I really struggled with the characters and their decisions in this book, but I really enjoyed the story itself, along with the writing.
Rachel has a whirlwind romance with Dhruv and after eloping, moves to Mumbai (from New York.) While there, she experiences culture shock to the extreme, and even more so when her mother-in-law Swati arrives unexpectedly to move in with them, and Dhruv doesn’t stop her even though Rachel has absolutely no interest in living with Swati, nor allowing Swati to run her life for her. Furthermore, as soon as Swati moves in, Dhruv disappears on a 6-week work trip, leaving Rachel all alone with his mother in their tiny apartment.
There is a real cultural conflict in this book with each character believing that their way is the “right” way and everyone else’s way is the “wrong” way. All of the characters would have been a lot happier if they had just accepted other people’s customs as “different” instead of bad; they would have at least have been able to approach each other without being so defensive.
I really liked the relationship that slowly developed between Rachel and Swati, even as uncomfortable it was for most of the book. The fact that they both start out as seemingly weak and then grow from that was fun to read. And even more enjoyable was that as they grow as they start to respect and even like the other one as equals was something I really liked and isn’t usually explored in many books focused on female relationships.
On the other hand, the male characters were so blah. All of them, but especially Dhruv. Because this books begins with Rachel and Dhruv already in Mumbai and her already struggling, the reader starts out not really understanding what she ever saw in him, and that never goes away. I did not root for their relationship from the first page, but rather, the entire time, was hoping she’d figure out an escape plan.
However, the writing really sucked me in, especially with all the vivid descriptions of Mumbai and the people Rachel meets, and that made me want to keep reading to find out what would happen to Rachel and Swati.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley, William Morrow, and The Book Club Girl in exchange for my honest review. It has not influenced my opinion.