Oh my god. This book was fantastic. It was so well written, captivating and fun from start to finish.
The way the cultural aspects were written and represented so beautifully, made the book even better in my opinion.
It was cute and I adored the characters so much. I will be recommending this to everyone.

I really wanted to like this book since I have enjoyed others by this author. However, I just wasn't a fan of the tone - it read almost too YA and wasn't to my personal taste. I do enjoy the author's works in general and look forward to her other books.

I enjoyed this! Radha and Jai are great! Lately I have become a fan of desi romances-- there's something about the culture that find so beautiful and awesome. There were a lot of great elements to this book like mental health and family expectations and I liked it. I think this is great work form the author.

I love the way that Indian dance can be a big part of Indian American life, and I thought it was really cool that this book highlighted both the more traditional Kathak and Bollywood styles. I thought that one of the best parts of this book was how Radha's relationship with dance evolved based on the circumstances around her practice of it. I think that a lot of people go through this with passions as they grow older and have to explore what relationship these passions will have in their lives, so it was cool to see this highlighted in a young adult novel. I did not feel that Radha and Jai had very much chemistry, even though they were both interesting stand alone characters. I felt that the relationships that both had with their family members definitely felt more real and fully fleshed out.

This was a romance book I had been highly anticipating and I ended up absolutely loving it. I thought the mental health representation was strong, and I loved watching a strong connection develop between Radha and Jai throughout the story. For my fellow romance fans, I highly recommend giving this a read!

Radha & Jai's Recipe for Romance follows Radha who’s on the verge of becoming one of the greatest Kathak dancers in the world. That is until family betrayal costs her the biggest competition of her life. Leaving behind her home in Chicago she follows her stage mom to New Jersey to Princeton Academy of the Arts. Radha is now determined to leave performing in past and reinvent herself. Then there is Jai, who is the captain of the Bollywood Beats dance team. He’s an overachiever, who wants to make the most out of high school. Tight family funds mean no college plans. When Radha enters into Jai’s life, he realizes that she is what his senior year needs to be awesome.
First, I can’t dance but I always have a soft spot for anything that deals with dance, and I loved reading about it in this book. Radha’s character development is a joy to follow. Seeing her passions grow and become happier is fun to read about. While Jai feels guilty for dreaming about going to college when money is hard for him and his family.
This is a full-on rom-com in the best of way. It’s filled to the top with heart, Witt, charm, and full moments. I found this story to be colorful, vivid. I love the South Asia culture, food talk, and representation of anxiety issues.
If you're looking for a feel-good read with South Asia culture, mental health represented, passions, family relationships, and more all wrapped in a beautiful cover then this is the book you need to read.

Unfortunately I picked up this right after an excellent and engrossing 5-star read...which did this one no favors and ultimately led to a DNF situation 51% in. While I was here for the mouth-watering food elements (an heirloom cookbook and videochats are a way for Radha to built a relationship with her father), I found my attention waning with just about everything else.

For a YA novel dealing with high school seniors, the writing in this skewed extremely young (the romance here is VERY instalove) and the over-the-top dramatics had me rolling my eyes: right from the start it's clear Radha's wealthy mother is designated The Villain, from a reveal she's been sleeping with competition judges to secure her daughter's world class ranking to her fixation of staying slim. When Radha moves to a new school she even has her mother sign a contact stating Radha will no longer her to perform - which Radha then literally pulls out during an argument.

I had been looking for a cute Bollywood-esque rom-com (with the added bonus of food!) but this one fell flat.

I adored Radha and Jai's Recipe for Romance! I don't see a lot of South Asian representation in literature, much less also seeing characters that are Punjabi like me. To see that both leads in the book were South Asian meant so much to me (and I wish younger me had this kind of book!)

After a disasterous dance competition, Radha lost her spark for dancing. She soon moved to a new state and began at a new school determined to distance herself from dancing — something she had done since she was a child. That is, until she gets recruited for Bollywood Beats, which is led by Jai.

I loved Radha's character development — her life used to be consumed by dance and now that she's had a chance to step back, she reconnects with her dad through their mutual love for food. I also loved Jai — he's the captain of his school's dance team but he keeps an easy-going facade to hide any problems that may be going on. For both characters, dance is an escape but also something that defines them.

I think Radha and Jai complement one another very well — Jai is there when Radha has her anxiety attacks, and Radha is someone Jai can confide in about his family. Their relationship helps them become better versions of themselves by the end. I feel like with dual POV books, one character gets more developed than the other, but that was not the case here.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

This was adorable and sweet and fun, and I absolutely loved all the Bollywood references. I haven’t been reading YA contemporaries at all these days but I couldn’t resist a book by Nisha and she didn’t disappoint. I read it in a bit of a rush because I didn’t wanna put it down but I think the best way to read this one is to relax with a super fun Indian movie songs playlist and let it entertain you.

Jam-packed with music and dance, Bollywood references, Indian cooking, and the pains of growing, Radha and Jai's Recipe for Romance is an absolute delight to read.

The plot traces Radha, an ex-kathak dancer, who is starting out at a new school after some distressing events during the summer put a gaping distance between her and the thing she loves. She finds solace with Jai, the captain of the dance team, and keeps herself busy with her family's passed-down cookbook, but as we all know, nothing good lasts forever and there are multiple bumps along the way before Radha gets her happy ending.

I really enjoyed the author's writing style and loved that there were recipes shared throughout the book (many of which my family makes at home!). A heart-warming and deeply emotional YA for anyone looking for their next dose of love and wholesomeness :)

This has been on my list forever. Sorry NetGalley I know I was supposed to review it months ago but the wait is finally over and in positive news? I totally loved it! What a fantastic YA romance! While there are touches of chemistry and romance the story for the most part focuses on Radha as she tries to find her dance joy again and work through crippling anxiety attacks. (Awesome Anxiety rep, therapy rep, etc.).

If you love cooking or dancing this book is definitely for you!

The main characters are great in this one. They are well rounded and have many motivators for their actions. The plot moves quickly and is not predictable. I love a good ya and this one definitely fits the bill! I only wish I couldve seen the epic Bollywood dance they were choreographing throughout the book! It sounded amazing.

I love a good author’s note at the end and Nissan Sharma shares openly about her need to write this story and her deep connections to the content of this story. I definitely recommend! Now I need some Indian food and a good Bollywood flick!

This book was so cute! It was exactly what my heart needed. I am waiting for the Bollywood playlist for this book. I would also like to see this book done into a series for the small screen. I loved the character development and the sweetness of all the relationships.

I adored this book – I sped through it and it was just everything I was looking for in a cozy fall read (yes, I know it takes place across fall, winter, spring…). This story was emotional (definitely laughed and cried while reading), heartwarming (I loved these characters and their journeys), and so entertaining (I really would love to see this adapted as a movie or show!).

I loved the getting a peek into a different culture through the lens of this book and the individuals and families that made it up. I adored that the book had food and dance tied into it as main focus points. This was such a fantastic YA Romance and I was definitely here for it – while it placed an emphasis on the characters and their journeys to figure out their passions, futures, etc. I also really appreciated that mental health, family dynamics and health conditions all featured as well. The story was able to approach these issues that impact us all in different ways, and incorporate them while still delivering a fast paced, fun and lighthearted romance read.

I truly loved it and am very grateful to have had a chance to read an e-arc thanks to the publisher and NetGalley. This is one I will definitely be buying a physical version of to add to my permanent collection – have I mentioned how much I love the cover art? 😍 I hope that in the future this will be optioned, because imagining the dance scenes was great – but I would love to see them come alive on scene too!

Hands down the cutest YA romcom out there. So cool to read a Bollywood incorporated romcom! Literally made my heart flutter so much.

This book was so cute. The characters were so well written. I would totally recommend this book to anyone and everyone who loves a great YA romcom.

Lovers of Kisses and Croissants, The Enemy, and Instructions for dancing will love this new RomCom by Nisha Sharma. This is not your typical cheesy rom-com and does touch on some serious subjects. After a family scandal that forces Radha to leave the biggest competition of her career, she is accepted into a fine art academy. She starts to join in with Bollywood dancers. The story follows the main character and her love interest who enter a dance competition for a prize. The story is super cute and touches on the mother cheating, divorce, emotional multiplication, and much more.

Trigger Warning: Infidelity

Thank you to Netgalley & the publishers for an advanced readers copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

This is a sweet YA romance centered on two Indian youths with a passion for dance, though Radha's passion is significantly dimmed in the aftershock of a family scandal which had a profound impact on her career as a competitive dancer. The two come together at a performing arts high school and Jai finds himself smitten and wooing Radha, not just to win her heart, but to win her as the dance partner his competition team needs to take home the prize which will earn him enough money to attend college, which would otherwise be a pipe dream, given his family's staggering medical debt.

The author herself has a background in classical Indian dance, and it shows to great effect in her writing, which I enjoyed, just as I enjoyed the way Radha's anxiety was handled, and the process of rebuilding her relationship with both of her parents. In some ways Jai's story feels like it takes a backseat, but perhaps that's because he comes across as the more emotionally mature character (though most of the characters demonstrate refreshing emotional maturity for a YA novel) who needs less page time to work through his issues, though the depiction of being a caregiver which his story highlights is well done. The recipes referred to in the title come from Radha's fledgling relationship with her father, who lives a time zone away and is teaching her to cook traditional dishes over FaceTime.

This was an enjoyable read, though somewhat forgettable, which I nevertheless feel confident recommending to readers of YA, romance, dance books, and books with recipes. I did not get to try any of the recipes, but they looked delicious. Similarly, I would have loved to see the final dance piece they performed.

Super cute! I love the colors on the cover, the recipes, and the focus on dancing. Excited to read more of Nisha's work moving forward.

I don't typically read YA - and when I do - it's normally dystopian. I decided to read this because a) I love when I can read books that is representative of my culture b) I love romance and c) I love food.. When you combine all these things into a story there is a good likelihood I'm going to read it.

Radha's search for a new start felt so real. In the south asian culture its difficult to explain to people how we are often trying to please our parents - even as we get older. We have a constant need for approval. Radha had joy in dance..but was it because her mother wanted her to do - or was it something she actually loved? Her search to find that joy again was so satisfying. At the same time - she finds a connection with her father in such a different way.

I read this book during a time of tremendous turmoil when I experienced a huge loss in my life - finding connections to our loved ones has become a more important focus - and this book felt like it came just at the appropriate time. I am definitely going to have a hard copy to share with my daughter when she's old enough to read and enjoy this story of love, family and food.

3.75 stars rounded up; CW: panic attacks, emotional manipulation, mentions of infidelity. this was a sweet story with fun, loveable characters. I was rooting for both Radha and Jai as they overcame their fears/challenges and squealing over their romance. despite being a romcom, there were some serious themes touched on here with Radha and her parents that I wish we got to unpack more, both her mom's infidelity and attitude about dance and her dad's distance, but since the focus of the story wasn't on their family relationship, I didn't mind so much. it's mostly not an actual 4 or 5 star because I didn't feel anything special about this. it was good just not a standout but I would definitely read more form Nisha Sharma in the future!