ARINI VLOTMAN IS A SOUTH AFRICAN AUTHOR WRITING FEEL-GOOD, RELATABLE CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE NOVELS
arini vlotman
South African romance author
#alwaysbeyou
ABOUT
If Chandler Bing and Phoebe Buffay from FRIENDS were reincarnated as a brown South African woman, and her life soundtrack was Dustin belting The NeverEnding Story, that would be me - Arini Vlotman.In my mind, I’m ambling through the Shire because I’m more of a hobbit than an elf (and I’d cut myself if anyone were silly enough to hand be me a sword). Second breakfast is my motto, but since I’m born a muggle, I use words to create magic and pretend that one day I’ll suddenly stumble on a small-town bookstore where my husband of 16 years is waiting for me with a cappuccino and room full of my besties. And yes, I believe in a life of Happily-Ever-Afters.Living in Johannesburg, South Africa has given me a slightly quirky world view, With a rich heritage, as an Indian (South Asian) author, I enjoy incorporating my culture into my characters and stories. My current series is set in South African, with all the African, flavour, diversity and humour.Catch me on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and Twitter so that we can share our journeys. Quirkiness unite!
updates on my writing journey
March 2026
I recently shared on my platforms that in Feb 2026 we lost the owner of Conquest Publishing, Brittany McMunn. Brittany passed away on 20 February 2026, and her loss will be felt in the house, and the industry, for many years to come. Conquest is currently in the process of dissolving, which means their list of books, including my Femme Facades series, will be unpublished within the next few weeks. This decision wasn’t taken lightly, and as a mother and wife, I completely understand the circumstances.Maybe you’ve been wondering why I haven’t been talking about Pretty Complicated since its release? Or maybe not, and that’s just my Smaug-sized ego. I’m going to tell you anyway. Simply put, I’ve had to figure out what I want to do with the series, and how to move forward. To be honest, I didn’t have the tiniest clue how to navigate this, but fortunately my circle came to the rescue. In the past two weeks I’ve had the opportunity to chat to industry professionals about my options so that I can make the best possible decision for my series, and my career.Which brings me to my next update: I’m now officially repped by a literary agent. Did I always dream of making this statement? Yes. I just didn’t know it would be so soon or what this process would entail, despite all the research I’ve done. But now that I have a partner to help me make these tough decisions, I’ll know what my strategy is for the Femme Facade series, and my future projects. I don’t have the capacity to express my gratitude to all the people who helped me navigate this hurdle, but I won’t forget it. Because with all the words, contracts, discussions, and processes, at the end of the day this industry is human driven. And that’s where hope springs eternal.So, what are my next steps? I don’t know yet, or maybe I do, and I need to read a dozen books that have nothing to do with anything but will make me feel better anyway. What I do know is that bigger things are coming (trust me on this, I have an Announcement in the foreseeable future) and I’d like you to continue this next stage of my journey with me.
The Femme Facade sERIES
This universe is a contemporary world, stemming from the experiences and changes we see and feel everyday- with a twist. A romance twist of course. The women are dynamic, absurd, adventurous and trying to figure themselves out.And like the rest of us, they aren't alone. The side characters in this world often take over the page, as they prod our heroines along, helping, guiding and handing out hugs, drinks or advice.Our heroes are pulled along for the ride, and come with their own set of adventures. hijinks and depth.Together, the Femme Facades and their heroes, find what they need, whether they want it or not.Filled with diverse characters who represent the people we see, we are, in our everyday lives, this universe is packed with humor, suspense, drama and fun
BOOK 1: PRETTY AVERAGE
Book BlurbWhen Esha asks for excitement, getting thrown in the deep end of a corporate scandal is not what she meant. Esha More is celebrating her 35th birthday and her quick fix of hair dye and champagne only leaves her with a hangover and more problems.After a series of unfortunate decisions, Esha arrives at her office to discover she’s embroiled in an embezzlement scheme with all evidence pointing in her direction.Kane Mittal has been called in as a consultant to manage yet another crisis and finds himself both intrigued and suspicious of Esha’s More’s involvement. Kane has enough women making demands, but after Esha tumbles into his life he can't stop thinking about her.On a mission to save Esha's career and Kane's family business, together they navigate an inept flock of managers while faced with a mounting deadline, their powerful attraction, and a pandora's box of secrets.Join Esha and Kane in their adventurous meet-cute, a workplace romance filled with laughter, and a hefty dose of intrigue.
Pretty Average is a meet-cute, office romance about finding love in an existential crisisTROPES
Meet-Cute * Office Romance *
Glamorous City Backdrop * Secrets & Intrigue *
Friendship Circle * Grand Gesture * Humor *Sweet Romance (no spice)
BOOK 1.5 :PRETTY UNEXPECTED
A CHRISTMAS ROMANCE NOVELLA
Book Blurb“"Twas not the season to be jolly and everyone could fa-la-la-la-la all the way to the north pole.”Thando Kunene has some hard decisions to make so getting wheedled into spending Christmas, the most nauseating holiday of the year, with her best friends and sizzling ex-flame, is not her idea of a merry time. Sipping cocktails on the beach is the only thing keeping all the fake cheer, plastic tinsel and over-played carols at bay.All he wants is for Christmas is a few beers and some coma-inducing food, but when Jimmy Warner is faced with the enticing and prickly Thando, he can think about only one thing: the fiery-hot weekend they spent together before parting ways. Could this be his second chance?When Thando and Jimmy discover their friends are having a less than a jolly time, they realise their holiday is on the brink of disaster. With the help of their sugary-sweet neighbour, Grandma Holly, the duo set about to save Christmas and begin to unwrap a serendipitous gift none of them expected.Forced to put aside her inner Grinch, can Thando learn to trust and love again? Will Jimmy get his Christmas miracle? And how many fires can the group endure before Christmas explodes?
Pretty Unexpected is a Christmas romance novella weaved with drama, friendship and wrapped in a touch of holiday magicTROPES
She's a Grinch * Second Chance *
Beach setting * Found Family * Friendship Circle *
Grand Gesture * Humor *Sweet Romance (no spice)
BOOK 2 :PRETTY BOSSY
Book BlurbAfter finding herself shoved down the rungs of the corporate ladder and weighed down by a mountain of debt, all Zarna wants is to fade into obscurity. When her boss convinces her to attend a company strategy session at a five-star nature reserve, she counts her lucky stars.Her fantasy holiday is abruptly disrupted when her smoking hot neighbour not only chops of her hair, but somehow convinces her to embark on a mad hatted scheme to pose as his fake fiancé. She needs the money though, so what could go wrong?MMA celebrity fighter Mayan Samar is back in the country and on a mission to make a name for himself as a businessman. He’s earned his titles from years of hard work in the octagon, but a shadow hangs over his reputation. The timid and mousy Zarna Rai is the answer to his problems, but once he gets her into his penthouse, he discovers there’s more to her than meets the eye.Between a barrage of publicity stunts, a host of interfering aunties and threats from a shady loan shark, the faux couple are forced on an undertaking neither one of them signed up for.
Pretty Bossy is a fake engagement romance where he falls first but she keeps tripping, over herself and him.TROPES
*Fake Engagement *Meet-cute
*He falls first *Cutesy Dog *Interfering aunties *Grand gesture
*Humor *Sweet romance (no spice)
Arini Vlotman, South African Romance Author
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