REVIEW: How Simi Got Her Groom Back by Sonali Dev

How Simi Got Her Groom Back by Sonali Dev: Simi Naik has built a quiet, steady life for herself in a small Kentucky town as a pediatric nurse — far away from the painful past she and her sister left behind in Mumbai. But when her impulsive younger sister Rupi suddenly shows up at her door in trouble and desperate to stay in the country, Simi is forced to come up with a plan fast. The solution? A very inconvenient, very chaotic fake marriage. The only problem is the groom Simi recruits is the man she’s been secretly seeing — and the closer the wedding gets, the harder it becomes to keep feelings, family tensions, and long-buried truths from unraveling everything.

HOW SIMI GOT HER GROOM BACK by Sonali Dev is the kind of story that blends romance, family chaos, and emotional heart in a way that keeps you completely invested in what happens next. Simi is the steady, responsible sister who has worked hard to build a peaceful life — which is exactly why everything turns upside down when her impulsive sister Rupi suddenly arrives needing help. Watching Simi juggle loyalty, fear, and a wildly complicated fake-marriage plan made this story both tense and deeply emotional.

The romance unfolds right in the middle of all that chaos. What starts as a desperate plan quickly becomes much more complicated as hidden feelings, misunderstandings, and family dynamics start bubbling to the surface. I loved how the story balances the romantic tension with the complicated bond between the sisters — their love for each other is fierce, messy, and very real.

What stood out most to me was how layered the emotional stakes felt. This isn’t just a romance about two people figuring out their feelings — it’s about sisterhood, identity, and the choices we make to protect the people we love, even when those choices threaten to unravel everything.

Tropes & Themes

• Fake marriage
• Secret relationship
• Family drama
• Emotional tension
• Complicated romance
• Sisterhood and loyalty
• Immigration and belonging
• Healing from past trauma
• Love vs responsibility
• Personal growth and resilience

At its heart, HOW SIMI GOT HER GROOM BACK by Sonali Dev is about the complicated, beautiful mess of family and love. If you love emotional family dynamics, high-stakes romantic tension, and stories where love and loyalty collide in unexpected ways, this one deserves a spot on your TBR.

QOTD: Would you risk everything for family — even if it meant complicating your own chance at love?

Book Info:

Publication: March 3, 2026 | SLake Union Publishing |

Two sisters face the real consequences of a fake marriage scheme in an emotional yet hilarious novel about immigration, healing, and family from USA Today bestselling author Sonali Dev.

Two sisters. One fake marriage. Zero chance of keeping the truth hidden.

The Naik sisters escaped their traumatic past in Mumbai to come to the States, but their journeys have been vastly different. Simi is working toward a bright future as a pediatric nurse in a small town in Kentucky when Rupi shows up at her door in distress, on the run, and as always, dragging trouble in her wake.

With Rupi’s safety in jeopardy, the sisters hatch a desperate plan to keep her in the country: Rupi must get married—and fast—even if it means Simi recruiting the man she’s been secretly dating as her sister’s groom. A perfect plan? Not quite. But there aren’t many alternatives.

As the big day inches closer, Simi and Rupi face a storm of wedding shenanigans and romantic surprises, not to mention sisterly jealousies. As the stakes and tensions rise, will their secrets tear them apart or will they find a way to risk everything for love?