Disclaimer - This review is entirely based on my personal reading experience. Contemporary rom-coms isn't the genre I naturally gravitate towards, so readers who adore this genre may have a very different experience with this book than I did.
I picked up this book because the cover was gorgeous. That’s it. That’s the reason. Unfortunately, this book has now become my personal reminder that judging a book by its cover is, in fact, a terrible life strategy.
The cover promised a fun, modern desi rom-com. The tagline promised a story that “decodes the love, life, and drama that spins around millennials and Gen Z.” Instead, what I got felt like a parody of what someone who has never met a millennial or Gen Z person thinks they are like.
So, rather than writing a traditional review, I’ve decided to review this book in the only appropriate format. I present to you:
The Red Flags in 'Red flags and Rishtas'
🚩 Red Flag #1: The Chemistry Expires Almost Immediately
I’ll be fair. For approximately three seconds, the banter was cute. For one shining moment, I thought there might actually be chemistry. Then the story marched directly into ‘Predictable Romance Territory’ and never came back. Because the ending was obvious from the start, there were no real stakes. I wasn’t wondering "if" they would end up together, I was simply waiting for "when" it will happen.
🚩 Red Flag #2: It Mistakes Tropes for a Plot
This book seems determined to collect every romance trope ever invented.
- Enemies to lovers
- Arranged marriage setup
- The “let’s see who finds love first” bet
- Forced proximity
- Last-minute grand romantic chase
At some point, I stopped reading a story and started playing Romance Trope Bingo. A trope is supposed to enhance a story. Here, the tropes were the story.
🚩 Red Flag #3: The “Filmy” Personality Exists Only Through Name-Dropping
Our heroine repeatedly presents herself as a hopeless Bollywood romantic. The problem? Mentioning a few famous rom-coms does not automatically make a character filmy. The book desperately wants us to believe she’s the heroine of a Bollywood romance while never actually capturing the charm, drama, chemistry, or emotional payoff that makes those films work.
🚩 Red Flag #4: The Main Character Made Me Root for Nobody
There are books where you dislike the protagonist but remain fascinated by them. This is not one of those books. Ananya spends a surprising amount of time being jealous of her richer friend, making questionable romantic decisions, and generally behaving in ways that made me wonder why anyone around her was still being patient. At one point I genuinely felt that her friend deserved better.
🚩 Red Flag #5: The Pacing Felt Like Homework
A book of this length should have taken me a day. Maybe two. This one took me five. Not because it was deep or emotionally devastating and not because I was savouring every sentence. Because I kept putting it down. The reading equivalent of repeatedly checking how much time is left in an exam.
🚩 Red Flag #6: The Romance Requires the Reader to Forget Self-Respect Exists
The ending nearly made me launch this book across the room. Let me summarize:
- A man insults you.
- Rejects your rishta.
- Sleeps with you.
- Gets engaged to someone else.
And somehow this is still the grand romantic prize? Why? Why are we rewarding this behaviour?
The most interesting ending would have been the heroine choosing herself and walking away. Instead, the book insists that this sequence of events is somehow romantic. I remain unconvinced.
Before the final chapter, the characters seemed ready to move on. And honestly? I was excited. For one brief moment, I thought the book might surprise me. Then it swerved directly back into the safest, most predictable conclusion possible.
🚩 Red Flag #7: It Wants to Be a Cute Rom-Com More Than It Actually Is One
A good rom-com makes you laugh, swoon, or at least smile. This one mostly made me predict the next chapter. The writing itself is simple enough, but simplicity isn’t the problem. The problem is that the story never rises above its clichés. I’ve genuinely read fanfiction and Wattpad stories with stronger chemistry, better pacing, and more convincing character arcs.
After all these Red Flags, I'm happy to share the one and only Green flag that I found in this book:
☘️ Green Flag: The Cover
Let’s give credit where credit is due. The cover is beautifully designed by Akangksha Sarmah.
It caught my eye immediately and convinced me to pick up the book in the first place. In a strange way, the cover delivered more romance, charm, and personality than the actual story.
Final Verdict -
If you’re completely new to reading romance, you might find something to enjoy here. If you regularly read romance novels, rom-coms, or even decent fanfiction, this may feel painfully predictable. For me, it was a collection of clichés dressed up as a modern romance.
And my personal red flag, dear reader?
🚩I didn’t DNF this book.
I kept telling myself, “Maybe it’ll get better in the next chapter.” It never did. Somewhere around page 200, I wasn’t reading out of enjoyment anymore but out of sheer stubbornness. The real love story here wasn’t between the protagonists but between me and my inability to abandon a bad book.
Final Rating - 1 out of 5 ⭐️
Words - 903
Images - 3
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