Lakshmi Sen co-owns and runs a sari shop with her mother in Seattle. Lakshmi has many satisfied customers because Lakshmi knows. She utilizes a sixth sense that enables her to feel and understand the joys and pains—and the secrets—of her clientele, and thus selects the perfect sari for whatever the occasion. That is, until Lakshmi meets Nick Dunbar. When Nick is in the vicinity, Lakshmis "knowing" fails her, jeopardizing her most important sale, for the wedding of a famous and demanding Bollywood actress. Even more importantly, she is attracted to him, despite agreeing to an arranged marriage. Lakshmi faces choosing between cultural expectations and mutual attraction, not wanting to disappoint her dead father, or her secretive mother. Will Lakshmi "know" the right path for her own happiness?

INVSIBLE LIVES landed smack in the middle of my top 10 list of reads for this year. How does a book make my top 10 list? It must have a fresh plot, engaging characters, and be so well-written that I lose myself in the story, I learn something new, and I feel blessed to have read it when the story is done. Ms. Banerjee's second novel satisfies on all fronts.

I'm not aware of too many romance novels set in the Indian community. This is a world unknown to many romance readers but one that Ms. Banerjee does an excellent job of relating in a way that the reader quickly finds her footing. It is difficult to provide the explanations necessary when the setting or culture is unfamiliar but Ms. Banerjee navigates this potential pitfall with aplomb. INVISIBLE LIVES is lighthearted yet intriguing. The reader will root for not only Lakshmi but also her friends who find their own ways to handle the expectations of their culture while living in a foreign land. I plan to look up Ms. Banerjee's other titles.