Arya Khanna's Bollywood Moment

ARYA KHANNA'S BOLLYWOOD MOMENT is a cute YA contemporary rom-com about family, friendship, and falling in love. Arya is excited and anxious about her big sister, Alina, being home and planning her wedding. This is mostly because Alina basically disappeared for three years due to a falling out with their mother. Arya wants everything to go smoothly and for all relationships to be repaired- a task that is increasingly daunting.

At the same time, she is balancing her job at a bookshop and school, where she was elected as VP when she lost the presidency to the athlete and her rival, Dean. Considering the previous year's seniors slacked on the fundraisers, they need to come up with a plan to make the famous school dance work - and fast. Forced to work with Dean, Arya finds herself reevaluating their long-standing rivalry and considering the person who Dean actually is, discovering that there is more to him than she previously considered.

What I loved: This was a high school drama that delves deep into relationships and their complexities. Arya is an over-achiever, but she is learning that it's tough to over-achieve when it comes to those she cares about. Her mother seems to be grappling with depression or something similar, and her mother and sister's relationship has impacted her own relationships with both. Arya is stuck in the middle and eager to find a way to make things go well leading up to the wedding. Beyond family, Arya is also struggling with her two best friends, whose break up was less than amiable. Hurt feelings are making it tough for their trio to remain as such, and Arya's desire to keep their friendship group as it was is impossible.

Then, there is the romance. It was slow-building with a rivals-to-dating element that worked well. The characters discuss Pride and Prejudice in the course of the story, and it definitely has parallels to this story, which make it shine all the more for it. I loved the way the romance built, and it was easy to cheer for them together. While the story is told from Arya's point-of-view, some key, candid conversations between them give the reader insight into Dean as well.

Arya is a compelling character, who is juggling a lot - and not always smoothly. During the course of her senior year, she is learning about people and her role in her relationships - and those between the people around her. Her path isn't smooth, but it felt all the more genuine for it.

What left me wanting more: As a small thing, the book felt a bit slow in the middle, as there are some stretches with details that don't much advance the overarching plot. Additionally, the ending felt a bit fast, but it did focus on the key relationship conflicts that have evolved during the course of the story.

Final verdict: ARYA KHANNA'S BOLLYWOOD MOMENT is a cute and charming YA contemporary that will work well for readers who enjoy rivals-to-dating relationships, complex family and friendship dynamics, and heartfelt character development.

In New Jersey, Arya's older sister Alina is getting married to Nikil, and there are huge amounts of preparations being made. Since the family is Indian, there is a wide array of different parties that are expected to be held, including engagement parties. Since Arya is expected to attend all of these, they sometimes get in the way of her high school career. She has good friends, Lisa and Andy, but things have been weird with the three ever since Lisa and Andy dated briefly but then broke up. She also works at Belle's Bookshop, and is involved in student government, although she is upset that Dean Merriweather is president. The two have a rather fraught relationship, and Arya just finds him pushy and annoying. The senior class has to plan a formal, but don't have much money, so are trying to fund raise so that the don't have to use the school for the dance. Arya finds out that Alina might be moving to California after the wedding, and her mother is very depressed, so things are upsetting at home AND at school. The more Arya has to work with Dean, however, the more she finds herself annoying attracted to him. Will Arya be able to maintain her friendships with Lisa and Andy, get the senior formal planned, and survive her sister's wedding.