Marriage by Arrangement

"Marriage by Arrangement" is the first book in the <i>Nights at the Mahal</i> series. Set in Las Vegas, we are introduced to Rani Gupta, an architect who has vowed to never put love over her career or freedom again. Meeting hotelier Arjun Singh, India's sexiest bachelor, is going to throw a wrench in those plans.

I thought this novel was a fun, easy way to spend a weekend. I enjoyed spending time with both characters as well as learning more about traditions and customs in Indian culture. Even though Rani is presently living in the United States, the writer depicted just how tightly she was still bound to the traditions and customs of India. After her first marriage ended in divorce, her parents refused to talk to her since divorce is still frowned upon in the country. There were some secondary characters that ended up not going anywhere and while I would have liked to spend more time with Arjun's sisters, I think I'll get that in the second book. The title is also misleading. We didn't get to the arranged marriage until we were well into the novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Desire for this advanced reading copy, scheduled for release on August 4th, 2020.

I've never read anything by Sophia before but I'll be sure to pick up whatever else she writes. I loved this book! The culture, the romance, the explanation to a non-Indian person was perfect. I'm so grateful for a better insight into the vibrant Indian culture and family life. This was A+