Sonya Lalli

One type-A data analyst discovers her free-spirited side on an impulsive journey from bustling Mumbai to the gorgeous beaches of Goa and finds love waiting for her on Christmas morning. Twenty-eight-year-old Niki Randhawa has always made practical decisions. Despite her love for music and art, she became an analyst for the stability. She's always stuck close to home, in case her family needed her. And she's always dated guys that seem good on paper, rather than the ones who give her butterflies. When she's laid off, Niki realizes that practical hasn't exactly paid off for her. So for the first time ever, she throws caution to the wind and books a last-minute flight for her friend Diya's wedding. Niki arrives in India just in time to celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights, where she meets London musician Sameer Mukherji. Maybe it's the splendor of Mumbai or the magic of the holiday season, but Niki is immediately drawn to Sam. At the wedding, the champagne flows and their flirtatious banter makes it clear that the attraction is mutual. When Niki and Sam join Diya, her husband and their friends on group honeymoon, their connection grows deeper. Free-spirited Sam helps Niki get in touch with her passionate and creative side, and with her Indian roots. When she gets a new job offer back home, Niki must decide what she wants out of the next chapter of her life--to cling to the straight and narrow like always, or to take a leap of faith and live the kind of bold life the old Niki never would have dreamed of.

A Holly Jolly Diwali

Emily Burns

I wish I loved this one as much as I loved the rest of her books. It felt rushed to print, and I didn't connect with the characters or relationships in the same way that I have with her previous novels. Still looking forward to her next books.

Bria

sputnik sweetheart

I swear out of every book character I've ever encountered in books, Niki is the closest one I could relate her characteristics and situations to. And that is why probably when she started acting without a whim it frustrates me! But in the end, I learned from Niki that it is okay to act a little bit loose. To all the good-behaved daughters among the reckless siblings, this one is for you.
I've always loved stories surrounding the Indian diaspora set in America. And unlike others, Niki tried to reconnect with her roots by coming to India and experiencing the festivities of Diwali celebration. 
I could've given the book at least four stars for the first half but the second half was not quite as great— I took less than a day for the first half and almost three days to finish the rest.

Aditi

** spoiler alert **
           The start was promising but it went downhill real fast. Niki and Sameer (shortened to Sam because that's cooler and “Sameer doesn’t sound like the bass guitarist of a trendy band you’d pay good money to see live, does it?”) act much younger than their 29 year old selves. They think and behave like teenagers. They fall in love in 3 days and are willing to upend their entire lives to move across the world for each other. We barely get to see them interact and during their few scenes together they have zero chemistry. 

At first, I was willing to overlook Niki's habit of saying abbreviations like tbh and lol out loud but the writing progressively got worse and this felt like a first draft rather than a finished copy which has gone through edits. And now for my main issue for rating this book 1 star rather than a 2: Lalli's portrayal of India.

None of the characters Niki meets in India are developed in any way beyond the one characteristic the author wants to portray through them. She's tried to tackle every issue in the world like she's checking off a list: colorism, racism, poverty, sexism, sexual assault. None of the issues are treated with the respect they deserve and its the same thing over and over again with Niki noticing kids living on the street, feeling bad for them and moving on with her life. She talks about how unsafe it is for girls to walk alone on the streets and how it makes her so sad and then goes to a party the very same night. At no point does she try to think of any way that she could contribute to making things better for all these people. I thought this could've been an opportunity for Niki to realise her passion lies in social work since she hasn't been happy in her past job which she was only doing because it was a safe option. She could've found something self fulfilling and actually helped her community instead of criticising everything from the comfort of the back seat of the car she's being driven around in.

I find it hard to believe that Lalli has ever even been to India, let alone attended a wedding here. A random aunty Niki runs into in a bathroom comments that she should stay out of the sun noticing her dark complexion. Even in a backwards, outdated country like India people don't just make rude comments to strangers especially to guests (hospitality is a big thing here) like that, what a concept! I can only say this from my experience but in the Hindu religion there is no drinking or smoking allowed and it would certainly not be a thing in a wedding house for everyone to indulge in. It is very frowned upon and even in families where it is acceptable it is kept out of the house. But to show how cool Sam's mom is, of course she's drinking and smoking along with Niki. None of Niki's experiences in India feel realistic in any way. She just happens to run into SRK and has a full conversation with him without recognising him which he finds so charming that he's asking her about her love life and the issues she's having. She goes sightseeing with the cook and becomes best friends with her and the driver as if any family would let their guest go sightseeing with the house cook. She goes out to eat at a restaurant and gets sick from food poisoning. She goes around asking people why Diwali is celebrated and can't get a single satisfactory answer. When Sam tells her that in simple words it is a celebration of good winning over evil she wonders how can people celebrate that when there's still evil in the world. She mentions how her friend Diya is just like her namesake, a light shining in the world but diya doesn't even mean light.

This book was far from a celebration of the cultures and festivals of India. It was just a way for Lalli to mock the customs and culture of the people here and vent out her frustrations with everything she finds wrong with the country in the worst way possible. I'm not denying that the issues mentioned don't exist here but the way Lalli went about addressing them was preachy and disrespectful. 

By the end none of the characters have gone through any development and I doubt Niki and Sam's relationship would last more than a few months at best.

Vedha N

this book was so cute!! i usually tend to love books with south asian leads, and i loved the setting in this book as well. it played into a lot of the common stereotypes, racism, and colorism, which i really loved. the romance was super cute and the relationship between jasmine and niki was also very relatable. overall, i really liked it!!

Tatiana Alvarez 

Actual rating: 3.5

A Holly Jolly Diwali is definitely a cute read, full of fun and interesting characters. Unfortunately, I found myself forgetting information as soon as I finished the book because it didn't stick with me much. There's hardly a plotline and we don't get enough page time with the love interest, in my opinion.

However, I'm glad I read and the audiobook narrator was so good!

Cynthia

I'm such a sucker for cute banter and Sonya Lalli delivered with this sweet, festive holiday read! I thought Niki and Sam's relationship was adorable. They're both kinda dorky and made for a delightful read even though it wasn't particularly steamy or swoon-worthy. I thought Lalli did a great job portraying what dating is like when there's a lot of familial and cultural expectations.

My only gripe with this book was Rajandeep. His character and role in Niki's life felt like an afterthought. It didn't feel like he played a super impactful role in Niki's life, which might have been the point, but I wouldn't have missed him if he was removed from the story.

Jerilynn 

I absolutely adored this 📖! I related so much to the heroine in the story. I enjoyed reading the author’s humor, culture and cute 🥰 close knit family!❤️ The Sarukh Khan scene had me ROFL 🤣 in my culture we call elders Auntie and Uncle too even if they’re are not blood related to us. That was too funny! Overall it was a delightful read! It was my first by this author. I’m going to have to read her backlist now!❤️😊📚

One type-A data analyst discovers her free-spirited side on an impulsive journey from bustling Mumbai to the gorgeous beaches of Goa and finds love waiting for her on Christmas morning. Twenty-nine-year-old Niki Randhawa has always made practical decisions. Despite her love for music and art, she became an analyst for the stability. She's always stuck close to home, in case her family needed her. And she's always dated guys that seem good on paper, rather than the ones who give her butterflies. When she's laid off, Niki realizes that practical hasn't exactly paid off for her. So for the first time ever, she throws caution to the wind and books a last-minute flight for her friend Diya’s wedding. Niki arrives in India just in time to celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights, where she meets London musician Sameer Mukherji. Maybe it's the splendor of Mumbai or the magic of the holiday season, but Niki is immediately drawn to Sam. At the wedding, the champagne flows and their flirtatious banter makes it clear that the attraction is mutual. When Niki and Sam join Diya, her husband and their friends on a group honeymoon, their connection grows deeper. Free-spirited Sam helps Niki get in touch with her passionate and creative side, and with her Indian roots. When she gets a new job offer back home, Niki must decide what she wants out of the next chapter of her life—to cling to the straight and narrow like always, or to take a leap of faith and live the kind of bold life the old Niki never would have dreamed of.

A Holly Jolly Diwali

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