Oh boy, was this a wild ride. We follow Liya and Jay, who’s parents arrange for them to meet and discuss a potential engagement. Liya, wanting nothing to do with marriage and the expectations her community places on women, says no thank you and sneaks out just as Jay and his mother arrive. They bump into each other - quite literally - and everything goes from there.

Admittedly, this book did not start off great for me. I thought both Liya and Jay acted in extremely immature ways and overreacted to situations that barely warranted an eye roll. I was so close to DNFing, but I’m so glad I continued because I absolutely loved the last two thirds of this. Jay and Liya solve their issues with each other pretty quickly (thank god) and begin getting to know each other and forming a connection. I thought they were very sweet together when this happened, and I found myself rooting for them to the very last page.

One aspect I especially loved seeing was addressing the toxic side of culture/religion. Liya’s past causes the people in her Indian community to look down on her and slut-shame her, but she still has a sense of pride in her culture and her friends within this community. I’m not Indian myself so I can’t speak to the validity of this, but I thought Sajni Patel did an excellent job of addressing and denouncing the sexism and double standards present within Liya’s community.

Sajni Patel has become a new romance author on my radar, and I’m now looking forward to reading whatever she puts out in the future!

"I don't stand in front of you, or run after you. I walk alongside you."

Liya is a successful, independent woman who has been an outcast of her community since she was a teenager. She has no plans to settle into an arranged marriage, despite her parents many attempts. When Liya runs out the back door of the latest attempted planned meeting with a suitor, she's unpleasantly surprised to find that said suitor, Jay, is the corporate lawyer tapped to help save the company she works at. Despite clearly getting off to a rocky start, Liya and Jay start to spend more time together they realize they may actually be falling for each other - if they can both get over the pain in their pasts.

This was such an enjoyable enemies-to-lovers romance with such a compelling overall story. It dealt with a number of difficult subjects (sexual assault, trauma) very well, and all within a larger cultural context of Liya and Jay's religious and social community. I thought Patel did an excellent job of balancing the heavier topics with the light and fun of the romantic story. This was definitely a slower burn and the tension and banter between Liya and Jay was super enjoyable. Jay and his family were wonderful (especially his Ma). My main complaint was that I felt the ending was a bit rushed and a few parts felt a little repetitive.

I definitely recommend this if you're looking for a refreshing romance that has a solid storyline and is lower on the steam.

4/5 stars

Thanks to the publisher for a gifted copy!

TW: sexual assault, domestic abuse, slut shaming

The Trouble with Hating you is a more serious contemporary romance where both characters have more tragic backstories and have some demons to overcome together. Told in alternating POV's, Liya and Jay are being set up by their traditional Indian families. Neither *wants* to be set up to get married, but in this culture it is hard to say no. They both have different reasons for not wanting to get married, by when Liya flees the meeting Jay is interested in knowing why she is so against the idea of marriage.

Liya and Jay do not initially get along, this is a definite hate to love plot line. Liya has her defenses up so high due to her past and she can't accept that a man is seriously interested in her for more than just a night. Jay means well, but Liya's brand of honesty and bluntness causes him to rile her up further, even without always meaning to. It was a good transition from hate to love, it wasn't too fast or too slow. There also was not a lot of steam.

There were very serious aspects to this book too, which can make it hard to read or be triggering for some people. Please see the trigger warnings at the top of the page before you read. I do believe the scenes were handled well and weren't too much to handle at any given point. It was heartbreaking to see Liya shunned by her community and her father over something that was done TO her.

Overall, I really enjoyed this and think it was a solid contemporary romance.

What a great debut! I was pleasantly surprised by this one. Liya Thakkar is a main character I can get behind. I expected a light, hate to love story, but it was a bit heavier than anticipated (in a great way). Both Liya and Jay had ghosts from the past they were dealing with that added a solid layer of depth to their story, but we didn't lose that iconic hate to love banter either. The Indian themes in this were so well integrated in a way that's not overwhelming or confusing to people unfamiliar with the culture like myself. In fact, it felt lightly educational and I loved learning a little more about it and feeling immersed. Her group of girls and the way they supported one another made me smile. The family dynamics were as infuriating as they were heart warming. Sometimes, especially in the beginning, I think the feminist tone came on too strong, but by the end it had coalesced into a strong cord that ran throughout the piece.

If you enjoy romance, especially with Indian inspiration, families that aren't perfect, and women shaking the restrictions of tradition, pick this one up!

This enemies to lovers tale is 100 percent adorable and totally squeal-worthy. I love how independent protagonist Liya is and how cute Jay is that he's head over heels in love with her. Seriously, I could feel my heart beating so loud over this sweeping, romantic, and cute story! I couldn't stop reading this story even way past midnight, I just had to find out what happened next because Liya and Jay's love story feels so real, authentic, and earned as you see these two people break past all over their boundaries and walls to eventually find love. Liya is realistic, and a character that's you can relate to from seeing her break down and let him into her world and heart. That was so moving to see, also using diverse characters because that's what the romance genre needs more of. More perspectives and different people's stories. It's beyond cute by the end and I just need a sequel right now to see where their love story went. Ahh, precious.

Thank you to @netgalley and @readforeverpub for a copy of this book to read and review. This reminds me of a sort of a modern day retelling of Pride and Prejudice. Liya’s parents keep trying to set her up to get married. When Jay and his mother come one day she has had enough and sneaks out. Later she realized that Jay is the new attorney hired to help at her work. Cue fighting. Honestly this was another one that I almost didn’t finish because at the beginning Liya just seemed to be so mean to every one. As the story progresses though you start to understand her more and she and Jay connect. I loved Jay! He was a great character 😍😍😍. Comes out May 12! Trigger warning: Sexual assault

*Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this E-Arc in exchange for an honest review*

I really really enjoyed this one. I flew through it on a rainy evening and it definitely hit me in my heart. I'm a sucker for anything enemies to lovers and I loved how these characters slowly opened each other up. They were broken pieces that fit perfectly together and they found solace in each other. Each characters emotional journeys were well paced and heartfelt. I think my favorite thing was that it was at its heart a story about two imperfect people finding perfection with each other and isn't that all anyone can hope for.

Content Warnings: Sexual assault, sexual abuse, neglect, verbal abuse, victim blaming, fire, death

Thank you NetGalley and Forever for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I have to say I loved this one it almost felt like reading a movie, with all of the suspense, the laugh out loud moments, the sweetness and the slow burn. This book also came with a warning in the beginning almost a trigger warning of sorts which i think more books need. Not to give away plot but to let the reader know what they're getting into.

I would wholeheartedly recommend this book if you're looking for a:

Enemies to lovers romance
A strong, independent heroine not looking for prince charming
A sweet and loyal hero willing to take a chance (seriously Jay is sa-wooon)
Close proximity
Parents and friends trying to set them up for an arranged marriage
Bollywood level dancing
A slow burn closed door romance that still has plenty of tension

The book was immersed in Indian culture taking place in Texas. The author did a wonderful job of layering the book and the story. Both main characters were so strong and Jay was just perfection. I do want to provide a warning that I think Liya's father can be especially triggering for victims of sexual abuse or emotional abuse.

Triggers: grief, sexual assault, emotional abuse

3.5 stars

The Trouble with Hating You was a good take on the enemies to lovers trope and definitely gave me Pride and Prejudice vibes at times. I was not expecting it to also deal with much more serious topics like sexual assault, death of a parent, and emotional abuse, but the author handled those very well. I really enjoyed getting more insight into Indian culture and traditions and loved that Liya and Jay were not the cookie cutter hero and heroine romance readers generally encounter. The female friendships were amazing and I loved Liya's girlfriends. They were supportive and fun and 100% loyal. I'm a sucker for first loves, so I'm hoping that Preeti will be getting a story of her own in the future. Family relationships also play a huge role in the book and I especially enjoyed Jay's family. His mother was the best and so many times I found myself cheering for her throughout the book.

Unfortunately, as much as I wanted to love this book, I never truly felt hooked by it. The writing and story were enjoyable, but sometimes it seemed to lose focus. There were a lot of details and side plots going on that felt like filler and ended up distracting me from Jay and Liya's story. I also felt like the start of the book was trying to sell the hate a little too hard, and unfortunately it just made Liya and Jay unlikeable. I needed a more gradual change in their relationship too. Things seemed to go from loathing to undying love very quickly. The book wrapped up a little too neatly in the end, but overall, it was an entertaining and solid debut novel.

*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*

When Liya is set up yet again by her parents with a probable suitor, she runs off like the wind, crashing into said suitor, who happens to be tall, dark, and damn easy on the eyes. And, when she shows up at work, on her first day after being promoted, she stumbles late into a meeting led by a new lawyer hired to fend off her company’s lawsuits. Said lawyer... is said suitor—Jay. Their work banter and bickering lead to friendship, and... possibly more? Set in her Americanized, pro-woman ways, does Liya even believe in marriage, being tied down to a single man, living out the traditions her family and friends embrace?

Let me start this review by saying: WOW. Josh and Jason better watch out because there’s another hunky J in the Forever family! LADIES, I think I may have found my first ever book husband. Jay Shah was everything! I mean Liya was one hell of a spitfire, but Jay was an even stronger character who really stood by her side. The story was infused with just the right amount of Indian culture to give it life but not overpower, and the #metoo aspect really resonated. This was packed with a punch, boy did it land.

Thank you Forever Pub and NetGalley for a gifted copy of this ARC.

What worked for me:
- Female friendship - I loved seeing Liya with her friends because that was when she shined the brightest and I always appreciate when women support each other, no questions asked.
- Indian culture - I enjoyed the glimpse into the Indian culture and the expectations for a female. It was refreshing to see characters basically saying F U to those expectations. The food descriptions also made me salivate a little.
- Jay - what a patient man! I found him funny, kind and very respectable.

What didn't work for me:
- Liya - oh Liya Liya Liya ... it's one thing to prove yourself, but she isn't the most likeable character. I also have a hard time when an author have an point to make but spends the entire book making that same point over and over again. I get that she is an independent woman and needs no man to buy her nice things, but to push that for 50% of the book was a bit much. I just couldn't connect with her. However, I'm glad she turned around during the latter half of the book when she starts to bring her walls down..
- Pacing of their relationship - I felt like their relationship went from hate to HEA in the span of a week. It was hard to track the timeline.

Overall, I'd say it was a solid debut novel. Not my favorite but also didn't hate it!

Liya Thakkar is a force to be reckoned with - a bold, independent, feminist Indian woman who bucks at convention much to her parents disappointment. Liya is a prickly one, and she has reason to be. I loved her strong character even when I sympathized with Jay and his frustration with her constant walls and defenses. The way that her father and her community have treated her has taught Liya to rely only on herself and to anticipate the worst from people. I really enjoyed how Jay worked his way under her defenses to get Liya to see that he’s not like the rest of their judgemental community. There were a few things that I thought were unnecessary and slowed down the pace (Jay’s guilt over his father, the legal troubles that Liya’s company was going through that didn’t seem to matter in the end) but all in all a really great story. A little on the heavier side as the plot deals a lot with themes of sexual assault.

No one is sadder about my rating for this book more than I am. I was SO excited for it. I couldn’t wait to finally pick it up and dive into it, but I have to be honest and say this did not meet my expectations.

I think the biggest problem is that since the very beginning, this was so hard to get through. There is a very big difference between a character that is confident, and has her walls up, and a character that is plain mean. Although we grow to learn and understand Liya’s actions and the reason why she is so closed off, some of her actions in the beginning were just mean. It felt very hard to connect to her character, even though I enjoyed her growth and development and the story progressed.

I also felt like the dialogue was very forced. it just didn’t feel genuine or realistic. It was hard to enjoy the interactions between the characters when most of the times their dialogue made me cringe so hard.

Unfortunately, although Jay and Liya has very cute scenes, specially as they grew closer, my lack of interest in the beginning made me just not really care for their relationship as it progressed as much as I would’ve liked. I also felt like the development from their dislike of each other to their friendship felt very rushed.


I did have to say I thought Jay was a very good character, although I think my lack of connection to the book as a whole in the beginning made me not love him as much as maybe I would’ve if I had enjoyed the book from the beginning.

I think the only think I genuinely enjoyed in this book was the friendship between the girls. I loved that Liya had such a great support system, and I loved their moments together and how much there were there for each other.

I wish I would’ve loved this! I really went into it thinking I would. But throughout the first 20% of the book I really had to force myself to pick it up and continue, and ended up skimming a few scenes that I felt were boring. I would still be super interested in reading a book about some of Jiya’s friends, because as mentioned previously, I really enjoyed that little group.

Um! Yes,yes,yes!!! Can I have a movie please?

This was just what I needed. This romance had such character development. There was great depth. The bond between friends and family was so strong.

In my mind I just kept thinking that I need to see this on the screen! You know how some books just draw you in visually and dont let go? This here is that kind of book.

I even appreciated that the steam was low but the high angst made this still seem so hot! Just being honest!

This was my first read of this author but definitely not my last. Thank you Forever Pub and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This book was ok. I did not really care for the first half of it but the couple grew on me! I also really loved Liyas girlfriends. Liya was a bit tough to understand at first but I am so glad I pushed through. This book had some deeper emotional scenes and topics but I also feel that added to its depth and character development. I can’t wait to see more romance from this author. Maybe a little less heavy hitting next time.

If you're reading this review because you are about 1/4 of the way through and questioning whether or not you should continue reading...KEEP READING. I will be honest, the main characters were making me mad for the first half of the book, and I wasn't sure if I could warm up to them and their impending relationship, given that this is a romance novel. However, as they grew closer, and the armor began to be shed from around their tender little hearts, I realized that this is a romance worth waiting for. I was so proud of their growth as friends and then as a couple, especially given the pressure on them from their families and their culture. By the end of the book, I had been put through the wringer of emotions, but it was so worth it.

A rebel in her family, Liya Thakkar has no intentions of being a good girl and marrying a man her parents choose for her. Throwing away the rulebook is how she's lived her life since she was a teenager, and she intends for things to stay that way. After narrowly escaping a matchmaking dinner, she literally runs into the man who was intended for her, Jayesh Shah, and things don't start off well. Soon she's seeing him everywhere, even at work when he's hired on as legal counsel to help the failing company, and emotions fly. Mostly negative ones. Liya knows her reputation among the men at the mandir is that she's loose, wild, and not wife material. So that can only mean he's interested in her for sex...right? Jay knows Liya is going to be a tough nut to crack, but if they can get through the hard times, she is a woman worth fighting for.

Let's start off with the things I loved - the girlfriends. The women who supported Liya, held her when she cried, told her when she was wrong, and laughed at her anti-traditional antics. They were a group of friends I think every woman would love to have at her side. Then there was Jay's mom, a darling woman who clearly wanted the best for her son, regardless of what others may think of that decision. I also loved Liya and Jay's relationship...eventually. I liked how Liya pushed Jay when he was wrong, and I liked how Jay refused to back down when Liya was being rude. Liya definitely pushed past the boundaries of rude into just plain mean territory, which I didn't like. She had her reasons, which we eventually learned, and it shed light on why she acted the way she did. And I mostly understood. But she really was horrible to Jay initially, for very little reason. I was thinking to myself, well, if someone as rude as Liya can get a man, there is hope for all of us. Seriously though, they were a great couple, but they certainly had to go through a trial by fire to get to a happy ending. It was great to see how supportive Jay was as their relationship became more intimate, and secrets were shared, on both sides. It was very realistic and showed that love doesn't always come easily.

I can't read to more from this author! She paints a very real picture for her readers, and I could absolutely see this becoming a movie at some point.

Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes. SO MUCH YES. I adored this book and highly recommend it to lovers of contemporary romance! What a powerful story of love, second chances, and navigating life after a sexual assault. I’m so happy to have been approved for this book, because I see it staying a favorite for the year. Thank you, thank you! I’ll be posting a full review on my blog and Instagram. :)

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Netgalley. This is my honest review:

My first initial thoughts were, “wow there are lots of details here,” but as I continued to read I discovered that each detail showed me the full picture!

I love to read stories about other cultures and get brief insights to things I may not fully understand! I feel that Patel did such a beautiful job at highlighting the good side and the bad side of her culture! I gained a deeper understanding about a world I didn’t know much about before hand! I can also say that she delivered it well because I was able to relate the pros and cons of my reality to this story! Patel opened her world and in the pages of Jay’s and Liya’s story I discovered that our worlds aren’t so different!

I love a story that thrusts me into the pages! You feel the drama, feel the emotion and it’s that reason why I give this book 5 stars! I felt a part of this world and though at first I didn’t understand it I still respected the characters and their journeys! I love the display of strength that Liya showed in the book! Even if at times she was unreasonable she had every right to be! Even more I loved Jay’s patience and even when he wanted to give up he knew he couldn’t and knew he never would! Their pain may have been started for differing reasons but they were able to heal one another!

There is so much to takeaway from this book and the most important one is to never give up on yourself! To fight for what you want in life and never let anyone make you feel you are less than what you are!

read as a netgalley e-arc.
THIS WAS SUCH A GOOD BOOK. Going into this book I wasn't sure what to expect. when we met the main characters I was a little hesitant, but let me tell you that was all for nothing. IT WAS FANTASTIC. The dynamics of the book, the way Sajni wrote Jay and Liya was so encompassing and real that they felt like people I'd known my whole life.

Liya Thakkar is a happy, independent woman, set on living her life however she wanted. But, her parents are definitely not happy with her decisions and are constantly trying to set her up.
Jay is a lawyer, and he was recently assigned to work at Liya's company.
After a tragic encounter between Jay and Liya lead to tension between them. What will Liya do when she has to work alongside Jay and he is starting to become a good friend?

I'm always a fan of the Hate-to-Love trope and all my expectations were fullfilled. I adored this story. O connected so well with Liya and Jay and all the brown parent problems they have. They were both so cute and wholesome and I felt it when they were happy or sad or angry.

Liya was such a vibrant, happy character that it made me hurt to hear what she had been through. Sajni tackled her problems so perfectly, especially the way everything was dealt with in their community. She explored the good and bad of being brown, and despite the darker undertone The Trouble With Hating You was a joyous tribute to their wonderful culture.

ALSO, THE DIVERSITY. i'm so happy that books like this are being published more and more. where people of colour can freely express their beliefs and views to the world. I love it.

I'd definitely recommend this as an easy, quick, diverse read.

Probably more of a 3.5 but I’m rounding up.

CW: talk of past sexual assault, parental and marital abuse, gaslighting, death of a parent

This is one debut I’ve been highly anticipating and I was ecstatic when I got approved for the ARC. I was gonna read it much closer to the release date but I changed my mind and I’m glad I read it because the beautiful love story was definitely something I needed.

The story actually takes a while to kick off and I felt bored initially, but I was determined to see it through and when everything fell into place, I found it to be a very well written romance and also strong female friendships. The dialogue can be a bit on the cheesier side sometimes but as a Bollywood movie lover, I’m accustomed to a lot of cheese and I didn’t mind it at all. I liked how the author showed both the good and bad sides of the Indian community and while some of the characters really pissed me off, it was mostly because such people do exist in real life and I hate seeing them in fiction too. The only small gripe I have is that except a handful of families, the author showed that most of the community is very conservative and patriarchal, and I think that was a bit too harsh and we are getting progressive. I both liked and hated the ending - the main characters’ arc was perfectly concluded and this is probably the first time I was happy that there wasn’t an epilogue because it perfectly suited the character’s personalities; on the other hand, we didn’t get to see any consequences for some of the other unsavory characters and I would have liked some resolution in that matter.

The characters of Liya and Jay were definitely the best parts of the book. Liya is strong, independent, opinionated but there’s a vulnerable side to her that only those closest to her get to witness. She may feel a little unlikable initially but as we get to know her, I really loved her and realized the unlikability only stems from society’s perspective and nothing else. Jay on the other hand is a typical nice Indian boy who wants to keep his family happy, but there are depths to him that we discover as the story goes on. I loved that the author spent time developing their friendship and there were so many sweet moments which only endeared me more to them. And I loved that there was deep understanding between them and immense trust and support for each other.

The other best part of the book was Jay’s lovely family who were tight knit and traditional in some ways but also didn’t bow down to society’s gossip. I particularly loved Jay’s mother who was a rock and never let anyone treat her or her family with disrespect. And Liya’s three best friends were a riot and I loved every single scene where they all were just having fun. I like that the author showed how important female friendships are and sometimes even more than family.

To conclude, this book had some difficult themes which I thought were handled well but ultimately it’s strength is the adorable relationship between the main characters and some very lovely friendships. I like seeing the man support the woman’s aspirations for a change and would love to see more such books in the future. And I would definitely read whatever the author writes next.