When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon (Romance)

Dimple Shah has always wanted to pursue a career in web development. The summer program at SFSU is just what she needs to get a step further towards her goals, and also gives her the chance of meeting her idol, Jenny Lindt.  Rishi Patel always liked the idea of his life being mapped out in front of him. There is something so comforting about it to him. So when his parents tell him his future wife will be attending the same summer program as him, he's totally looking forward to SFSU with that single thought in mind.  However, it is quickly found, that Dimple and Rishi are complete opposites. Dimple's infuriated when she finds out from Rishi that her parents had practically planned her own future out. Dimple's done with her mother's hopes and wishes that she'll find the ""Ideal Indian Husband."" Dimple wants to take risks, face challenges, and live her own life.  Rishi's disappointed that his perfectly planned out future is already going off course.  He wants to follow the tradition of arranged marriages and was looking forward to having a stable relationship with Dimple.  Dimple wants nothing to do with Rishi, it's as if she's committed to proving that she won't just bow down to her mother's wishes. But that changes when Rishi gets partnered with her for the class project. Now Dimple and Rishi have to spend time with each other, though Dimple will soon find out that spending time with Rishi Patel is not as awful as she thought.  Dimple's already made it clear to Rishi that there is nothing between them. They are just friends working on a class project together, but Rishi still has hope, because the more time they spend together, the more Dimple realizes she actually does want to be more than just friends.  They might be different, but opposites do attract. Ultimately, Dimple and Rishi will find themselves just wanting to spend more time with each other and will teach each other many important life lessons. 

Overall, I found this book just okay. This was not one of my favorite books, but I still found it an enjoyable read. I liked the overall message of this book. The characters taught each other important lessons, which really made me think. I didn't really like how the book only focused on the romance between characters. I was hoping to read more about the actual summer program and the competition within it, but this book only really just focused on Dimple and Rishi's romance. If you like a good romance, this book is for you. This book is focused solely on romance so if your not a huge romance fan, you probabaly won't like it. The love story between Dimple and Rishi is a sweet one, with lots of life lessons woven in between. This book definitely made me think about life in general, and how you want to spend it. You heard life lessons from two different perspectives in this book, that would definitely get you thinking about what you want from life.  I don't know if it was just the fact that I didn't really like the personalities of the two different characters, but I just didn't really like this romance. I usually like romances, but this one was just not for me. So in summary, this was just an okay read, that only somebody that loves romance stories would enjoy."

Reviewed by Sara H., Grade 8