A MATCH MADE IN MEHENDI

Just because Simran “Simi” Sangha is positive that she doesn’t want to pursue her family’s tradition of professional matchmaking doesn’t mean that she can’t use their wisdom to help her peers find love.

Punjabi American Simi and her best friend, Noah, are tired of blending into the background. Their sophomore year of high school they create a dating app based on knowledge that Simi’s family has gathered for three generations. When the app is a success, Simi and Noah, who is gay, suddenly become extraordinarily popular—and, even better, seem to be on the path to finding love themselves. Everything feels like it’s going perfectly until mean girl Amanda doesn’t get the match she wanted and, in retaliation, threatens everything that Simi and her family hold dear. It’s up to Simi to save their legacy—and decide if she wants to continue it herself. Simi is confident, principled, and unapologetic, and her voice glitters with optimism and honesty. The plot is fast paced and utterly readable, and Simi’s family is quirky and lovable without ever being stereotypical. Unfortunately, Simi and Noah’s nemesis, Amanda, is a two-dimensional villain, rendering the conflict between these teens an unfortunate distraction from the main story arc of Simi’s personal journey, which has a far more rewarding and believable conclusion. Noah and Amanda are white, and secondary characters are realistically diverse.

A sweet and quirky romance told by a protagonist who will steal readers’ hearts.