But the fact that they are that frustrating just proves how good this book is as it makes you think and understand these things and how some people are prejudiced just because of the colour of the skin and I'm just glad someone has finally pointed it out, you go girl! 

I would certainly pick up this book if you like me you love a good heart-warming contemporary read that will make you chuckle and smile from start to finish. Also great if you want to feel empowered about achieving your goals and doing what you want in life despite not being what other people may want you to do. BE WHO YOU ARE AND DO WHAT YOU DESIRE!

'When Dimple Met Rishi' is a delightful and refreshing romantic read, with moments of laughter and sadness artfully sprinkled throughout the pages. It was a pleasure from start to finish, and the characters are amazing: both the children of Indian immigrants to America, Dimple and Rishi walk the line between their parents' traditional values brought from their home country, and living as American teenagers.

Dimple is a headstrong and independent 17-year-old, fighting against her parents' traditional expectations. Dimple doesn't want a boyfriend, isn't interested in beauty or make-up, and is fiercely ambitious for a career in coding. She doesn't need a distraction like boys.

Rishi is more traditional: he wants to please his parents, study hard and follow his father into the successful family business, while ignoring his artistic passion because it's not what his parents want.

Their parents intend for them to meet and marry, but that doesn't go to plan.

I loved how Dimple doesn't follow the 'teenage girl' stereotype, and how Rishi doesn't fall into the typical romantic-leading-man expectations: he respects Dimple, takes no for an answer when needed, and listens to what she says.

This book was a joy to read, and is highly recommended.

This book was super adorable; I did have my reservations at first going into it. I blame this largely on the books that have been working for me lately; adult and that I’ve just been really struggling to get back into the flow of YA books. But despite the initial struggle, Menon completely won me over with characters such as Dimple and Rishi and her take and setting of the story.

Coming from an Indian family myself, I could totally understand the pressures that Dimple felt about settling down in life with the perfect husband. Despite views and norms changing a lot these days, there are still a lot of families who live by these ideals, which can be frustrating in a big way, when all you want to do if live life to the fullest and enjoy what you do, just like Dimple wanted to. I loved how Rishi popped up in Dimple’s life when she was least expecting him to and how they both changed their ideals in order to adapt and make room for each other in their lives. Dimple and Rishi were just totally adorable! I loved how Rishi wasn’t your typical macho guy, but could easily get embarrassed by things, he didn’t realise how super talented he was and the lengths that he would go to for Dimple. I loved watching the development of their relationship; it was super cute and just left me with a goofy grin on my face the entire time. What I appreciated the most from this story was the character development in this book. Both Dimple and Rishi had their dreams they wanted to pursue and their fears of not achieving them. And I’m glad that both characters were able to give each other the extra encouragement that they needed in the right direction. Both characters were just perfect for each other.

When Dimple Met Rishi was exactly the sort of book that I needed in my life, it featured a romance which was beautifully done and touched upon pursuing you dreams and passions no matter what. Bravo Menon on a wonderfully written debut book, I for one can’t wait to read your future books!

Lovely read, really enjoyed it. Perfect for a holiday read

I received a copy of When Dimple Met Rishi on Netgalley in return for an honest review. This is the book EVERYONE is talking about. This summer's cute contemporary. It's Menon's glorious debut novel and in my opinion, all the hype is worth it! So let's get into the review... 

In this standalone novel we follow two Indian-American teenagers who have been put into an arranged marriage. Rishi, a nerdy yet dishy guy knows. Dimple, a strong and fiery soon to be woman - does not. As you can imagine, hilarity ensues and I knew, right at the beginning of the book, when Dimple, in a panic, throws an iced coffee (I love iced coffee) over Rishi...that I was gonna fall in love with this book. The two main characters are SO adorable but also really well-rounded and developed. They both come from really dedicated families which you don't see a lot in YA. It's a really refreshing element and I am a massive fan of influential f

amilies in YA. I got through the book in less than 12 hours and I think a lot of that is to do with the amazing characters. I also love dual perspective, which is a particular favourite literary device of mine. I really enjoyed following Dimple's perspective and watching her chase her dream in programming etc which is generally seen as a "male" subject. This didn't hold her back though and she is such a strong willed and ambitious character.

I also really enjoyed the setting of a college summer programme, I felt the excitement buzzing around the characters and it made for really interesting reading as both our characters face competition from the peers both academically and just in life. And I will say...and this is tough competition!...the kissing scenes rivalled that in Wing Jones! (My probable fav kissing scene to date.)

I loved learning about their culture and what their life is like and that's one of the many reasons why #OwnVoices is so important! We get windows into lives we don'

hype without a doubt and will for sure be on my fav books of the year list!

t know anything about and I think that's really exciting, don't you?

I loved everything about this book including the face cover and I usually hater faces on covers. This

book really is a triumph and I cannot wait to see what Sandhya Menon writes next!

An adorable, well thought out, fluffy and comforting read! Worth the hype!

Rating: ★★★★★

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Thank you lovelies and happy reading! ox

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book as I realise I have many similarities between Dimple and even Rishi:
- Indian
- Wears glasses
- Hates makeup
- Uni student doing Software Engineering/Web Development
- Loves comics/manga
- And probably more, but can't remember what else I had thought was similar (LOL)

I think this book met my expectations and I truly enjoyed reading Dimple and Rishi's story. I understood every bit of Hindi that was spoken, of course, and love the mention of the many Bollywood actors and movies. I also loved Dimple's idea of the app and how helpful it would be to diabetic patients.

Overall, awesome!

Such a fun, refreshing read. I loved how it is an older YA but doesn't leave behind the lightness and essential sweetness you often miss in older YA. Dimple is so easy to like and I loved her character.
Will be recommending this to anyone and everyone. 5 very easy stars!