A Holly Jolly Diwali

May 1, 2021

Laid off from the analyst's job she pursued for security's sake and tired of feeling obliged to stick close to her family while dating seemingly appropriate men who just don't thrill her, Niki Randhawa leaps on a last-minute flight for her friend Diya's wedding in India. She arrives just in time for Diwali, the Festival of Lights, held annually in November. At the wedding, she meets London musician Sameer Mukherji, who sets her heart vibrating while reawakening her passion for the arts, and soon she needs to choose between Sam and a job offer back home--a decision that carries her into the Christmas holiday.

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August 30, 2021
A whirlwind vacation affair deepens into an unforgettable connection in this unsteady holiday rom-com from Lalli (Serena Singh Flips the Script). After uptight Niki Randhawa is laid off from her data analytics job, she does something uncharacteristically impulsive, taking off to Mumbai for both her best friend’s wedding and Diwali, the Festival of Lights. While attending the luminous wedding, she locks eyes with Sam Mukherji, the live band’s bassist. Their mutual attraction is instantaneous and intense: Sam is “literally copied and pasted from wildest fantasy,” and Niki soon discovers there’s more to him than meets the eye as he opens up to her about his past. But their romance can’t last forever—Niki will return to Seattle for Christmas in three weeks, while Sam will go home to London. They must decide if what they have is worth preserving across the distance. Lalli enriches her tale with rich, vibrant descriptions of South Asian culture and a gentle exploration of the cultural differences between Indian Americans and India natives, but the pacing of the love story itself feels clunky, dulling the emotional impact. Readers looking for a holiday escape will enjoy the scene-setting, but may long for more substantive romance. Agent: Martha Webb, CookeMcDermid Literary.

September 1, 2021
A Seattle woman finds herself on the journey of a lifetime. Niki Randhawa has always tried to be a good daughter to her immigrant parents. She studied computer science and took a safe job as a data analyst rather than pursuing her passion for music. She's 29 and living at home to save money, but her parents suspect that she's stuck in a rut and even offer to play matchmaker in a gambit to push her into dating. After she's laid off due to budget cuts, Niki decides to stop playing it safe. She books a whirlwind trip to Mumbai for her best friend's wedding and plans to travel afterward to Punjab to visit distant relatives. Even though her parents were both born in India, they were never able to take Niki or her sister there because of financial constraints. Sharp, observational prose highlights Niki's attempts to reckon with her own stereotypes and internalized prejudices about India. At the wedding festivities, Niki meets London-based musician Sam Mukherji. He's struggling with the weight of familial expectations and the dissolution of his band. They're attracted to each other, but Niki knows that, since they live on different continents, a vacation fling is more realistic than a long-term relationship. Their romance is gentle, sweet, and underdeveloped. Lalli focuses on Niki's journey to find herself, which means learning more about her culture, reevaluating her career, and deciding to please herself instead of her family. A warm, low-stakes story about the power of love and family obligations.

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September 1, 2021

In the latest from Lalli (Serena Singh Flips the Script), Niki Randhawa decides to attend a friend's wedding in India after she is laid off from her job unexpectedly. While there she meets Sam Mukherji, whose life isn't going according to plan either, and they form a connection. However, her life is back in Seattle, and his is in London, so they must decide what matters to them most. A major part of the story is Niki's relationship with her family and her sibling rivalry with older sister Jasmine; she questions whether she wants to always be the practical and dutiful one. There's some discussion of colonialism and colorism and one scene of street harassment, but it's a light read overall. VERDICT Suggest to readers looking for holiday fun along with their romance.--Sydney Ashby, Metropolitan Lib. Sys., Oklahoma City

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Starred review from September 15, 2021
When Seattle-based data analyst Niki Randhawa, a romantic at heart who doubts she'll find Mr. Right, is unexpectedly laid off, she decides to attend her best friend's wedding in Mumbai during Diwali, the Festival of Lights. Her parents are thrilled she's visiting their ancestral home for the first time, but thoroughly American Niki has a lot to learn about life in India, including systemic prejudice and violence against women. At the wedding, Niki is surprised to find herself brazenly flirting with a smoking-hot, London-based musician named Sameer Mukherji. As they join their friends on a group honeymoon, Niki can't deny that her time with Sam is turning out to be more than just a magical holiday fling. Or is she just getting carried away by a romantic fantasy? Funny and heartwarming, with lush descriptions of Indian beach resorts and chaotic city streets, Lalli's (Serena Singh Flips the Script, 2021) latest multicultural romance is extremely satisfying; her characters are refreshingly relatable. Highly recommended for fans of Sonali Dev and Sophie Kinsella.

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