Kamila Knows Best by Farah Heron

Publisher: Read Forever Pub

Release Date: 3/8/2022

Disclaimer:  I received a free advanced copy of this book from Read Forever in exchange for my honest opinion. This has no effect on my opinion, review, or rating.

GoodReads Synopsis: Jane Austen’s Emma goes Bollywoood in this delightful retelling from the highly acclaimed author of Accidentally Engaged, perfect for fans of Abby Jimenez and Jasmine Guillory. Kamila Hussain’s life might not be perfect, but, whew, it’s close. She lives a life of comfort, filled with her elaborate Bollywood movie parties, a dog with more Instagram followers than most reality stars, a job she loves, and an endless array of friends who clearly need her help finding love. In fact, Kamila is so busy with her friends’ love lives, she’s hardly given any thought to her own . . .

Fortunately, Kamila has Rohan Nasser. A longtime friend of the family, he’s hugely successful, with the deliciously lean, firm body of a rock climber. Only lately, Kamila’s “harmless flirting” with Rohan is making her insides do a little bhangra dance.

But between planning the local shelter’s puppy prom, throwing a huge work event, and proving to everyone that she’s got it all figured out, Kamila isn’t letting herself get distracted—until her secret nemesis returns to town with an eye for Rohan. Suddenly, it seems like the more Kamila tries to plan, the more things are starting to unravel—and her perfectly ordered life is about to be turned upside down.

Review: Farah Heron is one of my favorite contemporary romance writers and I was thrilled to hear that she was releasing a new book in 2022. Kamila Knows Best can be best described as a modern day retelling of Emma. I didn’t really like the original story of Emma so I was a bit concerned on how I would feel about this book. Kamila Knows Best has a friends to lovers trope and is extremely slow burn. The contemporary romance explores friendship, family expectations, gossip, and authenticity. Overall, I enjoyed it! I liked that not only were the characters well developed and had strong backstories, but as a reader, I was able to see them change and grow in the story. There were times where the main characters annoyed me in certain situations, but I understood that was part of the story and how it helped with the story’s progression. Highly recommend picking this one up if you’re a Jane Austen retelling fan or if you love a good friends to lovers trope!