Better Catch Up, Krishna Kumar

“Come for the road trip of a lifetime. Stay for the kissing! Meg Cabot, #1New York Timesbestselling author of The Princess Diaries series

Buckle up for a wild ride with this cheeky and charming rom-com where one girls quest across India to seal her first kiss turns into finding first love in the most unexpected places. Perfect for fans of Axie Oh and Jenny Han!

Krishna Kumar may have gotten into her dream college, but that doesnt mean shes stopped being a bi disaster. Even after spending her whole summer in India flirting with her gorgeous neighbor Amrit, she has nothing to show for it. And now, her fate is sealed: shes destined to be the only freshman whos never been kissed.

But when her flight home is delayed right as a distinctly flirty text from Amrit lights up her phone, Krishna is determined to seize her last chance at a perfect first kiss with Amrit, even if it means asking her cousin-turned-nemesis, Priti, for help. Because Amrit is miles away at a family weddingand Pritis best friend, Rudra Desai, is the only one with a car.

The unlikely trio set off on a road trip to crash a wedding and save Krishnas summer. But as she starts to fall for the quiet yet irresistibly hot and charming Rudra, who everyone knows is unrequitedly in love with Priti, Krishna realizes her heart better catch up to her head before she skips right past her first kiss and falls directly into her first heartbreak.

Anahita Karthikis a desi, queer, and multilingual writer of stories heavily inspired by Indian mythology, history, and culture. She has an MSt in creative writing from the University of Cambridge and a tech degree shell probably never use in her life. While she writes across genres, her stories usually include road trips, a slow burn romance, and nods to Indian cinema (both explicit and thematic).Better Catch Up, Krishna Kumaris her debut novel, but her first feature was inMy Big, Fat Desi Weddinganthology. She can be found posting excessively across platforms @ana_scribe or blogging about publishing on her website, anahitakarthik.com.

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publish Date: January 27, 2026
• Pages: 336
• Language: English
• Type: Hardcover
• EAN/UPC: 9780063341142
• Dimensions: 8.3 X 5.5 X 0.0 inches | 16.0 pounds
• BISAC Categories: Teens & YARomance, Teens & YAPopular Fiction