Dubai-Based Indian Author Rihea Sadarangani Explores Love, Loss and Starting Again in Debut Novel Almost, Always

Oct 14: Dubai-based Indian author Rihea Sadarangani introduces her debut novel, Almost, Always, to readers in  India. Published by Notion Press in 2026, the contemporary romance explores first love, heartbreak,  emotional resilience and the courage it takes to let go, grow and begin again. 

At the heart of Almost, Always is Deana Sans, a young woman whose journey through love and relationships  begins when, at seventeen, she is uprooted from Chicago and finds herself navigating an unfamiliar life in  New Jersey. There she meets Noah Tyler, a competitive swimmer dealing with struggles of his own, and what  begins as an unexpected connection soon becomes a defining part of both their lives. 

But Almost, Always is about more than finding love. It explores what happens when relationships change us,  when the people we love don't necessarily remain part of the life we imagined, and when moving forward  requires us to rediscover ourselves. 

Through Deana's journey, the novel touches upon first love and its aftermath, emotional abuse, friendship,  self-discovery and the often complicated transition from adolescence into adulthood. 

For Rihea, the idea for the novel didn't come from one particular moment. It developed gradually through a  combination of life, observation and imagination. 

"The idea for Almost, Always came from a mix of life, observation and imagination. I've always  been fascinated by people, relationships and the emotions we often carry without saying out  loud. I would notice little moments around me - the way people love, the choices they make,  the things they hold on to and the things they eventually have to let go of - and somewhere  along the way, those observations began turning into a story. 

I didn't sit down one day knowing exactly what Almost, Always would become. It started as a  creative idea and slowly grew with me. As I wrote, I found myself connecting more deeply with  the emotions of the characters and the choices they were making. There are parts of their  journeys that I think many of us can relate to, even if we haven't lived their exact story. 

Writing my first novel was a journey in itself. There were moments when the words came  naturally and others when I questioned everything I had written, but watching an idea that once  existed only in my head gradually become an entire book was incredibly special. Almost,  Always will always be close to me because it is the story that made me an author," says Rihea  Sadarangani. 

A story about what we do when love arrives too early, hurts too much and still refuses to leave, Almost,  Always ultimately reflects on growth, resilience and emotional truth - and the hope that can come from  finding the strength to start again.