It’s a new month, book bees! And with it comes a new round of book releases that we at THP have the pleasure of reading and reviewing. Love is in the air, and February is the month for romance!
Let us introduce you to Swati Teerdhala’s newest novel, The Boyfriend Wish! A lovely rom-com with a diverse cast and not one but two boy-next-door tropes, The Boyfriend Wish absolutely makes our hearts squeeze!
This YA romance has been a great way to kick off February. Here are three reasons you need The Boyfriend Wish on your TBR!
Book Overview
Content Warnings: mention of divorce, mention of cancer
Summary: There’s only one item left on Deepa Josyula’s high school bucket list: finding the perfect boyfriend. But when her meticulously planned Homecoming proposal crashes and burns thanks to Vik Mehta—both neighbor and long-term nemesis ever since he started their neighborhood prank war—she’s not sure how she’s going to finish the list. To make things even worse, she’s stuck working with Vik on a Student Council committee.
So when her grandmother gifts her a jasmine flower and tells her to make a wish, Deepa doesn’t see the harm. She wishes for her dream boyfriend, just like she had imagined when she was younger. The next morning a new neighbor moves into their cul-de-sac, and Rohit D’Souza crosses off everything on her ideal boyfriend wish list down to a tee: thoughtful, handsome, and romantic as hell.
She can hardly believe it. But according to her grandmother, the wish is only the beginning. To earn it, to complete it, the wish must be sealed with a kiss. But Rohit is quickly becoming the most popular new guy both in school and her friend group, and Deepa hasn’t kissed a boy since freshman year. The more Deepa plans the perfect kiss with Rohit, the less sure she is of what her heart truly wants. Is it the perfect boy brought by magic—or the uncertainty of the boy who’s always been next door?
Swoon-worthy Romance
Naturally, we have to discuss the romance in The Boyfriend Wish first! Deepa’s love triangle between her childhood friend-slash-nemesis, Vik, and her new neighbor, Rohit, made us whisper-scream more often than we can remember. We fell in love with each love interest for different reasons: Rohit for being so romantic and kind, and Vik for the banter and understanding Deepa so well. But we love Vik and Rohit’s character development even more. We wish we could read about more love triangles like theirs.
Neighborhood Dynamics
Imagine living in a cul-de-sac with your best friends where all your parents and even younger siblings get along. That’s pretty much our lifelong dream now, thanks to The Boyfriend Wish. Deepa, Lily, Vik, and Rohit’s families all live on Oceania Court Drive. They have block parties, monthly events, traditions, and even a cul-de-sac calendar. Their dynamics are hilarious and so, so fun. The holidays could never be boring with such a lively group, and we’re high-key jealous.
Prank Wars
Speaking of neighborhood traditions, we love the annual prank wars between Deepa, Lily, and Vik in The Boyfriend Wish! Rohit gets initiated as a new member this year, and the younger siblings and parents get involved as spies or judges. Everyone takes the competition more seriously than anything. The successful pranks and the failed attempts take us back to our childhoods. They remind us (and all our characters) not to rush growing up and to have as much fun as possible in the present. And the final prank in the book ties everything together perfectly!
Swati Teerdhala’s new novel, The Boyfriend Wish, is quickly becoming our new favorite rom-com with its diverse cast, plenty of pranks, and two boys next door!
The Boyfriend Wish by Swati Teerdhala releases February 13th, and you can preorder a copy of it here!
What do you think of Swati Teerdhala’s The Boyfriend Wish? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!
Want to hear some of our audiobook recommendations? Here’s the latest!
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