<p>From royal scandals to hunting panthers and midlife blues, these romances by Indian authors are fun while also tackling contemporary muddles.</p>.<p><strong>You Can’t Be Serious by Prajwal Hegde (Hachette):</strong></p>.<p>Aaditha Prathap is the brilliant mastermind behind India’s trendiest café chain. Sure, her family’s fortune sparkles like new money does, but Aaditha is fiercely her own woman. Vedveer Rathore Singh is an eco-warrior prince with a mission. After Harvard, he’s back home and facing a harsh reality: his family’s finances are not so princely. In this chaotic North-meets-South rom-com, worlds collide in the most unpredictable ways.</p>.<p><strong>Love Bites And Pugmarks in Kabini by Lakshmy Ramanathan (Bloomsbury):</strong></p>.<p>Acclaimed wildlife filmmaker Dhruv Thimayya arrives in Kabini to film its most elusive resident — the famed black panther, Karia. He encounters Mira Ponappa, a woman at home in the wilderness. As Dhruv struggles to track Karia, he finds himself equally drawn to Mira. Set against the forest of Karnataka, this is a conservation thriller that blends wildlife fiction and slow-burn romance. </p>.<p><strong>Lightning In A Shot Glass by Deepanjana Pal (HarperCollins):</strong></p>.<p>Things are not going well for Mumbai flatmates Meera and Aalo. Forty-year-old journalist Meera is convinced she’s confronting a midlife crisis. Aalo is professionally and emotionally adrift and ends up sliding into the DMs of a ravishing war photographer. This is an ode to romance, and a tribute to the magic of Mumbai.</p>.<p>Speed Reads is a column for the bookworm who is short on time and reads on the go.</p>
<p>From royal scandals to hunting panthers and midlife blues, these romances by Indian authors are fun while also tackling contemporary muddles.</p>.<p><strong>You Can’t Be Serious by Prajwal Hegde (Hachette):</strong></p>.<p>Aaditha Prathap is the brilliant mastermind behind India’s trendiest café chain. Sure, her family’s fortune sparkles like new money does, but Aaditha is fiercely her own woman. Vedveer Rathore Singh is an eco-warrior prince with a mission. After Harvard, he’s back home and facing a harsh reality: his family’s finances are not so princely. In this chaotic North-meets-South rom-com, worlds collide in the most unpredictable ways.</p>.<p><strong>Love Bites And Pugmarks in Kabini by Lakshmy Ramanathan (Bloomsbury):</strong></p>.<p>Acclaimed wildlife filmmaker Dhruv Thimayya arrives in Kabini to film its most elusive resident — the famed black panther, Karia. He encounters Mira Ponappa, a woman at home in the wilderness. As Dhruv struggles to track Karia, he finds himself equally drawn to Mira. Set against the forest of Karnataka, this is a conservation thriller that blends wildlife fiction and slow-burn romance. </p>.<p><strong>Lightning In A Shot Glass by Deepanjana Pal (HarperCollins):</strong></p>.<p>Things are not going well for Mumbai flatmates Meera and Aalo. Forty-year-old journalist Meera is convinced she’s confronting a midlife crisis. Aalo is professionally and emotionally adrift and ends up sliding into the DMs of a ravishing war photographer. This is an ode to romance, and a tribute to the magic of Mumbai.</p>.<p>Speed Reads is a column for the bookworm who is short on time and reads on the go.</p>
