This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Annika Sharma was born in New Delhi and brought up in the United States, where she moved with her parents as a baby. A proud alum, she graduated from Penn State University with dual degrees in Biobehavioral Health and Neuro-Psychology, and minors in Biology and Human Development and Family Studies. She received her Master's degree in Early Childhood Special Education before pursuing her dreams of becoming a writer, landing her agent Stacey Donaghy of Donaghy Literary Group while daylighting as a preschool teacher. The Rearranged Life, her first novel, was written in the month before graduate school.
Annika, a Gryffindor and Scorpio, spends much of her time dreaming of adventure, working on her next book, going on Starbucks runs with family and friends, shopping online and watching superhero movies.
Reviewed by Cheryl Schopen for Readers' Favorite
In The Rearranged Life by Annika Sharma, college senior and future doctor Nithya comes from a traditional Indian family. Her parents have always planned on an arranged marriage for her. She has always obeyed her parents and tried so hard to please them, so an arranged marriage isn’t out of the question for her. But then she meets James, an American, and he and her feelings for him make her question everything she’s ever known. Does she really want to marry someone she doesn’t love? Does she even want to be a doctor? What if her decisions until now were made because she doesn’t know anything else? And if she changes her mind about things and goes against her culture’s and her family’s traditions, will she lose the people she loves?
They say not to judge a book by its cover. Sadly, I am guilty of doing this all the time. However, I’m glad I did in this case. I absolutely loved the cover of this book, and it immediately made me want to read it. And I’m so glad I did. What an incredible story. I am the product of an interracial couple, so I’m always interested in books where two people from completely different cultures have this undeniable chemistry. And that is exactly what Nithya and James have. They couldn’t be more different with regard to the worlds they come from, but none of that matters; they connect on a whole other level, and they understand each other like no one else does. But this isn’t your typical forbidden love story. Nithya loves her family, and she wants their approval. Disappointing them is extremely hard for her, which a lot of us can relate to, no matter what our background is. So, it’s difficult for her to make a decision when it comes to whether she should be with James or not. That is one reason I enjoyed this book so much; it is completely relatable and realistic. With such a real love story, characters you can’t help but connect with and root for, and authentic cultural references, The Rearranged Life is a must-read book. I couldn’t be happier about finding this amazing author. Annika Sharma, I hope to read many more books from you!
