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When Dimple Met Rishi Hardcover – May 30, 2017

by Sandhya Menon (Author)

4.3 2,020 ratings

Book 1 of 3: Dimple and Rishi

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The inspiration for the Netflix original series Mismatched!

A New York Times bestseller
A Time Best YA Book of All Time (2021)
An NPR Best Book of 2017
A Buzzfeed Best YA Book of 2017
A Kirkus Reviews Best Teen Book of 2017
A School Library Journal Best Young Adult Book of 2017
A Bustle Best YA Novel of 2017
A PopSugar Best Young Adult Novel of 2017
A Book Riot Best Book of 2017
A Paste Magazine Best Young Adult Novel of 2017

“Utterly charming.” —Mindy Kaling
“Effervescent.” —Chicago Tribune
“Full of warm characters and sweet romance.” —Entertainment Weekly
“Get ready to fall in love with Dimple Shah and Rishi Patel.” —HelloGiggles

The rom-com everyone’s talking about! Eleanor & Park meets Bollywood in this hilarious and heartfelt novel about two Indian-American teens whose parents conspire to arrange their marriage.

Dimple Shah has it all figured out. With graduation behind her, she’s more than ready for a break from her family, from Mamma’s inexplicable obsession with her finding the “Ideal Indian Husband.” Ugh. Dimple knows they must respect her principles on some level, though. If they truly believed she needed a husband right now, they 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—wherein he’ll have to woo her—he’s totally on board. Because as silly as it sounds to most people in his life, Rishi wants to be arranged, believes in the power of tradition, stability, and being a part of something much bigger than himself.

The Shahs and Patels didn’t mean to start turning the wheels on this “suggested arrangement” so early in their children’s lives, but when they noticed them both gravitate toward the same summer program, they figured, Why not?

Dimple and Rishi may think they have each other figured out. But when opposites clash, love works hard to prove itself in the most unexpected ways.

From the Publisher

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up—Dimple is a headstrong girl who is passionate about coding and web development much to the chagrin of her parents, who wish she would focus more on her appearance and attracting a husband. Basking in her acceptance to Stanford, Dimple is surprised when her parents agree to let her attend a six-week "Insomnia Con" in San Francisco. Not long into her convention, Dimple discovers why her parents were so willing to let her go. She has been set up to meet a potential husband—the very traditional yet charming Rishi. The plot is moderately paced as the romance between the pair flops, then flourishes. The characters are refreshing, even if familiar. Rishi has a hidden love of comics, Dimple is a feminist who secretly yearns to please her parents, and the "Aberzombies" are the superficial prep school kids who get their jollies by making Dimple and Rishi feel like outsiders. The strength of the story comes from its blending of Indian culture and values into a modern-day romance that scores of readers can enjoy. This novel touches on issues of identity while remaining light and fun. VERDICT A strong choice for any young adult collection.—Christina Vortia, Hype Lit, Wesley Chapel, FL

Review

"Heartwarming, empathetic, and often hilarious--a delightful read." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"The strength of the story comes from its blending of Indian culture and values into a modern-day romance that scores of readers can enjoy. VERDICT A strong choice for any young adult collection." --School Library Journal
"The arranged marriage YA rom-com we've been waiting for." --Bustle Magazine
"This book is a hug you can carry, but it's also a smart exploration of how hard it can be to hold onto who you are and what you want if you dare to let someone else in." --Barnes and Noble Teen Book Blog

About the Author

Sandhya Menon is the author of WHEN DIMPLE MET RISHI (Simon Pulse/May 30, 2017) and a second YA contemporary coming in the summer of 2018. She currently lives in Colorado, where she's on a mission to (gently) coerce her family to watch all 3,221 Bollywood movies she claims as her favorite.Visit her online at sandhyamenon.com.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Chapter 1: Dimple CHAPTER 1 Dimple
Dimple couldn’t stop smiling. It was like two invisible puppeteers, standing stage left and stage right, were yanking on strings to lift up the corners of her mouth.

Okay, or maybe something less creepy. The point was, the urge to grin felt irresistible.

Dimple clicked on the e-mail again and read it. Stanford. She was going to Stanford. Even though the acceptance letter had come in the mail weeks ago, she hadn’t allowed herself to really, fully believe it until her student log-in details had come via e-mail. She’d thought that, at the last minute, Papa would have second thoughts and renege on the deposit. Or that Mamma would call and tell them Dimple had changed her mind (and if you didn’t think Mamma would do something like that, you’d never met her).

But no, it had all actually worked out. Everything was settled. She was officially enrolled.

Now, if only…

Dimple clicked over to the other window she had open, her smile fading just a tad.

Insomnia Con 2017:

A fabulous opportunity for rising high school seniors or recent grads! Come learn the basics of web development on the sunny SFSU campus this summer!

Just shut up and take my money, Dimple thought.

But it wasn’t that easy. It would be an incredible opportunity—this was true. She’d have a leg up on everyone else when she started Stanford in the fall. And think of the contacts she’d make! Some of the biggest names in web development had gone through Insomnia Con: Jenny Lindt, for instance. The woman was a genius. She’d basically designed and coded the billion-dollar Meeting Space app and website from the ground up. It made Dimple salivate just to think of sitting through the same classes, participating in the same activities, walking the same campus as she had.

But she didn’t know if she could push her luck with the parental unit.

The summer program cost a thousand dollars. And while Papa and Mamma were solidly middle class, they weren’t exactly flush. Not to mention she’d already stretched her luck about as far as it could go, she was sure, by asking—nay, haranguing—them to let her go to Stanford. She was sure the only reason they had agreed was because they were secretly hoping she’d meet the I.I.H. of her—no, their—dreams at the prestigious school.

I.I.H., for the uninitiated, stood for Ideal Indian Husband.

Uggghh. Just thinking about it made her want to banshee-scream into a pillow.

“Diiiiimpllllle?” Mamma sounded screechy and frantic as usual.

When Dimple was younger, she’d go running downstairs, heart pounding every single time, terrified something awful had happened. And every single time Mamma would be doing something mundane like rummaging in the kitchen cupboard, greeting her casually with, “Have you seen my saffron?” Mamma never understood why it made Dimple so livid.

“Just a minute, Mamma!” she shouted back, knowing full well it would be more than a minute. Dimple now knew better than to rush when she heard her Mamma call. They’d arrived at an uneasy truce—Mamma didn’t have to modulate her tone if Dimple didn’t have to drop everything and rush to her aid for saffron emergencies.

She clicked through the photo gallery on the Insomnia Con website for another five minutes, sighing at the building’s giant glass and chrome structure, at the tech nerds grouped together in inviting clusters, at the pictures of previous, jubilant winners of the legendary talent contest that gave them extra seed money for their apps or websites. Dimple would kill to be one of them someday.

Participants of Insomnia Con were tasked to come up with a concept for the most groundbreaking app they could conceive during their month and a half at the SFSU campus. Although no one could actually code an entire app in that time frame, the idea was to get as close as possible by the judging round. There were rumors that, this year, the winners would get the chance to have their concept critiqued by Jenny Lindt herself. Now that would be epic.

Dimple said a little prayer that she’d win a thousand-dollar lottery, turned off her monitor, adjusted her ratty gray salwar kameez, and made her way downstairs.

“Woh kuch iske baare mein keh rahi thi na?” Papa was saying. Didn’t she mention this?

Dimple stopped, ears perked. Were they talking about her? She strained to hear more, but Mamma pitched her voice too low, and Dimple couldn’t make out anything else. Of course. When she actually wanted to listen, Mamma decided to be quiet and reserved. Sighing, she walked into the living room.

Was it her imagination or did her parents look a little flushed? Almost… guilty? She raised her eyebrows. “Mamma, Papa. Did you need something?”

“Dimple, tell me again about—oh.” The guilty look disappeared as Mamma pursed her magenta lipsticked mouth, taking Dimple’s appearance in. “Wearing specs?” She pointed to Dimple’s glasses, perched on the end of her nose like usual. Mamma’s eyes roamed, squinting with disapproval at Dimple’s unruly black curly hair (which she refused to let grow past her shoulders), her face so completely unadorned with makeup, and sadly, in spite of Mamma’s optimistic naming, nary a dimple in sight.

She should be thankful I brushed my teeth this morning, Dimple thought. But Mamma would never understand Dimple’s aversion to makeup and fashion. Every other week one of the aunties from the Indian Association came over to help Mamma dye her roots black while Papa was at work. He was under the impression she still had her youthful color.

“Where are your contacts? And remember when I showed you how to do kaajal?” Kaajal was the potted eyeliner that was hugely popular in Mamma’s youth, a trend which she apparently hadn’t noticed had died away sometime in the ’70s.

“Vividly,” Dimple muttered, trying to tamp down the annoyance in her voice. From beside Mamma, Papa, ever the peacemaker, was making a surreptitious please let it go face. “I just graduated three days ago, Mamma. Can’t I have this week to relax and be lazy?”

Papa’s face now resembled a roti that had been left in the pan too long.

“Relax and be lazy!” Mamma thundered. Her glass bangles jangled in synchrony. “Do you think you’re going to find a husband by being lazy? Do you think, for the past twenty-two years since marrying your father, I’ve had a minute to myself to be lazy?”

Of course not, Dimple thought. Because you’ve been too busy hovering. She bit her tongue and sank down on the sofa, knowing that once Mamma got started, she’d be at it for a while. It was better to let her talk until the words petered out, like those windup chattering teeth you could buy at the joke store. There were a million things she could say in acerbic response, of course, but Dimple still hadn’t ruled out asking to enroll in Insomnia Con if the opportunity presented itself. It was in her best interest to hold back.

“No, I haven’t,” Mamma continued. “?‘Lazy’ shouldn’t be in a woman’s vocabulary.” Adjusting the violet dupatta on her gold and pink salwar kameez, Mamma settled against the couch. She looked like the brilliant Indian flower Dimple knew she herself would never be. “You know, Dimple, a grown daughter is a reflection of her mother. What do you think others in our community will think of me if they see you… like this?” She made a vague gesture at Dimple’s person. “Not that you aren’t beautiful, beti, you are, which is what makes it even more tragic—”

Dimple knew she shouldn’t. But the flare of temper that overtook her made it all but impossible to stop the flood of words leaving her mouth. “That is such a misogynistic view, Mamma!” she said, jumping up, pushing her glasses up on her nose. Papa was muttering something under his breath now. He might’ve been praying.

Mamma looked like she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Misogynistic! You call your own mother misogynistic?” Mamma darted an indignant look at Papa, who appeared to be extremely invested in a loose thread on his kurta. Turning back to Dimple, Mamma snapped, “This is what I’m worried about! You lose sight of the important things, Dimple. Looking nice, making an effort… these are the things girls value in our culture. Not this”—she made air quotes, which up until now Dimple hadn’t realized she knew how to use—“?‘misogyny’ business.”

Dimple groaned and clutched her head, feeling like that ancient pressure cooker Mamma still used when she made idli cakes. She was sure there was an actual chance she would explode. There was no way she and Mamma were related; they may as well have been two entirely different species. “Seriously? That’s what you think I should be relegating my brain space to? Looking nice? Like, if I don’t make the effort to look beautiful, my entire existence is nullified? Nothing else matters—not my intellect, not my personality or my accomplishments; my hopes and dreams mean nothing if I’m not wearing eyeliner?” Her voice had risen incrementally until it echoed off the high ceilings.

Mamma, caught up in the moment, stood to meet her glare. “Hai Ram, Dimple! It is not eyeliner—it is kaajal!”

Dimple’s temper flashed, the heat tempered only slightly by the dampness of disappointment. This was an argument they’d had so many times, she and Mamma could probably say each other’s lines. It was like they were constantly speaking two different languages, each trying to convince the other in an alien lexicon. Why couldn’t Mamma make the smallest effort to understand where Dimple was coming from? Did she really think Dimple had nothing valuable to contribute besides her looks? The thought made Dimple’s pulse skyrocket. She leaned forward, face flaming, ready to speak her mind about how she really felt—

The doorbell chime echoed through the house, bringing them to a standstill. Dimple’s heart still raced, but she felt all the million old arguments stall, unspoken behind her lips.

Mamma adjusted her dupatta, which had begun to fall off during the argument, and took a deep breath. “We have guests,” she said demurely, patting her hair. “I trust you will behave for them, Dimple?”

Papa looked at her with big, pleading eyes.

Dimple managed a curt nod, thinking, Saved by the bell, Mamma. You don’t know how lucky you are.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers; First Edition (May 30, 2017)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 384 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1481478680
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1481478687
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 12 years and up
Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ HL700L
Grade level ‏ : ‎ 7 - 12
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14.4 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1.4 x 8.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #955,029 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #190 in Teen & Young Adult Multigenerational Family Fiction
- #662 in Teen & Young Adult Romantic Comedy
- #4,660 in Teen & Young Adult Contemporary Romance

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4.3 2,020 ratings

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Sandhya Menon

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Sandhya Menon is the New York Times bestselling author of When Dimple Met Rishi; From Twinkle, with Love; and There’s Something About Sweetie. A full-time dog-servant and part-time writer, she makes her home in the foggy mountains of Colorado. Visit her online at SandhyaMenon.com.

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Tara

I had this book preordered from pretty much the moment that it was on sale

Reviewed in the United States on September 16, 2017

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I had this book preordered from pretty much the moment that it was on sale. A non-angsty book about two Indian-American teenagers whose parents have arranged for them to get married. Oh, my God(s) I must have it! And for the most part, it lived up the intense inner hype. This is the book version of the dopey look you get on your face when you think about someone that you are falling in love with. Warm, funny, and full of heart.

The book has an alternating third-person POV of Dimple and Rishi. The obvious choice would have probably been to go with the first person for this conceit. I am glad that Sandhya Menon did not choose to write the book that way because of all too often the voices of the two characters aren't distinct enough. With both POV having a single voice the change in perspective is still there, but the book still has a cohesive narrative voice. Very effective.

Dimple and Rishi were both funny, awkward, and incredibly relatable. I loved them as a couple. They have a lot in common, but they also have different internal speeds which are interesting to watch bounce off of one another. Dimple is buzzing, intense, and ready to go all the time while Rishi is relaxed and smooth. Often when they say the wrong things to one another, it is because of this. Dimple reacts and speaks before reflecting, and Rishi has thought it through so much that he forgets that he didn't say it out loud. I love how real that makes them feel.

There was a great balance between being Indian and having that be important to them and being two crazy kids falling in love. One part of their story is never sacrificed for the other. There is quite a bit of Hindi in the book. Most have to be gotten through context. I googled a lot of the words and looked up a cheat sheet to Indian clothing just because I like knowing exactly what is being talked about.

Dimple is pulled between her love and appreciation for her parents on one hand and her desire to figure out who she is on her own on the other. Her frustration and outbursts are understandable but so is the closeness that she feels with her parents.

Rishi is an interesting character. He has set his life up in a way that guarantees the path of least resistance. At first, I thought that he was just sort of lazy and only interested in being comfortable all the time. But as the book goes on you see that he has trapped himself with his own idea of who he is and who he should be. I loved his journey of overcoming self-imposed limitations.

Let's not kid ourselves, though. We are all here for the cute. And, man, was this cute. The whole story was super sweet, but I never found it to be cheesy. The weakest part was the plotting. Not much happened outside of Dimple and Rishi. Well, stuff happened, but I was always waiting for them to be alone together again.

I am wondering, as much as I loved this, if it would have been better set during the summer after college graduation rather than high school graduation. Maybe it is the marriage thing (although that is talked about in term of being ten years away even in theory) but the story seems more about that step into adulthood than going off to college. It didn't bother me as I was reading but it was something that I have been thinking about.

When Dimple met Rishi is a great read for the summer. I smiled my way through it and will be looking for more from Sandhya Menon.

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Fernanda (The Wanderlust Reader)

Go pick this book up now!! Such a fun and cute read!

Reviewed in the United States on August 3, 2017

Verified Purchase

4 STARS

This was honestly one of the cutest and heartwarming reads ever!!!

When Dimple Met Rishi was everything I could have ever hoped for and more. There was, and still is, a lot of hype surrounding this book which is well deserved in my opinion. The writing is beautiful and the characters are very relatable so it’s very easy to fall head over heels for WDMR!

With every turn of a page, it was like I was being transported back in time to certain instances in my life. It was really unsettling because it was so accurate to what I have had the “pleasure” *rolls eyes* of experiencing. There were numerous time where I thought to myself, HOW? Has Sandhya somehow magically been right beside me for the past couple of years and I had no freaking clue?

It struck home when Dimple’s aunt was telling her to dress and act more feminine because no guy would want to date her otherwise. This really resonated with me because my grandmother has told me the exact same thing on multiple occasions. She always tells me that I should wear skirts, dresses, makeup, jewelry, etc. more often because blah blah blah but that just isn’t who I am and the same goes for Dimple.

WHY DOES BEAUTY HAVE TO BE MORE IMPORTANT THAN ONE’S INTELLIGENCE AND PERSONALITY???????

But that’s enough of that.

There were so many aspects of this book that I LOVED!

It was so refreshing to see Sandhya talk about what it’s like to be an immigrant family in America because not many YA books, which I know of, that have broached the subject. I also enjoyed how I was able to get immersed in Indian culture during certain parts and learn more about it.

We also get to see two sides of the same coin with Dimple and Rishi. Dimple’s main reason for attending the summer program at Stanford is to create an app that will hopefully help millions of people while Rishi is there to meet his *possibly* future wife. Dimple is also rebellious in the sense that she doesn’t want to follow traditions but rather wants to focus more on her education and career. And that’s what I love about her because she is her own person and isn’t willing to compromise that for anything or anyone in the world. On the other hand, Rishi is very much so traditional and would rather please his parents than himself. It is important to note that he is a lovable goof who deserves the moon and the stars.

All I have to say is that this book is definitely full of feels and that it should be read by everyone!!!!

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Top reviews from other countries

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Gaby Mtz

Me encantó!

Reviewed in Mexico on March 30, 2024

Verified Purchase

Fue una excelente inversión! porque me hizo pasar un tiempo muy agradable.

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Apoorva

Raw depiction of two people's dreams and aspirations and their love.

Reviewed in India on October 14, 2022

Verified Purchase

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story of Dimple and Rishi. I started reading this book because of Netflix adaptation of the book - mismatched. But liked the original book much more than the adaptation. Great writing and character arc.

2 people found this helpful

Cayo Campos

Inteligentemente leve.

Reviewed in Brazil on August 2, 2018

Verified Purchase

Um dos melhores casais que ja li em contemporâneos. A autora sabe escrever romance e sabe como fazer o mesmo avancar no tempo certo, sem ser aquele amor bobo à primeira vista, mas com uma construção que faz sentido.

A cultura dos protagonistas também è um ponto alto na narrativa e deixa tudo mais interessante. E o modo como a autora explora o tema de gênero vs profissão è genial.

3 people found this helpful

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Cristina

Lettura in inglese carina e poco impegnativa

Reviewed in Italy on October 13, 2019

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Trovato a prezzo davvero convenientissimo per essere un libro in lingua straniera e in copertina rigida! Non ho potuto non approfittarne.

Una lettura molto carina e poco impegnativa.

La storia ruota attorno a Dimple, una ragazza di origini indiane nata e cresciuta in America alle prese con l’ultimo anno di scuola e già ammessa all’università di Stanford. Le sue urla e i suoi salti di gioia dopo l’email di ammissione però non sono condivisi dalla mamma... che per lei non vuole altro che trovare il perfetto marito indiano. Cosa c’è di più importante raggiunti i 18 anni che trovarsi un buon partito, sposarsi e sfornare bambini? L’università sarà un bel luogo di caccia! Ahimè.
Dimple è una ragazza completamente diversa dallo stereotipo di <i>ragazza indiana che fa felice e sottosta ai voleri dei genitori</i>. È una sorta di piccola nerd femmina. Non si trucca (per l’orrore e la disperazione della madre), non si cura e le interessa la programmazione web. È incredibile quando i genitori senza battere ciglio le finanziano un programma estivo al SFSU campus, frequentato in precedenza dall’idolo di Dimple e con l’opportunità di incontrarla una volta finito il programma.

Troppo bello per essere vero.
Si imbatte ben presto infatti, per puro caso, in un ragazzo. Rishi. Che si presenta come suo futuro sposo.

La storia di Dimple e Rishi è molto carina, seppur a tratti abbia detestato la protagonista. Rishi d’altro canto è un ragazzo fantastico e dolcissimo, di quelli che si contano ormai sulla punta delle dita! Nel libro vengono descritti tramite gli stati d’animo la diversa cultura indiana, i matrimoni combinati, le diverse aspettative dei genitori per dei ragazzi così, in realtà, giovani.

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Vanshika

I find it quite hard to confidently express my love for my heritage

Reviewed in Canada on May 30, 2017

Verified Purchase

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon is an exquisite piece of art that leaves a longing need to be a part of its story in the hearts of its readers.

I am not much of a contemporary reader. It's quite obvious that I prefer a fantastical or Sci-Fi novel over any contemporary any day when one scrolls through my To-Read, Read or Bookstagram pages. Although, an exception to that is When Dimple Met Rishi.

I adored the characters, their relationships, and the three-dimensionality to each one of them.

VERY MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD

As an Indian myself, I find it quite hard to confidently express my love for my heritage, my culture, my family's religion, and my Indian upbringing in Canada. What I loved about Rishi was how unapologetically Indian he was. He did not care if that made him 'un-cool' to the popular groups of people because he loved his culture too much to allow anyone to ruin his perception and his ties to his culture.

I loved how Sandhya also showed how there were two types of Indians by introducing Hari Mehta. I won't go much into detail for him, but, I will say one thing: I hate that boy more than Dolores Umbridge.

India, as not a lot of people know, is a country of many religions/mini-cultures. I am sure Hari's parents were the descendants of one of those religions/cultures, and how he insulted not only the one his family belonged to, and India as well by how insulted he felt even with his authentic, Indian name, infuriated me.

Dimple was incredibly relatable to me. I read her and felt like I was reading about myself. She was basically me except for the fact that she was good at coding, went to some sort of summer camp, and is capable of intimacy without laughing at her significant other. Okay, maybe we're not exactly the same.

I loved Dimple. Dimple was authentic to me. I am going to be eighteen soon, and I find Dimple's struggles incredibly realistic since me and my older sister, soon to be 25 years old, hear the same things from our parents. Although, that doesn't mean we don't love our parents, we do, but sometimes, like Dimple felt, the comments about marriage got annoying enough to snd us stomping off to our rooms.

This book felt real. This book is where I saw a girl just like me, and for the very first time, I felt the protagonist's story pulse through my body. I understood her struggles, her passions--I understood her.

I haven't really been able to say this about books I have read before and 100%meant it, but I found representation for myself, my family, and so many Indians I know in Canada, in this book. And boy, did it leave a mark.

I would recommend this jewel of a book to everyone who wants to know more about Indians, or is an Indian. I assure you, this is the best western tribute to Bollywood, and India in general, I have seen to date, even if it wasn't meant to be the amazing tribute it became.

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