Fifteen-year-old Simran "Simi" Sangha comes from a long line of Indian vichole-matchmakers-with a rich history for helping parents find good matches for their grown children. When Simi accidentally sets up her cousin and a soon-to-be lawyer, her family is thrilled that she has the "gift."
But Simi is an artist, and she doesn't want to have anything to do with relationships, helicopter parents, and family drama. That is, until she realizes this might be just the thing to improve her and her best friend Noah's social status. Armed with her family's ancient guide to finding love, Simi starts a matchmaking service-via an app, of course.
But when she helps connect a wallflower of a girl with the star of the boys' soccer team, she turns the high school hierarchy topsy-turvy, soon making herself public enemy number one.
A huge thanks to Hachette India for a physical review copy of this book.
You know when you've been on a roll of dark, intense high fantasies and kind of need a break from all of it?
A Match Made in Mehendi is that perfect break you're looking for. It's adorable, lighthearted, deals with tons of stuff without feeling heavy and leaves you with a warm, fuzzy feeling as you turn the last page. Honestly, even if you're not looking for a break but just want a lighthearted read, pick this one up.
~ All the diversity~
I'm here for the multitude of Desi characters in this book
AHHH BE STILL MY BEATING HEART. Simi, her family, her extended family and just all their Indian family friends. And then there's Noah, the adorkable gay best friend who likes makeup and is just the sweetest ever. There are interracial couples and intersectional feminism clubs at school, and just so much casual diversity that my heart is full
<3 br="">
~ Characters who are a bit cliche but interesting all the same~
Yes there are some pretty cliche characters what with the high school setting and all but I still found them really interesting. Simi is the average high school girl who has a lot of friends but not super popular. Noah is her gay best friend who has known Simi since they were young. They both decide that they're going to be cooler this year and basically that's how the whole trouble with the app starts. At first glance they do seem like stereotypical characters but as i started getting to know about their little quirks,
AHHH I JUST LOVE THIS DUO.
There's also a mean bully in school who
IS cliche but I really liked how the bullying was seen and dealt with by the parents and teachers. I loved Ethan, one of the secondary characters; the most popular boy in school who is also super sweet, loves dogs and is adorable and kind.
I NEED MORE SUCH CHARACTERS.
~ Lighthearted but deals with a lot~
The plot is kind of predictable but touches on so many important things which I adored. It's not complex but all the characters have a smol story/subplot going on that I adored. There is even this small subplot about stealing creative content and how it is
NEVER okay
WHICH IS SO IMPORTANT. I really loved how nothing came off as forced and AHHH can you tell I
LOVED how lighthearted and adorable this book was? lighthearted yes but it dealt with things the right way!
~ I'm here for all the art and Mehendi~
Simi being an artist is a huge part of the novel. She has to decide on an art project for school and is absolutely crazy about mehendi. She makes temporary henna tattoos for her friends during lunch, uses her art talents when creating icons for their matchmaking app, and bonds with people over art too.
BRING ON ALL THE ART LOVE!
~ A Match Made in Mehendi at first glance may seem like a not -so-unique, predictable rom-com but while it is predictable, it stands out with it's huge dose of culture, adorkable characters and the way it deals with a multitude of social issues without it feeling heavy or forced. ~
(actual rating - 3.8)
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Do you enjoy adorable fluffy books between really dark ones? Tell me in the comments below!
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