Heated competition leads to a budding romance in this Beauty and the Beast-inspired novel where a teenager who’s always been told she’s a little too much realizes that her Prince Charming may have been next to her all along.
“If you’re a fan of rivals-to-lovers, look no further!”—Aiden Thomas, New York Times bestselling author of Cemetery Boys
“A joyful ode to being true to yourself and finding love where you least expect it.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Seventeen-year-old high-achieving Kavya Joshi has always been told she’s a little too ambitious, a little too mouthy, and overall just a little too much. In one word: besharam.
So, when her nemesis, Ian Jun, witnesses Kavya’s very public breakup on the last day of junior year, she decides to lay low and spend the summer doing what she loves—working part time playing princess roles for children’s birthday parties. But her plan is shot when she’s cast as Ariel instead of her beloved Belle, and learns that Ian will be her Prince Eric for the summer. [Cue the combative banter.]
Exhausted by Kavya and Ian’s yearslong feud, their friends hatch a plan to end their rivalry by convincing them to participate in a series of challenges throughout the summer. Kavya is only too eager to finally be crowned the winner. But as the competition heats up, so too does the romantic tension, until it escalates from a simmer to a full-on burn.
