Lies and Other Love Languages

A Novel

By: Sonali Dev

Narrated by: Soneela Nankani

From the bestselling author of The Vibrant Years comes an emotional story of three women navigating ugly truths and safe lies with only love to guide them on a journey of motherhood, friendship, and life.

Bestselling advice columnist Vandy Guru built her career teaching others how to live honestly and courageously, but after the loss of her husband, Vandy’s public veneer can barely conceal her grief. When her beloved daughter Mallika suddenly disappears and her estranged childhood best friend Rani returns, stirring up long-buried secrets, Vandy’s carefully crafted life feels at risk.

Aspiring choreographer Mallika Guru is tired of failure. When another audition ends in rejection, she signs up for a genetic study to find out why she’s so different from her accomplished family. But the results reveal her whole life to be a lie, and Rani seems to be the only one who knows the truth.

Rani Parekh sacrificed everything for Vandy once. But to hold on to the life she’s rebuilt, she must confront her troubled history and face Vandy and Mallika. Join these three extraordinary women as they journey from LA to Mumbai on an incredible path of discovery, hope, and love.

©2023 Sonali Dev, LLC (P)2023 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Soneela Nankani creates a sympathetic portrayal of Vandy Guru, a mother and advice columnist who is looking for her missing daughter, Mallika. This audiobook features an experienced narrator and a sophisticated story. Nankani captures the many conflicts facing women of Indian origin in contemporary American society.… Nankani does a great job helping listeners empathize with the mother-daughter struggle.… This winding story is told by an expert narrator.”—AudioFile Magazine

“Dev’s characteristic strength at writing relationships between loved ones grounds this larger-than-life plot in a poignant reality… Deception and tenderness mingle in this touching story.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Recommended for Dev’s lush descriptions of food, fashion, dancing, college life, romance, and friendship and her sensitive portrayals of infertility, loss, and hope.”—Library Journal

Best Book Yet!!!

I love Sonali Dev’s books. This one is by far my most favorite. I really enjoyed all the characters and the story. It was hard to put it down! I kept wanting to keep reading! I was sad to finish it, I wanted it the story to not end.

Loved this book!

2nd book by Sonali Dev that I have listened too. I love her characters. Enjoyed this one immensely.

What would you do for love?

I got pulled into this story about a family and the love that keeps them together and that pulls them apart. Vandy, Rani, and Mallika each had their own struggles and experiences to work through, which were conveyed well by the author and the narrator.

Predictable and cheesy

Story has its good points but overall the big secret is predictable and the tone cheesy and over sentimental. The resolution is not plausible.

Beautiful!!!

Yessss!! I loved this. I’m such a Sonali Dev fan. The narrating was perfect. The story line was even better.