tl;dr so so wholesome & lovely incorporation of south asian culture. made me very hungry.
Premise
Radha is on the verge of becoming one of the greatest Kathak dancers in the world . . . until a family betrayal costs her the biggest competition of her life. Now, she has left her Chicago home behind to follow her stage mom to New Jersey. At the Princeton Academy of the Arts, Radha is determined to leave performing in her past, and reinvent herself from scratch.
Jai is captain of the Bollywood Beats dance team, ranked first in his class, and an overachiever with no college plans. Tight family funds means medical school is a pipe dream, which is why he wants to make the most out of high school. When Radha enters his life, he realizes she's the exact ingredient he needs for a show-stopping senior year.
With careful choreography, both Radha and Jai will need to face their fears (and their families) if they want a taste of a happily ever after.
Rating
5/5 stars
Review
I finished this book in <24 hours and it's going right on the favorites list.
Radha & Jai's Recipe for Romance has a perfect balance of wholesome, romantic moments and more serious discussions about family, mental health, and future uncertainty.
Radha and Jai are actually so perfect together. Jai is so unbelievably charming and endearing, but also I also love how selfless he is (almost to a fault). Radha is, as Jai says, a badass and I have so much respect for her. I appreciated how they gradually learned about each other and how to best support each other. the two of them together almost give me Linh and Bao energy from A Pho Love Story? Or maybe it's because I love both couples so much.
I enjoyed the way that Radha and Jai's relationships with their families developed as the book went on, and it was interesting to see the juxtaposition between the two of them. something that I really appreciated seeing was how Radha separated loving something and commodifying (?) it - basically, not needing to win a competition/take professional classes for your passions because loving them was enough.
The recipes, the dancing, all of it was so fun to read about. Definitely go read this book.
Other Info
Standalone
13+
CW: anxiety, panic attacks, stroke, infidelity (mentioned), emotional manipulation/abuse
Buy link: https://www.amazon.com/Radha-Recipe-Romance-Nisha-Sharma-ebook/dp/B08LG2DMM7
Would I Recommend?
Of course!!
Similar Books
My So-Called Bollywood Life by Nisha Sharma
A Pho Love Story by Loan Le
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