I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed both the storyline and learning more about the culture and customs of India. The author is very talented!

This is an immersive story that left me craving chocolates and chai. Classifying this book into a genre is a bit more complex, as it's certainly romantically inclined but most of it is left up to our imaginations. I'd classify it as women's fiction personally, as we watch Kiran grow into her career and identity. That's not to say that Nash wasn't compelling (and incredibly attractive), but the focus was definitely on Kiran's journey. I'm interested to see how the Chai Masala Club continues, perhaps with Payal!?

*Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review*

I was not expecting to enjoy this as much as I did, but this was such a fun read. I loved seeing all the desi elements, especially the hindi words and there were some settings and places that felt so familiar to me, which was a nice feeling to have as I read this. The ending was pretty satisfying and neatly wrapped any plot threads that were woven throughout the story. Kiran was such a wonderfully adorable and funny character and I couldn't help, but love her. The same with Nash; he was a really nice guy and his dynamic with Kiran, especially when they were friends were so hilarious. My only qualms with this was that there were someone places where the dialogue felt a little disjointed and the description felt a little odd, but I wasn't affected too much by it. Overall, I unexpectedly ended up enjoying this!

Oh this book! This book is amazing, and romantic! I love the main characters and the writing is also good! I love this book and I feel the chemistry, y'all!!!! I live books with great chemistry so it is official : I love this book! I live for this kind of romance books! Highly recommend for those who love books with great characters, great chemistry, great writing, great cover (obviously, never forget the cover😌) with great witty-banter. Love love love!

This was so beautiful, it was like such a delight to read this book, I felt so warm because the author used Hindi words, and i don't know but I feel like this is such a beautiful book!!

Nash and Kiran were really adorable and I love how love and conflict of interest and how #desi this book was. This can easily be one of my favourite desi books so far not even kidding. It was beautiful and fun and lovely.

Why I loved this book?
- Beautiful characters
-Lovely desi representation
- Immaculate side characters (I'm sure they have their stories that the author will write and I cannot wait!)
- How serene the writing was.
- Love for chai!!!

A beautifully written book about family, cultural and diverse relationships. I loved the writing style and the dual point of view from both Kiran and Nash. This story was full of depth and heart.This was my first read by Sharma and I will definitely keep her on my radar. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion

SOOO freaking good! Reminds me a lot of sarah desai and rachel solomons writing. I loved having dual perspectives of both characters. The desi customs and traditions and delicious food was such a great bomus too.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca for making this book available to me via #Netgalley.

This book highlights the conflicts between love, family and culture.
We follow Kiran who is the definition of a good sister. Since her older sister married a man from a lower caste back in Indian, she has been forced to live up to a standard that would ensure that she is not disowned by the family. (I honestly believe the Caste system is horrible and should not exist in today's society). She is currently living in NYC and as she creeps closer to thirty, she is beginning to realise that a lot of the things she had on her life list has not been crossed out. Not that she necessarily tried to cross them off her list.

That is until she meets Nash who is everything she wants but she is sure that her family would never accept him (because he is white). Anyways they form a quick bond, they start going on dates, exploring NYC, going horseback riding e.t.c. Nash who is a psychologist has always felt that abandonment was a pattern in his life that he could not break. But with Kiran, he is willing to try anything and everything.

I really enjoy the way race and cultural differences were discussed. It is rare to see conversations like this arise in multi-racial relationships in books. Whilst Nash was not necessarily a racist or more basically, an ass, he has just used to the privilege that his race affords him. He was willing to learn and implement things into his life and even language.

I loved it. I generally like a few steamy times in my romance but the absence of it in this book makes it all the more amazing!

This book is stunning. I couldn't stop reading it. It is sweet, warm and comforting. I absolutely adored the dynamic of the characters and how real they felt. I cannot wait to buy this book and have it on my bookshelf because it is absolutely worth it. A page-turner that everyone who loves romance should read. The multicultural aspect adds to its uniqueness. A brilliant book.

Right now, my drug of choice is diverse rom-coms. It’s a perfect treat after work…or on my lunch break. They’re light-hearted and fun, and don’t always use the SAME tropes as regular rom-coms, but they’ve got flair and style and heart and a happily ever after, and that’s what we all deserve right now. If you want a story about neighbors falling in love, an Indian protagonist with stubborn parents, and a lot of chai references, you’ve got to pick up Love, Chai, and Other 4 Letter Words by Annika Sharma.

Kiran is trying to be the perfect Indian daughter, especially since her sister’s marriage 20 years ago tore the family apart. She moved to America, went to Duke, works as an Engineer, drinks chai with her Indian friends. She’s doing the things! But then, she meets a new neighbor who’s locked out of their building–Nash, and these two quickly hit it off, becoming friends overnight and taking on touristy NYC things together through fresh eyes–Kiran as an immigrant, and Nash as an NYC transplant from Nashville with a rough upbringing (poverty, child of addict, etc). They quickly fall for each other but there’s one looming issue: Kiran knows her parents will not be supportive, and Nash knows that he can’t take another heartbreak. Will these two find happily ever after, or will cultural differences keep them apart?

This is exactly what you expect from a rom-com in the best ways. Dual POV, a meet cute, lots of good date ideas and food you’ll want to eat, some airport intrigue, a tragedy that leads to resolution, etc. I say this in the nicest way–it’s predictable but with flair, and I appreciated that a LOT. I do, as always, struggle with the whole “my parents will disown me for loving you” thing even though I KNOW it still happens, but it’s a rom-com, we get our HEA, and we get some tear-inducing moments along the way. On a spice note, there is NO sex at all in this book. It’s lightly implied–they wake up together, reference cardio the night before–but nothing on the page, not even fade to black. So that’s something to keep in mind–either way you fall in preference.

This also appears to be the start of a new series–if I had to guess, Payal will be our next protagonist!

Love, Chai & Other 4 Letter Words is on sale everywhere October 5, 2021