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Better Catch Up, Krishna Kumar
Buckle up for a wild ride with this cheeky and charming rom-com where one girl’s quest across India to seal her first kiss turns into finding first love in the most unexpected places. Perfect for fans of Axie Oh, Ann Liang, and Jenny Han!
Eighteen-year-old Krishna Kumar may have gotten into her dream college, but that doesn’t mean she’s stopped being a bi disaster. Even after spending her whole summer in India flirting with her gorgeous neighbor Amrit, she has nothing to show for it. And now, her fate is sealed: she’s destined to be the only freshman who’s never been kissed.
Then her flight home is delayed right as a distinctly flirty text from Amrit lights up her phone. Krishna is determined to seize her last chance at a perfect first kiss with her summer crush, even if it means asking her cousin-turned-nemesis, Priti, for help. Because Amrit is miles away at a family wedding—and Priti’s best friend, Rudra Desai, is the only one with a car.
The unlikely trio set off on a road trip to crash a wedding and save Krishna’s summer. But as she starts to fall for the quiet but irresistibly hot and charming Rudra, who everyone knows is unrequitedly in love with Priti, Krishna’s heart better catch up to her head before she skips right past her first kiss and falls directly into her first heartbreak.
Eighteen-year-old Krishna Kumar may have gotten into her dream college, but that doesn’t mean she’s stopped being a bi disaster. Even after spending her whole summer in India flirting with her gorgeous neighbor Amrit, she has nothing to show for it. And now, her fate is sealed: she’s destined to be the only freshman who’s never been kissed.
Then her flight home is delayed right as a distinctly flirty text from Amrit lights up her phone. Krishna is determined to seize her last chance at a perfect first kiss with her summer crush, even if it means asking her cousin-turned-nemesis, Priti, for help. Because Amrit is miles away at a family wedding—and Priti’s best friend, Rudra Desai, is the only one with a car.
The unlikely trio set off on a road trip to crash a wedding and save Krishna’s summer. But as she starts to fall for the quiet but irresistibly hot and charming Rudra, who everyone knows is unrequitedly in love with Priti, Krishna’s heart better catch up to her head before she skips right past her first kiss and falls directly into her first heartbreak.
Unknown Binding
First published January 27, 2026
17 people are currently reading
7403 people want to read
About the author
Anahita Karthik
5 books135 followersAnahita Karthik (she/her) is a desi, queer, and multilingual writer of stories heavily inspired by Indian mythology, history, and culture. She has an MSt in Creative Writing from University of Cambridge and a tech degree she’ll probably never use in her life. While she writes across genres, her stories usually include road trips, a slow burn romance, and nods to Indian cinema (both explicit and thematic). 'Better Catch Up, Krishna Kumar' is her debut novel, but her first feature was in 'My Big, Fat Desi Wedding' anthology. She can be found posting excessively across platforms @ana_scribe or blogging about publishing on her website www.anahitakarthik.com. Anahita is represented by the wonderful Rebecca Podos at Neighborhood Literary.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews
September 8, 2025
Anyway, if you enjoy
♡ whirlwind summer road trips
♡ bi + bi romances
♡ sunshine x brooding
♡ sisterhood
♡ all desi + queer casts
♡ the vibes of Jab We Met, Paper Towns, The Summer I Turned Pretty, and Never Have I Ever
♡ recent book releases like Rules for Rule Breaking, Loveboat Taipei, and This Time It’s Real
♡ food eating contests
♡ the writing of authors like Ann Liang, Axie Oh, and Jenny Han
♡ thrift bookstores
♡ beachside weddings
♡ long chapter titles
♡ and a book that feels like a love letter to India
You’ll love BETTER CATCH UP, KRISHNA KUMAR 🌷
♡ whirlwind summer road trips
♡ bi + bi romances
♡ sunshine x brooding
♡ sisterhood
♡ all desi + queer casts
♡ the vibes of Jab We Met, Paper Towns, The Summer I Turned Pretty, and Never Have I Ever
♡ recent book releases like Rules for Rule Breaking, Loveboat Taipei, and This Time It’s Real
♡ food eating contests
♡ the writing of authors like Ann Liang, Axie Oh, and Jenny Han
♡ thrift bookstores
♡ beachside weddings
♡ long chapter titles
♡ and a book that feels like a love letter to India
You’ll love BETTER CATCH UP, KRISHNA KUMAR 🌷
February 4, 2026
4.25 ★ — There’s nothing better than a lighthearted YA romance to sweeten your day.
This was just adorable! Krishna was such a fun character to follow. A rule follower and academically focused young woman, she’s never really let herself cut loose. So, now that she is on the brink of her first year of college, she decides it’s finally time to do something a little reckless: kiss the guy she’s been having a fun summer fling with during her time in India. To make that happen, she ropes her cousin and her cousin’s best friend into an impromptu road trip to see him.
And, gah! Just pure cuteness!
Krishna is incredibly relatable, and I think a lot of readers will be able see themselves in her. The book does a great job exploring the dynamics between her, her cousin Priti (my fave!), who she’s been distant from for years, and Rudra, a boy who’s been in the background of her life forever but whom she’s never really thought of that way.
I am a sucker for pining MMCs, and Rudra absolutely delivers. He’s been quietly into her for a long time, always watching, always caring, but too shy and introverted to make a move.
And while the slow burn, friends-to-lovers style romance between Krishna and Rudra was incredibly sweet, I actually loved seeing Krishna’s relationship with Priti evolve the most. Priti is described by Krishna as an ice queen, and the two clash quite a bit throughout the story for reasons that slowly come into focus as the book goes on. I enjoyed watching them open up to each other and seeing their bond deepen over the course of the road trip. Reading their dynamic honestly reminded me of my own cousins and what it felt like growing up alongside them.
Queerness is also an important part of this story. Krishna is bisexual, and there are several thoughtful, meaningful conversations around identity and self-discovery throughout the book. I really appreciated how positive, supportive, and genuine these moments felt, and I finished the book with nothing but warm, gooey, heart-rushing feelings.
I’d absolutely recommend this to anyone looking for a light YA read with great family dynamics, gentle romance, and some fun road-trip vibes!
This was just adorable! Krishna was such a fun character to follow. A rule follower and academically focused young woman, she’s never really let herself cut loose. So, now that she is on the brink of her first year of college, she decides it’s finally time to do something a little reckless: kiss the guy she’s been having a fun summer fling with during her time in India. To make that happen, she ropes her cousin and her cousin’s best friend into an impromptu road trip to see him.
And, gah! Just pure cuteness!
Krishna is incredibly relatable, and I think a lot of readers will be able see themselves in her. The book does a great job exploring the dynamics between her, her cousin Priti (my fave!), who she’s been distant from for years, and Rudra, a boy who’s been in the background of her life forever but whom she’s never really thought of that way.
I am a sucker for pining MMCs, and Rudra absolutely delivers. He’s been quietly into her for a long time, always watching, always caring, but too shy and introverted to make a move.
And while the slow burn, friends-to-lovers style romance between Krishna and Rudra was incredibly sweet, I actually loved seeing Krishna’s relationship with Priti evolve the most. Priti is described by Krishna as an ice queen, and the two clash quite a bit throughout the story for reasons that slowly come into focus as the book goes on. I enjoyed watching them open up to each other and seeing their bond deepen over the course of the road trip. Reading their dynamic honestly reminded me of my own cousins and what it felt like growing up alongside them.
Queerness is also an important part of this story. Krishna is bisexual, and there are several thoughtful, meaningful conversations around identity and self-discovery throughout the book. I really appreciated how positive, supportive, and genuine these moments felt, and I finished the book with nothing but warm, gooey, heart-rushing feelings.
I’d absolutely recommend this to anyone looking for a light YA read with great family dynamics, gentle romance, and some fun road-trip vibes!
Want to read
June 28, 2025JAB WE MET & BI4BI DESI ROMANCE???? HELLO???? WHY DID NOONE TELL ME ABOUT THIS BOOK????????
January 27, 2026
Krishna had a goal for her summer in India—get out of her comfort zone, have adventures, and obtain her first kiss so that she isn't the only first-year college student in the history of the universe to have Never Been Kissed status.
The problem, part I: Summer's almost over, and she's done, well...none of this.
The solution: a last-minute road trip from Mumbai to Goa, where her summer crush is attending a wedding and just might be down to give her that first kiss.
The problem, part II: The road trip involves Krishna's cousin Priti, who is her best friend turned enemy, as well as a boy who makes her question who she's interested in after all...
This is one of those 3.5-stars-or-4-stars-and-a-caveat books for me. I absolutely love seeing a classic YA road trip book that takes place somewhere other than the US or, for that matter, other western, heavily white countries. Karthik is originally from Pune (ohh, suddenly it makes more sense why Krishna & co. detour through Pune!), so she's writing from some experience, though her story is definitely not Krishna's. Better Catch Up, Krishna Kumar shows a side of India that I haven't seen a lot of in fiction or in the media; Krishna's cousins (and friends/acquaintances in India) are contemporary and urban teenagers; they're confident and adventurous; they're not interested in being pigeonholed. Most of the people I know from India (partner included) are older than the characters in this book and/or they grew up in smaller cities, where change is—as in smaller cities everywhere—slower.
Two things I would have liked to see: first, some of the dialogue is in Indian languages (Hindi, Marathi, etc.), and though there are footnote translations I'd have loved rough pronunciation as well; I can sound out just enough Devanāgarī to absolutely butcher it, and it would have been nice to know just how far off I was. Second, more descriptions of the food—there are many mentions of different dishes and how delicious they are, but unless it was something I was already familiar with there wasn't always much to go on in terms of figuring out what was what. But that being said: on both points, I'm aware that I'm writing this as a white person from the West; this book is being published for an American market, but it would be wildly unfair/US-centric of me to expect that everything be explained in more detail than an Indian or Indian-diaspora reader would need (as, I'm sure, much of it already has been without me noticing). So I can class both of those as "if I can look it up, who am I to complain?"
The caveat: Some of the characters are so often drama-llama-ding-dongs.* I know—they are teenagers, and is both their right and a rite of passage for them to be drama-llama-ding-dongs, but that didn't stop me from cringing a bit every time Krishna or Priti (but mostly Krishna) picked another fight. They do have their moments—e.g., Priti acknowledging that at some point being rude just became habit, and it might take some time for that to even out—but I could have used a little less drama at times, and a few fewer misunderstandings. (On the plus side: Krishna is well aware that at least part of her shifting attraction is down to teenage hormones, which entertained me quite a bit.)
I'll be curious to see the response from readers who are closer to the target age range and also those who have a closer understanding of contemporary India (and, more specifically, the experience of growing up in contemporary India) than I do, but this was a fun and fast read for me. I'd like to see more along these lines.
*I know the song uses lama, but I prefer the mental image of a really dramatic camelid.
Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.
The problem, part I: Summer's almost over, and she's done, well...none of this.
The solution: a last-minute road trip from Mumbai to Goa, where her summer crush is attending a wedding and just might be down to give her that first kiss.
The problem, part II: The road trip involves Krishna's cousin Priti, who is her best friend turned enemy, as well as a boy who makes her question who she's interested in after all...
This is one of those 3.5-stars-or-4-stars-and-a-caveat books for me. I absolutely love seeing a classic YA road trip book that takes place somewhere other than the US or, for that matter, other western, heavily white countries. Karthik is originally from Pune (ohh, suddenly it makes more sense why Krishna & co. detour through Pune!), so she's writing from some experience, though her story is definitely not Krishna's. Better Catch Up, Krishna Kumar shows a side of India that I haven't seen a lot of in fiction or in the media; Krishna's cousins (and friends/acquaintances in India) are contemporary and urban teenagers; they're confident and adventurous; they're not interested in being pigeonholed. Most of the people I know from India (partner included) are older than the characters in this book and/or they grew up in smaller cities, where change is—as in smaller cities everywhere—slower.
Two things I would have liked to see: first, some of the dialogue is in Indian languages (Hindi, Marathi, etc.), and though there are footnote translations I'd have loved rough pronunciation as well; I can sound out just enough Devanāgarī to absolutely butcher it, and it would have been nice to know just how far off I was. Second, more descriptions of the food—there are many mentions of different dishes and how delicious they are, but unless it was something I was already familiar with there wasn't always much to go on in terms of figuring out what was what. But that being said: on both points, I'm aware that I'm writing this as a white person from the West; this book is being published for an American market, but it would be wildly unfair/US-centric of me to expect that everything be explained in more detail than an Indian or Indian-diaspora reader would need (as, I'm sure, much of it already has been without me noticing). So I can class both of those as "if I can look it up, who am I to complain?"
The caveat: Some of the characters are so often drama-llama-ding-dongs.* I know—they are teenagers, and is both their right and a rite of passage for them to be drama-llama-ding-dongs, but that didn't stop me from cringing a bit every time Krishna or Priti (but mostly Krishna) picked another fight. They do have their moments—e.g., Priti acknowledging that at some point being rude just became habit, and it might take some time for that to even out—but I could have used a little less drama at times, and a few fewer misunderstandings. (On the plus side: Krishna is well aware that at least part of her shifting attraction is down to teenage hormones, which entertained me quite a bit.)
I'll be curious to see the response from readers who are closer to the target age range and also those who have a closer understanding of contemporary India (and, more specifically, the experience of growing up in contemporary India) than I do, but this was a fun and fast read for me. I'd like to see more along these lines.
*I know the song uses lama, but I prefer the mental image of a really dramatic camelid.
Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.
September 22, 2025
Once I saw the author advertising this as a bi4bi romance with a road trip, I knew I was going to be reading it even though I wasn't familiar with any of the comp titles. I was not disappointed.
The prose and it's ability to suck you into the street and nightlife of Mumbai/India was one of the parts of this I loved the most.The depiction and descriptions of the sounds,tastes,smells of the city were so palpable that I almost felt like I was experiencing it myself. I'm always vocal about my disdain for authors of color being forced to over-explain parts of their culture in order to make it more palatable for Western audiences so I can't express how happy I am that it was only done sparingly here. I was looking up the foods and drinks and places mentioned in the book and I feel that elevated my reading experience even more. I also appreciated that while the author was committed to showing the beautiful culture, food and traditions, that she did not shy away from portraying the misogyny, abuse and control that goes on in the city and among families even if it was pretty subtle in its portrayal.
The premise of the story was so unrealistic, dramatic and whimsical, it reminded me of a lot of shows from my childhood and the nostalgia was VERY welcome. Much more than just a romance, the book also focuses on the relationship between Krishna and her cousin, Priti. The way the book showed them going from tense, often hurtful to each other, former friends to fixing their relationship enough to be tentative friends with room for growth was so compelling to me especially because a lot of their issues were so real.
The romance itself wasn't short of cute and swoon worthy. I liked both Krishna and Rudra as individual characters and as a couple. Their dynamic was snarky, and silly but also serious at needed times. I was nodding along every time Krishna pointed out that Rudra was scarily emotionally mature for his age lol. The feeling of finding someone who understands and even relates to major parts of your identity is unmatched and I loved reading them realize this ugh.
The ending though is why I can't rate this five stars.I absolutely despise the miscommunication trope and it wasn't just used once or twice in this book,nope!There was literally a set up for it three, THREE, times in the last 10-15%!!
Overall 'Better Catch Up Krishna Kumar' was a beautiful book that captures the beauty and silliness of teen romance, the fear of growing up and having to decide your future, the difficulty of mending broken relationships and the feeling of being a diaspora kid. I can't wait to read it again.
Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Teen for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review!
The prose and it's ability to suck you into the street and nightlife of Mumbai/India was one of the parts of this I loved the most.The depiction and descriptions of the sounds,tastes,smells of the city were so palpable that I almost felt like I was experiencing it myself. I'm always vocal about my disdain for authors of color being forced to over-explain parts of their culture in order to make it more palatable for Western audiences so I can't express how happy I am that it was only done sparingly here. I was looking up the foods and drinks and places mentioned in the book and I feel that elevated my reading experience even more. I also appreciated that while the author was committed to showing the beautiful culture, food and traditions, that she did not shy away from portraying the misogyny, abuse and control that goes on in the city and among families even if it was pretty subtle in its portrayal.
The premise of the story was so unrealistic, dramatic and whimsical, it reminded me of a lot of shows from my childhood and the nostalgia was VERY welcome. Much more than just a romance, the book also focuses on the relationship between Krishna and her cousin, Priti. The way the book showed them going from tense, often hurtful to each other, former friends to fixing their relationship enough to be tentative friends with room for growth was so compelling to me especially because a lot of their issues were so real.
The romance itself wasn't short of cute and swoon worthy. I liked both Krishna and Rudra as individual characters and as a couple. Their dynamic was snarky, and silly but also serious at needed times. I was nodding along every time Krishna pointed out that Rudra was scarily emotionally mature for his age lol. The feeling of finding someone who understands and even relates to major parts of your identity is unmatched and I loved reading them realize this ugh.
The ending though is why I can't rate this five stars.I absolutely despise the miscommunication trope and it wasn't just used once or twice in this book,nope!There was literally a set up for it three, THREE, times in the last 10-15%!!
Overall 'Better Catch Up Krishna Kumar' was a beautiful book that captures the beauty and silliness of teen romance, the fear of growing up and having to decide your future, the difficulty of mending broken relationships and the feeling of being a diaspora kid. I can't wait to read it again.
Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Teen for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review!
September 17, 2023
Updating my review as I've finished the book, and I'm so confident in saying this is one of the best coming of age stories I've read and my new favorite romcom! Every page is AMAZING. The characters push the plot forward at an incredible speed and I just couldn't put it down. What I think is truly unique about this roadtrip romcom is the dynamics and the kind of love Anahita portrays; not just romantic, but familial. Krishna and her sharp-with-a-sweet-interior cousin Priti had my heart from the beginning. Their growth from strained family members to sisters is the warmest, realest depiction of girlhood, and created the perfect backdrop for their individual arcs and romances.
Anahita knows how to expertly intertwine immersive world building, rich and realistically flawed characters, and a plot that pushes you forward with the romantic tension and drama growing stronger with every page. This book is so easy to fall in love with, and the romance (love triangle!) will have you on the edge of your seat wondering who the endearing protagonist, Krishna, will end up with. Anahita has already mastered the romcom genre <3
Anahita knows how to expertly intertwine immersive world building, rich and realistically flawed characters, and a plot that pushes you forward with the romantic tension and drama growing stronger with every page. This book is so easy to fall in love with, and the romance (love triangle!) will have you on the edge of your seat wondering who the endearing protagonist, Krishna, will end up with. Anahita has already mastered the romcom genre <3
December 10, 2025
When everyone said Better Catch Up, Krishna Kumar is a love letter to India they meant it🙂↕️.
Better Catch Up, Krishna Kumar follows Krishna, desi bisexual teen, who goes off on a road trip with her cousin Priti and Priti’s friend Rudra to claim her summertime crush— while trying to avoid falling for someone else (Rudra🤭).
This book was laced with nostalgia for me, all the little details like pugata, ishqbaaz, uncountable servings of chai, bollywood references made me smile and remember when I was a carefree kid free of anxiety. I related to Krishna a lot at times because I also feel like I’m missing out on the regular life experiences at times even though I’m pretty happy with how I lead my life. Also the urge I have to go on a road trip with my cousins after I finished this book???!! INSANE.
The relationships were one of the best parts of the book. Priti and Rudra’s beautiful friendship, Krishna and Rudra’s relationship and the slow but steady progress in Priti and Krishna relationship were all well written. Anahita was uncovering layers to each of them one by one and resolving them in the most beautiful manner.
Krishna and Rudra my bisexual couple!!?? I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THEM. It was incredibly entertaining to see them flirt and do random things together. I also liked their range to be cute at times and hot at times.I am down bad for this book and I will be coming back to it whenever I feel low.
If you like road trips, TSITP, Jab We Met, Ann Liang and long chapter titles, you will love Better Catch Up, Krishna Kumar.
Better Catch Up, Krishna Kumar follows Krishna, desi bisexual teen, who goes off on a road trip with her cousin Priti and Priti’s friend Rudra to claim her summertime crush— while trying to avoid falling for someone else (Rudra🤭).
This book was laced with nostalgia for me, all the little details like pugata, ishqbaaz, uncountable servings of chai, bollywood references made me smile and remember when I was a carefree kid free of anxiety. I related to Krishna a lot at times because I also feel like I’m missing out on the regular life experiences at times even though I’m pretty happy with how I lead my life. Also the urge I have to go on a road trip with my cousins after I finished this book???!! INSANE.
The relationships were one of the best parts of the book. Priti and Rudra’s beautiful friendship, Krishna and Rudra’s relationship and the slow but steady progress in Priti and Krishna relationship were all well written. Anahita was uncovering layers to each of them one by one and resolving them in the most beautiful manner.
Krishna and Rudra my bisexual couple!!?? I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THEM. It was incredibly entertaining to see them flirt and do random things together. I also liked their range to be cute at times and hot at times.I am down bad for this book and I will be coming back to it whenever I feel low.
If you like road trips, TSITP, Jab We Met, Ann Liang and long chapter titles, you will love Better Catch Up, Krishna Kumar.
September 8, 2025
i ate it upppppp
Want to read
May 4, 2023I don't need an actual cover cause this one's ✨GOLD✨
February 15, 2026
《 4.75 stars 》this book is every desi hopeless romantic's drug of choice. a love letter to india, bollywood, being queer and the filmy cheesy rom-coms we all love and adore. and the characters? i love love love them soo much!! the banter, the sibling fights, the food, the views ahhh it makes me want to go on a road trip myself (≧∇≦)ﾉ i 100% recommend this book, especially if you loved never thought i'd end up here, jab we met or rules for rule breaking.
first off thank you soo much to miss anahita for sending me an eARC as part of her street team. this does not affect my thoughts about the book in any way. out now!
krishna was soo very relatable and yet so very different from me in many aspects. she shines as a character with her unabashed love for her family and friends. i could deeply relate to her feeling of not having experienced enough of life. stuck between school and home, when do we get to have the bollywood-esque scenes in our life? the book also explores relationships of so many kinds, especially the one between cousins and now i wish i had cousins who were similar in age as me, why can't i have that as well universe :((
priti was a character i couldn't understand at first, but then she slowly started making sense to me and ahh this goth girl is everything!! her relationship with krishna was a rocky one, but getting to watch them understand each other was everything <333 and even her relationship with rudra!! oh these two are the best duo in my opinion 🙂↕️
and then the grumpy to krishna's sunshine, rudra ^^ he was every bit of a mystery at the beginning, and as we slowly got to see more of him, i started to like him soo much,,, he is every bit the fictional man written by a woman *sigh* the firefly scene and the one in goa omg omg (⁄ ⁄•⁄-⁄•⁄ ⁄)
this novel is every bit fueled by the desi dramatics and love for misunderstandings and noble sacrifice. but fear not it gets fixed in less than one chapter lol. modern solutions for traditional problems 🙂↕️😂
the writing reminded me of modern tv shows, filled with loads of fun, humor and life in india. it also kept me very much in krishna's head, so if she didnt notice something i wouldn't know of it. and the chapter titles? ahhh they were perfection!! i looked forward to each unhinged title soo very much ahaha lol.
ALSO THE MS. SUJIN CAMEO!!! ahhh it was soo freaking awesome to read it <33
꩜ .ᐟ a bi4bi road trip rom-com across india to kiss her first crush, but is she falling for someone else all together?
first off thank you soo much to miss anahita for sending me an eARC as part of her street team. this does not affect my thoughts about the book in any way. out now!
krishna was soo very relatable and yet so very different from me in many aspects. she shines as a character with her unabashed love for her family and friends. i could deeply relate to her feeling of not having experienced enough of life. stuck between school and home, when do we get to have the bollywood-esque scenes in our life? the book also explores relationships of so many kinds, especially the one between cousins and now i wish i had cousins who were similar in age as me, why can't i have that as well universe :((
priti was a character i couldn't understand at first, but then she slowly started making sense to me and ahh this goth girl is everything!! her relationship with krishna was a rocky one, but getting to watch them understand each other was everything <333 and even her relationship with rudra!! oh these two are the best duo in my opinion 🙂↕️
and then the grumpy to krishna's sunshine, rudra ^^ he was every bit of a mystery at the beginning, and as we slowly got to see more of him, i started to like him soo much,,, he is every bit the fictional man written by a woman *sigh* the firefly scene and the one in goa omg omg (⁄ ⁄•⁄-⁄•⁄ ⁄)
this novel is every bit fueled by the desi dramatics and love for misunderstandings and noble sacrifice. but fear not it gets fixed in less than one chapter lol. modern solutions for traditional problems 🙂↕️😂
the writing reminded me of modern tv shows, filled with loads of fun, humor and life in india. it also kept me very much in krishna's head, so if she didnt notice something i wouldn't know of it. and the chapter titles? ahhh they were perfection!! i looked forward to each unhinged title soo very much ahaha lol.
ALSO THE MS. SUJIN CAMEO!!! ahhh it was soo freaking awesome to read it <33
꩜ .ᐟ a bi4bi road trip rom-com across india to kiss her first crush, but is she falling for someone else all together?
February 4, 2026
i really Really wanted (and tried) to love this because it sounded like so much fun but i just can’t i’m sorry. it had so many scenes that i could tell were trying to be swoonworthy but came off as SO corny and forced instead because the timeline of this was just insane. i get that krishna and rudra knew each other beforehand but in what world are you going to fall 100% in love with a guy you’ve spent like half a week with and had zero interest in before when you’ve been crushing on a different guy for the entire summer?? i thought there would be more of a slow realization thing going on but no it was basically insta attraction from the beginning of the trip which wasn’t helped by the fact that this whole book took place over the span of FIVE DAYS. also a lot of the slang and humor was already sounding dated which only made krishna come off as even more immature. like girl maybe none of the insane amount of miscommunication in the last part of this book would’ve happened if you just locked in and had some honest conversations instead of getting constantly distracted by how hot rudra is and how much you like him. anyway sorry for all the negativity, i did think the ending was cute and i liked krishna and priti’s relationship a lot
January 12, 2026
4.5/5 stars
i love it when the guy has been yearning for so long, you can see it pouring through his pores subtly in every interaction.
(minus 0.5 stars bc priti deserves to get an ass whooping for saying all that NASTY shit about krishna instead of immediately being forgiven)
i love it when the guy has been yearning for so long, you can see it pouring through his pores subtly in every interaction.
(minus 0.5 stars bc priti deserves to get an ass whooping for saying all that NASTY shit about krishna instead of immediately being forgiven)
January 13, 2026
I really wish YA like this had existed when I was a kid. Good representation really matters. Unlike what conservatives think, it doesn't expose kids to new ideas, it just helps them see themselves in a fictional character when previously they might have felt alone. This is that kind of book. It was very cute and even though the main pairing is M/F, it was incredibly queer in the best of ways.
In fact the author's writing style and banter between the characters reminded me of Becky Albertalli's books, so if you love her you'll probably love this.
Krishna has always felt out of place as an Indian American kid returning home to India to see her extended family in the summers. Even more so after she had a rift with her cool goth cousin, Priti. I would love to see more Indian goths, as an aside. The two drifted apart after Krishna's family emigrated. The evolution and maturation of their friendship was one of the best parts of this book.
Krishna is bi, but only out to a few people, and your typical disaster bi who has her heart so set on becoming a doctor that she put her personal life on the back burner. But her plan to kiss her summer crush, Amrit, is spoiled when she vomits on him at her goodbye party. Staying a few extra days past her original departure plans, she hatches a wild plan to go to the wedding in Goa where he's a guest and finally get her first ever kiss. She enlists her cousin Priti to help, hoping to mend their relationship, and Priti's best friend, Rudra, who drives them.
Rudra is a brooding, quiet guitar player with long locks and the complete opposite of Krishna's usual outgoing, sunshine person, but she finds unexpected feelings growing as all three bond over travel adventures.
I loved how they were both bi and found common ground over those experiences, and moments like that that deepened their emotional bond beyond just a crush. Despite the road trip being only a few days, I totally bought their feelings for each other and how Rudra fell first years ago. He falls first is a favorite trope of mine. I also enjoyed learning about Krishna's struggles with the diaspora experience and figuring out where she really belongs. Lots of layers of identity here.
But keeping it from five stars are some very silly and childish misunderstandings that were true to Krishna's headstrong character, and they are teenagers, but I do expect them to grow and change eventually. I found these misunderstandings to be incredibly annoying, painfully obvious to anyone else, and the main source of conflict in the plot.
Overshadowing that though was just how vivid and colorful the road trip was. I felt like I was traveling through India with them, tasting the food, and I wanted to be part of their loud and loving families. I could understand why Priti was so protective of Rudra because for him it wasn't just a summer fling. But I felt Krishna did evolve as a character and figure out what she wanted. She wasn't just a disaster bi flinging herself from one chaos to another without thought to others. I found her to be caring, creative and deeper than she first seems.
Overall I really enjoyed this fun road trip romance and I need more bi4bi romances in my life.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
In fact the author's writing style and banter between the characters reminded me of Becky Albertalli's books, so if you love her you'll probably love this.
Krishna has always felt out of place as an Indian American kid returning home to India to see her extended family in the summers. Even more so after she had a rift with her cool goth cousin, Priti. I would love to see more Indian goths, as an aside. The two drifted apart after Krishna's family emigrated. The evolution and maturation of their friendship was one of the best parts of this book.
Krishna is bi, but only out to a few people, and your typical disaster bi who has her heart so set on becoming a doctor that she put her personal life on the back burner. But her plan to kiss her summer crush, Amrit, is spoiled when she vomits on him at her goodbye party. Staying a few extra days past her original departure plans, she hatches a wild plan to go to the wedding in Goa where he's a guest and finally get her first ever kiss. She enlists her cousin Priti to help, hoping to mend their relationship, and Priti's best friend, Rudra, who drives them.
Rudra is a brooding, quiet guitar player with long locks and the complete opposite of Krishna's usual outgoing, sunshine person, but she finds unexpected feelings growing as all three bond over travel adventures.
I loved how they were both bi and found common ground over those experiences, and moments like that that deepened their emotional bond beyond just a crush. Despite the road trip being only a few days, I totally bought their feelings for each other and how Rudra fell first years ago. He falls first is a favorite trope of mine. I also enjoyed learning about Krishna's struggles with the diaspora experience and figuring out where she really belongs. Lots of layers of identity here.
But keeping it from five stars are some very silly and childish misunderstandings that were true to Krishna's headstrong character, and they are teenagers, but I do expect them to grow and change eventually. I found these misunderstandings to be incredibly annoying, painfully obvious to anyone else, and the main source of conflict in the plot.
Overshadowing that though was just how vivid and colorful the road trip was. I felt like I was traveling through India with them, tasting the food, and I wanted to be part of their loud and loving families. I could understand why Priti was so protective of Rudra because for him it wasn't just a summer fling. But I felt Krishna did evolve as a character and figure out what she wanted. She wasn't just a disaster bi flinging herself from one chaos to another without thought to others. I found her to be caring, creative and deeper than she first seems.
Overall I really enjoyed this fun road trip romance and I need more bi4bi romances in my life.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
February 19, 2026
this was really fricken cute!
okay first of all… third time i started a bi m/f book and thought it was going to be sapphic… what can i say, i manifest and i don’t read descriptions. but anyways this was the first time i actually rlly enjoyed the main pairing despite that initial disappointment! both mcs are bi and it felt integrated into their characters. there’s also a pretty main lesbian side character who was awesome. there’s a super side ace character who… falls into the new and meh stereotype of ace bff who’s super supportive and flat. but whatever, overall loved the rep!
i really enjoyed the india aspects as well. i wanna say all of my indian queer books have been very indian american but this distinctly wasn’t (the mc lives in america but was born and raised in india… i really liked the complications of identity with that). i also just loved seeing and experiencing india through krishna’s eyes, i didn’t really recognize anywhere they went and it was all so magical and interesting and rich. semi reminded me of the book ami recc’d me this summer that i absolutely cannot remember the title of rn. but anyways, the road trip stuff was so fun and so packed with adventures and sweet moments.
very fun dynamic between the mc and her love interest, decently sexy for ya (tbh this was more new adult) but i esp loved the mc and her cousin!!!! they had the official 3rd act “breakup” which i adoreeee being used in non romantic plotlines and i really liked their conflict and the resolution of it.
sometimes the mc was a little silly and young, but overall i really liked her. the chapter titles were kinda a lot but generally fun. overall, a fun and unique read! excited to see more from this author!
ALSO ALMOST FORGOT: i loved how they did translations in this book!!! i read the ebook so idk how physical or audio does it, but i get so annoyed when books use other languages and then put the translated word right next to it or put the other language in italics. for this ebook, it had hindi (and another language) in the text with little footnotes that translated it. and i thought that was so perfect. like if you know it, you don’t have to look at the footnote. and it doesn’t break the text/narrative voice with the assumption that you’re an outsider looking into this world. but it does give you the option to translate.
i also loved how much and when they used hindi. like sometimes it would be phrases (which didn’t translate super well but i appreciate that they put them in) and sometimes it would be a whole convo. very situational and organic feeling imo!
okay first of all… third time i started a bi m/f book and thought it was going to be sapphic… what can i say, i manifest and i don’t read descriptions. but anyways this was the first time i actually rlly enjoyed the main pairing despite that initial disappointment! both mcs are bi and it felt integrated into their characters. there’s also a pretty main lesbian side character who was awesome. there’s a super side ace character who… falls into the new and meh stereotype of ace bff who’s super supportive and flat. but whatever, overall loved the rep!
i really enjoyed the india aspects as well. i wanna say all of my indian queer books have been very indian american but this distinctly wasn’t (the mc lives in america but was born and raised in india… i really liked the complications of identity with that). i also just loved seeing and experiencing india through krishna’s eyes, i didn’t really recognize anywhere they went and it was all so magical and interesting and rich. semi reminded me of the book ami recc’d me this summer that i absolutely cannot remember the title of rn. but anyways, the road trip stuff was so fun and so packed with adventures and sweet moments.
very fun dynamic between the mc and her love interest, decently sexy for ya (tbh this was more new adult) but i esp loved the mc and her cousin!!!! they had the official 3rd act “breakup” which i adoreeee being used in non romantic plotlines and i really liked their conflict and the resolution of it.
sometimes the mc was a little silly and young, but overall i really liked her. the chapter titles were kinda a lot but generally fun. overall, a fun and unique read! excited to see more from this author!
ALSO ALMOST FORGOT: i loved how they did translations in this book!!! i read the ebook so idk how physical or audio does it, but i get so annoyed when books use other languages and then put the translated word right next to it or put the other language in italics. for this ebook, it had hindi (and another language) in the text with little footnotes that translated it. and i thought that was so perfect. like if you know it, you don’t have to look at the footnote. and it doesn’t break the text/narrative voice with the assumption that you’re an outsider looking into this world. but it does give you the option to translate.
i also loved how much and when they used hindi. like sometimes it would be phrases (which didn’t translate super well but i appreciate that they put them in) and sometimes it would be a whole convo. very situational and organic feeling imo!
February 1, 2026
Another South Asian romance set in India! I appreciated how much this book normalized little aspects about life in India. There were a lot of "iykyk" moments dispersed throughout the book for other Indian diaspora readers that I related to. This book reminded me a lot of the trips to India I would take to see my grandparents, aunts & uncles, and cousins, and the moments I spend with my friends who are born and raised in India. I also loved the queer found family themes in this book as well. I've never personally got to connect with the queer community in India, so this felt like a nice glimpse into what the community is like. The Indian accents in the audiobook also felt accurate and not mocking.
These themes aside, I think the main romance in this book could have used more development in the first half. The MMC supposedly has had feelings for the FMC since they were kids, but I didn't get that vibe at all with the pacing of the romance and the portrayal of the MMC. This made the romance feel very slow in the first half and then shoot from 0 to 100 really quick in the second half. The second half was very sweet (and kinda steamy!) though.
These themes aside, I think the main romance in this book could have used more development in the first half. The MMC supposedly has had feelings for the FMC since they were kids, but I didn't get that vibe at all with the pacing of the romance and the portrayal of the MMC. This made the romance feel very slow in the first half and then shoot from 0 to 100 really quick in the second half. The second half was very sweet (and kinda steamy!) though.
October 28, 2025
I've thought long and hard if i should be rating this because it's ofc made for a primarily younger audience and realised I can because I've enjoyed plenty of YA books in my life even recently!
BCUKK is on paper a perfect YA romcom that was flawless. a desi setting and desi characters, on a road trip, and wholesome friendships, relationships and conflicts! and it starts out that way too! excellent with very good establishment of romance and relationship dynamics of these characters.
so here's why I dnfed and why it didn't work for me. the major reason being how DESPERATELY this book tries to cram every single indian pop culture knowledge into it. I was SICK of it. it doesn't even feel authentic with the way it's overtstacked. I'm here for a story, not a checklist on how good the character is at knowing every indian thing as a desperate attempt for a stamp of approval. frankly, this really feels like a white author very knowledgeable in indian culture writing it than a desi author writing desi things.
i mean man, they literally cram everything from DDLJ to the eye roll inducing "gujjus are business people" stereotype and there's literally a mention of maratha mandir—a theatre which showcases the classic DDLJ. like we get it. but there's a way to incorporate them naturally as a part of the character life and this is not it unfortunately.
i believe the drawback stems from the authors inability to write it better and since it's just a debut I'm expecting better in the future from the author, because I believe she has very nice prose and just needs a better and tighter focus on characters, their actions and the general exposition aspect of the novel with better grip on romance if she intends to make it work better in future!
special mention to priti 🩷🩷 that's my baby!!!
BCUKK is on paper a perfect YA romcom that was flawless. a desi setting and desi characters, on a road trip, and wholesome friendships, relationships and conflicts! and it starts out that way too! excellent with very good establishment of romance and relationship dynamics of these characters.
so here's why I dnfed and why it didn't work for me. the major reason being how DESPERATELY this book tries to cram every single indian pop culture knowledge into it. I was SICK of it. it doesn't even feel authentic with the way it's overtstacked. I'm here for a story, not a checklist on how good the character is at knowing every indian thing as a desperate attempt for a stamp of approval. frankly, this really feels like a white author very knowledgeable in indian culture writing it than a desi author writing desi things.
i mean man, they literally cram everything from DDLJ to the eye roll inducing "gujjus are business people" stereotype and there's literally a mention of maratha mandir—a theatre which showcases the classic DDLJ. like we get it. but there's a way to incorporate them naturally as a part of the character life and this is not it unfortunately.
i believe the drawback stems from the authors inability to write it better and since it's just a debut I'm expecting better in the future from the author, because I believe she has very nice prose and just needs a better and tighter focus on characters, their actions and the general exposition aspect of the novel with better grip on romance if she intends to make it work better in future!
special mention to priti 🩷🩷 that's my baby!!!
November 6, 2025
Talented. Brilliant. Incredible. Amazing. Showstopping. Spectcular. Never the same. Totally Unique. Completely not ever been done before.
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Review of advance copy received from Author
4.85/5 stars
this was soo funnnn
this was soo funnnn
Read
December 6, 2025Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy
Better Catch Up, Krishna Kumar by Anahita Karthik is a first person-POV YA romantic comedy set during a road trip across India. Krishna has been crushing on her friend Amrit for the whole summer and misses her chance to finally kiss her. When he sends her a text from his cousin's wedding that he likes her, she enlists her estranged cousin Priti and Priti’s best friend Rudra to help her get to the wedding and maybe start something with Amrit. But the more time Krishna spends with Rudra, the more conflicted her feelings are.
Krishna and Rudra are a Bi4Bi couple who are not out to most people but are at peace with themselves. As a Bi who got zero representation when I was a teen, I'm so happy that teens today are getting books like this. While the Queer awakening story and the fear of being rejected for being Queer are important things to show and tell, it is also important to show us after that stage and having full, romantic lives that don't have to circle the question of whether or not we think someone we care about will love us or discard us.
One thing I thought was really cool was how Hindi, Gujarati, and Marathi are written out with their original writing system and then there are footnotes for readers who are unfamiliar with these languages. I'm always here for authors showing a variety of ways to include languages other than English while creating a natural flow for the target audience.
Rudra and Krishna’s romance is not really a slowburn as Krishna is aware that she is attracted to Rudra about halfway through and their relationship keeps progressing from there with both of them fully aware of Krishna’s original goal of kissing Amrit and their mutual feelings. There is tension between them as a result and it keeps building all the way to the end, which is how a romance novel should be.
I would recommend this to fans of romcoms looking for a YA and readers of romance that deal with platonic as well as romantic love
Better Catch Up, Krishna Kumar by Anahita Karthik is a first person-POV YA romantic comedy set during a road trip across India. Krishna has been crushing on her friend Amrit for the whole summer and misses her chance to finally kiss her. When he sends her a text from his cousin's wedding that he likes her, she enlists her estranged cousin Priti and Priti’s best friend Rudra to help her get to the wedding and maybe start something with Amrit. But the more time Krishna spends with Rudra, the more conflicted her feelings are.
Krishna and Rudra are a Bi4Bi couple who are not out to most people but are at peace with themselves. As a Bi who got zero representation when I was a teen, I'm so happy that teens today are getting books like this. While the Queer awakening story and the fear of being rejected for being Queer are important things to show and tell, it is also important to show us after that stage and having full, romantic lives that don't have to circle the question of whether or not we think someone we care about will love us or discard us.
One thing I thought was really cool was how Hindi, Gujarati, and Marathi are written out with their original writing system and then there are footnotes for readers who are unfamiliar with these languages. I'm always here for authors showing a variety of ways to include languages other than English while creating a natural flow for the target audience.
Rudra and Krishna’s romance is not really a slowburn as Krishna is aware that she is attracted to Rudra about halfway through and their relationship keeps progressing from there with both of them fully aware of Krishna’s original goal of kissing Amrit and their mutual feelings. There is tension between them as a result and it keeps building all the way to the end, which is how a romance novel should be.
I would recommend this to fans of romcoms looking for a YA and readers of romance that deal with platonic as well as romantic love
October 2, 2025
Words simply cannot describe how much I adored this sweet, laugh-out-loud hilarious young adult romance novel from Anahita Karthik. And of course, this is me exaggerating for dramatic effect because Better Catch Up, Krishna Kumar actually MOVED me to words, so much so that I am thrilled and honored to contribute a blurb for it!
“Better Catch Up, Krishna Kumar is a sparkling, heartfelt rom-com that swept me off my feet from the very first page. Anahita Karthik spins a vivid, shimmering tale of self-discovery as Krishna navigates tangled family ties, intoxicating first crushes, and the exhilarating freedom of the open road. This book is Bollywood glam meets coming-of-age heart, and I have no doubt that readers will fall head-over-heels for Krishna's story just as I did.” - Ananya Devarajan, author of Kismat Connection and Sanskari Sweetheart
“Better Catch Up, Krishna Kumar is a sparkling, heartfelt rom-com that swept me off my feet from the very first page. Anahita Karthik spins a vivid, shimmering tale of self-discovery as Krishna navigates tangled family ties, intoxicating first crushes, and the exhilarating freedom of the open road. This book is Bollywood glam meets coming-of-age heart, and I have no doubt that readers will fall head-over-heels for Krishna's story just as I did.” - Ananya Devarajan, author of Kismat Connection and Sanskari Sweetheart
Want to read
February 8, 2025i am so unbelievably excited to read this book as soon as it's released i'm going to sell my soul to have it become part of my very existence. i am hooked by the cover even if it won't be the actual one the art gives me so much nostalgia and the description hooked me the moment i read it EVERYTHING IS SO BEAUTIFUL "a love letter to India" i LOVE THIS ALREADY OH MY GODDD desi bi4bi my heart my soul my everything is for this book i'm so excited
September 7, 2025
I received the ARC from Edelweiss!
Now, I will get straight to the point, which is how hard I have to will myself to put down this book and focus on my day job, because this YA romcom is addictive!!
What is expected (and delivered):
Our titular MC, Krishna, is a whirlwind of a girl. She is the kind of character you warm up to very quickly, clownish in a charming way, also somehow remains endearing and empathized despite her flaws and mistakes.
The book centers around Krishna's relationship with her ex-bff-turned-nemesis + cousin Priti and Priti's new bff Rudra—who quickly becomes my third favorite character (I know there are three people in the main cast but *no one* comes before Krish and Priti alright?). Together, these three and their spontaneous road trip made me laugh aloud unceremoniously more times than I could count. The chemistry between Krish and Rudra are off the roof. Their flirty banters, top tier. Krish's tumultuous relationship with Priti is a roller coaster ride. I went into this book expecting romcom and was blown away by how well-done the "com" part is. It has been a day since I finished the book, but I still recall some quotes from time to time and chuckle out of the blue. It's safe to say that BCUKK is now the funniest book I read this year.
And of course, one of the best things about YA is the coming of age element. I don't want to give too much away but let's just say the book does not disappoint. I walked away with my heart warmed and satisfied.
The Unexpected:
Another thing that really struck a chord with me is how much heart and thought have been put into the places. I was taken to Mumbai, to Pune, to Goa, to homes and beaches, to food places and feasts, to highways and camping trails, to parties and song games. I saw India through the eyes of someone who loves her dearly, and no word can describe how beautiful that is.
Now, I will get straight to the point, which is how hard I have to will myself to put down this book and focus on my day job, because this YA romcom is addictive!!
What is expected (and delivered):
Our titular MC, Krishna, is a whirlwind of a girl. She is the kind of character you warm up to very quickly, clownish in a charming way, also somehow remains endearing and empathized despite her flaws and mistakes.
The book centers around Krishna's relationship with her ex-bff-turned-nemesis + cousin Priti and Priti's new bff Rudra—who quickly becomes my third favorite character (I know there are three people in the main cast but *no one* comes before Krish and Priti alright?). Together, these three and their spontaneous road trip made me laugh aloud unceremoniously more times than I could count. The chemistry between Krish and Rudra are off the roof. Their flirty banters, top tier. Krish's tumultuous relationship with Priti is a roller coaster ride. I went into this book expecting romcom and was blown away by how well-done the "com" part is. It has been a day since I finished the book, but I still recall some quotes from time to time and chuckle out of the blue. It's safe to say that BCUKK is now the funniest book I read this year.
And of course, one of the best things about YA is the coming of age element. I don't want to give too much away but let's just say the book does not disappoint. I walked away with my heart warmed and satisfied.
The Unexpected:
Another thing that really struck a chord with me is how much heart and thought have been put into the places. I was taken to Mumbai, to Pune, to Goa, to homes and beaches, to food places and feasts, to highways and camping trails, to parties and song games. I saw India through the eyes of someone who loves her dearly, and no word can describe how beautiful that is.
August 22, 2025
A chaotic, joyful bi4bi road trip romance that had my cheeks hurting from smiling. Such a fun celebration of desi love with gorgeous descriptions of places and food and so many laugh-out-loud moments.
Want to read
June 21, 2025Bi4bi romance with desi leads? What more could I ask for? I'M SOLD
November 8, 2025
Okay so I am fully ready to admit that I might have a bias for this book because I feel like I’ve been seeing it on my twitter feed since I joined twitter. Regardless! I’ve been waiting for this book for a minute and usually when I’ve been anticipating a read for this long, because I pin my hopes too high, I usually end up disappointed in some way.
Better Catch Up, Krishna Kumar is everything I’ve been wanting and more! AND MORE. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!
I’ve been on a huge RomCom kick this year and I’ve been reading and watching far and why. Something I recently learned is that something I really love in a RomCom is when the love story extends past the relationship between the mcs. BCUKK does that AND MORE. I cannot repeat that this story is so much more than a love story occurring on a road trip through India, which lets take a second to applaud Anahita Karthik’s talent for inviting the reader into the story. I’ve never stepped foot in India and most of my understanding of India comes from Bollywood Action movies, yet I feel like I knew exactly where I was right alongside Krishna because Karthik does such a fabulous job at inviting the reader along with gorgeous sensory details. Seriously, I was in love and now I want to go do the Prabalmachi trek even though I, like Krishna, am not exactly built for such things.
Anyway, the book. It’s amazing. Krishna’s voice punches you in the teeth on page one and it’s a wild, perfect ride from there. She’s such a wonderfully relatable main character both in her motivations and her struggles. I knew this was a bi4bi romance but what I didn’t know is that this book would also be a familial love story between Krishna and her cousin, Priti– which may I just say, I guessed Priti was a lesbian 15% into the book and I was so pleased when I discovered I was right.
The dynamics between all the characters are just so down to Earth from Krishna and Priti’s issues with one another, to Rudra’s quiet nature. I cannot describe how wonderful Rudra is as a mmc. Again– I’ve been reading lots of RomComs and Rudra Desai is easily the best and I can boil this down to a few things. 1) he isn’t getting in the way of women’s business, 2) he’s RESPECTFUL and 3) he’s been in love with Krishna for years. I didn’t realize how Rudra’s quiet adoration for Krishna breathes life into their dynamic but it really does. Even when the focus isn’t on Rudra or Krishna’s growing crush on him, Rudra is this constant in the background as he has been in Krishna’s life and I’m still sort of in awe of that, because I expected to be like: “Oh. Insta love… hm.” Except it’s NOT because Rudra has liked Krishna the whole time! I like Rudra’s quiet, secure masculinity and he really is just such a breath of fresh air because he lets Krishna be the main character and then both he and Krishna together make Priti the main character. I love that Rudra was just like: “yeah i will go crash a wedding so my bff can confess her love” when Krishna came up with the plan. LUCKILY THEY DIDN’T HAVE TO DO THAT, but I like that Rudra was just like yeah sure okay. I also appreciate that he never ever throws Priti or Krishna under the bus to each other. He’s a good MAN SAVANNAH! Like I cannot imagine being caught in the middle of two cousins with hella beef like that, I’d die.
This was the first book I’ve read in a long time where I was actually sad to get to the end because I knew I would miss these characters and their ridiculousness so badly. You really get to know all of them throughout the book and I seriously adored that the love story wasn’t just about Krishna and Rudra, it was also so much about Krishna and Priti and as someone with a complicated relationship to their cousin who was their bff at one point, I really, really needed this book. It’s definitely a must read.
Better Catch Up, Krishna Kumar is everything I’ve been wanting and more! AND MORE. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!
I’ve been on a huge RomCom kick this year and I’ve been reading and watching far and why. Something I recently learned is that something I really love in a RomCom is when the love story extends past the relationship between the mcs. BCUKK does that AND MORE. I cannot repeat that this story is so much more than a love story occurring on a road trip through India, which lets take a second to applaud Anahita Karthik’s talent for inviting the reader into the story. I’ve never stepped foot in India and most of my understanding of India comes from Bollywood Action movies, yet I feel like I knew exactly where I was right alongside Krishna because Karthik does such a fabulous job at inviting the reader along with gorgeous sensory details. Seriously, I was in love and now I want to go do the Prabalmachi trek even though I, like Krishna, am not exactly built for such things.
Anyway, the book. It’s amazing. Krishna’s voice punches you in the teeth on page one and it’s a wild, perfect ride from there. She’s such a wonderfully relatable main character both in her motivations and her struggles. I knew this was a bi4bi romance but what I didn’t know is that this book would also be a familial love story between Krishna and her cousin, Priti– which may I just say, I guessed Priti was a lesbian 15% into the book and I was so pleased when I discovered I was right.
The dynamics between all the characters are just so down to Earth from Krishna and Priti’s issues with one another, to Rudra’s quiet nature. I cannot describe how wonderful Rudra is as a mmc. Again– I’ve been reading lots of RomComs and Rudra Desai is easily the best and I can boil this down to a few things. 1) he isn’t getting in the way of women’s business, 2) he’s RESPECTFUL and 3) he’s been in love with Krishna for years. I didn’t realize how Rudra’s quiet adoration for Krishna breathes life into their dynamic but it really does. Even when the focus isn’t on Rudra or Krishna’s growing crush on him, Rudra is this constant in the background as he has been in Krishna’s life and I’m still sort of in awe of that, because I expected to be like: “Oh. Insta love… hm.” Except it’s NOT because Rudra has liked Krishna the whole time! I like Rudra’s quiet, secure masculinity and he really is just such a breath of fresh air because he lets Krishna be the main character and then both he and Krishna together make Priti the main character. I love that Rudra was just like: “yeah i will go crash a wedding so my bff can confess her love” when Krishna came up with the plan. LUCKILY THEY DIDN’T HAVE TO DO THAT, but I like that Rudra was just like yeah sure okay. I also appreciate that he never ever throws Priti or Krishna under the bus to each other. He’s a good MAN SAVANNAH! Like I cannot imagine being caught in the middle of two cousins with hella beef like that, I’d die.
This was the first book I’ve read in a long time where I was actually sad to get to the end because I knew I would miss these characters and their ridiculousness so badly. You really get to know all of them throughout the book and I seriously adored that the love story wasn’t just about Krishna and Rudra, it was also so much about Krishna and Priti and as someone with a complicated relationship to their cousin who was their bff at one point, I really, really needed this book. It’s definitely a must read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you, harper Collins and Anahita karthik, for giving me a chance to read and review this ARC.
when an unexpected plan turns even more unexpected, that's when the adventure begins.
Krishna's story goes out when she's in india and wants to do things that she's never done it before. All with amrit at first but then misses the moment, finds herself, her cousin priti and Priti's best friend Rudra on a road trip adventure to goa to finish what she left off.
It's one of the most amazing, adventurous, and fun books I've read. It's so refreshing. It had me hooked.
I love how the books lead on different journeys with the trio ( krishna, priti, and Rudra) from Mumbai to pune to goa. Looking around, staying, break down, trekking, and towards the final destination. There might have been misunderstandings, fights, and other things, but it all mended with time.
As for krishna, who is Bisexual, is the adventurous daredevil who is carefree but also has been through really tough times.
Rudra, who is priti's best friend, is handsome, cool, and kind. He has been having the feels for krishna since a long time, and it is finally catching up.
Priti, who is ice queen, according to krishna, is cold but is confident, helpful, and caring but has many secrets and mysteries surrounding herself.
All while they go on a journey, they all find unexpected moments, truth, and secrets that finally reveal itself at the end of the book.
As for krishna and Rudra, their chemistry right when their car journey to goa began, and both started to have feelings for each other throughout certain moments and incidents in the book. They finally confessed at the end. And it made me so happy.
I'm so glad to have read such an amazing YA Bi x Bi desi rom-com set in india, Mumbai. Definitely recommend this book because it's really good.
when an unexpected plan turns even more unexpected, that's when the adventure begins.
Krishna's story goes out when she's in india and wants to do things that she's never done it before. All with amrit at first but then misses the moment, finds herself, her cousin priti and Priti's best friend Rudra on a road trip adventure to goa to finish what she left off.
It's one of the most amazing, adventurous, and fun books I've read. It's so refreshing. It had me hooked.
I love how the books lead on different journeys with the trio ( krishna, priti, and Rudra) from Mumbai to pune to goa. Looking around, staying, break down, trekking, and towards the final destination. There might have been misunderstandings, fights, and other things, but it all mended with time.
As for krishna, who is Bisexual, is the adventurous daredevil who is carefree but also has been through really tough times.
Rudra, who is priti's best friend, is handsome, cool, and kind. He has been having the feels for krishna since a long time, and it is finally catching up.
Priti, who is ice queen, according to krishna, is cold but is confident, helpful, and caring but has many secrets and mysteries surrounding herself.
All while they go on a journey, they all find unexpected moments, truth, and secrets that finally reveal itself at the end of the book.
As for krishna and Rudra, their chemistry right when their car journey to goa began, and both started to have feelings for each other throughout certain moments and incidents in the book. They finally confessed at the end. And it made me so happy.
I'm so glad to have read such an amazing YA Bi x Bi desi rom-com set in india, Mumbai. Definitely recommend this book because it's really good.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 27, 2026
My online book club’s January challenge was to read a debut novel that was released this month. Slim pickings, so I ended up going with this one as it was available in my audiobook app. The blurb said it was great for fans of Jenny Han (The Summer I Turned Pretty) and I’d say that’s fairly accurate as there are a lot of similarities. Despite that, though, it didn’t really match my taste.
This story is set in India and it was nice to broaden my horizon and read a YA book set there for a change. We follow Krishna Kumar, an eighteen-year-old girl spending the summer in India, visiting family before she has to head back to the US to start college. She goes on a road trip with her cousin Priti and a guy called Rudra. Krishna daydreams of sharing her first kiss with a guy called Amrit, who will be at the destination of the trip, but on the road trip she also develops feelings for Rudra.
It’s a fairly simple coming of age story, with lots of drama and angst. Themes of family, belonging and finding your own way in the world come up. A bit of a down side for me (and why I enjoyed Jenny Han’s books more) is that all of the pop-culture mentions were outside of my frame of reference. The songs, actors and movies mentioned were mostly Indian, and while I think that’s great (no one needs to conform to European/American culture after all) it made me feel like a bit of an outsider.
The writing also wasn’t my favorite. It was not bad, but something about it made me not connect with the characters. Can’t quite put my finger on “why”, but I didn’t like any of the characters.
2.75 stars
This story is set in India and it was nice to broaden my horizon and read a YA book set there for a change. We follow Krishna Kumar, an eighteen-year-old girl spending the summer in India, visiting family before she has to head back to the US to start college. She goes on a road trip with her cousin Priti and a guy called Rudra. Krishna daydreams of sharing her first kiss with a guy called Amrit, who will be at the destination of the trip, but on the road trip she also develops feelings for Rudra.
It’s a fairly simple coming of age story, with lots of drama and angst. Themes of family, belonging and finding your own way in the world come up. A bit of a down side for me (and why I enjoyed Jenny Han’s books more) is that all of the pop-culture mentions were outside of my frame of reference. The songs, actors and movies mentioned were mostly Indian, and while I think that’s great (no one needs to conform to European/American culture after all) it made me feel like a bit of an outsider.
The writing also wasn’t my favorite. It was not bad, but something about it made me not connect with the characters. Can’t quite put my finger on “why”, but I didn’t like any of the characters.
2.75 stars
February 14, 2026
THIS BOOK IS PERFECTTT !!❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
My heart melts for #Krishudra and #Nikriti
Also Krishna,Rudra and Priti are the Bestt Trio !!!🤌🤌
I had so much fun reading this... It's a full Romantic and Emotional Package with Bollywoodish Sprinkles 🤭🤭💗💗💗
aghhh I hate how this book finished so soon... I want to be back and read for the first time again 😭😭😭❤️❤️❤️❤️
My heart melts for #Krishudra and #Nikriti
Also Krishna,Rudra and Priti are the Bestt Trio !!!🤌🤌
I had so much fun reading this... It's a full Romantic and Emotional Package with Bollywoodish Sprinkles 🤭🤭💗💗💗
aghhh I hate how this book finished so soon... I want to be back and read for the first time again 😭😭😭❤️❤️❤️❤️
January 30, 2026
pretty much exactly what you imagine when you think of a ya contemporary romance. it was cute and i had fun. there was a bit of miscommunication which really pisses me off in a romance but it didn’t last too long so it didn’t piss me of too much
Want to read
March 15, 2023EXCITING
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