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A review by abookandchai
Radha & Jai's Recipe for Romance by Nisha Sharma
4.0
radha & jai's recipe for romance is a cute and fun YA contemporary about two teens connecting with their passion with a sprinkle of delicious recipes, family relationships, entertaining dance sequences and a totally filmy romance! not going to lie, the overall vibe of the story and some scenes were SO Bollywood style so if like me, you're missing the joy that Bollywood movies gave this is the perfect book to read.
this book is delightfully desi. as an Indian, the cultural aspects were so familiar to read about, like an event that happens in my daily life but in writing. my mouth watered at the various, delicious recipes of Indian delicacies included and the descriptions of all the food. there were so many scenes that could easily pass off as a scene straight from a Bollywood movie! The familiarity gave me so much joy while reading it.
both Radha & Jai are characters with cracks and realistic life problems which makes you root for them as the figure out their problems. i loved to see them face their problems, support each other and end up falling for each other. i admit their relationship falls under the insta love trope but as they get to know each other it gets so much cuter!
there were some really strong relationships, between Radha and her father and Jai with his family and the director.
one of the themes that i really connected with was the anxiety rep. as a dancer myself, i understood Radha's struggle so well. the performance anxiety and pressure from her mother were genuine to read about. Radha's character is all about dealing with her panic and anxiety by finding new passions that calm her and slowly coming to terms with her issues. i really appreciate Nisha Sharma for acknowledging seeking therapy for panic attacks and healing. family problems and mental health are not topics commonly discussed in south-asian communities so it was refreshing to see this book normalise it!
my only quip with the book is that it felt disconnected at some points because of the scene jumps which obstructed the flow of the story. but overall, i really enjoyed reading it. if you're looking for a feel good book about teens deciding the path they follow in the future mixed with romance and dances, look no further!
thank you netgalley and the publisher for the arc!
this book is delightfully desi. as an Indian, the cultural aspects were so familiar to read about, like an event that happens in my daily life but in writing. my mouth watered at the various, delicious recipes of Indian delicacies included and the descriptions of all the food. there were so many scenes that could easily pass off as a scene straight from a Bollywood movie! The familiarity gave me so much joy while reading it.
both Radha & Jai are characters with cracks and realistic life problems which makes you root for them as the figure out their problems. i loved to see them face their problems, support each other and end up falling for each other. i admit their relationship falls under the insta love trope but as they get to know each other it gets so much cuter!
there were some really strong relationships, between Radha and her father and Jai with his family and the director.
one of the themes that i really connected with was the anxiety rep. as a dancer myself, i understood Radha's struggle so well. the performance anxiety and pressure from her mother were genuine to read about. Radha's character is all about dealing with her panic and anxiety by finding new passions that calm her and slowly coming to terms with her issues. i really appreciate Nisha Sharma for acknowledging seeking therapy for panic attacks and healing. family problems and mental health are not topics commonly discussed in south-asian communities so it was refreshing to see this book normalise it!
my only quip with the book is that it felt disconnected at some points because of the scene jumps which obstructed the flow of the story. but overall, i really enjoyed reading it. if you're looking for a feel good book about teens deciding the path they follow in the future mixed with romance and dances, look no further!
thank you netgalley and the publisher for the arc!