I liked the portion of the story that was about Radha trying to figure out what her own passions were and how to separate them from her parents' goals for her. However, I felt like the characters were a bit one dimensional which made the book fall a little flat for me.

This was adorable. I loved the relationship in this and Radha and Jai just work so well together. The food sounds amazing, and as a lover if Indian food, my mouth was watering! This is a great book to read for a quick romance that's cute and full of swoon.

I've been wanting to read this since Buzzfeed released one of those articles "25 swoon worthy teen romances you should read this summer". I was lucky enough that I was chosen to read this!

Upon reading this book, I immediately was hit with hardcore "Raise Your Voice Vibes". Think about it, a talented school for the gifted? Teenage prodigy escaping drama? Or for those who weren't a Hillary Duff fan, maybe consider Camp Rock. Overall, this was a really fun, breezy book for summer, and the kind of escapism I needed.

The book starts as Radha explores her love of dancing, something she loves more than anything. Tragedy strikes, and her whole world shifts... suddenly she must rediscover her love of the art form. Jai is struggling with his own baggage, but upon meeting Radha, dancing is their immediate connection. The growing pains of young adulthood weigh on them heavily as they seek to discover what it means to live your dream.

This book was really cute, one of my favorite parts is the immersion into a different culture. OWN voice books such as this one, really offer me insight and perspective, into a topic I might have been ignorant of.

In regards to characters, (because if I'm being honest, the characters were the shining star of the story). I liked the growth, change and accountability present for everyone in the story, even the adults. Radha's mother makes mistakes (she's human), but she's willing to grow, get professional help, and work on a relationship with her daughter. The same goes for Radha's father, as father/daughter relationship grows over cooking.

Jai has some growing to do, as he learns to rely on other people, and to stop shutting the world out. However, his parents are supportive of his dreams, he just has to let them in.

One of the best things about this book though, was the way everyone handled this like adults. There was communication between Jai and Radha as they gave each other space to grow, and worked through their problems together.

I recommend this book if you're looking for something fun and summery, and want to learn about a different culture/history!

I was given an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Heat Level: 🔥

Sharma once again presents a rom-com filled with cute characters and fun Bollywood choreography. She deepens the discussion with support for mental health in the Desi community.

Thank you Random House Children's and NetGalley for the e-ARC

I liked this book which is about Radha who was a former kathak competitor that dropped out but joins the Bollywood Beats team with Jai to help him make money for him to go to his dream school. I enjoyed this book that involved cultural music and dance especially with Bollywood dances and Kathak. I enjoyed the story plotline as it contained mental health and coming of age but I was disappointed with how it was categorized as a contemporary romance as I felt there were more talks about growing and mental health. The pacing was a little slow but not a major problem and I did love the setting of this book. Also, the author did a wonderful job with writing all of the dances as I could perfectly imagine them in my head.

This book is written from both Radha and Jai's POV. Radha is a famous competitor that stops dancing and then there is Jai who needs to win the dancing competition so he could go to his dream school. I enjoyed both characters as they both had a major journey in the book that they needed to heal or discover. They had great character development in this book and didn't have any problems with them. I did have minor problems with the side characters as I thought they lacked in being mentioned in the book and didn't bring any major drama into the story. Usually, the side characters would create conflicts for the main characters to solve or help them solve the problems but I didn't really see any of that in the book. The romance in this book is cute and is kind of like a Bollywood movie romance with the trope of instant love.

The ending was well done and had a happy ending for both characters. I enjoyed this cute, short read as I could connect with the culture. There were some minor problems in this book but overall it was a great read. I totally recommend this book if you want to read a book with Indian culture or a book written by a PoC author. This book will be perfect for fans of To All the Boy's I've Loved Before and When Dimple Met Rishi.

I thoroughly enjoyed Radha & Jai's Recipe for Romance! I loved watching both Radha and Jai come into their own, and truly figure out who they were aside from their family's expectations. Something that really stood out to me were the recipes at the beginning of Radha's sections — this book really left me hungry! I'm also always here for more mental health representation, and really loved how Radha's anxiety was handled with care.

A fine quick read, although not necessarily a standout. The portrayal of Jai's family, and especially the elements of disability and chosen family which intersected with it, came off strongly, as did Radha's connection to dance, but the overall arc of the story felt a bit short and the characters and many of the relationships, including Radha and Jai's, felt like they could have used more depth. For example, Radha's father came off somewhat confusingly, the storyline about her cousin started abruptly and then petered out, Shakti needed to be a stronger character to build a real friendship between them, and the way things ended in regards to her mother felt unsatisfying. I also didn't feel that the cooking element bridged the two POVs enough to be used for the title, but that's just a quibble. Teen readers who enjoyed dance/artistry books like Longo's Up to This Pointe or Lee's I’ll Be the One; food books like A Phở Love Story, A Taste for Love, or The Art of French Kissing; or light romance in the vein of Meg Cabot or Sandhya Menon might enjoy.

Disclaimer:I got this in exchange for an honest review.

THIS BOOK IS SO HEARTWARMING OMG!!! I really liked the fact that BOTH Radha and Jai evolved over the course of the book and that it wasn't just one or the other. There's anxiety rep in this book which I personally think was done really well!! I love that Nisha Sharma tackled finding love as a South Asian and also that sense of loyalty/obligation to family without putting down one or the other.

Thank you to #NetGalley and Random House Children's for allowing me the opportunity to read a digital ARC of Radha & Jai's Recipe for Romance by Nisha Sharma. This YA contemporary romance will be released on July 13, 2021. All opinions are my own.

Radha is about to become one of the world's greatest kathak dancers when she finds out her mother has betrayed her. The betrayal causes her to question her entire career and desire to dance. This event also triggers her performance anxiety (and anxiety in general) to resurface. Following this, she moves to New Jersey and starts at a new performing arts school even though she has vowed to never perform again. There she meets Jai. Jai is the captain of the Bollywood Beats team and has dreams of attending Columbia and becoming a doctor. There's just one problem, he can't afford to go to college, let alone Columbia. Jai recruits Radha to choreograph the Bollywood Beats team's performance for the upcoming winter showcase. The two begin to fall for each other which begins to complicate things.

I really enjoyed Radha & Jai's Recipe for Romance. While it has its light-hearted and fun moments, it also focuses on deeper topics like mental health. Radha is struggling with the loss of her dance joy and the pressures that her mother has put on her and her dancing. Radha's storyline focuses on her dealing with her stress and anxiety and finding new (and old) passions. I loved the recipes that were included at the beginning of some of Radha's chapters. They not only sounded delicious, but each also had a connection to a conflict or event in the book which strengthened the storyline and helped me connect to Radha. I also enjoyed that the story alternated between her and Jai's perspectives allowing the reader to get deeper insight into each of their character's and conflicts. I do feel like it moved a little too quickly but, overall, really enjoyed it.

A cute, innocent YA teen romance read. Told in dual perspectives, we follow protagonists Radha and Jai as they study, dance, cook, and fall in love during the senior year of high school. At some parts, it feels like it moves a bit too quickly rather than at a logical pace for me. But, it does read quite quickly too and is very cute. The language is full of rich language and storytelling that draws you in.

Dance, cooking, and disasters. Radha is a kathak dancer who after a family betrayal has stopped dancing. She is determined to never dance in a competition or performance again and just get through her last year before college. She makes a deal with her mother to work through the dance course at a prestigious program and in return her mother will pay for her half of her college tuition. Jai is the captain of the Bollywood Beats dance team and desperately needs to win the competition in order to not only get money for college but to prove his skills along with helping his fellow teammates. After a literal run into one another Jai and Radha find that they both be what the other might need. Filled with dancing, amazing recipes, and romance and family drama, this is a fast paced story that wraps up nicely. I enjoyed the relationship between Radha and her father, especially seeing them bond over cooking. There were so many recipes in this book that I definitely feel the need to try!

*Thanks Netgalley and Random House Children's for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Thanks to Random House Children's + NetGalley for the e-ARC of RADHA'S & JAI'S RECIPE FOR ROMANCE by Nisha Sharma. Expected pub date July 13, 2021.

There seem to be a lot of romances out on the market lately that include food and I have zero complaints. Mental health, dance, family, culture, and love - this is one to put in your summer beach bag - or anytime bag - and be sure to add to your TBR.

Having enjoyed Nisha Sharma's first YA contemporary a few years ago, I was really curious to pick up this one, and I again really enjoyed it! This is a charming and atmospheric story, dealing with mental health (specifically panic attacks and anxiety), family and cultural heritage.

While I did have a great time reading this, I did feel like it was somewhat unnecessary for it to be dual perspective. Radha was a very strong main character with a distinctive voice, and I felt like Jai fell a little flat next to that. I felt myself zoning out in his chapters, and I wasn't as invested in the romance as I would have liked.

Radha and Jai’s Recipe for Romance is a simple, sweet novel about two teenagers who share a passion for dance and manage to fall in love while tackling their worst insecurities.  Teenagers will love it and adults who enjoy sweet romances will likely be swept away by it too.

Radha dreams of becoming one of the world’s best competitive Kathak (a classic form of Indian dance) dancers, and she is on the verge of reaching her long-held goal when she hears two fellow competition-mates gossiping that her mother has been sleeping with the judges for years – even while she was married to Radha’s father - in order to ensure Radha gets good scores, an accusation her mother can’t deny.  Heartbroken, furious and humiliated, Radha quits competitive dancing and her mother moves her from Chicago to New Jersey so she can start anew, and agrees to pay for her enrollment in the Princeton Academy of the Arts if Radha agrees to keep dancing.  But Radha is besieged with doubt and anxiety over the true level of her talent.

After interviewing at the school, she meets Jai and instantly develops a crush.  Jai is a member of the Bollywood Beats, one of Princeton’s dance clubs, and he excels on the floor just as thoroughly as Radha does.  He dreams of joining a pre-med program at Columbia University, something his family can’t afford – and anyway, he thinks they’d rather he stay home and help run the family store.

Together, they will become friends, then a couple.  But can they battle their fears over the future to forge a pathway all their own?

Radha and Jai’s Recipe for Romance is a sugar-sweet slice of romantic comedy that’s the right kind of tropey.  Fun, with genuinely moving character-driven moments and meditations on grief and avocation, it manages to strike a nice balance between the developing romance between our hero and heroine and some serious family-driven character development.  I like dedicated, joy-driven Radha and responsible yet fun-loving Jai.  Their families and friends are equally vivid, and I loved the way Rada’s cooking lessons become a focal point of her attempt at getting closer to her dad.  Jai’s family, too, is sympathetic and warm, and the book’s expression of their monetary struggles is quite relatable.

It’s perhaps unsurprising to learn that there are a lot of wonderful references to Bollywood romance tropes here, and there’s a beautiful sense of being wrapped in the comforting arms of a honey-sweet romantic drama.  That doesn’t mean the book is over-the-top sugary, but it definitely believes in the happy ending it’s prepared to deliver.

And the best thing about Radha and Jai’s Recipe for Romance is that it is fearless in giving teens what they want.  A perfect summertime beach read, it’ll likely remain memorable to them long after they finish it.

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What a wonderfully crafted book, my Indian heart is full. A fun romantic read about family, love and food.

Radha & Jais story was such a fun, sweet book. I loved seeing Radha learn to heal and accept her anxiety and the joy she recovers. Jai was serious male goals in every way and the chemistry between the two. I loved seeing the world of dance again, but also add in the little food memories between Radha and her family. It made me so hungry every time! This book made me smile, laugh, cry and just sigh with complete happiness. I will forever recommend this book to everyone.

A solid 3.5 Stars!

I was very excited to read this title as it had Indian/South Asian reps. When I started reading, I was sort of disappointed because even though the writing was good, it felt as it's too simple or aimed for a much younger audience on the YA spectrum. Having detailed outlines of making a Maggi was quite annoying to read but again Ill let that go because maybe Maggi is a very Indian thing so a large population of international readers may get fascinated by it.

The dance competition and the relationship were predictable and fine. While it most definitely had its own moments where the characters did make me root for them, but for the others, I was not very keen on it. Overall, I would say that if you like reading Indian rep books or just books about dance, music, food and a little bit of romance, then you might just like this!

Radha and Jai's Recipe for Romance centers Radha, a Kathak dancer with global acclaim. The day of her biggest performance of her life, she overhears her fellow dancers talking about how Radha doesn't have a personality outside of dance, never goes against her mother (an ex-Kathak dancer herself), and only wins competitions because her mother sleeps around with all the judges. Stunned, Radha confronts her mother minutes before she has to be on stage, and when her mom doesn't fully deny it, Radha runs off and doesn't perform, her big moment ruined, her reputation as a renowned Kathak dancer in shambles, and with no intention of ever dancing again.

Almost a year later, Radha moves to Jersey with her mother who is freshly divorced, looking for a fresh start. She applies to transfer into a performing arts high school, where she meets Jai.

Jai's just trying to help his family. He has no intentions of going to college, despite the best efforts and encouragement his family offers. He knows that in order to fulfill his med school dream, he'll have to give up working at his family's convenience store, which is the only source of income supporting their father, who's almost fully paralyzed. On top of that, the choreographer for his Bollywood dance team quits to work on an actual Bollywood movie in India, leaving him without any options for their upcoming winter performance, which his team is relying on for college.

When he runs into Radha on her first day of school, they're instantly attracted to each other.

the romance
I had like zero problems with Radha and Jai's romance, honestly. They were super cute and yeah there were a few communication issues but they resolved them and it's clear that neither of them would ever intentionally hurt each other.

radha
Radha's attempts at a fresh start include trying to do recipes from her grandfather's cookbook, which her father gave her when she shipped herself off to New Jersey. She enjoys the idea of actually having a hobby outside of dance, and maybe distracting herself with cooking. She also reconnects with a cousin she hasn't talked to in a long time. Everything's going perfectly, other than her mother constantly trying to force her to perform again.

jai
Jai's found family of sorts includes the school's director Muza, better known as his Masi, and his adoptive grandfather, Nana, who used to be a doctor, both of whom Jai met when he was 10 and in the hospital after his father has an accident. Jai looks up to Nana and loves spending time with him both in the store but outside of it too, talking about medicine. He's torn between wanting to go to college and wanting to help his family enough that they'll be comfortable instead of struggling.

overall
Overall I loved loved loved this book and I only wish I could read more about Radha and Jai. 5.5.

This was a cute story with some nice characterizations. Radha's anxiety and joy with performing was well done and clear without being over the top. Jai was a likeable character with a lot of kindness in his heart that made the romantic storyline an enjoyable treat. The problem was that there was a little too much happening at once. There is a lot of time spent building up general information for the first half of the book that you are trying to keep track of several "key" pieces of information throughout. It was a great coming of age/end of high school story with a god heart. It just needed a bit more focus.


I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and Crown Books for Young Readers for the opportunity to read and review this book. I'll be honest, there's a lot to unpack in this book. Because of that, there are trigger warnings for panic attacks, post traumatic stress disorder, stroke, anxiety, verbal abuse, rehabilitation and miscommunication. Yes there's a lot in this book that can be tough, but there's also so many positive aspects that I learned in this book especially about Indian foods, dances, and social customs. This also is a great book for teenagers especially with ones that are trying to figure out what to do for their adult lives and deciding whether to follow your dreams or help their family. Overall, it was a profound story and I am curious to see more what this author presents next. Because of these points, I have to give this book a 4 out of 5 stars