Books › Instant Karma
Instant Karma
480 pages
A sun-drenched, magical-realism-tinged coastal romance where a judgmental overachiever learns that love and fate are messier than simple karmic justice.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like a breezy afternoon on a sun-drenched coast, blending the sharp, witty banter of an enemies-to-lovers romance with the whimsical charm of magical realism. The narrative moves at a brisk, engaging pace, anchored by a protagonist whose initial rigid judgments slowly melt into earnest self-discovery. It is a lighthearted yet thoughtful exploration of virtue, vanity, and the messy reality of human connection, set against the backdrop of environmental awareness and animal rescue. The prose is accessible and playful, perfectly capturing the giddy thrill of newfound power and the swoony tension of romantic crossed signals. It will thoroughly delight fans of contemporary young adult fiction who love a redemption arc wrapped in coastal sunshine and unexpected fate.
- Mood
- sun-drenched
- lighthearted
- coastal
- swoony
- Tone
- wry
- playful
- earnest
- romantic
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- enemies to lovers · karmic justice · environmental awareness · virtue versus vanity · fate and romance
- The writing
- Witty and accessible, blending sharp contemporary teenage banter with a light, whimsical touch of magical realism.
- The arc
- The protagonist moves from a place of rigid, judgmental certainty to a messy, open-hearted understanding of grace, empathy, and unexpected love.
- Who it's for
- Readers who crave swoony, coastal enemies-to-lovers romances with a dash of magic and a strong focus on personal growth.
Content notes
- environmental upheaval
About the book
Chronic overachiever Prudence Barnett is always quick to cast judgment on the lazy, rude, and arrogant residents of her coastal town. Her dreams of karmic justice are fulfilled when, after a night out with her friends, she wakes up with the sudden ability to cast instant karma on those around her.
Pru giddily makes use of the power, punishing everyone from public vandals to mean gossips, but there is one person on whom her powers consistently Quint Erickson, her slacker of a lab partner. Quint is annoyingly cute and impressively noble, especially when it comes to his work with the rescue center for local sea animals.
When Pru resigns herself to working at the rescue centre for extra credit, she begins to uncover truths about baby otters, environmental upheaval, and romantic crossed signals - not necessarily in that order. Her newfound karmic insights reveal how thin the line is between virtue and vanity, generosity and greed... love and hate... and fate.
Description from Open Library.
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