I bounced around between 3 and 4 stars here. At first I wanted to say this is a perfectly predictable rom-com, but then I sat with it a bit longer and realized, it's not actually that predictable. Several expected happy endings are left purposefully unresolved, so while the story is light hearted over all, it doesn't gloss over the complexity of relationships. It holds a delicate balance of not fixing the characters' flaws (and they are many) but allowing the reader to see each family member as both infuriating and endearing. This complexity of character isn't always easy to achieve, and I appreciated that it neatly avoided several tropes. Perhaps most important, this story made me laugh out loud on several occasions. All of these factors elevated this seemingly simple story of love and family, to a richer and more intimate portrait of humanity in all our messy vulnerability.

I cannot begin to describe how much I appreciate and love this story about an Indian American family, their marriage life, the food, the culture, and most of all the Indian-ness even though they are in America!! An original #DesiBook.

The characters are brilliant and so original I felt like an aunty snooping into neighbour’s house 😂 You’d understand the reference if you were Desi! Late Bloomers is like an Indian commercial film that has chapters of love, compassion, heartbreak, and humour.

Deepa Varadarajan is a brilliant debut author. 2023 has been a good year so far for noteworthy South Asian voices!! Thank you Random House for the gifted eARC

Late Bloomers by Deepa Varadarajan tells the unique story of a family after their parents separate... which at face value doesn't sound so unique. But, these parents had an arranged marriage and had never dated anyone before. Now, the parents are navigating the single life for the first time in their lives in their late 50s, while their 30-year old children are navigating their own relationships. We get chapters from the point of view of each member of the family, which I loved. I thought it was such an interesting way to tell the story, since usually there are only 1 or 2 POVs of the family and maybe an outsider looking in. However, we see all the miscommunications, difficulties, and hear the feelings of each family member, helping us connect with and care about each of them in their own special way.

I loved the characters and the ruminations on parenthood, raising children, and there were some very funny situations in the book. The plot wasn't super strong and toward the end I was wondering where the book was going. Ultimately, I enjoyed this debut novel and I think anyone who is a parent or who has separated parents will appreciate this book!

I really enjoyed this somewhat-comedic drama about an Indian-American family in which each of the 4 members is finding themselves and figuring out how to be in the world and with each other. Alternating chapters between each of the four POVs kept the story engaging and interesting, and it had a quiet humor that made me laugh out loud several times. I also appreciated the representation of the Indian parents and their American-born children. I'm looking forward to reading more by this author. Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for the advance digital copy!

Late Bloomers is a delightful story of the Raman family, and finding your own path in a world with many predetermined expectations. Recently divorced after 36 years in an arranged marriage, Suresh and Lata are living on their own, with opposing feelings on the matter. As Suresh quickly jumps into the world of online dating, Lata is content to settle into her new job and lead a quiet but peaceful life on her terms. The adult Raman children, Priya and Nikesh, are also balancing the societal expectations of their lives, against the real version of how they truly live. This book has many funny passages involving online dating, as well as many moving passages, especially as Lata describes certain aspects of her unhappy married life, and really does make you stop and think about how many of your own decisions are based on expectation. Deepa Varadarajan does an excellent job finding the right balance of a light hearted family novel, with a mix of humor, and thought provoking reflection. Late Bloomers is a book I would highly recommend, and I very much enjoyed it. Thank you to Net Galley and Random House for an advanced digital copy of this book, all opinions are my own.

4.5- I seem to really enjoy books about Indian families. I love reading the descriptions of food, clothes, and the scenery, and I truly love the dynamics within each family.
The members of the Raman family- Divorced parents Suresh and Lata and their adult children Priya and Nikesh are all going through their own relationship troubles which includes keeping secrets from the others in their foursome. Over a 3 week period in August all of their secrets spill out creating chaos and finally understanding while bringing the hidden past to light.
This book was funny and delightful! Told in alternating first person chapters we are given a front row seat to the lives of each of these dysfunctional (but in the best way!) characters and how they see the lives of the others.
The way the story plays out is perfect. I love the more in-depth look into the 4 separate yet overlapping storylines since each chapter gives us a different perspective of not only the narrator but also the narrator’s view of the other family members.
I found myself laughing out loud quite often and loved every character, even the side ones. This is Deepa Varadarajan’s debut novel and I certainly hope it’s not her only novel. I would love to see what else she has to offer. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an advanced copy of this. This delightful gem hits shelves on May 2nd.

Late Bloomers by Deepa Varadarajan tells the story of an Indian American family in which the mother and father divorce after thirty-six years of marriage. Theirs had been an arranged marriage where both parties “settled in”, but never achieved the loving relationship frequently attained in such situations. I had read that it was both funny and heartbreaking, but I didn’t find much to laugh about. Instead I found it sad that the parents and both of the adult children had suffered the consequences of this loveless marriage. The poor communication between them enabled them to harbor secrets that affected the development of their own relationships. The few instances of what could be comical came off as predictable and slapstick. I did care about the characters, and wanted them to find a way into each other’s lives. The author did a fine job of illustrating their struggles. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity of an early read in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 rounded to 4

Suresh and Lata had an arranged marriage, but after decades and raising children together, they get a bitter divorce; he feels abandoned, she stayed out of duty, liking him less and less. They are still young enough to want lives that are not lonely, so they try to navigate the modern American dating scene, while still very informed by the Indian culture in which they were raised.

Meanwhile there are the lives of their children--one having an affair with a married man, the other pregnant out of wedlock. The families react with emotional drama, judgment, tempers.

What I liked was the writing, especially the tension between cultures, which is different for each generation. But I think I was expecting more insight, kindness, growth? I got more realism than I prefer in a book--I get enough of that around me. Excellent writing, though, I want to reiterate.

I loved this book! When Suresh and Lata end their arranged marriage after 36 years, things for this Indian American family feel rocky. Suresh tries his hand at online dating which is a bit of a disaster. Lata is living on her own for the first time in her life and realizes she has never actually had a real first date. Meanwhile, their adult children Priya and Nikesh have their own stuff going on and are trying to handle the divorce as best they can. This was a delightful book about middle marriage ( even if it's ending) and raising adult kids. I loved it!!

Compelling story about an Indian-American family, told from each of the four members’ points of view. Secrets, cultural expectations, self-doubts, parent-child relationships and regrets are woven into this novel. The characters are very likeable and relatable and the pacing was good. There are some funny moments as well which add to this family drama. A satisfying ending to a good debut novel.

Thanks to Random House and Netgalley for this complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

My review was posted on Goodreads, Instagram and Twitter - see links below - on April 25, 2023. I will post it on Amazon on the day of publication.

I love family-centric books so I was really excited to read this one! This was an endearing cast of characters with a backdrop of important themes -- coming of age, diversity, cultural expectations, etc. Great for a first novel and I hope to read more books by this author soon.

As a messy, mournful look into the realistic lives of the members of an imperfect family, I thought this was totally fine. While the storyline is refreshing, most of the characters are unlikeable in less interesting ways; the only ones I was really rooting for are matriarch Lata and her coworker Deanna (who, unfortunately, is a side character who doesn't get as much time on the page). I wanted more growth from the characters, but I also understand that true growth isn't always achievable in the way they're living their lives.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the eARC.

This is a multi POV story told from four members of the same family. The parents have just divorced after a 30+ year marriage and are both trying to navigate what being single at this stage in their life means. The children of these parents are simultaneously each dealing with their parents divorce very differently and trying to understand and deal with their own interpersonal relationships. There was also a great number of side characters that drove the plot along.

This book flew by for me, I couldn’t put it down. I struggled with the entirety of Priyas story and found her to be the most frustrating although Nikesh was also a frustration. All in all, a great read about people just trying to find themselves .

An Indian couple in Texas, married for over 30 years with two adult kids, are recently divorced. Each chapter is told in the alternating voices of the ex-husband, the ex-wife, the daughter, and the son. The parents are navigating dating and their children have their own issues they are dealing with in their lives. I actually liked when the book started to get a little absurd and wished that Varadarajan would have taken the absurdity a bit further. Overall an enjoyable book that despite some of the sadness of the situations, had me laughing at times.

Late Bloomers is a book about an older couple who learn to navigate their lives independently after a divorce. The novel illustrates perfectly the flaws of humans as they figure out the nuances of romantic relationships. Although the storytelling is satisfactory, I appreciated the second act of the couple’s lives and their acknowledgment of their flaws, misunderstandings, and lack of knowledge around relationships has impacted what their children know and do. Overall, Late Bloomers is an average novel with a decent reflection on distorted ideology of marriage and dating in South Asian culture.

Suresh and Lata had an arranged marriage and after 36 years and raising two kids together, Lata decided that she had had enough and asked for a divorce. Now Suresh is trying out internet dating, Lata has a job for the first time, their daughter is dating a married man, and their son had a son with an older woman. This a take on modern day life mixed with Indian culture. I found it interesting and would give it 3.5 stars.

I received a free copy of this book to review through NetGalley.

Varadarajan’s first novel introduces a family of long-married divorced parents of adult children [one of each sex], who have a clumsy but hopeful knowledge of love, and who maintain a commitment to seeking it out for themselves. While each feels it for another in their lives, that love is not necessarily returned in full. There is affection that never quite rises to the point of marital commitment. Yet the characters are skillfully and lovingly drawn by the author and even to the last page you will root for them to be fulfilled in their search for love. Perhaps one day they will find it.

This book is pretty good but it’s not one of those where you can’t put it down. If you like family drama you will like this book! This book is to remind you that no one has life figured out.

Thank you NetGalley for the ebook ARC!

Each member in this family had issues and they covered many topics. They were a fun, hot mess and had to figure things out. I thought this was a very enjoyable read.
Many thanks to Random House and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I loved how this story was told from multiple points of view within the same nuclear family unit.

It really drove home the fact that people can experience the exact same situation in profoundly different ways.

The characters were all flawed in their own ways, but still (mostly) lovable.

It was an entertaining read and if you like a novel with family drama- this one is definitely for you!

Thank you to #netgalley for this ARC of #latebloomers