DNF at 37%

Despite not being the biggest fan of Patel’s debut, I was curious enough to read the second book. I really wanted to enjoy it - I love second chance romances, and I’m always eager to learn more about different cultures, plus I appreciated that this one was an interracial romance featuring a heroine with anxiety - but I realized pretty early on I just don’t like this author’s writing style. I find it awkward and stiff with unnatural dialogue. Preeti described everything she did in great detail, and the story was boring and repetitive. I wanted to DNF within the first couple of chapters, but I made it to 37% of the way through, not caring about the characters or literally anything that was happening...mostly because nothing was happening. When one of Preeti’s pregnant patient’s babies died during birth, I was just done. Real life has enough horrors right now without reading something like that; she could have chosen a million other things to illustrate the point of how difficult her job was.

Also, I feel like the people who haven’t read The Trouble With Hating You will be really lost because the story just jumps right in and mentions a bunch of stuff that happened in Liya’s book without really explaining it.

I really enjoyed this book. To me, it wasn't just another romance novel, but the issues talked about were very real and present today, which made the story even more interesting. Patel did a wonderful job getting into the layers of both characters, Preeti and Daniel, both romantically together and individually with their families and friendships. At times it was really heartbreaking, especially with Preeti's touch aversion, anxiety, and the racism with her cultural community, but I loved where we left these two. This was definitely one of those books where when I finished I just sat and smiled.

Many of you know that The Trouble with Hating You was one of my very favorite romances of last year, so to say I was excited about the next in the series is an understatement! And definitely did not disappoint!! Patel knows how to write wonderful chemistry and I felt the love between Daniel and Preeti immediately!

Read it if you love:
✨Second chance romance
✨INCREDIBLE chemistry
✨Realistic mental health rep
✨Honest insights about racism in relationships
✨Excellent female friendships
✨ONE BED!

I highly recommend this one for lovers of second chance romance! I absolutely cannot wait for more from this author!!!

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

First Love, Take Two was a sweet and heartwarming second chance romance!

Six years ago, Preeti Patel left the love of her life, Daniel Thompson, because of her family and his. And she's spent all that time running from not just her chance at happiness but also avoiding every reminder of him. But when chance and her meddling friends place her in a position where she can't hide any longer, she finally has to face her past and come clean about why she really gave up on the best relationship she's ever had.

This is a story about second chances and fighting for what you want. But it's more than that too. It's about living with mental illnesses and fighting the stigma around it. It's about living not for others, but for yourself. It's about standing against the ideologies of racist people and standing up for what's right. And above all else, it's about love and about choosing love regardless of what's being thrown your way. It's rare that I really get to see my own culture represented in the pages of a book. But every time I do, I'm surprised but not just the similarities I find to my own life but also the differences. The ways in which I'm luckier than a lot of people and seeing the ways in which people are stifled by the traditions and cultural norms placed on them by their community, always gets me. This book deals with a lot of extremes. But where it looks at the negative extremes, it also shows us the positives.

The way Preeti's family gets to hold onto a piece of their homeland even though they're thousands of miles away. The way they have a community that supports them and stands beside them through everything. The way that Preeti found the acceptance she needed from her family when she stood up for what she wanted. And the way that her friends and family came together, both in times of joy and pain.

The actual romance was built slowly but steadily. They had to find themselves in the wreckage of their initial relationship before being able to rebuild it. And that gave them a stronger foundation and helped them find their way back to one another.

Preeti and Daniel's inner circle were their strongest supporters and without them this book probably wouldn't have happened. So I can't not shout out their friends and family whose meddling was the entire reason why they finally confronted one another. I also have to mention the ways in which the author handled Preeti's anxiety and depression. The stigma around it is real, and I liked that they showed the baby steps she took to combat it, and find a way to curb her own illness. And the way Daniel stood by and supported her through every step of the way just showed how perfect they were for each other. 

This book is real and true. Sajni Patel wove an intense but heartfelt story about two people from completely different backgrounds whose circumstances were more similar than they could have imagined. It's a wonderful story about strength and loyalty and above all else, love, and I'd definitely recommend it!

Thank you Sajni Patel, Netgalley, and Forever Publishing for giving me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This light - moderate rom-com features a blasian couple, which caught my attention since I haven't come across any interracial romance novels featuring an Asian and Black couple as protagonists. Touching on heavy topics such as racism between people of color and mental illness stigmas, readers follow the main character as she grapples with her fallout between her boyfriend, his family, and her's due to their racism and classism from her boyfriend's dad). Though Sajni doesn't delve into it too deeply she covers enough for us to understand the protagonist's dilemma, especially between doing what's right and letting go of toxic cultural traits. My only complaint is that some scenes, specifically the religious one's, aren't consistent or make sense. Dr. Patel, the protagonist, observes Hinduism but mentions God when she speaks of Hindu customs observed during Mandir, which is their version of the Sabbath, even though she's 100% Hindu; not to mention they don't believe in God. Daniel, her boyfriend, is Christian but refers to God with a common letter "g," which is unheard of in Christianity. Also, I would've liked to see how they would've dealt with being in a relationship with incompatible religious differences, but other than that, and some of the cheesy sexual thoughts, I enjoyed this story.

A nice interracial romance with good writing and likable characters (for the most part). I read this without reading the first book in the series, and although it does work as a standalone novel, I felt I would've appreciated it more if I had read the other novel first.

I was thrilled to have the chance to read this book. Having not read the first book in the series, I was concerned I’d be lost but I was not at all. However, I am a fan of Sajni Patel after reading this book so I reserved the first book at my library and I’m looking forward to it!

This book is about Preeti and Daniel who broke up six years ago and have never recovered from that breakup. They find themselves sharing a friend’s apartment while they were both in need of temporary housing. Their breakup was due to their interracial relationship and their family’s inability to accept them. While this is a romance book, it does not shy away from difficult subjects and what people deal with in life including racism, classism, and the stigma around mental health issues. The author approaches these topics with care and understand and gives us a real portrayal of the difficulties the characters had navigating them. I appreciated that this was an #OwnVoices book and the view it gave me into Preetil’s family and culture. Additionally, Daniel’s grandparents were especially wonderful characters, and I loved their part in the couple’s life. Overall, I truly enjoyed this book and look forward to more from Sajni Patel!

Thank you NetGalley and ForeverPublishing for the opportunity to read and review this advanced reader copy.

Email: DaniReadsTooMuch@comcast.net
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“my answer has always been you. it was you six years ago and it’s you now.”

content/trigger warnings: racism, anxiety, depression, pregnancy and health complications mentioned

preeti patel has her hands full - with her residency, her job search, and her family problems - so when she finally finds a temporary place to live, of course, she accepts. but there’s just one condition: she has to live with her ex-boyfriend, daniel thompson.

first love, take two by sajni patel is an adult second chance romance, with forced proximity and the "it's always been you" trope, that heavily discusses mental health and the toxicity within the south asian community. the premise of the story, although i’m not a second chance enthusiast, sounded interesting and i love forced proximity so much. however, the book fell short for me.

the length of it seemed actually a bit too long, i found myself almost skimming the last few chapters and some in the middle. half of the novel seemed to happen way too fast and the other half slow. for example, she was ready to move into his new home with him, but then avoided him and needed space for the next couple of chapters. it wasn’t really consistent and i would've preferred if the breakup talk happened earlier.

as for the characters: i just couldn't emphasize a lot with preeti. the thing is, most of this book stemmed from miscommunication issues - specifically focused on preeti not having communicated to her parents or daniel previously. what became frustrating was her continued lack of communication with them throughout the novel. she didn’t personally develop that strongly to me but anyway, i was proud of her for standing up for herself! daniel was my favorite part of the book. i loved that he was understanding, sweet and patient. preeti’s girl group was nice too. the romance was okay, i didn’t feel the chemistry, especially the emotional connection, much between preeti and daniel. but, they did have moments i enjoyed, like the bed-sharing and more domestic scenes.

yuvan was a good way to show the hypocrisy of choosing someone inside vs outside of the culture, but he just had way too many appearances compared to daniel, the actual love interest. i didn’t like yuvan’s character at all, but it just gave me cheating vibes because of how fast her progression with daniel was happening, especially given they were already more intimate and flirty 20% in. i would’ve enjoyed a clearer line drawn - for example, them being friends. it also would’ve been nice to have had daniel’s POV in this, or some flashback scenes.

the sincere reconciliation didn't occur till the very last chapters and a few things were sudden and hard to empathize with. for example, it was just getting unrealistic how daniel wasn’t upset while the reason for the breakup kept remaining secret, but when preeti did reveal it, she was in disbelief that he was so upset … after six years of silence? also, the way she kept continuing her relationship with yuvan for more than half of the novel, and then all of a sudden, it's mentioned that she ended it very nonchalantly.

the commentary on the south asian community and how toxic it can be in its traditionalness was very well-written (and the reason i am rating up). anti-blackness and sexism are huge issues i always recognize within the community, especially with elder generations. the reality of their struggles due to the community resonated through the lens of being black and south asian myself. though, i feel like there should’ve been more positive aspects of the south asian culture shown. the prejudiced family members and their opinions’ had a huge chunk of the spotlight and her parents’ positive input were only shown towards the end. one recurring aspect i didn’t like though, was how in order to reaffirm the double standard in her family, she would unnecessarily bring up other girls and air their secrets. i just think if there’s one thing we get the most of, it’s being compared to other (brown) women, and although they may not be what they show to their families, it didn’t give her the right to bring them up as an example. i also felt like daniel didn’t have enough of a voice in the racism matter and was just shouldered with one line on how he felt about the anti-blackness towards him. the mental health, touch aversion, and anxiety/depression commentary were great too and i liked the connection of the stigma in the south asian community and with medical professionals.

perhaps if you love second chance romance way more than i do, you’ll enjoy this more!

thank you to NetGalley, Grand Central Publishing, and Sajni Patel for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This second chance romance hit all the right notes! Preeti and Daniel were college sweethearts whose failed relationship is revived when they are suddenly living together for a few weeks after 6 years apart. Preeti's character was all over the place trying to make everyone happy while also standing up for herself and trying to figure out how to own her independence and decisions. The author did an excellent job of putting Preeti's anxiety and touch aversion on the page along with the stigma that goes with both.

Daniel for his part was one of those ideal book boyfriends with zero flaws until you get to know him and realize he also had lots of outside pressure to fit into a a mold that was not right. These two characters were very different from race and religion to life goals and status but they a fun and flirty chemistry and so much promise. This story pulled at my heartstrings more than once!

If you love a second chance romance, multicultural romance, representation in romance, or simply love a grand gesture, then this book is for you!

Second chance romances aren’t easy to pull off, but Sajni Patel does it well in First Love, Take Two. This is the second book in the Trouble With Hating You series.

Preeti Patel is having a tough time. She’s finishing up her residency, looking for a new apartment, dealing with her own mental health issues and trying to navigate an arranged marriage to someone she barely knows. Enter Daniel Thompson, her super hot ex boyfriend that she never really got over. She needs a place to live, and guess who needs a roommate?

This book was very cute and I think the idea was great. I loved the dialogue, the character interactions, and how the author isn’t afraid to address some heavy issues like mental health and racism. I think this book could have used a bit more editing. It is repetitive at times and I often found that the chapters ended abruptly at strange times.

Overall I would say this book was ok. Thank you to NetGalley for the arc to read and review.

I went into this book having not read the first book but I do recommend reading the first book in this series before enjoying this one. A few past events and characters were mentioned in this book that I feel were more thoroughly explored in the first book so I was left a little... not lost... but in want of more details having not read the first. This was overall a really sweet romance novel that delved into the forced proximity, one bed and second chance tropes. It also dealt with some pretty heavy topics as well which I appreciated like mental health, touch aversion, cultural expectations, family dynamics and expectations, race issues, socioeconomic issues and mixed race couplings. For me the story was a bit long winded but I enjoyed it and would go back and read the first and future books.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the digital ARC of this book. All opinions remain my own as always.

Preeti Patel, soon to be a doctor ends up sharing an apartment with her handsome dashing ex Daniel for 3 weeks.

Being an South Asian descendant, Preeti’s story was so relatable, her love for her parents, her sacrifices, her agreement of an arranged marriage and not to forget all those Indian aunties or food in this story.

I devoured Preeti’s and Daniels’s love story, even as exes they had an amazing understanding and deep founded friendship. I was amazed as how beautifully the author Sajni Patel has captured mental health issues and struggles in this beautifully crafted romance!

Thank you Forever pub and NetGalley for the advance #gifted copy of this swooning love story, which hits your nearest shelves on September 21,2021. Please add it to your TBR list to get swept away by Daniels charisma and Preeti’s charm!

heartwarming, second chance, forced proximity romance with a little bit of steam this one is for you.

I absolutely loved this book, it is definitely one of my top favorite romances of the year so far. I found Pretti the main character to be so relatable, I also have touch aversion and anxiety and I thought the author did a great job of bringing these real issues to light in the book. The book also delves into racial discrimination, and how the characters dealt with that through their powerful love and connection, you couldn't help but root for them.

In the novel we follow Preeti who is dealing with stress of her residency, trying to find a permanent position, finding a place to live and dealing with a relationship she isn't really invested in. Through in some mental health issues including anxiety and touch aversion, Preeti is dealing with a lot, thankfully she found a place to stay but it happens to have a roommate who is her ex, Daniel that she still might be in love with. As the story progresses I found that Preeti is really realizing who she is as a person and finding out what she wants out of her life, not necessarily complying with everyone else's expectations.

Thank you so much to @readforeverpub & @netgalley for this e-arc of First Love Take Two! 💕

The story is about second chances and how you can’t escape what’s meant to be! The story follows Dr. Preeti & hottie, Daniel Thompson. The two fell in love, and when things got messy, Preeti didn’t want what she thought was right and left, and now it’s been some years since the two have spoken, but when fate gets in the way, they will have no choice but to discuss what really happened all those years ago. This story is sweet, sexy but also can get very serious when discussing interracial dating, xenophobia, depression, anxiety, assault & racism. The two are also about life allowing second chances and how we can learn from past mistakes. My final takeaway: sometimes some people are worth fighting for, even if that person is yourself and your happiness.

If you like:
✅forced proximity
✅multicultural romance
✅badass main character
✅romance
✅redemption story

Definitely check this one out!

The only thing better than a Pride and Prejudice modernization is a Persuasion one. Ok, so I know this isn't a traditional modernization, but a modernization with a twist, and I absolutely loved it. We met Preeti in the first book and knew that this book would pull on my heartstrings, and it delivered.
Preeti grew up in a traditional Indian family and Daniel is black. Not only do you have racism present on her side, his father thinks that Preeti isn't good enough for Daneil either and doesn't have what it takes to survive in their lifestyle. He tells her she is basically garbage and because of the anxiety and issues it is causing on both sides, she leaves Daniel, but doesn't tell him why.
Fast forward six years, Daniel is back and needs a place to stay for a few weeks till his house is done. Preeti is also moving to the same apartment for a couple months till she can find an apartment on her own. The tension is so thick you can cut it with a knife. Daniel is determined to know why Preeti left him broken hearted and Preeti is determined to find closure. How do you find closure when you are still in love though?
It is clear, almost immediately that neither of them has fallen out of love with the other and their journey back to one another through communication and understanding is just fantastic. I fell in love with Daniel just as Preeti did. He is so loving, kind and patient. Preeti has a touch aversion and anxiety and Daniel knows exactly what to do. He proves over and over again that he never wants to leave her and will always be there for her.
I loved this one so much because it shows how, even though Daniel and Preeti say they will be together no matter who tries to persuade them otherwise, that there are still stuggles they have to go through and navigate so they can have the HEA they deserve.
Thank you to Sanji Patel, Grand Central Pub and Netgalley for an early copy.

I think Sajni Patel has fast become a favorite author of mine. I love her voice. It feels so fresh, new, fun and inviting as a reader.

This story was so fun and I fell in love with our characters. After reading Sajni's other novel earlier this year, I was so excited to get this one early and absolutely loved it. Part of me wishes I saved it for my upcoming Hawaiian wedding/honeymoon, but I just couldn't wait long enough!

I want to fist say thank you to the author and NetGalley for giving me the eARC. Este libro fue cute me gusto mucho habla de muchos temas que tienen que ser hablados como el racismo, mental health and more. Este libro es second chance and friends to lovers, es también slow burn that I freaking love y force proximity. Este libro es bueno en serio me gusto mucho no lo podía parar de leer es adictivo

review 4.5/5
if you enjoyed the trouble with hating you, this book is better in my opinion. i felt much more captivated by the love story and the mc’s in first love take two. i thought that the way mental health was portrayed in this book was done well. it was very transparently described which makes it more relatable. i felt that the racial, cultural, and mental themes in the book made it a little more like a real life story rather than some books that just scream created fictional romcom plot line. i talked a lot about the more serious aspects of the book but don’t get me wrong it was super fun and included some tasteful spicy scenes and lots of tension with the forced proximity trope! overall, a great read that i would recommend!

I loved Trouble with Hating You! ! So learning that there was going to be a second book, I was super excited! I thankfully received an ARC from NetGalley!
I’m not too sure if my mind was too caught up with my love for the last book that I was expecting the same thing with this book and it wasn’t. That’s not a bad thing thoo because it was still enjoyable! This book was definitely a read that I enjoyed!I think that the dynamics were definitely interesting and I really love the relationship that Preeti had with her parents. I also liked her relationship with Daniel, although I really would’ve like to experience their past relationship to kind of delve into their connection a bit more. Because honestly it felt like a new relationship that claims of a second chance in a sense.
I really wished that I could’ve loved Daniel the way that I loved Jay( he is my husband❤️) but he just didn’t hit the same way which was definitely different! But either way I liked him and the love that he had for Preeti even after 6 years. I also absolutely loved Preeti’s relationship with Daniel’s grandparents and sister! It was so nice and refreshing that at least she had some people that were related to him and liked her.
The topics of mental health, and racism was greatly written.Overall, the books writing was great and it had great dialogue. Although there was some draw backs, I still enjoyed this book and would give it a 4.25! I would also definitely recommend you reading it! Preorder it!
It comes out September 16,2021!

The blurb for this book reeled me in, but I was absolutely floored by the story. Being in a mixed-race marriage with an Indian myself, this book hit home....big time. My husband's family may not have been active in the community but the author did such a great job of calling out the racism and how hard it was for Preeti to live with the guilt of what she had supposedly done. We all suffer with being "perfect" in the eyes of our families and communities at some point and time in our lives and following Preeti and Daniel as they navigate their own landmines was heartbreaking but also a celebration. I'm glad Preeti figured out what the path to her happiness, vile, nosy, busybody relatives be damned. Such a great book and one I highly recommend to anyone.