I really enjoyed this fun romance. I have Dating Dr. Dil, but haven't read it yet, but now I want to read that next! The characters' chemistry is wonderful and readers can really feel the tension and attraction on the page. The Shaadi Saboteur storyline was really fun and the Aunts are a hoot! They might be my favorite characters. 3.5 stars.

Thank you so much to the publisher for this E-arc!!!!!!!!!!

While this book is the follow-up to Dating Dr. Dil, it follows their best friends, Bobbi and Benjamin. Bobbi is a decorated wedding planner whose works in her family's event-planning business. At the same time, Benjamin (Bunty) is a chef who tries to figure out the location for his new restaurant. This book was so good. I just don't know how to explain it to you guys. Bobbi and Benjamin are so cute, and it is easy to root for their relationship. These characters were sexy and fun. The book also deals with family dynamics and setting boundaries. It also explores trust and focuses on reaching out for help. Even the side plot was so good and frustrating.
I am looking forward to the next book!

Thank you so much to Nisha Sharma, Harper Avon, and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review!

I couldn’t put this book down and absolutely loved it! I was so excited when I originally found out we were getting a Bunty and Bobbi book and it did not disappoint! Nisha Sharma does a fantastic job of giving us a continuation of Prem and Kareena’s love story, while focusing on Bunty and Bobbi, but also setting up the story for the next couple. This might only be the second book in the series, but it seamlessly flows from the first book.

The chemistry between Bobbi and Bunty is off the charts from the start. Bunty is a secret cinnamon roll and I love it. Bobbi is a badass FMC that isn’t going to take crap from anyone. I truly enjoyed both characters and they’re probably my favorites in the series so far.

This book did such a great job with discussing family dynamics when it comes to relationship of first born child and the rest of the family in South East Asian families. The responsibility that is placed on eldest children to be everything that the family needs, which the author perfectly described as the “family manager”. It was awesome to see that both Bobbi and Bunty were able to work through their family relationships and communicate their needs to their families. It might seem like such an easy thing to do, but for those who have been in that type of dynamic with their families, it’s no easy feat.

I loved “Tastes Like Shakkar” and definitely recommend it. I can’t wait to see what happens next in the “If Shakespeare Was an Auntie” series!

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

What's impressive about this is that I do not love wedding-centric romances or romances where a main character is a chef or baker, yet I was laughing and having a great time through this whole book. I picked this up because I loved Dating Dr. Dil– it was my favorite romance of last year. I am happy to continue in this series, and love the campy, over the top nature of Nisha Sharma's romance. I think fans of Jesse Q. Sutanto would also get a kick out of Nisha Sharma.

Can't wait for Veera and Deepak's story!

I really enjoyed this! Nisha Sharma is definitely becoming a favorite! I loved so much about Tastes Like Shakkar! I enjoy learning about Indian weddings and loved seeing Bobbi plan such an epic event. The chemistry between Bobbi and Benjamin was palpable from the start and I loved to see their relationship develop. The Shadi saboteur added an extra element of fun and mystery to this book and kept me entertained. I liked getting to see Kareena and Prem get their happy ever after since I loved them in Dating Dr. Dil. I can’t wait for the third book in the series!

One of my favorite reads last year was Dating Dr. Dil, which made me extremely excited to read Bobbi's story in Tastes Like Shakkar. I am happy to say that it exceeded all of my expectations.

Bobbi and Benjamin hate each other, but their chemistry was palpable from their very first encounter. Benjamin misspoke once and inadvertently hurt Bobbi's feelings and ever since then she has wanted nothing to do with the gorgeous chef. Benjamin is a sworn bachelor, but he cannot deny his attraction to the gorgeous wedding planner and loves to get a rise out of her.

After calling a temporary truce while planning their best friends' wedding, Benjamin and Bobbi start to realize they have more in common than just physical attraction. Benjamin swears he is not looking for anything serious, but he genuinely likes Bobbi, and he worries about her happiness and wellbeing. His complete obsession with making sure she doesn't forget to eat while working is so sweet. Bobbi does not believe she can have a meaningful relationship with Benjamin since his first priority seems to be pleasing his family. Obviously, they are both wrong.

It was so fun watching Bobbi and Benjamin develop feelings despite all of their objections, watching them grow closer physically and emotionally, watching them learn to stand up to their well-meaning, but often overbearing families, and finally find their own happiness.

Tastes Like Shakkar was a delightful read, full of rich and traditional Indian cultural references and sweet and steamy goodness. Also, the epilogue was such a tease, and I cannot wait for Veera and Deepak's book.

Tastes Like Shakkar is a modern Indian retelling of Much Ado About Nothing. The story follows Bobby and Benjamin, two “enemies” who are forced to come together to plan the wedding of their best friends. I loved how Nisha Sharma balanced a fun and entertaining plot with the perfect amount of steam.
Also, all the family dynamics and learning about the Indian culture was an added bonus! The audiobook was a ton of fun as both narrators were engaging and animiated.

Read if you like:
-Enemies to lovers
-Forced proximity
-Body positivity
-Open door romance
-Indian weddings
-All the aunties

Thank you Avon for the ARC. Pub date 8/1

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for giving me a digital copy of "Tastes Like Shakkar" by Nisha Sharma in exchange for an honest review..

4 out of 5 stars

Wedding planner Bobbi has spent the last year trying to make up for the loss of a big client because she was unable to follow through on a big promise to said client. Her uncle/boss has been holding this against her ever since, and refusing to allow her greater responsibility in the family firm. Now Bobbi is planning her best friend's upcoming wedding. While this is partly a labor of love, she's also using the event as a way of proving herself by leveraging it to ensure future business with an exclusive venue. Thus FINALLY earning back her uncle's respect.

Meanwhile, the groom's best friend Benjamin (aka Bunty) is dealing with his own toxic family situation. He's the elder son of the commercial food empire Naan King. Although he rejected the family business years ago in favor of carving his own career as chef and restauranteur, his father insists that he won't pass leadership to Bunty's younger brother without Bunty serving in an official advisor capacity.

Bobbi and Bunty are forced to work together as members of the wedding party, despite their history of fighting (he's the reason she lost the client AND she thinks he rejected her because of her generous figure. The first part is true; the second is not.) But things get even more complicated when a mysterious wedding saboteur sets out to ruin the wedding. The wedding cake is order is cancelled, the venue's main chef was lured away, etc etc. Thus they develop their relationship while wedding planning AND tracking down the mysterious (and frankly absurd) saboteur.

Here's a petty gripe about the book, just to get it out of the way. Then we can talk more seriously. I'm irritated that the ONLY place the word "shakkar" appears is in the title. It is NEVER mentioned in the text. It's my (admittedly inexpert) understanding that the word translates in Hindi to "sugar." Tastes like Sugar is a great romance novel title, except that the word "sugar" only appears four times in the text. So.... the title is pretty nonsensical.

Now that that's off my chest, we'll go back to the important details. This book (and the first one in the series) pulls the majority of its drama from family toxicity. The author even mentions this in the acknowledgements. Bobbi and Bunty have some relationship challenges, including their history of antagonism and a lack of quality time due to mutually demanding careers. However, the main driver of the conflict is all toxic family dynamics. While the saboteur subplot seems like the main source of drama (which is also ultimately about toxicity), the thing that ultimately (albeit temporarily) drives Bobbi and Bunty apart is his family and the Naan King situation.

Probably no point more exemplifies the situation than this: when he declares his love for Bobbi, he says, "I love you more than anything else in this world, Bobbi Kaur." While he says this, he's still planning to move back to the West Coast to acquiesce to his father's emotional blackmail. So he loves her more than anything EXCEPT he'll still choose his family over her. I was grinding my teeth over that particular idiocy. Fortunately, he eventually comes to his senses and chooses her, thank goodness. His grovel is acceptable too.

For her part, Bobbi runs herself ragged to win the approval she so deeply wants. However, she gets a fabulous scene when she decides she is DONE with the drama and asserts herself like the glorious queen she is. Hands down, my favorite part of the book.

If you could take out all that garbage, I liked Bobbi and Bunty as a couple. Once they learn to communicate better, they are lovely together. He's a caretaker at heart, and feeding people is his love language. He's constantly feeding her, right from the start of the story. While their relationship seemed to move a little fast (I'm not ordinarily a huge fan of that), even that is addressed when Bunty observes that while they'd only been together as a couple for a short time, she's MATTERED to him for much longer. I loooooved that detail.

As for love scenes, they get pretty spicy. While this is no 50 Shades, Bunty is into bondage and Bobbi is receptive to exploring that with him. I appreciated that it's shown here in a loving, consensual relationship.

Overall, I guess I liked the book. I preferred the first book in the series "Dating Dr. Dil" and I'm looking forward to the next book, whenever that arrives. Yes, I clearly had some issues with the family dynamics, but that's a trigger of mine. Your mileage may vary. I'd recommend this book for anyone who enjoys strong, competent heroines.

I thoroughly enjoyed the second installment of this series following restaurant owner and Prem’s best friend, Benjamin (Bunty) and wedding planner and bestie to Kareena, Bobbi Kaur. After a disastrous first meeting 10 months prior, Bobbi and Bunty must work together to plan Kareena and Prem’s wedding. This book has a huge epistolary component which I loved; their relationship develops through banter and tender moments in their text exchanges. Bunty feeding Bobbi through food deliveries from his restaurant was adorable. They had so much chemistry and the spice was scorching. I wasn’t expecting it to be so good. The major issue I had with Dating Dr. Dil was Prem referring to his manhood as “Charlie” and I was happy to see that wasn’t an issue in this book.

As someone unfamiliar with Indian culture, I really enjoyed learning about wedding events and marriage in this book. I had to look about a lot of words and learned so many new things.

Overall, such a solid read. I really enjoyed immersing myself in Indian culture, more interactions with the Aunties and the friend group and Bunty and Bobbi’s love story. I cant wait for Deepak and Veera next. Fingers crossed!
Thank you so much to Avon Books for the ARC, all thoughts are my own.

I want to preface that “Much Ado About Nothing” is my absolute favorite Shakespeare play. I love the continuation of the “If Shakespeare Was An Auntie Series” (the first being “Dating Dr. Dil (which I love so hard) being a “Taming of the Shew” inspired) and this book is the embodiment of the tension and sparks between Beatrice and Benedick in our main characters, Benjamin and Bobbi.
Nisha Sharma is so incredibly good at building tension and the tension between these two is hot. I love how she draws the reader in to feel just as frustrated with the characters. That is a hard thing to create and she does it with ease.
The story itself focuses around the planning of the wedding for Prem and Kareena (loved seeing them again) and Benjamin and Bobbi must overcome their mutual dislike of each other to work together. Oh and there is a wedding saboteur that they need to find because of course. There is also family drama, meddling relatives, and tension that just melts the pages.
I enjoyed this book. It hit me in the all the feels.

I love Nisha and her writing! She writes in a way that feel a personal connection to the characters and their story and Tastes Like Shankar was no different than her other books. Great development, intriguing story, will definitely recommend.

“Love is always better with cheese,”

I absolutely loved Dating Dr. Dil, so I’ve been so excited for this book and was so happy to get an ARC of it!

This book was just FUN. Periodically silly, very heartfelt FUN. You’ve got meddling aunties. Wedding hijinks. A mysterious saboteur. Two very cute couples. Delightful spice. What’s not to love?

The book also touches on the two struggling with familial expectations and boundaries, and I really enjoyed how it was handled. Seeing the two learn to speak up for themselves was so satisfying. I could completely understand where both were coming from in their commitment to their families, but also understood the need for boundaries. This was a book where every choice made made sense.

I so quickly was incredibly invested in Benjamin and Bobbi’s relationship. I desperately wanted them to work through the struggles of a potential long distance relationship, misunderstands, and hard to accept feelings. But what I loved most? The communication. GOD THE COMMUNICATION. These two actually talked about so many of their issues!!! In a romance novel!!! Imagine!!!! There was maybe ONE example of information being held back from the other, but it was understandable within the context. You give me a couple that communicates and I’m gonna love them - I’m a simple girl here.

In conclusion: you want a fun read with a sweet couple and fun family? Pick up Tastes Like Shakkar, you won’t be disappointed. I cannot WAIT for the next installment in the series!!

It is always an absolute pleasure to read Nisha Sharma's writing! Again she gives us a beautifully written story full of heart.

I'm not as familiar with the Shakespear play 'much ado about nothing' that inspired this book, but I am definitely curious about it now that I read this book.

I loved the characters, the plot, the spice and will be recommending it to friends and customers.

Bobbi Kaur has taken on the task of planning her best friends wedding. Unfortunately for her, this forces her to work directly with one of the groom's best friends, Benjamin "Bunty" Padda, which didn't go well for her in the past. But, when someone starts sabotaging the wedding plans, Bobbi and Benjamin are forced to work even more closely together and face their intense attraction towards each other.

I really really loved this! I thought both Bobbi and Benjamin were great characters and their banter (both in person and texting) was top notch! I loved seeing how their antagonistic relationship developed into love through their chemistry, which was pretty undeniable. There was a lot of humor in this and I, of course, loved seeing the Aunties again.

I also loved seeing how Benjamin helps Bobbi explore kink! It's not something we see in traditionally published romance novels often and I'm always pleased when I see it. Also if a guy ever wants to text me recipes that remind me of him, apparently I am indeed here for that. The plus size rep just...was. Which is something I love to see - we see Bobbi in the beginning experience a little bit of insecurity when Benjamin unintentionally implies that she's not his type. But other than that - she's...just fat and that is just accepted!

One thing I really really loved about this book is that it's really the story of two people getting to know each other, starting a relationship, and falling in love. There's no fake relationship/denying of feelings that seems to happen in so many romcoms. Don't get me wrong I actually love the fake dating trope but it was exciting for me to see something different - two people in their 30's learning more about each other and gradually falling for each other and learning how to be with each other.

I'm not Desi or from an immigrant family so I can't speak to all of the rep and how realistic it was BUT I can say that I could really appreciate the parallel struggles that the characters were facing with their families. The epilogue and glimpses we see throughout the book also made me super excited for the next book in the series!!

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

So good. I can not wait to own the physical copy of this!!! Nisha’s writing style is so freaking good.

The dynamic between Benjamin and Bobbi was enjoyable and when Sharma thanked her aunties for asking for "something like 50 Shades of Gray"...well, she certainly delivered the smutty fun between these two. The characters were well thought out, interesting, and have some of the best friendships a fictional story could ask for. The idea of the Iago character being a wedding saboteur was delightful. There was a clear indication WHO was the culprit with an obvious red herring but I loved watching everyone come together to solve the problems. The pacing was perfect and I loved seeing these two stubborn workaholics figure out how to love each other and communicate.

Only thing I wish there was more of: the Vegas weekend! I wanted to see these characters having fun as a group!

A great sequel, a stellar standalone. I loved it!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I really enjoyed Bobbi and Benjamin's story. It had my attention from the very first page and I read it in 2 days. I couldn't get enough of it. It was fun, full of laughter, and a mystery. The aunties are entertaining in every scene they are in. Their banter makes my chuckle. Bobbi and Benjamin also had a great banter, especially at the beginning after we found out why they don't get along. This book seemed to have the right amount of everything. It was better than the first book in this series which makes me think the next will be even better.

I will say I was glad there was no "Charlie" nonsense in this book like there was in <i>Dating Dr. Dil</i>.

I loved the setup of Veera's story at the end and can't wait to read it when it comes out. I know I'll enjoy it like I enjoyed this one.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy!

Enemies to lovers call a truce when their best friends are getting married. World-class chef and wedding planner come together to find out who's plotting against the wedding. Maybe they'll find out they like each other after all.

While the narration can get a bit confusing at times as you have many characters, it's actually a pretty nice book and I 100% prefer it to the first one. Food elements are A+, the enemies to lovers aspect is really respectful and fat phobia is treated with care. Im really looking forward to reading more from this author.

#TastesLikeShakkar #NetGalley

4/5. Releases 8/1/2023.

For when you're vibing with... classic snappy romcom moments, a plus size heroine who gets shit done while having vulnerabilities, casual kink, and long distance relationship cuteness.

It's up to Bobbi Kaur to make her best friend's wedding perfect. Unfortunately, she's dealing not only with a mysterious wedding saboteur, but the groom's best friend--highly irritating chef Benjamin "Bunty" Padda. Bobbi's future at her family's event planning business is at stake, and she's not going to let anything ruin this wedding. As the saboteur becomes serious, however, Bobbi has no choice but to team up with Benjamin... despite their attraction.

Quick Takes:

--I often struggle with traditionally published romcoms, so it was such a relief to be so engaged in one from the start. And I do think this book is a great example of how someone should begin a book like this. We immediately see Bobbi and Benjamin sparring, we immediately feel the sexual tension between them, and we immediately sense the miscommunication (and missed opportunities) that keep them apart. And then we lurch forward in time a little, and the beef! Is still real!

--One thing I really appreciate was how the intersection between Bobbi's body, food, and her sexuality worked. Bobbi is plus size (as you see on the cover, which is nice), and while she is confident and competent and bold, she still has moments of insecurity. In fact, that insecurity (and a miscommunication) is a big part of why she and Benjamin get off on the wrong foot. (Before really getting off on the right foot if you know what I mean.) That moment felt so painfully real to me. I completely got where she was coming from and why she reacted so strongly, even though I also got that he absolutely did not mean for her to interpret his words or actions the way she did. It's a hypersensitivity that comes with navigating the world with a body that isn't promoted as beautiful in the mainstream, this predetermined sense that you must be seen as unattractive.

At the same time, Benjamin's attraction to Bobbi and specifically her body is so remarkably clear and carnal and delicious. As is his attraction watching Bobbi eat. Food and cooking in romance is something I enjoy seeing. The food here is vividly described, and it all sounds amazing, but I've also personally been a bit weird about food lately, and I was a little worried about how it would come off to me. Seeing Bobbi have insecurities re: her body, while also enjoying food, and her enjoyment of food being so arousing to Benjamin, was super lovely. None of this is handled in an over the top, preachy way, either. Bobbi also has some moments of body positivity that are unique to her cultural background; and some of her insecurities are also unique in that sense. That really does a lot of work to add to the book and its world.

--I wouldn't actually call this enemies to lovers, as Bobbi and Benjamin get over their bullshit and become a couple fairly early on. What unfolds is really you seeing them work through a real relationship, complete with long distance. I love the epistolary aspects of this book, which is unusual for me, and I enjoyed seeing how easy it would be for either one of them to withdraw. They just couldn't, not all the way. Because love.

--A huge part of the novel is Bobbi and Benjamin dealing with not only expectations, but managing their families. To me, it was nice to see this kind of clash (which Nisha Sharma discusses more in her author's note, super worth reading) be significant without coming off as intensely abusive or life-wrecking. There's a middle ground between "healthy" and "toxic".

--I kind of felt wary about the wedding saboteur thing, just because I'm not a huuuuge fan of those types of plotlines. They often come off as gimmicky. But in this case, it was cute, it was funny, it didn't take over the key parts of the plot (Bobbi and Benjamin's love story and their family conflicts). There was a great amount of balance in this book, and I really appreciated it.

The Sex Stuff:

Um, so well done? First off, not super often that we see fat women (not like, hourglass bodacious, but women with actual thick thighs) depicted in kinky sex scenes. Second, there was kink! It's not super hardcore; but Benjamin is into bondage, Bobbi is into the fact that he's into bondage, and it's discussed upfront, without shame. They check in, there are safe words, it's all really good!

I also super loved the way Benjamin was a very lovely, sweet boyfriend, but also.... put it down? You get some shit I don't often see in trad contemporary romcoms right now (a straddle bj? Okay!). It's a great time.

While I can always use a bit more drama, I found Tastes Like Shakkar entertaining, sweet, and and hot. Like I said earlier, this subgenre has let me down a lot, but here we have a real success.

Thanks to Netgalley and Avon for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Hands down, I loved this book. This was the first book of Nisha Sharma that I've read, and I couldn't put it down. The enemies to lovers story, while cliched, worked. The sex scenes were steamy, with some light bondage. But the story was about more than just Bobbi and Benjamin, it was about family and friendship. I cannot wait to read more books by Sharma.