Title: The Many Conditions of Love (Marriage Bureau for Rich People series #2)
Author: Farahad Zama
Publisher: Abacus, 2009 (308 pages)
ISBN: 978-0-349-12263-2
Genre: Popular Fiction/Romance

Summary

Can true love triumph in the face of fierce family opposition? Mr Ali’s marriage bureau is flourishing but trouble isn’t far away once son Rehman begins secretly to woo TV journalist Usha in the small cafes and on the beautiful beaches of South Indian Vizag in an ill-advised romance.

Meanwhile the lovely Aruna has a problem or two all her own. She enjoys being Mr Ali’s right-hand woman at the marriage bureau, having a wonderful husband Ram, and living in a mansion a far cry from her parents’ cramped one-room house; but how long can Aruna remain happy once her spiteful sister-in-law Mani comes home to stay?

When Usha’s father finds out about Rehman, a Muslim, the fat is in the fire. And what will Mr and Mrs Ali have to say when they discover too their son has been dating a non-Muslim?

Comments

I really enjoyed Zama’s first book, The Marriage Bureau for Rich People, and I was looking forward to reading this sequel. Generally speaking, I’m not a huge fan of frothy chick lit and what I love about this series is that it offers the relationships and social activity with enough information and more significant themes to keep me turning pages.

This book carries on smoothly from the first book in the series and there is such a diverse cast of characters and cultural issues to explore that I can see plenty of potential for further books.

If you’re looking for relaxing read with just enough substance to make it memorable, both The Marriage Bureau for Rich People and The Many Conditions of Love fit the bill perfectly. The great blend of personalities, humour, culture and deeper issues means I am looking forward to further books in this series with anticipation.

Related Links

• Farahad Zama author website
• Suite 101 review – The Marriage Bureau for Rich People
• Suite101 review – The Many Conditions of Love