How Simi Got Her Groom Back by Sonali Dev ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

Two sisters face the real consequences of a fake marriage scheme in an emotional yet hilarious novel about immigration, healing, and family 

Two sisters. One fake marriage. Zero chance of keeping the truth hidden.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site.  A free book was provided for an honest review.

March 2026; Lake Union Publishing; 978-1662524301
audio, ebook, print (319 pages); women's fiction

I love to read books about sisters, and these two sisters are as different as night and day.  Despite their differences, they love each other and are willing to sacrifice happiness in their own lives to make sure that the other sister is safe and happy.

The Naik sisters escaped their lives in Mumbai and immigrated to America.  Their journeys were totally different.  Simi is a nurse who works in pediatrics in a small town in Kentucky.  She also works as a nanny for a doctor and his wife, helping to take care of their triplets.  While working at their house, she meets Prem.  Even though they have fallen in love and plan to get married, they still haven’t told Prem’s family.  Simi is a hard worker and is always helpful and accommodating to other people, even if she has to push her own feelings aside.  Her sister Rupi is outspoken and on the run from the law.  She arrived in America as a potential sex worker and has lost her passport and identification, and is worried about being caught and deported back home, where she wouldn’t be safe.  Rupi was the older sister and always took care of Sumi, but when she shows up unexpectedly on Simi’s doorstep, it’s Rupi who needs help.  To help her sister from being deported, Sumi suggests a fake marriage between Rupi and Prem.  Even though Simi is jealous of the upcoming wedding and the way that the family has accepted Rupi, she knows that she has to protect her sister and keep her from being deported to their homeland, where her life will be in danger.  As the wedding gets closer, the sisters argue more but realize that there is no real choice.  Or is there?

I really enjoyed this book.  Along with the plans for the wedding to keep Rupi in the country, there is a lot of suspense – will they or won’t they get married – or are there any alternatives, and how much can Rupi manage to fool Perm’s family? There are some real laughs as the two sisters argue over some of the most mundane things.  I really liked the plot and actually liked all of the characters – Simi, Rupi, Prem, and his large and noisy family.  I also enjoyed learning more about Indian culture and food.  I really liked that the story is told from the point of view of each sister in alternating chapters, so we get a better understanding of what they’ve both been through to get where they are now and how they are handling the upcoming wedding plans.  I found this book to be a really fun read with characters that I won’t soon forget.  It’s the first book that I’ve read that talks so much about Indian culture, and I think it’s time to look up past books by this author.

Buy How Simi Got Her Groom Back at Amazon

Susan Roiberts grew up in Michigan but loves the laid-back life at her home in the Piedmont area of North Carolina where she is three hours from the beach to the east and the mountains in the west.  She reads almost anything but her favorite genres are Southern Fiction and Historical Fiction.

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