Have you had chai? I haven't, and I had to try because of this book.

This was very lovely, it was a joy to read it; I felt so warm since the author utilized Hindi phrases, and nothing pleases me more than seeing varied literature in diverse languages!

Sharma did an excellent job of putting the Indian viewpoint and touch to many of Kiran's experiences. While Kiran is grateful for the opportunities and connections that America has provided for her, she is also proud of her Indian culture and identity. Nash, our male MC, has had a completely different life than Kiran, yet he has not let his dark and painful experiences stop him from making a difference in people's lives. I liked Kiran and Nash's relationship and discovered that they spent a lot of time together, peeling away the layers of their separate lives and creating a foundation of mutual respect and trust that prepared the way for a powerful romance.

Despite growing up in completely different worlds, they strive to appreciate and learn about each other's views and values.

A wonderful romance that integrates deeper themes of love, family, and culture without being heavy handed. Well written with multidimensional characters, the chemistry and tension is well done. An engaging story of family, friendship, and finding love.

I would like to thank the publishers and NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved so many aspects of this book and at the heart of it, I think I enjoyed how many desi elements it contained and how quickly I was able to connect with our female MC, Kiran. Having read numerous books with desi representation, we often see the MC's are born and raised abroad, however in Kiran's case, she has moved to America to pursue her higher education and work. Sharma did a fantastic job of bringing the Indian perspective and touch to many of the experiences that Kiran undergoes. Whilst she is appreciative of the opportunities and friendships that America has gifted her, she is also equally proud of her Indian culture and identity. Nash, our male MC has had a very different to life to Kiran but has not allowed those dark and difficult experiences to limit him from making a difference in people's lives. I adored the bond between Kiran and Nash and found that they spent plenty of time together, peeling away the layers of their respective lives and building a foundation of mutual respect and trust that paved a foundation to a strong romance. Although they are brought up in very different worlds, they endeavor to understand and learn about the other's thoughts and beliefs.

As an Indian, I understand the importance of family and the jigsaw puzzle like relationship that Kiran shares with her parent's. The delicate line she treads on in order to be the perfect daughter and always seek the approval of her family is dictated by the strict societal norms and expectations from her community in India. Sharma does a great job of portraying a harsh reality of disapproval and isolation that many families in India face due to prejudice and pressure. The book teaches you that whilst family dynamics can be challenging, at the heart of it, love truly conquers all. I adored Kiran's friendship circle and found that they each had their own distinct voice and connection with Kiran that enabled her to turn to them at different times for different things.

Overall, this book reminds me of a home made cup of chai with hints of the sweet and spicy that leaves you with an aroma to tantalize the senses and warm the heart.

Loved, loved loved this book. Beautiful rich culture and characters who clearly felt connected to and in touch with it. Kiran was so lovely,

I think what I enjoyed most about this book was the fact that Nash really did feel like a secondary character, which would normally be something I don't enjoy, but this book was so much about Kiran's journey and her search for love and meaning that I didn't bat an eyelash. They had great chemistry and it was so nice to get to watch her feel loved and valued for who she was and reconciling that with her parents' expectations. Even though we got Nash's perspective, I really enjoyed how the story didn't revolve around him.

I also really can't wait to see which side characters we get to see explored in future books. This one was a total knock out of the park for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca for the ARC.

I received this book as an ARC in exchange for my early review

Kiran Mathur is an Indian expat living in New York. She’s a successful engineer, has built a loving community of friends and supports her parents back home in Delhi. And while Kiran loves her new life, she’s still tied to everything that she’s come from.

Nash Hawthorne is a psychologist who recently moved to New York from Nashville and is now Koran’s neighbor. Unlike Kiran, he has no parents and no real family to speak of, and has never really left the country. He finds himself smitten with Kiran, but can they overcome the vast differences between their cultures to be together?

Fun fact: I grew up in Mumbai India. Like Kiran, moved to the US for university, and like Kiran, met and fell in love with a white American. Unlike Kiran, this wasn’t a big deal because I’m from Mumbai and interracial relationships don’t get a second look, but it was really nice to see some representation that looked a little like my story in this book.

This books covers being a recent immigrant, race, and interracial relationships with nuance - and while of course it can’t cover everything (it is a romance after all) at the very least I thought the scenarios described were ones I’ve found myself in more than once. I also appreciate that it weaves in so many Bollywood tropes, and finally, I also appreciate that for the most part after an initial translation, the author leaves the Hindi words in.

If you have friends from India and want to have a better understanding of what their experience might have been like (reminder that no people are a monolith) this is a really sweet, lovely way to do that. If you don’t have friends from India and want to read a cute romance about someone from a different culture, this is also a great book.

This has good chemistry between the characters but no steam, and besides the occasional F-bomb generally safe for all audiences.

Kiran was raised in a traditional home, and to please her parents, she knows she can only date Indian men of whom they approve. Nash, a white man from Tennessee, moves into her apartment building, and the two become friends. The getting to know you questions Kiran and Nash asked each other are among the best I have ever read. I expect I will steal a few to use myself. The story was told from their two perspectives, and I really felt I got into both of their heads equally. That made the forbidden romance aspect tough to read at times.

The story introduces a series focused on Kiran's friends. The Chai Masala Crew or CMC is an amazing group of four friends who met in college and get together regularly to share chai and gossip. I was taken aback to read about social distancing and a post-pandemic world, especially at a time when we are so clearly still in the midst of the pandemic. But I really loved their adventures through New York, as they worked on their lists of things to do before turning 30.

This book is so beautifully written. The way in which Kiran talks about her experiences as an immigrant is so powerful. And equally, the way in which Nash acknowledges how his behavior can exacerbate harm resonated. I feel I learned so much from this book.

This is a beautiful, closed door romance that incorporates a lot of heavy topics.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. These opinions are my own.

TW: substance abuse, death of a parent, parental abandonment, heart attack

Kiran is a good friend, a perfect daughter, and has worked hard to be successful. One box not checked off her wish list is to fall in love. In walks Nash, the handsome psychiatrist who specializes in helping children. Their connection is incredible, but there’s a huge issue: Kiran is Indian and is terrified of what her parents will say back home if she tells them she’s in love with a white man. Her sister was disowned for loving a man from a lower caste, so what will they think of Kiran loving someone of a completely different ethnicity?

First and foremost, this is my first ARC! I got this book from NetGalley, and I’m so glad I did! I really loved how much Kiran loves her culture and the richness of life. She is comforting and kind, but stands up for herself. Something I really loved about this book was the author writing a scene where a woman mispronounces Kiran’s name and made a big deal about it. I don’t want to post any spoilers, but it was so well written. I also really appreciated a love story from different cultures. Being able to show a loved one your culture, while also feeling alone in having to explain customs or traditions. I’m Mexican. I love my culture. I love sharing it with others. But there’s certain things that others don’t understand, or aren’t passionate about. Even though my culture is different than Kiran’s, I deeply appreciated having a story to relate to like this. I’ll definitely buy this when it comes out in October! 5/5 recommend.

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

I just received the arc of this book today and completely devoured it in one sitting. This is an absolutely cute romance and I really loved it. Thank you so much to netgalley for approving my arc request. I loved this book so much and I definitely recommend it to anyone.

Rating: 4.5/5

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