THANKS TO THE SIMONTEEN AND NETGALLEY FOR THIS EARLY COPY 

Who doesn't like a rom-com with rich culture? I am all about finding POC exploring their culture and finding love. Grand weddings are a bonus. I was so excited to read a book about Bangladesh's culture.

Habiba "Bibi" is a spoil brat. Her father Royal Fried Chicken is a successful food chain in the USA, so they are rich. Halima is her older sister, who is smart, pretty, independent, and all the other qualities a good desi daughter can have. She had her mind set on going to law school where she was accepted. So, it was a surprise when she announced that she wanted to get married to Sunny in Bangladesh and settled there, skipping the law school plan. Sunny's family is riches in Bangladesh and more traditional than Bibi's family. Bibi is dying to date, and this summer in Bangladesh allowed her to date with her parents' permission.

Okay, so the book had so much potential to explore culture beautifully, but it quickly fell as a secondary or tertiary thing. The author tried to tackle many topics, but it quickly turned into a messy, underdeveloped, and shallow narrative. She also kept introducing new half-baked characters like Pokemon and dropping them on the way to never mention them again. Everything was more about words than action. The characters were either annoying or completely selfish, especially the protagonist, Bibi. She didn't come across as sassy and funny but more disrespectful, self-absorbed, and selfish. There was supposed to be a good relationship with her sister, but I never felt that she kept hurting her. Though I agree with her reasoning, the way she tackled things was just naive. Her age and her actions also didn't match, at least make her 18-20, if she is just planning to get married to every other guy. The romance felt forced, with zero chemistry in all of the supposed couples. Haleema's character took a 360 turn and turned into a damsel in distress which doesn't make sense, but guess it was necessary so the story can proceed.

I also don't like this narrative in POC books, where MCs born and raised in the USA go back to their parent's homeland and instead of learning and respecting the traditions, tries to change everything. The author clearly made the other characters unlikeable so that Bibi could come off as some kind of hero with a “savior complex.” I agree, that there are several issues in different cultures but there certainly can be some middle ground or better way to navigate these problems.

I wrote this rant which means this book frustrated me a lot. I was hoping to find a cute rom-com instead I got the book with a desperate and spoiled teenager who thinks everyone is stupid.

I wanted to like this book i really did. A desi wedding set in bangladesh sounded amazing but unfortunately i was just disappointed. I think the whole story was kind of all over the place and that made it difficult for me to connect with the characters. Not to mention I didn't really appreciate some of the off handed comments made about Bangladesh. I'm sure the author did not mean anything by it but it rubbed me in the wrong way. I really appreciate more Bangladeshi authors writing about Bangladeshi characters and I also did enjoy the author's debut novel but this one just missed the mark for me.

4.5 stars!

This was such a fun and breezy read! It seems that no matter the mood I'm in, I'm always down to devour a YA romcom. Expect rich kid shenanigans, designer brand name drops, and mouthwatering descriptions of food. Exactly my cup of tea :)

Bibi is spoiled, yes, but she is so likeable that you can't help but root for her. She's confident, caring, and she loves hard— her familial relationships were one of my favourite parts about this book. The new friendships that Bibi made were also cute! And of course, her blooming romance with Sohel was just romcom perfection. Snarky at first, then sweet (also, obsessed with how the author described them as bratty fashionista x broody farm boy and fried chicken princess meets pretentious tea prince)! I loved the little messages they wrote to each other in Bibi's book of potential matches (The Great Big Book of Biodatas). I felt that both Bibi and Sohel were really well-written characters, as their motivations, dreams, and thoughts were realistic and understandable, so even when I disagreed with some of their actions, I could see where they were coming from.

Priyanka Taslim's writing is so gripping and the imagery in this book so vivid, which allowed me to immerse myself in the gorgeous setting of the tea garden. I also liked the discussion of the history of Bangladesh, especially with its relationship to tea, since that is a topic I know very little about. Again, I really loved the writing style, so I'll definitely check out 'The Love Match' when I can!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I cannot read this because it is not compatible with Kindle. But I am sure it's great! I love the cover and the synopsis.