The Trouble With Hating You takes on one of my favorite tropes, enemies-to-lovers, and does so beautifully. I really enjoyed the banter between Jay and Liya, and how their relationship grew over time.
This novel also deals with some pretty heavy topics - culture + how it affects the relationships with family, death, sexual assault, and verbal abuse. Amidst these serious issues, there was a lightness between the the romance that didn't make the book overall feel heavy. I appreciated that.
Both Liya and Jay had some baggage that was exposed throughout the novel, and I think the author did a great job at tying together their pasts with why Liya was so standoffish and untrusting, and why Jay carried around a heaviness, even in the happiest moments. I loved seeing the two expose their cracks to each other, and learning to lean on one another instead of trying to stand on their own.
I feel like the ending was a bit rushed, but overall I really enjoyed this book. I recommend for any one who loves a good romcom, for fans of The Hating Game and Unmarriageable.

Rating: 3.5/5 (rounding up to 4)

This was an interesting read for me and while I wasn't too crazy about the characters, I'll probably check out some of Sajni Patel's other works since she' has a very strong writing style. I enjoyed seeing Jay and Liya get their happy ending and overcoming cultural challenges, familial relationships as well as traumatic pasts. These gave the story more depth and made it more interesting to see their relationship develop. As far as why I personally did not give a higher rating, I found Liya's constant sexism very distracting from the actual story. Speaking as an independent woman, I found it very difficult to come to terms with her double standards when it comes to how men should behave--it's apparently sexist for men to be courteous to women, but they should still be willing to make all of the adjustments and sacrifices if they truly care for the woman. There were reasons that make her mindset understandable but doesn't really make her behavior at times any more appealing. There were also some misjudgments on Jay's part when it came to truly understand why Liya acted the way she did as well, but his response on realizing his mistake was more mature. Other than that though a well-written and emotionally-fraught read with excellent character development. I was given an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Sassy, emotive, and sweetly romantic!

The Trouble with Hating You is a fresh, heartwarming tale that transports you to Houston, Texas and into the lives of Liya Thakkar, an assertive, independent, Indian-American woman who is more than happy being single and is completely uninterested in any of her parent’s matchmaking abilities, and Jay Shah, a persistent, handsome, young man who takes his family obligations very seriously and is not easily persuaded.

The writing is heartfelt and light. The characters are intelligent, stubborn, vulnerable, and endearing. And the plot is a push-pull tale full of familial responsibility, workplace drama, tender moments, hilarious mishaps, witty banter, goals, expectations, friendship, community, optimism, chemistry, and love.

Overall, The Trouble with Hating You is so much more than a typical rom-com with lots of culture and tradition, weighty, hard-hitting issues, and an enemies-to-lovers romance that skirts it all. It is a fantastic debut for Patel and I can’t wait to read what she comes up with next.

I absolutely loved this book even though I found Liya hard to stomach sometimes after her constant disrespect to anyone who wanted to help her. I understand that she felt she had something to prove but she was highly unlikeable and I still can't believe that author Sajni Patel was able to redeem her for me. It was great.

Liya loves her mother, has a contentious relationship with her father, and while enjoys the community aspect of her culture, she doesn't like the judgment. Living by herself, unmarried, and more of a modern bent attitude towards romantic relationships, Liya doesn't want to get married. She has had it with her father surprising her with these matchmaker dinners and literally runs over the latest match to get away.
Jay can't believe how rude Liya was and is angry at her for making his mother feel bad and when it turns out she works for the company that just hired him as a corporate lawyer to try and the save them from impending lawsuits, he comes down harsh on her when she is late to a meeting.
Liya has a heavy fortified spiked wall around her heart but Jay is intrigued by the glances he gets of her unguarded personality.

“We’re not friends, you know?”
“No one forgets being told they’re not friends,” I said teasingly, knowing full well she didn’t want to be friends but yet, here we were. A smile crept across her lips, even though she tried hard to stop it.

The Trouble with Hating You is a debut by Sajni Patel and while Liya might start off too prickly for some, the author slowly peels and reveals enough layers to have the reader feel for Liya. I really enjoyed Liya and Jay together, Liya is pretty harsh to him in the beginning but Jay was a resilient guy, he wasn't a pushover but he stuck around and poked the bear enough to learn not to be scared of Liya's growls. I feel like I usually read about the heroine being pressured by her mother to get married and while Liya's relationship with her father was sad and anger inducing because of his actions, I liked that Liya wanted to be close to her mother. I would have liked to have more scenes with Liya and her mother as I think this could have given the reader even more of a look into Liya's heart.

Jay's family and especially his relationship with his mother gave readers a great insight to his character and how he was a caring person. The trauma and self-blame about his father dying was actually a story line, in a book I thought had one too many side tangents, that could have been taken out. The reasoning he took for why he blamed himself for his father's death felt kind of forced and I don't think it added much to the story; we didn't need him to have a reason to not want to get married, Liya covered that well.

The first 20% or so percent had some forced writing, there was a scene where a group of guys are talking about Liya and one of the characters gives what felt like a soapbox speech about not slut-shaming. A great line of thinking to put out there but it felt really unnatural how it was written in and I think since Liya was a more than your average prickly heroine, the author was trying to stymie those guns right away. However, as the story went on and around 40%, the writing, story pace, and tone started to flow more natural and instead of forcing things, the characters took over and the story felt less directed.

“You think you see more?” she sneered.
“I see so deep into you, Liya, that you can’t hide yourself from me. Even things you don’t want me to see. I love every piece of beauty, every imperfection, and I can’t get enough.”

Liya and Jay were the highlight of the story for me, which is great in a romance but I felt like the story tried to veer from them too many times. Jay's issues with his father's death that I felt could have been left out completely, Jay's sister-in-law pregnancy, especially the birth scene, took up too much screen time, and Liya's medical company getting sued felt like an important plot in the story that never was fleshed out enough. The plot works to get Liya and Jay together but the essence of it felt important but then felt like it didn't give enough details. While I thought the author handled Liya's sexual assault when she was fifteen by a respected man of their community well, I would have liked to see more of inclusion of Liya's friends here. Reema, Preeti, and Sana were Liya's friends that make appearances and I loved them and their dynamic; each was given enough personality to intrigue for the their own books but didn't clogged the story.

This fell more on the less sexual side of things appearing on page, sex is talked about, there is some kissing, but bedroom door was shut. Liya started off growling but as Jay's humble, calm, and not afraid to tease and poke personality got under the hard layer of Liya, they were a winsome couple to read about.

What a fun book!! This is exactly what I needed to relax and enjoy myself :) Most of the characters are developed really well (and relatively realistic), and the plot worked really well too! The 1 star off is because I thought Jay’s family was “too good” and kind of unbelievable; not much development there. However, overall I enjoyed myself and all the funny, serious, romantic moments and everything in between!! I can’t wait to read more by Sajni Patel!!

This was enemies to lovers gold. The story wasn't rushed. The characters and relationships were so well developed. It was steamy without being too much. I felt for both Liya and Jay and they sorted through their own pasts and personal issues to become the couple that I was rooting for from the first chapter.

One thing I consistently look for in a great book is a cast of characters that I want to hang out with. I want to feel connected and like I am in their world with them. That relationship with the book is part of what pulls me into reading so much. Liya and Jay's untraditional path to love gives me just that. I want to know what happens next.

I thought Liya's friend group was wonderful. I am not sure if this is a series or a stand alone book, but I know I wouldn't mind getting Preeti's story next.

I think before someone gets into this book there are a lot of triggers that can make the story hard to swallow. This book contains sexual assault, sexism, and emotional abuse. Knowing that first might help you adjust your mindset for this story.

Liya was a hard character for me to love in the beginning. She carried so much hate with her for the first half of the book. She was so stubborn and hardheaded. I understood where her frustration came from, but at the same time she refused to accept any other point of view or way of life if it conflicted with her ideals. She refused to give any man a chance and just wrote off all of them as horrible people with no redeeming qualities. I can see why Liya has built up these impossible walls to climb. She has a false reputation that preceded her and rather than getting to know her, people would rather just make their own assumptions and believe rumors.

Jay was the polar opposite of Liya. He wanted to find the good with everyone and every situation because he was harboring a lot of guilt and pain. He had such a huge heart and made me smile with his charming personality. I love that he was able to stand toe to toe with Liya, but he never bashed or belittled her. He was able to spar with her by challenging her ideals and opening her mind to new possibilities.

I enjoy books that have an under layer of culture. Coming from parents that immigrated here from the Philippines, I related to pressures and expectations they have, while trying to live my own life outside of their country’s ideals. Getting a glimpse into Indian culture was amazing. The author did not hold back on the good, the bad, and the real ugly aspects of their culture. There are a lot of delicate issues and sensitive subjects that are addressed in this book, but the way the author brings light to these topics was done very well.

This book was a great read, but I did struggle with the serious topics of this book and Liya at the beginning of this book. The intensity of the subject matter was strong at times and Liya’s stubbornness made her unlikeable for the first couple of chapters. The writing and subject matter overall was done really well and will definitely resonate with you after you finish the book. Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Pub for this ARC!

This book was lovely. A great debut by this author. It’s an enemies to loved story with a strong female lead and a swoon worth man. I loved seeing Liya and Jay’s relationship progress. It was heartbreaking to see their past hurts come to light, but I enjoyed seeing how they played into their relationship. This one is lower in steam with lots of lead up and one closed door scene. I will say this took me a little to get into the story because both characters come off super strong, but once I got to know them more I learned to love them. (Trigger warning - sexual assault).

This book!! Rich characters- a strong female lead, and a sweet male. And my favorite trope- unfortunate meeting then followed by forced togetherness in some way (is that a trope? I think so!). I loved it and I cannot wait for more from this author.

Liya Thakkar is a biochemical engineer who's fending off her parents' attempts to get her married. One evening, she shows up for what she thinks is a family dinner, only to find out that they've invited Jay Shah and his mother to meet with her about the possibility of marriage. Liya escapes... literally knocking Jay off his feet in an insta-hate meet-cute... and thinks the matter is settled. Except Jay also happens to be the lawyer hired to save her struggling company, and he's angry at her rejection not just of him, but of his beloved mother.

The Trouble with Hating You is an enemies-to-lovers romance that explores how our pasts inform how we respond to the possibility of finding love. I absolutely love the complexity of the backstory around Liya's family and community. I felt for Liya's mother, who had subsumed her own desires to be the traditional obedient wife to her domineering, emotionally abusive husband. Without giving away spoilers, the story ends with a touch of hope for Liya's mother, that isn't quite the full 180 degree liberation I'd hoped for, but is at least both realistic and very much welcome.


I also felt for Liya, who is dealing with the widespread censure within her family's community because of her lifestyle (she lives alone and away from her parents, she has sex outside of marriage, and so on). There's also a traumatic incident in her past that makes it difficult for Liya to trust men, especially when her father blames her rather than the actual perpetrator for the incident. I felt for Liya, and for how difficult it must have been like for her to grow up while dealing with this experience and being unable to find support within her own family. I really liked her circle of friends, and I also liked how she warmed up to Jay's mother before she even warmed up to Jay himself.

Jay also has a heartbreaking backstory -- he blames himself for a family member's death, and so tries to make up for his guilt by taking especially good care of his mother. I love this, because it shows how important family is to him. I especially love how Liya's rejection hurt him not so much for himself, but rather because he could see how much it hurt his mother, and how much his mother blamed herself for whatever slight imperfection must have caused Liya to run away from them.

Jay is a sweet, super caring hero, who is patient with Liya's prickliness towards him even before he learns the reason behind it. There's a really heartwarming scene where he sees Liya working late in the lab, and voluntarily stays with her all night, cleaning test tubes and doing other menial tasks, just so she won't be alone. This is before they even get together, which makes it especially sweet, and shows the kind of person Jay is.

Liya is a bit harder to connect with. I can understand her defensiveness given her backstory, and I can understand why her parents' example makes her fight so hard against the possibility of getting married. I'm all for complicated heroines, and I can definitely respect her ambition and drive. The thing is, her prickliness often crossed the line to being downright mean, and past the halfway point, considering how sweet and kind Jay had been throughout the book, Liya's continued prickliness towards him began to annoy me. It was hard for me to understand what Jay saw in her that made him continue to fall in love. 

There's also this moment where Liya, a manager who supervises a group of biochemical engineers, notices that her employees are slacking off. Instead of talking with them about it, perhaps feeling out if it's the uncertainty of their company's future that's making them lose motivation, Liya instead stays overnight to do their work herself. When her employees come back the next morning and ask if this means she'll be taking the day off, she responds that she'll actually go back to doing her own work now that she's done theirs. Liya's rationale, which both Jay and the book seem to find admirable (her employees shape up after that), is that she wants to lead by example, and show her staff that she's not above getting her own hands dirty with non-managerial work. Except this solution struck me as incredibly passive-aggressive, and honestly, if I were one of her employees, this would piss me off.

The story overall was entertaining, and, as I said, I really enjoyed all the complex plot threads about Liya and Jay's families. The romance was both sweet and steamy, but didn't quite hook me as much. I did like the ending, and how even after falling in love, Liya continued to keep her career a priority. 

+

Thank you to Forever Romance and Hachette Book Group Canada for an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

"Makes me wonder who hurt you so badly." I froze. Some small part of me knew that telling him would be just fine. That maybe he'd understand or even take my side, but then there were all the hard facts in my life: Good guys don't date me.

Liya Thakkur is an independent, successful woman with no interest in settling down, or worse, being matched by her parents per religious and cultural standards. Jayesh Shah is her most recent would-be suitor, and although he has his own qualms about marriage, he diligently plays the part for his mother, who has already lost so much. After a disastrous first meeting, the two meet again unexpectedly in the boardroom when his law firm is hired to try to save the company Liya works for. As the two get to know each other, fights ensue and sparks fly, but both must wrestle with their individual demons prior to finding love, even if it means learning to lean on one another along the way.

This book was not what I expected. As with all enemies to lovers romance novels, both Liya and Jay had revelations about themselves and their respective partner along the way. There were moments that had me cringing, laughing, and smiling as the characters interacted with one another. On a deeper level, I found my heart breaking for Liya and the way that she viewed herself: unworthy of love. Her date with Mike was mind-boggling, especially at the end when he told her that she wasn't the type of girl that "gets girlfriend treatment". As the reader, I saw an incredible woman; successful, intelligent, well-educated, and beautiful, and couldn't believe that he didn't see the same thing. Because of her past, she saw it as yet another affirmation of her self-worth, or lack thereof. Luckily, Jay was nothing like Mike and showed her what true love looks like.

I found myself wanting to learn more about both Hinduism and Indian culture, as it's so vastly different from my own. I am thankful for the way that Patel delicately, yet adeptly addresses the incredibly relevant issues within the book, especially when it comes to our community leaders. The book delves into the long-lasting emotional damage to an individual after sexual assault, especially when those you love most do not believe you. This novel is timely and relevant, and I appreciated every moment of it. Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the Advance Reader Copy. Preeti's story is next, and I can't wait to read it!

TW: emotional abuse & sexual assault

There were so many things I loved about this romance novel! The dynamics of the couple ranged from conflicted to sexy to sweet to supportive, and I enjoyed every bit of the ride! I was moved to tears on more than one occasion, which I did not expect. Additionally, I really appreciated the authors note with content warnings at the beginning of the book. - - This review will be posted on my Instagram account (Chandra.lee.reads) about two weeks before the publication date in May.

4.5 STARS.

To be completely honest, I thought this book was going to be a DNF within the first few chapters. It was really slow and wasn't feeling like a romance to me but that changed quickly in...

The Trouble with Hating You focuses on Liya Thakker, a successful biochemical engineer, who is anything but traditional when it comes to her community and religion. Liya's parents have been trying to arrange her with men for years and the last thing Liya wants is an arranged marriage - maybe she doesn't even want marriage at all!!

While this is a romance, the author did not shy away from harder topics. There's a heavy focus on the Indian culture of arranged marriages, the church, grief, and sexual assault. I really felt for Liya and the leading male, Jay.

This reminded me a little of The Friend Zone in that it's a romance but it isn't light and fluffy. There's real issues (because there's real issues in real life!!) and that just makes you love the characters even more. I can't wait to read more by Sajni Patel and am so glad I was given the opportunity to read The Trouble with Hating You!

Thank you NetGalley, Forever Pub, and Sajni Patel for my free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The set up of the book felt contrived and forced. As someone from a desi culture, I didn't connect with this. I did feel like it was very stereotypical in that the relationship between the parents was heightened to negativity. (Unless it is a personal experience of author then ignore.) Jay was someone I didn't care for at all.

I enjoyed this romantic read. I loved how it featured a strong independent woman and how she stood for what she believed in. The romance was adorable and I loved learning more about the Indian culture.
Liya was a tough character to love, she went through a lot in her past and she puts a wall around her heart because of that which is understandable but sometimes she was abrasive for no reason which I didn’t love,
I do like how she opened her heart by the end and spoke her truth and Jay stood by her.
Overall glad I read this book!

Really enjoyable romance with some Hating Game vibes! Patel is able to deftly handle tougher issues in the heroine’s background while balancing them with levity of the love story. I liked the writing style and would recommend this strongly to fans of the enemies-to-lovers trope!

The Trouble with Hating You is a deep dive into a strange cross-culture of Indian religion in the American South. Liya is a strong, stubborn feminist and she doesn't need or want to adhere to her family's plan to find the perfect husband for her. Jay is a little bit tortured and wants to do the right thing, and let his mom find him a wife, but he's not really interested in marriage until Liya literally runs away from him.

Because of her father and her church leadership, Liya has been told all her life that the role of a wife and woman is an antiquated idea of a meek, subservient woman. In an effort to push against this idea and deal with trauma from her past, Liya is brutally honest and her and Jay's interaction through the first half of the book are arguments more than conversations until they reach and easy peace. It would incredibly easy to compare this book to Pride and Prejudice, and there are a lot of examples that support that idea, but in a big way, I think this story is unique and deserves to stand on its own.

Jay is definitely a new standard of book boyfriend who respects women, but fights for a chance at what he wants and to be happy. He is arrogant and stubborn, but he is also kind and believes Liya when she lays her past at his feet.

This book has a difficult family dynamic. It is steeped in history and tradition not only of religion but in the history of pushing women aside and trying to quiet them. I loved watching Liya and their friends, who are so different and unique, find out what they want and fight for their chances to get it.

This debut novel by Sajni Patel was absolutely fantastic! It was so relaxing. It was very quirky and witty. I felt that the plot was super original and executed very well. I will definitely be reading more from this author. The only constructive criticism I have was the amount of supporting characters in this book. I had a really hard time keeping them all straight and remembering who was who. Is this person single or married, related or not, etc. That was difficult for me. But all in all, really great book!

Sajni Patel's The Trouble with Hating You balances deep topics with a love story, which is the type of combination I am looking for these days. It reminds me of The Friend Zone in that I was thinking I was going to be reading a typical rom-com, and I found a book with a strong emotional core. It's an enemies-to-lovers tale with a strong female lead that many readers will find compelling. I know I'll look forward to reading more by Patel.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.