Kismat Connection

by Ananya Devarajan

Overview

"A warm, feel good read." —Ali Hazelwood, New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis

“A gorgeous debut." —Christina Lauren, New York Times bestselling authors of The Unhoneymooners

In this charming YA debut, a girl who’s determined to prove her star chart wrong ropes her longtime best friend into an experimental relationship—not knowing that he has been in love with her for years.

Is it possible to change your fate?

Madhuri Iyer is doomed. Doomed for her upcoming senior year to be a total failure, according to her astrology-obsessed mother, and doomed to a happily ever after with her first boyfriend, according to her family curse.

Determined to prove the existence of her free will, Madhuri devises an experimental relationship with the one boy she knows she’ll never fall for: her childhood best friend, Arjun Mehta. But Arjun’s feelings for her are a variable she didn’t account for.

As Madhuri starts to fall for her experimental boyfriend, she’ll have to decide if charting her own destiny is worth breaking Arjun’s heart—and her own.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781335453686
Publisher:	Inkyard Press
Publication date:	06/13/2023
Edition description:	Original
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	130,510
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.30(h) x 2.10(d)
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

Ananya Devarajan is the author of Kismat Connection. She is a medical student at the Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine in Middletown, New York. Like the majority of her characters, she is a second-generation Indian American young adult. Her love for storytelling began on Wattpad, where she grew her audience as a Featured Author, and she later went on to win first place in TeenPit 2019. In her free time, she can be found watching her favorite Bollywood movies or studying for yet another Anatomy exam. ananyadevarajan.com

Editorial Reviews

"Kismat Connection is a joyful tale about the journeys we take to find romantic love, build our friendships, and celebrate our communities. A warm, feel good read, and a stunning debut." —Ali Hazelwood, New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis

"There’s something about a headstrong girl and a soft boy who falls first that is my book kryptonite, and Kismat Connection has it all and then some. A gorgeous debut about self-acceptance, love, and finding your own path." —Christina Lauren, New York Times bestselling authors of The Unhoneymooners

"Kismat Connection's nuanced approach to Desi destiny shows that Ananya Devarajan is an author to watch." —Award-winning author Nisha Sharma

"Ananya Devarajan affectionately explores the complexities of the Indian American experience in this wholesome celebration of family, cultural pride, and first love. A heartfelt debut." —Michelle Quach, author of Not Here to Be Liked

"A romantic read celebrating love, self-acceptance, and familial ties." —Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

2023-05-24
A story centering intense and heartfelt family dynamics.

Arjun Mehta has been in love with best friend Madhuri Iyer since they were 13. As senior year begins, the duo sit down for their annual astrological reading by Madhuri’s mom. Apparently, Arjun is going to have a year filled with successes in “education, athletics, and love.” Madhuri, however, struggles against the prediction that this year she’ll “crash and burn.” She also resents the prophecy that says the women in her family will marry the first person they fall in love with; to her, it feels like a curse stopping her from having casual fun with dating. Madhuri hatches an experiment about kismat, or fate: She and Arjun will date until June, proving Madhuri is in charge of her own destiny. Only, their feelings deepen even as Arjun deals with his frequently absent divorced mother, who now makes occasional forays into establishing a relationship, and Madhuri struggles to embrace Indian culture in the face of internalized shame resulting from bullying by former friends. Strongly portrayed family dynamics add depth and tension to Arjun and Madhuri’s romance, although the pace of this debut is at times too slow and characters’ feelings are often spelled out for readers with a heavy hand. However, the cast members are a joy to spend time with, and the familial and romantic subplots intertwine beautifully.

A romantic read celebrating love, self-acceptance, and familial ties. (Romance. 13-18)

Kirkus Reviews

A warm, feel good read.”

New York Times bestselling author Ali Hazelwood