Blog Tour-The Sari Shop Widow

Book Description:

Pungent curry, sweet fried onions, incense, colorful beads, and lush fabrics – THE SARI SHOP WIDOW is a novel set on the streets of Edison, New Jersey’s Little India, where a young businesswoman rediscovers the magic of love and family.

When Anjali Kapadia’s posh sari boutique in New Jersey is on the verge of financial ruin, her wealthy uncle from India comes to her rescue.

But the wily, dictatorial uncle arrives with some unpleasant surprises—a young Indo-British partner named Rishi Shah for one — and a startling secret that disturbs Anjali.

Falling in love with the mysterious Shah only adds to Anjali’s burgeoning list of complications. Torn between her loyalty to her family and her business on the one hand and her growing attraction for a man who could never fit into her life on the other, Anjali turns to her family and cultural roots to make a life-altering decision.

About the Author:

Shobhan Bantwal calls her writing “Bollywood in a Book,” romantic, colorful, action-packed tales, rich with elements of her own Indian culture — stories that entertain and educate. She is an award-winning women’s fiction author of three published novels and contributed to an anthology of short stories.

Shobhan writes for a variety of publications including The Writer magazine, India Abroad, Little India, U.S. 1, Desi Journal, India Currents, Overseas Indian, and New Woman India. Her short stories have won honors/awards in contests sponsored by Writer’s Digest, New York Stories and New Woman magazines.

My Review:

Anjali is a very loveable character and very well written. She is someone torn between wanting to please her family and live her own life. She is intelligent and beautiful and sure of herself, except when it comes to her family. Her family is all at once; sweet, loving, and sometimes painfully traditional.

I'm not familiar with Indian culture so this book was a very interesting introduction to the culture. One of the best things about this book is that it was so different, yet oddly familiar. It really shows (at least to me) that even though cultures are different the underlying themes generally are the same. The romance and tension, is delicious and exciting and kept me turning the pages. This is going to be a short review, but to the point. This book was a delightful romance that was beautifully written. I highly recommend it, if you are into romances with an ethnic flavor.

The Trailer: