A bit of a slow start but overall not a bad read.

This book is decently funny and has sibling rivalry that’s incredibly relatable. There were some parts of the story that I thought were a bit irrelevant - felt like they were just thrown in to get the word count up.

I always love reading about messy characters in women’s fiction reads. I find them so relatable because no one‘s perfect in life. And this will definitely touch issues that we usually tend to avoid when it comes about our siblings. And all I can say is that this book is messy for a reason, but it’s still a good read.

This was just so funny, sad, heartbreaking, silly and sometimes cringe. Everything is falling apart for Reeva after she finds out some news. Her sisters aren't the best fit with her and they all think the other has life easier. It's so hard to tell if they are selfish or she is in some situations. So many high emotions.
A lot of uncovering family mysteries and reconnecting.

Absolutely drama-filled fun. This book is well-written and full of twists and turns. For those who love Bollywood movies or telenovelas, this is a perfect book for you.

This is an interesting look at a dysfunctional family where the mother told the kids their father was dead, only to find out that he just died and was alive for years. Suddenly the 3 grown girls have to go through the complex mourning rituals for a devout Muslim. They meet his friends and community and are stuck between anger and grief, while dealing with the animosity between the sisters.

An interesting and kind of sad read, 3 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed as in this review are completely my own.

Thank you to the publishers at for the Berkeley Imprint of Penguin Publidhing for a chance to read “I Wish We Weren’t Related” by Radhika Sanghani.

A family dramedy starring an Indian family reckoning with the death of their father… even though he “died” plenty of years ago (I.e. exited the lives of his three daughters, Reevanshi, Sita, and Jaya). Our protagonist, eldest sister Reeva, reunites with her sisters after being estranged from them for two years all for 13 days of Mourning in Hindu tradition to hilarious effect.

At its core, “I Wish We Weren’t Related” is about Reeva coming into her own truth and using those new revelations to make her family bonds richer. It never veers into afterschool special territory in its sentimentality, and includes a healthy dose of comedy and the unglamorous parts of healing childhood trauma.

For a book that was about death, grief, trauma, navigating lifelong complicated relationships (with family and otherwise), and more, I had a blast reading it - which is a testament to the finesse in Sanghani’s writing. This is a book that hits all of typical story beats of a traditional romantic comedy… but in place of a typical meet-cute a la Meg Ryan, Reeva refreshingly gets a chance to fall in love with herself instead.

Interesting to me with the descriptions of Hindu funeral rituals. Reeva is not a character that I really. A red for. She’s got a lot of issues with self esteem and finding her place within society, her family, and in her love life.

Her sisters are both terrible. . Her mother isn’t great. She has refuge with her two nieces and the aunt she never knew.

This one drags, proof that I skipped from chapter 6 to 20 without really missing major plot points.

Thank you Berkely Publishing Group and NetGalley for the E-ARC!

I Wish We Weren't Related" by Radhika Sanghani is an absolute gem of a novel. I found the story to be so relatable especially that I am also South Indian and can relate to the traditions, the family dynamics that played out in this story.

The main character, Reeva, is the oldest in her family, with two younger sisters. They used to be close by with the way their relationships played out, have been estranged for a number of years. Their relationship with their mom is also very unstable and unpredictable.

Due to the stresses in Reeva's life, she is battling stress-induced alopecia. She made attempts to hide this part of her from her family and from her boyfriend for as long as possible. It was an important part of the story that deeply resonated with me. Radhika Sanghani's representation of this issue in the story brought much-needed visibility to individuals facing similar challenges.

After receiving shocking news about her father's death from her mother and the conditions surrounding the funeral and last rites, Reeva and her sisters were forced to reunite and unearth all the hurt and disappointment that they had buried.

I loved Satya Aunty and the wisdom and knowledge she brought to Reeva's life. We should all be so lucky to have someone like that in our corner.

From deep talks while squeezed into small bathrooms, to the laughter and the tears, spending 13 days in their fathers home was just what the sisters needed to reunite and find closure.

It was such a wonderful story.

A fun read that made me feel like I was watching a Bollywood film! I enjoyed the cat fights between the three sisters, all the family drama and how the vulnerable female lead Reeva Mehta found herself over the course of the book!
When Reeva finds out that her father who she thought died 30 years ago was alive all along and recently passed away, she is shocked! She wants to learn the truth but going for his funeral means spending time with her two sisters who she has grown apart from. Moreover, the stress from meeting them is making her Alopecia worse. Will she honour her father’s last wish and attend his last rites?
I also really enjoyed how the sisters put their heads together to figure out the mystery about their dad and how it bought them closer to each other.

I simply adored this book. The relationship between Reeva, Sita, and Jaya took me back to when I was younger and the way my siblings and I interacted. This story was so sweet and emotional, but had a real-life vibe to it. As if I was a part of the story, watching and feeling all the same things the characters were feeling. And there was so much incredible, interesting Indian culture! I learned so much, especially about the way the Indian culture honors the dead. I laughed so hard when Reeva was dressing her father and realized his pants were on backwards. I enjoyed this book so much and I have no doubt I will be thinking about the characters for some time to come.

First I would like to say thank you to Berkley Publishing Group for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. While I liked the idea, unfortunately the execution fell through for me. At times it just felt like it was a lot going on and while I don't mind an imperfect main character Reeva exhausted me. I appreciate the author's humour though and I think the characters and plot was unique and original.

3/5 stars

Thank you Berkely Publishing Group for the advanced reading copy!

Reeva has a lot going on. At 34, she's a successful lawyer in downtown London, caring for a super-cranky yet adorable cat, trying to establish a relationship with unofficial boyfriend, Nick, and... her hair is falling out Just when things couldn't get more complicated, Reeva gets a call from her absent and dramatic semi-famous Mom letting her know that her Dad was dead and his dying wish was for Reeva and her two estranged sisters, Sita and Jaya, attend his prayers for the next two weeks. This is made extra confusing by the fact that Reeva thought her Dad had already been dead for approx 25 years. Over the next two weeks and with the help from very wise Satya Auntie, Reeva is forced to confront aspects of her past and present that she has long since been avoiding.

Overall, this was an interesting read! I liked the cultural aspects a lot and feel like I learned a ton throughout the book. I think some people would really, really like this one. I enjoyed the character development, the relationship building and the unexpected twists. I felt like all of the characters, but Reeva especially, had a ton of growth and really found herself throughout the book. However, this started to feel a little bit redundant after a while. Reeva could be kind of whiney and a lot of the conversations she had were pretty repetitive. I think this book could have been about 15% shorter and still gotten the same messages across, plus would have been a bit more enjoyable. Overall, I liked this book and would read others by this author, regardless of the redundancy.

After a shocking phone call from her mother, Reeva Mehta’s life starts to sound like the plot of a Bollywood drama. From the outlandishly funny author of 30 Things I Love About Myself comes a hilarious novel about love, family, and new beginnings. This is a mysterious book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book.

Reeva thought her dad had died when she was 5 years old, so she's very surprised to hear almost thirty years later that he was alive the whole time but now is actually dead. According to her mother, Reeva and her sisters Sita and Jaya have to attend his funeral or else they won't get their dad's inheritance. However, Reeva hasn't been talking to her sisters since Jaya stole her boyfriend four years prior. This makes for a volatile situation and the sisters try and sort out what happened to their dad, while also being in the same space for the first time in years. Overall, this was a complicated family drama that was all over the place. Reeva goes through a lot in the book and attempts to process her past, yet is often told to just get over it. The theme of the book was forgiveness, but it was unclear why Reeva would forgive Jaya for essentially disrupting her life and both her sisters seemed to think she should just move on.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for this Advanced Readers Copy of I wish we weren't related by Radhika Sanghani!

A dysfunctional family, a thirteen day ritual filled funeral, estranged sisters, are just one of the themes running through this book. I enjoyed the interplay between the sister, Reeva, Sita and Jaya. When Reeva’s famous Bollywood singer mother calls to tell her that her father dies, Reeva is shocked and confused. The sisters were led to believe their father died in their childhood. What was the secret her mother was hiding, and how did that impact Reeva? I really liked the book, and would recommend it to readers of women’s fiction. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

"I Wish We Weren't Related" by Radhika Sanghani is an absolute gem of a novel that left me emotionally invested from start to finish. As a reader with Dominican roots, I was pleasantly surprised to discover the strong resonance between Indian culture and my own culture. The similarities in family values, traditions, and the sense of responsibility towards siblings struck a chord in my heart.

The main character, Reeva, may be the oldest sibling in her family, while I happen to be the youngest in mine, but I couldn't help but see myself in her struggles and her NEED to look out for her loved ones. The theme of family bonds and troubles really got me.

Reeva's battle with stress-induced alopecia was a powerful aspect of the story that deeply resonated with me personally. As someone who understands the pain of such a challenging condition, I was excited to see a main character who bravely confronts and copes with it. Radhika Sanghani's representation of this issue brought much-needed visibility to individuals facing similar challenges, and I am grateful for that.

Discovering the truth about her father's death after believing him to be gone for over two decades was an emotional rollercoaster that Reeva navigated by being a mess and then getting herself together. The impact of this revelation, especially when one doesn't have a relationship with their father, is something I could empathize with. The journey towards finding closure and healing was beautifully portrayed and felt deeply authentic.

One character who stole my heart was Satya Auntie. Her charisma, wit, and genuine care for her loved ones made her an endearing and unforgettable personality. I found myself laughing and crying with her throughout the story, and she quickly became my favorite as well!

One phone call changed Reeva’s life. After spending her life thinking her father had died it turns out that he has been alive and well, until his actual death now. His dying wish was for her and her sisters to attend funeral prayers with family she never knew existed .
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This reads like a Bollywood drama. This is a story about finding yourself, figuring out your family, all with lots and lots of drama and a dose of humor. Happy pub day to this one!
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Huge thank you to @berkleypub @berittalksbooks @thephdivabooks @dg_reads and @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
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I Wish We Weren't Related was family drama on steroids.

The love of Reeva's life left her for her sister Jaya 4 years ago and her other sister Sita sided with Jaya. The sisters have been estranged ever since.

Their mom is a high maintenance Bollywood star, who loves to keep secrets. The biggest one being that their dad didn't die when Reeva was 5 as she led them to believe. He actually just died, and the sisters are thrust together for 2 weeks for prayers as they try to uncover the secrets of the past.

There is a lot of emotional trauma that Reeva needs to work through, and I really felt for her. I loved her story, her facing her past, moving on, and learning to be strong. And honest.

The audiobook was superbly done!

I do think it was a bit long in parts and would have been even better with a bit more editing to tighten it up.

I received a gifted galley of I WISH WE WEREN’T RELATED by Radhika Sanghanil for an honest review. Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group, PRH Audio, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review!

I WISH WE WEREN’T RELATED follows Reeva, a young Indian woman whos life is turned upside down when her mother calls to let her know that her father has died. The complicated part of this is that Reeva and her sisters have long believed that their father was already dead.

Reeva and her sisters have complicated and strained relationships for various reasons, but her father’s last wish was for his daughters to attend his funeral prayers which means spending two weeks together. They take this time to explore their relationships with each other and try to get to know the father they never knew.

There were a lot of positives about this book. Reeva is dealing with a lot in her life (a new relationship, an ex who cheated on her with her sister, the mystery of why her parents faked her father’s death, and a stressful law career come first to mind) and all of this has led to stress-induced alopecia (hair loss). I think that the mental health component of this and Reeva’s journey of self-discovery was well done.

I did feel like the characters in this book were a bit tough to love a lot of the time. When I say that the relationships between sisters are strained, I really mean it. The best friend and the boyfriend are also adding more stress to Reeva’s life. This is a book where if you want messy family drama you’ll get plenty! This is a book that really relies on a failure to communicate (in a very intentional way) to keep the plot going.