Review: Match Me If You Can

Match Me If You Can by Swati Hegde
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

4.5 stars.

It's a perfect quick beach read, and it's very clean. It is set in Mumbai on India's west coast. The author wrote this novel in a very (I hate to use this term, but I know of no better) Americanized way. And I thank the author for letting me get a peek into this part of India and letting me understand everything; not all authors do so.

This read starts with a definite nod to Jane Austen's "Emma," so we have a fairly good idea of how this is going to play out, don't we?

I have to admit that several times, I wanted to throw my precious Kindle against the wall because this book upset me. Oh, not in a bad way, but the author sure can write a frustrating love story! And I was VERY frustrated!

Jia and Jaiman have known each other for quite a while, and of course, neither knows that the other loves them. This novel centers around this couple, but some of the secondary stories are captivating.

Jia wants to start her own matchmaking business, and Jaiman wants to have a successful pub. Of course, things don't work out the way they expected—naturally! I'm not going to tell you any more about this story; I just want you to read it. I hope your frustrations with Jai and Jaiman are the happy kind as mine were.

*ARC was supplied by the publisher - Random House Publishing Group, the author, and NetGalley.

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A young magazine writer in Mumbai must prove her matchmaking skills—and contend with growing feelings for her close family friend—in this debut desi romance.

Confident fashionista Jia Deshpande spends her days writing cliché-ridden listicles for Mimosa, Mumbai’s top women’s magazine. When she can, Jia dishes about the messy truth of real love on her anonymous blog, attends her family’s weekly game nights, and ignores her true feelings for her childhood friend. If that wasn’t enough, Jia needs to successfully set up a coworker with her perfect match to get the green light for her new matchmaking column. Thankfully, organizing meet-cutes has never been difficult for her.

Local pub owner and cocktail genius Jaiman Patil can’t help but be enamored with Jia and her meddling spirit. He’s always been an honorary part of her family, but even more so since his own moved to America. Life with the Deshpandes is chaotic and loud, but it’s also more loving than anything he experienced growing up, and he wouldn’t risk losing that for the world. It feels manageable—until his pub begins to struggle and his long-hidden feelings for Jia grow deeper.

When Jia’s attempts at office matchmaking go haywire, risking new friendships and her relationship with Jaiman, she must reevaluate her own thoughts on love. For the first time, Jia Deshpande realizes that love may be a lot more complicated than she thought. Luckily, happily-ever-afters are never in short supply in Mumbai.

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