Tastes Like Shakkar is the best. This is easily one of my favorite romances of the year. It's well written, spicy, and witty with an unforgettable cast of characters and a hint of a mystery. Bobbi and Benjamin have so much chemistry right from the very start of the book. It was perfectly believable and I was invested in two of them getting their happily ever after. The aunties were hilarious. I can't wait to read more from Nisha who is an absolute force to reckon with in the world of romance.

While it took me a little longer to get engrossed in this book than I thought it would (I absolutely devoured dating dr dil), once i got into it i couldn’t put it down. nisha sharmas comedy is so underrated and i was giggling and kicking my feet through this book. the spice was SPICING.

I adore Nisha and I adored this book! I really enjoyed reading about these characters, once they get past their miscommunication issues they consistently show up for one another. Loved how we also got to catch up with the friend group. I also think the spice needs a special mention in this - the throne scene especially!! If you love an acts of service man, you will love Bunty, he does it so well.

Another smash from Nisha.

I might be in the minority for this, but I really didn't care for this book.

The pros:
I loved the plus sized romance rep and how BDSM was discussed with regards to being in a desi family. It was new and refreshing, and I really enjoyed reading Bunty's inner monologue about it.

The cons:
Honestly, I'm not too disappointed considering it is tagged as erotica but this felt like a book with more smut than plot. The main reason I loved the first book in the series was because it perfectly balanced plot with ample romance but I did not feel like this book lived up to that - nor did I feel like I really knew either of the main characters at the end.

That being said, I did enjoy the book despite minor issues and I rated it 4.5 stars (rounding up for Netgalley)

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the eARC! How have I not read anything by Nisha Sharma previously?! This was excellent! The found family, the relationship banter and the all too relatable struggle of not wanting to ask for help and the need to please and demonstrate worth through work and reliability - even at the cost of your own well-being.

I loved the FMC and that was plus size and it wasn’t a focus of the book, but also not ignored. I adored that the MMC desired her and was so charming and caring. They were a great pair and the chemistry between them was incredible and 🌶️🌶️🌶️.

I’m so excited for Vera’s book and will be reading the first in the series ASAP!

I really wanted to like this one. I read Dating Dr. Dil last year and really liked Sharm's writing. But I struggled through this one. I can usually read a book this size in 2-3 days, but this one took me over a month to get through.

I didn't like the main character Bobbi. I found her selfish and bull headed. I also thought Benjamin sometimes came off as weak and goes from being bossed around by his family to doing whatever his new girlfriend wants.

The pacing is off too. Some parts were super slow and the smut was mediocre. I think the drama that the author tried to develop with the person sabotaging Kareema's wedding seemed ridiculous.

Anyway this book really turned me off of the series and I don't have any plans on reading Veera's story when it comes out.

If Shakespeare was auntie series is absolutely amazing. Dating in a modern world while stating closer to tradition is hard. Nisha Sharma demonstrates that in the best way. Bobbi and Benjamin find their way successfully in life, finding love has been harder than success, but the journey is a delightful read.

You could tell this book was based on Much Ado About Nothing as Bobbi likes to think worst case and is a bit vengeful, though Bunty does run with that like a child and antagonize her to get her attention, continuing the cycle. That is until their friends force them to work together for a common goal.

With this excuse, Bobbi and Bunty quickly start to let their true feelings show, both respect and lust. They fall hard, fast (though they've really fell a year before and have been denying it since then).

Their quick rapport, communication (yay, no jealous miscommunication!), and care for each other was so great to read. With the external mystery you get to see them work as a team and come together (and I did not expect all that came out at the end).

Bunty is a great book boyfriend with the constant feeding, thoughtful actions, reading her romance book, and trying to give her all his time that he can. This includes a space for her to explore new kinks, with excellent dirty talk.

Overall, love some sneaky friends and cannot wait for the Veera's book. I love Nisha's writing and this series!

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

(and thank you to Nisha for making me so hungry this entire book that I did go out and get Indian food)

feat: spice with edge, why must family???, quickly resolved miscommunication, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, food=heart, Desi Indian representation, plus-size woman representation, chef hero

4.5 stars
3.5 spice

I liked this book more than Dating Dr. Dill. I loved the relationship between Bobbi and Bunty. My mouth was watering while reading all the food references throughout the book.
Another thing I liked was Shakespeare's references.
Thank you Netgalley and publisher for giving me an ARC of this book.

As soon as I heard this book is a retelling of William Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing", I just knew I needed to read it!

This is the second book in Nisha Sharma's "If Shakespeare Were an Auntie" series, the first being "Dating Dr. Dil", which is a retelling of "The Taming of the Shrew"!

(Possible Spoilers!)
Bobbi and Bunty, the Beatrice-esque and Benedick-esque characters in this story... my gosh these two have chemistry and it is SO DYNAMIC MY GOODNESS! When they agree to work together to help the wedding, their relationship grows deeper and deeper the more time they spend together. I do not want to say too much about the plot due to spoilers, but, I will say, this book truly has so much in it: culture and tradition, witty banter, an enemies-to-lovers story, both heartbreaking and heartwarming moments, friendship, family drama, and so much more!

If you enjoy Contemporary Romance, I highly recommend this book! It kept me turning the pages chapter after chapter, and I look forward to reading what Nisha Sharma writes next!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Avon for the e-ARC of this book, and to NetGalley for sending me a beautiful finished copy as well! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This story is about a wedding planner who has to pair up with her nemesis to help plan their friends’ wedding. It is inspired by Much Ado About Nothing, which is my favorite Shakespeare play. I liked the descriptions of food and the details about how the wedding would work. I also loved the family dynamics, especially the aunties. But ultimately, I couldn’t connect to the main characters. The writing felt distant from the reader at times so I wasn’t able to fully invest. I would still recommend this book. I think it was just a writing style that didn’t work for me in a romance.

Spicy, Spicy, Spicy! Nisha Sharma's latest novel- Tastes Like Shakkar is raunchy! Well beyond my level of spice, which is a bit of a bummer, because I loved the plot and struggled through the sexy bits. ::shoulder shrug:: to each their own, right?!

NetGalley synopsis:

Bobbi Kaur is determined to plan a celebration to remember for her best friend’s wedding.
With aspirations of taking over her family’s event planning business, Bobbi knows that one misstep in managing the Kareena Mann and Prem Verma (#Vermann) party, along with the other weddings on her plate, will only give her uncle another reason not to promote her.

Bunty will do anything for his best friend. When Prem asks Bunty to help with the wedding menu, he agrees, especially since it puts him in close proximity to the delicious Bobbi Kaur.

When a mystery shaadi saboteur starts leaving threatening notes, and cancelling cake orders, Bunty and Bobbi have no choice but to call a truce and face the volatile attraction they have for each other.

Oh my! When these two call a truce, they really waved their white flags in surrender and succumbed to their attraction to one another! I found the plot interesting and it reminded me a little Dial A For Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto and Murder and Mamon by Mia P. Manansala. It had so much ridiculousness with the aunties that I found myself often smiling at the pages in this book.

A huge thank you to Avon and NetGalley for granting me access to this title!

absolutely another amazing book by Nisha!! I loved this second installment in the ‘ if Shakespeare was an auntie’ series! Bobbi and Bunty were amazing characters with so much depth and their forced proximity together was perfect!

I was so excited to reach this author's second novel after really liking her first one and I'm happy to say I enjoyed this one even more! Loved the dynamic between the two MCs and very happy I read this

I love Bobbi and Bunty but I have to admit the food in this book rivals them (I’m very hungry, please feed me).

From their very first meeting sparks really fly between these two. They’re both passionate people and it makes all their interactions feel charged and captivating. While their first meeting doesn’t go great, it was incredibly entertaining to see Bunty get tongue tied and Bobbi to not take any (presumed) nonsense. It also sets the stage for their dynamic - they’re not afraid to go head to head about things they care about and it makes them a pairing that fuels each other passions and intense emotions. When it comes time to fight for each other, they’re all in.

The spice is amazing and the dirty talk is … ohhh boy, it’s something else. The need to one up each other isn’t just limited to their verbal sparring sessions let’s just say that.

Food plays a significant role in the story - not just because of Bunty’s job but also because of the cultural significance it has to them. The story explores how othering the lack of good options for cultural foods at events can be and the power something as seemingly simple as a meal and what the food (and its associate traditions and the role in serves in facilitating community) can mean.

Tastes like Shakkar is wholeheartedly witty, steamy, and overflowing with love.

This was good not as good as Dating Dr. Dill but I enjoyed it! I think the best thing was the Shakespeare reference and how much a giggled. Thank you Netgalley for the copy!

This was the second book in the series. I really enjoyed the first book and this one didn't disappoint. I enjoyed the characters and the storyline. I can't wait to read more from this author.

After loving Dating Dr. Dil I was extremely excited for this book and it did not disappoint! This book is the perfect example of how to do enemies to lovers! So often in enemies to lovers books the main characters don’t actually hate each other and it is just lust that they won’t admit and there are usually low stakes because they aren’t actually trying to sabotage each other. In this book, Nisha starts with what causes Bobbi and Benjamin to hate each other after getting a glimpse in the last book. It sets such a strong stage for hatred but also shows that they have always been hot for each other. If the issue wouldn’t have happened they would have jumped to the lovers stage right away but the reason they hate each other makes the enemies to lovers extremely believable. I loved seeing them put their differences aside to work together to make sure the wedding goes off without a hitch.

I really loved that they were both dedicated to their friends and families and their careers and as the story progressed I loved seeing how they carved out time for each other. Because of their independence and dedication to their careers it made them falling for and choosing each other so satisfying! The chemistry and banter between the two of them was amazing. The spice in this book was fantastic especially for a traditionally published book! There was a great mix of both spicy moments and sweet and swoony moments.

The supporting cast were all amazing. I love the friend group and how much they all support each other. Like the last book I loved the Aunties and they never failed to make me laugh.

I loved the backdrop of the wedding planning and learning about all of the Indian wedding traditions. This book also really gets into the dynamics of immigrant families which I really enjoyed learning about. I like that Sharma doesn’t over explain and leaves it up to the reader to research aspects that are not as familiar with.

I loved the format with all the texting and notes and the way that added to the book!

The set up for the next book made my jaw drop and I cannot wait for the next book!

Nesha Sharma writes such fantastic Shakespeare retellings that feel new and unique! This was a total home-run for me!

I was a fan of Nisha Sharma's Dating Dr Dil and I was excited to get back into the world of meddling aunties, strong, career-oriented FMC's and the men who can't help loving them.

✔️ Enemies to Lovers
✔️ Opposites Attract
✔️ Our Bffs Are Together
✔️ Insta-lust

What a fun Much Ado About Nothing retelling! I adored both Bobbi and Bunty as Beatrice and Benedict, going from the fiercest barbs to crackling romantic chemistry. I loved that they were both great friends and had great careers. Though they didn't have a lot of experience in love and relationships and made some obvious missteps, it didn't stop them from trying to be a better person and partner for the other.

And yeesh, some of their semi-public encounters were incredibly hot. This was a delightfully spicy book that also delivered on some fun and swoony moments. 4⭐️

Steam 🔥🔥
Banter 🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️
Swoon 💕💕💕💕

This is the second book in the If Shakespeare was an Auntie series and is the sequel to Dating Dr. Dil. After reading the first book, I was eagerly awaiting for this follow-up and I have to say, I was not disappointed! Benjamin and Bobbi were introduced in the first book, and even though they weren't the focus, you could feel the sexual tension between them and it carries through in this sequel. The hate/love vibe between them is strong and it seems Benjamin can't do anything right. He is kind and loyal and used to playing the mediator, but just keeps rubbing Bobbi the wrong way. Bobbi is a stellar wedding planner and loyal to a fault. She just wants everything to go right. As the two constantly clashed, I really enjoyed the heated and witty banter between them. It was just so much fun to read! I also liked the update on Prem and Kareena and seeing their wedding day unfold. What a treat!
A fun, sexy story with plenty of family drama to also add to the chaos and amusement. I really enjoyed this follow-up story and look forward to reading more!
I received a complimentary copy from Avon and Harper Voyager and Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.