I wanted to like this book i really did. A desi wedding set in bangladesh sounded amazing but unfortunately i was just disappointed. I think the whole story was kind of all over the place and that made it difficult for me to connect with the characters. Still I did really enjoy the setting and there were some cute moments. I really appreciate more Bangladeshi authors writing about Bangladeshi characters and I also did enjoy the author's debut novel but this one just missed the mark for me.

I love cute YA books that are easy to read, have great characters and a great plot. This book follows the fmc as she serves her summer punishment and goes to Bangladesh for her sister wedding. I loved the fmc so much, she is an almost 17 year old thats over the top in the best way, outspoken and sure of herself. I loved all the trouble she got in even when it was an annoying teenager move. I loved all the culture and cultural aspect of the book as they are from Bangladesh. This is a destination book and the descriptions of when they were in Bangladesh transported me there and i want to go. I also loved all the challenges the fmc and her sister faced regarding the wedding and fitting in with the fiancés old money and very cultural family.

The romance was so cute, its a slow burn that was properly earned especially with the first meeting and the dislike to love. I liked the matchmaking aspect and the friendship build and all the shenanigans. Overall this was a great ya romance and i recommend. Thanks to Simon Teen for this arc!

Always Be My Bibi 🕶️🍹💍💒✈️
4⭐️
1 🫑

This was such a fun YA romance! I really loved the premise of Bibi hoping for her first kiss over the summer, only for her dad to ban kissing until her sister’s wedding. It was low-stakes but super fun!

I’ve been a huge YA romance fan since Jenny Han and Stephanie Perkins. This book will definitely appeal to both older fans of these authors, and newer readers to the genre.

This does have a “spoiled kid” energy to it, but to me it feels like a young adult low-stakes White Lotus from HBO in a way? There were a lot of first-world problems and I ate up the drama of it LOL

3⭐️ because I don’t think I was the audience for this book. Overall hard to engage. I didn’t get out of the book the culture experience I was wanting based off the synopsis.

Best wishes & thanks for the egalley!

THANKS TO THE SIMONTEEN AND NETGALLEY FOR THIS EARLY COPY 

Who doesn't like a rom-com with rich culture? I am all about finding POC exploring their culture and finding love. Grand weddings are a bonus. I was so excited to read a book about Bangladesh's culture.

Habiba "Bibi" is a spoil brat. Her father Royal Fried Chicken is a successful food chain in the USA, so they are rich. Halima is her older sister, who is smart, pretty, independent, and all the other qualities a good desi daughter can have. She had her mind set on going to law school where she was accepted. So, it was a surprise when she announced that she wanted to get married to Sunny in Bangladesh and settled there, skipping the law school plan. Sunny's family is riches in Bangladesh and more traditional than Bibi's family. Bibi is dying to date, and this summer in Bangladesh allowed her to date with her parents' permission.

Okay, so the book had so much potential to explore culture beautifully, but it quickly fell as a secondary or tertiary thing. The author tried to tackle many topics, but it quickly turned into a messy, underdeveloped, and shallow narrative. She also kept introducing new half-baked characters like Pokemon and dropping them on the way to never mention them again. Everything was more about words than action. The characters were either annoying or completely selfish, especially the protagonist, Bibi. She didn't come across as sassy and funny but more disrespectful, self-absorbed, and selfish. There was supposed to be a good relationship with her sister, but I never felt that she kept hurting her. Though I agree with her reasoning, the way she tackled things was just naive. Her age and her actions also didn't match, at least make her 18-20, if she is just planning to get married to every other guy. The romance felt forced, with zero chemistry in all of the supposed couples. Haleema's character took a 360 turn and turned into a damsel in distress which doesn't make sense, but guess it was necessary so the story can proceed.

I also don't like this narrative in POC books, where MCs born and raised in the USA go back to their parent's homeland and instead of learning and respecting the traditions, tries to change everything. The author clearly made the other characters unlikeable so that Bibi could come off as some kind of hero with a “savior complex.” I agree, that there are several issues in different cultures but there certainly can be some middle ground or better way to navigate these problems.

I wrote this rant which means this book frustrated me a lot. I was hoping to find a cute rom-com instead I got the book with a desperate and spoiled teenager who thinks everyone is stupid.

4.5 stars!

This was such a fun and breezy read! It seems that no matter the mood I'm in, I'm always down to devour a YA romcom. Expect rich kid shenanigans, designer brand name drops, and mouthwatering descriptions of food. Exactly my cup of tea :)

Bibi is spoiled, yes, but she is so likeable that you can't help but root for her. She's confident, caring, and she loves hard— her familial relationships were one of my favourite parts about this book. The new friendships that Bibi made were also cute! And of course, her blooming romance with Sohel was just romcom perfection. Snarky at first, then sweet (also, obsessed with how the author described them as bratty fashionista x broody farm boy and fried chicken princess meets pretentious tea prince)! I loved the little messages they wrote to each other in Bibi's book of potential matches (The Great Big Book of Biodatas). I felt that both Bibi and Sohel were really well-written characters, as their motivations, dreams, and thoughts were realistic and understandable, so even when I disagreed with some of their actions, I could see where they were coming from.

Priyanka Taslim's writing is so gripping and the imagery in this book so vivid, which allowed me to immerse myself in the gorgeous setting of the tea garden. I also liked the discussion of the history of Bangladesh, especially with its relationship to tea, since that is a topic I know very little about. Again, I really loved the writing style, so I'll definitely check out 'The Love Match' when I can!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I cannot read this because it is not compatible with Kindle. But I am sure it's great! I love the cover and the synopsis.