Reviews with content warning for Racism - When Dimple Met Rishi

I really enjoyed this novel about a young couple trying not to fall in love. Dimple is driven and single minded, and Rishi is a hopeless romantic, so that’s a bit of a gender flip. The story was very sweet and enjoyable to read.

I liked the (sometimes conflicting) themes of being true to oneself, and honouring one’s parents and culture, and I thought this book did a good job of examining the tension between these two ideals. I was particularly touched by the scene where Rishi denies his true self among kindred spirits in order to be who his parents want him to be; the soul-crushing sadness of that moment was very gently but effectively portrayed. I also loved how Dimple’s adventure caused her to grow closer to her parents, and appreciate them more.

I was encouraged to read this book by a great episode of the Hazel, Harry, Katniss and Starr Young Adult Fiction podcast.

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nytephoenyx's review against another edition

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lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

When Dimple Met Rishi is cute for what it is – a YA Rom Com that takes place at a summer camp. Sure, maybe it’s not your traditional summer camp (it’s a programming competition) and maybe we don’t have John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John singing “Summer Nights”, but it definitely has that vibe.

And, in that way, When Dimple Met Rishi is kind of a fun light read. Don’t go into it expecting anything special as far as story goes. This book is good for cuddling up with a caramel hot cocoa and a couple shortbread cookies and a fuzzy blanket and just enjoying the cheesy dialogue. The word “forever” is thrown around! Hands are clasped to bosoms! It’s a little tacky at times, but it’s still decent for what it is.

Things that are nice about When Dimple Met Rishi? Some stereotypes are broken – my favorite being Dimple’s insistence to play the system and win the talent show by doing pretty much what every well-meaning, racist teacher would expect. I loved that she used that to her advantage. What I don’t so much love was how frequently Dimple in particular is dragged because of her race, gender, and hobbies. Especially in a place where others who share similar traits are not being tormented. It feels far too much like a setup.

I was also really disappointed in Celia. Seriously now.

When Dimple Met Rishi isn’t the type of book I normally reach for – corny YA rom-com – but I did like it for itself and I can see why it was so hyped a few years ago when the book first came out. If you like the genre, I highly recommend reading this one. Most of the things I didn’t like about the book are about me, not the book. So yes! I recommend When Dimple Met Rishi. Enjoy the cute! Enjoy the totally unrealistic airport scene! Just have fun with it.

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valpyre's review against another edition

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[audiobook]

[minor spoilers]

DNF'd at 31%. I was really surprised at the subpar writing of this -- overall, the book felt very "high school", if that makes sense. Yes, they are teenagers, but this is a book set at a transitional stage in both main characters lives (summer before college), and I don't think that that explains away the simplicity of what happens in this book. Considering it was set at a programming/coding program, it started off very laissez-faire, and pretty much no app development occurred as far as I read. Everything simply seemed set up for Dimple and Rishi to have conveniently romantic experiences.

The meeting between the characters created conflict that immediately disappeared when things were explained and turned almost immediately to insta-love/insta-attraction. And, okay, maybe Rishi was not to blame for their creepy introduction, and Dimple rightly realised her parents were at fault, but she honestly continued to treat Rishi (and a lot of others) really harshly. There was a moment where she thought she really felt like punching something, and Rishi's ribs were right there, but wow she certainly exhibited great restraint.

I think Dimple's impulsivity and passion are great characteristics, but not when they're aimed to be derogatory to others (this book's NLOG energy was off the charts). And I could've gotten on board with Rishi's romantic nature (which I think would've shown the good aspects of the culture of arranging marriages), but he ended up being more creepy than not.

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brookey8888's review

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funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Is this still a five star read? Probably not it’s probably like a four, but I’m not going to change my rating.

I really enjoyed my reread of this! I just really love the plot and the romance is cute. I always love learning about different cultures so it was interesting to see that in this book. I really enjoyed the friendship and family elements and how they grew and got stronger. I also really enjoyed the women in stem and a POC women at that. This is just a cute and funny read with some social commentary which I appreciated.

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