Sajni Patel – författare

One impulsive lie leads to a weeklong adventure of fake dating for two bickering coworkers in this swoony destination wedding rom-com by Sajni Patel, author of The Trouble with Hating You. Sunshine incarnate Bhanu brings big UX energy to whatever she does, including going for the promotion where her only serious competition is her work nemesis, AKA Sunny, the grump with the Denzel voice. She expected to get a reprieve from him while visiting her family in Hawai’i, but the universe has other plans. When Bhanu runs into Sunny at the hotel and witnesses his ex criticizing him about being single, Bhanu does the first thing that comes to mind: she impetuously claims to be Sunny’s girlfriend just to get some peace and quiet. Except Sunny is on island for a friend’s wedding and his ex has already texted the entire wedding party about this mysterious girlfriend. Bhanu truly is the bane of Sunny’s existence. But the last thing he wants to do is cause tension during his friend’s wedding festivities, much less be the object of their pity. He has no choice except to play along, if only he and Bhanu can put aside their quarreling and act like a real couple. Between Bhanu’s hilariously meddling family and Sunny’s ecstatic friends, the two are pushed closer together, even as stress mounts over the impending promotion. They say what happens on island, stays on island. But as Sunny and Bhanu let their guards down, will either of them be able to resist this romantic getaway without crossing the line?

Circe goes YA in this unapologetically feminist retelling of the Medusa myth steeped in Indian mythology, a YA epic fantasy addition to the Rick Riordan Presents imprint.All monsters and heroes have beginnings. This is mine.Sixteen-year-old Manisha is no stranger to monsters—she’s been running from them for years, from beasts who roam the jungle to the King’s army, who forced her people, the naga, to scatter to the ends of the earth. You might think that the kingdom’s famed holy temples atop the floating mountains, where Manisha is now a priestess, would be safe—but you would be wrong.Seventeen-year-old Pratyush is a famed slayer of monsters, one of the King’s most prized warriors and a frequent visitor to the floating temples. For every monster the slayer kills, years are added to his life. You might think such a powerful warrior could do whatever he wants, but true power lies with the King. Tired after years of fighting, Pratyush wants nothing more than a peaceful, respectable life.When Pratyush and Manisha meet, each sees in the other the possibility to chart a new path. Unfortunately, the kingdom’s powerful have other plans. A temple visitor sexually assaults Manisha and pushes her off the mountain into a pit of vipers. A month later, the King sends Pratyush off to kill one last monster (a powerful nagin who has been turning men to stone) before he’ll consider granting the slayer his freedom.Except Manisha doesn’t die, despite the hundreds of snake bites covering her body and the venom running through her veins. She rises from the pit more powerful than ever before, with heightened senses, armor-like skin, and blood that can turn people to stone. And Pratyush doesn’t know it, but the “monster” he’s been sent to kill is none other than the girl he wants to marry.Alternating between Manisha’s and Pratyush’s perspectives, Sajni Patel weaves together lush language, high stakes, and page-turning suspense, demanding an answer to the question “What does it truly mean to be a monster?”Endorsed by Rick Riordan, author of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, now a hit series on Disney+.

Read the Persephone myth like never before in this companion to A Drop of Venom by Sajni Patel, where Greek mythology meets Indian lore.Gods are made, not born.Before Manisha, the youngest of three sisters, was sent to hide on the floating mountain, her eldest sister, Eshani, made a deal with the shades. In order to save her people in the midst of a tragic war, she exchanged her life for theirs. Now, years later, the shades claim their due, dragging Eshani into the Nightmare Realm where she must find the Gatekeeper to fulfill her end of the bargain.Nothing is as it seems in a land filled with ravenous monsters, ghoulish residents, and a river full of the dead. But most terrifying of all is the Shadow King, who intends to use Eshani to obtain immortality. As it turns out, Eshani—nicknamed “little goddess of spring”—is the key to fulfilling the Nightmare Realm’s prophecy. There’s only one person who can help Eshani escape, and he has his own problems.Hiran has spent most of his life hiding, but destiny beckons, and he can no longer resist the call of the realm. But how can a stowaway, long thought to be dead, save an entire world? Nothing will stop the Nightmare Realm from getting what it wants. Except maybe a king in the making and a goddess rising.Endorsed by Rick Riordan, author of the Disney+ hit series Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

Read the Persephone myth like never before in this companion to A Drop of Venom by Sajni Patel, where Greek mythology meets Indian lore.Gods are made, not born.Before Manisha, the youngest of three sisters, was sent to hide on the floating mountain, her eldest sister, Eshani, made a deal with the shades. In order to save her people in the midst of a tragic war, she exchanged her life for theirs. Now, years later, the shades claim their due, dragging Eshani into the Nightmare Realm where she must find the Gatekeeper to fulfill her end of the bargain.Nothing is as it seems in a land filled with ravenous monsters, ghoulish residents, and a river full of the dead. But most terrifying of all is the Shadow King, who intends to use Eshani to obtain immortality. As it turns out, Eshani—nicknamed “little goddess of spring”—is the key to fulfilling the Nightmare Realm’s prophecy. There’s only one person who can help Eshani escape, and he has his own problems.Hiran has spent most of his life hiding, but destiny beckons, and he can no longer resist the call of the realm. But how can a stowaway, long thought to be dead, save an entire world? Nothing will stop the Nightmare Realm from getting what it wants. Except maybe a king in the making and a goddess rising.Endorsed by Rick Riordan, author of the Disney+ hit series Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

Read the Persephone myth like never before in this companion to A Drop of Venom by Sajni Patel, where Greek mythology meets Indian lore.Gods are made, not born.Before Manisha, the youngest of three sisters, was sent to hide on the floating mountain, her eldest sister, Eshani, made a deal with the shades. In order to save her people in the midst of a tragic war, she exchanged her life for theirs. Now, years later, the shades claim their due, dragging Eshani into the Nightmare Realm where she must find the Gatekeeper to fulfill her end of the bargain.Nothing is as it seems in a land filled with ravenous monsters, ghoulish residents, and a river full of the dead. But most terrifying of all is the Shadow King, who intends to use Eshani to obtain immortality. As it turns out, Eshani—nicknamed “little goddess of spring”—is the key to fulfilling the Nightmare Realm’s prophecy. There’s only one person who can help Eshani escape, and he has his own problems.Hiran has spent most of his life hiding, but destiny beckons, and he can no longer resist the call of the realm. But how can a stowaway, long thought to be dead, save an entire world? Nothing will stop the Nightmare Realm from getting what it wants. Except maybe a king in the making and a goddess rising.Endorsed by Rick Riordan, author of the Disney+ hit series Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

A fresh, witty rom-com romp set against the backdrop of a high-profile music competition and a riotous Indian weddingZurika Damani is a naturally gifted violinist with a particular love for hip hop beats. But when you’re part of a big Indian family, everyone has expectations, and those certainly don’t include hip hop violin. After being rejected by Juilliard, Zuri's last hope is a contest judged by a panel of top tier college scouts. The only problem? This coveted competition happens to take place during Zuri’s sister’s extravagant wedding week. And Zuri has already been warned, repeatedly, that she is not to miss a single moment.In the midst of the chaos, Zuri’s mom is in matchmaking mode with the groom’s South African cousin Naveen—who just happens to be a cocky vocalist set on stealing Zuri’s spotlight at the scouting competition. Luckily Zuri has a crew of loud and loyal female cousins cheering her on. Now, all she has to do is to wow the judges for a top spot, evade getting caught by her parents, resist Naveen’s charms, and, oh yeah . . . not mess up her sister’s big fat Indian wedding. What could possibly go wrong?

From the author of My Sister's Big Fat Indian Wedding comes a hilarious, smart, and utterly swoon-worthy rom-com about two teens traveling to Dubai for the Festival of Lights.Nikki, an aspiring photographer, is accompanying her family on a trip to the glittering city of Dubai to celebrate the five days of Diwali in style. It should be the trip of a lifetime, a perfect escape—if only Yash, the boy next door—with whom Nikki has a famously rocky, hate-to-love history—weren't also on board.Oblivious to the simmering tension, Nikki's large, matchmaking family catches them up in the festive spirit and encourages her to get reacquainted with her former best friend. Turns out, a lot can change on a twelve-hour flight besides just continents. Surrounded by the opulent sights and joyous celebrations of Dubai, Nikki and Yash are forced to confront the distance between them.But can old betrayals and conflicting ambitions be set aside long enough for the two teens to discover the true meaning of the Festival of Lights? And is the exhilarating thrill they feel just holiday magic, or the heady exhilaration of first love?Perfect for fans of Tokyo Ever After and The Upside of Falling, this exuberant novel captures all the joy of family celebrations along with the undeniable spark between two former friends trying to find light in the darkness.

A laugh-out-loud debut about first impressions, second chances, and finding your soulmate in the most unexpected place. Liya Thakkar refuses to play by the rules. An Indian-American, MBA-toting biochemical engineer, Liya has always fought against the role of women in her culture. If there's one thing she knows, it's that she will never, ever be a docile Indian housewife. So when a visit to her parents' house ends up being an ambush with a probable suitor, Liya bolts. Catching sight of his 'date' sneaking out the back door, Jayesh Shah is shocked and angry--mostly on behalf of his mother, who is taking the failed meeting personally. But then Jay is relieved, he's heard rumors about Liya... and she definitely doesn't seem like the type of woman who wants to get married. Liya and Jay would love to pretend the other doesn't exist, but Jay happens to be the new hotshot lawyer hired to rejuvenate Liya's failing company. Try as they might, they can't avoid one another for long. Liya thinks Jay is domineering and cocky, Jay thinks Liya is unpredictable and cold. But the more time they're forced to spend together, the more these assumptions are stripped away. Will Liya's fear of losing her independence mean turning her back on true love?

Preeti Patel only has room in her life for family, friends, and her career as a doctor. So when her ex-boyfriend-and man she never forgot-turns up as her new roommate, she's determined to go about her life as if he's not even there. But he's impossible to avoid in the one-bedroom apartment, and the proximity has Preeti remembering all the ways she and Daniel were a perfect fit. But her family doesn't approve of him, and for a woman who's always done what her family has asked, choosing love-again-will be the hardest choice she ever has to make.