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A review by charvi_not_just_fiction
The Boyfriend Wish by Swati Teerdhala
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This was an enjoyable read. Rather predicted, enemies to lovers although I'd rather frame it as rivals to lovers since Vik and Deepa have been childhood rivals but you won't call their relationship hatred. Just intense, friendly rivalry.
Anyway, I could relate to Deepa a lot, she's your typical Type A personality who plans everything in her life and likes to be in control. Which is why the unpredictable prankster Vikram gets on her nerves so much. All Deepa wants is perfection, which is really the central theme of the book. I thought it got a bit repetitive with repeated emphasis and started getting on my nerves.
I wish we could have seen more of Vik and Deepa, I loved their chemistry but so much of the book was taken up by Rohit and Deepa. The author kept teasing us about some secret about Rohit or his past and it felt very anti-climatic in the end. Rohit is seen as the perfect guy and his perfection truly got on my nerves. On one hand, the author tries telling us that nothing and nobody is perfect but on the other hand even at the end of the book, Rohit remains a perfect guy with no flaws which is frustrating.
I did like the message of different things and different people being right for someone but wrong for another person and the story carried that out quite well.
I loved the side characters as well, especially the younger sibling squad but I wish their stories had been elaborated more on. I feel like we started with character arcs for most of them but the author kind of abandoned them halfway through. Like what happened with Lily and the idea of her coaching? I would have loved to see their arcs completed and given a better ending, or rather any satisfactory closure.
All in all, the book has its ups and downs but special props to the lovely audiobook narrator who got all the pronunciations right and made the experience so enjoyable!
Anyway, I could relate to Deepa a lot, she's your typical Type A personality who plans everything in her life and likes to be in control. Which is why the unpredictable prankster Vikram gets on her nerves so much. All Deepa wants is perfection, which is really the central theme of the book. I thought it got a bit repetitive with repeated emphasis and started getting on my nerves.
I wish we could have seen more of Vik and Deepa, I loved their chemistry but so much of the book was taken up by Rohit and Deepa. The author kept teasing us about some secret about Rohit or his past and it felt very anti-climatic in the end. Rohit is seen as the perfect guy and his perfection truly got on my nerves. On one hand, the author tries telling us that nothing and nobody is perfect but on the other hand even at the end of the book, Rohit remains a perfect guy with no flaws which is frustrating.
I did like the message of different things and different people being right for someone but wrong for another person and the story carried that out quite well.
I loved the side characters as well, especially the younger sibling squad but I wish their stories had been elaborated more on. I feel like we started with character arcs for most of them but the author kind of abandoned them halfway through. Like what happened with Lily and the idea of her coaching? I would have loved to see their arcs completed and given a better ending, or rather any satisfactory closure.
All in all, the book has its ups and downs but special props to the lovely audiobook narrator who got all the pronunciations right and made the experience so enjoyable!