While I won't use this in any courses, I will recommend the book to my students. Patel offers a glimpse into romance in the desi community and explores mental health and racism in romantic relationships. This book will allow my students to recognize these issues and broach them in a low-barrier way, which they couldn't do without this book.

The main thing I like about First Love, Take Two is that it dives right into the action of the story. There isn't a long and drawn out beginning. In the first four chapters, Sajni Patel manages to take the reader right to root of the plot: ex-lovers Preeti and Daniel are soon-to-be-roommates after being apart for six years. And by the end of the fourth chapter, I was left wondering "Now how is this going to go?".

Going into the book, I didn't realize that characters from The Trouble With Hating You--which I have not read yet--would carry over, so I think I'll go back and read that one. I think the reader will still be able to fill in the blanks if they don't read the first one, but for me personally, I think it'll better clarify some of the things that were mentioned. Other than that, I liked this one!

Sending a big thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this preview.

Sajni Patel is such a gifted writer. This is both a beautiful romance and so much more. Just because a book is marketed as a romance doesn't mean it cannot include topics like mental health and racism. Patel doesn't water down either and does an amazing job balancing both. We need more books like this and I will be recommending it to anyone who will listen.

This is the second book in 'The Trouble With Hating You' series. I read the first one, but believe this can be read as a standalone. This series follows a number of friends who know each other because they have grown up together in their Indian community in Texas. The friendships are strong and supportive. Mental health and inter-racial relationships are explored as well as family expectations.

Preeti is close to finishing her medical residency and is looking for her first permanent job. She ends up in a housing bind (she'd been roommates with a friend who just got married and, in the craziness of work, forgot to get new housing). Fortunately, she is able to use a friends condo. Unfortunately, the friend had already loaned it out to another friend. Fortunately, it's big enough to share. Unfortunately, she's sharing it with her ex. Or maybe that last one is a fortunately.

I appreciated the exploration of an inter-racial relationship with non-supportive family members. I also thought Preeti's anxiety was realistic. The friendships are amazing, and I also appreciated Daniel and PReet's connection. This is definitely worth reading.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the first one, but this one is even better. Preeti makes for a great lead character, a doctor who works hard and still maintains her friendships - and I love her friends! They scheme to force her to live with her ex-boyfriend, knowing that both are keeping secrets. While neither the one bed or second chances tropes are normally my favorites, both are handled really well here. There is a well established history between them, and clear chemistry.

Daniel isn't the guy her traditional Indian parents want her to be with, and Preeti is engaged to the guy her parents want for her but doesn't feel fully comfortable with. Daniel is from a well-to-do Black family, and race plays a big part of the unfolding story. Its a bit of a love triangle situation, with interfering relatives on everyone's side to complicate things. It turns out I love an interfering relatives trope, and Sanji Patel does those so well. Mental health also plays a big role in the story and is handled deftly. The pull of whether to follow your heart or your family's expectations is really about self-discovery, with the romance happening in the meantime. This was one of my favorite contemporary romance reads of 2021.

I loved this book so much! I read this with a mix of audio and ebook and both are fantastic. As far as second chance romances go, this is up there in my top 5 I’ve read for sure. We got a taste of these two during The Trouble with Hating You. Preeti needs a place to stay but little does she know her ex will be her new roommate. Gotta love a forced proximity situation! Seriously where is my Daniel to make French toast in the kitchen?? All Daniel wants to do is get close to Preeti again and gain her trust and re-kindle their relationship but Preeti has the same concerns as last time, mainly her family. This book tackles a mixed race/culture relationship and how these two cultures handle it so differently especially at the family level. You root for both of them the entire time and I love that. Highly recommend this for my second chance romance lovers and as a great diverse representation book! This series just keeps getting better and better. I can’t wait to keep reading.

After the first book I was excited for this one to see what would happen with Preeti and Daniel. A second chance love story? Why not? And it is not the typical type of interracial relationship that is ever shown in these types of books so yay….. ehh… well it happened. Que the unhappy families of course. I liked the story I just found Preeti a bit frustrating. Lots of family drama because families are drama. Twas a good read and I look forward to reading more from the author in the future.

Oh my goodness I ADORED this book!! I got it from netgalley a while ago and my only regret is not reading it sooner. Not only is it a cute, romantic second chance trope, it also tackles some brave, heavy issues such as racism, mental health stigma, classism, the backlash from breaking from cultural norms. Preeti and Daniel separated after being given an ultimatum in their relationship. Preeti's traditional Indian family did not approve of her dating a Black man. Daniel's wealthy family did not think Preeti worthy enough for their lifestyle. They find their way back together unexpectedly and wow!! Sparks fly, truths are told, feelings get hurt and we get to see if the heart defies the brains logic. I enjoyed this book! Those book boyfriends that make you want to drop everything without even touching anything? Yeah, he's in here. Hastily downloading book 1 because I read it out of sequence but now very pulled by the authors writing!

I adored Patel's novel "Trouble with hating you" so naturally I knew this would be equally amazing. It was. It was indeed.

I'm a sucker for a second chance love story drama. It's just who I am! Preeti and Daniel split years ago because their family cultures didn't align. This novel takes you things the dynamics of how some cultures aren't ready shifts in their dynamics but how they are going to naturally happen with or without permission.

Along with second chance we also get some forced proximity, a few midway open doors (just a little spice) and great family dynamics.

This was a good one. Thank you Netgalley and Forever Pub for the advanced readers copy. I thoroughly recommend this one.

First of all, we love a good South Asian rep and Sajni Patel does a great job at showcasing in her books the diversity found within the South Asian community. Second, the romance! There was a lot of history to work with between the two characters and that history really informed the present day interactions between the characters. This created a very believable connection and a strong foundation for a romance to blossom!

This was a cute, fun read. I love the characters and the setting. It was engaging and I really grew to care about the characters and the culture.

This was a great book, well written and I enjoyed the story and character iine.

thank you for the advanced copy in exchange for a fair review.

This book was more than just a romance, it was filled with topics of racism, controlling families, and mental health. Overall, I really enjoyed it. We were introduced to Preeti in The Trouble with Hating You, but I enjoyed getting to know her better this time around and I loved her character. She’s in a residency and is on the verge of making her dream a reality – becoming a doctor, and she stands up for herself and what she believes in. Also, Daniel is the sweetest guy. It's a great second chance romance.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced coy in exchange for myhonest review.

This was such a unique romance read that mentioned serious topics such as racism, mental health, & family relationships. I loved how the writing was very raw and the characters were very relatable. Preeti is such a strong, independent, and fierce woman that is struggling with anxiety and depression. Yet she is out there kicking ass while dealing with the pressure of her family. I was instantly hooked with Daniel & Preeti. They are exes that are not over each other, but had broken up in the past due to family pressure. They are currently roommates, (& yes, with only 1 bed) and the chemistry they once shared is still alive and well. It was honestly such a treat to see how the sexual tension grew between them. They are getting their second chance at love, but will they fight and stand up for each other ? Or will the family pressure and drama win again ?

I definitely recommend this if you enjoy swoon worth romance, with a focus on serious topics. Also, if you have read & enjoyed The Trouble With Hating You, then I recommend you read this one too! I loved both of them so much.

The second book in The Trouble With Hating You series was just as entertaining as the first.

Preeti is tough and doesn’t easily let her walls down. I was really intrigued by her introduction in the first book of this series. She is so protective of those she loves and doesn’t shy away from speaking her mind. First Love, Take Two answered many of the questions I had about this character and I loved learning about her past relationship with Daniel.

This second chance romance kept me interested the whole way through. I found Daniel to be an extremely likable character and loved the tension between him and Preeti. I also appreciated that this story dove into the challenges that these two characters faced due to racial and cultural differences. I found that part of the story to be so relatable and loved Preeti’s growth and strength in addressing racist comments that she’d previously endured in silence.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this and look forward to more books in this series. I was provided a free copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Wow! This is probably my favorite second chance romance book. Preeti & Daniel face so many obstacles, including family, their communities, jobs, and their future plans… but their love is apparent from the first pages. I also really loved how this story addressed anxiety and the stigma that comes along with it. I really didn’t expect this book to knock my socks off, but holy moly, I will be recommending this one to everyone.

Iyou haven’t checked it out already, FIRST LOVE, TAKE TWO features a rekindled romance, nosy aunties, supportive friends and family, and lots and lots of fluff!

If you only read one more book this year, this is the one to read! Sajni Patel’s books always addresses issues in the desi community perfectly, and this one is no different! (plus lots of cameos from Liya and the other characters from THE TROUBLE WITH HATING YOU!) From overstepping aunties, colorism in the community, and a setting in Houston, I really could feel all of Preethi's pain and tribulations through all of her internal turmoil all while still being attracted to Daniel.

This book was a let down. I thought it looked fun but I really struggled to finish. The main character wasn’t very likable and I had a hard time getting past that. A lot of it was repetitive and dragged along and the writing felt disjointed.

5/5 stars!!

I loved this book so much. I love second chance romances, so I personally loved this one even more than the trouble with hating you. this book dealt with important issues such as anxiety, depression, stigma against mental health, racism, and the toxic side of Indian society (which felt pretty accurate to me as an Indian woman). I especially loved how Pretti grew and evolved as a character throughout the novel and stood up for herself.

If you like second chance romances, forced proximity, and a book that addresses important topics, I cannot recommend this book enough!

Much like The Trouble With Hating You, First Love, Take Two was a really sweet story. I really enjoyed Daniel and Preeti's relationship. and the look at interracial relationships and the impact of the different family dynamics on them as individuals and as a couple.

I did find the writing to be a bit stiffer than I remembered being the case in the previous book, and that made it a little difficult to get into at times. Additionally, I think this is a story that could have really benefited from having Daniel's POV included (but that's also just personal preference).

Overall, I really enjoyable story and I'm looking forward to reading more by this author in the future!

Thank you to the publisher for a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.