SONALI DEV
USA Today Bestselling Author
THE BOLLYWOOD BRIDE
Ria Parkar is Bollywood’s favorite Ice Princess—beautiful, poised, and scandal-proof—until one impulsive act threatens to expose her destructive past. Traveling home to Chicago for her cousin’s wedding offers a chance to diffuse the coming media storm and find solace in family, food, and outsized celebrations that are like one of her vibrant movies come to life. But it also means confronting Vikram Jathar.
Ria and Vikram spent childhood summers together, a world away from Ria’s tragedy-ridden family in Mumbai. Their friendship grew seamlessly into love—until Ria made a shattering decision. As far as Vikram is concerned, Ria sold her soul for stardom and it’s taken him years to rebuild his life. But he’ll risk it all again if Ria can find the courage to face the secrets she’s been guarding for everyone else’s benefit and finally stop acting and start living.
Rich with details of modern Indian-American life, here is a warm, sexy, and witty story of love, family, and the difficult choices that arise in the name of both.
“Dev’s exquisitely written second novel seamlessly integrates the explosive tension of Ria and Vikram’s love story with the universal complications of family, identity, and feeling like an outsider, even in your own skin. The modern Indian-American setting offers a glimpse of a rich culture and enhances the book’s overt and subtle messages of love, compassion, hope, and common ground. A bright, beautiful gem.” – STARRED Kirkus Reviews (Best Books of 2015)
“Sonali Dev is a gifted writer who creates characters that capture the heart. The Bollywood Bride is raw and powerfully emotional, a story that made my heart both ache and hope. I can’t wait for Sonali’s next book.” – Nalini Singh, New York Times Bestseller
“For those who like substance with their steamy romance, this novel is both a sexy love story and an exploration of how a tormented young woman learns to overcome family turmoil and look forward to a future with the man she loves.” – Library Journal
“Proving she is a talent to be reckoned with, Dev delivers an emotionally powerful and poignant story of childhood friends whose burgeoning love is stymied by seemingly insurmountable obstacles. The stigma of mental illness and uncertainties of genetic predisposition have weighed terribly on Bollywood actress Ria Parkar. Dev does a remarkable job developing a unique and moving love story that is brimming with sentiment, sacrifice and hope. Truly unforgettable!”– RT Book Reviews, 4.5 Stars Top Pick
“A lush, emotional, vivid story about the power of first love told in a breathtaking, lyrical voice. Sonali Dev is one of a kind.” – Kristan Higgins, New York Times Bestseller
“An exquisite, romantic novel with haunting universal themes.” – NPR (Best Books of 2015)
“Heartrendingly beautiful. This book tackles mental illness, personal privacy versus celebrity ‘stalking,’ and family loyalties. The anguish of Ria and Vikram rolls palpably off the pages, and it is riveting. I devoured this book in one sitting.” – Fresh Fiction
“Dev’s second novel, following A Bollywood Affair (2014), proves that she is a rising talent. Dev’s prose captures the rich and unique beauty of Indian culture while telling a story that is complex, culturally accurate, and full of emotion.” – Booklist
“The Bollywood Bride has it all: mystery, romance, and ghosts from the past that won’t be forgotten. Both Ria and Vikram are intriguingly flawed characters who will pull you in completely; they’re made for each other, and readers will race through this book to make sure they find the lost pieces of themselves in each other. It’s gorgeous, lush, and entirely consuming.” – Book Riot (Best Books of 2015)
“Dev deftly weaves themes of family and friendship into a beautiful romance, setting the story against a backdrop of a massive Indian American wedding, all while tackling issues of mental illness, family expectations and celebrity.” – Washington Post (Best Books of 2015)