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❗️spoilers❗️

I had received a digital copy from Net Galley a while ago but only got to it recently and I wished that I read this sooner! As an adult, Indian child who’s parents recently divorced, this was quite an interesting and timely read. Overall, “Late Bloomers” was such a great story and I should’ve read this earlier! I plan on recommending this to my mom to read and do think other South Asians should read this. As I had many thoughts with the various characters, swipe through to take a look!
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The Writing -
You can’t say that this book is not original because I feel like every other South Asian story that I have read by an Indian American author always involves some Bollywood-esque arranged marriage situation. To add, I think [author name] wrote each character very well - she had me mad at them but also crying with them. With that, it was great that the main focus wasn’t on romantic love but just love in general - self love, family love, romantic love, etc.
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The Characters -
I liked that the family was South Indian mostly because I personally don’t know that many, if any, South Indian families that have a divorce in the family. With the characters, I was absolutely Team Lata and Team Nikesh. I fully blame Suresh for trying to play the hero to Mallika for everyone forgetting about Nikesh and his son’s birthday.
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Suresh - I immediately starting laughing when introduced to Suresh because of him lowering his age on his dating profile because that’s just such a brown thing! Many relatives back in India did this to keep working longer so it’s on brand. As for his character, Suresh was VERY annoying and I am on Lata’s side - for him to blame his wife for the actions of their adult daughter was ridiculous but sadly typical and not a shock.

Lata - Loved that a guy made her a mixtape and now I just want a guy to make one for me. I thought it was great for Lata to meet and befriend Deanna because she needed a friend who could push her out of her comfort zone. Reading about her interviewing for her library position did have me crying as I felt for her as she opened up. To add to that, I did full on cry when Lata found out about her friend being diagnosed with cancer.

Priya - Priya was the character that I liked the least. She was just such a hater and wanted everyone to be miserable because she was too. It was one thing for her to lash out at her parents, however, for her to make wildly horrendous comments to people she met (i.e. Deanna) was not okay. Priya looked like she enjoyed throwing others under the bus to escape her own problems which I suppose I should sympathize but I really couldn’t.

Nikesh - Damn, I really felt for Nikesh on many levels. For one, he finds out that his ex-girlfriend fell in love with someone else while she was still with him and honestly, that’s one of my many romantic fears. Beyond that, Nikesh clearly felt so isolated that he couldn’t talk to his parents about his life and couldn’t give them any attention because they were so focused on Priya. Essentially, he was neglected by his parents.

Mallika - Mallika was another character that I had little sympathy for and didn’t like. One of her many red flags was that she had a profile on dating sites, and lied that her husband died when in fact he was very much alive and in jail! She’s losing her house and with nowhere to go, she shows up at Suresh’s doorstep, a guy she went on ONE date with…She essentially moves in like it’s her home and has the audacity to add like she owns it when talking to Lata…who designed the home. She was too quick to insert herself into Suresh’s life and take advantage of this family situation.

Note to publisher: I will be posting this to my instagram soon but wanted to post my review here

LOVED this book!! Similar vibes to ALL ADULTS HERE by Emma Straub and also like the movie Crazy Stupid Love. It’s basically about how everyone is learning and imperfect, no matter how put together they appear. Loved how you really got to know each family member and feel for them in their own way. Would love to see this adapted to the screen!!

Thank you #Netgalley for this read.

This was a fun and at times stressful read following a family each going through their own changes and secrets. We have the father, newly divorced navigating the dating scene and getting tangled up in a messy situation. The mother, also learning how to be single, make friends and dating. The daughter, in a messy relationship, not happy with where she is in life and being constantly compared to others. And lastly, the son, a new father, living in New York, in a "relationship" with his boss who is too scared to share the truth with others. I loved part three of the book when all the characters come together and learn about each others situations.

Book was just meh. Way too much going on everywhere that I just couldn't find something to stick to to enjoy. Honestly kind of overwhelming.

The Raman family is full of late bloomers. Parents Suresh and Lara divorce after their decades-long arranged marriage, entering new phases of their lives. Suresh starts internet dating and Lata gets a job for the first time where she meets a jazz-loving professor. Daughter Priya is 35 and stuck in a relationship that appears to be going nowhere. Nikesh, a corporate lawyer, has a son, but lied to his family about a marriage that does not exist.

The writing is good and the characters each have individual voices that shine. Voice is so important and Varadarajan nails it. This was a fun, but serious family drama about meeting expectations and living life on your own terms.

When I say that generational trauma is real, I mean that...imagine being in an unhappy marriage for the sake of the kids and then going your separate ways when the kids are grown and sacrificing their sanity for no good reason. This book is SOOO relatable due to my understanding of my family's desire to present a "perfect" face to outsiders because the chinks in the armor cannot be seen. Some very good evidence that supports my feelings on therapy and how each person should be true to themselves is presented within this book.

#NetGalley #DeepVaradarajan #generationaltrauma #familydrama #mentalhealth #selfawareness

Thank you to Net Galley and Random House for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. This story starts with a Indian American couple who has gotten a divorce after 36 years in an arranged marriage. Suresh is trying out online dating but not having much luck and doesn't really understand why Lata wouldn't want to stay married. Lata has a job at a library and is figuring out her new found freedom and what she wants in life. They have two adult children - Nikesh and Priya. Nikesh seems to be picture perfect with both he and his wife having high paying, prestigious jobs and a nearly 1-year old baby. Yet, alot of it is a facade - his "wife" is his boss at work (and in life) and he hasn't told his parents that they're not married. Priya is in a relationship with a married man and at the same time looks down on her father pursuit of dating. Everything comes to a head when Suresh has a woman and her son living with him, Lata is going on her first date, Nikesh and his family are coming to visit for his son's first birthday and Priya has a surprise visitor at the party...all while the parents' "perfect" Indian friends watch the bedlam. This was a fun story of trying to find one's way and happiness...while also being a family.

A very real portrait of a real family. At times laugh out loud funny, at times making you tear up. A good real life story!

A mother, a father, a son, and a daughter all lead separate lives and all have a set of unique problems. Funny, predictable, and a quick read. I like it for light summer reading and though the family is Indian, their troubles are universal. Each character comes through clearly and it is a quick read. Late bloomers, indeed! This would be a nice choice for a book club as well.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. Well, we all have problems.....

Late Bloomers by Deepa Varadarajan centers around an Indian family based in a college town in Texas. Recently, longtime married couple Suresh and Lata get a divorce and go their separate ways. Suresh stays in the large, suburban home that Lata went through great pains to decorate while Lata resides in an apartment in a nondescript complex, sublet through friends. They're both embarking on new lives with Suresh registered for all the dating sites and Lata getting her first real job and learning that a professor at the college where she works expresses interest in her.

Meanwhile, their two children Priya and Nikesh, both fully grown, meet up with their own adult challenges. Priya hides her love life from her parents while Nikesh appears to be utterly happy and successful. He's living in New York City with his wife and soon-to-be one-year-old son. But are their lives really that happy or together after the divorce of their parents?

I loved this story and all the characters in it. It's written in an engaging, colorful style that moves you through the plot, and you really get a good idea of who these main characters are and how they're handling all the changes in their family dynamic. I rooted for all of them, even when they made mistakes or choices you knew were faulty.

Humor is threaded through the plot, so you may chuckle along the way. You also get a few glimpses at traditional Indian culture from the parents and how they acclimate to the nontraditional, more American changes they experience. And the kids witness their parents changing, sometimes in ways they don't approve of and that surprise them.

Many supporting characters round out the stories of each main character, and they're well-developed, too. Some of the circumstances surprise the reader, and you won't see what's happening until you're reading it. There were times I was surprised by the twists and turns that really add to the entire story.

Late Bloomers is worth reading. It may not be a beach book, but I think it would be perfect to tuck in your bag during a vacation. I'm looking forward to more books from this debut author.

After thirty plus years of marriage (which was arranged) Suresh and Lata are navigating the single life with the help of their children. Divorcing in Indian culture after such a long marriage is unusual. This seemed like an interesting premise for a book so I had high hopes. Unfortunately I didn’t find either the characters or the situations very likable or engaging. I was expecting humor and/or pathos and I got neither. 2.5 stars for me. . I thank NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to read this ARC.

The Raman family is in a period of change. Lata and Suresh have separated and are trying to navigate the dating world. Priya and Nikesh each have their own relationship issues and are trying to navigate being adults with aging parents.

It's a fairly engaging read. I flew through the beginning and middle, wondering how things would turn out. Each character gets themselves stuck in a pretty crazy web of lies & secrets.

I struggled to sympathize with any of the characters. Although I like when characters are flawed, all four family members came across as selfish. None of them ever bother to check in on each other. It's the root of all their issues. And even though things are resolved nicely, I feel like another situation like this is in their future. I didn't feel like there was a lot of character growth.

Overall, not bad for a complicated family drama. Adults with newly divorced parents may enjoy it more.

* thank you Netgalley for an ecopy in exchange for my honest opinion. *

This was an easy read, but very enjoyable.

I can't say that I was blown away, the writing isn't particularly poetic, but I did enjoy this book enough to purchase a physical copy.

I am so happy that I came across Late Bloomers. This was such a fun, humorous read. This follows Suresh and Lata as they go through a divorce after thirty years in an arranged marriage. The divorce shocks their children and friends and causes quite the bit of controversy. There were jealous exs, dating mishaps, misunderstandings, and more. I wasn't sure going in if I would enjoy this book, but I'm so glad I took a chance on it.

If you like humor, family drama, and reflection on relationships, you should definitely read this book.

*Thank you to Netalley, Deepa Varadarajan, and Random House for the E-ARC of this book. This in no way affects the objectivity of my review.

What a fun trip into the live of an Indian American family in a small town in Texas. The story is told in alternating voices, primarily by Suresh (father and ex-husband), Lata (mother and ex-wife), and Priya, their daughter, with occasional commentary from son Nikesh.
Suresh and Lata are recently divorced after 30+ years of an arranged marriage and they’re each trying to find their way in their new lives. Little do they know that their two grown children find themselves in the same boat.
The characters are all richly developed - I want to learn more about their lives as well as trying some of the food that is beautifully described (like idlis)! Serious topics are covered, but there are also laugh out loud moments and sarcastic commentary (like Nikesh’s description of the playground dads in Brooklyn).
Late Bloomers is a wonderful debut novel by Ms. Varadarajan and I look forward to her next book! Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for the opportunity it’s to read Late Bloomers in exchange for an honest review.

This novel alternates chapters among members of an Indian-American family, all of whom are struggling to solve issues of love, relationships, and family. The author did a good job of portraying the different family members through their unique voices. I felt as if I was introduced to a new culture with its own special traditions and beliefs, as well as underscoring the commonalities among cultures and families.


I received this novel from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

I was really enjoying this book until it just had to keep mocking everyone’s appearance. I DNF’d after a comment about someone having a cleft lip. It’s in bad taste to make your characters mock people born with facial deformities.

This book made me smile so many times and kept me riveted until the end!

The Raman family has a lot going on as individuals and as a family. Suresh and Lata have divorced after 30 years of an arranged marriage and both are trying to figure out who they are as individuals separate from their identities as parents and spouses. Their son Nikesh lives in New York and seems to have it all: a marriage, a son, and a successful career. But those things are a bit more nuanced that they seem on the surface. Their daughter Priya is physically closer, but keeping her relationship with her married co-worker hidden from her family. Their family relationships and their connections to friends and romantic partners come to a head when everyone is celebrating Nikesh's son's first birthday.

Every character in this book was interesting and compelling and I loved how the story followed all four of the Raman family members switching between their perspectives. I hope Deepa Varadarajan continues to write as I will be picking up her next story!!

Such an enjoyable read, outside of what I might normally gravitate towards when I'm picking books. A wonderfully written debut novel about divorce, relationships and all the dysfunction that comes with family. This was charming, heart-warming and quite funny. I laughed out loud quite a few times reading this. Thank you Net Galley for the advanced copy!

Loved this one!

Late Bloomers gives us the perspectives of the four core members of the Raman clan. The children are in their 30s and are a bit shook by their parent’s unexpected divorce. The family is made up of 4 flawed people who are extremely likable and compelling. This family will stay with me for quite sometime.