There's Something About Sweetie by Sandhya Menon

Title: There's Something About Sweetie
Author: Sandhya Menon
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publication date: May 14, 2019
Pages: 384
Source/format: e-ARC // Netgalley

Rating: ☆☆☆1/2 

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

The irresistible companion novel to the New York Times bestseller When Dimple Met Rishi, which follows Rishi’s brother, Ashish, and a confident fat athlete named Sweetie as they both discover what love means to them.

Ashish Patel didn’t know love could be so…sucky. After being dumped by his ex-girlfriend, his mojo goes AWOL. Even worse, his parents are annoyingly, smugly confident they could find him a better match. So, in a moment of weakness, Ash challenges them to set him up.

The Patels insist that Ashish date an Indian-American girl—under contract. Per subclause 1(a), he’ll be taking his date on “fun” excursions like visiting the Hindu temple and his eccentric Gita Auntie. Kill him now. How is this ever going to work?

Sweetie Nair is many things: a formidable track athlete who can outrun most people in California, a loyal friend, a shower-singing champion. Oh, and she’s also fat. To Sweetie’s traditional parents, this last detail is the kiss of death.

Sweetie loves her parents, but she’s so tired of being told she’s lacking because she’s fat. She decides it’s time to kick off the Sassy Sweetie Project, where she’ll show the world (and herself) what she’s really made of.

Ashish and Sweetie both have something to prove. But with each date they realize there’s an unexpected magic growing between them. Can they find their true selves without losing each other?

M Y  T H O U G H T S

There's Something About Sweetie is bursting full of cuteness, fuzzy good feelings and amazing relationships whether it be friendships or romances. Ahish Patel and Sweetie Nair are too cute for words when they are together. With alternating POVs between Ahish and Sweetie, There's Something About Sweetie explores the thoughts of each teenager and what they think about their cultural expectations, social norms and what is true to their hearts.

Sweetie is confident young lady despite people putting her down about her weight, even by her own family. She proves to others that she can be an athlete and a great singer despite people calling her fat. Sweetie believes in herself and she radiates in self-love. Ahish is recovering from a broken heart and is also having trouble with the pressure of his family telling him he must date and marry an Indian girl per expectations and approval of his family. Because Rishi, his brother, ended up finding Dimple, Ahish believes he can find love too and allows his parents to set him up with a girl of their choice even though he was originally hesitating about the idea.

There's Something About Sweetie is body-positive. Sandhya Menon defies stereotypes and focuses on self-acceptance and acceptance of each other based on personality and not social norms and physical appearances. Abiding by cultural traditions and expectations are often hard for many young people. Sweetie and Ahish make their own story even though society builds this wall of pressure telling them what they should or shouldn't do. However, they are very cordial about incorporating their Indian culture with their American lifestyle, finding a good balance between the two. I highly suggest reading this rom-com if you love Menon's When Dimple Met Rishi. There's Something About Sweetie is a little bit too instalovey at times but I can get pass that.

From Twinkle, With Love by Sandhya Menon

Title: From Twinkle, With Love
Author: Sandhya Menon
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publication date: May 22, 2018
Pages: 336
Source/format: e-ARC//Publisher

Rating: ☆☆☆☆

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

Aspiring filmmaker and wallflower Twinkle Mehra has stories she wants to tell and universes she wants to explore, if only the world would listen. So when fellow film geek Sahil Roy approaches her to direct a movie for the upcoming Summer Festival, Twinkle is all over it. The chance to publicly showcase her voice as a director? Dream come true. The fact that it gets her closer to her longtime crush, Neil Roy—a.k.a. Sahil’s twin brother? Dream come true x 2.

When mystery man “N” begins emailing her, Twinkle is sure it’s Neil, finally ready to begin their happily-ever-after. The only slightly inconvenient problem is that, in the course of movie-making, she’s fallen madly in love with the irresistibly adorkable Sahil.

Twinkle soon realizes that resistance is futile: The romance she’s got is not the one she’s scripted. But will it be enough?

Told through the letters Twinkle writes to her favorite female filmmakers, From Twinkle, with Love navigates big truths about friendship, family, and the unexpected places love can find you.  

M Y  T H O U G H T S

Twinkle Mehra is an aspiring filmmaker living in Colorado Springs. She has a major crush on swimmer Neil Roy. Neil's twin brother, Sahil Roy, is a film fanatic and is his part of the film club at school. He asks Twinkle to be part of it and to direct a film for Pike Peak Charter's Midsummer Night. Not only is Twinkle ecstatic that she gets to pursue her passion but it's one step closer to getting know Neil. Sahil and Twinkle decide to film a gender bender version of Dracula. During the first part of the novel, Twinkle is very oblivious that Sahil is flirting with her since Twinkle is very into Neil who by chance hasn't really noticed her. The ironic part is that Sahil and Neil are twins and Sahil likes Twinkle. Let's just say that Sahil likes Twinkle a lot.

I noticed that in the novel, Twinkle does not have a cellphone like many of her peers which is nice to see. Because she doesn't have a cell phone, her communication with people is usually in person or via e-mail. Twinkle receives an e-mail from a secure admirer who signs the e-mail with N. Of course Twinkle believes the secret admirer is Neil.

Sandhya Menon weaves in socioeconomics within the novel with how Sahil and Neil live in the affluent part of town compared to Twinkle who lives humbly. Indian culture and family values are important for Twinkle's family. Dadi definitely steals the show though! I love her personality and the interactions she has with Twinkle. Yet Sahil is so charming and is generally a thoughtful guy who likes Twinkle for just being Twinkle.

Throughout the novel, Twinkle's character growth is more apparent than anyone else's even though it's a rollercoaster of a ride. She learns a lot from her actions and the things she says. Menon captures the excitement of high school yet she writes about the gossip and the downright ugly parts of high school life realistically. Teens can be mean and the main reason is that people can't seem to communicate truthfully to one another.

The formatting of the novel is as if Twinkle is writing to female film directors that she admires which I found very unique. On the letters, the dates are carefully listed and the location of where Twinkle is located at. Occasionally there are e-mails, Sahil's text messages to his friend's and random blog posts scattered throughout the book.

From Twinkle, with Love is an engaging contemporary novel that's inspiring for female teens. In a male-dominated industry, Twinkle proves that females can be amazing directors. Her version of Dracula is so well liked, that many prominent schools and figures in the film industry contact her for interviews or to write articles. One place in Mumbai asks her to speak at an event which actually is a way for her to give back to her family. Twinkle has a chance to give her family a gift to visit their homeland.

If you love When Dimple Met Rishi, you will devour From Twinkle, with Love. Trust me, it's pretty grab!

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

Title: When Dimple Met Rishi
Author: Sandhya Menon
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publication date: May 30, 2017
Pages: 320
Source/format: e-ARC from publisher

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

A laugh-out-loud, heartfelt YA romantic comedy, told in alternating perspectives, about two Indian-American teens whose parents have arranged for them to be married.

Dimple Shah has it all figured out. With graduation behind her, she’s more than ready for a break from her family, from Mamma’s inexplicable obsession with her finding the “Ideal Indian Husband.” Ugh. Dimple knows they must respect her principles on some level, though. If they truly believed she needed a husband right now, they wouldn’t have paid for her to attend a summer program for aspiring web developers…right?

Rishi Patel is a hopeless romantic. So when his parents tell him that his future wife will be attending the same summer program as him—wherein he’ll have to woo her—he’s totally on board. Because as silly as it sounds to most people in his life, Rishi wants to be arranged, believes in the power of tradition, stability, and being a part of something much bigger than himself.

The Shahs and Patels didn’t mean to start turning the wheels on this “suggested arrangement” so early in their children’s lives, but when they noticed them both gravitate toward the same summer program, they figured, Why not?

Dimple and Rishi may think they have each other figured out. But when opposites clash, love works hard to prove itself in the most unexpected ways.

M Y  T H O U G H T S

"Keep it. Remember me. And don't tattle." - ARC of When Dimple Met Rishi

Dimple Shah got into her dream college, Stanford. However, there is this summer program called Insomnia Con in San Francisco that she wants to attend but she needs to find a way to convince her parents to her go. Dimple's parents are more concerned for Dimple finding a I.I.H. (aka the Ideal Indian Husband). All Dimple wants is to live her life and immense herself in web development learning from the best. Rishi Patel is the total opposite. He embraces his parents to find the perfect future wife. Rishi's parents knew Dimple would be at the Insomnia Con program and they already know Dimple's parents.

The first official meeting between Dimple and Rishi is priceless! Dimple seems to despise Rishi but overtime she warmed up to him and even they even become friends. She knows it's not his fault and even tells him to stay when he offered to go home early. Their budding friendship ends up turning into something more.

Sandhya Menon's debut novel is charming with just enough humor. This romantic comedy shares the views of two children of two sets of Indian parents. I found it refreshing to read a novel that shows two sides of a coin. Dimple is a quirky yet spirited, goal-orientated young lady who wants to advance her career. She doesn't care about arranged marriages; she wants freedom and her independence. Rishi, on the other hand, is a hopeless romantic trying to woo Dimple. He believes in tradition while Dimple finds the culture suffocating her. Rishi's passion is art but he sees it more like a hobby and not a practical field to go into for a career.

Dimple is a role model for teenage girls. It's okay to like math, science and technology. It's okay to wear glasses and not to wear any makeup. I wish I read about Dimple when I was younger. Nowadays STEM is pretty big in education, especially for females. STEM related fields are still male dominated. It's exhilarating to read about a career-driven young lady who is passionate about web development and not about makeup and boys.

When Dimple Met Rishi tackles the struggles of desires and passions. Dimple and Rishi both gather the strength to vocalize what they are passionate about and what they want in life. Dimple's passion is web development and Rishi's passion is art. However, even though they don't want to admit, the love they have for one another is strong and they cannot let it go no matter what they want in life. Do things that make you happy! Trust your gut feeling!

Menon writes When Dimple Met Rishi with sincerity. The novel is exuberant! I was smiling when I was reading the novel for most of the time. When reading When Dimple Met Rishi, I see myself through both Dimple and Rishi. I have never read a book where I see myself completely in. I can see a part of myself in Dimple and a part of myself in Rishi. Menon fuses culture, socio-economics and overriding gender stereotypes in this rom-com. When Dimple Met Rishi is a fluffy yet heartwarming read. I highly recommend it and it's definitely a new favorite of mine.