The Copenhagen Affair by Amulya Malladi

The Copenhagen Affair Reviews

• 
  Esil

  3.75 stars. The Copenhagen Affair was an enjoyable lighter but smart rom com type of read until the very end, when it turned into a bit of a bedroom farce -- which explains why this one wasn't quite 4 stars for me. But still, mostly, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. Sanya is American born to parents who immigrated from India in the 1970s. After some disastrous events in her own career, she moves to Copenhagen with her husband for his work. While she had been the pillar of the family, Sanya becomes quite unpredictable as she tries to find her place in Copenhagen. Mind you, the story is a bit predictable, but the characters are fun and well done as is the Cophengan setting. A good book to read while trying to keep cool on an unseasonably hot lazy weekend in late September. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.
• 
  Theresa Alan

  “Anxiety is depression’s best friend, and sometimes they party together.”
  
  You wouldn’t think a novel about a woman having a breakdown and going through a depression would be fun, but The Copenhagen Affair pulls off being an eminently readable novel.
  
  After Sanya has a breakdown at her office—crying unstoppably in front of her coworkers—her husband of twenty years, Harry, suggests moving to Copenhagen for a year. He has business opportunities he can work on there and she can take what is evidently a much-needed break.
  
  I always like novels set in foreign countries, whether I’ve been there, would like to go there, or will never get there. This one was unsentimental about the good and the bad things of living in this city.
  Sanya’s parents have always been upset that she didn’t follow in their footsteps and become a doctor. Also, she married an American. Both her parents and her sister put Sanya down a lot, but Sanya is too nice to say anything.
  
  I enjoyed the growth and change of both Sanya and Harry.
  For more of my reviews, please visit
  http://www.theresaalan.net/blog
  
• 
  Suzanne Leopold (Suzy Approved Book Reviews)

  Sanya was always the picture perfect wife and mother. She manages her career while devoting time to her daughter and her husband’s high profile job. One day while at work she has a nervous breakdown. Three months after the episode, Sanya still struggles to get out of bed and brush her teeth. Her husband Harry is left to manage their lives while getting Sanya the help she needs.
  
  Harry accepts a temporary move to Copenhagen to close a business deal. They both hope that a change of scenery will bring her out of her depression. Sanya feels out of place as an Indian American woman but enjoys the charm of Copenhagen. One day she meets a man named Anders in a coffee shop. She develops a connection with him and soon learns that he is involved with her husband's current business deal. Her attraction to Anders is noticed by Harry and he is forced to evaluate the direction of their marriage.
  
  This story starts with a women fighting to overcome depression and then touches on the the universal themes of friendship, love, and the bonds of marriage. This is Amulya Malladi’s seventh novel.
• 
  Erin Clemence

  Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free electronic ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
  Sanya has a husband, a daughter and a beautiful life in California. When she has a nervous breakdown, her husband, Harry, suggests a change of scenery and the two of them embark on a new life in Copenhagen. With the gorgeous country of Denmark as the backdrop, Sanya rebuilds her life after the breakdown, and tries to establish her new identity. When she meets Anders Ravn, a business associate of her husband’s, she starts to question if her relationship with Harry is the one she truly wants. When a white-collar crime accusation comes to light, along with admissions from Harry about his infidelity, Sanya begins to see a life after her breakdown and begins to make decisions for herself.
  “The Copenhagen Affair” by Amulya Malladi tells an honest, upfront tale of a marriage struggling in a modern world. This seems to be a common genre these days but this one has the advantage of telling this tale with the glorious backdrop of Copenhagen. Infidelity, illegal business dealings, and rebuilding oneself while dealing with a mental health crisis are themes, supported by straightforward and well-developed characters.
  This novel has a lot of characters that take some time to sort through, as well as a lot of formal business speak that may be confusing for most (it was for me!). The story tells of Sanya and Harry of course, but there is also Ravn and his wife Mandy, their children and two other business partners- Mark and Penny. Throw in Sanya’s hometown best friend Alec and Harry’s business partner, Lucky, and there is a large cast of characters of relatively the same background (rich, exotic, spoiled and sheltered) however each does have a different personality that shines through during different times in the novel.
  Overall, this novel’s gorgeous setting earned it extra points, as well as being able to be a first-hand witness to live in Denmark. The heavy business speak and large cast of similar characters made it less enjoyable, although Sanya and her challenges were real and honest. Infidelity is rampant through this novel (with every couple), and although apparently “that’s how it’s done in Denmark” is given as the reason, it soured with me (I am not an expert on marriage, obviously, but does anyone stay loyal anymore?). I read this novel through to the end, and was never tempted to stop reading, so it obviously held my interest enough to keep me engaged.
  This novel is for those who dream of getting away from their lives, thinking it will change their relationships or their viewpoints on life. It reeks of truth and the many facets of humanity and marriage. Definitely a novel to explore if you are interested in traveling without leaving your house!
• 
  L.A. Starks

  While this is a quick, engaging read, it's really two books. One is chick-lit, travel guide lite, cool-hunting/shopping in Copenhagen with all the various brand names, while another is a deeply-felt memoir of depression--what caused it, getting over it, how it feels. And a mystery is thrown in. And some sex farce.
  
  I'm not a chick-lit fan, so I found many scenes uninteresting. However, I appreciate the difficulty of writing about depression, cultural conflict, and how family helps/hurts--I wish Malladi had focused more on that.
  
  The settings are fun: Northern California tech and Copenhagen. More "I wish"--the author says she spent twelve years in Copenhagen--I would have liked to have read about deeper Danish strata instead of the once-over-lightly Nyhavn, Christiana, Stroget, etc.
  
  I hope Malladi writes more and more deeply engages her thoughtful narrative sense, difficult as that can be.
  
  For insight into depression, and one woman's approach, I recommend the memoir Struck by Living (or Decidi Vivir in Spanish), by Julie Hersh.
• 
  Linda Zagon

  ———————————————————————————————————————————–
  MY REVIEW OF “THE COPENHAGEN AFFAIR” by AMULYA MALLADI
  Kudos to Amulya Malladi, author of “The Copenhagen Affair” for the gorgeous vivid descriptions of the breathtaking landscapes, museums, restaurants, and scenery in Copenhagen. I wish a could book a flight and head there now. The genres for the novel are Fiction and Women’s Fiction.
  The author describes her characters as complicated and complex, and colorful. Sanya has always been the perfect daughter, mother and wife, as well as highly efficient, but not recognized for her achievements at her office for many years. Finally, when she is told that she will be partner after too many years, Sanya has a nervous breakdown. Harry, her husband decides to take Sanya to Copenhagen while he is negotiating a major business deal. Harry feels the change of scenery will do Sanya good.
  Sanya is most comfortable lying under her blankets, but slowly emerges and meets some colorful characters in Copenhagen. Sanya seems to be attracted to Anders Ravn, the man who owns the company her husband wants to acquire. There is something dark and flawed in him that intrigues her. Sanya calls herself “the old Sanya” and “the new Sanya” after her breakdown.
  I appreciate that the author writes about important subjects such as depression, marriage, family, love, betrayal , loyalty, friendship and hope. Sanya questions herself and her role and her husband’s role in their marriage. This is a story of finding oneself and having the courage to break through the darkness.
  I enjoyed this emotional, and thought-provoking story and would highly recommend it. I received an Advanced Reading Copy for my honest review. I look forward to reading more of Amulya Malladi’s novels.
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• 
  Amulya Malladi

  I joke that my seventh novel THE COPENHAGEN AFFAIR is a comedy about depression set in the capital of the happiest country in the world. I wrote this book when I was depressed. For a couple of years there, I wasn’t writing. My corporate career was stressing me out and everything had gone gray around me. I wanted to laugh and I wanted to write something without ever worrying about its quality and ability to get published. So one day I just started writing.
  
  THE COPENHAGEN AFFAIR is about Sanya, a forty something woman dealing with depression post a nervous breakdown. She recently moved from California to Copenhagen, where she’s with her ambitious husband on a one-year gig. The book is also my love letter to Copenhagen where I lived for several years before recently moving to Orange County in California.
• 
  Bukola

  Fun read! Got heavy on details, but I found it very enjoyable.
• 
  Denise

  A breakdown or a breakthrough?
  
  Sanya and Harry move to Copenhagen as he negotiates the acquisition of a company there. Sanya is a bit at loose ends following a spectacular breakdown at her own job after she is finally offered a partner position there. Still trying to come to grips with her own feelings and work her way out of the pit of depression, she meets all kinds of people in Copenhagen and enjoys the beauty of the city. Lots of name dropping and references to specific places, designer brands, etc. show Sanya in a fairly elitist position enjoying the things that money can buy as she figures herself out. She's too long been acting the part of perfect wife and mother, subjugating her own desires until she no longer knows exactly who she is or what she wants from life, her marriage, herself. She references herself as Old Sanya and New Sanya, and everyone she connects with represents a chance for her to try it all on. Especially one particular man -- the owner of the company that Harry is investigating for purchase -- Anders Ravn. He's the mysterious man with a scar who takes a romantic interest in Sanya and makes her feel that she can love again.
  
  The author refers to this book as a romantic comedy about depression, and I think it is also somewhat autobiographical for her. It's a poignant story, a bit of a farce, and definitely shows the uniqueness of the city of Copenhagen and it's obvious that Amulya loves it. The cast of characters is quite colorful the interaction between them is laugh out loud at times and quite brutally honest at others. I wasn't quite sure how it was going to end up for the marriage of Sanya and Harry. And I wasn't sure exactly what I wanted for either of them!
  
  Since I usually only read suspense thrilers and mysteries, this was a departure for me and I thoroughly enjoyed the diversion. I've read all of this author's books over the years and she always touches on subjects that have deeper themes about relationships, family, work, marriage and life. Bravo!
  
  Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an e-book ARC of this to read and review. I'm looking forward, as always, to Amulya Malladi's next book.
• 
  Zumi

  2.5 stars
  A very mediocre affair and very surprising to see Amulya Malladi has authored this. Have read and loved Malladi's books especially Cuckoo bird and Mango season, and had high hopes for this book.
  The ingredients were right- long years of marriage, bringing up children, the slow parting of interests and affection..
  I have always wondered at the institution named marriage wherein 2 strangers pledge to live together , after a brief period of courtship, or in some cultures none at all.. and the mental processes of people within a marriage having an affair is a fascinating study .
  Here, we have an Indian married to an American .. and the Indian lady has a meltdown ... which she calls implosion ( umpteen number of times, to the point of ad nauseam).. and they decide to move to Copenhagen to build a new life.. but the new life doesn't seem to infuse much into their marriage as both partners are fledged with proposals of the indecent kind.
  
  Premise is nice, but execution faulty ... as they say .
  
  Not worth recommending to anyone
• 
  Camille Maio

  I was hooked by this book as soon as I saw its cover. And the inside did not disappoint! The Copenhagen Affair is a story of love, infatuation, depression, business intrigue, temptation, and redemption. And most importantly - the story of a woman discovering her own strength through it all. The character of Sanya is charming, unpredictable, and totally unforgettable. This would be an ideal novel for a book club, as everyone will see a bit of themselves in it and the authors creates many vignettes that could be talked about for days. I enjoyed her previous book, A HOUSE FOR HAPPY MOTHERS, and look forward to more from her in the future.
• 
  Ken Fredette

  Harry and Sanya have been married for two decades. Both had jobs that they liked although Sanya had a breakdown during a board meeting where she was to become a partner. Harry thought that they should move to Copenhagen to work on Sanya's depression. Santa falls in love with a man with a scar on his face and Harry learns a lesson in dealing with love. It ends up with the two of them talking it out and ends up with him quitting his job and taking off with his wife on a motorcycle to Paris.
• 
  Samantha

  I was absolutely thrilled to be able to read a paperback ARC of The Copenhagen Affair. The gorgeous cover caught my eye online and the synopsis had it jumping to the top of my TBR list.
  I absolutely loved Malladi's writing style from the very first page. It was so easy to fall under the spell of her words and be pulled into Sanya's story. I sympathized with Sanya and wanted to see her come back even stronger from her implosion.
  There was such a disconnect between her and Harry. It was nice to see him slowly begin to make realizations about her feelings and what she may have endured over the years. I wanted him to be able to help her, but more importantly I wanted her to be able to help herself climb out of the abyss.
  I loved watching the emotional Tango of Sanya and Harry. It was a joy watching Sanya find herself and her confidence once again. She was actually a very feisty woman and I loved watching her get the upper-hand time and again, like with Penny at the Swedish Summer House. She was starting to assert herself, and with fabulous results. That metamorphosis was incredible and well-deserved.
  When Sanya made a startling financial discovery, I empathized with her as the darkness tried to rise yet again. I wanted her to be able to navigate these new waters with poise and confidence.
  The events leading up to the ending were quite thrilling and I couldn't seem to read fast enough to satiate my need to know how things would conclude. Once I made it to the end, I found it to be quite fabulous. I had really grown to love these characters and was pleased with how they all found themselves at the ending. I think I even fell in love with Sanya a little bit by the end of the book. She was such a rich character and had been through an incredible emotional storm, and yet came out the better for it. She will stick with me for quite some time.
  The Copenhagen Affair was absolutely brilliant and hooked me completely. I am a huge reader and I can say with certainty that this was undoubtedly one of my favorite books of 2017. I cannot wait to read more from Malladi and I'll definitely be watching for any and all future releases.
• 
  Barbara

  Is it possible to know a city TOO well when writing about it? I would probably have said it isn't but then I read Amulya Malladi's 'The Copenhagen Affair' and got right royally fed up with all the name dropping and showing off about restaurants, shops and (locally) famous people. I had to conclude that she hadn't been able to separate her own experience of the city from some overwhelming desire to write an up-market travel guide instead of a novel. She has described her book as a love letter to a city where she lived for many years - it reads more like a shopping list than a love letter.
  
  When you like an author because of the country she normally writes about - in this case India - it's always risky that you're going to be disappointed when she puts that familiar country to one side and writes about a place as different as Denmark. In the last of AM's books that I read (A Breath of Fresh Air) she gave us a woman terrified that her divorce might become public knowledge and destroy her career. In 'The Copenhagen Affair' she's giving us women calmly propositioning men for affairs and weighing up the pros and cons of adultery. It just didn't work for me at all.
  
  The characters are mostly very unlikable - obsessed as they seem to be with wearing the right brands from the right shops, eating in Michelin starred restaurants and having affairs. Even our heroine, Sanya, a recovering depressive who's just had a monumental break-down, isn't very interesting or easy to care about.
  
  The name-dropping, brand-dropping, shallow relationships and adventures of the ladies that lunch in Copenhagen made for a disappointing read. Amulya Malladi can do so much better than this posh-chick-lit and I hope she goes back to what she's good at. A gazillion second-rate writers can churn out this sort of thing so please leave it to them and write books that challenge their readers more than this one.
• 
  Emily Cavanagh

  I was pleased to receive a free ARC of Amulya Malladi’s latest book, The Copenhagen Affair. It is both a fun romp through the streets of Copenhagen and a serious mediation on marriage, fidelity, and depression.
  
  In the aftermath of a nervous breakdown, Sanya and her husband Harry move to Copenhagen for a year. Harry’s company is in the middle of acquiring a new company, and Sanya is just beginning to emerge from the haze of depression. When Sanya meets Anders Ravn, one of her husband’s new business associates, she begins to feel things she hasn’t experienced in years. As Sanya and Ravn grow closer, she must face the way she has been living her life and the marriage she and Harry have created.
  
  Malladi’s writing is sharp, irreverent, and fast-paced, and she keeps the reader guessing at every turn about where Sanya will end up. While the peripheral characters are humorously self-indulgent and shallow, there is real heart at the center of the book as Sanya grapples with who she is as she battles her way through depression and who she may be on the other side of it. The novel also tackles the thorny subject of the distance that can grow within a marriage, the impact of infidelity, and if a marriage can survive betrayals small and large. In her acknowledgments, Malladi writes that the novel is her love letter to Copenhagen, a city in which she lived for over a decade. Much of the novel is about the city, and one will be hard-pressed not to want to go for a visit—or even a year—after finishing the book. The Copenhagen Affair left me laughing, reflecting, and eager to read more of Malladi’s work.
• 
  Christine Moore

  Sanya has a breakdown at work and becomes very depressed. Her husband Harry thinks moving to Copenhagen might help Sanya feel better. Harry is trying to aquire Ravn's company. While in Copenhagen, Sanya learns many secrets including her husband's affairs. She thinks of having an affair with Ravn. Can Harry and Sanya save their marriage before it's too late? It was a really good book that I enjoyed. Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC in return for an honest review.
• 
  Dawn Ashenbrenner

  The first part of the book was good, I loved the descriptions of Copenhagen and was excited to see that the author had several other books. By the middle, though, the book had dissolved into a predictable plot with one-dimensional characters. Note—If you write memorable characters you won’t need to remind us who they are every time they are brought into the story. Yawn! I doubt I’ll read another of her books.
• 
  Peggy Lampman

  Last month I read Malladi's HOUSE FOR HAPPY MOTHERS and her writing got me hooked. So happy to read the advance of her latest, which transported me, once again, to another foreign (at least to this reader) locale. Love her characters and will start delving into the backlog of her books.
• 
  Chermaine

  Everything she writes is amazing! You can hear, taste ,see it ,you can feel it .Pick up everything you can of hers and read it !
• 
  Krystal

  An impressive novel! Amulya Malladi delved into depression and anxiety in an authentic manner, making it easy to connect with the protagonist. Her journey was an engaging experience.
• 
  Julie Timmer

  Loved it!
• 
  Magen

  This was essentially a story of rich people behaving badly with little to no consequences. It's portrayed as a story of a woman recovering from a nervous breakdown, and while that element is throughout the book, the story much more centers around the lives of the rich, elite, business people she interacts with and is often told from their perspectives. The book also heavily focuses on a business deal, which is supposed to add suspense, but it doesn't. The plot wasn't very interesting to me and I didn't connect to the characters. This is a plot-driven fluff read and if you are looking for that, give it a try. Otherwise, pass.
  
  SPOILER ALERT: Content Warning
  Drug use, sexual affairs, white collar crime, racism and ignornance
• 
  Dorothea

  I received a copy of "The Copenhagen Affair" from NetGalley for an honest review. I wish to thank NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing, and Amulya Malladi for the opportunity to read this book.
  
  OMG, I loved, loved, loved this book. I totally feel that I am the Caucasian-American version of the main character, Sanya!!! This main character is funny, witty, sarcastic, and straight-forward - very similar to me, in so many ways. The best thing that I liked about this novel was that I have suffered with depression like this character and understand the dark place. The author was able to create depression almost as a character in a way that was understandable to some who has suffered with this illness or who has not suffered with this illness.
  
  Now, don't get me wrong - this is not a dark, dreary novel! It is a fun read - I was laughing to myself while reading the FIRST page. This is a fun read and I was NOT able to put this book down and inhaled it in ONE day (started reading it THIS morning and finished this evening) after downloading it yesterday - I had to finish another book first!! Don't wait like me to read it - read it NOW!
  
  If you would like a book with strong character development, an interesting story-line, and a beautiful city, Copenhagen, as a central character - this is YOUR book. READ this book - it is a strong recommend for me. BTW, I have read many of this author's book and this one is so different and so different, but SO perfect!!
• 
  Crystal Moreno

  The Copenhagen Affair is a great read with well developed characters. You not only get the perspective of the main character but also why other main characters act like they do. After a mental breakdown, Sanya and her husband go to Copenhagen and take a break from their normal routine. Along the way Sanya reflects on who she is and what she wants. A welcome distraction from her breakdown enters and leads her to more inner reflection. I loved the book and found it to be a book I couldn't put down. The imagery of Copenhagen is beautiful and will make you want to visit. The storyline will make you wonder if you yourself are on the path you want to be on. Definitely a recommended read!
• 
  Bron

  ** I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own**
  
  I loved this! Work has been a bit sensitive for me lately, so I wasn't entirely sure that a story about someone having a breakdown at work was really the best fit for me right now (lol) but I kind of fell in love with it. I'm loving getting in the heads of women in books at the moment, and this was another one where I loved the honest, and sometimes unflattering, views of a female protagonist on her life and marriage and the world. I was also a bit mesmerised by the portrayal of Copenhagen in this book, which almost made the city feel like an additional character in the story.
• 
  Kalyani Deshpande

  This book is a perfect summertime read. It definitely makes me want to visit Copenhagen. I really like how the book balances a serious condition such as depression with a dose of comedy. I liked Sanya (no-brainer) and surprisingly, came to like Harry towards the end of the book. Amulya Malladi is such a versatile author in terms of the stories and characters she writes. She has a great ear for dialogue. I'm looking forward to reading her next one.
• 
  Jennifer Unger

  This was another fabulous book by the wonderful Mrs Malladi. The descriptions of Copenhagen were so vivid as was the many venues that the characters went to. This book was very personal to me and a little too close to home in some cases. It was hard to read in that aspect but the outcome to some of the sensitive subject matter made it worth the mild uncomfortableness of talking about mental illness. Loved the characters as well. Highly recommend any one of her well written books.