The Marriage Game

Starred review from April 6, 2020
Desai’s delightful debut is a playful take on enemies-to-lovers and arranged marriage tropes starring two headstrong Desi-American protagonists. Layla Patel returns home to San Francisco from New York City after losing her job, her boyfriend, and her self-respect. Her father, determined to fix her life, offers her the office space above his restaurant (which he neglects to tell Sam Mehta, the current tenant), and makes her a profile on an Indian dating site (which he neglects to tell Layla). Sam refuses to vacate the office space, but Layla sets up shop there anyway. The pair instantly clash, but when suitors from the dating website show up at the office hoping to woo Layla, Sam feels oddly protective. They strike a bet: if Layla finds a husband among the blind dates her father set up, she has to surrender the office to Sam, if she doesn’t, then Sam must leave the office. As part of their deal, Sam will chaperone her dates to protect her from the judgement of her hypertraditional suitors. It’s a blast to witness Sam and Layla exchange flirtatious barbs as their snarky chemistry blossoms into something real over the course of Layla’s hilariously disastrous dates. Rom-com fans should take note of this fresh, fun offering. Agent: Laura Bradford, Bradford Literary.

Narrator Soneela Nankani enhances this witty story with her fantastic accents. Due to a misunderstanding, Layla and Sam find themselves sharing an office above her family's restaurant. This is not an easy feat for two people with vastly different styles. Newly single and busy with her new business, Layla is unaware that the 10 suitors who show up for blind dates with her have been engineered by her father. Sam agrees to chaperone. Nankani smoothly moves from dialogue to narrative, expertly delivering each character with a distinctive voice. She adds appropriate pauses and inflection to convey the characters' heightened emotions, making this romance a pleasure to listen to. S.K.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award � AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine