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When Dimple Met Rishi  By  cover art

When Dimple Met Rishi

By: Sandhya Menon
Narrated by: Sneha Mathan, Vikas Adam
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Editorial review


By Mysia Haight, Audible Editor

WHEN DIMPLE MET RISHI OFFERS A FRESH, ROMANTIC TAKE ON TRADITIONAL MATCHMAKING

It's hard to imagine anything less romantic than having your spouse picked out by your mother. Still, having chosen my husband—a stranger I met in Jamaica—based purely on love, I might have avoided a lot of conflicts over the years if I had found a partner with a similar frame of reference right in my hometown. So, when I first read an interview with Sandhya Menon, an Indian American author who had written a contemporary romance with a fresh, positive take on arranged marriage, I was intrigued. As I listened to When Dimple Met Rishi, I was captivated.

At 18, Dimple Shah is obsessed with coding and her future career. She can’t wait to start Stanford in the fall, partly to get a break from her mother, who’s obsessed with finding her the Ideal Indian Husband. So, she’s thrilled when Mamma gives her the high school graduation gift of her dreams—a summer getaway at Insomnia Con, a six-week program at San Francisco State dedicated to app development. But Mamma has an ulterior motive. Insomnia Con is also where Rishi Patel will be spending his summer, and, though he plans to start MIT in the fall, his reasons aren’t strictly technical. A true believer in tradition and destiny, Rishi arrives at Insomnia Con with his great-grandmother’s ring in his pocket, looking for Dimple.

When he finds her, Rishi introduces himself with the sappy line, "Hello, future wife!" Dimple thinks he’s a creep and throws her iced coffee in his face. When he approaches her again, cautiously, Rishi explains that their parents had a hand in their meeting up. But later, when they're assigned to work together on a project, Dimple and Rishi genuinely connect. As the children of Indian immigrants, they both feel torn between honoring their heritage and being a "normal" American teenager. Their relationship is mutually supportive—Dimple encourages Rishi to follow his passion for comic book art, and Rishi cheers on Dimple’s ambitions—and passionate. But just when you think these two will have their happily-ever-after on their own terms, Dimple pulls back. I won’t spoil what happens next, but it’s touching, heartbreaking, and, in the end, hopeful.

The story is told in alternating voices, and narrators Sneha Mathan and Vikas Adam capture each character perfectly. Dimple is my kind of romance heroine—strong-willed and strong-spirited—but I also came to appreciate Rishi for his quiet strength. I left When Dimple Met Rishi rooting for them both and imagining the joy of their maybe someday marriage.

Continue reading Mysia's review >

Publisher's summary

Now that Dimple Shah has graduated, she's ready for a break from her family - especially from Mamma's inexplicable obsession with her finding the Ideal Indian Husband. Ugh. But Dimple knows that her mother must respect that she isn't interested in doing that right now - otherwise she wouldn't have paid for her to attend a summer program for aspiring web developers, right?

Rishi Patel is a hopeless romantic, so when his parents tell him that his future wife will be attending the same summer program as him - during which he'll have to woo her - he's totally onboard. Because as silly as it sounds to most people in his life, Rishi believes in the power of tradition, stability, and being a part of something much bigger than himself. Although their parents hadn't planned suggesting the arrangement so soon, when their kids signed up for the same summer program, they figured why not?

©2017 Sandhya Menon (P)2017 Dreamscape Media, LLC

Featured Article: The Best YA Audiobooks for Listeners of All Ages


Young adult audiobooks offer some of the most affecting, original stories that, despite the genre’s name, make an excellent choice for all listeners. Unforgettably poignant coming-of-age stories, hopeful tales of youth resistance, and brave teens reckoning with questions that stump even the wisest adults are at the heart of this exceptional genre. Our list features diverse characters and ensembles that will make it impossible to press pause.

Editor's Pick

I fell in love with these characters
"When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon marries my two favorite genres: YA and romance. I was in a listening rut when I stumbled upon this book, and it was exactly what I needed to re-engage. Sneha Mathan and Vikas Adam are perfectly cast as Dimple and Rishi, and I fell in love with these characters as they fell in love with each other. Dimple’s unabashed ambition was refreshing (and sends a strong message to young girls with similar interests), while Rishi’s romanticism was simply endearing."—Katie O., Audible Editor

What listeners say about When Dimple Met Rishi

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  • Overall
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    4 out of 5 stars

I wanna marry both MCs!

A fun romance with some of the most charming characters! I did think "coding" and the "app development" would be more involved in the plot. It's not, but I can't stay mad when the story and the romance makes me gush! You'll be happy you read this!

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

I had hope

I've been waiting for a cool book about South Asians in USA for ages... and then this.
I had so much hope.

Things I liked: I enjoyed the themes that most South Asian kids growing up in the USA struggle with such as dating, living in dual/ cross-cultural lives, interacting with people from different cultures and privileged backgrounds etc. I enjoyed Dimple's struggle to pursue her career, vs a relationship. I enjoyed her headstrong attitude. I really identified with her wanting to be independent.
I loved the focus on programming, and a woman of color striving to get into the field (especially as a women of color myself 1- travelling to the Bay Area, and 2- learning programming).
Enjoyed Ashish, 1- its my dad's name 2- his character is more like me.

Things I didn't like it: I hated that it was so Bollywood based, ok fine that's apparently the only skill or favorite skill. Come on there is so much more than bollywood and yoga to South Asians in USA, or is there?
There were some cliches like the rich boy helps out and woos the poor helpless girl. . The fact that both their parents were so understanding?!
Some of us are lucky to have understanding parents, others have to wait years to see parents adjust, and still more of us have major complex issues with family and parents.
Disliked Rishi, he was such a yes man.
The ending was annoying, I would have liked if they did go separate ways. I was hoping for a twist like Isabel liking Rishi, and maybe Dimple just moving onward and upward on her own. The author could have focused a bit more on the actual programming/ insomniacon.

Over all I enjoyed the book, and some parts made me almost near tears because I could identify with it. I guess this is better than no books representing south Asians in USA. I guess I can go write my own YA South Asian based romance now.

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One of my new favorites

I absolutely loved this heartwarming book. It was so well written and I truly loved the main characters. The performances were both wonderful. I’m still smiling.

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Loved It

Breathtakingly Original! I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the ending the most! Worth the read/listen!

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Heartwarming

Would you consider the audio edition of When Dimple Met Rishi to be better than the print version?

I didn't get the change to read this in print. However, this is something I will have to say about this book. I loved it!
HOWEVER, my only problem was there was no major conflict until close to the end of the story. Yes, there was minor conflicts here and there, but not that major conflict that truly rattles the brains of the reader. That is the only flaw I saw. Other than that, it was so moving and loving and sweet.

Who was your favorite character and why?

My favorite character was Rishi! He was so adorable and a true romantic. Plus, he was a someone I can relate to. A person who has to follow his head instead of his heart when it comes to making your family happy.

What does Sneha Mathan and Vikas Adam bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

These narrators bring authenticity to their characters. You can feel the awkwardness or the romance between the two characters. Also, as I am not fluent in Hindi, they make the pronunciations of the words very easy to understand.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Of course! But, I had to stop every once in a while for a breather... and to get back to my homework.

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Sweet and fun

This was a delightful story- romantic and kind. Both narrators were wonderful. All characters were 3 dimensional and both families were loving and supportive. Dimple is a modern young woman, who knows what she wants to do with her life. Her struggle to follow her dream is nuanced and realistic. Rishi is equally nuanced and realistic, but he (like Dimple) discovers the path you always saw before you may just lead somewhere different... or, perhaps, may be wider than you first perceived it to be. A fun read/listen.

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4 people found this helpful

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A fun listen for summer

Such a great story! Original, light and funny! The voicing is a bit slow, so I had to listen at speed 1.3! Recommend this to everyone:)

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  • AJ
  • 01-16-18

A cute love story

This was a sweet and cute story. Easy, nothing too dramatic and fun. Enjoyed falling in love again- feeling that young nervousness. Great vacation from life.

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1 person found this helpful

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Best Story. EVER!

The story of Dimple Shah & Rishi Patel have captured me, and I fell in love with it! Wonderful story!

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Excellent love story

This is an adorable young adult romance. Its beautifully written with unforgettable characters. But the true gift of this story that makes it stand out is the honest emotions of the hero. So many times young men are written to be almost emotionless until the end of the book. But this time we are taken on a journey with the romance in his mind. Its so lovely and warms the heart.

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