Kismat Connection by Ananya Devarajan Review

Title: Kismat Connection

Author: Ananya Devarajan

Genre: YA Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Inkyard Press

Pages: 304

Release Date: 3 August 2023 (UK) , 13 June 2023 (US)

Goodreads | Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | B&N 

Hello fellow booklovers! Today I'm sharing my review for Kismat Connection by Ananya Devarajan. An endearingly cute and heartfelt YA debut that blends the all too familiar themes of adolescence (such as teen angst, complicated relationships and the bumpy road to self acceptance) with a well written, evocative and relatable exploration into the second generation immigrant experience.

Synopsis

 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.

Review

 I really enjoyed this one and loved how emotional and character driven the writing was. I was impressed with the level of depth we see in our driven and emotionally guarded protagonist, Madhuri, and enjoyed the nuance and realism we explore in her motivations for proving her astrology-loving family wrong.

At first, she does come off as a little indifferent to her family’s love (and celebration) of the culture she has stringently avoided for years. But as Madhuri begins to let down her guard and find the courage to share her vulnerabilities, with we uncover a confident, caring and passionate young woman ready to re-explore her family’s traditions and learn to embrace (and celebrate) her cultural heritage— which was soo heartwarming.

I also liked Arjun, Madhuri’s best friend (and love interest) who was probably my favourite character (besides Madhuri’s younger sister Raina) and I loved how earnestly supportive he is of Madhuri— even whilst dealing with his own complicated personal struggles.

I really enjoyed getting to explore his POV and loved that he wasn’t just merely a two- dimensional love interest but a fully developed character with thoughts, feelings and motivations of his own that spanned beyond his feelings for Madhuri—though those do still make up a huge part of his personal arc.

The only disappointment for me was that the romance aspect was a little too whirlwind, and didn’t have nearly as much build up as I would’ve liked. Though that might just be a me problem as I’m a sucker for a good slow burn romance.

Overall, this was a really enjoyable coming of age YA that’s perfect for fans of fake dating, friends to lovers or the found family trope.

Also, a huge thank you to Harper360YA for the proof.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

About The Author 

Ananya Devarajan is in her fourth and final year at the University of California, Irvine, where she is pursuing a major in Neurobiology and Behavior as well as a minor in English. After graduation, she will be attending medical school at the Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine in Middletown, New York. Like many of her characters, Ananya is a second-generation Indian American young adult.

Her love for storytelling began on Wattpad, where she grew her audience as a Featured Author, and she later went on to win first place in TeenPit 2019. Now, Ananya writes young adult romance novels featuring chaotic Desi teenagers, swoon-worthy banter, and lighthearted drama with a speculative twist. In her free time, she can be found watching her favorite Bollywood movies or studying for yet another Anatomy exam. The Kismat Connection is her debut novel.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads