A Greek family. An Indian family. A summer wedding on the Aegean coast… seduce the dreamy Nikos Manolas, and survive two weeks at sea with her oddball family.
The only obstacle Moti doesn’t see coming is Alexandros Veronis, the onboard chef and star witness to her awkward mishaps. He transforms onions into chocolate and aroma into nostalgia. Day by day, his alchemy works its magic on Moti. But she’s not the only one falling under his spell. Everyone has a secret, growing round and ripe at Chef Alex’s table. When the masks fall off, they spill out one by one, and everything blows up in their faces.
Now Moti’s truth is exposed, and worse, she’s hooked on more than Alex’s midnight snacks. But this time, screwing up could be the best thing she’s ever done…
A standalone romantic comedy about family, love, and self-discovery.
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Moti on the water by Leylah Attar, my first book by her. To read this book was a beautiful experience, it is one of those perfect books for any season. A romantic, heartwarming and hilarious story. The hero is a Greek chef that takes away your breath and steals your heart with his masterfulness culinary abilities and with his poetic soul. The heroine is a first generation American-Indian whose character growth was remarkable and beautiful. The cast? Hilarious. It’s a delightful, beautiful and hilarious book.
5* Sun and Water Stars
I have loved every book Leylah has written and I got so excited when I saw that she had released a new book. From the amazing cover to the last page read you will be entertained with this refreshing read filled with interesting and hilarious characters. It is a story of family and love. There were so many laugh out loud moments which will put a smile on your face.
This was a beautiful love story and the authors writing was flawless
Omggg I’m so excited about this new story from the amazing Leylah Attar that I don’t know where to start with my review. You already know how much I admire this talented lady. I could read her grocery list and be a happy camper. Her books are all unique. What they all have in common and Moti on the Water it’s no exception is the cultural diversity and the impeccable writing style. The journey of discovering another cultures and while learning from then you get an emotional, fun and beautiful love stories is a readers dream.
Moti on the Water is an enchanting romantic comedy. Its a different and refreshing read from Leylah. It’s also an overload for your senses. All the scenery, the culinary experience and the passion between our main couple will put you in quite a journey. Prepare yourself to swoon, tear up and laugh your heart out. This book is full of family banter and drama. There’s the beautiful words that you just have to pause, re read, absorb and highlight. I mean I highlighted so many passages in it that I might as well highlighted the whole book.
Moti is our beautiful, quirky, vibrant, loyal, funny, clumsy and sweet heroine. She is no size 2 model and that made me love her even more. She felt real in all the sense of the word. Also all the situations she is in were hilarious. A disaster waiting to happen.
“ , , . — -. . . ’ . ’ ’ .”
I love this girl so much. Her spirit, quirkyness, beautiful simplicity, heart and even her insecurities. They made me connect with her as I know all of you will too. Moti is a dreamer and she is waiting for the stars to aline and destiny to bring her her happily ever after. She comes from an Indian family we’re traditions are very crucial and she is constantly battle her need to fulfill her family expectations or follow her own dreams. This made me ache for her. Sometimes she felt like she wasn’t really seen by anyone. She is now the only single girl in her family and the maid of honor for her cousin Isabelle wedding. Her family is crazy, loud and in each others life just like mine jajaja.
The wedding party is going on a cruise to get to the wedding destination in Greece where the grooms family is from. All the places they visit made me want to grab a phone, book a trip to the Greek Islands without a return ticket. Imagine a yacht full of greek and Indian people plis crew members. All the chaos and fun times and multiple them by 10 and you can have an idea of all that’s will transpire on board. I laugh so much with all the madness and mishaps. I swear this was like watching a movie.
“. ’ ?”
Then on that yacht the mighty yum Chef Alexandros and his CULInary goodness enters. This make food a very important part of this story. The guy can cook. He will put you on a spell with every single bite. I swear I wanted to lick every one of his magic fingers and kiss his dimple.
“ , . . . , – .”
Alex is delicious in all the sense of that word. Leylah wrote his delectable cuisine in a way that you could feel every bit melt in you mouth. Eating was a complete and satisfying experience.
“ . .”
Every word from Alex lips and touch from his hands you felt in your skin. He is as sexy as he is talented and with a heart of gold.
The secondary characters are as magnificent, entertaining and lovable as the main characters. The trio of woman ( Dolly, Rachel Auntie and Naani) was all up in Moti life. Intruding on her lall day long. That made me want to hug Moti but also brought many laugh with their shenanigans.
This is a complete and marvelous read. A perfect summer romance to take to the beach or just snuggle in your reading nook. I can’t get enough of it. Feel free to text me and talk Moti all day long. Get your 1-clicking ready for this 5+ stars read.
Moti.
She’s 24 years old. Lives in Chicago. Is the daughter of Indian parents.
Her name can be pronounced two ways. One means Pearl in Hindi. The other means fat/chubby. And that about sums up her life.
She’s currently at her cousin’s engagement party trying to keep her slightly crazy mom and grandma out of trouble.
The upcoming wedding will take the whole family to Greece! On a yacht for two weeks with all of her cousin’s new in-law billionaire people!
And that’s where it gets even crazier for and with Moti!
First we have Nikos. Best Man. And according to her mom and a fortune teller … Moti’s future husband.
But then there’s also Alex – the yacht’s oh-so yummy chef!
LET THE FUN TIMES BEGIN!
ADORABLE!!!
The book is just like the cover. Colorful. Sunny. Summery. Watery. Fun.
But also so very hilarious and Indian and Greek and so full of food and flirting and arguing and family and wedding stuff and craziness and a bit of coming-of-age … you just can’t help but completely adore everything about Moti’s story!
Of course we immediately know that we want Moti to end up with Alex and not Nikos. And Alex is sooo adorable and hot and such a talented chef. He makes the most magical dishes and snacks and he’s always there when Moti needs him. Which might be pretty often – she ends up in lots of funny ‘situations’!
I adored this book. I loved reading it. I wanted them to be on the yacht for another two weeks – it was so beautiful! It would obviously be soo much more fun if you could read it while sitting by the pool on a yacht with a cocktail and a sexy cocktail-bringer, but pffft – the couch was ok too.
I really hope Netflix is already writing the script for this!
MOTI ON THE WATER was such a beautiful & hilarious love story! Full of sun & food & Greece & family & expectations & hope & dreams & craziness! I just adored it! Run to your nearest amazon for your own Yacht-Chef-ALEX – this one is MINE – and I’m realllly hungry!
“Sometimes you don’t know what you’re missing until you find it. And when you do, you want to pause and relish it forever.”
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About the book: , summer setting, cruise to Greece, rom-com, charming af chef, the beloved one-bed trope (kinda! They share a room, not a bed), diverse characters.
5, 50, 500 million stars!! I love this book with my whole heart, Alex and Moti share one of the most beautiful stories I’ve ever read.
I can’t believe it had been sitting on my TBR pile for so long and I just now picked it up. Everything —the characters, the plot, the writing, the locations… Everything was magical. I tried to read this book as slow as possible, because after some point I was so invested in the story that I didn’t want it to end. But even still, I devoured it in a matter of hours. And even though I absolutely loved the ending of the book, I’m so sad it’s over.
“Nothing permanent starts that way. It’s something you invite to stay.”
Moti On The Water is one of the few books I actually picked up without reading the blurb first. (because, duh, it’s Leylah Attar, plus I was craving a summer read and the cover promised that much). So, anyways, when Moti (pronounced with a soft -t, Mothi, bc otherwise you’re calling her chubby and she doesn’t appreciate it, even tho she’s too sweet to correct you) meets Nikos on a wedding cruise they’re both attending to, in Greece, she thinks she’s met her soulmate. See, she’s from India and when she was born, her mother had a clairvoyant tell her her future. Two of the things she was told was that
1. She would die in the water.
2. Her soulmate would have three thumbs in total, and if she didn’t marry her soulmate, then her mother would…. die.
Crazy, yes, but her mother believed it. So when she sees that Nikos, in fact, has three thumbs she decides to make her move, basically to please her mother.
Not having read the blurb, I thought Nikos would be her love interest. And I was kinda disappointed, not going to lie. But noooope. Not to long after, the highlight of the whole book makes its appearance: Alexandros. The cruise’s chef. And oh my goodness, I was charmed by him from the very start, and so was Moti. He is so sweet, kindhearted, makes meals that will make you drool in front of your kindle.
These two come closer and closer each day, and soon enough Moti forgets all about her mission to seduce Nikos and finally get her mother’s approval. All she can think about is the charming chef sleeping above her, in their bunk bed, in the room they’ll share for the whole cruise. The imagery in this book… It was one of my favorite things. Everything these two did, everything they shared was so so romantic and had my heart swelling uncontrollably.
I have so much more to say about this book, I could talk and talk and never finish. But I’ll just say, read it. You won’t regret it.
This is one of the most unique rom-coms I’ve read, I’ve truly never had a reading experience quite like this. It’s more than just a fun romance set on a yacht cruise around Greece – there’s strained family dynamics, struggles with self worth and identity, following your heart vs. following someone else’s expectations, etc.
It’s escapism with a healthy dose of realism. It felt like peeling back an onion, every layer had something more special and poignant than the last.
Genuinely hilarious, sharp writing, a messy supporting character roster, drool-worthy descriptions of food, a perfect seaside getaway all led by a loveable, mousy Indian-American heroine who falls in love with a sweetheart of a chef whose cooking abilities are literally magical.
Another thing about the writing – it flows so well, almost like poetry. I highlighted the heck out of my copy, but here’s my two favorite (semi spoiler free) lines:
“When you’ve been looked over your whole life, it’s startling to find yourself in someone’s eyes, to be held in their vision, the same way they hold sunsets and beautiful things.”
“My eyes welled up with unshed emotions, but I blinked them back. The moment was too pretty to be blurred. I wanted to remember it exactly like it was. Sharp and colored. The sea. The sky. The man sitting beside me.”
The closer I reached the end of the book, the more I put off reading because I really didn’t want this to be over. It’s one of those books for me.
/ 5. Instant favorite from the first few pages. Even if rom-coms aren’t your thing, it’s still worth trying!
Quick hits: steamy slow burn; one-sided/light enemies to lovers (Moti had more resentment against Alex than he had for her) rom-com; curvy, POC heroine struggling with self worth and a strained relationship with her mom, loving hero with mystical cooking abilities; close proximity; dreamy yacht cruise around Greece; mouthwatering descriptions of food; great blend of escapism and realism.
This was an entertaining and lighthearted love story, travel adventure, and cultural exploration wrapped into one. Though somewhat predictable, it was a great opportunity to escape into worlds unknown to many of us as the lead characters navigated the course of their colorful worlds.
The quirky protagonist was immediately relatable and reeled me in with her unlikely predestined birth story.
My only criticism is that several of the supporting characters could have been more developed so that readers would have been more invested in them as the story came to an end.
Overall, this was a fun read
This is the most delightful book! Funny, so very romantic, and I loved the main characters. Alex (Chef Alexandros) is a gorgeous, generous man, and Moti is funny and so relatable. With its breezy Greek setting and sexy, steamy moments, lots of laughs and a feel-good HEA, I’m going to read it more than once, that’s for sure!
Moti on the Water fits into a plethora of genres. This book (in my opinion) is mainly a family drama , but also focuses on the growth of the story’s heroine, Moti. Much of the story surrounds her “finding herself” and finally loosening herself from her mother’s grip which makes it a good candidate for women’s fiction readers. Finally, there’s a splash of romance the blossoms between Moti and a man who is almost forbidden to her, which mainly takes place towards the end. Don’t get me wrong, the romance factor is THERE but this story doesn’t JUST fall within that category. The story doesn’t JUST focus on her romantic life, but more about HER finally becoming comfortable in her own skin. Therefore, this book can fit into a wide variety of genres and can be easily loved by many readers!
I’ve only read one of the authors previous novels (The Paper Swan) and remembered how much I loved that book back in 2015 so I decided to give this one a try. Not only did it sound like a fun story (which it is) but the gorgeous cover had me thinking summer, swimming, and enjoying the freedoms of the outdoors (all things that I love!). When I tucked into this novel last night, I literally got lost in the world. Moti is such a relatable character and seeing her slowly free herself from her family’s superstitions and traditions was a breath of fresh air. I don’t get to read many books like this so when I found it, I was overjoyed. Laylah did a wonderful job at bringing Moti to life, along with the gorgeous setting where I was temporarily vacationing right alongside her. The romance factor was beautiful, although it took a lot of time to get there. I don’t mind a slow burn romance but when a book only spans two weeks and it doesn’t truly develop until the two weeks is almost up, it can become frustrating. Us readers KNOW what Moti should do but having to patiently wait for her to make up her mind and understand her worth and what she deserves was a bit underwhelming. I say underwhelming because I expected FIREWORKS and it took SO LING to get there. I think that’s my only complaint about this novel.
Other than that, this is truly a gorgeous and uplifting story and I read it as fast as I could. I loved Moti and her family, I laughed out loud quite a few times (there is a lot of humor in this one), and I connected with these characters implicitly. I look forward to many more novels by Laylah because she writes gorgeous stories!
Moti on the Water from the extremely talented Leylah Attar is Reading Bliss
Romantic Comedy Fun!
So much Love for this story and the cast of characters really made this definitely one of my favorites!
FiveTwinkling Starfish Stars!
I loved Moti and her crazy family. I was hysterical laughing throughout her entire journey…and what a journey it was. At the core of this story is both family and knowing when you need to follow your heart.
There were so many things I loved about this book. 1. Any book that has a chef and talk about food I know I will love. 2. One of the characters has my son’s name. 3. All of the Greek food and talk and visiting Greece makes me want to go back. I am part Greek and have family there and reading this book made me feel like I was actually there.
Moti was so charming, I smiled a lot while reading her story. She was a girl who always did what she was told. She never went against the grain and upset anyone (besides the stealing, which was her way of finally acting out). Her mother was told by a sightseer that Moti would marry a man with three thumbs and if she didn’t, her mother would die within 7 days. Moti felt this obligation to do just that, for the sake of her mother, and she met Nikos, who coincidentally had three thumbs. She struggled with doing what she thought was right for her mother and what she really wanted to do for her. Alex came along and there was a whirlwind of spark. He fell hard and fast for Moti but she had to be willing to open herself up to doing what she wanted and not listening to her mother or her elders.
Seeing Alex at home with his father in their little village made my heart swell. Alex was constant in his adoration/love for Moti and I fell a little in love with him as well. All of the characters were entertaining and the ending when everyone said what was on their minds was my favorite part of the story. It’s something that everyone wishes they could do, they just need that push.
Funny. Heartfelt. Romantic. Recommend for lovers of multi-cultural stories, voyages of self-discovery, and swoon-worthy romance. Also, will totally fuel your wanderlust.
4.5 Stars!
This was an entertaining read with a fantastic heroine. Moti was one of the best! I really enjoyed the focus on family and the hard-earned romance. With Alex the chef and his cooking as prominent players in the story, food played a large role in fostering emotions (and confessions) throughout the story. I found that element delightfully written. Moti on the Water was classified as a romantic comedy and there laid my one issue with it. The story was cute with some sweet romance, but I didn’t personally connect with the humor. There was quite a bit of slapstick in the first few chapters. Unless that style of humor is written sparsely and with subtlety, it can feel over-the-top or contrived to me. Those first few chapters were concerning, but Moti’s penchant for embarrassing mishaps lessened and the focus on romance, travel, and family increased. In the end, I found it to be a fun women’s fiction story with a satisfying, but lighter romantic focus.
This book was so good!
Moti is the clumsy wall flower. Always on the side lines her cousin is getting married and she is going on a fabulous private yacht. It can’t get any better than this. She has one problem we fear of water. It was predicted that she would die on the water. She would also meet her true love but he has to have 3 thumbs. Moti can’t swim she is terrified of the water.
When she meets a sexy man with three thumbs her life can finally begin! Now she has to woo him and get him to realize he is her soul mate.
Sometimes things don’t always go as planned. When she gets on the boat a few months after meeting him she meets a sexy chef.
Alex can make any food into magic. His food has the most intense effects on all the passengers. They all feel things when they eat his food.
Moti feels more than she bargains for. This book was sweet and funny. I loved everything about it. This crazy family is going on a trip with a family of billionaires. Its a great dynamic. This book is a must read I loved Moti and Alex. Sigh such a fantastic love story. You can’t help but like Dolly and her craziness.
Despite the number of Leylah Attar books I have sitting on my kindle, I haven’t had the opportunity to read one, so when I saw the sign-up for Moti on the Water, I immediately signed up to review, excited to finally be able to read Attar’s words and immerse myself into her story, characters, and the world she created.
And after reading Moti and Alex’s story, I know I need to find the time to read her other books because there’s a uniqueness to the way she crafts and voices her stories, and in a genre that’s saturated with so many similar story lines and characters, I appreciate the diversity that resonates in all aspects of Attar’s newest release.
Moti Ferreira is a heroine who many readers will relate to…she’s definitely at a crossroads of sorts, attempting to figure out where her place is in the life that seems to be leaving her behind because she’s never put herself first, remaining the family ‘pleaser’ and existing under the mandates of her controlling mother. She’s always felt a sense of duty to her family, aiming to take care of everyone but herself, ensuring that her path in life was made by those before her and based on foretold notions that she was more than pushed to believe.
I loved Moti’s journey to self-discovery, finding her own voice and going after her own needs and desires. It’s not easy to breakaway from the life you’ve always lived, but it was more than time for Moti to pave her own way, and she has Alex to thank for some of the courage she finds
Alexandros Veronis is quite the enigma; I loved the chapters that were told from his perspective. Everything about him spoke to Moti, even when she didn’t want it to and as irritating as she thought he was, she gravitated toward him because he offered her something she’s never had – his full attention and the fact that he watched out for her while she tried to take care of everyone else.
The dysfunction involved in Moti’s extended family as well as the other people traveling with them was mind-boggling. Their selfishness, their meddling, their degrading words directed toward each other as well as the bombs that are dropped at the end of the story speak to a group of people who weren’t truly living their lives because they were trapped in the past, fixated on what the future would be like or too afraid to branch out and take a chance. So, in some ways, because Moti was able to separate herself from everyone, making her own choices when it came to Alex, her family was forced to look inward, look at themselves and figure out how to make things better for themselves, however that may be.
I’m thrilled that I was finally able to read one of Leylah Attar’s story, and while I would definitely classify Moti on the Water as a romantic comedy, it’s so much more than a humorous read…it’s one that speaks of the importance of family, the strength of traditions, the relationship between fate and logic, and an array of other life lessons that are all brought to life amidst a group of eccentric, high maintenance, and over-the-top characters who finally try to make things right before it’s too late.
4.5 Poison Apples
Every now and again you come across a book that makes your heart happy and Moti on the Water is one of those books. Moti’s story made me smile so hard and Alex made my heart beat a little faster and Naani stole it. Both families are wonderful. You can’t help but fall in love with each and every character in this book and that is due to Leylar Attar and her ability to craft such a beautifully written tale. Such a feel-good read and a little bit saucy too. It will leave you smiling for a long long time.
Sweet, swoony, and utterly unputdownable!
The sights, sounds, smells, tastes, Leylah Attar transports you to another world with her magical words. This book came just when I needed it, warming me from the insides, a beautiful humorous and heart warming story with proper laugh out loud moments.
Moti (with a soft T) is searching for something, possibly approval, as she tries to remain invisible and what she finds is herself, her spark. Chef Alex is kind and courageous and has magical hands and a cheeky humour. The secondary characters all have their quirks and stories too, it makes for a very interesting wedding party!
I was left with all the warm and fuzzies after reading this one, and also a rumbling tummy. Whilst its a perfect beach read, because of the way you are transported through the author’s beautiful descriptions its a perfect read for anywhere, anytime and you’ll still feel the holiday vibe.
All the stars and heart eyes!
A delicious, tasty treat from one of my very favorite authors! Leylah’s RomCom in the Greek isles (yesss, she wrote a Romantic Comedy!) is so much fun, a true delight. From the wacky family doings and dynamics to the quirky heroine and swoony chef hero. Don’t miss it!