The Trouble with Hating You by Sajni Patel

This is one of those books where, if the characters had just TALKED to each other, there wouldn't be nearly so much drama. Patel navigates this terrain more deftly than most authors but it's still quite a bit of sturm and drang where there doesn't need to be. There are also some really HEAVY topics that I wasn't expecting based on the cover or the description. 

Liya Thakker has a reputation in the Indian community. It's (mostly) undeserved but her parents believed the source of the rumors and have treated her badly ever since. But that hasn't stopped her father from simultaneously treating her badly but also trying to get her married off. Liya most definitely does NOT want to be married and has expressed that but he lives in a mysoginistic world and he keeps trying to force it on her as well. So, when a man shows up to what was explicitly promised to be a family dinner, she bolts. 

Jay Shah doesn't want to get married either but he's willing to go along with what his mother wants if it will make her happy. He's not happy to be literally bowled over by Liya. When he sees her out and about and then at work, he makes his displeasure very known. Because what he knows that she doesn't is that her company is about to go under and he's their best chance of it being saved. 

Really more like three and a half stars but rounded up for Goodreads.

Three and a half stars

This book came out May 12, 2020

The Trouble with Hating You #1

Followed by First Love, Take Two

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

The Design of Us by Sajni Patel

Bhanu and Sunny are known at work for having a somewhat tempestuous relationship. There are even bets placed on who will explode in meetings first. Well, not explode, they're professional after all. 

But now they're on vacation at the same time. And at the same resort. Which is what allows Bhanu to overhear Sunny's ex-girlfriend being an absolute jerk to him. Bhanu doesn't like other Sunny but this woman is absolutely being ridiculous. So she steps in and defends Sunny? But what gives her that right? Well, she's his new girlfriend, of course. Oy vey. Suddenly, the two are having to appear to actually enjoy each other's company. 

Like most romances, this does mean that they are in close confines and that they are going to fall in love. But the journey on this one is fun. I did like that Bhanu had social anxiety but it felt like more of a plot point than an actual aspect of her character. Other than that, I liked both Bhanu and Sunny as characters and enjoyed the book. 

Four stars

This book comes out July 16, 2024

ARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley

Opinions are my own