Better Catch Up, Krishna Kumar

"Come for the road trip of a lifetime. Stay for the kissing!”— Meg Cabot, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Princess Diaries series

Buckle up for a wild ride with this cheeky and charming rom-com where one girl’s 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 doesn’t mean she’s 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: she’s destined to be the only freshman who’s 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 wedding—and Priti’s 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 Krishna’s 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.

Chasing a First Kiss, Catching Real Feelings • : Krishna’s racing across India for one perfect kiss with her crush—and falling hard for the wrong • (right?) guy. Unrequited Feelings, Double the Chaos: • Everyone knows Rudra is unrequitedly in love with her cousin, so why can’t Krishna stop herself from falling for him? Road Trip Rule #1: Don’t Fall for the Driver • : Guess which rule Krishna breaks first?

© 2026 HarperCollins (Audiobook): 9780063341173

Release date

Audiobook: 27 January 2026