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A review by thebiglittlelibrary
Sari, Not Sari by Sonya Singh
2.0
1.5 ⭐️ Started fine but by the end, I was done
My issues with this story aren't necessarily with the writing/sentence structure, but more with the concept, the characters, and the romance. I was expecting a fun rom-com filled with rich Indian culture but was let down.
First off, the romance between Manny and Sammy was forced. They had absolutely no connection, so when they finally got together it felt random and abrupt. The author literally just announces that they suddenly like, no LOVE, each other without hardly any romantic buildup besides him picking a leaf out of her hair one night.
Second, and most problematic, there was a lot of stereotyping of Indian and LGBT characters/culture. Many characters were portrayed as caricatures and it was honestly uncomfortable and somewhat offensive.
Third, everything surrounding Adam and his relationship with Manny was bizarre. Adam was the most one-dimensional character I think I've ever met. He's a rich, business-driven white guy who doesn't have time for family and 'doesn't see color'. (If anyone has seen The Wedding Singer, he reminds me of an even more boring version of Julia's finance, Glenn Guglia. Like all we really know is that he's a massive jerk lol). And Manny, who is a beautiful, successful CEO is with him because . . . he helped her ignore the pain of her parent's death by encouraging her to work hard on building her company. They don't ever spend time together and when they do, it's all work. For a woman who runs a business that deals with relationships, she's unbelievably shite at them herself.
Fourth, most of the side characters act so immaturely that I couldn't believe they're supposed to be in their 30s.
As I mentioned earlier, the actual writing shows promise, so I don’t want to discourage the author. I genuinely believe she has talent, but the plot and its development needed a lot more work, and I blame the editors and publishers for that.
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review! As always, all opinions are my own.
My issues with this story aren't necessarily with the writing/sentence structure, but more with the concept, the characters, and the romance. I was expecting a fun rom-com filled with rich Indian culture but was let down.
First off, the romance between Manny and Sammy was forced. They had absolutely no connection, so when they finally got together it felt random and abrupt. The author literally just announces that they suddenly like, no LOVE, each other without hardly any romantic buildup besides him picking a leaf out of her hair one night.
Second, and most problematic, there was a lot of stereotyping of Indian and LGBT characters/culture. Many characters were portrayed as caricatures and it was honestly uncomfortable and somewhat offensive.
Third, everything surrounding Adam and his relationship with Manny was bizarre. Adam was the most one-dimensional character I think I've ever met. He's a rich, business-driven white guy who doesn't have time for family and 'doesn't see color'. (If anyone has seen The Wedding Singer, he reminds me of an even more boring version of Julia's finance, Glenn Guglia. Like all we really know is that he's a massive jerk lol). And Manny, who is a beautiful, successful CEO is with him because . . . he helped her ignore the pain of her parent's death by encouraging her to work hard on building her company. They don't ever spend time together and when they do, it's all work. For a woman who runs a business that deals with relationships, she's unbelievably shite at them herself.
Fourth, most of the side characters act so immaturely that I couldn't believe they're supposed to be in their 30s.
As I mentioned earlier, the actual writing shows promise, so I don’t want to discourage the author. I genuinely believe she has talent, but the plot and its development needed a lot more work, and I blame the editors and publishers for that.
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review! As always, all opinions are my own.