The Marriage Game

Daisy Patel designs video games and remains committed to upholding her family's cultural traditions despite her modern career. Her drive to prove herself responsible to her parents leads her to make a deal with her childhood crush Liam Murphy - they'll pretend to date to satisfy both their families' expectations. Liam has returned to San Francisco after a decade away building his venture capital empire. His grandmother's dying wish is to see him married and settled, making a fake relationship with Daisy seem like the perfect solution. Their arrangement comes with strict rules to keep emotions from complicating their plan. The boundaries between real and pretend start to blur as Daisy and Liam navigate family obligations, career pressures, and their unresolved history. Their carefully constructed facade faces challenges from nosy relatives, professional conflicts, and their own growing feelings. The story explores themes of cultural identity, family expectations, and the tension between tradition and personal authenticity. Through the lens of a classic fake dating setup, it examines how people reconcile who they truly are with who others want them to be.

Readers call this a light, quick romance that balances humor with deeper themes of family expectations and career pressure. Liked: - Chemistry between leads develops naturally - South Asian representation and cultural elements feel authentic - Humor, especially dating app jokes and family dynamics - Secondary characters add depth without overshadowing Disliked: - Some found the pacing slow in the middle - A few readers wanted more conflict/tension - Several mention predictable plot elements - Several note the steam level is milder than expected for this author Ratings: Goodreads: 3.8/5 (24,000+ ratings) Amazon: 4.3/5 (1,200+ ratings) StoryGraph: 3.75/5 Sample reader comments: "The family dynamics hit close to home" - Goodreads reviewer "Expected more heat based on her other books" - Amazon reviewer "Fun but forgettable" - StoryGraph reviewer "Perfect balance of culture, career, and romance" - BookTok reviewer

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🎲 Author Alisha Rai worked in her family's restaurant business before becoming a writer, giving her firsthand experience with the entrepreneurial world she writes about in The Marriage Game. 💘 The book tackles the modern phenomenon of dating apps, inspired by the rise of platforms like Tinder and Bumble, while incorporating traditional Indian matchmaking elements. 👰 The protagonist's dating app in the story, "Made in Desi," reflects real-world South Asian dating apps like Dil Mil and Shaadi.com, which cater specifically to the South Asian community. 🏆 Alisha Rai is known for being one of the first authors of South Asian descent to write contemporary romance novels for a major publishing house, helping pave the way for more diverse voices in the genre. 💻 The book was released in 2020 during the height of the pandemic, when online dating saw a significant surge, making its themes particularly relevant to readers navigating virtual relationships.