I love a story that involves dance/dancers, and Sanskari Sweetheart delivered! I found the characters so enjoyable and enjoyed seeing the FMC grow throughout the time loop.

this is a vibrant, emotionally layered YA novel that’s perfect for bollywood lovers. i adored raina and i found her to be one of those protagonists you can’t help but root for, determined and vulnerable and she’s the story’s heart. the time loop element was so fun here when oftentimes it can be repetitive, but it really worked for me when it came to peeling back raina’s layers. and the romance was a pure win — soft as a whisper, but poignant all the same.

I loved that this book focused on the world of competitive Bollywood Dancing - throw in a time loop element and it had everything I usually need for a 5 star read. HOWEVER, I felt kind of bored by the repeated repeatings and felt like not a lot of progress got made until the very end. Overall I liked the characters and premise but it was a bit too slow-moving for me. Good on audio and perfect for fans of books like Dance with me by Sundari Venkatraman. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

Raina is in a dance competition and trying to win a scholarship. Her dance team co-captain is her boyfriend Aditya. During the competition he breaks up with her after they have a bad performance. Then she gets hit in the head with a prop and blacks out.

She wakes up and is repeating that day all over again. Raina is caught in a time loop. She tries several different things to make things right and get out of the loop. She tries everything to get Aditya to not break up with her. She tries to stop another dancer from sabotaging her teams performance. She tries to make friends with one of her dance teammates that she has had an adversarial relationship with.

This book was a cute YA romance. I enjoyed it a lot. I wasn’t exactly sure what she figured out to get out of the time loop but I was very pleased with the way the story ended. I did wish that the relationship with her sister was explored more. And I felt like the family “curse” wasn’t explained enough in the beginning. But, all in all, it was a really good book.

“It begins with an ending—over and over again.”

Raina’s got one shot to prove to her mom that dance isn't just a hobby, but her entire future—and winning the National Bollywood Dance Circuit Scholarship is the best way to do it. If she wins, she can convince her mom that she can build a real, successful career in dance. An added bonus of winning the competition is saving her relationship with her co-captain and long time boyfriend, Aditya, who is slipping away the more they argue. After a night where nothing goes right, Aditya breaks up with her, their routine goes completely wrong, and Raina watches her dream life slip away. But when she wakes up the next morning, it’s Nationals all over again. Everything is the same: the stage, the heartbreak, and the stakes. The more time she spends in the loop, the more she realizes maybe winning everything she keeps losing isn’t what’s meant to be.

As someone from a South Asian background, I have always loved reading books with characters that have backgrounds similar to mine. It was refreshing to read a romance story where the lead character ends up with someone from the same background as her, since a majority of the AAPI representation I see these days involves relationships between people of different cultures. I also loved the fact that Aditya and Raina were an established couple going into the story. The backdrop of a Bollywood dance team with two co-captains dating is very cute, and sets up a great story that is made even better by the added fact that the story isn’t about the main couple getting together, but rather growing together. Raina, though somewhat frustrating at times, is an enjoyable character whose growth was incredible to see. Aditya was probably my favorite character—he’s quite literally the definition of a man written by a woman, and definitely one of the most romantic teenage main male characters I’ve read in a while. As with other books that include a time loop, this one was also interesting to read about, and the Bollywood dance competition situation just made it all the more fun. It was nice to see how Raina’s mind and approach to life changed as she kept reliving the same day. Sanskari Sweetheart is a great option for readers looking for a rom-com this AAPI month!

Sanskari Sweetheart is a cute YA novel that centers around Raina who, after getting dumped by her boyfriend and getting injured in the National Bollywood Dance Competition, gets stuck in a time loop, doomed to repeat the same day over and over again. This was my first book by Ananya Devarajan and I found the concept to be quite interesting, especially the little nods to the Bollywood songs that I also know and love.

While the novel had a strong premise, I felt like some of the decisions that Raina made through the time loops gave me whiplash and led me to feel unclear about how she truly felt about her boyfriend Aditya. What was meant to be a strong relationship showcased fell flat at times. I also felt like I was rushed into knowing things about certain characters like her mother and sister that never felt fully explained. After reading this novel, I did see that Ananya's first novel, Kismet Connection, is her sister's story so this point may have been cleaner if I had read her debut novel first.

Although there were some moments that felt rushed, this was still a fun read and I would be interested in reading Ananya's first novel. I gave this novel a 3.75/5 stars. Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Overall, this book kept me interested from start to finish but I had a hard time connecting with Raina. Once she is thrown into the time loop we have to watch her repeatedly self sabotage her relationship. It was clear to me from the very beginning that one of the lessons she needed to learn from the time loop was how to communicate better but she took SO long to get that. I also wish I had a better understanding of how she ended up in the time loop.
I liked seeing Raina go from taking advantage of her relationship with Aditya because of being too comfortable due to her “family curse” to really starting to appreciate him for the golden retriever boyfriend he is to her. Raina had really good character development from start to finish but I didn’t really see that until she was out of the time loop.

Sanskari Sweetheart by Ananya Devarajan was an absolute delight to read—equal parts heartwarming, hilarious, and emotionally rich. This fun, fast-paced read blends cultural nuance with modern romance in a way that feels fresh and authentic. Devarajan’s writing sparkles with charm, and it’s clear she’s grown immensely since her debut. A joy to read from start to finish!

Sanskari Sweetheart was a well-written, well-paced YA romcom that I think will resonate with many people in the desi diaspora community. I, however, was one member of this community that this did not resonate with because I have tired of the “indian teen standing up to their parents and refusing to pursue a career in STEM while chasing their passion for the arts” trope. It’s overdone and over saturated in my humble opinion and I just wish Desi diaspora authors chose something else.

Overall it was a good book, just predictable which made it feel stale.

They're the perfect couple... or so she thought until her boyfriend dumps her during the big dance competition and she finds herself on a constant loop repeating the morning of said breakup until she can figure out how to not only get out of the loop but save her relationship. Raina is determined to win the National Bollywood Dance Circuit Scholarship to prove to her mom that she is serious about dance. Her co-captain is her boyfriend, Aditya, who is absolutely perfect.... until she surprises her by breaking up with her and then their choreography crumbles.. and any hope she has of winning the scholarship disappears... that is until she wakes up on the very morning before the break up and before the competition only to constantly repeat it until she can save her relationship or even win the competition. This book was just not for me, I really couldn't stand Raina. I honestly kind of wanted their relationship to fizzle out but with the constant loop she was able to actually realize how much their relationship needed work. Then there was the whole "family curse"/ Time loop element. I guess I just wasn't feeling the romance at all and I just didn't vibe with the characters. While this wasn't for me if you were a younger YA reader who wanted a romance with a twist, definitely give it a go, maybe you'll have better luck with it than I did.

Release Date: May 20, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and HarperCollins Children's Books | HarperCollins for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Sanskari Sweetheart follows Raina as she enters her last National Bollywood Dancing Competition. Not only is this her last chance to prove herself as the reigning multi-year champion, but it is also her chance to prove to her mother that going to University to study dance the following year is a good/viable option for her. Raina faces the challenges that many Desi women face - torn between following her dreams and being a good Sanskari woman. To complicate her endeavor, there's a family romance curse (which she's avoided telling her boyfriend of four years about) and some Groundhog Day-style time looping to contend with. What will she have to sacrifice to make it back to her own time loop? Or will Raina find a way to have it all - the perfect relationship, a dance career, and her community's respect?

The book was a sweet coming of age story - showing how Raina progresses from being a mainly self-centered indidivudal to eventually really considering the feelings, needs and realities of those around her. It's a journey of self discovery that transcends culture and will speak to many Young Adults.

Despite having spent a good amount of time with the Southeast Asian- American community, I am not Desi (by any stretch of the imagination) - with that disclaimer, I loved the little glimpses into the Auntie/Uncle-ness of it all and I wish there had been more of them. Raina goes through something like 8 time-loops, some more interesting than others, and while we are told of her frustrations with the meddling, I think there would have been an opportunity in some of the time-loops for the reader to experience more of the facets of that reality with her.

fun stuck in a time loop story with a great romance and some pretty cool characters. would definitely recommend. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

Unfortunately, this story didn't work for me. The beginning was strong and drew me in (partly because it dropped me right in the middle of the story), but after the third time loop, I started to get bored. My main problem with this story was that I couldn't tell how Raina felt about her boyfriend for the majority of the book. She kept going back and forth on if she was okay with them breaking up or not, and that made me dislike her. I'm all for growth, but for the majority of the book, she blamed her boyfriend for all of their issues and was rude. I couldn't get over that or how longggg the time loop sequence went on.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

chaotic, all over the place, not really hating this but not love it either... was quite literally contemplating my life decisions while reading this arc....

DNF at 41%. I like the idea of this book, but clearly this style of time loop with the repetition is just not for me.

This definitely is a book that I read. It's not bad, I think I just didn't vibe with the writing style. I also think I needed more to decide if they should stay in a relationship or not.

I received an arc through netgalley.

3.5 Stars
One Liner: Depends on your expectations

Raina wants to win the National Bollywood Dance Circuit Scholarship to prove that dance is a stable career choice. She also wants to show that she and her boyfriend, Aditya, are still the perfect couple despite the current differences between them. However, Aditya breaks up with her, and the choreography for the event is a mess.
Raina’s hopes for a do-over put her in a time loop where she repeats the same day again and again. Raina has to figure out what went wrong and fix it to fix the issues in her real life. But perfection may not be the only thing required!
The story comes in Raina’s third-person POV.

My Thoughts:
Before I start the review, I have to confess to laughing at the title. I like alliterations, but this one is so cheesy! Anyhoo!
Though the book is presented as a standalone, it is the story of Raina, Madhuri’s younger sister, from Kismet Connection, the author’s debut novel. Reading book one might help familiarize oneself with her character arc and the family dynamics.
In Kismet Connection, Raina and Aditya are the perfect couple (though they are teenagers). Raina was one of my favorite characters (I liked her more than Madhuri). Here, we see the actual Raina, whose zeal for perfection comes with a ton of insecurities and relationship disasters.
We get straight to the conflict. The time loop starts early, which means there are eight of them before real life resumes. Luckily, the pacing is quite good. However, this is an advantage and a disadvantage.
You will like the book more if your focus is on the time loop or Groundhog Day trope, where Raina tries to figure out how to fix the situation. However, you are likely to be disappointed if you want more elements about Indian American communities, families, or even the trending Bollywood dancing trope. That’s because the book is laser-focused on Raina’s character growth, and the other elements take a back seat. They are used only when necessary and discarded afterward.
Raina’s arc is actually good. She learns a lot thanks to the time loop and understands how and where she went wrong. Aditya shows promise, but since he has been made the perfect boyfriend, there isn’t a chance for much growth. He is easy to like, so no complaints.
I can also see an improvement in the writing style. This book is less clunky and has a smoother flow. Raina is flawed but not a red flag; something that didn’t work as it was supposed to in Kismet Connection.
Now, my issue is with the rest of the details. Though it’s a dance competition, we don’t see a lot of it except for some formations and a couple of moves. Given how dance is integral to Raina’s life, using it as more than a foundation would have helped. Then, there’s that competitor who never got exposed for what she did. It doesn’t seem right that she gets away. Then, the roles of Raina’s mother and sister are severely limited when their presence could have enhanced the plot and added another layer to it. I’m rather disappointed, especially since Kismet Connection stood out for the lovely family dynamics. We still don’t know what’s troubling Madhuri.
Though we get some typical competition between aunties and the ‘sanskari’ standards Raina has to deal with, they don’t add much to the plot. It feels superficial and stereotypical.
While there are a few desi emotions and moments, the book doesn’t, as such, stand out among many others that ride the same wave. It’s just another Western book with Indian characters using a few known tropes. It could have been with any characters from a slightly conservative background, and would have read the same.
To summarize, Sanskari Sweetheart is a decent sophomore novel dealing with YA romance. It has improved upon certain elements from the previous book, but it has a few issues of its own. Of course, I’d read more by the author. She shows promise and is a work in progress, just as she should be at this stage of her writing career.
Thank you, NetGalley and HarperCollins, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
***

PS: While the cover is cute, I don’t think it is accurate. Raina has long black curly hair (to her waist), and Aditya has thick black waves framing his face.

DNF at 18%

This is on me for having just read another time loop story at the same time, and the other one did it better. I love the premise, but Raina just seemed to get in her own way by manufacturing the extremity of why Nationals was so important when legit NO ONE was pressuring her to quit dancing if she didn't win the scholarship. Hopefully she grew from having to repeat the day, but I just didn't connect with her.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

Thank you so much to HarperCollins for the arc of this book! To start out, Sanskari Sweetheart was a wonderful love letter to the South Asian community and the Bollywood lovers out there. I really appreciated the representation of the culture and the struggles of the people part of the South Asian diaspora. This book was an interesting concept with a mix of romance and magical realism.

In my opinion, this book was too repetitive when it came to the magical realism element. It was tough to find the reasoning behind the repetitions and why it was happening. I didn't agree with the fmc and her reasoning for a lot of decisions in the book. This made it hard for me to root for the love story without that connection to the fmc. I also noticed the mmc had little to no flaws and would have liked to see more depth to the character.

The grand reveal of why they magical realism was happening came out of nowhere for me. I wish there would have been some hints as to where the story was going. Because of this surprise, the reveal felt unsatisfying after these scenes. The plot seemed to keep on shifting throughout the book which left me confused on whether it was a love story, a story about the bollywood competition, or something else entirely. Without spoiling the ending, I was left dissatisfied with a character getting away with something that affected the results of the competition. I wish that would have been addressed in the end.

All in all, I appreciated this unique story and the representation it provided.

I was invested in what Raina was going through as a main character, she was realistic and enjoyed the overall feel of this storyline. It was a really well done young adult romance and was engaged with what was going on in this world. Ananya Devarajan has a strong writing style and was able to weave a strong tale that I was looking for and enjoyed the overall package. I was hooked from the cover and the first page really brought it in.