I felt that the main character was not developed and the whole time I was reading I was searching for another book to grab.

This was a story about love, loss, and growth. Right away, were thrown into the end of Durga and Jacob's, and the ultimate loss Durga has to face. It was quite a big event to happen so soon in the book, but also needed to Durga could grow as a character.

I didn't enjoy all the characters, especially Joy. While she was going through her own grief, I really disliked her as a character. Ultimately, I disliked how Durga was when she interacted with Joy. This was probably done primarily to show how their relationship evolves, but a little part of me wishes Joy wasn't in the book at all.

Overall, I did enjoy the book. There were some slow bits and some scenes that felt forced (like many of the early scenes with Luke). It's more contemporary than romance, but it works well. I give it a solid 4 stars.

Durga has moved to Ireland from India to start a new life away from her overbearing family. She falls in love and becomes roommates with her boyfriend's sister. When things start to fall apart, Durga will need to decide if she wants to fall back on her family wishes for her to return home and settle down, or if she would rather keep her independence even if it's uncomfortable.

I struggled with Durga's character for most of the book.. I wanted her to take control of her life, although I know that was the point of the story. The Indian culture throughout the book was very interesting and kept me engaged. That played a lot into the decisions Durga made. I couldn't relate to her character and found her very frustrating. I could see how other would really enjoy and relate to this book, but I did not.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC of I Will Blossom Anyway.

This is a slow paced and emotional story of a woman’s search for herself as she finds herself between two worlds —the one she left in India and her current life in Ireland.

I was surprised by how much India has become modernized. Until this book every story I had read about India was set in the days of colonization. I thoroughly enjoyed the book but can understand it won’t appeal to every reader due to the slow pace of the story. .

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed I WILL BLOSSOM ANYWAY. I'd anticipated a quintessential romance/coming of age plot, but it is more nuanced than that.

Durga has left her large and traditional family in India to move to Ireland for work. While in Ireland she meets people that alter the way she sees the world, including a brother/sister duo that ultimately impact the way she moves through life.

This book is an easy read with characters and circumstances that, I think, many will relate to. I hesitate to say more as I don't want to include any spoilers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House
Publishing (Ballantine Books) for the advanced digital copy of this book, My reviews will be posted to my socials on May 17, 2025, (Fable and Goodreads)

Disha Bose's I WILL BLOSSOM ANYWAY was not what I was expecting. Thinking this story would be the lighthearted romp of a romance, I instead found it to be a thoughtful and relatable story about straddling two cultures, not feeling entirely yourself in either one and having to find your own inner courage and higher self to prevail. I liked the way Durga propelled herself from India to Ireland, thinking she'd made it to a whole different life and then discovering there was heartbreak, grief, loneliness, and a whole lot of mess in making her own life on her own terms. It's coming of age with the twist of the cultural schisms, which so many of us are living right now. While I did not enjoy parts, overall, it was an interesting and enjoyable read. I received a copy of this book and these thoughts are my own, unbiased opinions.

A solid three-star coming-of-age story. I had some issues with the pacing of this book. I also wasn't that into the characters. Thank you, NetGalley.

Such a lovely, hopeful story about finding oneself!!
Durga lives in Ireland , after leaving her large family in India after she is offered a job with an up and coming tech company. She came to live on her own, escape her overbearing family and to grow. I enjoyed reading about her family’s traditions, culture and expectations, especially for a single daughter. Durga has always lived in her sibling’s shadows and she is finally able to be herself in Ireland. But she’s not really sure what that means. Many of those she meets in Ireland end up having a huge impact on her life and her decisions. After an unexpected , sad loss, Durga begins to question her future. Should she stay in Ireland or return to India? Should she find her own future, or the one her family wants to plan for her?

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this digital copy. This is my honest review.
3 1/2 stars rounded up to 4
Pub date 5/6/2025

I Will Blossom Anyway by Disha Bose is a romance as well as the missteps getting there. Durga is a young woman from Bengal living in Ireland because she has computer skills that are very salable. She had finally found a roommate, Joy, who as it turns out was Jacob’s sister. Jacob was the man over whom all of the young women at work were salivating. And, he was Durga’s, but it was a secret, obviously. Durga wasn’t ready to go public, she loved her time with Jacob and Joy and didn’t want it to change, but it did. Jacob realized that she hadn’t shared him with her family. She was taking Joy back to India for her sister’s wedding, but not him. That hurt and he requested some time apart to let them both think. Then, it was too late. She went for the wedding. Joy did not. Being with family was an amazing experience. She missed it: spending time with her sister, and with her brother. But, they had their own stuff and Durga was at loose ends.

Durga was a complicated character as are most young woman. Her ethnicity was not really part of the deal but it turns out she might have been a little racist, hence not wanting to take Jacob home for fear that they would be upset he was black. As it turns out they would have been upset he was a foreigner, but they would have gotten over it. She was so at loose ends that it made the reader want to scream. Again, no different than many. She tried one night stands. That wasn’t great. She tried dating, a no go. She contemplated moving home, until her sister came to her. Turns out she had problems, too. The story was a sometimes entertaining, sometimes not, slice-of-life. Becoming an adult is difficult, not matter what the ethnicity or locale.

I was invited to read I Will Blossom Anyway by Random House Publishing-Ballantine. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #RandomHousePublishingBallantine #DishaBose #IWillBlossomAnyway

“I Will Blossom Anyway” by Disha Bose is a wonderful novel showing how a person can have their foot in two cultures. The main character, Durga, escaped her close-knit family in Calcutta and moved to Ireland where she wouldn’t be pressured into an arranged marriage and all the other sticky issues of an extended family. In Ireland, she falls in love with a mixed-race man, but she is afraid to tell her family about him. She believes they could never accept such a relationship. He is unwilling to be kept a secret, so they split up. Her heart is broken and she struggles between wanting to make her family happy or this man. Unfortunately, Durga can never rectify the situation, and she learns to live with her guilt. And she learns how to move on, especially when she discovers her ideas of her family may not have been entirely accurate.

As a person who has had my feet in two cultures my entire adult live, I loved this novel and I could understand Durga’s dilemma of whether to stay in Ireland or go back to India. Many thanks to Net Galley for an ARC. My opinion is my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Ballantine Books for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I loved this book and read it in one day. I loved the characters and the storyline. I thought the characters had great growth. I would definitely recommend this book.

I really wanted to like this book, but 40% in I just couldn't finish it. I found the main character to be extremely drab, couldn't think about even remotely making a decision on her own, and complained about everything without doing anything to fix it. Secondary characters weren't much better, so I decided to let this book go. I'm sure others will get something out of it, just not my thing.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC copy of this book.

A romantic coming-of-age story about one woman’s exciting journey to find self-love, reconnect with family, and forge a new path for her future.
A cast of characters who I enjoyed getting to know and who were well-defined. They definitely made this book fun and exciting.
I was a big fan of Bose's debut, Dirty Laundry and was super excited for a new read by Disha which didn’t disappoint.
I loved the writing style and look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

I have always been interested in different cultures, but especially the Indian culture. The way families interact and live together fascinates me. This story is rich with cultural nuances and emotional depth. The portrayal of Durga's internal conflicts and her interactions with family and friends are rendered with authenticity and sensitivity. The novel's exploration of themes such as love, loss, and personal growth resonates, offering readers a compelling glimpse into the life of a modern woman navigating the intersections of tradition and individuality.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for advanced copy, and I give my review freely

This book is a gem! In spite of the fact that I was ready to chuck it after a few pages, I stuck with it and saw the beauty of this book. So many facets to this story, and not a shallow plot as I feared. Durga is an insecure woman who seems uncertain about and unwilling to give a happy, fulfilling life a chance; it was almost too much for me to take. But when given a chance, Durga's character rounds out and matures and it becomes obvious that there's so much more to her. And her flaws do not prove fatal, but she's 'growing into her shoes' in spite of her shortcomings. I would love to see a follow up novel so that we can see how she continues to develop. I would highly recommend this book!

This ARC was provided by NetGalley and the publisher, the opinions expressed herein are strictly my own.

Despite the cover, I Will Blossom Anyway is not a Rom-Com nor even a romance. Rather, it is a story of heartbreak and loneliness and grief and finding friendship and rediscovering family. It was profoundly sad, but also full of hope... hope that one can get through terrible tragedies, mourn, but also appreciate when happiness comes along in its wake. It is about finding yourself even when you didn't know you needed to be found.

I loved the co-settings of Ireland and India, both of which I have visited and love dearly. Quickly glancing at the author's Instagram page, I can't help but wonder if just a little bit of this story is autobiographical or at the very least influenced by personal life experiences. I'd love to hear her own story one day.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

This is the coming of age story of Durga who is caught between her Indian family's customs and trying to live her own life in the modern day world. It was a bit on the boring side. I didn't really connect with the characters and I kept waiting for something interesting to happen. No my favorite.

Simply beautiful story of finding yourself and your place in this world as well as navigating grief and loss. I will Blossom Anyway is filled with so many complex characters, ones that you will root for in their healing journey!
Thanks to #NetGalley and #Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Ballantine Books for the ARC.

A story of intercultural and interracial couples and families, written with sympathy and understanding. What happens when you fall in love outside of your family's clear ideas of marriage norms and appropriate relationships?

Durga takes us on the journey of reconciliation between modern life and family obligations. She finds herself in between full adulthood and knowing who she is - and who she's been. A good story with the potential for a Part 2.

Recommended for those who struggle to understand the interior life of neighbors and families from cultures outside of your own.

This is a coming of age story about Durga, first in her controlling her loving Indian family to leave home and enjoy freedom for the first time. She finds love and friendship in Ireland but then everything falls apart. She must learn confidence and acceptance after the grief to live a life she never expected.
Since the story begins with her breakup, much of the story is kind of sad and the pacing a bit slow, but the ending was wonderful and worth the read. This is my first book by this author and I thought it was pretty good.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.