e-ARC, 368 pages
Release Date: June 10, 2025
Published by: Salaam Reads (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers)
Read from: June 5-July 8,2025
Stand-alone
Source: Netgalley (I received a free e-ARC from the publisher and Netgalley. This did nothing to influence my review.)
Content Warning:
For Readers Interested In: Contemp Romance, Contemporary, Enemies to Lovers, Sparkly Covers, Meet Cutes, Most Anticipated, Kindle Read, Own Voices, Racial/Ethnic Diversity (South Asian- Bangladesh), Realistic Fiction, Romance, YAClueless meets Jenna Evans Welch in this young adult rom-com about a spoiled American teenager who faces some major culture shock—and potential romance—when she jets off to Bangladesh for her sister’s wedding.
Bibi Hossain was supposed to get her first kiss this summer.
Too bad her father finds out and grounds her for breaking his most arcane rule: No boys until your sister gets married.
Just when Bibi thinks she’ll be stuck helping him at their popular fried chicken chain until school reopens, her oh-so-perfect older sister Halima drops a bombshell: she’s marrying the heir of a princely estate turned tea garden in Bangladesh. Soon, Bibi is hopping on the next flight to Sylhet for Halima’s Big Fat Bengali Wedding, hoping Abbu might even rethink the dating ban while they’re there.
Unfortunately, the stuffy Rahmans are a nightmare—especially Sohel, the groom’s younger brother. The only thing they can agree on is that their siblings are not a good match. But as the two scheme to break their siblings up, Bibi finds it impossible to stay away from the infuriatingly handsome boy.
Could her own happily ever after be brewing even as she stirs up trouble for her sister’s engagement—or is there more steeping at the tea estate than Bibi knows?
*MY THOUGHTS*
Forgive my language, but this was a cute ass book! lol For real tho, I thought this was so cute. She was a complete fish out of water and it was hilarious to watch her trying to do the things in the tea garden. I think I enjoyed this one more than her first one.
OK so the first thing that stood out was the main character. Bibi was a hot mess. I liked her, but she was terrible. Who does stuff like that to ruin someone’s wedding? Because like girlie, how old are you? She was childish as hell. There is some growth because then she starts getting her life together, but like REALLY? Why did it have to get there? I would hope this isn’t something someone her age would actually do. Because what in the world? lol But But there was some growth. She got her ish together at the end. I also liked the way she got humbled. She was so spoiled when she first started there, but she got her butt handed to her many times just from that and in other ways too lol
I wasn’t a fan of the dates tho. I think I would have preferred it if this was more about her trying to field things at the Tea House and trying to get customers there and then the thing for her grandmother. I just felt like there was too much going on and something could have been tabled. And I think the least interesting thing was the dates. Like we already knew who she was going to pick, so we could have just done without it lol I know this is just me, but it’s my real reaction. I’m currently reading another book kind of like this, so I think this is why, but idk.
The romance was ok. He annoyed me because there was NO CHARACTER growth whatsoever. He was the very same from beginning to end. And the way he handled that third act break up was terrible. I HATED him lol He hurt so many people in this book and at the end all he got was “Yes I forgive you.” WHAT? He didn’t grovel enough for me. And his brother even was like eh ok. Same with Bibi and her sister? Idk it just felt like there was no real accountability and I don’t like that. Plus, what’s the point of doing a romance if they’re only going to be together like 6 pages? I hate when we get romances and they spend the whole time fighting each other and forget that they like each other too.
The setting of this was amazing tho. Taslim does a fantastic job of giving the image of what the Tea Garden and the house grounds might look like. I do wish we saw more of Bangladesh, but it was still good for what it was. Other than that one date, I don’t think there was much time for them to even try anything or go anywhere. And I know I’m saying that as someone who “travels via her books,” so a teen probably won’t care about that. Especially if they travel a lot, but I thought it was good to mention.
This was cute, but I do wish some things were different. It will still end up on one of my end of year lists I’m sure. And this cover? OMG I love it so much. I can’t like, I picked this up because of the cover. I don’t think I even read the synopsis. Don’t ever let them tell you the cover isn’t that serious. And the title as hella cute. I have to admit, everything about this should have been a 5 star for me. And it wasn’t far off at all.
Overall, I give this
