Sugar, Spice, and Can't Play Nice

January 9, 2023
Familial expectations clash with individual goals in Sharma’s charming second Chai Masala Club rom-com (after Love, Chai, and Other Four Letter Words). Fashion designer Payal Mehra has worked hard to create styles that fuse Indian and American aesthetics, and her dreams are about to come true when she launches her own clothing line. So Payal is horrified when her emotionally distant parents make a huge request: put her success on hold and marry their friends’ son to save the family business. If she doesn’t, a pending merger will fall through and her family won’t have the money to support Payal’s new business. Her intended, reputed playboy Ayaan Malhotra, is desperate to regain his family’s confidence after making a huge mistake in his teens. Both London transplants in New York, Payal and Ayaan once had a steamy one-night stand, but neither wants a relationship, let alone marriage. Still, if they play along with their parents and pretend to be engaged, maybe they can both get what they want from the merger. It’s an entertaining premise, and Sharma enhances the goings-on with rich cultural details. Highly expositional and occasionally moralizing dialogue slows the pace, but there’s still plenty to enjoy. Conflict, couture, and courtship make this a pleasure. Agent: Stacey Donaghy, Donaghy Literary.