Better Catch Up, Krishna Kumar

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Author(s)

Anahita Karthik

Publisher

Harper Collins

Genre(s)

Age Range

13+

Release Date

January 27, 2026

ISBN

978-0063341142

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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 and Jenny Han!

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.

But when 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 Amrit, 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 yet irresistibly hot and charming Rudra, who everyone knows is unrequitedly in love with Priti, Krishna realizes her heart better catch up to her head before she skips right past her first kiss and falls directly into her first heartbreak.

Editor review

1 review

Funny and Sweet Rom Com

April 15, 2026 (Updated: June 23, 2026)

Overall rating

4.3

Plot

4.0

Characters

5.0

Writing Style

4.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

N/A

In Better Catch Up, Krishna Kumar, you are along Krishna’s journey across India to get her first kiss. She’s spent all summer in India flirting with her neighbor, Amrit, and now she’s to return home without getting a kiss from him. Her flight gets delayed, though, and she finds that Amrit is still interested in her, so she gets the help of her cousin, now nemesis, Priti. She can’t do this without her since Priti’s best friend, Rudra, is the only one she knows who has a car. The three of them set off on a road trip to crash a wedding and save Krishna’s summer, but along the way, it seems that Krishna is developing feelings for Rudra, and things couldn’t be any worse. Will Krishna get her first kiss?

What I Liked: The setting of this book is well done and gives you glimpses of India by providing us with strong descriptions of Mumbai and pop culture references. The book also includes Indian languages translated into English at various points, which helps immerse you into the cultural aspects of this story.

Throughout this whole book, it feels like you are in the car with Priti, Krishna, and Rudra, and it sure is one wild ride. Each moment is thrilling and you can’t wait to see what the three of them will get up to next. During moments of tension, the book's pacing quickens as we need to know how things are resolved.

Rudra’s feelings for Krishna are apparent from the moment that he is introduced, so it’s funny as Krishna is insistent that he likes Priti. The slow-burning relationship that develops between Krishna and Rudra is sweet and will have you shouting at the book for them to just kiss already.

The relationship that Rudra and Priti have is beautiful, and it's heartwarming to see how one defends the other and only wants the best for each other. As you read on and more information is revealed, it's refreshing to see how they have each other’s interest at heart and the love that they have for each other.

Final Verdict: Better Catch Up, Krishna Kumar is a sweet, charming rom-com that’s perfect for fans of Becky Albertalli’s books. Young adults ages 13 and up will relate to Krishna who is nervous about her first kiss but also longing to have the experience that other girls her age have had.