Oh I was so excited to finally find something which will put Bollywood romance on paper but my God what a disappointment it was.Very shallow characters and the descriptions of female skin and body was so cringy.I did try to read it completely but after a few chapters it was unbearable.

I was really excited to read "A Not So Bollywood Meet Cute" by Miya Malai, but unfortunately, the book fell short of my expectations. The dialogues in the book were cringe and felt almost racist at some places. It was disappointing to see such insensitive language used in a book that could have been a fun and lighthearted read. The characters and plot were not well-developed, and the writing style was not engaging. Overall, I would not recommend this book to anyone looking for a good read.

This felt very racist to me, like some of the stuff the main character comes out with is shocking. Oh she speaks good english like you are in an english speaking country why is that a surprise. It didn't feel very bollywood and tbh I kept thinking does this person hate themselves or something cause how can this MFC like this MMC who seems to have the most stereotypical small minded thinking of Asian people?? Definitely not for me.

This book was so NOT for me. I didn't have high expectations for this one, having had it on my TBR for months and then randomly picking it up without reading the synopsis. Unfortunately, my struggle with this novel began from the second chapter as I found myself very uncomfortable with the MMC- Evan's depiction and interactions. He starts with just ogling at Katrina- the FMC- and judges her ability to speak English. I don't care about his backstory, the way he spoke to her was so wrong.

If anything, the book does a fantastic job in re-emphasizing stereotypes about Indians which are completely false. I absolutely hate how the author portrays Indian families as judgy and regressive. Katrina was married off too early, and her ex-husband in the story was abusive and cheated on her, which again shows Indians in a bad light. The bits could be just my perspective because I know Indians have these problems as do other cultures, but depicting most Indian characters in a largely negative manner creates a bad impression on western audiences.

With that put aside, there's really only one thing I liked- the quotes. Every chapter opens with a quote from Bollywood movies and songs which had a theme connected to that chapter. The writing in the book wasn't terrible as it was easy to understand, and I luckily got through this so quickly. The character and plot development needed a lot of work though. I felt like the MCs had just been given tropes and adjectives which then turned them into 2D characters. So much of Katrina's personality was just based off of her looks, mental health issues, and broken marriage.

And then there was the damsel in distress trope popping up over and over again. I can't be expected to believe that Katrina is an independent woman if she always needs men to save her. I understand the brothers being protective of their sisters, but they had zero traits apart from that. To make this even more frustrating for the reader, there is no real chemistry between the MCs apart from the fact that they have lust. I don't understand how two people can suddenly love each other after knowing each other for a few weeks, without having good conversations.

I'm sorry to say I don't recommend this book at all.

Not bad, just didn’t have me swooning. The characters were likeable and the premise was there but the execution fell short for me.

The premise of the book was good but the execution missed the mark in my opinion. I wanted to root for Evan and Katrina but found the plot points underdeveloped and far too much expository detail for simple interactions or character movement.

This one was something, not in a bad way. It was a cute book overall, I liked the romance and I liked the couple. I just didn't love it. Didn't passionately love this couple to the point that I never wanted it to end.

I got an e-arc of this book on NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to the author, Miya Malai and NetGalley for the advance reader copy of A Not So Bollywood Meet Cute.

I was really intrigued by the premise of this book. I loved that each chapter included a quote from different Bollywood films and there were definitely elements throughout the story that I could tell were inspired by a Bollywood romance.

Based on the title and premise, this book was not necessarily what I was expecting. While I do enjoy insta attraction in romance books, I thought that the actual relationship development was a bit rushed.

I think Katrina & Evan and their romance are the best part of the book. If you enjoy a secret relationship trope, this is a book to check out.

If you’re looking for a quick, easy romance read, this would be a book to consider. That being said, there are heavier topics included in the story such as domestic violence.

A Not So Bollywood Meet Cute by Miya Malai is a delightful romance novel that follows the story of Katrina Shah and Evan Kristof. Katrina is desperate to escape the drama and attention that comes with her high-profile family, but fate has other plans when she collides with Evan, Hollywood's golden boy. Despite her efforts to avoid him, Katrina finds herself drawn to Evan, and their chemistry is undeniable.

Evan, on the other hand, is tired of the spotlight and looking for a break when he meets Katrina. As they both try to escape their pasts and find some peace, they discover that they have a lot in common. However, their families and the chaos of an over-the-top wedding threaten to get in the way of their growing relationship.

A Not So Bollywood Meet Cute is a heartwarming and engaging romance novel that explores themes of family, love, and self-discovery. The characters are well-developed, and their interactions are both humorous and touching. The story is fast-paced and full of surprises, making it an enjoyable read from start to finish.

Miya Malai has created a charming and memorable story that will leave readers feeling satisfied and uplifted. The book is a must-read for anyone who loves a good romance novel with a healthy dose of humor and drama. Overall, A Not So Bollywood Meet Cute is a fantastic book that is sure to delight readers of all ages.

2.5⭐️

Thank you, Miya Malai and Net Galley, for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review


This book follows along Katrina Shah, a divorcee who comes from a wealthy and reputable family background and also Evan Kristoff, a fellow actor. They met during a fundraising event, which was held by Katrina. As the story progresses, this book could have been better. I liked Katrina's character. I love the mental health representation that is widely mentioned throughout the book and also the accurate representation of every Indian family, the gossip, the mindset nailed on! Plus, of the bollywood aspects of it are immaculate!

HOWEVER, I absolutely HATED Evan's pov. He was lusting over Katrina and saying all the things she did to him. Seriously, are you going through puberty right now? Aren't you like ageing towards 30? Unbelievable. There is not a single redeeming quality about him. All he talks about is lusting over Katrina's body. How's her body is perfectly for him. Blah, blah, blah.

Moreover, their relationship felt so flat. They started off as friends with benefits then all of the sudden in a few chapters, they're all like "I love this man to the core🥰" "he takes care of me" that was an immense progress with no development of their friendship. Katrina's pov was all tell and not show. We didn't see Evan doing all those actions but only through Katrina's pov. The book started off with Evan and Katrina's romance then it drifted off in the middle of the book where we see no development or hints of their progress in their relationship and drama was added in the middle of the book. Towards the end, I was wondering if Katrina came from a wealthy family. Why didn't they put her ex-husband behind bars? Like you're telling me you couldn't do that for your own sister who suffered from abuse?

The tropes in this book are insta lust and fwb, which are not my favs at all. It's my fault for not searching the tropes right away.

God I love Bollywood! This was so so so so cute and I really enjoyed it. It's well-written and different from the normal predictable two white people rom coms that are in abundance.

Very interesting to read. Wish there were more elements added. Otherwise love the references to Bollywood movies it was so nostalgic.

First of all, I would like to thank Xpresso Book Tours and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC in exchange of an honest review.
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The synopsis of the book and the gorgeous cover really caught my attention, so I was really excited to read a Bollywood inspired romance. Sadly, from the very first chapter (the Prologue) all my excitement went down by 90%.
The prologue was all over the place, with information being carelessly throw in passing and characters being introduced in a flat manner. I thought maybe the rest of the book would be more fleshed out and the confusion would cease as I read, like when there’s an info dump of information in fantasy books and you get the hook of plot after the first three chapters. But oh boy, that did not happen.
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First of all, Katrina acted as if she was an immature 14y old even thought she was 28y and the super serious and important manager of her family’s huge company. And the same can be applied to her cousins, sisters and even friends. The dialogue was cringe most of the time, and the constant reminder of how Katri was so hot, and sexy, and had huge boobs honestly started to annoy me after some time. And when her sisters and cousin literally started singing Body by Megan Thee Stallion (not once but twice) I had to stop and close the book.

And don’t even get me started on Evan. The first time he sees Katri five out of seven words is him lusting after her body and commenting on how good her English was. Dude, she’s literally born and raised in Chicago??? His friend Jaime was no better, and the constant remarks and comments about “Indian spice” “hot bodies” and other sexist and fetishisation passages did not seat well with me.

The plot of the book went nowhere. I was at 70% of it wondering what could possibly happen in the last 30% that had not happened yet. The last 10% of the book had a bunch of things happening at the same time and the epilogue was like a bucket of freezing water, with the book ending out of nowhere leaving a bitter taste in my mouth.

The Pride and Prejudice reference was poorly written and executed, and absolutely did not make the plot move forward because in the next five pages Evan apologises and that’s it. His constant attitude and mood swings in the beginning of the book also left me confused and made the pace strange.

The main characters personalities in general were non existent apart from the fact that: a)Katri was hot and sexy and had lush curves and sexy; b) Evan did not want to be famous; c) they both had anxiety and panic attacks. The side characters were not much better, with their “personalities” being literally the same and all forgettable and just there to fill the gaps.
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In addition, I’m not South Asian or Indian, so I was really excited to read about Katri’s culture and traditions but it was a bit of a let down. Apart from the wedding traditions I did not feel as if her culture was very explored. Even Katrina’s mother’s speech about her cousin marrying a black girl and how they should be accepted regardless of that, with her even comparing their situation with when she (a Pakistani) married Katri’s father, felt flat given how it was throw more like an afterthought and so out of sync with the rest of other scenes/paragraphs written.
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I found a lot of typos and grammar mistakes in the book, not to mention the constant shifts between verbal tenses in scenes that were happening during the time period. The flashbacks scenes also felt a bit disconnected from the rest of the book, starting and finishing without warning.

The mental health topic is very important and interesting, but it was approached similarly with the rest of the “plot”: some lines here and there thrown in anyway, disconnected from the rest of the scene, later to be repeated countless times as the book progressed.

To be completely honest, the book read like a bad Wattpad fanfic written by a 13 year old. The ideia was innovative and had potential, which sadly was wasted. It desperately needs an editor to go through the mistakes I mentioned above, not so say to an agent and beta reader to sit down with the author and orient them on how to properly flesh out the plot and characters.
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I thought about DNFing the book countless times, which pains me to say when I was kindly given the ARC to read. At the end, after powering through the reading all I can do is give it 1 (one) star out of 5 (five).

Sadly, I won’t be recommending this book to anyone I know any time soon.

I had such high expectations for this, but it ended up being really cliche. There was a consistent emphasis on wealth which was annoying.

I was so looking forward to reading a cute romance about two people who come from different backgrounds but are drawn together. Unfortunately, this didn’t work for me. Although the book alternates between Ethan and Katrina, they both sounded so similar in the way that they were written that it was difficult to distinguish between the two; the only real discernable way was because Ethan’s point of view was often sprinkled with his lust for Katrina. This might have been better served as being told from only one point of view because of this. This one just didn’t work for me.

I really wanted to like this book more, but it just didn't do it for me. While I liked the two main characters and thought they worked well together, it seemed to take more of a backseat to the rest of the plot instead of being the main story line. This book is an easy, light read so if that's what you're in the mood for you may still like this one.

I liked aspects of this and I think the mental health rep was pretty good. It felt authentic and gave enough detail of the cultures on display.

*ARC recieved via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

As over the top as Bollywood is, this book would fit right in. I liked that it showed the history of Pakistan/India instead of just saying the family was from India.

Pros:
The love quotes from famous Bollywood movies at the beginning of each chapter
The Bollywood songs mentioned throughout
The love between the family members and how much they take care of each other.
The respect between the siblings, your original ride or dies.
The main character (Katrina) not giving a damn what the aunties think and doing her best to hold herself up and not be brought down by the patriarchy and misogyny that is still happening today (both in the States and India)

Cons:
The constant F word. I am not against curse words, but sometimes it felt too much.
The description of things around but making sure you knew it was expensive (large computer monitor was a standout that I was like okay no need for “large”)
The switching between Katrina and Evan's persepctive wasnt streamlined, and the flashbacks to her previous moments was like a jump without any warning, you're like "what just happened?"

But at the end of the day you are looking for a super lovey-dovey book themed around elaborate weddings and clothes, then this book is for you and your auntie.

There truly needs to be more desi romance books out there. I've read with a few teen desi romances that are all wonderful, but this was my first adult romance featuring desi MCs and it gave me all the feels of my favorite Netflix romcoms. the wedding craze is so real and I loved the trope of the girl who hates fame colliding with.. fame itself. it's so funny to me to see them try to exist around each other despite him not being what she was looking for.

"A Not So Bollywood Meet Cute"

I would first like to start off by saying thank you for allowing me to be an ARC reviewer for this book.

I was super excited to read a book involving desi culture, however, I didn't like the book as much as I thought I would.
The writing style was just not for me.
In terms of the book itself, it was great to read a book involving mental health and desi culture/community. The relationship between the characters felt a little... forced to me. I just didn't feel what I wanted to feel.
The prologue at the start of the book threw me off a little.

Overall I would give this book a 3/5

Thank you so much again for allowing me to be an ARC reader for this book.