Book Rewind: My So-Called Bollywood Life by Nisha Sharma

My So-Called Bollywood Life by Nisha Sharma was released in May of 2018, and as the saying goes, too many books, too little time. I finally read and loved it. If you’re all tl;dr, know that this book is fun, sweet, and had me smiling throughout!

My So-Called Bollywood Life

by Nisha Sharma
Published by: Crown BFYR
on May 15, 2018
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary Romance
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Winnie Mehta was never really convinced that Raj was her soulmate, but their love was written in the stars. Literally, a pandit predicted Winnie would find the love of her life before her 18th birthday, and Raj meets all of the qualifications. Which is why Winnie is shocked to return from her summer at film camp to find her boyfriend of three years hooking up with Jenny Dickens. Worse, Raj is crowned chair of the student film festival, a spot Winnie was counting on for her film school applications. As a self-proclaimed Bollywood expert, Winnie knows this is not how her perfect ending is scripted.

Then there’s Dev, a fellow film geek, and one of the few people Winnie can count on to help her reclaim control of her story. Dev is smart, charming, and challenges Winnie to look beyond her horoscope to find someone she’d pick for herself. But does falling for Dev mean giving up on her prophecy, and her chance to live happily ever after? To get her Bollywood-like life on track, Winnie will need a little bit of help from fate, family, and of course, a Bollywood movie star.

Like an expertly choreographed Bollywood dance scene, Nisha Sharma’s off-beat love story dazzles in the lime light.

Review

My So-Called Bollywood Life is a super cute and fun contemporary YA read. I have to admit that I have personally only seen a few Bollywood movies, and even as a novice, this book was completely accessible, relatable, and just good plain fun!

The main character, Winnie, has a dream to be a film critic, and even went to film camp to learn more about the trade, including vintage film processes. She is passionate and headstrong. She knows what she wants, and she isn’t afraid to be who she is. When her so-called fated and longtime boyfriend cheats on her while she is away for the summer, she is determined to come back to school head held high.

Winnie’s biggest struggle, other than internal school politics over the Film Club (and her ex), is coming to terms with the fact that just maybe the prophecy of her love life is wrong. See, she thought Raj was the one. Her destiny stated she would fall in love with a boy whose name starts with an R and gives her a silver bracelet before she turns 18, which is soon. Now that she and Raj broke up, she can’t shake the fact that destiny must be wrong.

She immediately finds comfort with her best friend, Bridget, and starts getting closer to a few others with her new job. This is when she finds herself pulled toward another boy she used to like, Dev. She starts to dream about all the Bollywood movies she loves, but she becomes the girl in the stories – and within battles her struggles between destiny and her own path.

Personally, having barely scratched the surface of film history, let alone Bollywood features, I still loved all the references and the fun movie tie-ins. Anyone can enjoy this story, but I bet even the casual Bollywood fan would devour it!

I loved the drama, I loved the romance, I loved the culture, and I loved the movie references. This book is cute, fluffy, and pure fun. Come for the laughs and fun, stay for the message – your path in life can truly be what you make it, even if you feel your destiny is laid out before you.