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“Bursting with humor, banter, and cringeworthy first dates, Sonali Dev’s The Vibrant Years is a joyful and fun read, but it’s also very much a timely tale about a group of underestimated women demanding respect and embracing their most authentic selves.” ―Mindy Kaling

Living on their own terms means being there for one another.

When sixty-five-year-old Bindu Desai inherits a million dollars, she’s astounded―and horrified. The windfall threatens to expose a shameful mistake from her youth. Desperate to keep the secret, Bindu quickly spends it on something unexpected: a condo in a posh retirement community in Florida.

The impulsive decision blindsides Bindu’s daughter-in-law, Aly. At forty-seven, Aly still shares a home with Bindu even after her divorce from Bindu’s son. But maybe this change is just the push Aly needs to fight for the segment she’s been promised for years at the news station where she works.

As Bindu and Aly navigate their new dynamic, Aly’s daughter, Cullie, is faced with losing the business that made her a tech-world star. The only way to save it is to deliver a new idea to her investors―and of course they want the half-baked dating app she pitched them in a panic. Problem is, Cullie has never been on a real date. Naturally, enlisting her single mother and grandmother to help her with the research is the answer.

From USA Today bestselling author Sonali Dev comes a heartfelt novel about three generations of hilarious, unconventional, ambitious women navigating bad dates, a spiteful HOA board, reemerging exes, and secrets that refuse to remain hidden. Join the Desai women on a shared journey of self-discovery as they dare to live their most vibrant lives.

From the Publisher

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Mindy's Book Studio (December 1, 2022)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 315 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1542036224
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1542036221
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1 x 8.5 inches
Reviewer: ParbleuParbleu
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: An incredibly well-written book
Review: A wonderful book, I read it all in one go. I loved the characters and I loved the insight on how an Indian- descent living in the sunny side of the US brings old-world traditional thinking into their different world and manages the blend. The trials, the briefs and the joys are believable and make the characters come alive.

Reviewer: GSM
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Three Generations of Vibrant, Interesting Women
Review: Three generations of women grapple with bad life choices, limiting fears and personal crises while trying to support each other."She always said loving yourself is a foundational requirement of knowing how to love anyone else and that most meanness in the world comes from self-loathing."Sixty-five year-old Bindu Desai inherits a million dollars from a man she had known when she was a young actress in India, whom she has kept secret from her family. Telling no one how she is able to afford it, Bindu moves into an upscale retirement community in Florida where she rebels against a group of sneering busybodies and meets some interesting men she enjoys dating. While Bindu settles into life on the beautiful coast, her ex-daughter-in-law Aly is fighting for the chance to make her mark at the news station where she works, and is sad that Bindu has moved out of her apartment. Aly's daughter and Bindu's grand daughter Cullie is a tech-genius but needs new inspiration in order to maintain control of her creative work. All three women have suffered from a previous heartbreak and are ready to create the vibrant and unconventional lives they envision.I enjoyed these characters, the cultural flourishes and the fun descriptions of life in a retirement community. Sometimes the narrative was a touch melodramatic, but the story was engaging and I read it quickly."Managing your energy and your assets was the key to aging right."Hardcover 316 pages, Audiobook 11 hours.

Reviewer: Vishal Shah
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: great book
Review: Absolutely loved this book. All the characters, story telling ,language Wonderfully written. Definitely recommend it. I have Read all her books.

Reviewer: Phyllis E.
Rating: 3.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Learning to live life on your own terms
Review: This is a rom-com with a thoughtful perspective – what it means to live life on your own terms.It’s the story of three generations of Indian women in one family who are determined to find the answer to that question for themselves. They are at different stages in life, each dealing with their own issues, but they often lean on each other for advice, support, and friendship. They each have the desire to be independent, yet also to find true love.All three are a bit nonconformist: Bindu is a grandmother who after years of going along with what was expected of her, finally reclaims her identity. Daughter-in-law Aly continues to chase her dreams. When she finally realizes her employer will never give her the big break, she takes matters into her own hands. Granddaughter Cullie is a coding wizard who has created an app that helps millions of people suffering from anxiety. When the app’s availability is threatened, she uses her incredible tech skills to negotiate for herself.The novel begins as Bindu, Aly and Cullie experiment with the world of online dating in the interest of helping Cullie create a new and revolutionary app.I have read other Sonali Dev novels that I liked better and must admit this one was disappointing. I just didn’t enjoy the plot as it alternated between the farcical comedy of online dating and the overly dramatic secret of Bindu’s hidden past. Many of the characters have secrets, or at least information they aren’t sharing, which creates tension but not in a good way. I grew impatient to have everyone explain themselves, and the resolutions were not surprising or satisfying to me. The writing was skillful, but the story could have been tightened up.Nonetheless, I agree with Mindy Kaling’s description of this timely rom-com “about a group of underestimated and unrepresented women demanding respect and embracing their most authentic selves, who support and lift each other up through difficult times.”

Reviewer: Cindy Adair
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: slow starter, but great story
Review: I almost put this book down; I’m glad I didn’t! The story is a slow starter as the author builds the background and develops the characters. It is the story of Cully, her mother Aly, and her grandmother Bindu. Each woman is facing a life altering situation and their strength is their love and support for each other. As they move forward and deal with life’s curve balls, each woman must face her own fears and dreams. All three are forced to find their true feelings and motivations creating growth. I thought this was a beautifully told story with a range of emotions and humor. Definitely worth the read!

Reviewer: Minal Patel
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Great fun read
Review: This is such great complex female characters, you can't but fall in love with. Def a good beach vacation book.

Reviewer: NervaVels
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A most enjoyable read!
Review: I normally read science fiction or fantasy. I am not often drawn to other types of fiction, but the write up for this book was enticing. I am so very glad I gave in to this temptation.This story is rich, lush, with the thoughts, desires, schemes and lives of three women in the same family, living in and around and from their culture and their lives. It was amazing to take this journey with Bindu, Alisha and Callie as the central protagonists of the story, and how they worked to make themselves the center of their lives, even after years of giving up parts of themselves to appease society/others.I am looking forward to reading Sonali Dev's reworkings of the Jane Austen novels. I heartily recommend this book to every one who feels even a little sense of rebellion against what society expects and wants from us (fact: while it centered on the women, it also showed how the men come to terms with how they are required to be - and rebel too!)

Reviewer: Bumblefeet
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Woman power
Review: I loved reading about women who find themselves! Finding strength, purpose and love for each other and within themselves. Good read

Reviewer: Bronwen E Fairbrother
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: The writing is solid, I love good character work, they each have a journey to take to become better versions of themselves. They are doing the work and they don't have to do it alone, these Indian American women have each other.

Reviewer: Kindle Customer
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: I really enjoyed this amazing book which covers three generations of women. The story made me laugh,think and tear up!Bindu,Aly and Cullie are amazing!Looking forward to read more books from you Sonali.

Reviewer: Karen Ford
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: The vibrant years is a beautiful book, it will have meaning for all ages, female or male, I've loved every bit of it, been surprised, cried, laughed and been thoughtful, it explores feelings in such a way that you feel as if the writer can see into your soul. I highly recommend it to anyone, whether you are a reader of fact or fiction.

Reviewer: avid reader1
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: I loved this book, easy to read but not predictable and examined the roles of women across three generations in a witty, clever engaging way. A very special read.

Reviewer: Amazon Customer
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: I chose this book as a complimentary Amazon pick. I doubt I would have chosen it as a buy. I was very pleasantly surprised how well it was written and how nicely the story flowed. I will read this author again.