Review of The Boyfriend Wish
My Review of The Boyfriend Wish, a cute and charming YA contemporary romance about a girl who wishes herself the perfect boyfriend. Once her wish comes true, is he really who she wants?
The Boyfriend Wish by Swati Teerdhala
Published on February 13, 2024 by Katherine Tegen Books
Thanks to the book’s publicist for providing me an advance copy for review!
Jen’s Quick Take on The Boyfriend Wish
- A sister story
- A YA Contemporary Romance with a hint of magic
- An enemies fall in love story
- A high-achieving character who learns she sometimes has to listen to her heart
Plot Summary for The Boyfriend Wish
Deepa’s a hopeless romantic. And her checklist for the perfect boyfriend is a mile long. So when her grandmother gives her a jasmine flower with the promise that it will fulfill her heart’s greatest desire, she wishes for her perfect guy. Then a new boy moves in across the street!
Rohit checks off every box on Deepa’s list. Is it luck or is it magic? And if Rohit is so perfect for her, why can’t she stop thinking about her annoying neighbor, Vik?
Review of The Boyfriend Wish
Is there a new trend of magical YA romance? I just reviewed Instant Karma and With a Little Luck, both by Marissa Meyer, both featuring falling in love stories that seem a little magical!
In The Boyfriend Wish, high-achieving teenager Deepa makes a bucket list for high school that includes finding the perfect guy. After all, she can’t be all work and no play. She can have it all.
But after a humiliating dance invitation extended to her crush goes wrong, she’s a bit desperate. So she takes a magical jasmine flower offered by her grandmother and wishes for the perfect guy. And he shows up right on her block! She knows she must kiss him to seal the deal … but does she want to?
What’s the problem? Her super-annoying neighbor, Vik, keeps dragging her around to bubble tea shops and paintball games as “research” for the junior lock-in they got stuck planning together. If Rohit is so perfect for her, why can’t she stop thinking about Vik?
The Boyfriend Wish has great family relationships (Deepa has two younger sisters), friendship, and lessons about following your heart on the path to success. As an older sister, I laughed a lot at her occasional exasperation with her younger sisters’ sneakiness. It’s hard to be the oldest!
And as a former high-achieving high school student myself, I liked that the book let Deepa be ambitious and driven while still allowing her to realize that you can’t live your life through a checklist.
The Boyfriend Wish would be great for fans of the Dimple & Rishi YA contemporary series and the Rosetta Academy series by Sandhya Menon as well as a hit with fans of Marissa Meyer’s Fortuna Beach series!
