Although I love the cultural representation and family dynamics in all of Adiba Jaigirdar's books (including Rani Chowdhury Must Die), I struggled to get on with the plot here and get behind the sometimes ethically questionable decisions that the characters made. This is also a concept (of two girls who have the same ex who cheated on them and then team up together to take him down) that I have read before and knowing how well this trope can be done I dont feel like this book measured up to its potential. The writing and characterisation are all amazing and I love the messy female characters so I can see how some people will adore this book with their entire soul but I am just not one of those people.

The most beautifully written sapphic enemies to lovers romance focusing on science, community, being Bangladeshi in Ireland, family, competitiveness and so much more. I loved the energy and storytelling, and the characters, and I'd definitely recommend this gorgeous book.

Adina Jaigirdar does it again - a superbly clever, emotional, and highly relatable joy that will be devoured by young people everywhere!

I really enjoyed this, as I do all this authors books. The characters felt so real, the plot was gripping, romance was lovely, overall i loved it

Meghna is surreptitiously arranging to meet her boyfriend Zak when we meet her, knowing her parents will not approve. But neither will his. They discuss the up and coming STEM competition in which Zak usually has success, as well as Rani, Meghna’s ex-best friend now rival. Meghna is tired of constantly being compared to this perfect example but this year she is determined it will be different.
Rani is used to being told what to do by her parents, which includes what to wear and also to meet up with Zak’s family as both sets of parents think they make the perfect match.
When all science projects in the local heat of the competition are displayed for judging and Meghna sneaks away from her own to see Zak’s she discovers he hasn’t been entirely honest.
One project which will help both girls expose Zak means the 2 of them working together and allowing previous grievances to be corrected and their true feelings to be explored and admitted not only to one another but also to themselves.
Some great friendships and supportive families.

I thought the basic premise of the book was flawed - the girls come up with a plan that's illegal, not just unethical, and their teachers say 'great idea! Go for it! - and that made the whole plot feel contrived. I didn't enjoy the character's relationship either - their reactions to each other felt plot-driven and not in character.
One thing this author does exceptionally well is creating layered family dynamics, and that is true of this book as well as her earlier works... but it wasn't enough to save the story.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read and I had a lot of fun with it! However, I still don’t particularly understand why Meghna hated Rani as much as she did & I feel like that could have been developed a little better. I also felt that at times (to me) the plot was moving very slowly and struggled to hold my interest, but it was still a great read that I would recommend to fans of YA romance!

Many thanks to Netgalley for this ARC!

Adiba's writing flows as always with characters who have great chemistry and a storyline to swoon for. I would recommend this as an easy read for all YA romance readers!