I ADORED THIS BOOK! My mission will be to make sure everyone reads this book. While I enjoyed the previous two in the series, this one blew the others out of the water! Give me Jay all day! This book is perfect for anyone out of college who has experienced wedding season and after a long summer/fall of weddings it struck such a chord. Also anyone who loves a good enemies to lovers will be a fan and really anyone who wants a laugh. I am such a fan of Desai's work and her ability to show off her culture so effortlessly. Readers are so lucky they no longer have to wait to get their hands on this book and I cannot wait to gab about it with every person who walks into the library!

4.5 STARS
“Wedding season” has arrived and there are a lot of events for the characters to attend both pre-wedding and the actual wedding’s.
During this time Zara’s Aunties are trying to be the matchmaker with the most matches. It’s a competition amongst the woman.
Zara considers herself good at setting friends up subtly and with thoughtfulness into who would actually be a great couple. She has her own secret side competition with her Aunties.
The Aunties are hilarious, warm and a really incredibly fun part of the story.
Zara’s dad, her best friend /roommate, Jay’s mom and her boyfriend are also substantial secondary characters that I loved.
Zara and Jay meet at a paintball pre-wedding party. It’s hate at first encounter for both. Friction and clashes ensue….with physical attraction and sparks of course.
Zara is an amazing heroine, I absolutely adore her!
She is super quirky! She is sparkles and bright colors.
She is bubbly, the life of the party, unpretentious and kind. She’s prone to embarrassing falls, spills and over sharing.
She’s also incredibly intelligent, quick witted and clever. She is underestimated by some because they see the flash, her beauty, the fun and the trips and spills.
They miss the intelligence and heart underneath.
She’s unapologetically herself and it makes for a lovable character who provides lots of laughs and entertaining situations.
She’s a lawyer with employers that rival her quirkiness. It’s another fun aspect of the story.
Jay is a former military officer, he has started a private security company with a friend. He’s very straight laced, no nonsense and serious.
He doesn’t want a serious relationship, he doesn’t think it fits in his life. He’s also suffering in many ways from PTSD and he’s not gotten help for it. It’s a big part of why he doesn’t want a relationship.
He has no family other than his mom, who he is very close to. There is emotional baggage in his family’s past that adds to him being a bit aloof.
He’s smart, loyal and a bit of an alpha male. Very masculine and attractive.
Despite the initial impression of him being uptight and brash, he is actually generous, kind, and witty.
He is actually warmer than his initial impression. He grew on me quickly and I fell for him.
The two are at “the singles table” together at the weddings of their friends/family. Zara decides she’s going to get him a perfect match. It will help him professionally and she hopes personally as well.
They start spending time together, they begin to get to know each other. Which is made easier by Zara’s openness and exuberance.
Their journey towards feeling more for each other was so fun, so original and really inviting. They “click” so well and their chemistry is really hot.
Zara believed she’s “too much” because of her over zealous nature.
It’s what makes her so appealing to Jay, the man that is holding everything in, taking care of everything.
She is the inspiration for him to loosen up. She’s the brightness to his shadows.
Jay thinks Zara is perfect as she is, he encourages her to stay true to herself. This is the part of him that made me swoon hard! He seems a bit uptight and for him to see her, accept and appreciate her eccentricities is really so awesome and beautiful.
This is a new to me author, I really love the writing style.
The banter was great, the comedy and quirky characters were amazing!
Secondary characters added so much without overwhelming the main characters journey and romance.
There are serious emotions and things the characters are dealing with, it is balanced perfectly by the humor and the wit.
This is a really fun romance that has tons of heart and important emotional aspects that are relevant and relatable.
I felt the connection that Jay and Zara share had depth and it was also so very fun.
For some reason I wasn’t expecting much sex or fire. I was pleasantly surprised with the hot factor of the characters together.
These two are gloriously open and super spicy. The combustible factor is in their banter AND in the bedroom🔥
There’s so many enjoyable moments, so many moments of self realization and the sexy times are really hot and playful. This was the complete RomCom package for me.

This was such an enjoyable read! It I have loved the first two in this series so was very excited to get started on this. It is a great romcom that highlights diversity so well. The chemistry and banter were on point. The writing and pace were again so well done-- as always with Sara Desai. I would definitely recommend this opposites attract rom-com.

The Singles Table is the third book in the Marriage Game series. I think this might have been my favorite in the series so far.

I thought that Zara was a wild card that made sense with Jay. Zara was beautiful chaos and Jay was a grump that needed all of her sunshine. I wish that they had communicated a little better with each other, but I also understood the hesitation they had for getting together came from.

🔊Song Pairing: Conga - Gloria Estefan, Miami Sound Machine

💭What I thought would happen:

I think it’s in the title 😂

📖What actually happens:

Zara is fun, intelligent, the epitome of quirky with verbal diarrhea. Ambulance chaser by day, matchmaker by night, Auntie in training. 😂 she is constantly placed at the singles table due to her unwillingness to commit.

Zara meets Jay at a dual bachelor/ bachelorette paintball battle when Zara shoots Jay in the ass for being a wannabe military bore. When I’m actuality Jay is a veteran suffering from PTSD and also unwilling to commit.

Zara takes on Jay and plans to match him with someone fabulous without falling in love with him

🗯Thoughts:

Matchmaker
Opposites attract
Commitment phobia

What was with all the falling and flailing. Zara and Jay keep tripping and the other catching and legit just stop. I hate that characters always have to be quirky clumsy. Once or twice makes sense but it gets old quick.

Jay in my head is the sexiest man on earth kind of hot with the muscles to match. I love a grumpy man with a soft heart in literature and in life. They’re fun to break 😈 his idea of a good time is reading The Economist and drinking a nice red…hello soulmate 😂

Zara is amazing. She is the life of the party and I’m not certain If I want to be her best friend or just be her. She has so much courage and spontaneity. I am both in awe and envious of her character. She’s the kind character I would write.

Overall, it was cute! I liked it just as much as The Marriage Game and more than The Dating Plan. However, I wouldn’t recommend reading these books back to back. If I’d taken a break I’d have enjoyed the series more…😬

So good! One of my favorite tropes: opposites attract with the grumpy/sunshine couple! These two have no interest in each other and absolutely nothing in common. But when has that stopped a romance from blossoming?

Their “meet cute” set the stage for a perfect romcom and the felling slowly grew from there. It was laugh out loud fun with the perfect amount of spicy chemistry between Zara and Jay! This is one is spicier than the others in the series and I loved that.

I loved that they teamed up to meet their individual needs and I really enjoyed all the cultural aspects as they navigated all the traditional ceremonies that they were expected to attend. It was so fun to see Jay embrace the joyfulness of Zara. And when Zara realizes that the best match for Jay is right under her nose… swoon.

A warm and entertaining story that you’ve come to expect from Desai. I am looking forward to her next one!

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley, Berkley and Social Butterfly PR and these are my honest thoughts.

Thank you to Social Butterfly PR for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Singles Table was a decent read with a cute romance. There were several moments I quite enjoyed but overall felt that the story just didn’t hit the mark for me.

It was a quick read with dual POVs of the main characters, which was nice. There were also some amazing tropes used in this book like: opposite attracts, grumpy-sunshine, and an enemies to lovers romance. I do recommend checking the trigger warnings as well before reading as there are some sensitive content.

The plot while a bit slow-paced and bland at times was still fairly enjoyable. The representation of South Asian culture was also great to read.

The main characters, Jay Dayal and Zara Patel were quite likable. Although, their character development was a bit rushed they still had interesting storylines with realistic personal struggles.

The romance between Jay and Zara was really great and just well developed. The banter, chemistry, and spice between them was incredible as well. I absolutely just loved how protective and caring they both were.

The ending did feel very rushed and just wrapped everything up a bit too quickly but I will say that the epilogue was really cute. Overall, just an okay read with a good enemies to lovers romance.

Right up there for Zing, Zang and Zany! Hugely entertaining!

On the surface a light hearted story but with underlying depths, all wrapped up in Bollywood like hilarity. Indeed I can’t get several momentous moments out of my head (including the steamy bits)
The oh so colorful Zara Patel shooting the committed game player and exponent, Jay Dayal, in the rear at her cousin’s bachelor-bachelorette paintball party, even as she ogled him. As her friend Parvati Chopra calls it, the occasion is “alpha central” with all the male testosterone about.
Ok, Zara is definitely catastrophe prone, even if she is a super smart lawyer. She just moves to the beat of a different drum, which is why the Cruz & Lovitt law firm, injury specialists, is such a great fit for Zara. There’s “ a partner who wears Yoda ski hats and carries a custom lightsaber? Another partner who wears bike shorts and Rollerblades around the office?” Seriously terrifying images!
The moments of Zara’s exuberance lifted spirts and brought a smile if not a deep throated chuckle to my lips. The Art show event is not to be missed.
There’s just so many hilarious, if not deranged moments, leavened with serious reflective moments.
The daughter of divorced parents, Zara has never recovered from the anguish of that. To the extent that she doesn’t want a committed relationship. She is always seated at the singles table at weddings and that’s fine. Comittment has her running.
As she says to Jay when she explains her role as a matchmaker, “I believe in love and romance for everyone else…I have a serial-dating habit, eclectic taste, and poor judgment when it comes to men.”
Jay Dayal is part owner of a security firm and is too busy for a relationship. Especially with such a seemingly ditzy number as Zara. But there’s something about her! She’s warm, true, disarmingly charming, and funny. Such a wonderful character.
Of course there’s the wonderful obligatory aunties, the warm extended family that encompasses all.
A joyous, witty ride with undercurrents of pain, of dealing with the past to begin a future.
Loved every minute of this Desai illuminating, starry eyed read.

A Berkley penguinrandomhouse ARC via NetGalley
Please note: Quotes taken from an advanced reading copy maybe subject to change
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

A cute and funny romcom that will surely please a lot of readers! The character dynamics are so comical and enjoyable to read, but it does lack that extra depth that elevates romance beyond standard. It’s cute, enjoyable, but just good. Not great.

This book is laugh out loud funny because Zara is such an outgoing free-spirit with absolutely no filter. The only thing more entertaining than what she says is how Jay reacts, as though she’s some alien creature. He’s uptight, stoic, serious and just generally opposes fun. Everything in Jay’s life has a purpose, even games, which are a source of pride for winning. The concept of doing anything for enjoyment is completely foreign to him, at least until he gets to know Zara.

The aunties are always trying to marry off the younger generation and even compete as matchmakers, so Zara and her contemporaries are constantly assaulted with possible matches at social functions, especially weddings. Once the aunties were introduced, I expected a fake relationship pact to keep the matchmakers away until the summer wedding season was over, so I was pleasantly surprised that the story went in a different direction.
I adored Zara and Jay and their story was a lot of fun.

Zara Patel is the life of the party at the singles table and its wedding season. She is giving the matchmakers a run for their money, matchmaking herself.
Zara is my kind of person. She is hilarious, exhilarating and a beauty. Though a lot of what she does appears is to keep others at arm's length.
Jay is the best man at her friend's wedding and he makes a bad first impression on her. It's adorable and starts my favorite trope- enemies to lovers. As he has to attend all these events with her and realizes she isn't what she seems and he isn't as uptight as he seems.
This book was sensitive to Jay and his business partners' PTSD and their coping and struggles at the somewhat most innocent things that are now triggers.
There were also family issues which shaped Zara's reactions to relationships. She was just the most loving and thoughtful person. We all take time to process things, some things take years, others hours. You never know when you will have an epiphany or your life will change course.
I also loved all the Aunties that felt like they popped up and always had a poor man on their arm and the zombie movie names, the acronym slayed me.
And the role playing was 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
I love the covers on these books.

Thank you berkleyromance and netgalley for the E-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

Zara Patel is ready to devote all her time to her job, her family, and her matchmaking skills during the wedding season. The last thing the colorful Zara wants is to find another man. During a bachelor/bachelorette paintball excursion, Zara gets paired with Jay Dayal....the serious, unfriendly, stick-in-the mud gorgeous groomsman. Well in Zara and Jay's case opposites really do attract! When Zara and Jay come to an agreement about helping each other out, they start to spend a lot of time together until they get to the point where the only thing they want is each other. Unfortunately, there are things from both of their pasts that could get in the way of their happy ever after.

I just loved this enemies to lovers story. Zara was such a fun, loving and outgoing person. She brought fun wherever she went. Jay was a very reserved, serious person who always wanted to do the right thing. Together the brought out the best in the other and it was fun watching that happen. There were so many laugh out loud moments that I had a hard time putting this book down. This was another great story by Sara Desai in her Marriage series.

After finishing The Singles Table I am once again completely in love with Sara Desai's books and I can't wait to read what she writes next. I've loved all of the characters that she's created in her books, I honestly think the aunties are the best, especially Taara Auntie and her deadly cooking.
Lawyer Zara Patel has never wanted to color inside the lines of life, she loves being herself and unique. She's just found a job that matches her personality in color and she gets to help people like she's always wanted to and if she periodically can meet celebrities she's good to go. Since a horrible break up she's decided to put all her energy into work, friends and family, NO ROMANCE, and that works for her. Despite family always trying to set her up she refuses to be matched with anyone and she doesn't fear being at the singles table at family weddings. But then she meets her match in Jay Donovan, a man who is so uptight he doesn't know what relaxing is if it hit him in the head.
War veteran Jay Donovan is determined to make his security company the best it can be, and he doesn't have time or want a relationship, but he knows he needs someone to be on his arm for work events and to give him the appearance of stability. When he first meets Zara and her unique view on the world he doesn't know what to do with her, and he's stuck with her during this wedding season. So this unlikely pair strike a deal, she'll help him find someone to spend time with and he'll introduce her to celebrities and potential clients. As the two spend more time together their hatred for one another and their differences slowly fade away to other feelings... But can Zara trust Jay with her heart and that he won't leave and will Jay learn that he can't control everything and that he is worthy of love? Hilarity ensures with meddling family members, a free spirited woman and a man that needs to learn how to have fun.

The Singles Table is the whimsical, warm-hearted third novel in Sara Desai’s Marriage Game series. Each book stars members of the very large and extended Patel family but you do not have to have read any of the previous volumes to enjoy this one.

Zara Patel is determined never to marry. That doesn’t mean, however, that she thinks no one else ever should. In fact, she has become quite adept at matchmaking and is the reason a group of twenty women are gathered to play paintball in second-hand bridesmaid dresses. To be fair, Zara is only responsible for getting her friends Maria and Tarun together. It was the maid of honor’s idea to have the joint bachelor/bachlorette party be a paintball game and for the bachelorette party attendees to be in hideous former bridesmaid dresses while they play. Zara’s wearing a neon-pink, flounced monstrosity that is sure to make her a target once they get on the field. That’s okay. She’s there to have fun, not win a paint war.

Jay Dayal is in it to win it. This may be his friend Tarun’s bachelor party but Jay takes his paintball seriously and has every intention of playing hardball. Which is why he is horrified when the energetic, zany, mouthy but admittedly scorchingly sexy Zara is put on his team. Jay likes his gals classy, smart, sophisticated and serious. The earthy, irreverent, fun loving but hot Zara is definitely not his type. Especially not after she shoots him in the butt at the start of the game.

Zara had aimed for her team captain’s absurdly perfect bottom in the hopes of dislodging whatever stick he has rammed up there. It’s clear the guy has no intention of letting his team enjoy themselves on the field but plans to use some sort of pseudo-military strategy to win the day while having zero fun doing it. She’s having none of that.

Security specialist (and former military pilot) Jay can’t believe the madcap antics Zara uses to win the game or her wild behavior (beer funnels - multiple!) during the rest of the party. When she insults him to his face after he offers to call an uber for her her drunken self, he determines to have nothing more to do with her. Ever. But fate has other plans. The seating arrangements at Maria and Tarun’s wedding get messed up and he and Zara wind up sitting together at the singles table. And before Jay knows quite how or why it has happened, he’s agreed to let her find him a plus one for the wedding season in exchange for introducing her to some of the celebrities he does security for. He doesn’t even want a plus one! But Zara’s powers of persuasion are such that he finds himself spending tons of time with his matchmaker while she gets to know him in an effort to find his perfect special someone.

Any romance reader worth their salt knows exactly where this is going. As they spend time together, Zara learns that Jay can be fun, he just needs someone who can help him loosen up. Zara also learns that she doesn’t always need to be loud and boisterous to have a good time - sometimes being with the right person can be enjoyable without adding any of the wacky to it.

Jay learns that Zara is smart, caring, kind and pretty much perfect for him. He loves her energy and how she can make a best friend out of the waiter while ordering food. As the only child of a single mother who is estranged from her family, Jay loves how close Zara’s family is. The Patels rally around members going through a tough time rather than ostracize them.  Jay especially loves how Zara makes him feel alive and young and ready for adventure. Those were all traits he lost when he joined the military, experienced a traumatic event and developed PTSD.

While Jay is feeling all the love for Zara and her family, I loved the way they couple interact. Once we get beyond the first few chapters - where their behavior is admittedly antagonistic (of the “You are such a jerk/lunatic but you are so, so attractive and I’m in lust!” variety) - they settle into a really great relationship. They become friends as well as lovers, and I appreciated the way both of them bring something special to their connection. Zara shares her friends, family and open hearted kindness with Jay. She’s joyful, cheery and able to look at the bright side of darn near anything, and that pulls Jay out of the somewhat morose workaholic funk he’s been in.  Jay is steady and supportive and focused on Zara. Zara’s parents had a bad divorce when she was in her tweens and she has been the emotional support and caregiver for the family ever since, for her father especially. Jay provides the shoulder to cry on/lean on for her that she gives to others. She in turn does that for him whenever he needs it. It was great to see them both fulfilling this role.

I also appreciated that while Zara can be atypical she isn’t dysfunctional. She’s gainfully employed as a lawyer, even if the firm she works for is more than a bit unusual. She may get herself into crazy situations but she is able to get herself out of them as well. In short, she doesn’t need a caregiver as so many of the heroines of slapstick rom-coms do. She is fine without Jay - she’s just better with him.

This story is charmingly clichéd in the sense that it is utterly predictable but is nonetheless enjoyable. The plot follows expected lines but Jay and Zara are very likeable individuals who make a wonderful couple and they are fleshed out enough to add some depth to the tropes they are working through. The author doesn’t get any points for originality but she does do a great job of writing a story that is easy to read with a hero and heroine it is fun to root for.

The main point of contention is that neither character wants to be in a relationship, both are satisfied with hookups but they work through that issue in a (mostly) reasonable manner.  Something else I appreciated was that Jay and Zara don’t fix all the broken pieces in each other’s lives. Some of the extended family relationships remain estranged and no effort is made to change that.

One problem I have with combining funny stories with serious issues is that the author is forced to sacrifice elements of one or the other in order to tell her story. In this case, I felt some serious issues were glossed over and resolved too easily in order to keep the positive vibe of the tale, which is all that kept it from being a DIK.

The Singles Table isn’t a perfect story but it is a delightful, humorous book that is sure to please fans of light hearted contemporary romance. I recommend it to those readers.

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Thank you so much to the publishers for my arc of The Singles Table. Zara is a hilarious character and I really enjoyed reading their story. I loved this whole series and would love to read about this big wild family again! So Fun!!

{3.5 stars}

I really enjoyed Sara Desai's The Dating Plan when I read it last year, she has a way of writing refreshing contemporary romance stories with substance. They're full of strong, quirky characters who have depth and always a reason to fight the urge to fall in love. The Singles Table fits right in with that mold. Lots of witty banter, fun pop culture references, intelligent characters and a little Indian spice to add to the mix. 

I liked both Jay and Zara as our key characters but their parents and friends were definitely a hoot as well. There were definitely some scenes that were a bit risque but I knew what I was getting into this time. I appreciated how much substance there was around the steamy scenes.

Another epilogue I could have done with out, but that seems to be the 'thing' these days. You can allude to a happily ever after without giving us a hard drop of way too many life event details.

Thanks to Netgalley for access to this ARC. All opinions above are my own.

THIS BOOK. Ok, so I'm so happy that this book series exists. The Marriage Game and The Dating Plan are solid 5 stars for me, and this book very easily followed their leads!

The conversations about PTSD and mental health were handled super well in this story which I appreciated. The love was so so charming and pure, I was truly rooting for this couple!!

You definitely don't need to have read the authors other two works to feel invested in this story since the characters were a bit further removed from Daisy and Layla than other companion series I've read, but like you should read them all because they are AMAZING.

Opposites attract in this book filled with laugh out loud moments. I read a lot of romantic comedies but I have never read one that started off on a paintball field, with a bridal party, dressed in old bridesmaid dresses. It set the scene for some great moments and it tuns out a great love story.
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Buttoned up, by the books, former militarily specialist, Jay is appalled and also intrigued by the loud, brash lawyer Zara. Zara is not ready to take a relationship seriously, but she takes her mission seriously to find Jay his perfect match if he brings her celebrity clients to build her clientele. She has always been successful playing matchmaker at the singles table, except this time it’s different because it turns out she’s the perfect match for Jay.
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This book is out today!
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Thank you @berkleypub for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

If you were in the mood for a fun romcom with a multicultural assortment of characters this is the book you have been waiting to read. This book also has two of my favorite troops in grumpy/sunshine and of course my old favorite opposites attract.

Zara is determined to match up her friends after going through a break up. She meets her match in Jay who is a former military specialist who is just not looking for romance at all. When these to get together there is fun banter as well as situations that are very entertaining.

Zara and Jay’s journey to love is not only entertaining but heartwarming as well. It’s also fun to see all of the aunties who get involved in their story. Sara
Desai has created a wonderful romance along with fabulous characters. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who’s looking for a fun romcom.

Wedding season brings with it a lot of matchmaking, and neither Jay nor Zara want to be matched. From their first meeting, sparks fly between them. However, they quickly recognize how different they are and dismiss their simmering chemistry. Zara and Jay make a deal. Zara will help Jay find a partner to please his mom in exchange for Jay introducing her to some of his celebrity clients. Once they start spending time together, they can no longer deny their attraction. Can these two opposites see that they are a perfect match?

My favorite thing about The Singles Table was the great characters. Zara was charismatic, risk-taking, free-spirited, and full of energy. Despite being viewed as "too much" by many people, she embraced it. Her antics made me laugh out loud! Workaholic Jay is the exact opposite. I loved their banter and chemistry. It was impossible not to cheer for them as they resolved their issues and came back together. Also, the side characters, especially the meddling aunties and their friends, are fantastic and interesting in their own right.

Grumpy Jay and ray of sunshine Zara fill The Singles Table with humor and heart and make it a delight to read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for an early copy of this book.