Marriage Unarranged my review.

What a morning I am having! I am actually in bed feeling rough and tired because as I said on Stream of Consciousness Saturday, Hubby and I have got the nasty Covid!

But I wanted to republish my review of Ritu Bhathal’s Marriage Unarranged. Well so far I messed with my Goodreads and Amazon account trying to find it and now I feel stressed out! There is no point in worrying is there. So I am going to write another review from memory, after all I loved this book so much that I have read it twice and I have the paperback as well as the book on my Kindle. So before I fall asleep again or mess anything else up here we go!

News first!

Ritu has now signed with Spellbound Books and will be writing at least two more books in what Spellbound Books are calling The Rishtay Series, with book two coming out in June 2023! Rishtay means relationships, which covers both romantic and familial relationships that are at the heart of this whole series.

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Marriage Unarranged is like diving into another culture and time. Set at the beginning of this Millennium we are totally transported into Aashi’s world. Family, culture, friends, bad reactions from Ravi’s family and travel…not only travel to India but Aashi’s journey to maturity.

As the story unfolds we see what a cad Aashi’s fiance Ravi is…how he is a liar and a cheat. Luckily for Aashi her family and her best friend Kiran are there to catch her as she falls.

Now a trip was planed to India with her mother to buy wedding Sarees and the like, that is changed to a holiday for Aashi, her two lovely brothers and Kiran. A trip of discovery for everyone in the group. This is where the book turned into a film inside my head, a Bollywood film. I was transported by the sights, sounds, history and smells of India. We travel on planes, trains and by foot, visit Markets, temples and even business places with Sunny, Aashi’s eldest brother.

Plus a chance encounter with a handsome stranger on the plane and a friendship made bodes well for all. I am not going to tell you any more because you need to read for yourselves, this is a book definitely do not to miss.

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© willowdot21 : Rutu at the second Bloggers Bash.

Ritu can be found at :

Twitter: @RituBhathal

Facebook

Author Blog

Blog: But I Smile Anyway.

Ritu’s Amazon page

Lets just throw in a little East meets West music.

Ritu’s Book Release and Chickpea Curry Lit Series.

Today I am delighted to have the one and only Ritu Bhathal here to discuss her book Marriage Unarranged. Where it’s going and how it has grown.

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Firstly welcome Ritu it’s so good to see you again. I am always so excited to have you visit!  Now tell me how do you feel about tackling some taboo subjects in this book?  The broken engagement, the shattering of family honour and the fact that your girl is so definitely in the right and saw the light in time.

Thank you for the lovely welcome, Willow, it is good to be back here! You know, I never intended to be a writer who writes about more serious issues, but as this story took hold, I realised that I could use this book as a platform for bringing some of these taboo subjects into the public eye, but without being overly serious. I don’t mean to gloss over them, but to highlight them in a manner that is easily accessible for all.

I get that Ritu and I think you have found that fine line to walk. Would you like chai or coffee and of course some cake… Hubby has even made some scones and we have clotted cream and jam. 

I’d never turn down a cuppa, Willow, after all, I am Indian,where chai is one of the most popular beverages, born in Britain, where we all love a quintessential cuppa, with connection to Kenya which is also a tea-growing country! And scones? Yes please… please let’s not argue over which comes first, the jam or the cream… it all goes down the same way!

Lol yes indeed it does, we don’t need to argue the cream and jam…no more than we would about whether the toilet roll is hung on the holder to come from above or below. Now you have Aashi’s elder brother who I feel has something he is hiding. Do you think you could discuss this with us? 

Dear Sunny, the gentle, but protective older brother of my main character, Aashi will actually be the focal character in book two. Again, something which showed a hint of colour during, and at the end of Marriage Unarranged is something I felt would be another taboo subject to tackle. I have sown the seeds about him questioning his sexuality… Book two will reveal all! Shhh!

Right my lips are sealed! More tea, another scone Ritu?

You are spoiling me, Willow! I’d better leave another scone, but I may take one home with me. Another cuppa would be perfect!

Yes of course, do take a few scones with you they are not bad are they?

So many big issues to address I think you are very brave. This one, stand-alone book has just taken on wings, with so many twists and turns, so many surprises! Sis…where do you see everyone going next. I for one can’t wait.

Thank you, Sis! Yes, I never, for one minute, thought that my initial venture into writing a novel would result in a series, but if I am honest with you, my characters speak to me, rather loudly, and when I finished, there were other secondary characters who wanted their story told… as well as readers who wanted to know more, so that is why the second in the series will focus on Sunny, and the third will be based on Bali, Aashi’s other brother… and I have another meaty storyline for that one too, based on some personal experience, but it’s not my story, it’s theirs! 

There could even be spin-offs or novellas, but we have to wait and see.. let me get book two written, first!

Oh! This mystery man: he is so perfect but he has baggage too. I love that you have tackled so much that is taboo. You have bought it to the front and fore and I love that. 

We all have baggage, don’t we, Sis? Aashi’s ex-fiance is an example of the way some people view their sons, and how he can do no wrong, even though he clearly has. Her new love interest, Arjun, is, in my eyes, perfectly imperfect! Again, his ‘flaw’, though we shouldn’t view it as such, is something that many in our community shun, so why not add it to the whole Taboo spice mix I have going on!

But, I must say one thing. It is important to remember that this story is set in 2000, so there are some aspects that may not be relevant to the thinking of today’s youth. Think of it as a Modern, Historical, Desi Story – Chickpea Curry Lit at its finest!

I can do that, yes I can. Hey, shall we open a bottle of wine and we can toast your future 💜💜

Why, that sounds delightful, Sis! Thank you, so much for inviting me over! Cheers!

Release News about Ritu Bhathal’s Marriage Unarranged.

The new rerelease of Marriage Unarranged, rerelease on 6/6/22.

It will now officially be part of a series, The Rishtay Series with book two coming out in June 2023! Rishtay means relationships, which covers both romantic and familial relationships that are at the heart of this whole series.

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The blurb

It all s̶t̶a̶r̶t̶e̶d̶ ended with that box…

The year 2000 and Aashi’s life was all set.
New Millennium ,exciting beginnings, new life.
Or so she thought.

Like in the Bollywood films, Ravi would woo her, charm her family and they’d get married and live happily ever after.

But then Aashi found the empty condom box…

Putting her ex-fiancé and her innocence behind her, Aashi embarks upon an enlightening journey, to another country, where vibrant memories are created, and unforgettable friendships forged.

Old images erased, new beginnings to explore.

And how can she forget the handsome stranger she meets?
A stranger who’s hiding something…

Coming Summer 2023 , book 2 in The Rishtay Series

About the author

Ritu Bhathal was born in Birmingham in the mid-1970s to migrant parents, hailing from Kenya but with Indian origin. This colourful background has been a constant source of inspiration to her.

From childhood, she always enjoyed reading. This love of books is credited to her mother. The joy of reading spurred her on to become creative in her writing, from fiction to poetry. Winning little writing competitions at school and locally encouraged her to continue writing.

As a wife, mother, daughter, sister, and teacher, she has drawn on inspiration from many avenues to create the poems that she writes.

A qualified teacher, having studied at Kingston University, she now deals with classes of children as a side line to her writing!

Ritu also writes a blog, www.butismileanyway.com, a mixture of life and creativity, thoughts and opinions, which was awarded first place in the Best Overall Blog Category at the 2017 Annual Bloggers Bash Awards, and Best Book Blog in 2019.

Ritu is happily married and living in Kent, with her Hubby Dearest, and two children, not forgetting the fur baby Sonu Singh.

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Not only is Ritu a famous author she is a lovely friend of mine 💜.

© willowdot21: Here we are with another famous author Marjorie Mallon.

Ritu Says: OMG! I Just Hit A Six! #Blogiversary

Go, grab a drink and celebrate with me!

Indeed!

Time flies when you’re having fun, doesn’t it?

I logged in this evening to check my blog and in the notifications sat this little beauty, nestled amongst the comments and likes.

Read more of Ritu’s Celebrations at Source

Marriage Unarranged : Big Bargain

Hi Everyone it Ritu of butismileanyway’s Birthday on Thursday and she says the best thing you can do for her birthday is to give her book-baby sales a big boost!

Happy Birthday Ritu

The book, Marriage Unarranged, is on sale from now, until Thursday evening, on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.

99c/99p.

A bargain!

Ritu says

It would be amazing if you could download your copy, and/or share this offer, so my book baby could get out into the world, even further!

That would be the best birthday present ever, to see my book rankings going up, even for a few days.

So get to it folks, I have already got mine, paperback and Kindle 💜💜

This Is Lockdown #BlogTour @Marjorie_Mallon

Join Marjorie as she talks to Ritu about her latest book This is Lockdown. It is a true piece of living history.

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Read at source.

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS May 16/2020. Want.

Shelley Krupa

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “want.” Make the word “want” the first, second, or third word of your post. Have fun!

Want, we all have wants, some just have bigger wants than others. Before Covid19 most people, let’s call them the haves, wanted possessions, cars, gadgets, clothes, homes, holidays. The rest, let’s call them the have nots, just wanted, a roof over their heads, food on the table, and a job.

Now I want to believe that since Covid19 there has been a sea change and people are more caring and giving. I am not convinced, I know some are, many are, yet many have not changed one iota.

My Pandemic Song.

Tell me what I want, what I really, really want. ….If you want be my saviour, if you want to be my friend you’d make sure the war on want will end.

Do I want to self isolate, do I really, really want to self isolate, after all it not that much fun. Self distancing not easy when your street’s overrun! Do we want a park do we really, really, really want a park, we zigga zag do!

Do government’s give a Zig a Zig Ya?Do they, do they….. do they….Nah!

So what’ya really want, what’ya really, really want? Helping hands are great but what happens when the crisis ends.

Do ya really want a mask, do ya really, really want a mask? Are they going to protect you, is the question you gotta ask?

Do government’s give a Zig a Zig Ya?Do they, do they….. do they….Nah!

I’ll tell you what I want, what I really, really want. Is some clarity, so far it all confusion you see. I wanna know, really, really want to know what the rules are, before we all sink too far.

Do government’s give a Zig a Zig Ya? Do they, do they….. do they….Nah!

So what we want, what we really, really want, is honesty. If we all work together world wide we could be virus free.

I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna I wanna really, really, really wanna zig-a-zig ah!

Do you want to queue do you really, really want to queue, well if you want to eat that’s what you got to do. Oo.

If you want be my saviour, if you want to be my friend, you’d make sure the war on want would end.

Do government’s give a Zig a Zig Ya? Do they, do they….. do they….Nah!

with apologies to the Spice Girls.

Ritu Sis if you fancy singing this I be so honoured 🌹🌹🌹🌹

part of LindaGHill’s #socs

And… The Interview is BACK ON! (Plus #BookSale!)

Head on over to Ritu’s blog and check it out.

Read at Source

And, don’t forget that the book is on sale this weekend, at a bargain price of 99p/99c on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk!

Marriage Unarranged Sale! #CoronavirusRead #BookSale

Quick grab one now! Read at Source.

Smorgasbord Book Reviews – #Romance – Marriage Unarranged by Ritu Bhathal

Head over to Sally Cronin’s blog and read at Source.