A Holly Jolly Diwali by Sonya Lalli introduces readers to the practical and level-headed 29-year-old Niki Randhawa who typically does what is expected of her. When it comes to impulsive decisions and serial dating, that is the domain of her sister, Jasmine. No one is more surprised than Niki when, after getting laid off from her job at a Seattle tech start-up company, she decides to throw caution to the wind and fly to Mumbai, India, to attend her best friend’s glamorous Indian wedding.
A few days prior to the wedding, the friends meet up with the rest of the wedding party to celebrate Diwali, the Festival of Lights. Amid the bright lights, fireworks and swirling colors of the dance floor, Niki meets Sameer, a handsome bass guitarist. Their attraction is immediate, but rational Niki knows that a fling is not something she should do, especially since her Punjabi relatives are waiting for her visit to Amritsar, India, before she travels back home.
Lalli gives readers a sparkling holiday rom-com, seasoned with cultural traditions, taking chances and self-discovery.
Tracy Hvezda-Lehtola is a patron experience supervisor at Hennepin County Library–Excelsior. Read more at hclib.org, and visit the library this month for its Diwali-related book display.
