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What a Desi Girl Wants
The romance of Becky Albertalli meets the nuanced family dynamics of Darius the Great is Not Okay in this YA novel from acclaimed author Sabina Khan.
Mehar hasn't been back to India since she and her mother moved away when she was only four. Hasn't visited her father, her grandmother, her family, or the home where she grew up. Why would she? Her father made it clear that she's not his priority when he chose not to come to the US with them.
But when her father announces his engagement to socialite Naz, Mehar reluctantly agrees to return for the wedding. Maybe she and her father can heal their broken relationship. And after all, her father is Indian royalty, and his home is a palace--the wedding is going to be a once-in-a-lifetime affair.
While her father still doesn't make the time for her, Mehar barely cares once she meets Sufiya, her grandmother's assistant, and one of the most grounded, thoughtful, kind people she's ever met! Though they come from totally different worlds, their friendship slowly starts to blossom into something more . . . Mehar thinks.
Meanwhile, Mehar's dislike for Naz and her social media influencer daughter, Aleena, deepens. She can tell that the two of them are just using her father for his money. Mehar's starting to think that putting a stop to this wedding might be the best thing for everyone involved.
But what happens when telling her father the truth about Naz and Aleena means putting her relationship with Sufiya at risk . . .
Mehar hasn't been back to India since she and her mother moved away when she was only four. Hasn't visited her father, her grandmother, her family, or the home where she grew up. Why would she? Her father made it clear that she's not his priority when he chose not to come to the US with them.
But when her father announces his engagement to socialite Naz, Mehar reluctantly agrees to return for the wedding. Maybe she and her father can heal their broken relationship. And after all, her father is Indian royalty, and his home is a palace--the wedding is going to be a once-in-a-lifetime affair.
While her father still doesn't make the time for her, Mehar barely cares once she meets Sufiya, her grandmother's assistant, and one of the most grounded, thoughtful, kind people she's ever met! Though they come from totally different worlds, their friendship slowly starts to blossom into something more . . . Mehar thinks.
Meanwhile, Mehar's dislike for Naz and her social media influencer daughter, Aleena, deepens. She can tell that the two of them are just using her father for his money. Mehar's starting to think that putting a stop to this wedding might be the best thing for everyone involved.
But what happens when telling her father the truth about Naz and Aleena means putting her relationship with Sufiya at risk . . .
288 pages, Hardcover
First published July 18, 2023
20 people are currently reading
3701 people want to read
About the author
Sabina Khan
10 books578 followersSabina Khan is the acclaimed author of the upcoming Middle Grade Fantasy THE BLOODSTONE THIEF (Scholastic, Fall 2025), and YA Contemporary novels WHAT A DESI GIRL WANTS, MEET ME IN MUMBAI, ZARA HOSSAIN IS HERE & THE LOVE AND LIES OF RUKHSANA ALI. She has lived in Germany, Bangladesh, Macao, Illinois and Texas before finally settling down in Vancouver, BC. When she’s not writing, you can find her playing with her adorable puppy, picking new songs for Karaoke or sitting in a coffee shop dreaming up new stories and characters.
Her books have received starred trade reviews; were a Junior Library Guild Selection, a Teen Indie Next Pick, were on the “Best Of” lists of Oprah Magazine and Seventeen, were featured on NBC News and the BBC, the NYT, Teen Vogue, as well as short-listed for the Sheila A. Egoff Children’s Literature Prize and the Ontario Library Association’s White Pine Awards.
Find her on Twitter and Instagram @sabina_writer
Website: https://sabina-khan.com/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews
Want to read
October 5, 2022desi sapphics my beloved.
Want to read
September 14, 202213.09.2022 okay first of all a stunning desi cover (!!!) and secondly, this will be set in agra and i can't wait for the beautiful backdrops while the sapphic romance unfolds
July 18, 2023
2023 reads: 224/350
i received a digital review copy from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review. this did not affect my rating.
mehar hasn’t been back to india since she and her mother left over a decade ago. she doesn’t have the best relationship with her dad, who decided to stay in india instead of going with his family, but when she receives news of his upcoming wedding, she decides she’ll go and try to repair their relationship.
sabina khan is one of my favorite authors, so i was really excited when i found out she’d be releasing another book this year! one thing i love about khan’s books is how family dynamics are explored, and this aspect was definitely prevalent in this book. mehar has a strained relationship with her father since he didn’t come with mehar and her mother to the u.s. the last time she talked to him, she said things she’s regretting now. she’s also not a fan of the woman he’s marrying or her daughter, as she’s sure both of them are just using her father for his money and status. this leads to a lot of tension between everyone, but mehar just wants to make sure her dad will be okay. the moments with aleena, mehar’s almost-stepsister, really left my head spinning. one moment i’d be sure aleena was a bad person, then the next i felt sorry for her. i love how khan was able to write such a complex character despite aleena not being a pov character.
another thing i loved was the relationship between mehar and sufiya. sufiya is mehar’s dadi’s assistant, and the two quickly become friends, before realizing they may also have other types of feelings for one another. this is yet another point of tension, as the implications of their relationship could be profound for sufiya. i really liked how their relationship played out, though.
i highly recommend this to any YA fan!
i received a digital review copy from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review. this did not affect my rating.
mehar hasn’t been back to india since she and her mother left over a decade ago. she doesn’t have the best relationship with her dad, who decided to stay in india instead of going with his family, but when she receives news of his upcoming wedding, she decides she’ll go and try to repair their relationship.
sabina khan is one of my favorite authors, so i was really excited when i found out she’d be releasing another book this year! one thing i love about khan’s books is how family dynamics are explored, and this aspect was definitely prevalent in this book. mehar has a strained relationship with her father since he didn’t come with mehar and her mother to the u.s. the last time she talked to him, she said things she’s regretting now. she’s also not a fan of the woman he’s marrying or her daughter, as she’s sure both of them are just using her father for his money and status. this leads to a lot of tension between everyone, but mehar just wants to make sure her dad will be okay. the moments with aleena, mehar’s almost-stepsister, really left my head spinning. one moment i’d be sure aleena was a bad person, then the next i felt sorry for her. i love how khan was able to write such a complex character despite aleena not being a pov character.
another thing i loved was the relationship between mehar and sufiya. sufiya is mehar’s dadi’s assistant, and the two quickly become friends, before realizing they may also have other types of feelings for one another. this is yet another point of tension, as the implications of their relationship could be profound for sufiya. i really liked how their relationship played out, though.
i highly recommend this to any YA fan!
May 31, 2023
The story felt very incomplete as though the author got bored with her own story and just decided to end it. I wish there had been more about being LGBTQ in India, and we didn’t even get to experience the wedding after most of the book talked about it!
August 8, 2023
Another heartfelt queer YA story from Canadian author, Sabina Khan. I really enjoyed this family drama that sees Mehar returning to the country of her birth to help her estranged father celebrate his marriage to her new influencer stepmother. Full of family drama and the complicated first love between two queer South Asian teens in a culture that is VERY conservative. Good on audio narrated by Reena Dutt. While this wasn't my favorite by this author, I still really enjoyed it and would recommend for fans of authors like Sajni Patel or Farah Heron.
April 23, 2025
Rounding Up
The story was not as intense as I worried it would be, but the lead was a teenager about things at times, and it can be frustrating seeing things presented in a black and white viewpoint.
There was a sapphic romance, and it was NOT with the stepsister, which was a very big worry for me. The romance was cute but was a bit squished in with all the other bigger emotions and drama. I would have preferred for it to be a little more low-key so that some of the other problems could get the focus they deserve.
I would say if you are looking for a story that provides a perspective on the difficulties connecting with your culture while growing up in North America, this would be a decent one to try. It is also a decent one to consider for any youths in your life who might be struggling with some of these feelings.
The story was not as intense as I worried it would be, but the lead was a teenager about things at times, and it can be frustrating seeing things presented in a black and white viewpoint.
There was a sapphic romance, and it was NOT with the stepsister, which was a very big worry for me. The romance was cute but was a bit squished in with all the other bigger emotions and drama. I would have preferred for it to be a little more low-key so that some of the other problems could get the focus they deserve.
I would say if you are looking for a story that provides a perspective on the difficulties connecting with your culture while growing up in North America, this would be a decent one to try. It is also a decent one to consider for any youths in your life who might be struggling with some of these feelings.
December 13, 2023
Once again, I judged a book by its pretty cover only to be disappointed. This book was so hard to get through. I skimmed through it to see how it would end, but the plot was pretty much nonexistent.
Mehar was extremely unlikeable. I hated her. She was a typical awkward, ignorant, obnoxious Americanized brat who thought she was better than everyone else (Aleena was RIGHT!). Princess Mehar's not like other girls, y'all! She speaks crappy Urdu, can't tolerate spicy food (even though earlier in the book she ordered a pizza with jalapeño), and lives in jeans & hoodies. Haha, so quirky! You would think she'd learn some etiquette when traveling to another country and staying with her father's family, right? Especially since they're royalty and have a reputation to maintain. But apparently manners aren't this girl's strong point.
And of course everyone thinks she's sooo beautiful and adores her. The boy even wants to kiss her because she likes *gasp* COMIC BOOKS & SUPERHEROES instead of clothes like that stuck up, vain bimbo Aleena! (/sarcasm)
Mehar was very judgmental and never listened to the other side of the story until she had to. She was very childish and stubborn — two qualities I absolutely despise in a main character. Newsflash, your momma was at fault, too.
I found it weird how Mehar said her father's fully Indian family could pass off as white, but she and her (actual half-white) mother did not. I rolled my eyes when Mehar mentioned that her white American grandmother never learned Urdu because of course she didn't. Why the fuck would you marry a POC and not even bother to learn their language or culture? No wonder Dadi didn't approve because I wouldn't have either! And the fact that her maternal grandparents were barely in her life while her Indian family immediately showered her with love & acceptance did not go unnoticed.
Mehar never gave Naz and Aleena a chance, even though her future stepmother was nothing but kind to her. Mehar immediately decided they were villains from the get-go and was rude to them every chance she got (she even called Naz a gold-digger the moment she found out about the wedding), until she finally learned their backstory. I was so happy when Aleena told her off because she was RIGHT. Mehar was an annoying brat and I hope she felt like an asshole trying to ruin her father's marriage. I'm glad Reza married Naz and got a second chance at love.
I enjoyed Sabina Khan's other books but this one was disappointing.
Mehar was extremely unlikeable. I hated her. She was a typical awkward, ignorant, obnoxious Americanized brat who thought she was better than everyone else (Aleena was RIGHT!). Princess Mehar's not like other girls, y'all! She speaks crappy Urdu, can't tolerate spicy food (even though earlier in the book she ordered a pizza with jalapeño), and lives in jeans & hoodies. Haha, so quirky! You would think she'd learn some etiquette when traveling to another country and staying with her father's family, right? Especially since they're royalty and have a reputation to maintain. But apparently manners aren't this girl's strong point.
And of course everyone thinks she's sooo beautiful and adores her. The boy even wants to kiss her because she likes *gasp* COMIC BOOKS & SUPERHEROES instead of clothes like that stuck up, vain bimbo Aleena! (/sarcasm)
Mehar was very judgmental and never listened to the other side of the story until she had to. She was very childish and stubborn — two qualities I absolutely despise in a main character. Newsflash, your momma was at fault, too.
I found it weird how Mehar said her father's fully Indian family could pass off as white, but she and her (actual half-white) mother did not. I rolled my eyes when Mehar mentioned that her white American grandmother never learned Urdu because of course she didn't. Why the fuck would you marry a POC and not even bother to learn their language or culture? No wonder Dadi didn't approve because I wouldn't have either! And the fact that her maternal grandparents were barely in her life while her Indian family immediately showered her with love & acceptance did not go unnoticed.
Mehar never gave Naz and Aleena a chance, even though her future stepmother was nothing but kind to her. Mehar immediately decided they were villains from the get-go and was rude to them every chance she got (she even called Naz a gold-digger the moment she found out about the wedding), until she finally learned their backstory. I was so happy when Aleena told her off because she was RIGHT. Mehar was an annoying brat and I hope she felt like an asshole trying to ruin her father's marriage. I'm glad Reza married Naz and got a second chance at love.
I enjoyed Sabina Khan's other books but this one was disappointing.
June 27, 2023
I was provided an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Mehar has lived in Kansas with her mom since she was four. Her dad used to visit from time to time but he hasn't in a while and now, he's apparently getting married?? So now she goes, back to India, in Agra, in an actual palace, since her dad is technically Indian royalty. And that's an adjustment to say the least. Mehar feels like her entire family from her dad to her aunts to her grandmother has always disapproved of her and her mother… And now, she's there and she has to help prepare her dad's wedding to Naz meanwhile doing her best to avoid Naz's daughter, Aleena, her annoying soon-to-be step-sister…
I liked this, especially at first, I was enthralled by the family drama and the booming relationship. I really liked seeing Mehar get to know her family again, especially her Dadi. I also enjoyed seeing her grow throughout the book. She was a pretty interesting and flawed main character. After a while though, the book kind of started lagging? I didn't know where the story was taking me anymore and it went by quite slowly. And, by the end, the book felt unfinished, like the ending was rushed, just to get it over with...
Overall though, it was still a good book, very character driven with captivating relationship dynamics.
Mehar has lived in Kansas with her mom since she was four. Her dad used to visit from time to time but he hasn't in a while and now, he's apparently getting married?? So now she goes, back to India, in Agra, in an actual palace, since her dad is technically Indian royalty. And that's an adjustment to say the least. Mehar feels like her entire family from her dad to her aunts to her grandmother has always disapproved of her and her mother… And now, she's there and she has to help prepare her dad's wedding to Naz meanwhile doing her best to avoid Naz's daughter, Aleena, her annoying soon-to-be step-sister…
I liked this, especially at first, I was enthralled by the family drama and the booming relationship. I really liked seeing Mehar get to know her family again, especially her Dadi. I also enjoyed seeing her grow throughout the book. She was a pretty interesting and flawed main character. After a while though, the book kind of started lagging? I didn't know where the story was taking me anymore and it went by quite slowly. And, by the end, the book felt unfinished, like the ending was rushed, just to get it over with...
Overall though, it was still a good book, very character driven with captivating relationship dynamics.
August 11, 2023
✧˖*°࿐ 3.5 Stars
A story full of complex characters and family dynamics! This was a super fun and quick read that was very comparable to Darius the Great. ‘What a Desi Girl Wants’ follows Mehar as she visits India for a month as a chance to repair her relationship with her dad.
This is definitely something to have on the lookout if you want a coming of age heavy on characterization compared to plot. While this could be seen as a negative if you need a more heavy plot to be engaged, I’m not a character person difficult, so I didn’t mind much. Most of these characters were very complicated and made it interesting to read about.
There’s also a side sapphic couple who was super cute as well! I definitely wouldn’t recommend it as a romance, since they barely meet a good way into the book but they develop well either way. It’s a lovely story that delves a bit into a queer South Asian romance. I felt it could have went more into the conservatism of the country and the difficulties that come with that. Despite that, I can’t negate the importance of a mostly fluffy queer love story.
Overall, if you’re looking for a novel with lots of character development and nuanced family dynamics with a side of saphic romance, this is definitely for you!!
A story full of complex characters and family dynamics! This was a super fun and quick read that was very comparable to Darius the Great. ‘What a Desi Girl Wants’ follows Mehar as she visits India for a month as a chance to repair her relationship with her dad.
This is definitely something to have on the lookout if you want a coming of age heavy on characterization compared to plot. While this could be seen as a negative if you need a more heavy plot to be engaged, I’m not a character person difficult, so I didn’t mind much. Most of these characters were very complicated and made it interesting to read about.
There’s also a side sapphic couple who was super cute as well! I definitely wouldn’t recommend it as a romance, since they barely meet a good way into the book but they develop well either way. It’s a lovely story that delves a bit into a queer South Asian romance. I felt it could have went more into the conservatism of the country and the difficulties that come with that. Despite that, I can’t negate the importance of a mostly fluffy queer love story.
Overall, if you’re looking for a novel with lots of character development and nuanced family dynamics with a side of saphic romance, this is definitely for you!!
Read
July 31, 2023This book had so much potential. There should have been more mention about the LGBTQIA community in India. This whole book mentions this wedding which we never read. A Hindu wedding is one of the most beautiful weddings you can ever go to. It would have been nice for those who never been to one to read about it..to get the experience.
September 10, 2023
Was really good! I would recommend!
March 5, 2026
I don't tend to read young-adult fiction, and romance, but once in a while, I take a chance to read out of my comfort zone. I had not expected to like this, but I enjoyed the story a lot. Though the romance was meh for me. I was rooting for Mehar, but I was not rooting for the romance.
This is one of those rare books. I was not expecting to come across a queer, female, South Asian romance, but I'm glad I did.
Note: Using new rating system starting 2025.
March 4, 2024
“The words feel strange on my tongue, at once foreign and familiar, like a long-lost friend I didn’t realize I’ve missed intensely.”
What a Desi Girl Wants is a sapphic ya romance following Mehar's return to India after her father announces his plans to remarry. After avoiding her home country for years (and creating a distaste for her father) she finally has to return and meet her new step mother and step sister (who's a beautiful influencer!)
Mehar promptly complains about how spicy the food is and how much she dislikes having to do nothing and wear traditional clothes - she rather be in tshirts! all while enjoying the privileges of being a rich man daughter. (how hard!) but then she falls for one of her grandmother's teenage workers and suddenly her days are spent with her and trying to stop her fathers wedding!
My biggest issue lies with the lack of showing. We see very little on what it actually means to be queer in India and even the resolution of "we'll figure it out" seems so open ended and boring as if the author just gave up with the story! I was truly hoping for more.
rep// Desi MC, wlw
cw// divorce, sexism, domestic abuse
Find me on: instagram | tiktok
What a Desi Girl Wants is a sapphic ya romance following Mehar's return to India after her father announces his plans to remarry. After avoiding her home country for years (and creating a distaste for her father) she finally has to return and meet her new step mother and step sister (who's a beautiful influencer!)
Mehar promptly complains about how spicy the food is and how much she dislikes having to do nothing and wear traditional clothes - she rather be in tshirts! all while enjoying the privileges of being a rich man daughter. (how hard!) but then she falls for one of her grandmother's teenage workers and suddenly her days are spent with her and trying to stop her fathers wedding!
My biggest issue lies with the lack of showing. We see very little on what it actually means to be queer in India and even the resolution of "we'll figure it out" seems so open ended and boring as if the author just gave up with the story! I was truly hoping for more.
rep// Desi MC, wlw
cw// divorce, sexism, domestic abuse
Find me on: instagram | tiktok
October 1, 2023
As I was reading What a Desi Girl Wants, I kept thinking that this was the Indian version of an Amanda Bynes movie I used to watch a long time ago. I could NOT remember the name of it, but I was enjoying it way too much to stop and look the name of it up. Now that I have finished, I go to look it up and felt like a complete and utter FOOL!!!! What a Girl Wants… 🤦🏻♂️
Mehar doesn’t speak to her father’s side of the family. When her parents broke up, she and her mother moved back to Kansas, while they stayed on the other side of the world in India. But a social media influencer that she follows named Aleena posts about her new father to be… and it’s non-other than her very own father. The same man who chose his life in India over her.
When she gets the invitation, followed by calls asking her to attend, she ignores them in favor of spending her holiday vacation working as Santa’s helper. But a call and guilt trip from her grandmother finally has her offering to come and stay for a month.
While she spends her time getting to know the family she hasn’t seen in many years, she’s also learning all about Aleena and her mother Naz. Her soon to be step-mother and sister seem to be very materialistic and ask for a lot, making her dislike and distrust for them grow quickly.
But at the same time, she’s begun to find herself growing close to her grandmother’s assistant, Sufiya. Her father doesn’t know about her sexuality and things are different in India than they are in America. Not to mention, they both come from two different worlds.
This story made me smile from start to finish. Yes! There were some topics mixed in that made me sad for the characters. I loved Mehar’s family and wanted her to have all of the time getting to know them that she deserved. I wish I had gotten a little more time with them myself.
Her father was a bit infuriating at times. I understand he was trying to do what was right for his mother and title in India, but he let his wife and daughter walk out of his life. I was waiting for certain things to happen throughout the book (No Spoilers!!!!), but am glad to see that this wasn’t predictable at all.
I am really happy I read this!
Thank you to Sabina Khan for gifting me an arc of the book in return for an honest review.
4.5⭐️
Mehar doesn’t speak to her father’s side of the family. When her parents broke up, she and her mother moved back to Kansas, while they stayed on the other side of the world in India. But a social media influencer that she follows named Aleena posts about her new father to be… and it’s non-other than her very own father. The same man who chose his life in India over her.
When she gets the invitation, followed by calls asking her to attend, she ignores them in favor of spending her holiday vacation working as Santa’s helper. But a call and guilt trip from her grandmother finally has her offering to come and stay for a month.
While she spends her time getting to know the family she hasn’t seen in many years, she’s also learning all about Aleena and her mother Naz. Her soon to be step-mother and sister seem to be very materialistic and ask for a lot, making her dislike and distrust for them grow quickly.
But at the same time, she’s begun to find herself growing close to her grandmother’s assistant, Sufiya. Her father doesn’t know about her sexuality and things are different in India than they are in America. Not to mention, they both come from two different worlds.
This story made me smile from start to finish. Yes! There were some topics mixed in that made me sad for the characters. I loved Mehar’s family and wanted her to have all of the time getting to know them that she deserved. I wish I had gotten a little more time with them myself.
Her father was a bit infuriating at times. I understand he was trying to do what was right for his mother and title in India, but he let his wife and daughter walk out of his life. I was waiting for certain things to happen throughout the book (No Spoilers!!!!), but am glad to see that this wasn’t predictable at all.
I am really happy I read this!
Thank you to Sabina Khan for gifting me an arc of the book in return for an honest review.
4.5⭐️
January 15, 2026
"What a Desi Girl Wants" is a charming, and ultimately hopeful, YA Desi drama that delves deeply into the conflicts faced by children of the diaspora including the ongoing conflict that comes from developing Western values and expectations that do not match well with with more rigid traditional values of the old country. This book avoids heavy and depressing scenarios and all but completely sidesteps the religious issues that have tormented modern India, but it does portray some of the difficulties of maintaining a queer identity in modern Indian society along with shedding light on caste and class issues. It should also be noted, that the book leans in hard to portray some wonderfully opulent Indian wedding scenes, which are captivating and entertaining if not representative of the the experiences of the overwhelming majority of Indians
4.5 stars rounded to 4.
4.5 stars rounded to 4.
July 8, 2023
Remember that Amanda Bynes movie from the early 2000s? It was called What a Girl Wants, and was about an American teen going to the UK to meet her biodad for the first time. It was goofy and cute.
Well this is the same story, but make it more dramatic, set it in India, include some sapphic tendencies, nosey aunties and amazing food.
I really enjoyed this!!!
My one issue was
Much love to Sabina Khan for my ARC.
Well this is the same story, but make it more dramatic, set it in India, include some sapphic tendencies, nosey aunties and amazing food.
I really enjoyed this!!!
My one issue was
Much love to Sabina Khan for my ARC.
August 7, 2023
I loved Mehar. I loved Sufiya. I loved everything about this book, I loved their slowly growing relationship and I loved how the family relations felt real with this one.
My only problem with the book was sometimes I felt lost as if the book didn’t even have a plot at all? The pacing was weird at times but overall I really liked it.
My only problem with the book was sometimes I felt lost as if the book didn’t even have a plot at all? The pacing was weird at times but overall I really liked it.
July 27, 2023
This book is a beautiful story of a broken and estranged family and rebuilding those relationships. That was the core of the book and was done so beautifully. There is also a budding sapphic relationship throughout the book. I truly enjoyed this book!
March 5, 2024
I liked this! I would've loved to see a bit more of the growth in Mehar's relationship with her dad but overall, it was an enjoyable read.
June 23, 2024
Such a fun book! I love the culture and the sapphic love story. Also the complicated relationship between kids and their divorced parents.
Really fun book!
Really fun book!
Want to read
October 30, 2022WHAT
June 22, 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed this tastefully written YA novel. Mehar is a bisexual Indian girl living with her mother in Kansas while her father who is kind of royalty lives in India.
During this novel Mehar travels to india for her father’s wedding, a trip that reveals a lot about her parents relationship, her fathers family, her new stepmother and step sister as well as herself.
Will Mehar reconcile with her father? Will she find her new step family to be gold diggers, or do they have hearts of gold? Will she find love? Will she just make a mess of everything?
Sometimes I felt Mehar couldn’t get out of her own way, or I wished the prose gave me more big feelings. At the end of the novel I wish there was a bit of an epilogue to wrap things up in a tidy bow.
That being said I think this is a fantastic young adult novel for readers looking for a LGBQT romance novel that’s still pg13.
During this novel Mehar travels to india for her father’s wedding, a trip that reveals a lot about her parents relationship, her fathers family, her new stepmother and step sister as well as herself.
Will Mehar reconcile with her father? Will she find her new step family to be gold diggers, or do they have hearts of gold? Will she find love? Will she just make a mess of everything?
Sometimes I felt Mehar couldn’t get out of her own way, or I wished the prose gave me more big feelings. At the end of the novel I wish there was a bit of an epilogue to wrap things up in a tidy bow.
That being said I think this is a fantastic young adult novel for readers looking for a LGBQT romance novel that’s still pg13.
July 18, 2023
This is my second Sabina Khan book, and it was very fun. I loved the family dynamics, the descriptions and the beauty of Indian culture. It was a quick and easy read, and it felt good just until the end. I thought it was a bit rushed and we didn't experience the actual wedding ceremony or what happened after. I was hoping for that because it is a central point of the book.
*Disclaimer, I won an ARC copy, all opinions are my own*
*Disclaimer, I won an ARC copy, all opinions are my own*
June 19, 2023
Excellent book for anyone looking for a story that discusses the difficulties of overlapping identities and unique family situations. Follow Mehar on her winter trip to India as she navigates her estranged father's wedding to a new woman and her fashionista daughter, all while contending with her feelings for Sufiya, a trusted companion and employee of her Dadi.
June 14, 2023
This story is a roller coaster of emotions in a small package! As someone who grew up with a strained family situation, What a Desi Girl Wants was so relatable. I loved the way Mehar handled the various building and rebuilding relationships throughout. When she messed up, she held herself accountable and tried to fix it, and we love to see it.
I wish it was just a little bit longer, like maybe with an epilogue to see how she readjusts to the U.S. and how she handles the family and relationship from a distance again.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review!
I wish it was just a little bit longer, like maybe with an epilogue to see how she readjusts to the U.S. and how she handles the family and relationship from a distance again.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review!
June 8, 2023
thank you so much to netgalley and scholastic for sending me a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review!!
——⭐️⭐️——
mehar and her mom moved to the states when she was just 4. she hasn’t been back since. but, her father announces his engagement and invites her to the wedding. she ends up agreeing to attend, and visits india for the first time in forever. when in india, mehar meets her grandmother’s assistant; sufiya. sufiya and mehar grow closer and closer, and mehar begins to suspect the woman marrying her father is using him for his money.
what i liked:
-indian rep!!
-sufiya
-blurb
what i didn’t like:
-sufiya and mahar either moved too fast or too slow
-this book just felt drawn out…
quotes:
* “The words feel strange on my tongue, at once foreign and familiar, like a long-lost friend I didn’t realize I’ve missed intensely.”
overall, i wouldn’t recommend this book because it felt too drawn out and slow. thank you once again to scholastic and netgalley for providing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
——⭐️⭐️——
mehar and her mom moved to the states when she was just 4. she hasn’t been back since. but, her father announces his engagement and invites her to the wedding. she ends up agreeing to attend, and visits india for the first time in forever. when in india, mehar meets her grandmother’s assistant; sufiya. sufiya and mehar grow closer and closer, and mehar begins to suspect the woman marrying her father is using him for his money.
what i liked:
-indian rep!!
-sufiya
-blurb
what i didn’t like:
-sufiya and mahar either moved too fast or too slow
-this book just felt drawn out…
quotes:
* “The words feel strange on my tongue, at once foreign and familiar, like a long-lost friend I didn’t realize I’ve missed intensely.”
overall, i wouldn’t recommend this book because it felt too drawn out and slow. thank you once again to scholastic and netgalley for providing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 27, 2023
Mehar hasn’t been to India since she moved to the USA with her mother when she was a little girl. Going back should give her a happy feeling, but she knows the reason she hasn’t gone back: her father. Back then, he made the choice not to come with them to America, staying behind. Ever since, their relationship hasn’t been the best. Strained and tainted by the past and everything that’s left unsaid, Mehar doesn’t think there’s any chance at repairing it. But when her father announces his impending wedding, Mehar begrudgingly agrees to go back to India to attend, only it’s not all smooth sailing ahead.
Hoping to repair their relationship, Mehar’s hopes are dwindled when she meets his soon-to-be bride, a socialite with an influencer daughter, that appears to have intentions that aren’t love, or so she thinks. Her father is Indian Royalty, and she knows that there’s a lot more in it for his almost-bride than meets the eye. But when Mehar meets Sufiya, it’s a plot twist she didn’t see coming. As her grandmother’s assistant, she’s spending a lot of time with her during the lead up to the wedding. Their friendship builds and blooms into great heights, but as it takes a turn into romantic territory, it’s whirlwind-after-whirlwind for Mehar—especially when telling the truth about everything she’s feeling and worried about puts her relationships with everyone into disarray.
Overall, What A Desi Girl Wants was romantic, funny, charming and profound—everything I love about Sabina’s writing. Whilst I would’ve loved to see I still found so much to adore about the story. There was a big sense of second chances and loving family despite how messy it can get at times. Mehar’s relationship with her grandmother was so touching and was one of my absolute highlights. If you’re looking for a feel good book with depth, plus a sprinkling of glamour, this will be your next favourite read. A stunning four stars!
Hoping to repair their relationship, Mehar’s hopes are dwindled when she meets his soon-to-be bride, a socialite with an influencer daughter, that appears to have intentions that aren’t love, or so she thinks. Her father is Indian Royalty, and she knows that there’s a lot more in it for his almost-bride than meets the eye. But when Mehar meets Sufiya, it’s a plot twist she didn’t see coming. As her grandmother’s assistant, she’s spending a lot of time with her during the lead up to the wedding. Their friendship builds and blooms into great heights, but as it takes a turn into romantic territory, it’s whirlwind-after-whirlwind for Mehar—especially when telling the truth about everything she’s feeling and worried about puts her relationships with everyone into disarray.
Overall, What A Desi Girl Wants was romantic, funny, charming and profound—everything I love about Sabina’s writing. Whilst I would’ve loved to see I still found so much to adore about the story. There was a big sense of second chances and loving family despite how messy it can get at times. Mehar’s relationship with her grandmother was so touching and was one of my absolute highlights. If you’re looking for a feel good book with depth, plus a sprinkling of glamour, this will be your next favourite read. A stunning four stars!
August 2, 2023
You know a book is good when you miss the characters. :(
It took me a while to pull out of Mehar and her father’s family.
Mehar has not seen her father in years, and hasn’t visited him in India. Her mother took her and left of Kansas, because she just didn’t fit in his world. And once in Kansas, she made sure that Mehar never visited him, until now, when he is about to remarry.
Mehar has preconceived notions about what is going on with her father, and she is all hurt that he never finds time to be with her, even when she comes, for a month to come to his wedding.
I like how we start off agreeing with everything that Mehar is feeling, until we don’t, and realize what a little snit she is being, thinking she knows what is best for a family she hasn’t seen since she was a little girl. I also like how naturally she falls in love with her grandmother’s assistant, and doesn’t think anything is wrong with it, while Sufiya has to deal with the world the way it is, with its classism, and feelings about LGBTQ.
As usual, I love how the author takes us for a ride, and we hang on as things happen and we all wonder where it is all going to go.
Thoroughly enjoyable, with a great view of the city of Agra, where the Taj Mahal, as well as a visit there.
It took me a while to pull out of Mehar and her father’s family.
Mehar has not seen her father in years, and hasn’t visited him in India. Her mother took her and left of Kansas, because she just didn’t fit in his world. And once in Kansas, she made sure that Mehar never visited him, until now, when he is about to remarry.
Mehar has preconceived notions about what is going on with her father, and she is all hurt that he never finds time to be with her, even when she comes, for a month to come to his wedding.
I like how we start off agreeing with everything that Mehar is feeling, until we don’t, and realize what a little snit she is being, thinking she knows what is best for a family she hasn’t seen since she was a little girl. I also like how naturally she falls in love with her grandmother’s assistant, and doesn’t think anything is wrong with it, while Sufiya has to deal with the world the way it is, with its classism, and feelings about LGBTQ.
As usual, I love how the author takes us for a ride, and we hang on as things happen and we all wonder where it is all going to go.
Thoroughly enjoyable, with a great view of the city of Agra, where the Taj Mahal, as well as a visit there.
January 10, 2024
hmm okay. i’ll start by saying that the representation in this book is very good; i love how mehar is consistently worried about being seen as “not Indian enough,” and all of the little details that are included to bring the story to life. i like that urdu words are used and not italicized like non-english words so often are (slay decolonialism) and are often not even translated. i also like that the homophobia in indian culture is mentioned but not dramatized or emphasized— it’s not a big deal in the context of the story, but it is still prevalent.
unfortunately, it’s just not well written. chapters are too short to get a good flow going. characters feel flat and one dimensional. problems that arise are solved within a chapter or two, and often the same problem shows up again later on as if it hadn’t happened already. her inner monologue leaves NO room for subtext; the author has no trust in the reader to be able to understand mehar’s thoughts or feelings without all of it being spelled out. and i simply don’t see the chemistry between her and sufiya, so it’s hard for me to root for them by the end.
it’s no Hani & Ishu, but it was still a pretty good read. there is so much food mentioned in this book and i am so goddamn hungry
unfortunately, it’s just not well written. chapters are too short to get a good flow going. characters feel flat and one dimensional. problems that arise are solved within a chapter or two, and often the same problem shows up again later on as if it hadn’t happened already. her inner monologue leaves NO room for subtext; the author has no trust in the reader to be able to understand mehar’s thoughts or feelings without all of it being spelled out. and i simply don’t see the chemistry between her and sufiya, so it’s hard for me to root for them by the end.
it’s no Hani & Ishu, but it was still a pretty good read. there is so much food mentioned in this book and i am so goddamn hungry
January 9, 2026
My first book of 2026 was What a Desi Girl Wants by Sabina Khan.
This is my first review don’t judge me too much😅 Despite starting this book in mid-2025, I’ve finally finished it! But that’s not a reflection of the book itself, but more so my personal struggles with reading. If anything, the fact that I powered through says a lot about the book.
They say not to judge a book by its cover, but I’m a sucker for a good title and a pretty cover. As soon as I saw the word Desi and a South Asian girl on the front, I rushed to pick it up, I just knew I had to read it. I really thought I’d finally found a book I could fully relate to.
However, to my surprise, while the novel explores beautiful South Asian culture, love and friendship, it also highlights many of its controversies. That said, one thing it does extremely well is capturing the chaos and messiness of family expectations and trust. The dynamics felt authentic, overwhelming, and very real, which made the story engaging.
As a fellow Bangladeshi, it was especially meaningful to read a story written by Sabina Khan. I hope books like this continue to challenge stereotypes, open up conversations, and create space for more freedom and representation in our communities. Keep up the good work — stories like this matter.
#SouthAsianStories #StepFamily #LGBTQ
#MakingMistakes
This is my first review don’t judge me too much😅 Despite starting this book in mid-2025, I’ve finally finished it! But that’s not a reflection of the book itself, but more so my personal struggles with reading. If anything, the fact that I powered through says a lot about the book.
They say not to judge a book by its cover, but I’m a sucker for a good title and a pretty cover. As soon as I saw the word Desi and a South Asian girl on the front, I rushed to pick it up, I just knew I had to read it. I really thought I’d finally found a book I could fully relate to.
However, to my surprise, while the novel explores beautiful South Asian culture, love and friendship, it also highlights many of its controversies. That said, one thing it does extremely well is capturing the chaos and messiness of family expectations and trust. The dynamics felt authentic, overwhelming, and very real, which made the story engaging.
As a fellow Bangladeshi, it was especially meaningful to read a story written by Sabina Khan. I hope books like this continue to challenge stereotypes, open up conversations, and create space for more freedom and representation in our communities. Keep up the good work — stories like this matter.
#SouthAsianStories #StepFamily #LGBTQ
#MakingMistakes
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