Two lifelong childhood best friends, fake dating, and trying to prove that maybe there might be something to fate. Madhuri Iyer and Arjun Mehta have been best friends... except Arjun has been in love with Madhuri for years. When theh both get their annual astrological reading, Madhuri is told that her year is doomed and so to prove that this is all nonsense she decides to fake date Arjun, the one boy she is sure she’ll never fall in love with to make sure that her destiny is her own making.... and yet what started off as fake is beginning to feel very real as she realizes that Arjun just might be the perfect boy for her. Madhuri comes up with the Kismat Experiment, just to prove that this is all a fake and that she can make her own destiny. Unfortunately this one didn’t really work out for me, I was super interested in the whole idea of astrological charts and the culture but then the actual relationship between Madjuri and Arjun just didn’t really work for me. Madhuri has been denying her feelings for so long but suddenly after making the pact she is in insta love with Arjun. I also felt like the writing was a bit disjointed and it felt like it didn’t flow all that well. Overall, despite it not working for me, maybe it’ll be a better read for someone else. This is a good book for fans of young adult romances with fake dating and friends to lovers tropes!

*Thanks Netgalley and Inkyard Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

As this title is published by Inkyard Press, an imprint of HarperCollins, I will be withholding my review of the title in support of the HarperCollins Union strike. I look forward to reviewing this title once HarperCollins has met the union at the bargaining table and agreed to a fair contract.

Let me start with a couple positives. I liked that every character aside from one side character was brown. I enjoyed the overall flow of this book and did find parts I liked a lot (especially anything with the younger sister in).
Now on to the parts are struggled with. I really tried hard to like Madhuri. I did. I was on board with her wanting to try to change fate. But I became lost and disconnected in how I felt she treated everyone else around her. To be honest I was a little relieved to see the story play out like it did.
I think a younger person would probably enjoy this especially if they are still in high school and haven’t figured out that you can’t control every single aspect of your life. Also I can find people who may resonate with her character liking the story as well. I am way to much of a passive person that I just roll with the punches and adjust accordingly. So I had a difficult time really getting to understand Madhuri.
Arjun made me want to slap him a couple times. But like I said early I was relieved to see how the whole story tied together in the end.

According to Madhuri Iyer’s astrological charts, she is going to have a very bad senior year to add to her family curse of marrying her first love. Determined to prove her stars wrong, Madhuri with the help of her childhood friend, Arjun devises a plan to date for one year and then break up. However Arjun already has feelings for Madhuri.

Arjun and Madhuri’s relationship is beautiful. As it grew from friends into something more by learning and accepting, it was a growth that was evident. I enjoyed reading about their growth in both their relationship with each other and those around them in the critical age of young adults.

Madhuri’s insecurities were very evident in this book. They are quite common and most relatable as I have experienced them myself. I enjoyed how they were woven into the story and were written realistically. Additionally, Arjun’s family situation was also very relatable and understandable. I might just have had a mix of their lives in my own life.

I felt that the plot went by fast. The scenarios building up to it were beautifully paced and I felt there was a lot of backstory or build up that could have happened. Madhuri’s feelings felt a little rushed given she hadn’t thought about Arjun in a romantic sense before. I wish we had more moments between them because they really were beautiful. They felt like watching a scene in Bollywood movies.

My only regret in this story was that I wished they noted that star charts are not always right. Even if read right by multiple people there can still be a mistake. This story made it feel like we can predict the future with astrology.

Overall it was a good story. There were parts I liked and enjoyed such as Madhuri’s insecurities that are very real and relatable, as well as the romance with beautiful Bollywood moments. However there were also parts I felt were slightly unbelievable. Definitely a good romance read with a lot of culture, diversity and acceptance.

I'll start off by saying that I'm desi, so I'm the right target audience for this book. I was thrilled to have received the arc and I'm still happy that I read this, but it just didn't work out for me as I thought it might.

For one thing, I just want to know how a book can be called 'Kismat Connection' and not reference Atif Aslam (more so than the actual actors in the movie)? Ananya Devarajan, girl, we're going to have some words about this. But jokes aside, I think my main criticism with the story is that it read a bit juvenile and inauthentic. These characters did not seem real and Arjun, especially, was made to be too perfect. I just didn't buy it, ultimately.

Astrology, not so subtle social commentary, flawed yet loveable main characters AND brown characters without white love interests! YUP this is representation without tokenization

This was a pretty cute and typical YA fake dating trope book.

I really liked the Indian representation and think more books like these are really good for the YA community to read. I think the culture was represented in a well and accurate way, the author even identifying and conquering certain harmful stereotypes.

In all, I feel like I've read a lot of books like this before. Fake dating seems to be a common trope in current books starring characters of color, but I liked this one nonetheless and would recommend to teens looking for a sweet and cute read.

thank you to netgalley and inkyard press for providing me with an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

i wanted to love this book so much, i even forced myself to finish it in hopes that it would turn out to be good in the end. sadly, it didn’t.

kismat connection tells a story about a family curse and a girl determined to break it. according to her curse, madhuri iyer is doomed to a happily ever after with her FIRST boyfriend and also her upcoming senior year is set to be a complete failure. to prove everyone wrong madhuri starts a relationship with one person she knows she’ll never fall in love with: arjun mehta, her childhood best friend. what could go wrong?

the answer is everything. throughout the whole book we are only being told about what’s happening but it’s never shown. there was no development, neither in the characters nor in the plot. the fake dating lasted five seconds, i swear. madhuri and arjun are friends and arjun has feelings for madhuri that are unrequited. but, we get an insta love out of nowhere. their dialogue was so unnatural and something that no teen would say nowadays. it felt strained and i cringed the whole time. it’s obvious that the author tried a little too hard. i just couldn’t find one likeable character in this book and at that point i should’ve just given up on it completely.

the one good part and the one i actually enjoyed is the exploration of culture and astrology. literally the only thing that held my attention.

this book tried to address important issues and topics but then again i didn’t care enough for it to make a difference.

to conclude, this book was not my cup of tea but some people might like it more than i did. my advice is to read for yourself and decide.

Before I start my review I want to acknowledge that while Inkyardpress and other imprints under Harlequin are not a part of the Harpercollins Union every other imprint is and it’s important to hold your reviews!

4.25/5 ⭐️

Oh my god this was the cutest, I loved it so much. Madhuri is strong-willed and a bit of a control freak especially when it comes to her prophecy. I could feel her pain every time she felt her life was slipping throughout her fingers and it hurt that she would take it out on Arjun. But her character development was *chef’s kiss* I think my favorite part of her development was when she started doing Bharatanatyam again.

And Arjun, he was so down bad for Madhuri it was both a little concerning and very adorable. His relationship with his mom was so heartbreaking. You can really see how his actions and the way he clung to people was a trauma response to his mom not being there for him. I was so glad he was able to have Madhuri’s family support him. The whole family had such a sweet bond with him and I was obsessed. And I was so glad at the of the novel that he was able to make the right decisions for himself and start healing.

And the relationship between Madhuri and Arjun was so cute I just about melted. You could really tell just how deeply they cared for each other and how their friendship made their romantic relationship more comfortable. I do wish they were just a touch more slow-burn but that’s completely a personal preference.

The book did let be down a little bit with the writing. It was done really well and the author did such a good job portraying each characters emotions and decisions. At times though the writing felt a bit disjointed, like they didn’t all flow together right. That might have just been because I was tired though.

Overall this was fantastic and you should definitely keep an eye out for it when it comes out in June.

There's something truly enchanting about KISMAT CONNECTION, whether we are talking about Ananya's words, the incredibly well-developed characters, or the themes you can find in this book. I was totally swept away and can't wait for other readers to experience this beautiful story in June!

Madhuri Iyer is determined to outwit destiny. After receiving a star chart that is in opposition to her dreams, she decides to pull a fast one on fate by entering an experimental relationship with her best friend Arjun. Problem is, Arjun's feelings for her at not experimental at all. A very cute, YA debut romance that's full of heart. Definitely recommend!

This is a really cute book about what happens when you try to mess with fate and it doesn't go as planned. Madhuri is determined to prove the stars and her mother wrong by not falling for her first boyfriend. Her plan is to choose her childhood best friend to play the part of her boyfriend. Now what could go wrong with that? This may be her first mistake in proving her fate wrong. A quick read that leaves you feeling good. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a beautiful heart warming read. With emphases on found family, identity struggles (living in the western world as a person of colour) friends to lovers and more. I don’t know what I was expecting when I read this but I wasn’t expecting it to resonate so much in me.

The MCs were a treat to read. Their romance was gorgeous and they fit each other so well. I also really appreciate how the author didn’t depict them as completely perfect for one another, the other had flaws or things that stopped them from being a better partner.

Madhuri struggles a lot in this book. With wanting to be in charge of her future and not believing in the astrology her mother does believe in, you can see she feels stuck. She struggles heavily with her identity as an Indian woman living in the western world and due to bullying cannot understand how her sister Raina so easily accepts it. You can see Madhuri wants in to embrace her culture but is scared. It doesn’t help that now her culture has become a trend.

The found family that Arjun finds is so beautiful. I couldn’t help but root for him this entire book. He has an old soul. He deserves the world too. I appreciate how the author shows that blood isn’t always family, and that family can come from anyone and consist of people who love you and who you love back. The two of them together have so much happiness and calmness, it was just so pure. They balance each other out quite well.

This book was so beautifully written. I truly loved reading it. I found myself both smiling, giggling and also feeling incredibly sad. Highly recommend to all readers.

This was cute!

Arjun is in love with his best friend since childhood, Madhuri, who of course has no idea of his feelings. Her mother reads Arjun his horoscope at the beginning of the school year - he will succeed in everything but be let down by a woman close to him. He is unsettled, but not as much as Madhuri is when she hears her fate.

Every woman in Madhuri's family has ended up with the first man they ever dated. Things will be no different for Madhuri, who is also destined to fail academically, which is just as horrifying for her. So she comes up with a plan: If she can disprove just one part of this prediction, she won't have to worry about the rest. The easiest option for her is to date someone temporarily and break up later. So she chooses Arjun, because he's the last guy on earth who would ever truly fall for her (her words). She does let Arjun in on the plan, and he agrees with a secret plan of his own: he'll be such a great boyfriend that Madhuri won't want to break up at the end of the experiment.

I had some minor issues with the plot and some of the dialogue, but if you don't think about it too closely, this is a good read. Lots of great details about their culture were woven in, and I felt like these kids were so realistic and likeable. Was it a literary masterpiece? Nope, but it was a cute YA romance with good cultural representation and it did a great job of that.

Thanks to Inkyard Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Charming is a good word for it-- it's the fake dating trope with Indian main characters who have grown up with one another and are trying to prove the universe wrong. Is it truly written in the stars? Arjun and Madhuri are in their last year, awaiting college acceptance letters and working toward graduation. They lean on one another and make it an "official" relationship after several readings say specific things about the future of both of their lives and romances.

It's just a waiting game for them to realize that they're supposed to be together. But there's a well-roundedness to stories like Madhuri's friendships and Arjun's broken relationship with his mother. His lacrosse and her expectations.

It's with a heavy heart that I write this as South Asian representation is important to me and this is a marginalized author's debut novel but Inkyard Press, the publisher of this book, is a subsidiary of Harper Collins. I unequivocally support the union and as such, I will be withholding my review until HC employees are paid a livable wage and union demands are met.

When I put my eyes on this cover, I fell in love with it. Ananya Devarajan created an amazing and beautiful love story. Kismat Connection is a really cute friend to lovers book. It made me smile so many times. Madhuri and Arjun’s love story starts from friendship and astrology! Isn't it soo cute?! Technically, this story exists only thanks to her mom who is obsessed with astrology! Sometimes I can read some articles about it! I love to read about different cultures, it is always so atmospheric and interesting. Here you can find colorful and amazing India. Also, in this book you can find ambitions, emotions, love, feeling, wonderful friends, beautiful language and pretty girls and boys. It was marvelous reading for this cold evenings, I found warm love and enjoyed it.

Finally, I love this book.

Thank you to Inkyard Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

Kismat Connection is told from the perspectives of Madhuri Iyer and Arjun Mehta, two Indian-Americans who are childhood best friends. After Madhuri develops an experimental relationship with Arjun to demonstrate the existence of her free will, she starts questioning the importance of the experiment after she begins to develop romantic feelings for the boy she didn't expect to fall for.

I was really looking forward to reading this book after finding out what it was about, and even more so when I saw the cover, but unfortunately the story and the writing did not keep me invested. I thought the romance was underdeveloped and while the concept of an experimental relationship sounded fun, I felt like this made it seem like there would be more fake dating than what was presented. However, I think this book does well at highlighting Madhuri’s feelings about herself and the journey she undergoes towards accepting her culture. Since the story is also told from Arjun's perspective, this book offers varying ways the main characters embrace their culture and identity. While I didn't find Kismat Connection to be very engaging, I believe it will appeal more to younger audiences and other readers might find more aspects to resonate with.

First of all, this cover. THIS COVER. Need I say more? Okay, I will.

This was such a cute read! As an Indian girl who loves to see representation in literature, this was quite literally what I have been aching for. Madhuri & Arjun have left an imprint on my heart that is not going to leave anytime soon. This friends-to-lovers story will have you swooning at the connection, begging for them to accept their love and be together. I loved how the author brings culture into the story, and makes it seem so effortless.

I normally don't read YA, but this cover & the representation just called me. I had to!! So cute.

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Arjun and Madhuri have been best friends for years, and Arjun has been in love with Madhuri for more than half of them. Not willing to compromise their friendship, he accepts any of Madhuri's attention. When Madhuri asks him to help break her family curse, through an experimental relationship with an end date, he can’t help but say yes. Along the way, Madhuri starts to see him as something more. With the deadline coming up for the end of their expment, will Madhuri listen to her heart or her head?

I liked the exploration of Arjun's and Madhuri's cultures. They both felt differently about the culture, and embraced it in different wayw. We also take a look at the casual racism they face. The racism in this book was shown with minor-aggressions, and insults to their culture. This is important, as in this day and age racism has become much more subtle. The author expertly showed how certain cultures will become a “trend,” and no longer seen as the livelihood and heritage of certain people groups. These are important topics that we need to see addressed in books.

This book tried to include too much in the beginning. We were told, rather than shown, that Arjun and Madhuri are best friends. There was no build-up, so I didn’t feel like the stakes were raised when they entered the relationship. We were told about how much Arjun loves his culture, and how much Madhuri’s embarrassed by it. There is this conflict between Arjun and his mother, who was absent in his life, but in our first interaction with her, she was apologizing and wanting to fix their relationship. Same thing with some of the past interactions our main characters had, that really shaped the teenagers they grew into. These interactions were glossed over, and we were told that they had an emotional impact instead of actually feeling the pain and shame they felt.

This book was a quick, light read, that still addressed some serious issues. Even though there were certain aspects I did not like, I still think this was a cute read.

(review will be posted to GoodReads on December 20, 2022, and reshared closer to release date)