A true tale of oppsites attract. Pinky is a well written unapologetic, confrontational teen with a marshmallow heart hidden beneath. A great addition to the series

10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT PINKY is a cute YA romance that features a fake-turned-real relationship and opposites-attract couple. Pinky is spending the summer with her family at their vacation home, when the barn burns down. Pinky's mother immediately accuses her of doing so- likely with an irresponsible paramour, and to defend herself, Pinky says she has a totally responsible boyfriend. However, she does not actually have one.

Then, Pinky hears about Samir and how his summer internship with a DC law firm fell through. Samir has everything in his life planned and is exactly the kind of guy her lawyer parents would love. She asks him to come spend the summer with her as her fake boyfriend and says she can help him get an internship with her mother, the Shark, during the school year. It seems like a win-win situation.

Even after the truth about the barn comes out that it was definitely not Pinky, Pinky is still eager for her parents' approval, something that Samir brings her. As she and Samir spend time together, they find that they are opposites in pretty much everything- and that can definitely attract. Together, they launch into Pinky's summer project- protesting the razing of the Butterfly Habitat she loves in favor of a condo complex.

What I loved: I really enjoy that the girl here has the "bad boy" vibe, even though Pinky's rebellions are activist projects and adopting an opossum. The romance heats up the pages, and its easy to cheer for Pinky and Samir, even as they seem to be fighting about everything early on. Their respect for the other's opinions- even when they don't agree- and their insight into each other's personalities really makes this a great romance read.

I also really loved the view on activism, the legwork of it, and its importance to a community and making voices heard. Pinky is a passionate character, and I loved seeing that passion and determination build towards something great (even if her parents were not on-board). I also appreciated the growth of Pinky, Samir, and Pinky's relationship with her mother throughout the book. The characters here are really great.

What left me wanting more: I would have liked some more focus on Samir and his relationship with his mother (especially what happened when she found out he was lying)- we don't really get closure on that, except a couple comments at the end.

Final verdict: Great for romantic comedy fans, 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT PINKY is a cute summery read with a couple that is easy to cheer for! With extra themes of activism and dealing with parental expectations, this is a great YA contemporary read.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this ARC*

I would give this book 3.5 stars.
I will totally admit that romcoms are not really my thing. That being said, I find Menon's books enjoyable. She has really cornered the market on diverse YA romance. She uses romantic comedy tropes really well, and at times has spun those tropes on their heads. Her characters are extremely likable and realistic. I appreciate that her female characters in particular are strong and outspoken, and are not always stereotypical boy-crazy teenage girls.

The pacing of this book sort of threw me off; there didn't seem to be a lot of consistency to it. I also felt it was far too predictable, although that did not make in unenjoyable.

If you're familiar with my reviews, you know that I liked Dimple and Rishi and I absolutely ADORED Sweetie and Ashish, so I was expecting to really fall for Pinky and Samir. As it turns out, I only fell for one of them.
Pinky always tries to help those things that can't help themselves. From raccoons to opossums, she tries to help them all. Another thing she loves is making her parents angry. Then there's Samir. He's completely nice, buttoned up and just a great individual. But when the two make up a plan to be fake boyfriend and girlfriend, they start realizing there is more to both of them than they let on.
When I heard Samir was getting a book, I was SO HAPPY. I have liked him since Sweetie's book. I remember writing in the review of Sweetie that I wanted a Samir book and then Menon made it happen! And this book made me all over again. I thought he was easy to get along with and just an all around good kid. I liked seeing him get his happy ending. As for Pinky, I was not a fan. She just seemed so mean and angry all the time and I didn't like how she treated Samir. I mean it's one thing to fake date, but even while doing that she was so mean to him. Idk, maybe enemies to lovers isn't for me. Whatever the case may be, this one did not work for me.
Then there was the plot. I feel like this book went on and on, but it was so repetitive that nothing happened. They kept doing the same things: go to the country club, fight/argue, get over it, repeat. Because of this I wasn't as into it as the others. It took me 10 DAYS to read a book this size. I just kept picking it up and putting it down. I definitely didn't think it was up to par with the others.
The main plot point, the romance, was almost non-existant as well. I think this may be another reason I didn't like Pinky. They argued all the way up until like 80%. And in that last 20% they did the break-up before the happy ending, and THEN they got together. And by that time, it was already the end of the book. I know we (readers) always say we want a slow burn, but we also want some romance in our romance. I think I would have been more ok with it had they been trying to get it right at like 60%.
This wasn't as great as the others that I loved, but Menon just knows how to write a book to keep you entertained. This one wasn't my favorite, but I still want to read anything Menon writes. I hope this isn't the end of Dimple & Rishi's universe!

Real rating 2.5

This was a fun summer read! I loved the Cape Cod setting and Pinky’s activism. I felt like Dolly’s story kind of petered out so hoping the next book is about her!

3.5 stars

I’ve been a fan of Pinky since the first time we saw her and I was quite excited for the fake dating slash hate to love...sadly, for me this one wasn’t up to the same level at the other two books.

Pinky and Samir are both good characters. She’s passionate and he’s steadfast and there’s so much damn potential between them. I didn’t quite see their connection between them and found myself setting the book down more often than not.

Plot wise, it was okay. There’s a bit of repetitiveness and the entire plot arc with Dolly seemed to be filler rather than relevant. Honestly, I could have overlooked these things if the chemistry between the two of them felt authentic.

Overall, I did enjoy the story and there were some sweet moments, but honestly, I wanted so much more for these two.

**Huge thanks to Simon Teen for providing the arc free of charge**

10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT PINKY is the first book by Sandhya Menon that I’ve read. I’ve heard great things about her other books, and have meant to read them, so when I got the chance to read this one, I was super excited.

First off, if you’re unfamiliar with Menon’s books (like I was), you can read this one without having read the others. There are some references to characters from the other books, but this book stands on its own.

I think this book totally lived up to the series hype. I loved Pinky’s quirkiness and passion and Samir’s awkwardness and insightfulness. I loved the fake dating. The family relationships were great, too. I especially loved the way the story explored Pinky’s relationship with her mom and things Pinky didn’t even realize she was doing to make that worse.

Also, the dramatic opossum! I love that Pinky rescues her and names her and walks her in a harness. It was weird and adorable and just SO Pinky.

The story has a lightness to it that I definitely need in my life right now. I found myself giggling and grinning through scenes and staying up to read just one more chapter (and another and another).

I think readers who love romantic comedy with family presence will love this fun, fake dating adventure.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

My love for Sandhya Menon’s YA novels continues with her latest, 10 Things I Hate about Pinky. Pinky Kumar is a free spirit and a social justice warrior, and when she is passionate about a cause, watch out because nothing is going to stop her from making her dream a reality. While Pinky’s passion is an admirable quality, it does tend to rattle her conservative lawyer parents a bit, especially since they think her free spiritedness leads her to make unwise decisions at times. Pinky’s choice of boyfriends is also a frequent topic of conversation and when it’s the first topic of conversation when they arrive at their beach house for summer vacation, Pinky decides to take action so that she doesn’t have to spend the entire summer listening to her parents. When she hears that Samir Jha, a friend of a friend, has had his summer plans fall through at the last minute, she invites him to her beach house to pose as her fake boyfriend. Samir wants to be a lawyer like her parents and he dreams of going to Harvard, which is Pinky’s mom’s alma mater, so he’s the perfect boy to finally impress her parents. There’s just one problem…once they finally meet up and start hanging out, Pinky and Samir realize they can’t stand each other. Samir is so flustered and so frustrated by Pinky that he actually writes a list down of all the things he hates about her. It’s so hilarious watching the two of them try to deal with each other all summer without blowing their cover and of course every step of the way I’m waiting for that moment when they’re sure to realize that perhaps those sparks flying between them aren’t all about hate after all. I adored everything about this book. Both Pinky and Samir are adorable in their own way, and I also loved the shout outs to Ashish and Sweetie from Menon’s other books in this series. I breezed through 10 Things I Hate about Pinky in a day and was sorry to say goodbye to these characters at the end. As always though, Menon left me with warm fuzzies and a smile on my face and I really hope we’ll get even more books set in this world.

This series of standalone YA companion romances is such a joy, and 10 THINGS might be my favorite one of the bunch. I loved rebellious, impassioned Pinky and stodgy but swoony Samir. This is hate-to-love/fake dating done SO well, and I absolutely loved getting swept up in Pinky & Sam's story. Not to mention the lakeside summer vacation vibes of the book's setting make this a perfect read for this time of year. (Also, can I please go to this lake house now?)

Pinky Kumar feels like she can’t quite live up to her perfect, lawyer parents, but she’s passionate about social justice and proud of her ability to create change–however obscure the cause may be. Meanwhile, Samir Jha always has a to-do list, a plan for his future, and a perfectly pressed suit. Samir and Pinky may share a best friend, Ashish, but the two of them are perfectly fine keeping their distance. But when Samir’s summer internship falls through and Pinky needs an upstanding boyfriend to win over her parents, the two concoct a fake-dating scheme to fix both of their problems. They’ve just got to tolerate each other for a few weeks–but they’re definitely not expecting their fake relationship to turn into real feelings.

10 Things I Hate About Pinky is a perfect addition to both the Dimpleverse and the fake-dating YA canon. Pinky sets out to prove to her parents that she doesn’t just date troublemakers, and that she can be responsible, and pretending to date the all-too-perfect Samir plays right into her plan. I absolutely loved reading about Samir and Pinky bickering, and I could practically feel the fire and tension between them. Pinky and Samir couldn’t be more different, and they struggle to admit their budding feelings for each other as they question if they’ll ever fit into each other’s lives. YA rom-com readers who like enemies-to-lovers as well as fake-dating tropes will absolutely adore this novel and be rooting for Samir and Pinky.

Pinky has a complicated relationship with her mom, and she constantly feels like a disappointment. Sandhya handles this complicated mother-daughter relationship with such sensitivity and authenticity. Pinky’s feelings of worrying that she’s letting her parents down, or that she might never live up to their expectations, will hit home for so many teen readers. I loved that Pinky is so sure of who she is, but also still feels out of place and isn’t quite sure where she fits in in her family or the world. The relationship between Pinky and her cousin Dolly was a wonderful addition, too, and I especially enjoyed Dolly’s subplot: Dolly is figuring out who she is and is desperately trying to break free from the perfect-daughter box she’s lived in. I loved PInky and Dolly’s relationship and totally wanted more of Dolly!

Samir is the perfect balance to wild, fierce Pinky. Samir has been caught up in always being organized and following a plan, ever since his mother survived cancer a few years ago. Though not as prominent as the plotline between PInky & her mother, there is an important subplot around Samir’s lasting trauma from this experience. He struggles to come to terms with the lasting pain and pressure to be perfect that he’s been left with since his mother’s health scare. One of my favorite things about 10 Things I Hate About Pinky is that this novel treats mental health with such care; seeking therapy and mental health support is treated as important and valid.

Like the previous novels in the Dimpleverse, the two leads of this novel are Indian-American. Pinky’s dad–her stepfather who has been in her life since early childhood–is Chinese-American (side note: I loved that this novel treats non-biological family relationships as being as real & valid as biological ones!). In terms of other diversity, there are several supporting and background characters who are Latinx, Black, and queer, though Pinky, Samir, and Pinky’s family definitely take center-stage.

It’s no secret that Sandhya Menon is the queen of YA rom-coms, and her fifth novel is just as loveable and swoon-worthy as the four before it. The tension and energy between Pinky and Samir was palpable, and the novel also had the perfect dose of comedy and drama. The Cape Cod setting was so atmospheric and made for the perfect summery romance. Throughout the book, Pinky and Samir set out to save the local butterfly habitat from being razed in favor of fancy new condos. I absolutely loved that Pinky is passionate about nature and fighting for causes she believes in, and this sub-plot worked really well to facilitate the budding romance between her and Samir. As always, Sandhya’s pacing and writing are spot-on.

10 Things I Hate About Pinky is a hilarious, adorable, swoon-worthy YA rom-com that I’ll absolutely be buying for both my personal collection and for my library. It will be a hit with fans of the Dimpleverse, but can also work perfectly well as a stand-alone for readers looking for fake-dating romance like To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before or Analee, In Real Life. Pinky and Samir were both so passionate, authentic, and felt like real people. This treasure of a romance is full of swoon, butterflies, family, identity, summer love, and maybe even a possum–but you’ll have to read it to find out about that. Whether you’re a fan of Sandhya’s or are totally new to her work, 10 Things I Hate About Pinky is a summer romance you won’t want to miss.

As always, the latest entry in Menon's series of romcoms let us into the angst and growth of two of our familiar group of Indian American teens. After seeing the initial bumps in the road of this particular relationship in a previous entry, it was intriguing to see where they went from there in this one.

This was fun! Hits both the fake boyfriend and the enemies-to-lovers tropes. I loved Samir! Pinky took some getting used to. She's abrasive in a defensive kind of way, so it took me longer to click with her character. This is primarily about both teens and their relationships with their families as well as some identity pieces around who they want to be. All of that was worked out around the family interactions at the summer home as well as a plot thread of developers threatening a place near the summer home that is very important to Pinky that added to some of the drama and conflict. A good continuation to the series.

I am generally not a teen romcom reader, but after picking up There’s Something About Sweetie last year, Sandhya Menon has quickly become a go to for when I want something utterly hilarious and sweet. We first meet Pinky Kumar and Samir Ashish in There’s Something About Sweetie and there was just something about their chemistry and how intensely they classed that made me wonder if we would get to see them star in their own love story. And of course the minute the title guessing challenge last year had me immediately going 10 Things I Hate About You and it just works. This was definitely a lazy summer paced read and we really get to see Pinky and Samir’s deeper sides, both individually and as a potential couple. My biggest disappointment is that reader’s don’t really get to see the relationship with Pinky’s mom evolve past “sulky teenager and overbearing parent” throughout the book and maybe that isn’t the focus of the story but it played a big enough role that I wish we could have gone more in depth there. Overall this was a solid summer romcom but definitely could have been stronger when it came to the relationship development between our MCs and the people around them.

Concept // 7/10 ★

Arc of the Characters // 6/10 ★

Writing Style // 7/10 ★

Plot & Pacing // 5/10 ★

Intrigue // 7/10 ★

Logic & Lore // 5/10 ★

Overall Enjoyment // 7/10 ★

Pinky Kumar and Samir Jha are total opposites - she’s impulsive and passionate and he’s a careful planner. Of course the universe finds a way to shove them together for an entire summer, and sparks fly.

This is a cute book and fits nicely with the other two in the series. Pinky and Samir falling for each other is done believably, despite their summer together starting with somewhat unbelievable circumstances. (Yes, let’s just invite the guy you barely know to be your fake boyfriend. And why would Pinky’s parents be okay with her suddenly inviting some guy to live with them all summer?) Everything wraps up neatly, as you’d expect. An enjoyable read.

Scream and shout for another Sandhya Menon book!

I can’t tell you how excited I was to get to be a part of this opportunity, especially coming off the heels of reading Of Curses and Kisses this year. I love Sandhya’s books so much with all their feels and tension! Of course, Pinky and Samir’s story did not disappoint.

Pinky is tired of listening to her parents go on about her poor decisions in life so, over the summer, she hatches a plan to please her parents for once with a fake and perfect boyfriend, Samir. Of course, with any fake boyfriend story, real feelings start to get involved, making it a summer they won’t forget.

I ADORED Pinky! Her personality was so perfect to the point where she doesn’t care about certain things, but she’s also a really loving person underneath. Pinky understands who she is and, I for one, think that’s enough. She’s a gorgeous girl and takes all the risks, which I imagine is pretty bold in her family given their constant criticism. She handles herself like a charm and there was just so much to love about her through this story.

Samir, coming from There’s Something About Sweetie, is not what you expected. He is the hottie nerd trope and it totally works. Of course, his personality is the opposite of that and he is very smart and calm with a strong will. It’s a really good match for Pinky’s personality and it makes them perfect for each other.

Speaking of the relationship, it’s just ooey-gooey lovey-dovey and I soaked it all up like a sponge! If you’ve read Sandhya’s writing, then you have absolutely nothing to worry about. Once again, she has created a relationship that you will fall head over heels for. I want to give away some of the cutest moments, but I think those are better left unsaid for you to find out on your own. Your heart will jump and you’ll get butterflies!

This book is just all around perfect with the story, the characters, the romance, everything. I can’t say enough positive things about Sandhya and her writing on one computer screen, but trust me when I say this is the best send off for the Dimpleverse. It sucks big time that this is it, but these books (and her future works, period) are going to be a permanent staple on my shelves and others around the world.

10 Things I Hate About Pinky features some familiar characters from Sandhya’s Dimpleverse, but isn’t dependent on previous books. It’s exactly what I’ve come to expect from Sandhya, and it’s a delight.

10 Things I Hate About Pinky is contemporary YA romance at its best. It’s funny, nuanced and authentic. It’s fast-paced and quirky and heartfelt. Pinky is a rebel with heart. She’s relatable and her flaws are what make her likeable. Samir is a little harder to read at first, but he’s perhaps even more complex than Pinky.

This — or any of the books in the Dimpleverse — are worth reading more than once.

4.5

Pinky Kumar is unapologetically herself. From the top of her brightly colored hair to the tips of her toes. Standing up for causes she believes in, making sure voices are heard no matter the volume. Pinky meets any obstacle head on without blinking. Except when it comes to her relationship with her mother whom Pinky cannot seem to please no matter that she works hard to make sure the underdog can come out on top. While summer vacationing with her parents at their lake house, Pinky is determined that her mother begin to see her in a different light. So, Pinky enlists Samir Jha to pose as her fake boyfriend.

Samir is reliable, steadfast, smart (he wants to be a lawyer), he makes lists instead of just jumping into any situation. The total package of a boy her parents would approve of. When his summer internship with a law firm in DC is abruptly cancelled, Samir sees Pinky's proposition as a way to get in good with Pinky's mother - a renowned corporate lawyer herself who has the means to offer Samir an internship with her firm. Plus, it'll be nice to have a little more time away from his mother. After her battle with cancer, they've formed a codependent relationship that Samir is ready to lighten up on a little bit heading into his senior year.

The problem is: Pinky and Samir mix as well as oil and water. No way they'll be able to convince her parents that they're really together. Samir cannot stand Pinky's brash attitude and Pinky cannot stand Samir's buttoned-up persona. But once they start spending time together, they begin to realize they actually compliment each other's strengths and weaknesses. Now, if they can only get over their own fears.

Pinky was definitely a stand out character for me in Sandhya Menon's previous book [book:There's Something About Sweetie|35583527]. I was really happy when I learned that Pinky would get her own book because, let's be honest, if anyone demands their own story, it's Pinky Kumar.

Samir was an interesting choice for Pinky's counterpart. Not that I didn't like his character, but he just seemed so by-the-book as compared to Pinky. Which I know he is, but I just didn't know how Sandhya Menon would pull off their pairing. But obviously she does, if my rating is anything to go by!

I really loved seeing a different side to Samir. Seeing where he's coming from in terms of why he is so structured. Why Pinky's often impulsiveness throws him off so completely. And I loved seeing him embrace being thrown a little bit. Realizing it's not a bad thing to not know, down to the minute, how your day (life) will play out despite the scary uncertainties this can cause.

For Pinky, she of course just bursts into the story as always unapologetically. I liked how the story doesn't take the stance that Pinky conform, it's more that everyone around Pinky sees her bright personality, her loyalty, her resourcefulness and conforms to her being the way she is. In my opinion, I didn't find there was much to change in Pinky's beliefs. Maybe she can try to think before she speaks in some cases, but other than that, I love her take charge attitude. And when I say think before she speaks, it's mainly in regards to her relationship with her parents - her mother in particular. She assumes they automatically think the worst, so oftentimes she'll throw herself in situations just to meet their low expectations. It's obvious that Pinky and her mother need to have a conversation like stat, but I think Sandhya Menon really makes it clear that sometimes these conversations are not as easy to start as one might think. So Pinky and her mother have kind of danced around their issues for years.

What was done so wonderfully in this story, though, is the coming together of Pinky and Samir's personalities. How they are, yes, seemingly different, but the way they play off each other, the way Samir makes Pinky think a little about how she interacts with her mother, how maybe she can try to see her mother's perspective a little more. And Pinky pulls Samir out of his carefully curated box, and shows him that taking risks isn't necessarily a bad thing. In this, their differences really compliment each other to the point where, when they're together, they're on some kind of neutral ground. I think they're my favorite pairing of the series because they work so well together whether they're in opposition with one another or when they're working towards a common goal.

The summer lakeside setting was also wonderful. It brings to mind my own summer vacations, times where you're between one school grade and the next. There's so much you left behind in that previous year, but there's so much coming up in the next school year, but just for the summer you get this kind of peaceful calm where you know anything is possible.

Overall, I think Pinky's story takes the cake for me. I'd love to see Sandhya Menon continue writing stories in this world, Pinky's cousin Dolly seems to be primed to get her own, and I will pick up whatever Menon has for us next. But regardless, Pinky and Samir do not disappoint. I'm actually a little sad to be leaving their story world. Even if you haven't read the other books in the series, you can certainly pick up Pinky's and enjoy it. I highly recommend that you do.

10 Things I Hate About Pinky is the third and final book in the Dimpleverse, and it was such a treat to read! Ashish is the most unexpected but weirdly accurate matchmaker. 😂 He suggests Pinky invite Samir to her lake house for the summer, and when Pinky thinks she needs a mom-approved boyfriend to placate her parents, she realizes that might not be a bad idea. Fake-dating, frenemies to lovers, and fun summer activities all star in this rom-com, plus a well-placed Heath Ledger reference!
While I don’t really connect with Pinky, I loved Samir, and their romance was believable. Samir makes lists to regiment his life, while Pinky does whatever she wants whenever she wants to raise awareness for causes. I admire her bravery and passion, and it was downright painful to read about her interactions with her mom. Those made me cry a few times, and I wanted to scream at her mom for being so out of tune with how Pinky was perceiving her comments. Despite this, I love that in all of Menon’s books, the parents are present. They aren’t perfect, and a lot of times have real issues they need to work on in themselves, but I like that they’re a prominent part of the story. That’s something that YA doesn’t get often, and it’s refreshing.

I’ve always been drawn to Menon’s books because while the romances are super cute and swoony, there is also depth to them which I appreciate.

The side characters in this book were on point as well, with Dolly trying to figure out her identity and Cash being the worst possible jerk on the planet. He showed up to Pinky and Dolly’s family functions with the sole purpose of stirring up trouble, which made me hate him more. Who DOES that?!

If this had been a longer book, I wish Samir’s relationship with his mom was something we could have physically seen and watched improve, but since he was at Pinky’s lake house the whole time that wouldn’t have been practical. But we get a taste of what may come for him, which was nice.

Timewise, I read this in about a day, so get a class of something cold and settle in for a great summer read!

This book continues in the story world created in When Dimple Met Rishi, featuring familiar characters Pinky and Samir -- self-proclaimed enemies who share a best friend. When their summer plans collide, they go from fake dating to real feelings, with each making important discoveries about themselves and their families along the way. Enjoyable, but not quite as cute or romantic as the previous books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

WHO DOESN’T LOVE FAKE DATING?!? And in the Dimple and Rishi universe???? SIGN ME UP.

This is a story about how opposites attract. It also gave some major Friends vibes... please refer to “The One With the List.” Sandhya Menon is the bomb and I will read all of her books no matter what they are about.

A note to my husband, prompted by this read:
Thanks for always staying calm when I feel like I’m losing my mind.

Five stars!