The Book:
Love, Chai, and Other Four-Letter Words by Annika Sharma
Published September 21st 2021 by Sourcebooks Casablanca
Date read: October 12, 2021
The Characters:
Twins Olive and Ami
Brothers Ethan and Dane
Buy it on Bookshop.org | Amazon
The Plot (from Goodreads):
A charming NYC romance by co-host of the Woke Desi, for fans of:
• multicultural connections
• strong friendships and families
• a “will they/won’t they” story with powerful stakes
• the city that never sleeps
• bucket list adventures
• characters who fight outside expectations and pressures to build the life they want
Kiran needs to fall in line. Instead, she falls in love.
Kiran was the good daughter. When her sister disobeyed her family’s plan and brought them shame, she was there to pick up the pieces. She vowed she wouldn’t make the same mistakes. She’d be twice the daughter her parents needed, to make up for the one they lost.
Nash never had a family. The parents who were supposed to raise him were completely absent. Now as a psychologist, he sees the same pattern happening to the kids he works with. So he turns away from love and family. After all, abandonment is in his genes, isn’t it?
If she follows the rules, Kiran will marry an Indian man. If he follows his fears, Nash will wind up alone. But what if they follow their hearts?
The Review:
Love, Chai, and Other Four-Letter Words was so charming! I loved every one of the bullet points listed in the description.
Nash and Kiran made such a perfectly balanced couple. I loved how they both challenged each other to grow, through their bucket list and the subsequent adventures they took.
This book takes a very deep dive into Kiran’s family dynamics. While I can’t speak to how accurate these scenes were, I loved learning about this aspect of Kiran’s culture and her feelings toward her familial obligations. One hallmark of a really great rom-com for me is when the characters experience significant personal growth, and that was definitely the case here. Not to spoil anything, but Kiran and Nash’s story is well worth the read.
I especially love books about strong friendships, perhaps even more so than the romance aspect. Kiran’s friend group was so sweet, and I can’t wait to see what happens in the rest of the series.
While I enjoyed the audiobook and thought the production was top-notch, I did think the narrator’s voice was a little too girly and sweet for Nash’s character. I think this audio production would have benefitted from dual narration, with a man with a southern accent for Nash. She did voice Kiran perfectly, though!
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