RADHA AND JAI’S RECIPE FOR ROMANCE by Nisha Sharma
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Radha was one dance away from winning the international kathak dance championship when her world turned upside down. Her mother was having an affair with one of the judges. Not only did that call all of Radha’s dance achievements into question, but it meant that her family was breaking up. Life as she knew it was over.
After a difficult semester dealing with her parents divorce, Radha and her mother move from Chicago to New Jersey. Radha’s mother agrees to pay for her college tuition next year, under one condition: that Radha enroll and complete all of the requirements for a dance track at a prestigious performing arts high school. Radha agrees, but secretly plans to find a way out of the performance requirement. She lost all her dance joy last winter when everything fell apart. But Radha didn’t count on meeting Jai, a skilled Bollywood dancer with a heap of his own family drama. As Radha and Jai’s friendship deepens, they each realize that the decisions they each thought were best for themselves and their families might put their relationship in jeopardy. Can they overcome the obstacles to connect with their inner joy–and each other?
A sweet, fun romance with a healthy dose of drama and heart. Relationships are key as Radha learns to relate to both of her parents individually while Jai learns to accept his family’s support and let go of his need to take care of everyone around him whether they want it or not. A great pick for fans of contemporary YA romance.
Susan the Librarian 