Anisha Bhatia had me hooked from the first few lines of this lovely, rollicking story. Zoya has a fabulous voice, funny and irreverent and instantly relatable.

The Rules of Arrangement took me on a wild ride as Zoya, not thin enough and too ambitious for the satisfaction of her "aunties," navigates the process of having a marriage arranged for her--before (horror of horrors!) she gets too old. The trouble is, she's good at her job. Really good. And so as she navigates this process, she's well aware that much of what makes her *her* is at stake.

Meanwhile, she's finding love--real love--on her own terms. She just doesn't know it until long after the reader does.

Like all my favorite books, The Rules of Arrangement has a fabulous supporting cast, from Zoya's aunties to her swoon-worthy boss and the teenage boy who works in Zoya's office. I loved every minute of this book. More, please!

My thanks to Alcove Press and to Netgalley for an advance copy for review purposes.

Zoya is a 26 year old career focused woman, living in Mumbai. She loves her job and her life, except the part where she is currently being pressured to start thinking about marriage.
Zoya is hesitant because she knows how brutal the Indian marriage market can be to a girl with her physical attributes; fat and dark skinned.
This story had many humorous moments, especially because of Zoya's self-deprecating humour. However, underneath that lightheartedness is the very real and very damaging societal expectations of women in many parts of Indian society. Their bodies and skin tone are constantly scrutinized, they are expected to give up on their careers as soon as they become mothers and wives. They are oftentimes not allowed to express their individualness to the detriment of their mental health.
Zoya is able to navigate all of this and keep her engaging personality intact. The supporting cast of characters also adds to the flow of this story, adding different perspectives to how various aspects of Indian society feels about different issues.

“ Arranged Marriage “ a norm , a tradition , a form of marriage which majority of the households want for their son/ daughter .

Well for a fact its not that arranged marriages are bad and love marriage is good , any marriage requires love , understanding and being respectful to each other and their choices , but sometimes the toll arranged marriage takes and sacrifices expected by a women us way too much.

This books talks about a Woman Zoya who is an achiever in her field of work , the most talented , yet insecure and under appreciated by her parents and relatives due to her looks , for being fat , most importantly not being married at the age of 27.

The book depicts the facts of most arranged marriages in India , the author contemplated all the happenings of this tradition , where a woman is being fat shamed during the ritual when she is presented like a showpiece which can be bought by the groom and his family , the sacrifices required , the mere requirement for the marriage is the wife has to stay home and take care of family , juggling to make a good impression in front of the fiance and in laws.

Apart from this , there are many characters around the female protagonist, which makes her question and understand things from a different point of view everytime. Yet sometimes, it did felt that the romance added to lighten the mood of the plot was a bit forced than flowing.

This book for most indian readers would not a surprise , but yet a little bit inspiring to take a stand for yourself , appreciate yourself first and nothing is more important than our own happiness.

I would say this book is a good read for everyone and the author did a wonderful job bringing out this story of most women , which everyone know , but still had to be said out loud😍

Thank you @netgalley and @penguinrandomhouse for the e-Arc.

I went into this book with really high expectations. Unfortunately, it was a big letdown because of the unchallenged fatphobia and toxicity in the novel. The story might have even worked if it weren't for the MC's internalized and general fatphobia but unfortuantely, in its present form, the toxicity is too jarring to even let the story sink in.

3.75 stars

This was actually the first book I read set in India where a woman is in a successful well paying job, but our protagonist, Zoya, is still reminded daily of how being fat, dark skinned, and 26 is a "flaw" in her character. She is frequently berated by her family and societal pressures to hurry up and get married and lose weight. This is NOT a steamy romance book. There is far more emphasis placed on interpersonal relationships and the dichotomy between traditional values placed Indian women and marriage. It felt as if every step forward I was placed two steps back as Zoya struggled to find her own voice. I was told more about her opinion on wanting things to be more progressive than her actually acting on those desires.

Side note:
I noticed immediately that her job as a designer needed more research or a quick google search because at one point Zoya criticizes her co-workers incompetence at work and the "red space" on a project. In design there is no such thing as "red space". It is white space. This probably irked me more than it should have since I have a degree in design. But if you're trying to sell me on her being a successful designer moving up in the workplace, you need to use the right terminology.

From the beginning I could tell who she was going to end up with, but seeing how smitten the male love interest was made it worth reading. I wish there were more scenes between them to further develop their relationship. The actions the male interest takes towards the end was the equivalent to "that escalated quickly". The romance seemed more like a side plot to the over-arching narrative of body image and traditional values. I did enjoy seeing how close she was to her family and the emphasis on her independence as a working woman. Overall, I would say if you're looking for a quick read about to pick this up.

Had to DNF about thirty percent through. It was honestly getting a bit hard to read; the mc was probably one of the most unlikeable characters I have ever read about, I could not see myself ever possibly rooting for her or being interested in her story so I put the book down. It's 2021, I do not care to read books about girls whose only interests are being jealous of and hating other girls. The writing and storyline weren't well done or interesting enough to save the story, and the rep was cheesy and stereotypical. I had high hopes for this one; so sad to be let down.

A desi author’s book about a fat Indian girl who is pressured to get married - this felt perfect. But the execution was way off. To start with, this book is fatphobic. The main character has internalized all of it and makes such comments both about herself and every single woman she encounters. As a fat Indian woman myself who has to listen to such talk every day of my life, I could have understood if the main character experienced the same but was body positive herself and determined to ignore or standup for herself when she was fatshamed. But when she is the one doing the fatshaming, I couldn’t continue on with the book anymore. It hit too close emotionally and I hated the main character for being that way.

First Off, the Fat MC is EXTREMELY Fatphobic. There were a LOT of descriptions from her about every single woman in her family she's ever met. And finally, i think this book was trying to be a feminist book saying we all have problems and we should be the ones to not hold back and achieve our dreams. But it gets lost with the constant pour of internal fatphobic thoughts and external fatphobia.

This is more 3.5 stars than 3.

This book gets 5 whole stars for the Indian atmosphere, and 3 stars for nearly everything else. The plot is nonexistent, the romance alright, and the characters leave something to be desired, but being an Indian and reading this? This gives you India the way it is.

The first thing that caught my eye for this one was the cover, and then the synopsis...Indian girl being forced into an arranged marriage, has a great job offer, and a hot love interest, all set in India? SIGN ME UP.

But, the only part of this that was better than what I was expecting, or even as good as I was expecting, was the the setting, and the relatives, and the antics of big families, and living in Bombay.

The romance is just not good. There is a somewhat love triangle, which is only a love triangle in the protagonists head, because you, quite obviously too, already know who she's going to end up with. So, not really a love triangle.

Honestly, this shouldn't even be labelled as romance being the primary genre, because this fits General Fiction and family a lot more than it could ever be a romance. At first you think this is most definitely a romance, given the somewhat vague synopsis, and in general the comparisons to other books.

Once you get into this, though, you realise it's more the story of a girl, her life, her options, her choices, the crossroads before her, and the family she loves.

It's the story of a girl dealing with weight, with family members who are less than subtle about said weight, who mean well, but don't realise how the smallest things hurt the most, the passing remarks that aren't meant to hurt you, to make you overthink your life decisions, but still do.

It's the story of a girl who loves her aunt, who sees what her aunt lost, and vows to never let that happen to herself.

It's the story of any girl really, and that's why I related to this the most.

Some things I didn't love about this:
-the whole pregnancy scare. That was just not okay. Yeah, it was pretty funny from a plot device point of view, but then that scare mounted to nothing, and it was like it was completely forgotten after the event.

-The Magic Bua side plot. While I do see how it was integral to Zoya's epiphany, I really thought it was way too obvious, and I found the fact that Zoya only asked her mother about it very unbelievable. If you want to know something about someone, and you are looking for gossip as the source of this knowledge, you don't just ask one person. You go and ask everyone, especially someone who hates the person you want to know about, and gossips as well.

-The romance. I am aware that I've said this already, but the romance really didn't sit right with me. nothing particularly wrong with it, but we never get to know the love interest at first, and then when we do meet him, it's all I've-known-him-for-so-long, and please-don't-call-me-sir (which was weird because you don't just stop calling someone sir, who's senior to you, and has been introduced as this vague character who isn't even that close, and then later you're told that no they're actually pretty close and they always have been, and you go WHEN? WHEN WERE THEY CLOSE??

- The way Zoya is. I found Zoya pretty careless and too trusting in places, especially when she roams around Bombay alone, in shock. Now, I don't know if you've ever been to bombay, but you don't roam around Bombay, on foot, in shock, having forgotten your purse, and most likely your phone too, in some shop, without knowing the area where you are, and also after nightfall. You don't do that. It should have been drilled into your head that you are not supposed to do stuff like that. If you're in shock, hold it off till you get home, Or maybe till you're with someone else, preferably someone you know and trust, and not the boss we don't even know well enough to trust. I'll stop here, but this is something that had my alarm bells ringing the whole time.

-The way Zoya approaches her weight: My BR buddy raised a very important thing about Zoya's approach to being not-thin, and I think it's a really good point. Zoya is not a role model. Zoya is not the protagonist you look up to for being not-thin, the one you base your reactions to being not thin. Zoya is more of the relatable protagonist, the one in which you see yourself, the one which makes you understand that you obsess too much with weight, and then end up eating a lot and then whining; in general being a hypocrite. And she gave a really great example of who an appropriate role-model would be, and that's Nina Zenik from Six of Crows, who doesn't give a single f*ck about what you think about her appearance.

I think I'll stop here because this is getting too long, and I honestly can't think of anything else worth note since it has been nearly a month since I read this, but I will sign off with this: this is an amazing book, if you're looking for insight into Indian culture, and how it is presently, families in India, and the general life of an Indian. This is not the book for you if you're looking for a good romance.

I read about 15% of the book, which was enough for me to see that this is not suitable for schools. It is an adult novel. I thought the use of humor and strong self-image of the main character are excellent characteristics of this books. I would recommend it to Southasian women, chicklit circles, and those who enjoy Bollywood. I did not appreciate the profanity.

I don't tend to read a lot of romance. Something about this book however, the title and the cover, just drew me in and I decided to give it a try. And I'm glad I did! This was a very enjoyable book. I'm sure I missed out on some details and references because I would not consider myself knowledgeable about Indian culture, but even so I was able to glean some information just from the text. I definitely enjoyed this one and would recommend it.

I loved this book, It's definitely not a typical romance, i think that's why this book will have a place in my heart!
This is so much more than what the title depicts, I loved Zoya and her ambitions and love for her family, this book will make you laugh, i will definitely read more from this author!
It's such a warm heartfelt read.

This was an okayish story. While it doesn't qualify as a Romance in my books, it does fit into the Contemporary Fiction genre because of all that was happening simultaneously.

It was very predictable. From 5% into the book, I could have guessed who she'd end up with as well as the decision she'd make regarding her job offer in New York

Unfortunately though, I do not think this book will appeal to a wide range of readers but pretty much just a small subset of the reading population.

Thank you #Netgalley for my advanced readers' copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgally for this ARC for an exchange for an honest review.

Unique story, although the main character is a bit of a push over and I really don't like female characters to be weakling or pushovers.
But I still enjoyed the story.

So I just finished reading an ARC of The Rules of Arrangement and my heart is completely full. It is the fuzzy and warm kind of novel I just needed before my semester exams. The plot revolves around a 26 year old Zoya Sahani of Mumbai who is almost past the expiry date in the Punjabi arranged marriage market because she chose to prioritise ‘horror of horrors’, education and career above everything else.

Zoya is all of us struggling to make sense of the world in our 20s and trying to evade the family pressure of ‘settling in’ by 25 since that’s the cutoff that that the Indian society provides to it’s women. This bit is so well written that I got anxiety imagining having to go through this nightmare in the next few years. Things take a turn when Zoya is finally engaged to a family friend and at the same time, friendship starts blooming between Zoya and her boss Arnav. I absolutely loved Arnav’s character. You really need to read to find out about this man. He’s the cutest, gentlest, most appropriate and understanding of men I have read of in fiction in a long time. Arnav is the man of dreams of every 21st century woman. Simultaneously, there are red lines in the relationship of Zoya and Lalit, her fiancé, which Zoya tries her best to ignore considering her family’s happiness. From here, the story could have been any mushy romance (which I half expected it to be) with Zoya breaking up with Loathsome Lalit and marrying Arnav. Except, it wasn’t.

What I absolutely loved about this novel is how fun, contemporary and practical it is along with social commentary on society, subtle patriarchy in Indian families and how women are privy to it, etc. Like every big noisy Indian family, Zoya too has Sheila Bua the matchmaker- that one aunt every young adult in the family wants to run away from. However, Zoya reminisces those times when she was her Magic Bua and always knew what would make her happy. Revelations about this stereotypical aunt whose dreams were once crushed due to the expectations of marriage changes Zoya’s perspective towards life. She, who was meekly accepting an arranged marriage for the sake of her family’s happiness and even considered rejecting her dream job in New York, realized that she had to speak out. And yes, the engagement was finally broken and the proposal from Arnav did come but romance doesn’t take the centerstage here. What does is Zoya making her own choices and leaving for New York. While she does get into a relationship with Arnav, it is her life that she prioritizes. A woman only deserves a man who understands her dreams. Zoya does finally manage to escape the strangleholds of society,

Where this novel really stands out is in the analysis of every character, even the apparently villainous ones, and explains what makes them what they are. It is easy to write ‘woke’ feminist posts on Facebook but equally difficult when the fight is against your own family and loved ones who simply refuses to understand your point of view. The truth is that we all go through this, we all deal with it. Change will always cause some ‘disturbance’ of the age-old calm.

However, it is also important to realize that the older generations in our family have been molded in a certain way for decades and will naturally find it difficult to wrap their heads around new ideas. Shunning them out of your life is probably only possible in fiction but is never really feasible in real life. Hence, the triumph is in every small step you take, the subtle ways in which you get your way through and make the path a little smoother for the younger women of the family.

Really enjoyed this, I love the trend in literature at the moment of taking the traditional rom-com of two slightly boring white people falling in love and repurposing it for the 21st century. The Rules of Arrangement is an inclusive story about finding love and yourself and I am here for it.

This wasn't a bad book by any means, it just wasn't the right book for me. My main problem with this isn't anything that the author could've changed, because it stems from my ignorance.

Have you ever read a book that threw you into a culture you knew absolutely nothing about? That is exactly what this book does. As someone from the United States, I really struggled to understand a culture that was so different than mine. So many times, situations just felt weird to me, and completely threw me off. On top of that, there was a ton of phrases thrown in that I had no grasp of. While this hurt my reading experience, the friend I was reading loved this, as it helped immerse her into the book. I think this truly comes down to your knowledge of Indian culture, and whether you will be able to understand and relate to a culture so different.

Because of the culture difference, i couldn't stand some of Zoya's actions. I'll admit, I don't know much about the beauty standard in India. What I can say though, is that Zoya is not the type of plus sized character I want. I love seeing myself represented in books, but I want characters who are confident in themselves. Zoya made some of the most vile comments i have ever read, and i simply couldn't excuse that. At one point, she admits to wrapping an invisible tape measure around other fat women to check whether they were fatter, and being satisfied when they were. She would make terrible comments like that, and then daydream about food in the same line. This all combined into a character I couldn't stand.

A few key things kept me from enjoying this, but they won't pose problems to everyone! My not liking this is definitely a result of my ignorance, so if you're in the mood for an immersive book, this is for you!

Thanks to Netgalley and Anisha Bhatia for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

I would like to thank the publisher’s and NetGalley for giving me a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Bhatia has done a wonderful job of transporting you to the city of dreams, Mumbai; with vivid descriptions of the hustle bustle of life in the fast paced city. In regards to exploring the breaking of the glass ceiling with many norms being challenged, Bhatia has done a wonderful job with the plot keeping me engaged. I also enjoyed that despite the foundation of the story revolving around marriage, the book itself did not focus entirely on a romance. Rather the reader is presented with a practical and at times emotional journey that the MC undergoes as she attempts to forge a path of her own. There were a few things I struggled with in the book, one of them being Zoya’s internalised dialogue, that at times I found confusing and contradictory. I also wished that Bhatia had explored a little deeper with her side characters rather than subjecting them to stereotypical categories. Overall, this is a great read if you are seeking a read that has elements of culture, society, family and self discovery within it.

I liked Zoya for the most part, but she was such a weak person in her life. She was great at work, but everywhere else, she just let people walk all over her. I was glad for her end decision but not the way she went about it. Not a romance story at all, but there is a hint of romance as a subplot.

I was provided with an ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Zoya might be a successful young professional who just got a major promotion, but she's also 26 and unmarried, which, to her traditional Indian family in Mumbai, is veering into spinster territory. As her Aunties launch into matchmaker mode, Zoya is torn between obeying the traditions and wishes of her family or following her heart.

I absolutely adored this book! The writing was spectacular and I had a hard time putting it down - even when I desperately needed to be doing other things. The well-developed characters were one of the highlights. Zoya was a delightful narrator. She was funny, relatable, and I found myself cheering for her throughout the book (sometimes out-loud). Bhatia did a wonderful job of writing Zoya's struggle to choose between the traditions of her family and her own dreams in a way that was realistic and respectful of the conflict she was undergoing.Even the secondary characters felt three-dimensional and I loved the special relationship that Zoya had with her Sheila Bua.

While the story did have some predictable moments, but enough twists and surprises to keep me guessing and interested, not quite sure how it would end up until I got to the last chapter. If you're looking for a fast, easy read about finding your place within your family and cultural traditions, while still being true to yourself, I highly recommend The Rules of Arrangement!

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for a eARC in exchange for my honest review.