When Dimple Met Rishi (Dimple and Rishi, #1) in YA Book Bloggers

Jun 01, 2017 Heather rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: 2017-release, contemporary, rtc-review-to-come

2 stars
Find this review and others at A Thousand Lives of Frankie Lovely blog

Well ...
a lot of hype ... and ...
sort of meh at best actually

What I Liked

There were moments in this book that were extremely cute. The concept was adorable. I loved Rishi and Dimple’s first encounter. I actually really enjoyed this book until one specific scene where it all went downhill fast for me (see below). I loved Rishi and I enjoyed Dimple when she was being the Dimple from the beginning of the book (more on thi ...more

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Dec 27, 2017 Jackie rated it really liked it

definitely not as good as i hoped it would be in the first place (this was one of my MOST highly anticipated releases so my expectations were pretty high) but A LOT better than i expected after seeing so many negative reviews!

i thought this was SUPER CUTE and FLUFFY and i really liked that it was centered around two Indian main characters and that we got to see so much of the Indian culture! ANDDDD THERE WERE BOLLYWOOD REFERENCES AND I WAS LOOKING UP THE DANCES THAT WHERE MENTIONED WHILE READING ...more

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Mar 16, 2018 Kay rated it it was ok

Shelves: contemporary-chick-lit

2.25 (because I'm extra)

Imagine my joy (and apprehension) when I finally stumbled upon a copy of When Dimple Met Rishi in my school library, the book that people had been going nuts over at Goodreads. If you guys didn't know already, I'm Indian, and it makes me absolutely crazy, excited, and understandably scared that this book features Indian MCs and a view into our vast culture. Unfortunately, besides this fact, the romance, characters, and overall writing did NOT do great things for me.

I fini 2.25 (because I'm extra)

Imagine my joy (and apprehension) when I finally stumbled upon a copy of When Dimple Met Rishi in my school library, the book that people had been going nuts over at Goodreads. If you guys didn't know already, I'm Indian, and it makes me absolutely crazy, excited, and understandably scared that this book features Indian MCs and a view into our vast culture. Unfortunately, besides this fact, the romance, characters, and overall writing did NOT do great things for me.

I finished this book quick because it was entertaining and easy to read, but the writing was repetitive and the plot was practically nonexistent. The book had practically no direction but still happened to remain as predictable as typical dramatic Bollywood love story. Basically nothing happens for 75% of the book and then when something finally does, you're so bored that you don't even care about continuing. Especially since you already know what's coming. I mean, it only took 2 days to get through this book, but halfway through, I was this:

description

Dimple and Rishi, I will say, have pretty realistic goals, flaws, and personalities. Dimple is passionate and independent, but is rebellious toward her traditional parents (specifically her mother) who tend to focus more on her appearance and acquiring husbands than her interest in coding and computer science. Rishi, on the other hand, is much more welcoming and embracing of his culture, but has trouble expressing his true passions to his parents. The characters themselves were too inconsistent for me to be invested in, but I could relate to both of their insecurities and fears about who they were and what others wanted them to be. The secondary characters, however, were altogether unnecessary. Besides adding a dash of cringe (which every Bollywood movie contains, let's be real), they served no purpose but to stir up drama that had nothing to do with the message of the book or the plot.

The romance, in my humble opinion, was the worst part of the novel. After Dimple and Rishi's token awkward meeting, their relationship was honestly so rushed and unrealistically progressed. I do like how the typical roles are reversed in this: Rishi is the more sweet and romantic type, while Dimple is a bit more cold and detached. I liked that, but as soon as the 'romance' part of the novel kicks in, their personalities go from 0 to 100. Dimple's character becomes wholly inconsistent and Rishi's personality only adds on the unbearable amounts of cheese that this couple has. It was just a little too romantic, too cheesy for me to enjoy.

As for the Indian rep, I was pretty satisfied with the few details here and there, but it all soon descended into a stereotypical, forced mess. The cliched overprotective, marriage-obsessed Indian mother makes yet another appearance, and the whole concept of arranged marriages was exaggerated. No Indian parents in their right mind would look for potential suitors for their 18-year old daughter, in fact, it's a whole lot more realistic for Indian parents to stress and add pressure on their children's careers and education nowadays. Lots of young Indian people I know are far more invested in their education and struggle from peer pressure, parental pressure, and the stress of keeping up their stereotypical image of being 'smart'. And, arranged marriages can happen, but it's such a random concern in this day and age, especially considering the ages of Dimple and Rishi. The tiny references to Hindi movies and Indian food, as well as the snippets of Hindi were cute at first, but later became a little too forced for me. Sometimes I could relate to it and other times I thought it was too much, but I do give credit Menon for trying to add in a bit of our tradition in there.

In conclusion, When Dimple Met Rishi is an engaging and easy-to-read Bollywood-inspired rom-com that anyone can pick when they're in the mood for something light. I sure as hell hope y'all find it more charming than annoying, which is unfortunately not the case for me. Once again, I bid you good luck! ...more

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Jan 16, 2018 Amena (Nerd in New York) rated it did not like it

Shelves: 2018-read, 2018-3-stars, 2018-female-authors

extreme rant ahead, and minor spoiler
PLOT
PRO'S ✨

really great rep - i lived for the all the Indian culture references. like Shah Rukh Khan, Dance Pe Chance (!!), all the Indian phrases/sayings, the clothing, and the FOOD! rishi had a lot of Indian food in the story, and it made me so hungry. the author did a wonderful job with Dimple, and Rishi as Indian protagonists. i'm not Indian, but i am really familiar with it's culture, and every time there was an Indian reference i just laughed manica ...more

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Sep 02, 2017 Joana Bookneeders rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-love

4.5 stars
I started this book just liking it. It was cute and I wanted to know more about the culture, the characters were interesting and I wanted to understand them. Also, the writing had a way of gripping me.

After 1/3 of the way, I couldn't put it down and had to finish it. I freaking loved this book. It left me red, blotchy and my eyes were swollen (sorry for the image...). I couldn't stop crying for the life of me... I was a mess! But I couldn't stop turning pages even tho we could see the e 4.5 stars
I started this book just liking it. It was cute and I wanted to know more about the culture, the characters were interesting and I wanted to understand them. Also, the writing had a way of gripping me.

After 1/3 of the way, I couldn't put it down and had to finish it. I freaking loved this book. It left me red, blotchy and my eyes were swollen (sorry for the image...). I couldn't stop crying for the life of me... I was a mess! But I couldn't stop turning pages even tho we could see the end miles away! I loved this so much. It was such a cute and thrilling read with amazing characters that I want to read about more and more!

It's true that I was expecting a bit of a different story tho. The marriage aspect kind of dies right in the beginning, and I suspect that not every Indian girl/boy is that lucky. So I did want to see a bit more about that and it didn't have much. Also, after that went away since Dimple was so focused on her project and winning it, I was expecting more tension there, but that also didn't happen...

Basically, this book is about Dimple and Rishi falling for each other and helping and supporting each other. They had one of the best relationships ever, and I'm not even talking about dating, just about the connection that existed between them. They were just perfect for each other. They just understood what the other wanted/needed so well. You know when you know a person for a very small amount of time and yet you feel like you've known her all your life? That's basically this novel. I loved to see the interaction, love, and sometimes even shock.

Dimple was such a strong female character! She always went for what she truly wanted in her life. I didn't feel like she was selfish. I just felt that she was head-strong and she knew what was best for her life. She knew herself and her worth. Of course, she is still only 18 years old and after all, human. So she did make some annoying mistakes... But I could definitely understand her, although I loved Rishi and hated to see him so broken, he kinda needed that push.

Rishi is without a doubt the best male character ever. He is the sweetest most perfect thing I ever met and I wonder if there's any Rishis in the world. For sure I doubt there's many. He did everything for who he loved. I also really liked how along the novel he grew up and so things differently not only about himself and his desires but also about his brother. Because I loved Ashish! (I'm so excited for the book featuring him! SO EXCITED!)

I also really loved how much they loved their parents, and although they showed it in a very different way, I could feel how important family was to them.

And of course, the writing was also on point. It was easy to read and extremely gripping and emotional. In some parts it actually got me snorting, so I definitely loved it! It's hard to believe this was a debut novel.

It was heartwarming perfectness and I would definitely recommend it! It's such a cute romance and I loved the Indian aspect to it! It's cute and emotional and it will make you cry A LOT. Worth it. ...more

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May 09, 2020 Mia rated it it was ok

this books is, uh, wowwww. I wanted to love it but I just couldn’t?? it was somewhat cute (which is the only thing that brought it up from 1 stars), but there’s a lot to unpack here

The Characters
Uhhh they were annoying? I don’t have much to say about Rishi, but Dimple was.....yeah. She doesn’t wear makeup! She doesn’t wear booty shorts! She doesn’t have super-girly long hair! She hits her boyfriend when he makes jokes, and then feels no remorse about it!!! She also peer pressured her boyfrien this books is, uh, wowwww. I wanted to love it but I just couldn’t?? it was somewhat cute (which is the only thing that brought it up from 1 stars), but there’s a lot to unpack here

The Characters
Uhhh they were annoying? I don’t have much to say about Rishi, but Dimple was.....yeah. She doesn’t wear makeup! She doesn’t wear booty shorts! She doesn’t have super-girly long hair! She hits her boyfriend when he makes jokes, and then feels no remorse about it!!! She also peer pressured her boyfriend into drinking and eating strange foods/drinks at a college party because she “trusts them”!!! She had zero (0) sense of humor, personality, anything. She also hates any other female that gets remotely any attention. She literally said that she wanted to hate her best friend or 3 weeks because she looked hot. Also, according to Dimple, a true successful female can’t be in a relationship (??). She (and Rishi) are rude to every single person for no reason. No wonder they didn’t have other friends?? This girl literally threw $5 coffee at a guy because he said “hi, future wife” or whatever. I can’t do this, lmao. She also took photos of Rishi’s creative work without consent and then sent them to an artist when he explicitly stated that he didn’t want that. Cute!! So quirky!! Fake feminism really hit this book hard.

The Plot
The entire premise of this book is supposed to be about some epic coder girl who goes to coding camp and, yknow, codes. Big plot twist here: they never coded. There were maybe a few coding references here and there, but other than that, nothing. Also!! You would think during a 6 week coding camp, you’d focus on your coding. Instead, this introvert spends all of her time at social gatherings and dancing for a pointless talent show (??? literally what was the point of the talent show, I have no clue).

The Writing
I guess the writing was okay? It almost felt like a middle grade book because it was so simple, but at the same time it was kind of hard to follow at times. It was mostly just boring and lackluster.

yikes. just yikes. spare yourselves some time ...more

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May 27, 2017 Moira rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2017

Number of pages: 378

Number of times read (including the time before this review): 1

Rating (out of five stars): 4

When Dimple Met Rishi is unbelievably cute, and it was exactly what I needed after a string of disappointing fantasy books. I’m still not a contemporary book fan, and I do have some complaints, but other than that, When Dimple Met Rishi was a really solid debut novel.

I love all the characters, especially Celia, Dimple and her parents. I strongly relate to Dimple; just replace coding wi Number of pages: 378

Number of times read (including the time before this review): 1

Rating (out of five stars): 4

When Dimple Met Rishi is unbelievably cute, and it was exactly what I needed after a string of disappointing fantasy books. I’m still not a contemporary book fan, and I do have some complaints, but other than that, When Dimple Met Rishi was a really solid debut novel.

I love all the characters, especially Celia, Dimple and her parents. I strongly relate to Dimple; just replace coding with books (though I did go to a one day program called Girls Rock I.T. No knowledge was retained), and cultural heritage with a distinct lack of cultural heritage. I loved seeing Dimple realize that her parents genuinely cared about her happiness. I also loved seeing Rishi realize that he should do what makes him happy, rather than what makes his parents happy. I am also officially dubbing the rich, popular kids aberzombies from now on.

I appreciate seeing phases in what I believe is Hindu (don’t take my word for it. I can barely form a sentence in my country’s second language). I used to be bothered when books include phrases in other languages without translating them, but then I remember how I feel whenever I can understand when people in books speak French. It makes me feel like the book is written for me.

One of my issues with When Dimple Met Rishi was that it would switch perspectives halfway through a chapter. There was fair warning for the perspective change, but it didn’t really work for me. I am okay with novels that change perspectives, but I prefer chapters to be dedicated to a specific character.

It was also really nice to see characters going into college/ university. It’s probably because I don’t normally read contemporary, but it was nice to read about characters in the same situation I’m in (I will be done with High School in a month).

Overall, When Dimple Met Rishi was a sweet contemporary that taught me about a culture that I previously had very little knowledge about. It has therefore earned 4 out of 5 stars.

You can read more of my reviews on my blog. ...more

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Jul 16, 2024 Nicole(Newbookcats) rated it did not like it

Shelves: cover-love, 1-star, young-adult

When everyone shouts that the whole world should read one book, what should I do? Run head first into the bookstore and demand that someone should show me the book? Ignore everyone and hide in a cave with my already humongous tbr list? For When Dimple Met Rishi, I ran to this book. Once I finished the book, I immediately wished that I found a cave with a cuddly bear because I made a terrible decision.

Literature has caught up with the diverse nature of our world, particularly as of recently. In When everyone shouts that the whole world should read one book, what should I do? Run head first into the bookstore and demand that someone should show me the book? Ignore everyone and hide in a cave with my already humongous tbr list? For When Dimple Met Rishi, I ran to this book. Once I finished the book, I immediately wished that I found a cave with a cuddly bear because I made a terrible decision.

Literature has caught up with the diverse nature of our world, particularly as of recently. In 2017, this book sparked much exclamations due to its female protagonist's Indian ethnicity. While this was a step in the right direction as to including characters of all backgrounds, this was the only good aspect of the novel.

Dimple, the female MC, was aggravatingly annoying, rude to nearly everyone, and embodied the 'manic pixie dream' girl. And, of course, no Cupid's bow would ever fix Dimple's attitude as she would continue to throw her iced coffee at me.

Further, there is much to say about the expression of feminism, particularly women majoring/working in STEM fields, within these pages. Dimple builds websites out of paragraphs and is excited to further her coding expertise at a summer camp. This is an amazing opportunity for Menon to display a powerful female character and how her strengths carry in a male-dominated industry; unfortunately, Menon took the title of 'girl-boss' a little too extreme, as it should be up to the person (male, female, those who identify other genders) to embrace their passions -- not just for the sake of being different. (Plus, coding is fun as a beginner...encourage others! Don't minimize the efforts of others!) Further, Dimple's reactions to Rishi, the love interest set to code his name into Dimple's heart as part of an arranged marriage, only seem to belittle those who seek a romantic relationship and, moreover, any career besides web developing. As a previous Chemistry major, I desired to see Menon destigmatize female presence in STEM careers; rather, I was disheartened by Dimple's sour mood and inability to empathize with others.

Thus, this novel is a strict no from me, and I will not be continuing with the sequels. ...more

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May 30, 2017 Bookhemianrhapsody rated it it was amazing

This book was just as good as I expected. The diversity in this book is amazing and makes the story so interesting and fun to read. It was so different from other kinds of contemporaries I have read. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who loves summer contemporary reads.

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Aug 21, 2019 Christina Reid rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Didn't expect to love this as much as I did, despite all the hype saying how brilliant it is.
Dimple and Rishi are both absolutely adorable and their relationship is a lot of fun. I loved all the side characters too as they were realistic, even those I didn't actually like. Bonus that Dimple is super into her computer programming!
4.5 stars. ...more

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