"Tastes like Shakkar" was enjoyable, though not as delightful as "Dating Dr. Dil". Nonetheless, it's still incredibly sexy. If you enjoyed movies like "The Wedding Planner" or "Bridesmaids", this book is worth a read. Special thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader's copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

I loved Dating Dr. Dil, and was excited to pick this one up...thankfully it lived up to my excitement! Bobbi and Bunty's enemies to lovers story was adorable. The way they supported each other and their careers is something we all hope for. I was both annoyed and angered with the way their families were so heavily immersed in their lives, but also thought it was nice how much love they had around them. Except for Bunty's father, he just sucked. The saboteur was a fun part of the book. Even though they were sabotaging the wedding, I looked forward to seeing what they would do next and how Bobbi and Bunty would fix it. Also, the Aunt's were friggen hilarious and awesome. I wish they were in my life for entertainment. I'm looking forward to the third installation!

This was cute but not great.

I had hopes as a fan of Much Ado About Nothing, but perhaps I set myself up to be disappointed. The book tried to overly pull in aspects of the original and it never seemed to be done well. It was done in a way that made me feel like "hey, look at me, I am a reference to the original!" and there were moments when references could've been made in ways that would've really helped the story.

It was great to be back in this "if Shakespeare were an auntie" world. I laughed so much! I felt so much (all the feels). The enemies to lovers trope was so fun (as it always is) and I loved the FMC.

Fun romcom and my first book by this author! Definitely want to read more of her work in the future! Fun banter and spice!

This series is giving me things I didn't know I wanted or needed.

I absolutely adore how Nisha has set this series up following friends. The scenes set for the next book always leave me super interested.

Overall these two are my favorite in this series so far now. Their rivals to lovers dynamic is fantastic.

Now to go get some Indian food ASAP

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review!
I absolutely *adored* dating Dr. Dil, the first book in this series (and my first of Sharma's), and was so excited when I saw the second installment. Bobbi and Benjamin have amazing chemistry and banter (and holy cow this book is SPICY! Like, wow). The characters and their dynamics were the best part of this book for me; I didn't care as much about the plot (I found the whole saboteur subplot to be poorly wrapped up).
As with Dating Dr. Dil, I also really appreciated learning more about the Desi community. Sharma does such a good job of seemingly effortlessly weaving in aspects of the culture into a fun rom com. I can't wait for Veera's story!

R A T I N G : 4.5

<b>Rep:</b> South Asian Rep
<b>Genre:</b> Contemporary Romance
<b>Trigger warnings:</b> Fatphobia, Deceased parent, Racial bias
<b>Spice Level: 🌶🌶🌶</b>

- Enemies to Lovers
- Forced proximity
- Much Ado About Nothing retelling
- Family drama
- Delicious food descriptions (*stomach growls*)
- Fighting the parental authorities, character self-discovery and empowerment
- Perfect portrayal of Indian family dynamics and drama

This review is well overdue!

This engaging novel, the second in a trilogy, stands independently of its predecessor Dating Dr Dil. The story takes a fresh focus on the dynamic duo of Bunty and Bobbi within the friend group.

<b>Summary:</b>
Bobby, a marriage wedding planner, and Bunty, a chef, find themselves reluctantly collaborating for their mutual friends' wedding. Despite their shared goal, their past tiff (highlighted at the beginning of the book) has left them harboring mutual animosity. The narrative unfolds as they navigate the intricacies of preparing for Kareena and Prem's wedding while trying to uncover the mystery of who is attempting to sabotage the celebration.

The book masterfully captures the chaos of big Indian family dynamics, including the meddling aunties, strict parents, and the whirlwind of wedding preparations. The characters embark on a journey of standing up against authoritative figures, peppered with witty dialogues and charmingly funny moments. The author's writing style, as always, keeps the reader engaged and hungry for more.

<b>Personal Connection:</b>
Perhaps I am biased because I read this book amid my wedding preparations, so I found the story exceptionally relatable.

I want to express my gratitude to Nisha Sharma for authentically representing the desi community. 🥰

<b>Anticipation for the Next Book:</b>
I eagerly anticipate the next installment, especially after the subtle hints throughout the narrative about Veera and Deepak's shared history. I'm eager to discover what happens next in their story.

<i>Thank you to Nisha Sharma and the team for the digital ARC which I received in exchange for an honest review.<i>

The first book in this series hit it out of the part for me so I was extremely excited to read this one but it fell a little flat for me. I just didn't love how the characters meshed. I was wishing for more. I still will come back for the rest of the series but this one just didn't hit quite right. I also found myself annoyed with how the characters from the first book just didn't pay attention to how much help their friend was needing which made my rethink if I liked them from the first book.

I absolutely loved the predecessor to this book, “Dating Dr. Dil” and was soo excited to get my hands on Sharma’s latest release. While this was a solid follow-up, I didn’t find this one to be quite as charming or funny. “Tastes Like Shakkar” was fine and I appreciate the way it addresses body image and fatphobia, but the magic wasn’t quite there for me for this one. 3 stars ⭐️. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the advanced copy for review.

Kareena and Prem from Dating Dr. Dil are about to be married, with all the joy, stress, and duty weddings come with in this Desi twist on Much Ado About Nothing. Kareen’s cousin, wedding planner and cousin Bobbi, sees chef Benjamin “Bunty” as her mortal enemy, but getting him to cater the wedding would be a score. Too bad she can’t stand him… until she acknowledges their chemistry while trying to save the wedding from being sabotaged by an unknown villain! The bantery quips, decadent descriptions of cuisine, humor, and pacing add up to a fun, frolicy, sexy story.

I received an advance reader’s review copy of #TastesLikeShakkar via #NetGalley, courtesy of Avon/Harper Voyager.

What I liked:
-The cultural aspect and that Sharma didn’t over-explain things for non-South Asian readers. It’s a good way for us to learn either by inference or by looking things up. This is part of why I love reading books about people from different cultural backgrounds than mine. I loved that about Dr Dil too.
-The friendships/found family between Bobbi, Kareena, Veera, and Bunty, Prem, and Deepak.
-I always appreciate a story where characters learn to stand up for themselves and follow their dreams, doing what’s best for them despite family pressure and expectations. This was the case for both Bobbi and Bunty.
-Loved that Bobbi was a confident plus-size woman and that Bunty loved her body.
-Both Bobbi’s and Bunty’s jobs were interesting.
-All the food + food as a love language with Bunty making sure Bobbi ate and had prepped food for when she was too busy and would forget to eat.

What didn’t work for me:
-The middle dragged and was kind of boring. I skimmed a lot and at times felt like I only kept reading because I wanted to find out who the shaadi saboteur was.
-The conflict and the third-act breakup. I also didn’t love the whole saboteur storyline and thought it made the story feel chaotic at times.
-That chaotic feeling…so many characters, so many locations, so much about both Bobbi’s and Bunty’s jobs and families and…it was a lot to keep straight.
-I love steam but the steamy scenes in this book were…not for me. I don’t know what it was about them but they just didn’t do it for me, there were too many, and I skimmed past most of them

I really loved Dating Dr. Dil, the first book in this series, but unfortunately this one fell flat for me.

I did appreciate the external plot - someone is trying to sabotage Prem and Kareena’s wedding - but even that felt a bit underdeveloped. Things kept getting cancelled or changed, but we never actually got clues about the mystery, so when the reveal came it felt like it was out of nowhere.

I loved Bobbi as a main female character - she’s tough and funny and loyal. I so badly wanted to live Bunty and love their romance but I just…didn’t. I didn’t see the chemistry, I didn’t feel like their relationship really developed outside of their physical relationship, I really disliked the third act breakup.

Unfortunately I just couldn’t connect with this one how I wished, so this one was a miss for me.

Huge thanks to the author for an arc copy, I literally squealed when it hit my kindle. Dating Dr. Dil is one of my all time favorite romance books.
First of all the increased spice?? Impeccable. Wow. I was BLUSHING. The boundaries that were discussed, the accuracy of certain + schminks * & Benjamin's creative talking during said scenes? Like damn. It was hot. Bobbi & Benjamin have excellent chemistry and banter that had me kicking my feet and giggling like a MANIAC. I also loved Bobbi's confidence and attitude toward intimacy and how she viewed her body. Also obsessed with how the conflict was resolved. So so good.
Additionally, the way Nisha weaves in the tensions of the Desi community and what it's like to have immigrant parents, blows me away every time. Especially as someone who does not have personal experience with this, I love reading these insights in a romance novel setting.
Benjamin & Bobbi have my heart and I cannot wait for Veera's story!

I love this series so much! I though the book was super well done though the mystery in the middle was not of interest to me at all- I think it wouldve been even more fun without it. But i still immediately wanted book 3 and loved seeing the characters from book 1

I genuinely love Nisha Sharma's writing so much; there's something about the way she writes and these stories that bring me joy.

I was worried I wouldn't love Tastes Like Shakkar as much as I did Dating Dr. Dil (which was one of my favorite reads of 2022), and while it didn't reach that level for me, it was still so delightful! I'm going to be honest, I think I saw a little too much of myself in Bobbi, which made a few parts difficult to read because I was getting a bit frustrated with how independent she was and refusing to ask for help (hello, pot? Meet kettle. Charmed 😂), but it made her character growth throughout the story really satisfying to read. Bunty also felt so real to me, and his whole arc of how he had to balance his family and his desires was so relatable. I loved that neither of them apologized for who they were, and instead of trying to get the other to change, they focused on making the other just better versions of themselves and happier!

All of the supporting cast were great, especially the Aunties. The story was so fun and rich in culture, and I know I was there for the romance, but the actual suspense of it all and the whodunnit really sucked me in! Food as a love language, exploration of kink, epistolary elements, what isn't there to love? I absolutely recommend this series and can't wait for Veera and Deepak's book!

Another Nisha BANGER! These two were so amazing individually that when they got together I was kicking my feet. Having two headstrong, goal-oriented characters means that SOMETHING has to give and the journey was beautiful. Loved it.

“Love is always better with cheese.”
This book is an Indian chef and a curvy Indian wedding planner’s enemies-to-lovers romance retelling of Much Ado about Nothing with spicy open-door scenes set in suburban NJ. This is the second in the “If Shakespeare was an Auntie” trilogy after Dating Dr. Dil, released in 2022, but I think you could read it as a standalone without missing any key information. Reading this book made me hungry, but I really enjoyed it. I listened to the first 2/3rds, and the narration was great, especially with some of the really spicy scenes! I finished by reading the ebook, smiling throughout.
I’m part of a team challenge to review more books during 2024, and this is another backlist review, plus it has been lingering on my NetGalley shelf for way too long. Thanks to Avon Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I love Nisha Sharmas writing and I couldn’t wait to read this book. I absolutely loved the first one and this one did not disappoint. The side characters are so likeable an amazing enjoyable :

After the Final Strife I was very much looking forward to The Battle Drum to see where Sylah and Anoor would go next. And I must say I was a bit disappointed. I found the plot a bit boring and the pacing uneven. I will continue with the series but not in a rush to read.