Overall, I was quite underwhelmed. This book seems like it would almost be a better movie than a book.

Liked: The portrayal of a multigenerational Indian family in the United States and back in India. I much preferred the storylines of the older adults than the stories of the younger ones. There were multiple POVs (albeit too many), but they were very easy to follow, which usually isn't the case.

Didn't Like: Quite slow paced. I liked the multiple POVs, but I didn't really need the random back stories and thoughts of the non-relevant characters (like the flight attendant, random driver, or the spouse of driver). I didn’t like for Tina or Marianne. They were just financially privileged, whiny girls for most of the book. Characters were underdeveloped.

Destination Wedding centers around Tina, an Indian-American woman, who travels to India for a wedding celebration. The author did a fantastic job blending traditional and contemporary cultures. Reading about India, from the landscape to the culture to the daily lives of its people, left me breathless. It was written with such vivid detail, I felt as though I were truly a guest at this wedding with Tina.

An easy, light-hearted, yet memorable, read, Destination Wedding has themes involving family tension, social standing, and self-identity. I recommend this one to anyone who enjoys contemporary fiction with smart, engaging writing.

DNF
This book really needed an editor. There were so many rambling non-sequiters that it was hard to follow the story. Example: main characters are flying... There's a whole run-on sentence paragraph on the backstory of the flight attendant. Was it relevant? Not that I could find.... Millions more examples.

I appreciate the opportunity to have an ARC of this book, and hope people will enjoy it and publishers will continue to seek out black and brown stories.

#netgalley #destinationwedding

This book was really engaging. I enjoy fiction by Indian Authors- always somehow relates to my life. The characters were a little underdeveloped. I enjoyed the story but felt that there could have been more- I was not satisfied. I would definitely read more from this author but this book was a little underwhelming. Thank you to NetGalley for this advanced reader copy.

DNF I couldn't get through it. I tried a few times but lost interest. Blurb sounds really good but didn't feel as though it matches it.

*****************************I received an ARC from NetGalley for my hones opinion.***************************

Thank you to Diksha Basu, Random House - Ballantine and NetGalley for this ARC.

Some of the things that I enjoyed most about this book were the themes surrounding the idea of cultural identity, belonging, and home. It is evident that Tina Das feels conflicted when she goes to India for her cousin's wedding. Although she is Indian, she feels like an outsider and spends so much of her time trying to fit in with the locals and appear at ease in this place that should feel like home to her. As a child of an immigrant, I completely related to this idea of feeling trapped between two worlds. Tina is struggling with identifying as either American, Indian, or Indian-American and her mother provides such sage advice on the matter. In addition, I loved the shifts in narrator, as it provided an opportunity to compare the different perspectives of the Das family and see how things like age, generational norms, and history shaped how they viewed everything from the idea of home and identity to relationships.

This story was cute but it took me a little while to get into it. For some reason, the flow was off to me with this one, but the story was cute nonetheless. I loved the relationship between Tina's father and mother - family dynamics are my thing. Overall an enjoyable read that touches on the balance between work and life, love and finding your place in the world.

Thank you to Diksha Basu, Random House - Ballantine and NetGalley for this ARC.

I loved "The Windfall", so I was excited to read this book. I absolutely loved the Mr. Das and Nono, but didn't really care too much for Tina. She seemed too self absorbed and spoiled for me. This was a great, quick, feel good quarantine read!

What I thought would be a predictable and frothy romcom turned out to be a delightful surprise. A few laugh out loud moments, fantastic descriptions of scenery and settings, and a fresh take on family and culture. More fun and smarter than I expected.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book.

I came into this book thinking it would be the best quarantine escape-read, and it did not disappoint. I had read Windfall a few years ago and thus was familiar with the author's writing style. She seamlessly threads interwoven characters and describes the setting in great detail that you can truly picture yourself at the location.

However, one thing that bugged me was the selfishness of the main character. However, her complexities brought another dimension to the story.

I look forward to future books by the author.

Family drama is always fun in books. Add a wedding and the book is quite entertaining. Destination Wedding is a contemporary fiction novel that centers on American born Tina and her divorced parents attending the destination wedding of a cousin in India.

This was my first read by the author. Her writing style is very witty with a subtle sense of humor. Often times she writes the characters making sly comments that takes the reader a moment to catch. Since the wedding occurs in India, the author does give a glimpse into Indian culture, rituals and society.

Those who love family drama, multiple characters, and international travel will thoroughly enjoy this novel.

I was sent an advanced readers copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

I received an advance copy from Netgalley. I am reading during quarantine times, so I was looking for a easy escapist novel! And this delivered! It's mainly about a young Indian American woman who goes to India for her cousin's super lavish stereotypical Indian wedding with her BFF and her divorced parents. Hilarity ensues. BFF has a crisis about her life and the status of her current relationships. Both parents explore a deeper relationship with their paramours and the main character dabbles in finding love and finding career fulfillment all the while dealing with the many dualities of India. I loved the author's first book, Windfall, and this book echos similar themes! This is the perfect beach read for if/when the beaches open up!

Thank you to Random House & NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy

Available June 30th 2020

Similar to Kevin Kwan's Crazy Rich Asians, Diksha Basu's "Destination Wedding" is a sly romantic comedy that discusses not only sequined Bollywood wedding dresses but also the complexity of socioeconomic status in modern India. When a wide range of characters- the frustrated Tina Das, her effortlessly cool divorcee mom and her hunky new American boyfriend, her nerdy divorcee father, midlife crisis best friend Marianne- land for her rich cousin Shefali's fabulous Indian wedding in an elite part of Mumbai, you know drama is just around the corner. To make matters worse, Tina's dad decides it's the perfect time for him to start dating. Along the way, Basu seamlessly weaves in her social critique with her hilarious situations. I found myself laughing out loud more than a few times! Destination Wedding is, like the name implies, a holiday within a book.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

This book was a fun little get away. I was hoping I would enjoy it more than I did, but that may be down to my mood more than the book. I really enjoyed the plot line and the beautiful setting.

I was lucky to receive an advanced copy of this story thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher.

Tina is the daughter of Indian immigrants and has struggled with her identity- trying to blend in as an American and also blend in with her Indian heritage. She returns to India with her family to attend a cousin's wedding. There, she hopes to find the answer to who she is. This story is cute and charming and full of fun characters. I hope it does well. Nono deserves her own story.

I want to thank NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine and author Diksha Basu for providing me with an ARC of this novel.

I was so excited to receive an invitation to read and review this novel! I have never read this author before, but I’m so glad she reached out. Tina is such a relatable main character, as are all the others included in the cast. Diksha does a beautiful job of acclimating the reader to the Indian culture; I feel like I have learned so much by reading this. I found this to be a fun and witty rom-com, but the underlying idea of finding yourself and acceptance also shone through. This was a light, humorous and enjoyable read, and a nice reprieve from some heavier reading.

Thank you to those named above for allowing me to read and review this ARC!

This story revolves around Tina. Born in Ohio, but Indian heritage. Having visited most summers family back in India, the family now has a blend of traditional and modern values in their lives.
Tina and her best friend Marianne are traveling back to India for a wedding. We see each Tina, Marianne, and both Tinas parents struggle to find happiness and with themselves.

This was very cute! It lagged a teensy bit in the middle, but I super enjoyed all the characters, all their story arcs, and the ending was so satisfying. I think this could be a sleeper hit, if I can ever recommend it to patrons.

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for the digital ARC!

I had not read “Windfall” (though it is on my TRB list). and I was pleasantly surprised when I was invited to read “Destination Wedding” by Disha Baksu.

“Destination Wedding” is a light-hearted face-paced read, but more than your typical romantic comedy.

What hooked me was the book’s opening where Tina Das who along with her best friend, Marianna, and her family (including her mom’s new beau, David) head to India for a wedding. You know from the opening scene where Tina swallows a handful of pistachios (only to discover that they are shelled and needs to spit them out) that the reader will be guaranteed and enjoyable ride.

New York resident Tina feels in limbo with her current job in reality television. She cannot cut her family ties, even though her family lives a thousand miles away in Columbus, Ohio. After years of a rocky marriage, her parents (Neel and Radha) have separated, but cannot stay out of each other’s lives. Meanwhile, best bud, Marianne, wants to do more than settle for her boyfriend, Tom.

Disha Baksu does a fabulous job of introducing the reader to the idiosyncrasies of the Indian culture without relying on stereotypes or overused plot devices. All weddings are a bundle of anxiety and angst and an Indian wedding is no different. Disha Baksu’s descriptions immerse in the setting; what I found especially poignant is the characters’ reactions as to how India has changed.

As I noted above, while this novel is touted as a romantic comedy (and I promise you there is plenty of romance), I think the theme of “Destination Wedding” is more about self-discovery and the acceptance of where you fit within your family and society as a whole.

If you are willing to partake in the ups and downs of multiple plots and complex relationships of the extensive cast of characters, then you are in for an enjoyable read. Three and a half stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Disha Baksy, and Ballentine Books for an advanced copy.