A Bollywood Affair: A Heartfelt and Romantic Novel of Modern India Paperback – October 28, 2014

A Bollywood Affair is hands down one of my favourite adult romances of the year. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it from start to finish and even after that I found myself re-reading. Yes. Re-reading. I was on a Samir Rathod high for at least two weeks after I finished. I could not stop thinking about him and the story and the whole beauty of it. Essentially I was more than happy with this whole book.After becoming a child bride at the tender age of 4, Mili and her husband, Virat, who was 10 at the time have not seen each other since. But Mili has kept their marriage alive by believing that one day her husband will come and make her into a true bride. So for the last twenty years Mili has been intent on improving herself for when that day comes. She was able to talk her grandmother who raised her into allowing her to take the opportunity to attend school in the United States, and thus is where the bulk of the story takes place. In a small town in Michigan, where Mili goes to college classes and works to keep a roof over her head and very little food in her fridge. All for her betterment because what educated military man wouldn’t want a wife who is as educated as he and knows about the world outside of her rural village in India. Samir Rathod, big time bollywood director and younger brother to Virat, will do anything for his big brother after his mother and brother saved his life. So when Virat asks Samir to handle the alleged marriage situation to Mili, Samir doesn’t hesitate. Virat just wants the woman that he loves and has chosen to marry of his own volition to be taken care of in the event that something happens to him while he’s away on duty. And to be perfectly honest with you I had no issues with this. He was a kid when his grandfather forced his mother into having her son married at such a young age and he had no say. Also before their mother took her boys away from the village, she had petitioned for the wedding to be annulled, but again the grandfather intercepted and it was never filed. In Virat’s eyes his wedding to Mili was never a real thing. He loves the wife he has and is not ashamed of it.So here enters Samir who has a reputation of being a bit of a bad boy and has a way with the ladies.When he arrives on Mili’s doorstep in America, he figures that she’s this gold-digger who is after his brother’s money and should be easy to deal with seeing she’s expected to be some naïve village girl who wouldn’t even know what hit her, but boy, were the tables turned on him.Sam was knocked on his ass by this beautiful young woman who is highly intelligent and has this air of innocence and holds close to her traditional upbringing and beliefs. There relationship was just hilarious and cute and so much fun that I found myself smiling so much that my face hurt. Mili mistook Samir for her roommate’s relative who has come to stop the girl from marrying a boy their parents would not approve of and tries her best to keep what little she knows a secret. I died laughing. The case of mistaken identity is handled really well and Mili and Samir are off to a great start even with this lie between the two of them. These two became really good friends in a short time, but there was always this underlying sizzling attraction between the two of them, but Mili would never want to act on them as she believed her marriage to be real and would not want to break her vows.I loved reading about how the two of these characters came together. It was sweet and funny and very intense because Samir is an intense guy and I couldn’t help myself because it was just so good. And I shipped them so hard. I loved how Mili put up a good and strong fight against her feelings for Samir but in the end it was just meant to be, her and Samir had this thing that just wouldn’t be denied. I’m also glad that they were able to overcome their issues from their past and present and be together. It was all so romantic and thoroughly Bollywood.I applaud Sonal Dev for a job well done. Her writing is so lush and beautiful and the settings just came alive for me. We keep talking about this need for more diverse books out there and here is one that I highly recommend. While some may think that it would be too out there from their normal reading likes then fear not. Romance readers will be able to appreciate the main theme of the story which is fighting for your love. The cultural differences may seem vastly different for some, but I assure that it isn’t and that it just adds more spice to this colourful, deeply romantic and beautiful story. It also depicts the differences of India in terms of rural living and modern city living and how those two are brought together to make this beauty of a love story. One just needs to be open and willing to learn about the difference culturally. I may be slightly biased in that it is one part of my heritage and something that I am proud of, but I can’t help how I feel and how comforting and familiar it was to read about things that I’ve either experienced or are a part of my life. Minus the hot indian guy that loves me oh so much. Haha. A Bollywood Affair is most definitely that, it is bold and daring and in your face and one that you won’t soon forget. I promise.

A Bollywood Affair is one of those books that I was hesitant to read due to all the hype surrounding it. I had heard fabulous things from many readers and bloggers that I trust, but I just couldn't make myself jump over the edge until now. And I am left mentally hitting myself in the head (again!) for being so reluctant to engage in this unique and utterly charming contemporary.The only thing that Bollywood director Samir cares about is his family so, when he discovers that his brother's village-arranged marriage (which happened when he was eleven and the bride four) was never properly annulled, he volunteers to charm his "wife" into signing the divorce papers. Mili, on the other hand, firmly believes that she is married to Virat and has been trained by her grandmother to be the perfect Indian wife. She is currently studying in America to enhance her appeal to her husband whom she has not laid eyes on since the wedding. Of course, this is a romance so this whole situation gets complicated when Samir lies about his identity and ends up falling in love with Mili.Mili and Samir were both so adorable and relatable! I wasn't sure if Mili's innocent personality would get old, but it never did thanks to Sonali Dev's impeccable character development. I came to embrace her slightly naive, but courageous look at the world. I also admired her ingenuity to get her grandmother to let her pursue higher education in the guise of becoming the perfect wife for Virat. Samir has the reputation as the bad boy of Bollywood and it was fun to see him in a situation that was so far out of his comfort zone. His friendship with Mili helps him see the world in a much happier way and I loved that he still retained his charm minus the world-weary, cynical aspect of it.The only thing that kept the book from being a five-star read for me was the amount of time it took for Samir to come clean to Mili. I understand that he was afraid of how she would react especially once he started to fall in love with her, but I just felt like it went on a bit too long. What did save that aspect of the plot was Mili's reaction and that Samir was forced to really grovel to get back into her good graces. Other than this element, I thoroughly enjoyed the plot and how the author portrayed Indian culture of which I know very little outside of Bollywood movies.A Bollywood Affair is, at its heart, a contemporary version of the rake/wallflower plot with family drama and amazing food thrown in. The author's writing, character development, and the inclusion of Indian culture really elevates the less-than-unusual storyline. I completely understand why so many readers loved it when it came out and I am happy to recommend it to anyone who wants a contemporary that is a little out of the ordinary. I also cannot wait for Sonali Dev's follow-up, The Bollywood Bride, which comes out in September.

I loved this sweet romance! Not only did I adore the characters in this lovely story, it opened my eyes to a whole new culture. Is it wrong I now crave homemade chapatis? Can’t wait to read The Bollywood Bride!

The cover is beautiful and the prologue sets the tone of the story. Written in simple language with an even pace, the narrative drew me in.The story is simple and moves all the way from Balpur in Rajasthan to Mumbai and then to the US and then again back to Mumbai. The characters are relatable, adorable and so lifelike. Mili is like the girl next door with Indian values and traditions and Samir, contrary to his external image, can do anything for his family. Even the secondary characters, Naani, Mili’s roommate, Samir’s family and even his manager have important roles to play in the story. They made the characters who they were and that is visible in the story. The best part of the book is that the women in the book are strong and do not bend down to societal pressure, be it Naani, Samir’s mother, or even Mili.I loved how Samir and Mili are different and how he takes care of Mili and how their friendship develops and even when the attraction is evident, how she keeps herself away from it all.The author has detailed the Indian culture, Indian relationships, family values and also the Indian cuisine in the story. The scenes have been described in the minutest detail and it was very easy for me picturize them and enjoy the story more.The story made me smile and it made me cry. There is humour at times and then there is the past which rears up its head and then there is emotion. The story has everything, Indian values and tradition, family, friendship, love, attraction and heartbreak and the drama complete with Bollywood and Filmfare magazine. Though I felt the end was rushed a bit, but that does not prevent me from giving it five stars and wanting to read more books from the author.There are many dialogues in the book that I liked, but the one which I liked the most is: “Oh heavenly God! Whoever discovered chocolate was a genius. And this Hershey person - may all the Gods from all the religions in the world bless him ten times over - was a divine angel.”

Ein nettes, reichlich kitschiges aber durchaus unterhaltsames Buch über ein naives indisches Mädchen und einen erfolgreichen Bollywood-Regisseur, der sich als Bad Boy sieht, aber der Unschuld vom Lande so gar nicht widerstehen kann. Ich habe es in einem Rutsch durchgelesen, hat mir gut gefallen.

I just adored this story of Mili and Samir. It's very well written with developed characters and a storyline that keeps hold of you. I loved the cultural details woven into the story. The relationship between the two protagonists develops beautifully. A wonderful read - one to savour and thoroughly enjoy!

One of the best romance reads I've read in a while and that's saying a lot. I shed quite a few tears and laughed out loud amidst the story telling. Truly recommend to everyone.