Title: How Simi Got Her Groom Back
Author: Sonali Dev
Publication Date: March 3, 2026
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Format: Kindle e-ARC
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Not every rom-com needs airtight logic. Sometimes you just want chaos, chemistry, and a happy ending — and that’s exactly what this one delivers.
There’s just something about women’s fiction that calls my name on occasion. This Indian-flavored rom-com fits the genre well with its fake engagement scheme and all the social pressure that goes with it. So, let’s talk about it.
This is the story of two sisters: Simi and Rupi. Simi’s got life figured out — she’s working a job she loves in a small Kentucky town and dating the man dreams are made of (or at least hers are). Her sister, Rupi, shows up completely out of options. The only way they see out of this mess is for Rupi to marry Simi’s boyfriend.
I presume this book was a lot like an Indian soap opera because it reminded me of the American version. What should be straightforward becomes this twisted pretzel, but that pretzel is still delicious. There are some definite plot holes, but soap operas don’t need to be super logical, so I don’t see why the romcoms behind them should need to be either. This book is fun and, ultimately, romantic, which is the point, right?
Simi and Rupi are enjoyable female protagonists, albeit fitting female main character stereotypes to a tee. They may not always be right in what they think, but the paths their thoughts take make sense, and their feelings are relatable throughout the entirety of the story. What I like best about them, though, is that they both grow as characters by the end. This is one of my brain’s necessary boxes for romcoms to check. The American setting is the right one for the story (obviously), but I had trouble imagining such a large Indian community in a town that’s described as being very small. Of course, small to someone from an Indian city is likely very different from what I see as small.
Dev’s writing in this book is conversational, quick-paced, and accessible. She’s basically staging the soap opera scene in real time in the pages. She does this by keeping the story focused on character interactions with minimal description and high readability. It’s the kind of book where one keeps turning the pages because someone said something and now needs to know the fallout. The reader’s not meant to admire the prose, but to keep reading past their bedtime.
How Simi Got Her Groom Back is a great book to pick up between books with heavier themes. It’s easily read, has characters one can root for, with healthy sprinklings of humor and romance. Readers of Sophie Kinsella and Mhairi McFarlane will find something to love here.
Nerd Rating: 🤓🤓🤓 — Dramatic, messy, and very readable.
Let’s Discuss
What’s more important to you in a rom-com: believability or the happy ending?
Find out more about the book and author here.
I read a digital copy made available by Lake Union Publishing through NetGalley, and this review reflects my honest opinion.