I was pleasantly surprised by First Love, Take Two. Going into it, I wasn’t sure to expect and the first few chapters didn’t exactly wow me. I’m not South Asian, but I don’t particularly love stereotypical representations of any race and Preeti, who’s about to finish her residency, seemed exactly that. However, Sajni Patel definitely makes me eat my words. Preeti isn’t afraid to stand up to her aunts for her friends and family, all while dealing with what is probably untreated anxiety.

The romance is also incredibly riveting if I do say so myself. Patel had me wishing I could find a Daniel of my own, especially one so supportive. The major conflict between Preeti and Daniel is definitely a clash of cultures, both ethnic and class wise. And the resolution to the story is one that’s incredibly realistic in my opinion which only makes me root for the couple even harder.

It’s a minor thing, but there’s one plot point involving one of the best friends, Liya, that isn't really resolved, so if the author ever wanted to write a sequel… hint hint wink wink.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

First Love, Take Two is a perfect example of what a romance story should be. Sanji Patel has you longing for more. The characters and storyline are adorable, quirky, intriguing.

I couldn’t even get past Chapter 3….

I had to go back 3 times to make sure I didn’t accidentally start in the middle of the book. I was so utterly confused by this setting and the introduction of characters.
Who was Daniel?? Liya? Is she in an arranged marriage or just a culture advice?

Ok so I am literally the world's biggest fan of The Trouble With Hating You, and so I had high expectations for First Love, Take Two and I was not disappointed. Every aspect about this book is perfect, from the plot to the characters.

This book follows Preeti, a to-be doctor who is trying to fight cultural racism within her traditional Indian community. Daniel, a Black man, and Preeti dated for a while before she left him for no reason. This book shows their relationship rekindling and is so fun and romantic.

This book tackles issues such as racism, cultural expectations, mental health, touch aversion, and brief mentions of miscarriage beautifully. As someone who has undergone similar cultural issues, this book almost brought me to tears with the plot. It shows Preeti becoming stronger over time and tackling all these issues.

This book has definitely become one of my all time favourites. Sajni Patel's eloquent way of writing made me read the whole thing in one day because I could not put it down. Everyone should read this book right now. 5/5 stars.

I liked this book, but I didn't love it quite as much as I thought I would. I am a big fan of the forced proximity/only one bed trope, so I was sold on that front. I enjoyed getting to know Preeti's community (both the good and the bad aspects) but I think there was sometimes a little bit of a disconnect for me. I'll note that I'm a biracial black woman, so that is the perspective that I'm seeing this book from. I just found myself getting incredibly frustrated with Preeti--I understand being young and breaking things off for the wrong reasons. I understand her anxiety. I was just so so frustrated with the way that she broke up with him as soon as she encountered antiblack racism in her community AND THEN totally ghosted him and never gave him any reason at all why she left! And years later she's still rationalizing leaving him in that way and for those reasons. I also didn't totally feel the chemistry with these two...a lot of second chance romances alternate present day with flashbacks, which I find pretty tedious unless it's done well. I appreciated that this book didn't constantly send me into the past, but I felt at times that it was a little too focused on present conflict. Because we were always in Preeti's head, we don't really see what Daniel loves about her or why he still feels the way he does after all these years. We see Preeti's struggle between a relationship she thinks her parents want or need her to be in, and guilt about Daniel, and her avoidance with talking to him. The book largely circles around those conflicts without really showing us why they initially fell in love or how that love has sustained without talking for all these years. That made it hard for me to feel strong chemistry between them.

I absolutely adored the author's previous novel, The Trouble With Hating You, and so the moment I learned of her upcoming sequel, I knew I had to read it. And it was a good one. After wanting to be a part of Liya's badass girl gang from the get-go in TTWHY, I'm so glad we get to see her best friend Preeti find (or re-find) love. This read picks up pretty soon after the last ended, but from Preeti's side. She's been finishing up her residency, overly stressed with work and job hunting and managing her traditional family and community. She's desperate to find a new place to live, and the only option she has: Her ex. Her ex-boyfriend is none other than first-love Daniel, who's good-looking, confident, supportive, a good cook, and basically perfect. Or he would be if their families approved of the couple. We've got a second chance romance and a forced proximity trope and ooh boy, was I so excited for that. Much like her last book, this read has such quick and witty language that pulls me in from the first chapter, Preeti is such a vulnerable and authentic main character and this book is a quick read yet plenty swoony for a romance novel. Their relationship in this slow-burn story is basically the premise of Olivia Rodrigo's "1 step forward, 3 steps back." And that ending: Completely precious.

Thank you to Netgalley for letting me review this book! Let me just say I read this in one day, so that pretty much says a lot about how much I enjoyed it. The story was easy to get into and Daniel and Preeti were everything. I loved how the author explained and understands the effects of mental health and I liked how the character written depicted that. Though this book was corny at times, I would still read it again and I suggest everyone picks this up for when it comes out on September 21st! 3.5/5 stars. :)

Patel's second book in this series was an absolute delight! I love the way Patel infuses real life challenges in a rom-com type story. I was eagerly flipping through the pages to see how the story would unfold. I do wish we got more flashbacks into Preeti and Daniel's story. The present day scenes were so cute, but it did feel a little bit of a disconnection, as opposed to book one where we follow Liya's story from the start. And this is the first time I'd encountered the term touch aversion. I didn't realize it was a thing and it makes so much sense. Very cool to see it explored in the context of a romantic relationship. A lesson to trust your instincts and where you feel at ease. Hoping for more great books from Patel!

After reading The Trouble With Hating You earlier this year and falling head over heels in love with it, I was so incredibly happy to receive this book as an eARC. Literally made my whole miserable week and I read it in a day. Then I reread it. Whoops! Also if you haven't read the first one in this series I highly recommend it as there is a decent amount of overlap and details that could ruin the first book.

Before I go too much into the details of love and meh about this book I just want to let you know why I adored this book as a whole and why Patel will be an auto-buy author for me. These books are heavy. There is a lot more in this book than meets the eye when you look at the cover or even read the synopsis. This book covers racism, familial expectations, cultural identity, and mental health in depth. The characters are put through the wringer. Patel does not hold back on them. It was the same with <em>The Trouble With Hating You</em>. This is why I adore Patel's writing and story building. It's not for some, but if you are capable of making it through those topics then these books could easily become favorites of yours. The way Patel writes relationships between friends, family, and lovers is amazing

Loves:
Preeti: I really enjoyed her as a MC. Yes I got annoyed with her at times, but the way that Patel has written her to be multilayered it works. I found her need to put her family and Daniel before herself to be incredibly selfless and made me like her even more. Her struggles were so real. I really felt for her. Overall she was a wonderful MC that I couldn't help but to root for!

Daniel!: You sweet bean. If anyone is looking for a perfect example of a cinnamon roll hero here he is. I mean the man can cook, love his family, flirt like crazy, help make presentations, but also has a chip on his shoulder to make you swoon! Ugh. Love love love him!! Plus I thought he was the perfect opposite to Preeti.

Plot: I'm a sucker for second chance romance with an aspect of forbidden romance and interracial/cultural couples. Obviously this book was like catnip for me. The plot moved the book along so well but didn't sacrifice fully creating all of the characters. Patel went there with the themes of the book and thus that trigger warning should really be acknowledged. There weren't petty issues between Daniel and another man or Preeti and another woman beyond a little jealousy but it didn't become half the book.

Meh:
One thing that really confused me at the end of the book was the timeline. So it's supposed to be three weeks of Daniel and Preeti living together in the apartment. And they broke up over six years ago destroying a four year relationship. Right? Well then their actions throughout the book of Daniel being incredibly flirty and then very upset was strange. As was the speed of the relationship. Not spoiling anything, but the end seemed FAST for everything that went down in the book!

Long Story Short
Do I recommend reading this book? Yes!!! Read <em>The Trouble With Hating You</em> first, but then read this one. Read both of them. Get prepared for the next books from Sajni Patel. I adored reading this book. I think it took me an hour ranting to my mother on the phone about how good it was. There's nothing else I can really say about this book than what I've already wrote. Just go read the book!!</p>

*review based on ARC via Netgalley*

Wow. I absolutely adored this book and everything in it. Preeti herself is an absolute badass woman, and I really enjoyed seeing her overcome her struggles and work through her feelings in a healthy way. Daniel is perfect and I think I love him just as much as Preeti. The way he so clearly worships the very ground she walks on made me swoon. I'm so glad the author included those cute little domestic moments between them because they were my favorite part. Aside from the romance being 10000% perfect, I loved the friendship and familial relationships as well. Preeti and her parents have such a loving bond that I was moved to tears towards the end when her father spoke to her about the situation (you'll know what I mean when you read the book!). The ending was absolutely perfect and a satisfying conclusion to Daniel and Preeti's story.

Okay, so this was my first romance novel in a very long time and let me tell you that I absolutely loved this book.

The premise is about second chances and standing up to your family/society for your choices. We follow Preeti, a chief medical resident, who is about to become a fully fledged doctor, and she broke up with the love of her life 6 years ago. Now, she’s looking for a roommate and guess who, it’s her ex, Daniel Thompson.

We get to see both of them fall back in love with each other, and it was done so beautifully that I wanted them to forget the past, kiss and make up. Both Daniel and Preeti’s characters complement each other and I loved their interactions. The book also explores the nature of how difficult interracial relationships can be, with families interfering, societal norms, and cultural differences.

There’s always the dreaded question that all immigrant Indian children, including me, have heard: “What will society think?” And let me tell you that it’s bullshit and that you should stand up to your choices and go for what you believe in. Sajni Patel explores that aspect of Desi culture really well, and I felt connected with Preeti. She was in no way a perfect character and that’s okay, because perfect characters are boring.

Daniel was also a great character, he has his own battles to fight and decisions to make. I wish we got to hear his side of the story. He supports and loves Preeti so much, it makes me want a Daniel of my own.

I was so engrossed in the book that I finished it in 2 days. It was a quick read and left me craving for more Romance. I’m definitely gonna pick up more books by Sajni Patel. Please check this book out! :)

Thank you, Netgalley and Forever at Grand Central Publishing, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I loved The Trouble With Hating You and was very excited to see Preeti and Daniel's story coming out in September 2021. First Love, Take Two did not disappoint. I laughed, I cried, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself and could not put the book down. Sajni Patel created a loveable relationship between Preeti and Daniel while covering important topics such as mental health stigma, anti-blackness, and toxicity between generations.

This is a second chance romance. I liked that Patel wrote a book that did not need flashbacks to Preeti and Daniel's first relationship. In most second chance romances, authors rely heavily on flashbacks to push the narrative and allow the readers to fall in love with the characters and story. That was not necessary for First Love, Take Two. Preeti and Daniel's chemistry leaps off the page, and the tension between the two is incredible. Daniel is incredibly supportive of Preeti's mental health journey and has definitely become one of my favorite romance heroes.

I really liked that Patel did not shy away from writing about anti-blackness found in communities of color. Books with black characters often write about racism found in white communities, which is valid, but racism and anti-blackness can be found in communities of color and perpetrated by others who experience racism themselves.

I rate this book five stars, and I absolutely loved the book. It's one of my new favorite romance books.

I really enjoyed this book! I thought it was going to have a dual POV like in The Trouble with Hating You, but this one was only one POV. I don't like dual POV books very much, so I think I like this better than Sajni Patel's first romance. I thought the characters had great chemistry and I liked how they both had a life outside of their romance. I'm a sucker for the one bed trope and these two are LITERALLY FORCED TO LIVE TOGETHER! In terms of sexual content, this book was PG, which is a little disappointing since it is an adult romance, but that's my only complaint. I did really like how the author emphasized issues in the South Asian community like anti-blackness and refusal to seek help for mental health problems. The discussion around anxiety was really honest, authentic, and important. As a South Asian who struggles with anxiety myself, I saw my concerns about seeking treatment reflected in this book. I also really liked how Preete, the main character, stands up to the racist aunties. Many times in the South Asian community we never say the word racism or examine our brown skin privilege. This book is cute and fun but also delves into some really serious conversations. I can totally see this being a book club pick for my South Asian bookish creators book club.

First Love, Take Two by Sajni Patel- 3

Content warnings: heart-attack(mention), racism, anxiety, depression, talks of complications of pregnancy and cancer.

Honestly, when I finished reading this book I was conflicted. I didn’t know what to rate this book, I didn’t know what to talk about this book.

Preeti, is a final year resident and when she needs a place to new place to stay, her friend offers her a place, the only obstacle, her roommate is her ex.

So as an Indian, I kind of liked how Sajni shed light on the fact that for the older generation how important the society is, like it’s an integral part in our cultural things like ‘oh what will people say’ and Priya who had an interracial relationship, it’s more of a taboo. I liked Daniel’s character and how supportive the side-characters were, especially the parents, I mean yes to more supportive parents in south-Asian books. Another thing I liked, the representation of aunties, we all have people like them in real life. I appreciated the open discussion of therapy and anxiety and of course how sweet Daniel was when he helped Preeti and also played a guitar once. This book also deals with touch aversion, my first book with this theme and the way it dealt with the issues were beautiful.

Now, I wanted Daniel’s POV, I wanted to know more about him and his issues and his feelings because at first, it was a little difficult for me to connect with Daniel’s character because of the inconsistency of his feelings, sometimes he would be hurt and sad over their break-up and the other times he would be flirting with Preeti. Honestly, I found something missing in this book, I’ve come to terms with the fact that Sajni’s style isn’t really type, like its too juvenile and her characters are adults but the way they are written is too childish and predictable.

Overall, it’s a fun book and for those looking for a second chance romance and a good Indian representation could try reading this book.

In First Love, Take Two, Preeti is in the process of finishing her residency and finding a job but she is having to juggle her traditional family, an unwanted engagement, and her own overwhelming anxiety. To make matters worse, she has to room with her ex for three weeks. An ex that she never fully got over and who she never gave a reason for why she broke up with him.

This book was so heartwarming. The relationship between Preeti and Daniel is something everyone should aspire to. Preeti managed to learn from her past mistakes and actually communicate what is going wrong. I love that this book didn't shy away from talking about racism and how women can sometimes be seen as objects to be talked over and made decisions for. Sometimes I wanted to scream at her family to actually listen to what she is saying instead of spewing vicious words. Also, I appreciated the discussion about how seeing a therapist or getting medication for anxiety shouldn't be seen as something to hide or be shameful of. I wish we could have seen some things from Daniel's POV because it would have been interested to see how he felt during his own family's drama. All I know is that now I want a Daniel because he is perfection. For me, this was a 4/5.

If you like second chances, women who stand up for themselves, or a man who plays guitar to help with anxiety, then this one is for you.

I received a digital copy of this book free from Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I adored this book. First Love, Take Two is a second chance romance that follows our main character Preeti as she completes her residency & looks to find a permanent position. At the same time she deals with the aftermath of an incident from the first book in this series (which I haven’t read yet) and must find a new place to live all in the matter of a week.

Enter Liya, one of her besties who has an empty apartment for the next few weeks. There is only one catch - she’s already promised the place to Daniel, Preeti’s first love who she maybe hasn’t completely gotten over. They agree to share the apartment for a few weeks, but under the condition that Preeti finally confess to Daniel why she left him and completely broke his heart six years ago.

The romance in First Love, Take Two is super sweet. It’s a slow burn, but believable as these two characters find their way back to each other. Daniel is a caring and attentive love interest who still knows exactly what Preeti needs to take care of herself. And Preeti can give it right back. This book also touches on important issues that our characters must overcome to be together - elitism from Daniels father towards Preeti and her family, racism against Daniel (who is a black man) from Preetis community of aunties, and Preeti learning to stand up for herself and her family/friends against those same aunties and uncles who hold a more traditional view on what makes a good Indian daughter. First Love, Take Two also explores anxiety and the stigma that remains when a doctor may need help with that.

All in all this was a wonderful book. As mentioned I haven't yet read the first book in this series (The Trouble With Hating You), but I definitely think readers may get more from the story if they read that one first. I did have trouble wrapping my head around the events that occurred in the beginning of First Love, Take Two, but that could be prevented had I read The Trouble With Hating You first.

I initially didn't realize that this book was the second in a series, so at first I had a hard time acclimating myself to the characters and their experiences - the early chapters presume a certain level of familiarity with this world. However, I quickly got past this once the story focused in on Preeti and her experiences, and was able to immerse myself in her story.

While the romantic connection is a major plot point, I found myself relating even more to Preeti's experience as a daughter struggling between doing what's expected from her in order to please her parents, and pursuing what will make her happiest. She's trying so hard to be the daughter she thinks her parents want, without actually communicating directly with them about these issues. I really appreciated how honestly the author depicted the anxiety and other mental health issues that resulted from the pressure that Preeti put on herself -

My least favorite trope in romance is when conflict could have been easily avoided by open communication, but in the case of Preeti and Daniel, I understand why they felt they couldn't talk through their differences - leading to heartbreak and six years apart. They needed time to repair the damage from their initial split, but seeing Daniel overcome his trust issues in order to be there to support Preeti through her issues hit me right in the feels - the first scene when he plays guitar had me melting! Their relationship is all the more impactful because they had to work for it and overcome very real issues in order to come back together.

First Love Take Two is an adorable story about second chances, with one of my favourite trope of exes to lovers. It follows Preeti, nearing end of residency struggling to find a job and a place to stay. When a temporary staying arrangement comes her way, it comes with a surprise: her ex, Daniel Thompson as a roommate.

Sajni Patel incorporates the experiences of immigrant communities and the narrow mentality of some desi women on point. This book explores the pressure from harm done by gossiping aunties and racist societies. I loved how it showed the toxicity of a community and how it can be confronted by having a great support system and inner courage to point out the wrongs. I appreciated the book discussing the stigma around mental illness and therapy for it. As a South Asian, all this was familiar to read about.

Preeti's character was very heartfelt and relatable to an extent to me. Her anxiety particularly spoke to me. Her character arc is a strong one, I wanted her to figure her wants from the beginning of the book and I was glad to see her communicating, learning and correcting her mistakes as well as finding her happiness. Her touch aversion too was handled well.

Though we don't get Daniel's POV, his character was super sweet and charming. I loved that he was there for Preeti through her struggles, despite being hurt.

The tension between them! Loved every moment of it. You could feel the slight yearning and tension between them while they worked out the miscommunication between them. The forced proximity and one bed trope added to the spiciness.

The side characters, like Preeti's friends and Daniel's grandparents who formed a support system for Preeti and Daniel were a delight too.

I loved that First Love Take Two tackled an interracial relationship between people from different classes. The struggles and clashes that come along with inherent racism and classism was portrayed realistically, This was a cute fun read and I'm excited to read more of the author's works!

I think I liked this more than "The Trouble With Hating You". I loved Daniel, I loved his sister, and I loved his grandparents. Preeti was such a wonderful character! She was strong and vulnerable all at the same time. This was a really great read!

I loved this one even more then The Trouble with Hating You!

Preeti is an amazing main characters- she has so many layers
Her relationship with her family, friends, her work, her mental health, her past, her possible future, her career.

Daniel is up there with book boyfriends.
He cares so much, he's understanding, has his own layers with his family, past, and possible future.

Together they have understandable miscommunications and foibles, but you know, you just know they care about each other and you want all the good things for them.

I think you still need to read Trouble first because it gives more context to the drama of this book.
Highly recommend!