Serena Singh Flips the Script

Lalli (The Matchmaker’s List) charms in this delightful tale of love, friendship, and cultures clashing. Serena Singh, 36, an advertising creative director in Washington, D.C., is determined to remain single and independent, despite everyone around her encouraging her to settle down. With all of her friends—and her only sister, Natasha—married and too busy to hang out, Serena sets out to find a new bestie. Several comic misadventures ensue, including her inadvertently ending up at a sex club. She soon connects with feisty Ainsley, a colleague with a wicked sense of humor and a husband—who, like Serena, is Indian American. When a man from Serena’s past reappears and makes a play for her heart, Serena is faced with a choice: cling to past heartache, or take a chance on a bountiful future. Lalli excels at creating flawed but lovable characters, and her exquisitely crafted and perfectly paced narrative captivates. Serena and Natasha’s relationship with their Indian immigrant mother, Sandeep, underpins the narrative with stories of the girls’ effort to help her assimilate (such as explaining to Sandeep that she can’t haggle at Target). Women’s fiction fans will devour this funny, poignant story. Agent: Martha Webb, CookeMcDermid Literary Management. (Feb.)