(2) YA Each of the two narrators of this Ireland-set rom-com has something to gain from faking a relationship. Sociable Hani thinks it will prove to her longtime (if ­undeserving) friends that she isn't making up her bisexuality. Prickly, studious Ishu hopes it will help her become popular so she can be elected Head Girl to please her parents. The two strike a deal, complete with a Google Doc with rules for the ruse: they will pretend to date each other until both have achieved their goals. Hani, Ishu, and their families exhibit diversity in many senses among people of Bengali ethnicity. Both ­narrators are constantly working to counter others' perceptions of them, and when Hani's white friend Aisling falsely accuses Ishu of copying off her paper (the reverse is actually true), that conflict frustratingly culminates in Aisling being believed. Jaigirdar (The Henna Wars, rev. 9/20) again provides a lighthearted read--the main plot is an entertaining iteration of what readers expect from the fake-dating trope--while story elements interwoven with aspects of the characters' identities add nuance.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2021