This YA collection is a fun and varied read - it's all YA romance but in different flavours from the classic "enemies to lovers" to the supernatural. Enjoyed some stories more than others but I'm 100% here for the Desi wedding vibes - the dancing, decor, and drama and the multitude of cultural references that we just don't see enough of in children's and YA books. I imagine some readers unfamiliar with these references might be frustrated at times because they appear without explanation but as a South Asian reader, I love that we get that. Because it means we don't have to feel constantly "othered" - as if we're some exotic distant exhibit that needs breaking down for its audience.

This was such a lovely read. It was a short story collection where I enjoyed pretty much every story. It was very relaxing and romantic and it was honestly just such a joy to read. I don’t know why but desi teen romance is one of my favourite genres to relax to, with most of the stories in this book revolving around teenagers or people in early adulthood.

Two of my particular favourite stories were Fate’s Favourites, which played very much with the idea of soul mates and the idea that the thoughts of your soul mate would end up manifesting on your body and A Very Bloody Halyanam, which brought vampires into the mix.

I really liked exploring the mix of cultures and the differences and similarities between the different marriage ceremonies.

In all, it was a good, fun, relaxing read.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'My Big, Fat Desi Wedding' by Anahita Karthik, Noreen Mughees, Sarah Mughal, Payal Doshi, Aamna Qureshi, Tashie Bhuiyan, Sweden Masood and Prerna Pickett.

'My Big, Fat Desi Wedding' is an anthology edited by Prerna Pickett. I was torn trying to review this book because there are some hidden gems in this anthology but there is one or two stories I really hated to the extent I wanted to dnf. But this is just personal preference.

"My Big, Fat Desi Wedding" is a vibrant anthology curated by Anahita Karthik, featuring a diverse collection of love stories celebrating South Asian culture. Authored by talented writers like Noreen Mughees, Sarah Mughal, Payal Doshi, and others, each story offers a unique perspective on tradition, family, and romance. With compelling characters and evocative storytelling, the anthology beautifully captures the essence of Desi weddings, blending contemporary voices with cultural richness. From laughter to tears, these tales unfold against the backdrop of vibrant celebrations, making "My Big, Fat Desi Wedding" a delightful and heartwarming exploration of love in its many forms. I am very much looking forward to wedding season this year.

I am a desi girl and I love weddings, so this book is basically meant for me. I have been wanting to read this from the moment it was announced and I am so glad I finally managed to read this. This book was everything that I had wanted and much more. With most anthologies, I tend to enjoy one or two specific stories more than the others. However, with My Big, Fat Desi Wedding , I fell in love with all the stories. I simply cannot choose just one favourite. I also was not expecting the stories to be interconnected in the way they were, so that was a nice surprise.

All in all, I am going to say...I would not mind if there are many more volumes of this anthology because there's so much that always happens with desi weddings.

I love the idea of this short story collection. The stories just felt a little too repetitive and because they all had the underlying theme of romance, I could not tell the difference from one story to another at times.

First book of the year and it started with a bang. I adored this anthology of stories. My only complaint was that they were all so short, I need more from are these short stories.

Thanks so much to Hachette and NetGalley for the eARC, all opinions expressed are my own!

This collective of short stories was so fun, jam packed with Desi wedding tales whilst incorporating a wide range of cultures, regions, customs and traditions. The short love stories were varied and unique and the collection of south Asian authors are what makes this collection even stronger.

It was great to see the different stories unravel, whilst at the same time discovering new authors that I’m looking forward to exploring further.

A great anthology that captured the nuance of south Asian cultures whilst weaving fun, love and festivities. I highly recommend!

So in the mood to acquire a big fun ruch book like this one. Can’t wait to share my full thoughts and review. Just wanted to say thank you for the opportunity. I love a good wedding story especially with lots of cool stories interwoven into one big magical story and that’s what this books appears to be. I love the Indian tradition to it and feel this would not only make a great book club pick, but also a great movie as well.

This is a diverse collection of eight short stories based around the theme of South Asian weddings. I will admit that I started it with some apprehension about the possibility that it would play into stereotypes of monsoon weddings with decorated elephants etc. But overall, the collection - while playing on some familiar tropes - does go well beyond those tired themes of exotica.

Desi superstition is taken to a whole different level in a family where a "curse" brings the wrong words spoken into being - with the expected results for the wedding underway.

Soulmates may or may not locate each other in time from the fleeting messages that appear on skin.

A boy finds the swashbuckling courage of space adventurer Han Solo to go against a lifetime of conditioned obedience to his strict parents.

A South Indian vampire can appear in the most unexpected situations. And many more.So, if you like your romance with a touch of the unexpected, do check out this sampler of surprising stories!