Pinky Kumar is ready to take on the world, starting with whatever social justice cause she can get her hands on first. Samir Jha is content to follow his plan in corporate law. When the latter's internship falls through and Pinky needs to prove to her parents she is capable of making good choices, Pinky invites Samir to play her boyfriend for the duration of their coastal summer vacation. Fans of the fake-dating plot with a pinch of the hate-to-love trope will celebrate Menon's (Of Curses and Kisses, 2020) new novel, set in the When Dimple Met Rishi universe. Stocked with Menon's staple impassioned and contrary young woman lead, the narrative takes readers along Pinky and Samir's romance with a secondary plot demonstrating the power of activism performed by young people. Highly relevant for today's teen readers, this book will no doubt be a hit both with Menon's existing fans and new ones attracted by familiar plot elements paired with fresh humor, including a possum that plays dead.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Many of best-seller Menon's fans fell in love with When Dimple Met Rishi, and they'll be eager to return to that universe through this book.

In this companion to When Dimple Met Rishi (2017), two frenemies fake-date their way through summer vacation.Pinky Kumar wears her social justice warrior badge with pride. Her mother, though, is not here for her brand of unapologetic do-gooding. Affronted after another false judgement by her mother, Pinky impulsively makes up a fake, respectable boyfriend and reaches out to the boy who fits the bill: Samir Jha. A friend of a friend, Samir is the total opposite of Pinky's "Ms. Counterculture." Stranded in D.C. after a prized law internship fell through, Pinky's dating scheme offers Samir the opportunity to extend his time away from home and get an in with Pinky's well-regarded lawyer mom. As Pinky and Samir spend more time with each other, the line between fake and real blurs. But will her "chaotic energy" ultimately clash with his careful order? While romance is at the forefront, Menon explores issues of social pressure, identity, environmentalism, and more. Much of the turbulence stems not from the tribulations of a fauxmance but from parent-child discord. Told in alternating voices, transitions are seamless, and major conflicts and minor loose ends are resolved neatly and in quick succession. Self-aware of its rom-com tropes, the novel delivers to fans of the genre with self-assuredness and heart. Pinky and Samir are Indian American; Pinky's stepfather is Chinese American, and her biracial (Indian/white) cousin, Dolly, has had both girlfriends and boyfriends.A layered, entertaining, contemporary rom-com. (Romance. 13-18)

Gr 9 Up-Pinky Kumar and her family are spending the summer at a vacation home on Cape Cod with her relatives. As stresses increase between Pinky and her mother, Pinky wonders if her parents would prefer her to be more like her cousin Dolly. With all the demands, Pinky insists that she has a perfect boyfriend back home who has transformed her from reckless to responsible. Meanwhile, Pinky's frenemy Samir is everything her parents would want in a son-in-law, and she persuades him to spend the summer with her family as her pretend beau. This story is a layered mix of emotion and merriment, with an entire cast of Desi characters. Pinky and Samir have fleshed-out personalities that are relatable. Pinky is stubborn and strong-minded, resolute to be a dissenting voice in the world when her parents don't fully support her. The friendship between Pinky and Samir stimulates the story with touching charm, and that is where the heart of the novel resonates. VERDICT Fans of Menon's other books, especially When Dimple Met Rishi , will not be disappointed.Annisha Jeffries, Cleveland P.L.