PRIYA is the youngest of four good Indian girls, embarking on new life in America thanks to her arranged marriage to the handsome Sanjay - and his demanding family, it would seem.

When Priya fails to oblige with a pregnancy, her money-pinching mother-in-law demands she finds work, so she becomes a receptionist for celebrity magazine Hollywood Insider.

Cue an implausible plotline which sees our heroine catapulted to top star interviewer, in the thick of LA's celebrity glitz and gossip, by day and obedient Hindu wife by night.

As her double life spins out of control, Priya starts to question her expectations of love and marriage - and her relationship with her husband.

This second novel from fashion journalist Kavita Daswani strikes a bold path away from chick lit fare, serving up a balanced and eye-opening tale of what a modern arranged marriage could be.

The central character's reporter career is merely a sideshow. What Daswani really seeks to tackle are the sometimes serious, sometimes funny aspects of reconciling conflicting ways of life.

Intensely readable and without the usual clichs - just watch out for the sickly sweet ending.

Updated: 09:00 Wednesday, September 15, 2004