4.5⭐️ bobbi and bunty are finally here and i loved them so bad😭

after many arguments and budding heads for so long, the two decide to call a truce for the sake of their friends wedding. bobbi being the wedding planner and bunty helping out with the wedding menu, leads to some forced proximity between the two, and we all know how that goes

seeing their romance come to be was everything. watching bunty take care of bobbi was great but watching bobbi let down her walls to accept all of it??? unmatched

alongside this budding romance , we have a side plot of figuring out who is trying to stop prem and kareena’s wedding. bunty and bobbi realize they can’t figure this out alone so they call in some reinforcements, the aunties. it was so fun to have them back on page and witness their wild and crazy antics

this book was truly such a treat and I’m so excited for the next one because the way it was set up?? i’m intrigued to see how that one plays out!

big thank you to Nisha for the arc!

This is one of those books that made me want to live in it. I wanted to see Bobbi’s expertise at work, wanted to see the gorgeous wedding attire and decorations she organized. I wanted so BADLY to be able to smell and taste Bunty’s food. I also wanted the Aunties to adopt me. This is just such a gorgeous story that serves up:

✔️Enemies to lovers (more so on her end)
✔️Curvy wedding planner FMC and chef MMC
✔️He falls first
✔️Indian Wedding with suspense over sabotage
✔️Family dynamics and meddling, delightful Aunties

I truly loved Bobbi and Bunty, they are both career focused, smart, so dedicated to their families and friends, and have sizzling chemistry together. They get thrown together to help their respective best friends get married, and the sparks fly. My loves, I was not prepared for the spice levels here, and I’m not talking about the amazing food. Bunty is into bondage and the scenes get red hot. Their relationship is always them challenging each other and at the same time helping each other, and watching them fall hard for each other made my heart so happy. They have things to work through, like the logistics of a possible long term relationship, and they communicate really well and maturely. As a Jersey girl, I also loved the setting and all of the town name drops that I know.

I also really enjoyed the mystery aspect of who was trying to sabotage their friends’ wedding. This was my first book by Nisha Sharma and I am absolutely going to be reading Dating Dr. Dil ASAP and anything else she writes. Many, many thanks to the author, @netgalley, and @avonbooks for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

The Aunties are back and funnier - and scarier - than ever. I've decided that if reincarnation is real I want to come back as a South Asian Auntie. Seriously, these women are da bomb!

Nisha Sharma takes readers back into the New Jersey South Asian community she introduced in last year's hilarious Dating Dr. Dil for the second book in her If Shakespeare Were An Auntie series. This time, it's the best friends of Kareena and Prem (heroine/hero of Dating Dr. Dil) who are in the spotlight in an enemies to lovers romcom that kept me laughing, and flipping pages, from start to finish.

This book overflows with snappy dialogue, family dynamics, solid friendships, impeccably placed humor, and some sizzling romance. I really enjoyed Bobbi and Bunty together. Their chemistry is off the charts, even when they don't like each other, and threatens to set the sheets on fire when they do. They test their limits with some bondage that may not be everyone's cup of tea. Easy to skip over that part if it isn't or indulge in a little kink if it is. What I especially enjoyed between these two is (1) the sweetness of Bunty's nurturing side which comes through in his determination to feed Bobbi by leaving her baskets of delicious food with adorable notes and (2) the fact that he loves her curves as he continuously shows her (after they clear up that miscommunication from their first meeting).

The supporting cast in this book is all that and more, including meddling friends, meddling family, meddling Aunties. Let's face it, everyone's a meddler in this book but it's done with love and I loved it. Well, except for the wedding saboteur. That's done with malice but never fear, the person is finally caught and dished up their just desserts.

You could read Tastes Like Shakkar as a standalone but I think it's a lot more fun if you've read Dating Dr. Dil first. Whichever order you decide to read these books, they both have my enthusiastic recommendation. I'm already eagerly anticipating the next book in the series.

ARC received from publisher via NetGalley. Fair and unbiased review.

4.5 stars

Nisha has done it again👏🏼

Bobbi has been given the task of planning her best friends wedding & obviously, it has to be her best work yet. There’s just two tinnnng problems standing in that of her making this her greatest planning success… a saboteur & the annoyingly handsome bff of the groom.

Bunty, the aforementioned annoyingly handsome man, is determined to help create the perfect menu for his best friends wedding. Even if it means working closely Bobbi… who obviously hates him.

I ADORED Bobbi & Bunty - their chemistry, the banter, the spice👀👀👀👀👀

Let’s just say… Bunty ties very intricate knots 🪢

If you are looking for good times with good friends and wedding planning…this is for you! This is second in series If Shakespeare were an Auntie. First one was Dr Dil.

Bobbi is a wedding planner planning her best friend, Kareena and Prem’s wedding. She has to play nice with Benjamin, Prem’s friend. Benjamin is a chef with break out restaurant. He has to keep his attraction in check while he works with Kareena.

The aunties are back again!!!! I loved the first book and when I got this amazing opportunity to read book 2, I was all for it! We continue this time with Bobbi and Benjamin!! Their best friends Kareena and Prem (Dr. Dil) are getting married and they want them to plan the wedding (Bobbi is in the business) and create a special menu for it as well (Benjamin is a successful Chef.)

This enemies to lovers trope was perfect because the author made sure we felt the chemistry right through the pages. But they have a problem on their hands and someone is trying to ruin the wedding that they are both working so hard to put together. They call on the aunties to help, and they do more than that….. lol, I love these characters!! They were so much fun.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Rating:4.25/5

Tastes Like Shakkar has it all - family drama, a wedding with its very own shaadi saboteur, and the most delicious food descriptions.

This is how you do a contemporary enemies-to-lovers book! We know going into this book that Bobbi and Bunty cannot stand one another and we were able to see why and I totally understand why Bobbi hates him! And now that they have to work together for their friends’ wedding they have to put their differences aside (as best they can) to make sure it goes off without a hitch. As their relationship progresses we see how they are both dedicated to their work and families and how they carve out time for each other. Their chemistry and banter is EVERYTHING! And the kink exploration in this was *chef’s kiss*

And the setup for Veera and Deepak’s book made my jaw drop.

This was truly the perfect follow-up to Dating Dr. Dil.

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for this arc.

Sharma does it again, and has become a auto buy at hot for me. Thank you Netgalley, Avon, and the author for my advanced copy in return for my opinion.

This novel is the follow up to Dating Dr. Dil where we get to follow our former main characters best friends and their love journey. The spin on Shakespeare was excellent here using immigrant children’s work ethic to show their dedication.

I felt that this was the perfect amount of falling quickly but having fallen earlier than they realized. Bobbi and Bunty were great contrasts to each other but also the same exact person. The return of the aunties made me smile and enjoy their meddling just like we got in Dr. Dil.

The spice to plot was just right and boy oh boy did it make this already fiery book even more fiery to me. I want so much more of these two even though I feel like their story is wrapped up well. I would absolutely recommend this to friends.

Happy pub day to Tastes Like Shakkar!

We first meet Bobbi and Bunty in Dating Dr. Dil, the first book in Nisha Sharma’s If Shakespeare Was an Auntie series that came out last year. I was so excited to read this follow up and I think I enjoyed it even more than Dating Dr. Dil. The chemistry between Bobbi and Bunty is immediate - first as “enemies” and then as lovers. I loved Bobbi as a female main character. She is a strong, successful woman who doesn’t back down from any challenges. She works very hard to prove herself to her uncle, the man who raised her and now employs her. Benjamin was a great partner for her. He’s incredibly passionate and while he’s claimed he has no desire to settle down, getting to know Bobbi immediately throws a wrench in his plans. He was so sweet and caring, and I loved how he stepped in to take care of Bobbi when she needed it most.

This book wasn’t all sweet, though. The spice! I would put this on par with Tessa Bailey in terms of steamy scenes (there are about 4-5 scenes) with some added kinkiness. I also loved how we got to see Kareena’s aunties from Dating Dr. Dil come together for more funny moments as they tried to figure out the identity of the Shaadi Saboteur.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for a review copy. I can’t wait to read more from this author and am looking forward to Veera’s story next.

A big thank you to Nisha Sharma, Avon and Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion. Tastes Like Shakkar is out and ready to enjoy!!

Tastes Like Shakkar is a sweet and spicy retelling of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, and it happens to be a perfect follow-up from Nisha's debut Dating Dr.Dill. All Bobbi is trying to do is plan the perfect wedding for her best friend, it's really to bad that not only is someone trying to sabotage the wedding but she also has to work with the grooms egotistical best friend. Benjamin is a chef that is trying to deal with his families expectations, his own businesses and his growing attraction to Bobbi. Through wedding plans, masquerades, and a mission to stop a saboteur they both realize that the hate they had for each other might actually be a love to last a lifetime.

This was such an enjoyable book to read, its packed full of humor, spice, and romance. I absolutely adored Dating Dr. Dill, and I really loved that I was able to see the continuation of their story. I thought Bobbi was such a strong female character who handled so many hurdles and complications with grace. I loved the side characters especially the Aunties. If you are looking for funny, romantic and spicy novel look no further than Tastes Like Shakkar.

📖: Tastes Like Shakkar
✍️: @nishawrites #nishasharma
🎭: RomCom, Romance, Multicultural Romance, Contemporary Romance
🌶️: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
⭐️: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
📣: If you love enemies to lovers, witty banter, curvy girl love, and romantic comedies of the 90s this is your next read!
⚠️: Fathphobia, Deceased parent, Racial bias (slide left to view in book)

My 💭: This book was literally my favorite book of July. I admit I knew very little of the South Asian culture going into this series. This being book 2 and Dating Dr. Dil (one of my top 10 of last year) being book 1. But, seriously this white girl could have used some aunties in her life at times (just sayin) 😉
This is literally romantic comedy gold and I will be highly disappointed if @netflix does not do us all a favor and get this movie written already. It’s obviously a series #netflix so give us this PLEASE!
I need everyone to read this and to get a true review from some own voices like @readwithchai on how close to culture Nisha Sharma writes.
What I want to say is, I felt like I was watching a guilty pleasure 90s Romcom movie. One with all the humor, banter, secret love, spice spice spice, and the addition of aunties!! Bobbi and Bunty are literally gold and I have this year’s favorite book couple right here. They are thrust together under a truce of planning a wedding for the people they love. Thrust together even though they both hold a grudge and deep hatred (or not) for the other person.
Little do they know that someone is out to sabotage the wedding and in their efforts to make sure nothing goes wrong, they may discover that hatred is just passion pointed in the wrong direction.
I will be buying my own copy of this book!

A delightful follow-up to Dating Dr. Dil! I definitely enjoyed the enemies to lovers trope starring Bobbi and Benjamin and whew, the spice is real! This couple learned a lot about themselves throughout and made for a lovely read. Check it out!

I went into this one with such high expectations because Dating Dr Dil was one of my favorite romances of last year. Unfortunately this one couldn’t quite follow in its predecessors footsteps.

I appreciate when there is a retelling that certain things need to happen in order for it to flow. However with this one I felt like the plot took precedence over the characters and I didn’t connect with them as much as I would have liked to. The relationship going from “enemies to lovers” was too quick between Bobbi and Benjamin and I could have used a little more time for them to simmer before they came to their truce. I think they just went from “we can’t be in the same room as each other” to “hey, I want to make out with your face” far too quickly.

Nisha Sharma still writes some of my favorite spice scenes and I enjoyed that aspect of the book. I really enjoyed the deeper look into South Asian cooking and their customs surrounding their wedding celebrations. Really I enjoyed almost every aspect of this book. Definitely a book that might not make my top 10 list, but it’s memorable nonetheless.

Oh how I missed this friend group!

This truly blew me away, this book is phenomenal!
The enemies to lovers when they truly have this uber charged bickering was such magic to read. I was anticipating each interaction with the characters. Love the found family and all the hilarious banter that showed up in this books as well. I need more plus size representation like THIS!
One of the faves of the year!

Bunty aur Bobbi!
The name of our main characters is so reminiscent of one of my fab Bollywood movie so I already had a built-in bias 😊

Seriously, this was a really fun read with the classic ‘enemies-to-lovers’ trope. Our two leads met, had chemistry but got off on the wrong foot. What follows is how their friends get these 2 stubborn folks together to have their HEA. Bunty is a world renowned chef while Bobbi is a fantastic wedding planner! They were just meant for each other 😊

I loved how Bunty took care of Bobbi. Minus the obligatory 3rd act breakup, he truly listened to her needs and took her seriously. It was really sexy. I admired Bobbi’s drive and the way she truly cared for her loved ones. I love how her plus-sizeness was addressed and not made a big deal of in the slightest minus references that felt true to life.

The food notes were so much fun, and really all the food references in general were fabulous. Book made me hungry.

I loved the Aunties! And that we got to see so much of Kareena and Prem too.

All in all, a lovely read.

Huge thanks to Avon and Harper Voyage and NetGalley for the ARC

Tastes Like Shakkar--yes, yes it does. So much sweet, sexy goodness but also a lot of spice and bite. The book opens ten months prior when Bobbi corners Benjamin to propose a business idea. She is a wedding planner and he is a chef. Everything makes sense. Except Benjamin refuses to hear Bobbi's idea outright. Other things (don't) happen, Benjamin puts his foot in his mouth and Bobbi decides that hating Benjamin is the best defense. Ten months later, their two best friends are engaged and Bobbi is the wedding planner. Benjamin is forced to help with the food and therefore, the two of them are forced to spend time together. For the sake of their friends, they call a truce.

The two of them together is as delicious as the recipe ideas Benjamin writes for Bobbi throughout the book. You can feel their yearning and angst, even if they won't admit it to the other. Nisha Sharma understands that we are smart, mature readers and don't need stupid games and silliness that few self-respecting adults would engage in to propel the story forward. Instead, she finds other ways to add conflict and I loved it. We really get to enjoy the two of them being together and really getting to become friends first. Then we see these two mature, mid-thirty years olds take their healthy, fun, sexy friendship to a relationship. They open up and when we get to some real, deep feelings, it just kind of happens and gave me pause. I had to sit for a minute and just be in that moment with them because it was so unexpected, and yet, not. Just felt very honest and real. The whole book feels honest and real. 

Nisha teases us with the chemistry but when she delivers, she *delivers*. She gives all we wanted and more. Benjamin is all sugar but he's got bite too with a little kinky side to him that is "chef's kiss." When he gets down to business, he *gets down to business*. He does not play. Bobbi is bold and lovely and she trusts Benjamin to support her.

Bonus points: One, the food in this book. Nisha did this to me in Dating Dr. Dil and she did it to me again. Food is my love language and there is so much talk of food in Tastes Like Shakkar. Can she write a cookbook next please? Benjamin shows his affection for Bobbi through food, whether it is cooking, eating, or delivering. Two, the friends/family. Man, do I love the friend groups in this series. There is so much love between them that it's almost its own love story watching the friends and family (mainly the aunties) support one another. 
I tore through this book in a 24 hour period. Absolutely loved it. Can NOT wait for the last book in the series. 

PS There is a "mafia romance" referenced in the book that Bobbi's book club is reading and in my head it was totally Mila Finelli.

I loved Dating Dr Dill with all my heart so I was super excited to read Tastes Like Shankar. This book does not disappoint! Steamy and fun, this book has everything I love in a romance. I adored Bobbi as a FMC- fierce, independent and curvy. Her banter with Bunty had me laughing out loud in so many places. Nisha Sharma nailed it with this story and is an autobuy author!

If you enjoyed Dating Dr. Dil, you’ll love Tastes Like Shakkar just as much! This second installment in Nisha Sharma’s If Shakespeare Was an Auntie series takes inspiration from Much Ado About Nothing. It starts with two enemies within the friend group, but it’s really just Bobbi who hates Bunty (Benjamin), and he goes along with it all. With their best friends getting married and a big wedding to plan, they call a truce and learn to cooperate… and even kind of like spending time together.

Tastes Like Shakkar has excellent pacing, especially in developing Bobbi and Bunty’s relationship. Even when they’re antagonistic with each other, they have noticeable chemistry. As wedding planning colleagues, they gradually warm up to each other, then appreciate each other’s support, and even start to like each other. It all develops so naturally. Even once things get spicy (and wow do they get spicy!), there’s enough breathing room for Bobbi and Bunty to build a strong emotional connection. Whether in a room together or exchanging flurries of texts while on different coasts, their relationship is perfectly paced and feels real.

In addition to planning a wedding and engaging in a romance of their own, Bunty and Bobbi also have a mystery on their hands: Someone is trying to sabotage Prem and Kareena’s wedding! This shaadi saboteur is playing dirty, even putting Bobbi’s job at risk and the wedding on the verge of cancellation. I didn’t go into this romance expecting a mystery, but I certainly enjoyed it here!

This novel is also a wonderful exploration of friendship and family—including those infamous aunties! Family relationships, especially when business is involved, aren’t always easy. I like how they navigate familial obligations, setting healthy boundaries, and learning to make yourself a priority, too. Work and ambition also play a big role here, including as a barrier to finding true love.

Another recurring theme is the racism the characters face. Gwen is kind of horrible, but I appreciate how Bobbi speaks up about respecting all people, regardless of race, religion, or cultural heritage. (And speaking of their Indian heritage, all the food Bunty cooks throughout the book sounds mouth-wateringly delicious!)

Finally, can I just gush over that epilogue? Oh no, Veera! What on earth are you doing, Deepak? I 100% can not wait to read the third book in this series, because I need answers! And one more happily ever after, of course.

Tastes Like Shakkar is delightful romance and a quick read. The characters are fun, the relationships (romantic, friends, and family) are well drawn, bigger topics shine through, and the mystery keeps up a sense of added excitement. If Shakespeare Was an Auntie is such a wonderful series, and I eagerly look forward to Deepak and Veera’s love story next.

Thank you, NetGalley for the free ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

ok, it's official Bobbi Kaur is my new all-time favorite female main character. She is a driven take no nonsense type of girl who is also soft and loving and cares about the people she loves more than anything. I loved Benjamin as well but Bobbi stole the show! I loved Dating Dr. DIll but Tastes Like Shakkar has definitely topped it. The romance between Bobbi and Bunty was perfect, the closer look at the dynamics of the friend groups was so much fun, and the behind-the-scenes look at what makes an Indian Wedding come together was just amazing. I cannot recommend this book and series enough. I can't wait for book 3!!

Nisha Sharma has done it again and created a thoroughly enjoyable Much Ado About Nothing Shakespearean retelling. Even stronger than Dating Dr. Dil, Tastes Like Shakkar gives us two stubborn made-for-each-other MCs in Bobbi and Benjamin who can’t seem to be around each other without antagonizing the other one. But when they fall, they fall hard and they have some of the juiciest, sexiest moments. TLS opens not long after Dating Dr. Dil with the planning of Kareena and Prem’s wedding by best friend Bobbi, who is also in the wedding party. Months ago, Bobbi and Best Man Benjamin (Bunty) should have been acting on their flirtatious attraction, but one careless comment by Bunty pushes Bobbi far away from him. Now forced to interact with wedding planning, Bobbi and Benjamin have to learn how to get along and find that they have more in common as well as fiery attraction that keep them coming back for more.
You’ll love this story if you enjoy:
-a Shakespeare retelling
-a really good grovel
-fat rep that’s not in your face, but very honest
-nosy nosy aunties and lots of family action
-one of the simplest most thoughtful (grand) gestures by a male MC that will completely make you swoon
-rope play and 🥵 scenes that amazingly feel completely natural to the MCs
-texting and speaking banter
-FOOD!
I loved how straightforward Bobbi and Benjamin were with each other (which you definitely should be if you’re dating long distance), and how they interacted with one another. It’s rare that I like the male and female MCs equally, but I really liked both characters. The epilogue opens up Vera’s story, which I’m sure will be next and I will definitely be reading that one. Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.
4.5 ⭐️