There’s a new breed of young romance writers who mine their personal experiences, along with the changing world of dating, to write stories that are more about relatability than literary flair
At the recently concluded Jaipur Literature Festival’s (JLF’s) front lawn — where bigger literary names usually take centre stage — YouTuber and actor Prajakta Koli had a crowd of teenagers squealing at her every word. An influencer with over 8 million Instagram followers, an actor fresh off the success of the Netflix romantic drama ‘Mismatched,’ and now a debut author of her first romance novel, ‘Too Good To Be True’, Koli was clearly in her element, talking of how she devoured over 200 romance books and inhaled tropes like ‘enemies to lovers’ before writing her own. Her protagonist Avani, a romance novel devotee, is stunned when her perfect “book boyfriend” Aman walks into the bookstore where she works. But as their story unfolds, she can’t shake the feeling that he’s too good to be true.
Koli is among a new breed of young romance writers who mine their personal experiences, along with the changing world of dating, to write stories that are more about relatability than literary flair. With new-age dating terms like breadcrumbing (giving small bits of attention) and benching (keeping someone as a backup) dominating relationships, these writers are capturing love in the age of dating apps.
