It was the perfect marriage… until they fell in love.Chaya is a young woman torn between her duty to family and her life in the UK. While her traditional Sri Lankan parents want her to settle down into marriage, what they don’t know is that Chaya has turned away the one true love of her life, Noah, terrified of their disapproval.Gimhana is hiding his sexuality from his family. It’s easy enough to … sexuality from his family. It’s easy enough to pretend he’s straight when he lives half a world away in the UK. But it’s getting harder and harder to turn down the potential brides his parents keep finding
for him.
When Chaya and Gimhana meet, a marriage of convenience seems like the perfect solution to their problems. Together they have everything – friendship, stability and their parents’ approval. But when both Chaya and Gimhana find themselves falling in love outside of their marriage, they’re left with an impossible decision – risk everything they’ve built together, or finally follow
their heart?
Will they choose love, or carry on living a lie?
An emotional, page turning read about love, family and the secrets we keep, for fans of Amanda Prowse, Ayisha Malik and Susan Lewis.
Praise for Jeevani Charika:
‘A compelling, passionate and captivating must read!…I thoroughly enjoyed reading this beautiful book’ Dash Fan Book Reviews
This Stolen Life is a journey that is not to be
missed…this story moved me beyond measure…I just know it will be one book that will stay with me in the coming months.’ Stacy is Reading
‘I loved this book… Jeevani Charika has created such soulful characters that they make reading this book an absolute pleasure… This is a heart-warming 5 star read.’ (5 stars) Jan’s Book Buzz
‘truly engaging characters that are believable and a story that is applicable the world over. I found myself not wanting to put the book down.’ Jen Med’s Book Reviews
‘filled with emotional turmoil and love, this is a story that took me completely by surprise. A gorgeous and memorable gem of a book with well written and likeable characters who will stay with me for some time to come.’ Cal Turner Reviews
‘The story is gripping, emotional and really unique… I loved it and I heartily recommend it.’ Goodreads reviewer
‘From the very first few pages I was hooked… This was just beautiful in many ways.’ (5 stars) Goodreads reviewer
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This was everything you want to see on a book now a days…even though it keeps you on the edge of your seat because you never know what is going to happen but man it was good.
Chaya has a very traditional Sri Lankan family and even though she has left their home and country to study aboard, they still expect her to settle down into marriage with a Sri Lankan boy. But what they don’t know is that she turned away her one true love, Noah because she doesn’t want to disappoint them. At the end she will do whatever it is that makes them happen even if her heart is broken forever.
Gimhana has been hiding his sexuality from his family since ever. It’s not that hard because he has been living half a world away from them. But now it’s getting harder to find an excuse of not getting married, as his parents expect him to marry a sri Lankan girl as it is tradition. He is torn of what to do, until an opportunity presents itself.
When Chaya and Gimhana meet, they both find the perfect solution to their problems. A marriage of convenience. He can hid his sexuality, she can live the life she has been living until now, married to her job and keep her heart away as it will never love anyone besides Noah. So, they both go on with their plan. And things go so well but everything comes crumbling down.
Loved learning about Sri Lankan culture, and every time they were eating I wanted to be there eating with them too lol. Chaya also suffers from anxiety and it was not sugar coated in this book, Chaya had full on anxiety attacks and the world needs to know more about them and more about mental health. Thumbs up Jeevani Charika. Gimhana was everything you wanted in a friend, he was always there for Chaya and the was the perfect “husband”, loved his sexuality was done in this book and how is relationships was shown, Another thumbs up.
Ah, I really loved reading this book, I was rooting for Chaya and for Gimhana even when their “marriage” was all over the place. Each of their personality will steal your heart and you will fall for both of them.
Totally recommend…5 out of 5 stars.
I got an ARC from NetGalley.
The best sort of books can introduce to worlds and to cultures you don’t know very well, if at all, and makes you feel at home. “A Convenient Marriage” is just that sort of book. It brought to life the conflicts experienced by a Sri Lankan woman whose parents won’t accept her marrying a western man, and a Sri Lankan man who can’t come out and embrace his sexuality. I couldn’t put the book down because I was really invested in Chaya and Ghimana’s stories. I wanted them to have happy endings but had now idea how they could. It’s a really good book and I think any reader from any background will love it, and at the same time learn to see the world from another angle.
This revised and re-edited first novel of Jeevani Charika is amazing! It was not lacking in any way. It delighted, it pulled at my heart strings, it enlightened, and the plot gave more than a few glimpses into worlds I am not familiar with, which is always a plus for any story, in my opinion. The characters also were rich and nuanced and developed over the course of the story. I cannot wait to read more from this author.
A Convenient Marriage by Jeevani Charika
Cultural expectations can play a huge part in how people live their lives…or don’t live their lives. Wanting to please family, even if it means ultimately hurting oneself, is so ingrained from birth that it often can harm the person who lives a lie or gives up the person they love. In this story Gimhana is hiding who he truly is and playing a part and Chaya is afraid to be with the person that probably could have made her whole and the person she was meant to be.
Gimhana and Chaya think they have the perfect solution that will allow them friendship, someone to come home to and also provide stability and normalcy. What is the solution? Why, get married…though just a marriage of convenience. By marrying “suitable” partners they will also manage to get their families off their backs and stop all of the nagging they hear about getting married. And, though again living a lie, though a different one, they do seem to be getting along okay…at least for awhile.
This book had me hoping that Gim and Chaya would eventually find a way to live with the people that truly made them happy. They went through so much for so many years that I was sure they deserved some true happiness. Their lives do eventually turn out okay but they have some tough times before they achieve the HEA they deserve.
Well written and thought provoking I found myself wondering how difficult it would be to give up so much to please parents. Having lived in countries where homosexuality is still a crime I felt for Gimhana in ways I might not otherwise have. I know people that have given up the “love of their life” because of parental pressure and remembering them also came to mind as I read. So, definitely a book that made me think and care and hope the two would find peace after so many years of just existing.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hera for the ARC – This is my honest review.
5 Stars
Thoughtful story of family obligation vs. being true to yourself
4.5stars
I truly enjoyed this thought-provoking, romantic tale. This story has such sweetness, sadness, desperation and realism. I found the main characters somewhat tragic but thankfully redeemed at the end by the power of love. The challenges both Gimhana and Chaya face as they lean on each other for support while keeping their deepest secrets and desires from family and work colleagues: they may be enmeshed in their Sri Lankan upbringing but are issues that are more universal as well.
Author Jeevani Charika’s main characters are beset by both overt and subtle discrimination, Chaya in her work environment where her quest for a professorship, no matter how brilliantly she tries, seems always sabotaged, and Gimhana where his career advancement and worth as a good son are dependent on “fitting in” to the traditional heterosexual mold. Their marriage pact may be doomed to eventual failure, but their motivation is understandable. Their solid friendship, through everything, was comforting and inspiring. And what a lovely conclusion, full of hope for their futures (sigh!).
I am so glad the author kept with this story and finally published it. For some readers Chaya and Gimhana’s dilemma may seem a bit dated, but I believe that, sadly, the issues they faced still ring true.
Thanks to publishers Hera Books and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.