I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
Isha, Unscripted was the perfect read for me at this present moment. I’ve been going through a lot on the personal side of things, and I wanted something a little fun. But it also left me feeling seen, especially in terms of the journey Isha goes through.
Like me, Isha is a writer (albeit in a different field) and she’s really been struggling to make something of her life. She’s also an incredibly chaotic person, and one I couldn’t help but smile and sympathize with as she fumbled through life.
And while I’m not South Asian, the “take any job” convo has absolutely come up with my parents (albeit under different circumstances). And I can totally relate to that feeling of being expected to be an adult, while still being treated like a child by your parents at times.
I also love the general theme of the book being about Isha’s friendship/bond with her cousin Rohan (“Brohan”). I love how both of them don’t really fit the traditional mold, and that they support each other even when others don’t.
The one weak spot is the romance. This book is marketed and categorized as a romance, despite the fact the book focused more on Isha’s own personal arc. There is a romantic subplot, but I can’t tell you very much about Tarik, beyond the fact that he’s generally pretty successful in life, as a contrast to Isha’s constant failures. It was charming that he tended to be present at her lowest moments and was nonetheless interested in her, but I can’t say I was super interested in him in his own right.
Even so, the other aspects were strong enough for me to forgive this one aspect, although I would caution other readers to not go in expecting the romance to be too prominent. With that in mind, if you enjoy diverse contemporaries about finding oneself and navigating familial expectations, I would recommend you give this a try.

I read this book in one sitting - it was such a quick, easy read!

The story follows Isha, an Indian-American girl in her late 20s whose dream is to be screenwriter. She has defied her parents' expectations many times over the years, first by taking an untraditionally long amount of time to finish college, and then getting a degree that doesn't quite fit into their "good Indian girl" mold. Without a steady income or a full time job, Isha has moved back in with her parents, but is now suffering from constant shaming and guilt by her extended family and community. Her cousin Rohan, on a similar non-traditional path, helps her face the family and challenge the path they are trying to force her on.

The story was fun, easy, sweet, and at times sexy. Isha and Rohan's cousin dynamic was really sweet, and Isha's romance with "thirst trap," the owner of a local bar, was laid out in a very fun and steamy way. At times, the writing was a little contrived for me, but I really loved the story and the way that the author presented a different family dynamic than what we usually see in South Asian stories. I also appreciated that this focused more on the cousins' family relationship and love rather than just the budding romance! Overall, a great read!

Isha, Unscripted was such a welcomed surprise of a novel from Sajni Patel. I always welcome her next reads and must admit, I'm a bit behind. I still need to read My Sister's Big Fat Indian Wedding.

However, I absolutely loved First Love, Take Two and this was no different for me. I expected a chaotic romcom and what I found was far more insightful.

A sincere thank you to Berkley Romance, NetGalley, and PRH Audio for granting me access to this title as a part of their influencer program. Although categorized as Romance, I would place this under Women's Fiction, because the romance isn't what takes front and center. Isha is definitely the rebel of her family. Unlike, her do no wrong brother, Isha decided to go the film writing route in college and her parents truly can't fathom why on Earth she would do that. Worse, she's not thriving professionally or personally. She lives at home and is quite frenetic in her actions in both spheres. When a night out on the town with her absolutely lovable cousin Rohan, turns into an absolute disaster, Isha is forced to face reality and make some changes.

I can't imagine getting drunk and calling someone a Thirst Trap, but I gotta tell you, I laughed. Isha reminds me a bit of the adult version of Amelia Bedelia-good intentions with disastrous outcomes.

The novel addresses cultural expectations, breaking away from the norm, family bonds and relationships, and professional and person growth. I think I expected this to be a story about Isha and Thirst Trap, but it was more about her growing as a person and becoming who she wants to see in the mirror.

DNF at 50%…the beginning of this book sounded interesting, but it got weird about a quarter way through. It basically sounds like a drunk night out that went wrong. The main character was so annoying that I couldn’t handle her self deprecating and her inner monologue.

This was a fun, madcap story about walking the line between following your dreams and taking control of your future. The relationship between Isha and her cousin, Rohan, was wonderful to read, and the romance between Isha and Thirst-Trap (love how he's referred to that way most of the time) was completely charming. I laughed, cringed, and cheered Isha on as she grew into her better-late-than-never adulthood!

This was my fifth read by Sajni Patel and I’ll start off by saying I have been a big fan of her books both romance and YA reads. Her writing is always great and she writes strong female Indian leads and always includes some good friendships as well. Having said that this one was a bit of a mix for me.

The first half of the book featured a lot of drunk, over the top, ridiculous moments for Isha – the drinking and such was supposed to be funny, but for me it just felt very problematic and cringy. I didn’t love the over the top drunkenness, poor choices, and chaos – Isha came across as very immature and in need of a bit of help.
However, I will say the second half of the book kinda pulls it more together. The issue for me is that as a reader, I would normally have DNF’d by that point were this not an author I really liked and had enjoyed previously.

This particular book was not really working for me, but I’m sure this would fit others preferences and I would still recommend it for others to try. I really enjoy this author and will definitely look forward to more from her in the future.

Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an early copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and freely offered.

Parts of this coming of age, South Asian rom-com were really great. I loved the close cousin relationship Isha has with her bestie Rohan but it felt a little helter skelter. Not quite a romance and not quite a mad cap women's fiction adventure story in which Isha tries to get her movie script into the hands of THE Matthew McConaughey.

Her abysmal 'flirting' with 'Thirst Trap,' the bartender had me cracking up and were definitely the highlight of the story for me. The book also does an excellent job showcasing how difficult it can be to stick to your own dreams even when they go against parental expectations.

Good on audio narrated by new to me narrator, Mehr Dudeja (I will admit I was a bit sad Soneela Nankani didn't do this one). Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary audiobook in exchange for my honest review! Overall not my favorite by this author but definitely still enjoyable!

I got an advanced digital copy of this alongside Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers, and while I wouldn't have read this if it didn't come with a book I really wanted to read, I did end up liking it. I wasn't sure of it at first. I found myself in complete agreement with Isha's parents at first: quit fussing around and get a real job. Isha has been shopping her movie script around for years, but no one, not her, not her screenwriter classmates, not even her agent can get it seen, or taken seriously. One reason for this is because of Isha's strange refusal to get in on the ground level for any job in the film industry. Unlike her classmates who are doing what it takes to get into film production, Isha just cobbles together a living freelancing, which of course is not enough, and forces her to move back with her parents. While her Indian parents don't really mind having her home again, they definitely want her on a career path, or at the very least, not getting drunk and stupid night after night. Which leads into the other reason why Isha can't get her script read: she drinks way too much, even when she swears she won't, and then acts like fool, and makes stupid decisions, and therefore ends up blowing every opportunity that comes her way. If you are thinking that Isha sounds like she might be in her early twenties, well, you would be wrong. She is 29 years old, and pushing 30, and yeah, at that point you are past the time when you can constantly lie around nursing hangovers, and whining about life's unfairness without everyone around you thinking you are one pathetic mess.

But Isha is at least semi-aware of this. About halfway through the book she really pulls up her socks, and gets to work, and that's where the story gets interesting. With the help of her beloved cousin Rohan, and her newly found Thirst-Trap (who has a real name, but Isha so constantly refers to him as Thirst-Trap throughout the book that now I can't remember what it is) she embarks on the act of cleaning up her life, from finding a job, to catching whatever lucky breaks she can. While I did not find it amusing to read about Isha getting into bar fights, and throwing up in alleys, I did enjoy reading about her relationship to Rohan, and her blossoming romance with Thirst-Trap, and her conflicts with her parents. The last half of this book is well worth the mess you have to read during the first half.

I did not realize until I had read this whole book that this is the same author of My Sister's Big Fat Indian Wedding, and once again, she has written a book that features cousins for the win! I love my cousins, so I'm always going to love a story about them.

Alright, alright, alright... where do I start? The best part: I loved this wonderful and wacky book! Isha's antics had me laughing and, well, cringing-- and her heart and growth into a life of adulting– no matter the obstacles– made the story for me. The girl had drive, ambition, a wildly exciting love interest, and the sweetest sidekick one could ever ask for! Go, get 'em, Isha! And go get 'em, Sajni! I needed this fun read; you delivered. Can't wait for more!

I really enjoyed this one! It hit the same sweet spot for me as Alisha Rai's Modern Love series. Not necessarily an OMG amazing read, but definitely a serviceable one.

Overall, this book is good. Strong Indian female lead, delicious descriptions of food, light romance, and an annoying but loving family. The difficult part for me was when Isha was drunk and doing ridiculous things. It was presented as antics, but felt problematic.

I have been waiting for this book and was so excited to read it. It was a great read and I always love this author’s books!

I loved this fun romp into Isha's life, as she tries so hard to get her script sold. The situations she got herself into and her relationship with her cousin are so hilarious and heartwarming. It was a fast read and very entertaining, perfect for the beach or a free weekend. Be prepared to be pulled into Isha's chaotic life and to laugh at her predicaments!

I was lucky enough to win an early copy of ISHA, UNSCRIPTED by Sajni Patel through a Shelf Awareness giveaway. Thanks for the early look, and have a safe and happy holiday season!

This is the third book read that I’ve read by Sajni Patel. Thank you to NetGalley for access to read this ARC. I wasn’t able to finish this book because I struggled to want to follow Isha. The other two books that I read of Patel’s, I had issues with how she described the Indian community as it read severely stereotyped to me. That said, she may know people who fit within that. Also, while I didn’t agree with her portrayal of those families, I still wanted to follow the main characters because the plot was good. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same with this book. I couldn’t tell if this book was satire at times because it just seemed to be one ridiculous action after another.

I’m happy to provided detailed feedback.