e-Audio, 07:38:02
Narrated by: Nirvi Shah
Release Date: March 11, 2025
Published by: Disney Hyperion
Read from: February 25-March 20, 2025
Stand-alone
Source: Library’s Libby
Content Warning: N/A
For Readers Interested In: Contemporary Romance, Sparkly Covers, Most Anticipated, New Adult (marketed as YA), Racial/Ethnic Diversity, Realistic Fiction, Religious Diversity (Hinduism), HolidazeFans of When Dimple Met Rishi will love this charming, slow-burn YA romance about all the ways you can honor tradition while still giving it a modern flair.
When it comes to romance, Maya still believes in meet-cutes, but she’s done with boys wasting her time. After her freshman romance refuses to put a label on their relationship, Maya decides to reclaim her life and completely turnaround her college experience. She’s got big plans to throw the most spectacular Holi—a colorful Hindu festival symbolizing rebirth, which Maya feels she desperately needs.
Enter college heartthrob Nishant Rai, an upperclassman, notorious playboy, and well-connected DJ. After the student council makes him Maya’s co-planner, she finds herself working closely with the one guy on campus she can’t have and definitely doesn’t want. He plans to turn the event into #HoliFest, a flashy EDM festival blending old traditions with the fresh new twist of a music festival. As the two grow closer, Maya realizes Nishant is so much more than a pretty face. Is he just wasting her time, or has she finally found her meet-cute?
*MY THOUGHTS*
I hate when people say you don’t learn anything from fiction. It’s just not true. I learned about Holi from my girl Sweetie, and I fell down a rabbit hole of learning even then. Even if we don’t learn specifics, we are able to go out and learn more, as well as seek out other materials that talk about it. And this is one of those materials.
And this one DOES teach of some specifics. Like what it is Holi is celebrating and the reasons why the colors are there. We even find out what the colors are made of when they have to order some. And I love that I have another book in my repertoire that I can recommend to my other librarians as well as students when they’re looking for books on Holi.
I knew this was different when it was actually a rivals to lovers book that I liked lol Y’all know these aren’t my favorite, but this one really stood out to me. I guess because it felt so organically? And when it happened they BOTH tried fighting it. It was very clear that they both felt something but they were both scared. One of my pet peeves in rivals/enemies is when one of them acts mean and the other party is just so accepting of it. Because absolutely not. We either both mad or you’re groveling lol And I’m glad we get some mutual likeness in this one. It really brought home the realness for me.
I do think this was paced a little weird tho. She went HAM as soon as she was out of that situationship and it was a little weird lol Did she ever even like him? And then it was like every time she talked to Nishant she was asking about another date. I think that’s why it took her so long to realize who she really liked. She was too busy trying to make each one of them super specific and that wasn’t even what she wanted. I was glad the love interest helped her find what she wanted.
This was a fun one. I can’t wait to see if there’s more. There’s more holidays for the student union to plan lol I want to see them do something else. Y’all know how I am about holiday books. I will eat them up every time. Just like I did this one!
Overall, I give this
