Kismat Connection

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kismat connection is a sweet, charming story of self-discovery, family, embracing your culture, and accepting the love given to you in your life, even if it comes from unexpected places. while i adored the main characters (especially arjun), the shining light of this novel for me was the iyer family as a whole, whose love and acceptance knew no bounds or exceptions. although the characters in kismat connection experienced many various hardships, none of them did so alone, and throughout the story, ananya devarajan worked continuously to paint a warm, beautiful, and memorable portrait of love, family, and connection in all its forms. Arjun and Madhuri both have the same culture and customs but they handle them very different. Arjun is proud of his culture while Madhuri is ashamed of it. And this makes sense because she was bullied multiple times about it. I just thought she was really rude to her mother when it came to some aspects of her culture. I think Madhuri could have handled it better. I was happy that near the end of the book she started to become more confident and she started to embrace her culture again. I actually started to like Madhuri near the end of the book. I thought that the culture talk throughout the book was very interesting. I loved getting to know more about the Indian culture and I even found myself looking things up after reading it in the book to try to understand more about it. Madhuri Iyer is doomed. Doomed for her upcoming senior year to be a total failure, according to her astrology-obsessed mother, and doomed to a happily ever after with her first boyfriend, according to her family curse.

KISMAT is also a love letter to family. I adored the way Devarajan wrote her family relationships, especially the found-family relationship between Arjun and Auntie Iyer. Family is depicted as something you can lean on and trust, always knowing it is there if you need help. KISMAT also emphasizes that family can also be made, and is so much more than what you are born into. This message was such a comfort to read, and I really enjoyed the hug-like feeling I got every time I saw characters comfort each other, as families do. Madhuri is determined to break the prophecy of her mother's reading before time is up and when she creates an experiment of sorts with Arjun, she's sure she has the leg up here. Unfortunately for her, the universe has ways of following through with its plans even when you try your damnedest to get ahead. Arjun agrees to the experiment because he has only ever had eyes for Madhuri, and maybe this is his shot to make her see things the same as him but her determination has the power to get in between them if he's not careful. Goodreads Librarians are volunteers who help ensure the accuracy of information about books and authors in the Goodreads' catalog. The Goodreads Libra Goodreads Librarians are volunteers who help ensure the accuracy of information about books and authors in the Goodreads' catalog. The Goodreads Librarians Group is the official group for requesting additions or updates to the catalog, including: Buch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -'A warm, feel good read.' -Ali Hazelwood, New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis'A gorgeous debut.' -Christina Lauren, New York Times bestselling authors of The UnhoneymoonersIn this charming YA debut, a girl who's determined to prove her star chart wrong ropes her longtime best friend into an experimental relationship-not knowing that he has been in love with her for years.Is it possible to change your fate Madhuri Iyer is doomed. Doomed for her upcoming senior year to be a total failure, according to her astrology-obsessed mother, and doomed to a happily ever after with her first boyfriend, according to her family curse.Determined to prove the existence of her free will, Madhuri devises an experimental relationship with the one boy she knows she'll never fall for: her childhood best friend, Arjun Mehta. But Arjun's feelings for her are a variable she didn't account for.As Madhuri starts to fall for her experimental boyfriend, she'll have to decide if charting her own destiny is worth breaking Arjun's heart-and her own.And finally, KISMAT is a love letter to love. Reading Arjun and Madhuri’s journeys to each other was such a treat. I could not stop rooting for them as Devarajan explored their nuanced histories and relationships for one another. Watching them grow to be the Best Possible Person for one another was a real joy. Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from Inkyard Press through BookishFirst in exchange for a fair and honest review. This is a book I wish I read as a teenager. Growing up, I felt like the future I’d envisioned for myself wasn’t mine to take. The astrological prophecy element is fantastic (and important) Indian rep, but it serves as an amazing metaphor for just how uncontrollable life can feel like as a teen. I saw myself in Madhuri’s desperation to confirm her free will, particularly in the way no one seemed to understand that the life people envisioned for her wasn’t the life she wanted. Positive life changes are only as positive as the individual’s desire for it, so her isolation hit home HARD. And Arjun! As the daughter of a workaholic, I wish I could’ve seen representation of his dynamic with his absentee mother much sooner. All I saw on TV and in books was your typical Disney supportive family that showed up for every life moment. My parents were (and still are) supportive, but it would’ve been cathartic to see that support doesn’t look the same in every family. Parents are people too, and people are flawed. Their actions and priorities won’t always align with their children’s desires. It would’ve been a relief to know I wasn’t the only one.

the answer is everything. throughout the whole book we are only being told about what’s happening but it’s never shown. there was no development, neither in the characters nor in the plot. the fake dating lasted five seconds, i swear. madhuri and arjun are friends and arjun has feelings for madhuri that are unrequited. but, we get an insta love out of nowhere. their dialogue was so unnatural and something that no teen would say nowadays. it felt strained and i cringed the whole time. it’s obvious that the author tried a little too hard. i just couldn’t find one likeable character in this book and at that point i should’ve just given up on it completely. thank you to netgalley and inkyard press for providing me with an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. Kismat Connectionis a wonderful debut YA romance novel with Indian culture woven into the story. I absolutely adored this book, and I can’t wait to read more by Devarajan. The novel was impressive in general, but especially so because it is the author’s first book (published at age 21 I might add). I was so excited to hear that she has more projects in the works as well! In this charming YA debut, a girl who's determined to prove her star chart wrong ropes her longtime best friend into an experimental relationship-not knowing that he has been in love with her for years.In this charming YA debut, a girl who’s determined to prove her star chart wrong ropes her longtime best friend into a relationship experiment—not knowing that he has been in love with her for years.