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Jai ho! The Marriage Bureau for Rich People, the first novel by Indian-born, London-based investment banker Farahad Zama, doesn't offer the richness of Slumdog Millionaire, but it's a sweet tale of love nonetheless.

First we meet Mr. Ali, who has retired and decided to open Ali's Marriage Bureau for Rich People. Business starts off slowly as he arranges matches according to caste and status in his small coastal Indian town.

The story starts off slowly as well. Prospective brides and grooms come and go. Are we supposed to care about one of them in particular?

At the same time, Mr. Ali and his wife are coping with the distressing news that their son Rehman has been arrested for protesting against the government in a nearby town. Will that son become a match for someone?

It turns out the story centers on Aruna, the young woman Mr. Ali hires as his assistant. She is supporting her poor family and has no dowry, meaning chances of a match for herself are slim.

Comparisons have been made by the British press (the book came out there last year) to Alexander McCall Smith and Jane Austen. Smith, maybe. Austen? No. Zama's writing is simple, his story shaped by the culture in which it's set.

But the midsection of Marriage Bureau lags, and its structure is not as seamless as Smith's No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series.

By the end, however, you'll definitely be rooting for Aruna to find her Mr. Big, be a beautiful Indian bride and live happily ever after.