#dulhaniyaa

[wearethekat]

December Book Reviews: Dulhaniyaa by Talia Bhatt

This book was recommended by author KJ Charles on her best books of 2024 list, and I immediately snapped it up from Libby. In Dulhaniyaa, lesbian Esha agrees to travel back to India for an arranged marriage in a fit of depression. Unfortunately, she finds herself dangerously attracted to her trans dance instructor, Billu, and increasingly dreading the wedding...

Dulhaniyaa is very short for a romance novel, only just over a hundred pages, which can make it tricky to establish a relationship with the limited space. Bhatt does a good job with Billu, and it's easy to piece together her attraction to Esha, her love for dance, and why she'd want to move abroad from the spare details we get. However, I found Esha a little more opaque. It's clear she's upset about her recent breakup and developments with her career, but not quite so obvious why she'd want to explode her life so thoroughly by agreeing to the marriage. In my opinion, the romance doesn't quite come across either--it's very abstract. I was also baffled by the turn in the last quarter of the novella, where it very abruptly and shockingly became unrealistic slapstick action.

I didn't gel with this novella in a few places, but I will say it's worth a read as a Desi trans lesbian romance set in India. There's not very many of those out there and there deserves to be more.

[transbookoftheday]

Dulhaniyaa by Talia Bhatt

Esha Arora is the last person anyone would have expected to acquiesce to an arranged marriage. Outspoken, opinionated and forward-thinking, she has made her thoughts on these archaic institutions known to anyone who’d lend her an ear. To her traditional family’s surprise and joy, however, when a good rishta for her hand comes along, Esha agrees to abruptly quit her MFA program in the States and returns to India to be wed. Her mother wastes neither time nor expense in preparing for the most bombastic wedding money can afford—she has more than a few friends to outdo and impress, after all!

In the pursuit of extravagance, Esha’s mother arranges a dance instructor for her, to train her to perform a Bollywood-style, choreographed dance routine at the wedding, as is en vogue. Despite Esha’s lack of enthusiasm, her mother will not be swayed. Knowing that the wedding isn’t actually about her wishes, Esha reluctantly agrees, deciding that if she’s going to put on a show for her relatives, she might as well put on a good one.

That’s when Billu, a cyclone in a salwar and dance instructor extraordinaire, bursts into the dull monotony of Esha’s pre-wedding existence. To her shock and delight, Esha finds herself enjoying her lessons with Billu, in addition to every other moment with her that she finds herself trying to steal away. Slowly, it begins to dawn on Esha that she isn’t nearly as resigned to her marital fate as she once thought—but can she un-make a commitment to her family so easily? Will she be able to confess her feelings to Billu before the latter exits her life, or will she be consigned to her role of dulhaniyaa?

A Bollywood-inspired desi lesbian romance, 'Dulhaniyaa' is a story of class, queerness, and the struggle to accept your identity even when it seems to be in conflict with your family and culture.

[lexsreadingcorner]

I want to read Dulhaniyaa by Talia Bhatt so fucjing bad but my god I don't want to support amazon. I'm not typically a romance queer but it sounds like a lot of fun and I'd love to read it for Pride

[haveyoureadthistransbook]

Dulhaniyaa by Talia Bhatt

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Voting ended onMay 31, 2024

Esha Arora is the last person anyone would have expected to acquiesce to an arranged marriage. Outspoken, opinionated and forward-thinking, she has made her thoughts on these archaic institutions known to anyone who’d lend her an ear. To her traditional family’s surprise and joy, however, when a good rishta for her hand comes along, Esha agrees to abruptly quit her MFA program in the States and returns to India to be wed. Her mother wastes neither time nor expense in preparing for the most bombastic wedding money can afford—she has more than a few friends to outdo and impress, after all! In the pursuit of extravagance, Esha’s mother arranges a dance instructor for her, to train her to perform a Bollywood-style, choreographed dance routine at the wedding, as is en vogue. Despite Esha’s lack of enthusiasm, her mother will not be swayed. Knowing that the wedding isn’t actually about her wishes, Esha reluctantly agrees, deciding that if she’s going to put on a show for her relatives, she might as well put on a good one. That’s when Billu, a cyclone in a salwar and dance instructor extraordinaire, bursts into the dull monotony of Esha’s pre-wedding existence. To her shock and delight, Esha finds herself enjoying her lessons with Billu, in addition to every other moment with her that she finds herself trying to steal away. Slowly, it begins to dawn on Esha that she isn’t nearly as resigned to her marital fate as she once thought—but can she un-make a commitment to her family so easily? Will she be able to confess her feelings to Billu before the latter exits her life, or will she be consigned to her role of dulhaniyaa? A Bollywood-inspired desi lesbian romance, 'Dulhaniyaa' is a story of class, queerness, and the struggle to accept your identity even when it seems to be in conflict with your family and culture.

Mod opinion: I've received an ARC of this romance and so I've already read it and I can say it's very sweet if you're looking for an adorable queer desi romance.

[ultrabichoylove]

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