Horn Book Review
Bollywood-obsessed Winnie Mehta, from an Indian Hindu family living in Princeton, New Jersey, wants it all: admission into NYU's film program and the right boyfriend. But is that Raj, the now-cheating boyfriend who's always fit her astrological prophesy, or budding filmmaker Dev, who's becoming more attractive to her by the day? A funny, breezy romance filled with Bollywood film references (a guide to which is appended). (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
A fresh, madcap rom-com in which a Princeton, New Jersey, high school senior, aspiring film school student, and Bollywood junkie navigates the dramas of real life.Vaneeta "Winnie" Mehta is digging a grave for her ex-boyfriend Raj's entire film collection. She'd believed that Raj was destined to be with her; their match was fated in her janampatri (natal star chart) after all, so she was devastated to find out via social media that he was hooking up with another classmate. To add insult to injury, she's stripped of her role as school film festival chair because of an administrative snafu, and Raj has secured Bend It Like Beckham director Gurinder Chadha--Winnie's idol--as the festival's guest of honor. But when Winnie reconnects with classmate and fellow film geek Dev Khanna and falls for him hard, she is forced to question all that has been prophesied: Is Raj really her destiny, and if she chooses Dev, will she be giving up her chance to live happily ever after? With the help of family and friends, Winnie navigates these ups and downs in order to find her own perfectly scripted Bollywood ending. Bollywood fans will appreciate the high-drama tropes and self-referential jokes, and newcomers will be tempted to explore the genre for themselvesA delightful and humorous debut. (Romance. 14-18)
