Book picks similar to
Against All Odds by Jazz Singh


romance
reviewed
south-asian-middle-eastern
against-all-odds

Hunter


Kate Tilney - 2020
    But now that I’m home to take the helm, I find out my parents have gone and hired some corporate wannabe with a fancy degree to help. I’m determined to send her packing until I get a good look at her.Though she represents everything I hate, I find myself drawn to her. She’s a temptation that’s hard to resist.OliveHelping the family-run apple orchard reach the next level seems like a good stepping stone for bigger and better things. It would go a whole lot better if the owners’ son didn’t question my every decision.And it would be a whole lot easier if he wasn’t so good looking.I’m here to do a job, but maybe it wouldn’t hurt to mix a little pleasure with business.Instalove Fall Festival is a series of standalone short, sweet, and steamy romances filled with the best parts of Autumn and happily ever afters. Read this series if you love strong, protective heroes and confident, curvy heroines who find true love, and maybe some hot apple cider along the way. No cliffhangers! No cheating!

The Marriage Bureau for Rich People


Farahad Zama - 2008
    Ali sees his new business flourish as the indomitable Mrs. Ali and his careful assistant, Aruna, look on with vigilant eyes. There's the man who wants a tall son-in-law because his daughter is short; the divorced woman who ends up back with her ex-husband; a salesman who can't seem to sell himself; and a wealthy, young doctor for whom no match is ever perfect. But although his clients go away happy, little does Mr. Ali know that his esteemed Aruna hides a tragedy in her past-a misfortune that the bureau, as luck would have it, serendipitously undoes. Bursting with the color and allure of India, and with a cast of endearing characters, The Marriage Bureau for Rich People has shades of Jane Austen and Alexander McCall Smith but with a resonance and originality entirely its own. Farahad's effortless style reveals a country still grappling with the politics of caste, religion, and civil unrest, all the while delivering a shamefully delightful read.

Who Killed the Murderer?


Moitrayee Bhaduri - 2019
    Chetan’s family suspects that he is being framed and requests private detective Mili Ray to investigate. As Mili and her lawyer-associate Gatha start work, Chetan is released on bail. Soon after, Shagun’s mother is killed! Is Chetan responsible for these murders? Mili probes deeper and unravels shocking secrets buried beneath Shagun’s world of glitz that leave her baffled. An insecure boyfriend, an estranged husband, an opportunist colleague, a cunning TV producer – Shagun was surrounded by Haters. Even her twelve-year-old son didn't want to see her alive. Why did everyone hate Shagun? While meandering through dysfunctional family upheavals and dark showbiz sagas, ex-super cop Mili Ray also struggles to tame her own internal demons. Will she be able to solve her second case as private detective or succumb to pressure and hang up her boots? "Who killed the murderer?" is a gripping psychological thriller that will hook you right from the first page.

The Shifter’s Prisoner


T.S. Ryder - 2018
     Ever since Asa lost his wings while protecting his king, he’s had his motorcycle as a poor replacement. Now he needs a maid to care for his home. And he knows exactly whom he wants. The girl with the fiery red hair. Easy enough. All he needs to do is ride in with his Dragon biker gang and take her. Willow has always heard the warnings: never stray too far from the village lest the savage Dragons take her. But would it be so bad to escape her miserable life and abusive parents? Being a Dragon’s property isn’t exactly what Willow had in mind but she has no choice. And Asa, with his powerful body, muscly arms and cocky grin ignites sparks in her core. Sparks that quickly roar to flames… But there is a dark magical presence in the Dragons’ city. An outcast fairy wants Willow to perform a blood sacrifice that will allow him to rule the world… Can Willow keep herself safe when she becomes a target? Will Asa release his inner beast to go to the end of the earth for Willow? Can Willow and Asa heal their wounds and find love and passion at last? This is a 93-page stand-alone paranormal story with lots of steam, shifters, magic and action. For 18+ readers ONLY.

The Bad Boys of Bokaro Jail


Chetan Mahajan - 2014
    From picking the best prison ward, befriending the people who can get him mobile phone access and upgraded food, and training for his upcoming marathon in the tiny prison yard, Chetan soon learns to work the prison system. In the process he makes unlikely friends, and discovers what India’s underbelly really looks like. A true story, The Bad Boys of Bokaro Jail, is thought provoking, amusing and touching. It will show you the Indian prison as you have never seen it before.

The Rivered Earth


Vikram Seth - 2011
    Entitled Songs in Time of War, Shared Ground, The Traveller and Seven Elements, the libretti take us all over the world - from Chinese and Indian poetry, to the beauty and quietness of the Wiltshire rectory where English poet George Herbert lived and died.Spanning centuries of creativity and humanity, the poems that form these libretti pulse with life, energy and inspired brilliance.They are accompanied by four pieces of calligraphy by the author.

The Prayer Room


Shanthi Sekaran - 2009
    dissertation. Instead, he comes home with a bride named Viji, an Indian woman he barely knows. This seemingly unlikely pair eventually wind up in Sacramento, where they buy a ranch house and give birth to triplets.In this new American world of shag carpets and pudding pops, Viji seeks consolation in her prayer room, which she visits frequently to gossip, sass, and seek advice from the framed portraits of her dead relatives. It is here where Viji feels most herself and where these deceased family members feel “as real to her as she’d been to them.”A hilarious and heartfelt debut, The Prayer Room re-examines the meaning of family—the people who live down the hall, the people who exist only in our memories, and the people who roll their eyes at you from within their picture frames.

Mountain Man's Fever: The Complete Series Box Set


Lauren Wood - 2018
    I didn't know what I was missing before I found Ayla. She was a stranger that made my heart race and my body hot. All I had to do was get my lips on hers and give her the temptation." Mountain Man's Proposal "Her smile was innocent, but her body was so damn hot. She got a job and I got a new outlook on life. She brought out the side of me that I didn’t even know was alive. With her, I started to think about the future." Mountain Man's Bride "He was back and everything was changing. He wanted something from me, more than I first thought. It was hard to think when he was near and now Chris was too close. His lips were so demanding and I yearned for the power that he possessed over my body." Mountain Man's Secret Baby "Just like the tall peaks of Alaska… Ethan is untamed and rough around the edges. No one knows why he’s here in Nome, But something draws me to his stormy eyes… And I lose control of everything." Mountain Man's Fever is a complete series box set. As always, lots of love and romance and a very satisfying HEA!

Paint My Love


Leena Varghese - 2014
     Armaan Malhotra is a celebrity artist with an aversion to commitment in relationships. Unlike his famous works of art that are filled with colours, he is careful to keep his personal life a blank canvas. Zara is a spirited, independent young woman who has carved out a niche for herself professionally. Branded as ‘illegitimate’ since her childhood, she hopes to find happiness in a practical marriage some day. Her mother's indiscretion has haunted her all her life, teaching her pragmatism and independence the hard way. Having known each other as children, Zara finds Armaan arrogant and insensitive in spite of a secret crush she had on him as a teenager. Armaan finds Zara stubborn and defiant even though he feels irresistibly drawn to her. Both detest the sight of each other. Under pressure from Armaan's mother, Zara and Armaan agree on a short-term arranged marriage. Soon, the undercurrent of tension and fierce attraction blows up into a full-fledged battle on their honeymoon. Thrown together in an unexpected situation, they are compelled to alter their prejudiced notions about each other as their marriage begins to take on a different hue from what they had wanted. Could the true colours of love transform their antagonism into deep abiding faith?

A Good Indian Wife


Anne Cherian - 2008
    So when he agrees to return to India to visit his ailing grand­father, he is sure he’ll be able to resist his family’s pleas that he marry a “good” Indian girl. With a girlfriend and a promising career back in San Francisco, the last thing Neel needs is an arranged marriage.Leila is a thirty-year-old teacher in Neel’s family’s village who has watched too many prospective husbands come and go to think her newest suitor will be any different. She is well past prime marrying age; her family has no money for a dowry; and then there’s the matter of an old friendship with a Muslim boy named Janni.Neel and Leila struggle to reconcile their own desires with the expectations of others in this riveting story of two people, two countries, and two ways of life that may be more compatible than they seem.

Much Ado About a Kiss


Heather Tullis - 2017
    Running the café she’d practically been raised in: Check. Her artwork in a gallery: Check. Volunteering on the library board: Check. The one thing she doesn’t need right now is a guy in her life—especially her brother’s irritating best friend from high school, so when the two men announce that they are moving home to start a ski and mountain bike shop in town, she isn’t pleased. If only she could completely forget that one kiss she and Austin shared in high school. Why does he have to upset her just-fine world? Not this time. Not if she can help it. But can she?

Beneath an Indian Sky


Renita D'Silva - 2018
    In colonial India a young woman finds herself faced with an impossible choice, the consequences of which will echo through the generations… 1928. In British-ruled India, headstrong Sita longs to choose her own path, but her only destiny is a good marriage. After a chance meeting with a Crown Prince leads to a match, her family’s status seems secured and she moves into the palace, where peacocks fill the gardens and tapestries adorn the walls. But royal life is far from simple, and her failure to provide an heir makes her position fragile. Soon Sita is on the brink of losing everything, and the only way to save herself could mean betraying her oldest friend… 2000. When Priya’s marriage ends in heartbreak, she flees home to India and the palace where her grandmother, Sita, once reigned as Queen. But as grandmother and granddaughter grow closer, Priya has questions. Why is Sita so reluctant to accept that her royal status ended with Independence? And who is the mysterious woman who waits patiently at the palace gates day after day? Soon Priya uncovers a secret Sita has kept for years – and which will change the shape of her life forever… A breathtaking journey through India from British rule to Independence and beyond; a world of green hills, cardamom-scented air, and gold thread glinting in the sun, brought to life by Renita D’Silva’s exquisite writing. If you love Kathryn Hughes, Dinah Jefferies or Kristin Hannah, this is the novel for you. What readers are saying about Renita D’Silva: ‘WOW!!… I was absolutely blown away by this book and couldn’t put it down. I’m going straight to Amazon to buy another book by Renita D’Silva – I need more! Just incredible… this is an absolutely stunning book which I can’t praise enough.’ Roxanne Starr, 5 stars ‘So compelling I literally didn’t want to put it down… A sheer joy to read and I am putting myself out on a limb by saying this is the best book I have read in this genre this year… A truly outstanding book.’ Best Crime Books and More, 5 stars ‘Every now and again a book comes along that I can't stop thinking about long after I've turned the last page. A Daughter's Courage was one of those books… An absolutely beautiful story… I really can't say anything that will adequately describe how much I enjoyed this book so I will just say that I highly recommend it… I loved every minute of it.’ Twin Spin, 5 stars ‘Renita D’Silva has done it again… Truly sensational story… Stunning… Remarkable and overwhelming… Renita’s words are like liquid gold… This book even took over my dreams. My mind was completely mesmerised… I cannot recommend this book enough.’ Little Miss No Sleep, 5 stars ‘Heartrending... beautiful... a dream... I did not just love this book, I actually LIVED it. A Daughter's Courage is one of the most beautiful books I've ever read.

Just for You


Rahul Saini - 2014
    His publishing deals, his relationships, even his job - nothing seems to be working out. To make matters worse, Karan is still trying his best to ruin him as a writer. But when Nisha leaves him, it's the ultimate blow. To win her back Rohit must prove he loves her enough to do things that matter to her: like helping Tara find a publisher. As Rohit takes control of his life, he begins to find things slowly changing for the better for him too. But will Nisha be happy with that? Will she come back to him? Just for You is an adorable, bittersweet story about love and its responsibilities.The central character – Rohit, an author, rebels against his inner self and struggles to settle with his unbalanced life while Karun, another (very) young author leaves no stone unturned to ruin his reputation as a writer because of his revelry and jealousy towards him. Rohit suffers the ultimate blow when is his girlfriend, Nisha leaves him. In order to gather the ripped shreds of his life, Rohit tries to win Nisha back by doing the things that would matter to her the most, in turn bringing his life back on track (or not)! Meanwhile, Karun keeps trying his best to ruin his career anyway!

A Match Made in Mehendi


Nandini Bajpai - 2019
    When Simi accidentally sets up her cousin and a soon-to-be lawyer, her family is thrilled that she has the "gift."But Simi is an artist, and she doesn't want to have anything to do with relationships, helicopter parents, and family drama. That is, until she realizes this might be just the thing to improve her and her best friend Noah's social status. Armed with her family's ancient guide to finding love, Simi starts a matchmaking service-via an app, of course.But when she helps connect a wallflower of a girl with the star of the boys' soccer team, she turns the high school hierarchy topsy-turvy, soon making herself public enemy number one.

Three Reasons to Love (The Summerhill Series Book 3)


Keira Montclair - 2017
    The trauma of the attack has haunted her for years, making it hard to live a “normal” life. Her favorite coping mechanism is to escape into research books and romance novels about medieval Scotland, the subject of her graduate studies, but she pours every moment of her free time into running a support group for survivors of sexual assault. The work is rewarding, but it’s made her enemies—predators who don’t want their victims to receive help. Still troubled by the car accident that claimed his mother’s life, Nate Patterson has devoted his life to saving people. He finds his work as a firefighter and EMT rewarding, but he feels emotionally distant from the people he saves…until he pulls Lauren Grant out of a burning building. There’s an instant connection between them—one that only grows—but the fire was no accident. Someone’s out to destroy Lauren, and he may be the only one who can help her unmask them. Lauren can tell Nate’s her modern-day Highlander, noble and protective, but the danger she’s in seems impossible to surmount. Can two wounded people defeat the odds and find a real-life happily ever after? Trigger Warning: Rape in heroine's past