The Bollywood Bride (31 page)

Authors: Sonali Dev

Photo by Vernice Dollar of Studio 16

Sonali Dev’s first literary work was a play about mistaken identities performed at her neighborhood Diwali extravaganza in Mumbai. She was eight years old. Despite this early success, Sonali spent the next few decades getting degrees in architecture and written communication, migrating across the globe, and starting a family while writing for magazines and Web sites. With the advent of her first gray hair, her love for telling stories returned full force, and she now combines it with her insights into Indian culture to conjure up stories that make a mad tangle with her life as supermom, domestic goddess, and world traveler. Sonali is an active member of RWA and WFWA. She lives in the Chicago suburbs with her very patient and often amused husband, two teens who demand both patience and humor, and the world’s most perfect dog. Visit her on the Web at sonalidev.com.

A B
OLLYWOOD
A
FFAIR

Mili Rathod hasn’t seen her husband in twenty years—not since she was promised to him at the age of four. Yet marriage has allowed Mili a freedom rarely given to girls in her village. Her grandmother has even allowed her to leave India and study in America for eight months, all to make her the perfect modern wife. Which is exactly what Mili longs to be—if her husband would just come and claim her.

Bollywood’s favorite director, Samir Rathod, has come to Michigan to secure a divorce for his older brother. Persuading a naïve village girl to sign the papers should be easy for someone with Samir’s tabloid-famous charm. But Mili is neither a fool nor a gold digger. Open-hearted yet complex, she’s trying to reconcile her independence with cherished traditions. And before he can stop himself, Samir is immersed in Mili’s life—cooking her
dal
and
rotis
, escorting her to her roommate’s elaborate Indian wedding, and wondering where his loyalties and happiness lie.

Heartfelt, witty, and thoroughly engaging, Sonali Dev’s debut is both a vivid exploration of modern India and a deeply honest story of love, in all its diversity.

“Deeply romantic and emotional, with characters I fell in love with . . . simply unputdownable.”

—Nalini Singh,
New York Times
bestselling author

“The characters are so richly drawn, the writing is utterly breathtaking. . . . A voice like none other. I highly recommend you read this book.”

—Kristan Higgins,
New York Times
bestselling author

“An impressive debut . . . Vibrant and exuberantly romantic,
Affair
is chock full of details that reflect India’s social and cultural flux.”

—NPR.com, A 2014 Best Reads Selection

“All the ingredients for a Bollywood movie can be found in this charming romance . . . A contemporary, transcontinental romance told with a light touch and lots of sizzle.”

—Library Journal,
A Best Romance of 2014 Selection

“Leaves readers with a greater understanding and appreciation of Indian traditions while beautifully capturing the struggle between familiar duty and self-discovery.”

—Booklist

“As intricate as a henna tattoo and as sweet as gulab juman . . . Captures all the glamour, mix-ups and humor of a classic Bollywood film.”

—Shelf Awareness

“Make note of the name Sonali Dev! Based on this marvelous debut, Dev is set to become a star.... An absolute winner from beginning to end, this spellbinding tale grabs your heart and never lets go!”

—RT Book Reviews
, 4.5 Stars, TOP PICK

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

KENSINGTON BOOKS are published by

Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street
New York, NY 10018

Kensington and the K logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.

ISBN: 978-1-6177-3015-3

First Kensington Electronic Edition: October 2015

ISBN-13: 978-1-61773-015-3
ISBN-10: 1-61773-015-7