A stunning, slow-burn sapphic romance between Rani and Meghna.

.This book is filled with feminism and emotions. I loved the immersion into Bengali culture through the perspectives of both characters, as well as how they individually approached that. While Rani was more embedded in the Bengali community, her perspective actually felt more like it was the background, perfectly encapsulating how our lived culture is so normal to us that we don't take as much notice of it. Meanwhile, Meghna strove for more Bengali culture in her life, and you could feel the hurt and yearning behind it.

The romance doesn't really hit until the last third of the book, which is why I describe this as slow-burn. Their friendship and chemistry is steadily built up before then.

I also loved Zakkariyah. He's awful, but he made a great antagonist while also beng just an ordinary person. Albeit a cheater, but so realistic.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

As is the case with the author’s other books, I LOVED this one! I thought the science competition background was a lovely touch and really started to root for the characters throughout (except for Zak. He knows what he did.). I also loved hearing about the characters’ backgrounds growing up, and all the mention of food made me hungry because it sounded really good! This was a really fun read and perfect for teens (or older readers as well!).

Rani Choudhury Must Die is another stellar YA contemporary romance from a master of the genre. It is filled with love, particularly the type that comes from self-acceptance and empowerment.

Adiba Jaigirdar is constantly raising the bar for YA contemporaries and doing it flawlessly at that. Every single one of her books is a home-run, ultimately full of joy and love. This was another smash-hit sapphic YA contemporary story that found a place in my heart. I fell head over heels for the pitch of a sapphic YA take on John Tucker Must Die, with plenty of STEM elements and ultimately a message of empowerment. Books like this are so vital for bringing a smidgeon of happiness into your day. They remind you of the wonder of romance, but also highlight how important learning to be happy with yourself is first.

As usual, the characterisation was stellar. Meghna and Rani instantly snuck into my heart. Jaigirdar captures that teenage voice so well, particularly in being caught up in their own bubble of the world and that occasional tendency to exaggerate a situation to comical lengths. There is just a balance of tone that is always perfectly done. They feel relatable and lovable, albeit with flaws that make them human and allow them to develop over the course of the novel. They are both facing their own pressures, driven by expectations of those around them and those that they load onto themselves. It is achingly authentic. They are given space to just breathe on the page, amidst the drama unfolding around them. I loved their rivalry, which was pretty one-sided, as this injected plenty of drama and humour into the narrative. That comedy is executed really well and adds a sense of levity at time. It is that classic rom-com wish of just wanting two people to communicate their feelings and tackle them head-on.

I always love that Jaigirdar’s writing tackles important topics head-on and with a respect for her audience. In featuring this central rivalry so strongly, she is also examining the way women are often pitted against each other, amplified by colourism and classism in this case. She dismantles that old sexist trope of two women battling for a man’s heart and instead interrogates the actions of the man who has been manipulating two women for his own benefit. It intersects with issues around religion, race and class, all of which are explored with sensitivity and nuance by Jaigirdar. These are not topics that are explored in most YA too often and they are important to address, especially for other young Meghnas and Ranis out there. Jaigirdar continues to deliver stellar stories that contain such impactful representation. These books are unafraid to tackle tough topics, while also delivering romances that hit that sweet spot in your heart.

The evolving dynamic between Meghna and Rani is delectable, filled with plenty of great banter and chemistry. You cannot help but root for them to reconnect and maybe take their old friendship to a new space. Jaigirdar consistently writes romances that feel like the best rom-coms you’ve seen. She has a way of using familiar tropes in unexpected ways. Her books feel like the greatest type of romance films and fill your heart with joy. You watch these characters encounter issues along the way, as the path to true love never did run smooth. I appreciate how her books centre self-love and acceptance, in order to actually then be able to find someone to love. It is a brilliant message for readers, to love themselves first before putting their all into a romantic partner.

Rani Choudhury Must Die is a ray of sunshine on a dark winter’s day. It is bold, brilliant and filled with powerful messages and swoonworthy romance.

Jaigirdar uses a very similar plot to The Dos and Donuts in her latest novel. Meghna and Rani are sworn frenemies in this familiar tale of a bright Bengali girl who enters a tough competition and finds that the best way to succeed is to team up with her once-bestie-now-nemesis in order to beat their shared enemy.

Jaigirdar's writing is light and conversational, which will be relatable and accessible to its teen audience. She is a stalwart of inclusivity, which means that there is representation galore; Lesbian, non-binary, questioning-possibly-bi/poly, and of course the issue of racial prejudice and colourism within the Bangladeshi community is a constant presence. This makes RCMD a fun and heart-warming sapphic rom-com with deeper messages and therefore a great choice for conscientious readers. The inclusion of the Bengali community, especially the sometimes intrusive aunties, will feel relatable to desi readers, but also to any teen with overbearing parents and a nosy extended family.

Well worth having and will be popular as part of an LGBTQ+ collection. I can see this having the most shelf appeal with years 8 - 10. It is suitable for that age group too; although Meghna and Rani are 17, there is no discussion of anything 12/13 year olds won't already be familiar with.

Thanks to Hodder and Netgalley for the digital ARC.

4.5 stars

Thank you Hachette Children's Group, Hodder Children's Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

I was extremely excited to read Adiba Jaigirdar's new book. I've read some of her books and I had such high expectations. It definitely hit that mark.

Loved the characters so much! The story was wonderful. I had a great time reading the different relationships between the characters.

I can't wait to read more of Adiba Jaigirdar's books!

What a wonderful read! I loved Meghna and Rani as characters and thought they were absolutely fabulous. This felt like such a cosy read and I very much needed it. The film John Tucker Must Die is one of my staple childhood films so when I heard about this book I was hooked! This felt like a romcom in the best of ways and now I want to go back and watch all of the 90s/early 2000s ones that I enjoyed.

I thought the pacing was fabulous and once I started I found it very difficult to put down. I've enjoyed both of the other Adiba Jaigirdar books that I've read and I can pretty much say that she's now an auto-buy author for me. I will definitely be recommending this.

Also the cover art is gorgeous!

Adiba Jaigirdar is honestly probably my favourite writer when it comes to YA sapphic stories. She always manages to capture so well how everything at this age feels like the biggest tragedy while making the characters feel realistic and the romance sweet. This book is no exception.

Meghna and Rani used to be friends but then Meghna's family found themselves in a bad situation and when the community turned their backs on them Meghna never could move past that. Now Meghna keeps trying to compete against Rani but Rani is constantly better than her at everything. And everything comes to boil when Meghna discovers her boyfriend has been cheating on her with Rani.

I've recently discussed how hard it is to make enemies to lovers work in a modern setting story because it's hard for such an antagonistic relationship to turn into anything more. But it works so well in this story, mostly because of the great writing but also because they are just teenagers and it's easy to understand how overblown certain things might feel and the author definitely plays that aspect up.

I think my one complaint would be that when the main characters work on a project together it's brought up really late in the story how the spying aspect of the project is really bad. At the end of the day though it's just a plot device so it didn't bother me that much.

It was a really enjoyable sapphic love story and you could really see the relationship building between these two girls in the sweetest ways.

Such a great read for any YA reader, a beautiful queer story and a great plot! Thank you so much @netgalley for giving me my copy in exchange for an honest review

"We can enter the European Young Scientist Exhibition as a team." "That would show him, right? These two girls who he's been lying to this whole time, playing with, but he can't even beat us. He would hate that."

Rani Choudhury Must Die
By Adiba Jaigirdar
Genres: YA, contemporary, fiction, romance
4/5⭐️

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for this eARC.


This is a novel about two friends-turned-rivals who realise that they share a boyfriend and decide to get revenge on him by winning a massive science competition together, falling in love with each other along the way.

When we first meet our first protagonist, the impulsive and creative Meghna, she is meeting with her then-boyfriend Zak. This opening chapter paints her as a character who hates to think badly of others, as she brushes aside Zak’s lack of enthusiasm about her project. While she is furious at his cheating on her, she quickly sets her sights on revenge. Of the two protagonists, she’s the one who wanted to defeat Zak the most.


Throughout the book, we watch her try to beat Rani, only to find herself catching feelings as they become friends again, after five years of no contact after rumours about Meghna’s family caused most of their community to turn their backs on them, including Rani’s parents.

The first thing we learn about Rani is that she always succeeds, at least to the eyes of Meghna, whose parents seem to praise Rani at every turn. However, she had her own struggles, such as a mother who dictated what clothing and makeup she wore, and her parents’ assumptions that she and Zak would one day marry, despite her having no romantic interest in him.  She was clearly a very brave character, deciding to put her language app aside to create the totally new C.A.T app with Meghna.



Both protagonists had their own unique personalities and voices, it was easy to distinguish between their perspectives. They were such lovable characters, and I did find myself invested in their story.

One thing that often annoys me in rivals-to-lovers romances is when the characters aren't actual rivals. Fortunately, this was not the case here. For the first half of the book, Rani and Meghna bickered and disagreed about a variety of topics. In fact, it takes 27 chapters for even a hint of romance to bloom. It was so wonderful to watch the trust they had for each other grow, their romantic feelings subtly slipping in. However, I did feel like there was something missing that I can’t quite put my finger on.



From the first time we meet Zak onwards, I wanted to punch him. In the opening chapter, Meghna was clearly so excited to be chosen for the science competition and he tries to get her to back out, making her think it's because he cares when it's very evident to us readers that he's hiding something. The way he spoke about both girls behind their backs was disgusting. I hated how Rani's family adored him and ignored their brilliant daughter and her achievements. I’m glad we didn’t get to hear about his project in the finals, he didn’t deserve the attention of us readers, or of the two amazing girls he obviously didn’t care about.

The concept of Rani and Meghna’s ‘Catch A Two-Timer’ (C.A.T) app was interesting, though I did wonder why their teachers allowed an app revolving around tracking others’ online activity through downloading it without their permission to be entered in the competition, due to the ethics around spying on people.



When I read YA books set in Ireland, I'm always startled to find settings I'm familiar with, especially when the protagonists were in the same year as myself, at the same time of year as it is now. My school doesn't partake in the Young Scientist Exhibition, but in the last year of primary school we visited the RDS to see all the epic projects. It was very cool to read about characters partaking in it, though it was disappointing that the girls were the only females of colour at the European finals, and the only all-female group. It shone a light on the lack of diversity in STEM, even in 2024.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. As with Jaigirdar’s previous works, I highly recommend it to those interested in the genres. It’s quite a light, easy-to-read book. I will definitely consider purchasing a physical copy, as the book was released on the 14th of November 2024.



TWs: misogyny, racism, sexism, toxic relationship, gaslighting, infidelity

Queer rep:
Sapphic protagonists
Nonbinary sc
Lesbian sc

Adiba Jaigirdar has done it again!
Honestly this is just the cutest read and one for the STEM girlies. It full of friendship, banter, the toxic patriarchy (boo) and the fight for a women's rightful place in STEM.
The book really highlights the effects a patriarchal society has on women relationships, how they view other women and are frequently pitted against each other, in mindless rivalries. It also shows the wonderful side of friendships/relationships that can be made after that rivalry is overcome or put aside, which I adored.

I love this book!!! I’ll be honest it did take a while for me to get in cause I was just so eager to get to the revenge part, but in the end I rated this book 5 stars. I was so eager for Rani and Meghna to realise their feeling to each other and in the end it was so rewarding. As much as this is a romance I really appreciated the familial aspects of this book and I think a lot of South Asians will relate to it.

I liked this so much better than A Million to One. This book excited me where All For One disappointed me. It drew me in where A Million to One left me unengaged. I loved the story, I loved the characters and I loved the whole plot. The romance felt like a minor thing against the bigger plot, but honestly that was okay for me. I felt like these characters didn’t need a huge love story. The important part was them coming back into each other’s lives after being apart so long.

I loved the fact that this was centred on Women in Stem and showed school girls engaging in science and coding. It’s also addressed not only the lack of girls in these fields, but also the diversity with the characters being the only POC in the competition. I loved how it highlighted then Bengali identity through their projects as well as through the relationships with their parents in the story.

I love a revenge plot especially if it’s two girls who are getting revenge on a guy who cheated. This was that but with Sapphic love as a bonus. Though it didn’t have the heat that I like from Enemies to Lovers, I really enjoyed the way the plot went.

Definitely want to read more from this author now I’ve found a book I like!

Book Review - no spoilers

Rani Choudhary Must Die by Abida Jaigirdar

Meghna has one thing that perfect-can't-do-anything-wrong Rani doesn't...a perfect boyfriend like Zak. She is constantly tired of being compared to Rani, who has won the Young Scientist Exhibiton evey year she has entered, so for once Meghna has the upper hand.

Rani has problems of her own, she can't ever seem to be good enough for her parents and has decided this year at the Young Scientist Exhibtion she will push herself to win the contest for the whole of Europe.

However, the girls discover that Zak has been seeing them both. So these enemies have no choice but to bring Zak down and expose him as the cheat he is by working together for the Exhibition, where Zak is also competing.

As they work together they realise they may actually have feelings...for each other...

The movie buff inside me is screaming at this fun and sapphic twist on John Tucker Must Die...iykyk 😉

This book gave me all the feels and I loved learning more about the Bengali community and also I am in love with the representation in this novel, not with just the main characters but the supporting characters too!

The sapphic romance I feel came a little out of nowhere from Meghna's side and would love to have seen that built out more but it felt real from Rani. Zak was the perfect non-perfect boyfriend skilled at gaslighting.

I especially loved the fact that both Meghna and Rani are girls in STEM which is so great to see and we should encourage more girls to study in STEM as I am so sure they can make a positive influence in this world.

This is the second novel I have read from Abida, after Four Eids and a Funeral, and I enjoy her writing in the YA space and will definitely be reading more in the future!

Thank you to netgalleyand teambkmrk for giving me early access to this proof. Rani Choudhary Must Die is out today and happy publication day Adiba!

Favourite Quote:
"Because everyone else has always seen me as someone who shouldn't be capable. My parents want me to make myself smaller for Zak - or any guys, really - because they think I shouldn't take up space. Bengali aunties want me to be the same - worthy of being the perfect wife to some man at the expense of myself. Zak wants me to be good at science, but only so long as I'm worse than him.

Meghna, though, actually sees me as competition. She actually sees me as someone who she has to beat. Someone who has achieved things. Someone who's capable of things".

I really loved reading this. It was a short, cute read that I was immersed in from the first chapter. I love the concept of both girls getting revenge but then realising they should have been with each other. I'm sure it will resonate with so many people and allow a lot of people to feel seen. Especially with the implementation of the Bengali culture and then of course the representation of sexuality.

I really enjoyed reading and think a lot of people will feel the same.

If Adiba Jaigirdar writes it - I will read it and love it.
Out of all of her books so far I felt that this one was a little bit different. All her works focus on POC, and Muslim characters and have sapphic romantic relationships. However, this one felt like it could have been her first plutonic relationship. That could be attributed to the slow burn rivals to lovers storyline which allowed the relationship to slowly blossom and develop. But my interpretation of our two MCs felt like the story would have lent itself nicely to a plutonic relationship. But in saying that - this was still an amazing story.
At the heart this book really had something to say about the patriarchal society lends itself to the way women view relationships with other women. So frequently women are pitted against each other which causes rivalry for no apparent reason. But this story, this relationship been our two MCs showed how easy it is to overcome these masculine expectations and the amazing friendships and relationships that can come of it.
My only real gripe and issue with this book was the scientific element of the story. While not being a STEM girlie myself, I attend enough inter-school competitions to understand their structure. And some elements of the science completion outlined in this book didn't feel familiar to me. Similarly, our main character's entry crossed some ethical boundaries making me surprised it got accepted. I understand that these elements were addressed in the book but I question whether any teacher would allow their submission to begin with.
Overall, it's an amazing book that displays the power of friendship and camaraderie, the toxic patriarchal power and masculinity, and the power of STEM and women's rightful place within it. While the book did have some pacing issues the beauty of its writing keeps the reader captivated and rooting for the MCs throughout.

3.5/5

The novel pairs a STEM backdrop with a classic rivals-to-lovers trope as two Bangladeshi-Irish teens, Meghna and Rani—ex-best friends turned nemeses—find themselves dating the same guy. The story is packed with witty dialogue, emotional moments, and themes of ambition and reclaiming one's identity.

As the plot unfolds, the protagonists navigate the complexities of rivalry, betrayal, and rekindled connection. Jaigirdar’s use of dual POVs adds depth to each leading character, allowing readers to connect with their personal insecurities and cultural expectations.

While I enjoyed the smart banter and the deeper themes of identity, gender, and cultural expectations, some of the characters felt a bit one-dimensional. Rani and Meghna’s personal journeys had powerful moments, but their romance sometimes felt rushed and overshadowed by the revenge plot. Still, I admired how Jaigirdar integrated STEM into the narrative and represented girls of color in the tech industry.

Overall, this is a fun read for those who enjoy enemies-to-lovers tropes with a side of geeky mischief. Though it didn’t fully grab me, I’d still recommend it for fans of witty, inclusive YA romances.

Rani Choudhury Must Die is a really fun, contemporary YA with great representation. Of course it is an Adiba Jaigirdar book so you can expect Bengali main characters and sweet sapphic romance. Her books always feel so real and genuine, and this one is no exception. The friendships, the family tensions, the teenage emotions, all of it feels like peeking into the lives of real teens and their families. It is dual POV so we get to see the different perspectives of both protagonists.

Recommended to fans of contemporary YA. If you read and enjoyed The Henna Wars or Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake dating, this very much has the same feel.

I've been a big fan of Adiba's work for quite some time, having devoured The Henna Wars and Hans & Ishu when they were both released. They're easily my favourite sapphic books to recommend.
This one was by no means my favourite and I feel The Henna Wars does still hold that spot, however this was another massive hit for me! I've been in a reading slump recently and nothing has managed to pull me from it until I read this in 2 days! Completely fell in love with Rani and Meghna and I Think Adiba definitely knows how to write some strong but flawed well thought out characters!
The only reason I think I didn't give this 5 stars was because it generally didn't give me that 5 star feel, but I felt there was also a little too much drama for my liking, with the hatred fro Rani and cheating with Zak. It was also definitely lighter on the romance until the final 20%. I don't usually enjoy the cheating trope but in this instance I thought it was done well and made me enjoy the story!
The writing style, as always, was so easy to flow through and I think that is what helped me devour this over the past two days because it was easy to digest without me having the pause to re-read anything I just read!
Definitely one of my favourite sapphic authors and will always continue to enjoy Adiba's stories I think!
Thank you to all who provided me the ARC. :)

This was a cute book, and I really enjoyed it, but it felt pretty slow in terms of the romance developing but also with the plot moving along. The academic rivals and competitive nature of the book was really unique, and helped develop the relationship between Rani and Meghna, which was helped more by the dual pov.

Adiba Jaigirdar has done it again!

A sapphic rom-com novel, reminiscent of its namesake film (John Tucker Must Die) and other fabulous 90s movies, Rani Choudhury Must Die is a fabulous book for those who want to read about light-hearted lesbian shenanigans and teenage pining. With its dual narrative and enemies to lovers theme, it's hard to put the story down. It is also very unmistakably written by Jaigirdar, so - if you enjoy her other books (I'm speaking Hani and Ishu specifically) - you will love that her writing style doesn't stray from its unique brilliance.

Rani was my favourite character since, at times, I found Meghna ever so slightly too annoying, but I related a lot to both protagonists. They each have the perfect amount of Rachel Berry in them, combined with new traits and characteristics that made them both feel fresh and exciting!

I will be recommending this book to all the LGBTQ teens in the library I work in, but would also recommend it to people who have never read queer YA fiction before; it's a lovely way to discover the genre.