My Big Fat Desi Wedding ed. Prerna Pickett

Pages: 282 

Publisher: Hodder Children's Books 

Released: 18th of January 2024 

Romance. Drama. And plenty of spice. You are invited to . . . MY BIG, FAT DESI WEDDING.

A prophecy of disaster.

A world where your soulmate's thoughts appear on your skin.

A boy forbidden from attending his brother's wedding.

A supernatural love that spans centuries.

And one particular auntie who loves to meddle.

So, send in your RSVP, put on your best outfit, and take a front row seat as enemies become friends, friends become lovers, sceptics are convinced by the power of romance, and guests fall head over heels - even if they're not the ones saying 'I do'.

Lose yourself in eight swoon-worthy and dreamy stories guaranteed to bring out the hopeless romantic in every reader. With a never-ending buffet of mouth-watering food, extravagant outfit changes and lots of drama!

What I Have to Say 

This was such a lovely read. It was a short story collection where I enjoyed pretty much every story. It was very relaxing and romantic and it was honestly just such a joy to read. I don't know why but desi teen romance is one of my favourite genres to relax to, with most of the stories in this book revolving around teenagers or people in early adulthood. 

Two of my particular favourite stories were Fate's Favourites, which played very much with the idea of soul mates and the idea that the thoughts of your soul mate would end up manifesting on your body and A Very Bloody Halyanam, which brought vampires into the mix. 

I really liked exploring the mix of cultures and the differences and similarities between the different marriage ceremonies. 

In all, it was a good, fun, relaxing read. 

4 stars 

My thanks go to Netgalley and Hodder Children's Books for providing me a gifted copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

Overemotional by David Fenne

Pages: 336 

Publisher: Ink Road 

Released: 6th of July 2023 

Sometimes, emotions can be a little too powerful . . .

Seventeen-year-old Steven has a big problem . . . Whenever he feels intense emotions, weird things happen.

Like when he kissed a boy for the first time, and the boy's head literally exploded.

Fleeing to the miserable town of Grunsby-on-Sea, Steven is determined to not hurt anyone else - but he doesn't count on his best friend Freya, her boyfriend Marcus and American friend Troy following him. And when agents from the mysterious DEMA organisation show up talking about "neutralisation", Steven realises that Grunsby-on-Sea might not be the safe haven he'd hoped for . . .

The first in a wholesome queer YA fantasy trilogy packed with magic, loveable characters and big plot twists from debut author DAVID FENNE. Perfect for fans of TJ Klune, Rainbow Rowell and Adam Silvera.

What I Have to Say 

This was such a good concept. I loved the idea of a teenager trying to get the grips on magic controlled by emotions especially when emotions can be so large and overwhelming when you're that age. It was the perfect magic for a teenage boy to have. 

The story really lived up to the concept as well. I fell in love with these characters and their wins were my wins, their losses were my losses. It was really done well. I loved the town of Grunsby-on-sea as well. I could really see this dismal little British Seaside town. 

The LGBTQ+ representation was what really drew me to this book. And when your gay character is shooting rainbows out of his hands, you can't really make it any gayer. I loved how upfront about Steven's gayness the book was, even when he wasn't ready to be upfront about it himself. 

I can't wait to see what adventures await our little gang next. 

4 stars 

My thanks goes to Ink Road and Netgalley for providing me with this copy for review.