First Read, True Love

Preeti and Daniel were deeply in love but six years ago she broke it off without explanation. Now they are temporarily sharing a friend’s apartment…what could wrong? Or very, very right?

Preeti struggles with anxiety and depression and it is explored in such a raw and real way. Daniel’s unwavering support and love of Preeti is so beautiful and inspiring. The navigation of an interracial couple through her traditional Indian culture and his wealthy Black family and friends adds even more depth to the story.

While I would classify this as low angst it is very emotional and could trigger some reads. I would recommend checking out the author’s and other reviews content/trigger warnings.

Now I’m so ready for Sana’s story!

I received a complimentary review copy of this book but all opinions are my own.

have been in a bit of a reading slump and this book really helped pull me out of it at least temporarily. I read the first book in the series last summer and absolutely loved it (that being said, reading the first book is not a requirement to enjoying this one). I knew within the first few pages of the first chapter that I was going to enjoy this equally as well.

This is a second chance romance. Preeti and Daniel dated through college but broke up six years previously. Both are in need of a place to stay for a few weeks while in between apartments and are offered a mutual friend’s one bedroom apartment to share. Of course sparks fly but their is a lot of hurt that needs resolved and overcome before the two can fully come together again.

I really really really liked Preeti. She is a doctor, which we don’t see enough of in romance, and has anxiety, panic attacks, and touch phobia, and lord knows we really don’t see enough mental health representation in romance. As someone who has anxiety and has panic attacks I found the depiction of both wonderfully portrayed in the book, and found the openness for the need for both therapy and at times medication very refreshing. I also really really really liked Daniel. The book is entirely from Preeti’s perspective, but I still felt like I was able to get the full picture of who Daniel is just from her interactions and observations about him. Together the two had amazing chemistry and I was always rooting for them.

In addition to the mental health discussion. This book handles difficult topics like familial expectations, toxic cultural traditions, and racism. All of these topics were handled in a head on but in a realistic manor. I liked that these things were not magically resolved, because these issues do not really have a solution.

I will happily read a third book in this series should there be one. Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars. I loved this book maybe even more than the first. It addressed so many of life’s issues ( racism, mental health, family expectations). I also always love when you pick a book up and you know where the story is going, but the ride is what makes it so worth the read. I cheered for Preeti all along the way. I loved seeing her grow more confident in herself and make tough decisions. I cheered too for Daniel who too was faced with tough decisions but never faltered in his ways. He was a heart melt-y character. Though Patels books aren’t your typical romance books, I truly do love them.

I loved Preeti and Daniel’s story so much! I got very strong Helen Hoang The Heart Principle vibes from this one, and I wasn’t mad about it! I really enjoyed the dynamic between the two main characters, and I think the emphasis on open communication and support for one another is such an important topic to tackle. It was refreshing to see each of them develop personally to better themselves for the sake of their love being able to survive. This was the type of story that had me go down a rabbit hole of internet searches, particularly about different traditions and terms used in the Indian culture. I love when a book sparks that curiosity for me, which is why I always tend to select ones with characters different from myself. While there were times I wanted to yell at Preeti because I was nervous she wasn’t going to go after Daniel, I absolutely loved this book!

And here I thought I loved Liya and Jay until I read first love take two and completely fell in love with Daniel and Pree more!! Sajni Patel never disappoints, beautiful story, not enough words to justify how much I enjoyed it. Absolutely loved this book.

The Trouble with Hating you was one of my favorites from last year and I was very excited to read this one. Sanji Patel writes excellent chemistry and it was easy to root for this couple. I loved the culture and life experience each character brought to the relationship. I listened to a portion of this on audio and really enjoyed the narrator - plus it was an easy book to listen to on 2x speed!

🥰really liked
🤟second chance, one bed, mental health rep
📚Sara Desi, Abby Jimenez
🎶Never Really Over by Katy Perry

This one fell a little flat for me. Preeti tipped over into annoying, and some of the dialogue and descriptions seemed forced and choppy. This is the second in a series, and while I followed along pretty well, I think it would be best if you read the first book. I've heard a lot of good things about the first book in the series, so I may read that at some point. As for First Love, Take Two, there are a lot of books that tackle similar tropes and themes and do it better.

A second chance romance where former lovers Preeti and Daniel are forced to live together, helping explore a long lost relationship that should have never come to an end. Full of intense sexual tension and a focus on mental health and racism, this romance is sexy and super refreshing!

Preeti broke it off with Daniel because of his father and the stress from the Indian community, but Preeti never told him why. Now that they are forced to live together, Preeti must finally face Daniel and all the cowardly decisions she made in the past. Can Preeti finally tell Daniel the truth and can their love thrive even though there is so much going against them?

This book does an excellent job of explaining what I personally experience during anxiety. I related to this book on such a personal level. I love that Patel explains the stigmas behind mental health and the disservice we do to ourselves by not addressing mental struggles. She also brought up racism and by the end of the book I wanted to stand up and cheer when Preeti made her speech to the aunties! This book is a reflection of all the soap boxes I want to stand on and a beautiful depiction of true love, growth, and the strength to speak out. A relevant romance with a lot of heart!

Loved it 😍 it was amazing, heart warming and fierce. I was lucky enough to grab an arc copy - but I also treated myself to the audio and a physical copy for my favorites shelf 🤗

I read the first book last year The Trouble With Hating You (Liya’s story) and knew right away that I’d be grabbing this one, since I was intrigued by Preeti and Daniel.

This book was just everything I needed it to be. The story managed to navigate that tricky line of telling a romance story while balancing real world issues in a compelling way. It found the balance to address a number of relatable and real vent issues while still delivering that romance essence and not losing the vibe.

I was blown away. I loved all of the characters, particularly Preeti’s squad and I loved seeing the evolution of her relationship with her parents. I think one of the things that stood out and spoke to me most was the representation this book gave to Mental Health, particularly Anxiety and Panic Disorder. I thought the author gave such thought and care to addressing this and did a wonderful job of showing what this type of Anxiety / Panic can look and feel like. It was one of the better representations I’ve read.

In terms of the romance itself, this one just had an excellent array of tropes to satisfy. Preeti and Daniel are exes who have not crossed paths in the last six years. Do it was a second chance romance, but wait for it - they are now temporary ‘roommates’…and are forced to share a space and there is of course only one bed 😊

I was 100% here for all of it - definitely one of my top reads of the year and one I will highly recommend.

Thank you to @NetGalley and @ReadForeverPub for the chance to be an arc reader for one of my most anticipated reads of the year 💕💕

TW / CW; Mental Health Struggles, Racism, Fetal Death, Heart Attack (off page, spoken of)

Thank you Forever Pub and Netgalley for an arc of First Love, Take Two. I loved the Trouble With Hating You so I was super excited for this book.

While I enjoyed it, there was something that didn't click for me. It may have been that her anxiety was too close to home. It was mentioned in the author's note, but I struggled with the stillbirth and whether it was necessary for the story line.

I loved the chemistry between Daniel and Preeti. He was so sweet and caring despite Preeti constantly pushing him away. I loved how he always seemed to know when she needed some support like playing guitar for her. He was the epitome of boyfriend goals. I think Preeti tried to return the favor, but was struggling so much between her job, her anxiety and her family obligations. It's always so eye opening to me about much culture and religion plays into relationships. I loved Preeti's group of friends including Liya who we met in the first book.

I'm still a fan and excited to see what Sajni Patel writes next. I'm hoping one of the Preeti's friends is next!

I will update with the link when I post on my bookstagram account.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

3/5 ⭐️s

Oh boy. I wanted to love this book so much. Second chance lovers, forced proximity/roommates…This had potential! Unfortunately, it just didn’t hit that sweet spot for me.

Preeti is finishing up her residency and preparing for her future as a doctor while seeing dating the ideal Indian man, the man her parents hope will soon become her husband. The only problem? Her ex, Daniel, is back in town, and they’re temporary roommates.

What I Loved:
- Daniel and Preeti’s quiet moments where they fell back into the easy nature of their past relationship. They were soothing and natural, and it did way more to show these two were meant to be than any words either of them said.
- At one moment, Daniel slowly strips in front of Preeti. That scene alone earned this an entire extra star in my rating. 🥵
- Preeti finding her voice and standing up for the people she loved.
- Preeti’s anxiety was handled really well. It was acknowledged without judgment, and she sought professional help when she needed to. Loved that.

What I Didn’t Love:
- I ended up skim reading about halfway through. Daniel and Preeti both like to repeat themselves and argue over the same things A LOT. This book would’ve benefited from being 50 pages shorter and cutting out the repetitive arguments.
- So much of this story took place six years ago. Why they broke up. The racism and hate they faced. His dad’s disapproval. We see almost none of that in the present. This leaves us only being told what happened and how it made them feel instead of letting us experience that alongside them. It made for a boring read.

This book was a quick, cute read, the second book to the trouble with hating you series, telling Preeti and Daniel’s story. This was enjoyable, I just really enjoyed the trouble with hating you more. I liked Preeti’s parents though and how they were always in her corner.

Harlequin Junkie Recommends!

Preeti Patel should be in her element after all her hard work, long nights and even longer days have finally paid of, well sort of, with her residency almost over Preeti is one step closer to being a fully fledged doctor. The only issue being she is about to be out of a place to live and she still needs to find a permanent position at the hospital. With her roommate having just got married the last thing Preeti wants to do is be a third wheel and cramp their bubble of happiness which is exactly how she finds herself rooming with non other than the devilishly charming Daniel Thompson!

Now this shouldn’t be an issue right, rooming with a good looking and talented cook sounds like a dream to most girls, well it would be if Daniel wasn’t the guy that still held Preeti’s heart in his hands! With her overly involved parents constantly all up in her personal business will Preeti and Daniel finally be able to work around all the obstacles that pop up in their path?

I absolutely loved getting to see both Preeti and Daniel grow as individuals but also as a couple. In the six years since their break up you can see that both have grown and can handle the opinions of others in a more mature way. However it was Preeti that really stood out for me, I loved that she finally stood up for herself and what she wants and who she wants to be with. The tension between these two was HOT! I loved getting to see them try and work through their old feelings while trying to navigate their new situation.

One of the big topics in this novel was race and racism. Even with Preeti and Daniel coming from two different races and having to face a whole lot of backlash on their mixed race relationship, I found that the entire thing was handled very tastefully. Aside from a few heavy topic this book was very much a feel good read with a kickbutt female lead that found her own way breaking down all the walls put in front of her!

First Love, Take Two by @sajnipatelbooks is a definite must read! This second chance meets forced proximity romance will have you rooting for this couple on in their journey to happily ever after!

Talk about CHEMISTRY. My Kindle is overheating and this book was only a PG-13 read! The hot looks, flirting, and brief touches between Preeti and Daniel are FIRE.

Second Chance romance is one of my lesser favorite tropes, but FIRST LOVE, TAKE TWO is a win in this category!

Daniel and Preeti are super sweet! You can just feel in your bones that they are meant to be together! Their support of one another is just heart-melting.

This book had beautifully written representation of anxiety, depression, and professional therapy. This author gracefully handles both the reality that mental health issues are not a "weakness" while also addressing the very real shame and stigma that surrounds those issues.

I took a star off of my rating because Daniel is just a little bit too good to be true—while Preeti is just a bit frustratingly timid. She does eventually finds her voice, but I spent a lot of the book wanting to shake some badassery into her!

One thing I adore about reading is the chance to experience other worlds, mindsets, and cultures you might not otherwise be exposed to. This glimpse into the Indian culture is wonderful, while also sometimes being a bit frustrating. I wanted to crush some of the cultural rules and expectations that you see hurting the main characters. But don't worry. A lot of those aspects are finally challenged in this wonderful story.

FIRST LOVE, TAKE TWO is a great read with lots of sweetness, characters coming into their own, and a perfectly sweet HEA.

First Love, Take Two by Sajni Patel
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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This book was a high 4. I liked it a lot more than The Trouble with Hating You. Probably because it wasn't an enemies to lovers. The exs who still have feelings for each other was a much more enjoyable troupe in my opinion.
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Preeti was such a wonderfully strong character. I loved everything about her. Daniel is a dream. I loved the background to this story. The family dynamics and conflicts were so well written. It did drag a little for me in the middle when I just wanted to scream at them both to stop being so ridiculous!
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But, the ending. <3 I hardly ever cry in books and this one unexpectedly made me tear up. I would definitely recommend this one!
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Thank you to @netgally and @libro.fm for my advanced copies! I listened to the audiobook for most of this read, and it was very well done. My ooooonly issue was that this book and The Trouble with Hating you were read by the same narrator. She did an amazing job, but hearing the same voice sometimes made me feel like I was still listening to Liya.

A quick cute read. My only issue was that going into this I didn't realize it was the second book in the series so some events were mentioned that I had no knowledge of. I really liked how Preeti's anxiety and depression were discussed. As someone who deals with both I could relate to her struggles and her descriptions of an episode.

Gosh I think my heart just burst at the seams. Daniel made my heart straight mush with his swoon worthy sweetness. Like my eyes probably look like heart eye emojis right now.⁣
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Daniel was so patient and kind and gentle with Preeti but also so sexy and sensual and their chemistry was off the charts. Preeti is an amazing intelligent bad ass physician, who has a heart of gold and puts everyone before herself. These two characters were just wonderful.⁣
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This author is incredible; the chemistry between these two I could just feel in my heart. The gripping anxiety that Preeti was struggling with I could feel to my core. ⁣
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The way the author handled mental health and the culture differences and racism in cultures was so gently and insightfully done.⁣
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣
Thank you @readforeverpub for an Arc for my honest review.

OMG!! I cannot express how much I loved this book. It was everything I could ever ask for in a romance novel and second chance romance being one of my most favorite trope, this book set up my expectations so high. Preeti and Daniel own my entire heart and I was so proud of Preeti for speaking up. Growing up in a south Asian community I have seen racism a lot and I could relate to this book a lot. And Daniel…that man made me swoon so much. I adore him and want to protect him from everyone. The small conversation, touches Pree and Daniel shared was everything and I just couldn’t stop myself from falling in love with them. It's one of the best book I have ever read.

This was SOO cute!! Such a heartwarming second chance romance that honestly was very emotional at times! While there are some very sweet moments in this book and some great playful banter between our MCs, this book also tackles some serious topics (mental health, racism, societal pressures) that had my heart hurting along with our main characters. I definitely could feel the chemistry between Preeti and Daniel and loved how they found a way back to each other. I also continue to love this friend group! My only wish was that there was a bit more romance and that our MCs overcame the obstacle that came between them a bit earlier (some of it dragged a bit in the first half).

Rating: 4 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for an e-ARC of this book!

TW: racism, sexual assault, anxiety, pregnancy complications.

Preeti Patel is completing her residency and realizing her dream of becoming a doctor. But the pressure from her family to get married, the stress of finding somewhere new to live because her roommate is about to return from her honeymoon, and the exhausting residency hours are weighing on her.

One of her problems is seemingly solved when she is offered a friend’s vacant apartment until she finds a permanent housing solution. However, she discovers that she will not be the only one staying there; she will be sharing the apartment with her ex Daniel, who she never really got over.

Daniel has swagger, incomparable cooking skills, and good looks. But Preeti’s community did not approve of their interracial relationship and she fears that if they were to rekindle their romance it may not be worth the fallout.

Guys, this book is full of great chemistry. This book would be a studio apartment because there are no doors. 🔥 If steamy romances with strong female characters are your jam, too will love this series.

I keep saying that second chance romances aren’t my favorite but this is the third one in a row that I’ve read so I think I’m changing my tune. I think I enjoyed this one so much because there was a legitimate reason why Preeti and Daniel broke up years prior, unlike some second chance stories that have flimsier miscommunications as their breakup catalyst.

I loved getting to see a bit of Liya, who is one of my favorite book heroines. If you haven’t read The Trouble with Hating You, do it. She is so awesome.

This book is a romance but it does touch on heavier topics like racism, mental illness, touch aversion, etc.

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for an advanced copy of First Love, Take Two in exchange for my honest opinion.