a match made in mehendi by nandini bajpai

Each chapter also has a lovely mehendi design and a quote from the MC’s family’s matchmaking guide, which I thought was excellent symbolism for the book as a whole. The pacing is very fast and I flew through the book so quickly that I didn’t even realize it was almost the end. The setting of the high school was pretty realistic too and I liked that the author didn’t try too much to get the teenage voice right. I thought the author’s idea of combining the traditional Indian style of matchmaking with modern and technologically advanced dating apps was genius and it made for a very lovely story - while giving us the pros and cons of both methods. The writing is light hearted, fun, with lots of awkward and silly and adorable moments and on the whole, just some thorough entertainment. The one thing I could tell right from the first page is that I was gonna smile through the whole book. But I was delighted to finally get my library copy so that I can join in with my friends who have all loved it so much. And it didn’t help that I always seem to get rejected for ownvoices ARCs. I have been waiting to read this book for so long now that I’ve lost count.

(Sept.CW: bullying, public outing of a character And Bajpai creates a memorable character in Simi, who shines at the center of the matchmaking web as she narrates this winning romance.

The inclusion of prejudices faced by marginalized people (both Indian and LGBTQ) balanced with loving support from their communities creates additional layers of complexity. The central romance abounds with chemistry, and each center-stage friendship is loving and supportive without sacrificing authenticity or conflict. debut, Bajpai tells a rousing story that is as enjoyable as it is heartfelt. With help from Simi’s tech-inclined older brother, the friends develop an app, Matched!, which turns their love lives-and Mayfield High’s social order-upside down. A passionate artist, Simi wants nothing to with pairing people up, but Noah convinces her that matching the students at school is the best way to leave their mark.

When Simi’s habitual klutziness causes her glamorous cousin to meet a sweet, ambitious future attorney, Simi’s mother and aunt-both third-generation Indian vicholis, or matchmakers-are convinced that she has the matchmaking gift. In New Jersey, Indian-American Simi and her best friend, Noah, who is white and gay, have decided that sophomore year is going to be their time to stand out.

A match made in mehendi by nandini bajpai