Kareena's feeling the pressure of being 30, unmarried with no hopeful prospects, stress from her sister's impending wedding and her father retiring. Prem's so close to getting the money he needs to start a health center and is ready to move on from his late fiancée. And now everything is precarious after a failed hookup and a very public and viral argument that forces the two to reconcile and "fake" a relationship to meet their own individual goals.

I am absolutely crazy about this book!! Kareena is so headstrong and driven and determined to have a real love like her parents, matched only by Prem's own stubbornness and cynicism when it comes to love, they're opposites yet also incredibly similar at the same time. Their banter is witty and the tension is off the charts, but there are also very deep and emotional family dynamics that are discussed that perfectly encompass the first generation and immigrant family life (something that is very personal to me and very relatable.)

The character development is beautifully written. Both Kareena and Prem grow as individuals and together throughout their relationship in the book, describing perfectly how a relationship should function: with love, communication, and compatibility. I found myself sympathizing with both Prem and Kareena and their causes. I found myself craving pani puri and paranthas. And I found myself in love with this book and Kareena and Prem's relationship.

Kareena wants to buy her family’s home with the money her dad has put aside for her for her wedding, but even though she’s has professional success and is in her thirties, he’s not budging on giving it to her unless she’s engaged. Oh and also he’s listing the house in four months, nbd.

Prem, Dr. Dil, is so close to getting his community health center open. But when an argument with Kareena goes viral, investors are pulling out and Prem’s dreams are slipping away. So when Kareena’s aunties provide a solution, prove he’s the one for Kareena and they’ll ensure his clinic is funded, Prem sets out to convince her a partnership between them could work. Even though despite their initial attraction, they absolutely hate each other. Oh and Prem doesn’t believe in love. Nbd.

Omg I devoured this book. I was laughing out loud from the very beginning and there was no chance I wasn’t finishing this book in one day. I was hooked.

There are so many slapstick moments in this book that had me cracking up. So. Many. Moments!! I love all the funny mishaps in this book that are layered with rich South Asian culture, family dynamics, and so much heart.

I wanna read this again and I just read it.

Thank you, Avon for the ARC of this book. Review is my own.

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for a e-galley of Dating Dr. Dil.

Yes to the rom-coms with the fake dating trope (let's be real, I like about 95% of the rom-com tropes). This book was a delight from start to finish with a nice dash of spice.

The book starts with Kareena and Prem locking eyes across a crowded bar and eventually making out in a back room. However, Prem walks out mid makeout without an explanation. Hurt and confused Kareena drowns her sorrows in alcohol as one does. Next day, hungover as all get out, Kareena discovers that Prem is non other than Dr. Dil. The confrontation that follows is...loud to say the least. However, they soon discover that they might need each other to get what they want. As Kareena and Prem start fake dating to achieve their end goals - a house for Kareena and a clinic building for Prem - they discover that their instant attraction might be more than fleeting.

Kareena dreamed of finding her soulmate, while Prem didn’t believe in love marriages. After a very public and heated “disagreement”, Prem and Kareena joined forces to achieve their goals. With an end date in sight, would their hate-turned-to-love last?

I always enjoy reading a Nisha Sharma book because I know it will make me laugh, and I also know there will be nods to where I live. These things were present in Dating Dr. Dil, but there were also many of her other “signature elements” woven into this tale. This was a witty and smart romance filled with family, food, and fun.

There were instant sparks between Kareena and Prem, but when they were reunited, those sparks turned into flames. It was a battle of wills as they resisted acting on their chemistry and attraction, but it was their differing views on marriage which kept their feelings in check. Prem was team arranged marriage, while Kareena wanted a love marriage. This was an interesting way to explore views on marriage in Desi culture, and I found the discussions quite interesting.

But what did I really love? Many things. The dates Prem and Kareena went on were fantastic. I know everyone keeps talking about it, but the pani puri eating contest was so memorable and really fit these characters to a tee. That was a combination of fabulous things in this book because all the food talk had me salivating. Sharma had me wanting to make my way up the street to Oak Tree Road in order to sample some of those delectable morsels she mentioned.

There was also a strong focus on family and community. Kareena’s love for her mother was woven in so many of her actions, and I found that mixture of love and grief to be quite beautiful. I adored her substitute mothers too – the aunties. Every Auntie was unique while working as a unit to convince Kareena that Prem was her soulmate. I adored each one of them, and as this appears to be a series, I hope I will get to know them better in the books that follow.

Overall, this was another great romance from Sharma. The aunties and a wonderful group of friends added to my enjoyment, as I watched and waited for Kareena and Prem to surrender to their hearts’ desires.

Wow wow wow!! This book was absolutely not what I expected and I enjoyed every minute of it!! I went into this expecting a light hearted contemporary romance read and came out with great commentary on life, love, and family in South Asian culture. The romance was top tier with the PERFECT amount of spice but I enjoyed how easily the author wove humour, grief, and family dynamics into the story to make a truly captivating read. Also, I usually hate when foods is throughly described in a book but every time food was mentioned I was absolute salivating. I give this book 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars.

4.5 Stars
When I began reading this, I did not like the main character, Rina at all. Then I discovered that this book is based on the Taming of the Shrew and it all made sense. While in the beginning Rina is angry, lashing out, and sometimes violent, you come to appreciate her for who and what she is. I really loved the cultural elements about this book and getting an Indian perspective was really interesting and entertaining; although I will say that if I didn’t have Indian friends who have exposed me to some aspects of their culture, I would’ve been confused in some parts. Regardless, this was just a delightful, funny, spicy read that I will definitely read again. Dr. Dil can get it.
Thank you, Net Galley, for providing this ARC for review.

Plot: Funny and entertaining, based on the Taming of the Shrew. I loved the plot development and how it integrated so many Indian cultural elements. I especially loved the character development and how many aspects were similar to what I know as US culture, but also aspects of Indian culture: food, family, dress, etc. A super entertaining read. It was also really funny with lots of great moral messages like standing up for yourself, knowing who you are, demonstrating your love with actions, but also providing your partner with what they need from a relationship -- be that actions or words.
Writing: The writing was great, easy to read, and very fun. I really enjoyed the style.
Character Development: I think character development was my favorite part of this novel. Kareena goes from such a closed-off person to so open and in love that it was delightful to watch. And I loved watching Prem learn how to provide his partner with what she needs (in more ways than one). The spice too was surprising, but great. A great surprise.
Dialogue: I really enjoyed the banter and laughed out loud more than once in response to the character's sarcastic remarks. Kareena had some great one-liners.
Scenes: I honestly loved Prem telling Kareena’s family off at the end.

I want to preface this by.saying I absolutely love Indian-American romance novels. Also own voices and authentic invoices are so important! The setting and original idea for this book are A+ and I hope the current trend continues so we see more and more diverse authors.

Even though the plot idea and settling really appealed to me, I didn't really enjoy the writing. Also the pacing was a little strange. The "meet cute" felt really sudden and rushed. I also got a great big bag of NOPE when the romantic interest called his man parts Charlie and referred to him? It? In the third person. More than once. Not ironically. Nope.

First off, I loved the nods to Taylor Swift and romance novels, and I'm totally on board with pelting our enemies/crushes with samosas. The relationship between Kareena and Prem is very passionate with a lot of heart and humor. That said, I feel like I judge romance by that Jane Austen standard where both characters have to experience true growth to have that happily ever after, but I feel like Prem being a big dummy wasn't a true impediment to overcome.
Also, a couple of the descriptors we got from Prem's POV weirded me out a little. "Sexy librarian" may be my own personal hangup, but anyway I guess I didn't love being in his head..

Dating Dr. Dil brings everything that a reader wants in a romantic comedy, loads of humor, lots of steamy dialogue and scenes, undeniable chemistry between the two main characters, a swoony love interest and an awesome female main character supported by her friends. Dating Dr. Dil follows Kareena as she rushes to find a fiance before her dad sells her house so she can inherit it before him. Rina is funny, has a good job, and is equipped with a network of aunties to help her on her mission. The only problem? She is looking for a love match like her parents had and only has a few months to find one. She keeps getting pushed towards Dr. Prem Dil, a talk show host and cardiologist who is adamant about not believing in love. Both Prem and Kareena have a lot to gain from their match, but with such large fundamental differences between their philosophies on love and relationships, will these two be able to last? I enjoyed this multilayered story about love and loss, filled with feminist moments and accurate descriptions of the perils of online dating. The side characters really sold the story to me-- both Kareena and Prem’s friends are hilarious and I hope Nisha Sharma writes sequels about them!

LOVED THIS!! I love Kareena so much and I love Kareena and prem together even more!! As a girl with a really difficult family, I instantly loved kareenas character. Although the romance between the two was a little of a slow burn, it was so satisfying in the end!! I’ve always had problems with standing my ground when it comes to my family so watching K do this actually made me proud 🤣🤣. I honestly can’t wait to go back and see what else Nisha Sharma has written because she obviously writes some bad b******* into her stories!! I never expect any spice with covers like this one but it did have a little bit of that too, which is personally my favorite in a rom com. Five stars for sureeee!!

4.5⭐
R for desi romance that packs some heat!

So I have become obsessed with Nisha Sharma because of TikTok so I was absolutely thrilled to receive the ARC of her next book and it did not disappoint! This book packs the heart and humor I love about Nisha into a great rom com.

This book is a retelling of The Taming of the Shrew where Kareena's younger sister is getting married so her family provides an ultimatum to convince Kareena to get engaged. Kareena wants a love marriage and is set up with Prem who doesn't believe in love, so the perfect combo of banter, tension and chemistry results throughout this book.

I loved Kareena and her conviction throughout this book! Her family was a pain in the ass, but I think many can say that about family. 😉 Prem had excellent character growth throughout this book and I loved seeing him egg on Kareena. The book was definitely a rom com and had some predictable moments, but this book overall was just so fun to see these two try to resist their connection. The own voices rep transforming Shakespeare to a Desi family drama was perfect.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and cannot wait for more in this series! If you enjoyed Farah Heron's Accidentally Engaged and have a fondness for the movie 10 Things I Hate About You, I would definitely read this book when it's published in March!

I will say my one other complaint is Prem referring to his penis (in thought) as "Charlie" seven (?!) times in this book and wish this doctor would have chosen something more anatomically correct!

Taming of the Shrew is one of my favorites of Shakespeare’s plays. So I jumped at the chance to read Dating Dr.Dil by Nisha Sharma. This modern take on the play features a group of Desi living in the North Jersey area. Kareena’s family is a little frantic over her unmarried state in the face of her younger sister Bindu’s upcoming wedding. It just doesn’t look right for the younger sister to get married before the older. Miscommunication, romance, and strong personalities clash in the form Kareena meeting Prem, a TV doctor trying to open a clinic for the South Asian community in the tristate area. After accidentally having an argument go viral, they both need some reputation improvement. So just like in the play, Prem decides to pursue Kareena. This was a great modern retelling. Fake romance turned real is one trope I never get tired of.

Thank you to Avon, HarperCollins, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Dating Dr. Dil by Nisha Sharma is an #ownvoices rom-com that is perfect for fans of Sonali Dev and Sara Desai. The story revolves around Kareena, who has been tasked with getting married before her younger sister does. She meets Prem, and they go on a nice date. When she finds out who he is (the host of the Dr. Dil show), she gets into an argument with him live on his show and ends up throwing food at him. Will they find their happily ever after?

Here is a humorous excerpt from Chapter 1, which is from Kareena's point of view:

"Kareena tore the eye mask off her forehead and straightened her Taylor Swift concert sleep shirt. She had secured her dream job at a company that developed women-owned businesses in the tristate area before her thirtieth birthday. But of course, one call from a client and her boss energy dissipated like mist. She tossed her phone on the rumpled bedspread and rubbed her hands over her face.
She was thirty and single.
No, no, thirty and successful.
Thirty and financially independent.
Thirty and . . . still lived with her dad and grandmother.
And single. Very, very single."

Overall, Dating Dr. Dil is an #ownvoices rom-com that will appeal to fans of Dial A for Aunties. Just like in that book, the aunties' antics add a lot of humor to the book. One highlight of this book is that this book features Indian-American characters. It's very rare to see characters of Indian descent in contemporary romance novels. I am so happy to support this author, and I hope that more books featuring Indian-American characters will be published soon.

If I had to complain about 1 thing, I would say that I didn't completely understand why they were "enemies" at the beginning of the book. I think it had something to do with Kareena believing in love and Prem not believing in love? I really enjoyed their enemies-to-lovers and fake-lovers-to-lovers plotlines though. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of rom-coms, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in March!

Oy. Ok look I really wanted to like this book. And there were glimmers of a wonderful story here! The pani puri competition and mystery museum dates were adorable, and prem calling out her family for being awful was satisfying but the combination of overdone stereotypical South Asian families and just irritating characters who didn't feel like complete people made this a bit of a slog. Also I love science jokes and the puns did not land.

I hate that prem calls his dick Charlie and knocked off another star for that.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Avon books for the ARC!!

It is hard to put into words my feelings over this book. I am overwhelmed at how much I loved it. Kareena and Prem's story was just so perfect and I really enjoyed reading about them. This book had me laughing, tearing up, and definitely sweating (this cartoon cover did in fact fool me). The character development is amazing and I loved how Kareena stood her ground with Prem and her family (a bad bitch for sure). Overall such a good spicy romcom that I will absolutely be thinking about forever. I loved the cultural aspects and how perfectly it all came together in this contemporary setting. I honestly have nothing bad to say about this book except I wish there was more Prem and Kareena. BRB while I go read everything Nisha Sharma has written.

Please do yourself a favor and preorder this, or run to get it on March 15. I am obsessed. Now if you will excuse me I have to go find some paranthas near me 😁

Was super excited for this when I heard it was inspired by taming of the shrew. I liked it but unfortunately, didn’t love it and it wasn’t very memorable. The hero’s anti love stance was so boring, and the heroine’s family got on my last nerve. They were users and abusers. Not a fan at all. The heroine was the best part but even she couldn’t carry the book alone. Loved her journey and would have loved it if the book was all about her and her girlfriends because they are the only ones that deserve her.

Cute but contrived, had the potential to be a much deeper story with deeper connections. Still, I’d read more from this author as the plot was solid!

This book was fabulous! Set in Indian immigrant culture, it really explores the difference between a “love marriage” and an arranged one. You can really feel the pull the characters have to their families, and how they feel pressure of disappointing them. There is constant tug from family members to allow them to set up a marriage. It was so striking to see the differences between their culture and my own. I just love to read books that help me grow and learn.

Culture aside, this is also a wonderful romance! I love that there was more at play than just fighting the love feeling. It was about what’s right for the families, them, battling inner demons, and an undeniable pull to each other. It was brilliantly written, steamy, and funny! Highly recommend!

Posted on Instagram today @mz.cookz.bookz and I will review on Amazon and goodreads on pub day!

I'm blushing!! The fluff!!!! Tooth rooting sweetness in this book! Beware! I need more books from this author immediately!

I LOVED this book!!! I’ve read a handful of authors and stories on Desi-American leads and so I can easily say this was my favorite. The plot execution and pacing was perfect, the characters were lovable, and I loved the dialogue. One of my favorite scenes will forever be the coffee shop mishap date where Dr. Dil jumps in! Ah, be still my beating heart….

I also appreciated the use of the Indian-American community as a characteristic of their lives and story. The community can be annoying, confusing, and supporting at times (because yes, they manage to be all three), and the way in which Sharma portrayed it was great. 5/5 stars!! (And yes, can I please marry Dr. Dil now…)