10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT PINKY

In this companion to When Dimple Met Rishi (2017), two frenemies fake-date their way through summer vacation.

Pinky Kumar wears her social justice warrior badge with pride. Her mother, though, is not here for her brand of unapologetic do-gooding. Affronted after another false judgement by her mother, Pinky impulsively makes up a fake, respectable boyfriend and reaches out to the boy who fits the bill: Samir Jha. A friend of a friend, Samir is the total opposite of Pinky’s “Ms. Counterculture.” Stranded in D.C. after a prized law internship fell through, Pinky’s dating scheme offers Samir the opportunity to extend his time away from home and get an in with Pinky’s well-regarded lawyer mom. As Pinky and Samir spend more time with each other, the line between fake and real blurs. But will her “chaotic energy” ultimately clash with his careful order? While romance is at the forefront, Menon explores issues of social pressure, identity, environmentalism, and more. Much of the turbulence stems not from the tribulations of a fauxmance but from parent-child discord. Told in alternating voices, transitions are seamless, and major conflicts and minor loose ends are resolved neatly and in quick succession. Self-aware of its rom-com tropes, the novel delivers to fans of the genre with self-assuredness and heart. Pinky and Samir are Indian American; Pinky’s stepfather is Chinese American, and her biracial (Indian/white) cousin, Dolly, has had both girlfriends and boyfriends.

A layered, entertaining, contemporary rom-com.