Book Review: Love Craves Cardamom By Aashna Avachat
Summer is just around the corner, and with it comes our sense of wanderlust. If you’re itching to travel like we are, then we have the perfect new book for you! Aashna Avachat takes us to Jaipur, Rajasthan with her debut novel, Love Craves Cardamom.
Love Craves Cardamom is the second book of the Love In Translation series. It features international love stories that can be read together or as standalone books. We reviewed the first installment, Love Requires Chocolate by Ravynn K. Stringfield, last August.
We couldn’t help swooning while reading this new YA romance. Here are three things we love about Love Craves Cardamom by Aashna Avachat!
Book Overview: Love Craves Cardamom
Summary: Archana Dhawan wants a boy-free zone this semester abroad. Fresh off a breakup, she’s headed to Rajasthan, India—her parents’ homeland—determined to find herself and thrive at her dream art museum internship. No drama. No distractions.
Alas, the universe is trying to tempt her. On day one, she meets the hottest boy on the train. Soon after, she runs into him again at work. Not only is the museum tied to a palace, but the cute guy, Shiv, is a royal gardener!
As he takes her to the most gorgeous local spots, their undeniable chemistry grows. Then Archi gets shocking news: Shiv is not who he seems. Now she’s left wondering—was this brush with love the beginning of something warm and complex or just another bittersweet end?
Archi’s Passion For Art
Because who doesn’t love supporting the arts? Archi’s devotion toward pursuing her dreams and curating an art exhibit is so inspiring. And her spring semester abroad does not go to waste one bit. She chooses to focus on stolen Rajasthani artifacts during British imperialism, as well as a contemporary exhibit from local artists representing the resilience of Jaipur at its core. Archi’s enthusiasm for art and history rubbed off on us, and we were so proud of her by the end!
Shiv’s Chivalry
Love Crave Cardamom reminds us why we love reading romance in the first place. Shiv is a gentleman in every way, from making it a habit to bring Archi flowers on every date to planning and taking care of everything. He pays attention during their conversations and keeps every detail about Archi stored away for later dates. (Remember that if he wanted to, he would!) Their courtship is absolutely the sweetest one we’ve read in a long time.
The References And Hints
We can’t get enough of the Love in Translation series, and now we’ve gone two for two with Love Craves Cardamom! Archi talks to her best friend Whitney plenty of times, often referring to Whitney’s Parisian romance with Thierry from book one. We even get introduced to her other best friend Lilyn, who’s currently a junior and tends to give Archi fashion advice. We can’t wait to follow along with Lilyn and her romance in book three! And no, we won’t spoil the next destination. You’ll have to read to figure it out!
Aashna Avachat’s Love Craves Cardamom truly does it all: it tells a heart-fluttering love story, takes an important stand for the return of historical artifacts, and reminds us that not everything will go as we planned. And that’s perfectly okay.
Love Craves Cardamom by Aashna Avachat comes out May 20th, and you can order a copy of it here!
Did you love Aashna Avachat’s debut novel, Love Craves Cardamom? Are you a fan of the Love In Translation series like we are? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!
Want some of our audiobook recommendations? Here’s the latest!
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