Book Blurb:
Milan (A Wedding Story)
When a daughter turns marriageable age, what should a responsible father do? Easy--wed her to the most suitable boy who comes knocking on the door. Jai Bharadwaj, Mili's father and owner of The Serenity Tea Estate in the idyllic Nilgiris would've probably liked to do the same, but being who he was, he had to ask her first. What would she say?
Book Details:
(I got mine as a review copy)
About The Author:
Simi K. Rao was born and grew up in both northern and southern India before relocating to the U.S., where she has lived for several years. She is the author of multicultural contemporary romantic fiction.
The inspiration for her books and other creative projects comes from her own experience with cross-cultural traditions, lifestyles and familial relationships, as well as stories and anecdotes collected from friends, family and acquaintances.
Rao enjoys exploring the dynamics of contemporary American culture blended with Indian customs and heritage to reflect the challenges and opportunities many Indian-American women face in real life.
Much of Rao's down time is devoted to creative pursuits, including writing fiction, poetry and photography. She is an avid traveler and has visited many locations around the world.
A practicing physician, Rao lives in Denver with her family. Her published works include Inconvenient Relations and The Accidental Wife. She is currently at work on her next release.
The inspiration for her books and other creative projects comes from her own experience with cross-cultural traditions, lifestyles and familial relationships, as well as stories and anecdotes collected from friends, family and acquaintances.
Rao enjoys exploring the dynamics of contemporary American culture blended with Indian customs and heritage to reflect the challenges and opportunities many Indian-American women face in real life.
Much of Rao's down time is devoted to creative pursuits, including writing fiction, poetry and photography. She is an avid traveler and has visited many locations around the world.
A practicing physician, Rao lives in Denver with her family. Her published works include Inconvenient Relations and The Accidental Wife. She is currently at work on her next release.
The Review:
I read Milan in one sitting from 4 am to 7 am, much to my mother's displeasure. But as I began to read the story of Ahaan and Mili, and I got deeply engrossed in their world and just had to find out how the story would end.
Perhaps one of the reasons I liked the title characters so much is because they reminded me very strongly of Jasmine and Veer (the first characters I had created). I understand that Mili behaves pretty much like a child, but she's only 24 and forced into getting married and her reactions to certain situations are completely natural. Ahaan, on the other hand, is patient and kind and tries to the strong support that Mili might need in her life.
I wish the author had told us a little bit more about the friendship between Mili and Annie, and what had actually led to Ahaan dropping Mili home in the torrential rain - and why had someone taken a picture of that?
It is a rollercoaster ride of a wedding, with some hilarious moments in between. The author tries to find a place where arranged marriages are still relevant. While I do agree with her that arranged marriages work out, I also do not believe that they are necessarily better than love marriages. Marriage is not a bed of roses and it requires nurturing from both sides, irrespective of previous expectations.
Coming back to Milan it is a thoroughly entertaining story with very believable characters (maybe because I am the kind that tests everyone's patience like Mili does or I have a tendency of writing similar characters) and Ahaan is the handsome, perfect gentleman that everyone secretly desires.
I got interested in reviewing the book after I read the Spotlight post I hosted that narrated the backdrop of the story. I loved how the author interwove all those brilliant settings into the story.
Read this story if you are in the mood for a quick, happy, lovey-dovey novella.
Rating:
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