e-Audio, 08:40:53
Narrated by: Reena Dutt & Vikas Adam
Release Date: June 13, 2023
Published by: Inkyard Press
Read from: June 23-24, 2023
Stand-alone
Source: Library’s Libby
TW: Bullying, Child Abuse, Chronic Illness, Racism
For Readers Interested In: Romance, Astrology, Racial/Ethic Diversity, Realistic Fiction, YAIn this charming YA debut, a girl who’s determined to prove her star chart wrong ropes her longtime best friend into an experimental relationship—not knowing that he has been in love with her for years.
Is it possible to change your fate?
Madhuri Iyer is doomed. Doomed for her upcoming senior year to be a total failure, according to her astrology-obsessed mother, and doomed to a happily ever after with her first boyfriend, according to her family curse.
Determined to prove the existence of her free will, Madhuri devises an experimental relationship with the one boy she knows she’ll never fall for: her childhood best friend, Arjun Mehta. But Arjun’s feelings for her are a variable she didn’t account for.
As Madhuri starts to fall for her experimental boyfriend, she’ll have to decide if charting her own destiny is worth breaking Arjun’s heart—and her own.
*MY THOUGHTS*
Ok so the minute I saw the cover of this book I was sold. I added it to my TBR. I didn’t read about it at all. And then it was sent my way from the publisher, so I knew it was written in the stars that it was meant for me to read it.
But once I did, I realized I was struck by the beautiful cover again smh It wasn’t that it was bad, it was more so the main character. I did not like her. She was dead set on not listening to anyone or anything. And the whole time she was inviting in all the things she was trying to avoid. AND I think I was annoyed because he was pining for her since the beginning and she acted like she didn’t care about him. It was bad enough for me to feel bad for him. I’m super glad that it was dual POV because I’m a character driven reader and I think I would have DNFed it if it was just her. He saved this for me.
The plot was so good tho. I don’t know what it is about astrology and the signs, but I was so into this. I’m talking I started looking up my own charts and some Numerology stuff. It was a lot. I had no idea what I was looking at, but I was really trying to figure out. However, I did feel like it was a little too much of them not being together. It was a slow burn, that turned into a no burn. They realized it at the epilogue. Like I get trying to prove your free will was true, but at the expense of him and his feelings? Because she knew that he liked her. She used him and I was hella mad about it.
The writing style was good tho. Like I said I was enthralled enough to start studying more about it. It wasn’t as emotional as I would have liked tho. Especially with his mom and her trying to make all these decisions for him. I thought I would at least cry a little bit, but I didn’t even get misty eyed. I DID learn more about the Indian culture tho. I looked up the dance she did and I thought it was amazing. i was sad that those idiot kids took that joy from her. She had a lot of healing to do.
This book was a little hard to review. There wasn’t much from the synopsis I wanted to talk about for fear of spoilers. Although this wasn’t exactly geared towards my taste, it still might be for you. I hope you all still pick it up!
Overall, I give this
