I was drawn in by the cover and title of the book and since I've read and enjoyed the author's previous works, I wanted to read this book too. The locations and festivals were well described but after sometime, I felt like there were too many details about surrounding rather than the characters. And to be honest, both Yash & Nikki were annoying. While I liked how they gradually went from being friends to developing their connection and how Nikki's family was playing matchmaker, I would have liked the book more if both Nikki & Yash accepted their own mistakes instead of fighting and playing the blame game. The essence of the story was great but the execution was poor and the plot was predictable, so I was a bit disappointed tbh. The narrators made this book feel engaging but overall, the constant whining of Nikki was just intolerable.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me the audiobook ARC in exchange of an honest review

I adored this book so much I purchased it as soon as it was out! Sajni Patel is now on my radar of authors to read. This was the first I've ever read and I'll certainly be back for more. Sleepless in Dubai is a story that lifts the spirits, brings laughter to your lips, and a feeling of satisfaction when it comes to YA Romance. Nikki is a character that made me laugh so much. I understood her petty moments and some of her frustration along with her cute moments with her family and Yash. Yash is so stinkin cute! His character is such a perfect boy next door. I loved learning about Diwali in this book as well since I wasn't familiar with the festival or holiday. This made me curious enough to learn more myself and I think this is a strong point in the book's appeal at least for me. I highly recommend this book and look forward to more from this author. Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for a chance to review this great book!

I had added this to my TBR because of the cover and the title. (I feel like I say that way too often lol) I LIVE for books set outside the USA and about people who aren’t CISHET able bodied and yt. Adding on to that, if it’s about something cultural and I can learn more about said event?! YES PLEASE. So if you’re like me and you like these things, buckle up and get ready to go get this because it has all of that!

So like I said I was pulled in by the title and the cover. The cover is absolutely gorgeous! I love the colors they used. I’m going to be cliche and say I hoped it was jut as cute as the cover, and it was! This teen friends to lovers romance was so cute. I know it starts with them as enemies, but the way they were with each other, they never really hated the other. They were super cute at trying to act like they didn’t like the other tho. Also I hate that I have to say this, but I LOVED that the author recapped what happened between them before the book started. I have read a lot of books that haven’t done this and it’s always so weird. I loved that Patel threw it into casual convo. Idk, it just makes the characters feel more real. Like they had a life before this. Patel’s writing style just got better from there. I was sucked into the story and was trying to learn all that I could about Diwali.

The one thing I wished for more of was world-building. I mean they were in freaking Dubai? AND SHE WAS A PHOTOGRAPHER! You mean to tell me she didn’t see the world in any special flowery imagery?! I don’t really think it mattered, but I was a bit disappointed. And like, there’s a lot of descriptions of all the food they’ve eaten, but I wanted more than that. She mentioned the heat, but I think I wanted more at the like events they went to? The colors, the people… Just talking about the food seemed like a cop out. (Don’t get me wrong, they have some of those descriptions, but I think I wanted them to be more artsy? She’s an artsy main character in a new place. I think she should have portrayed that more on page. Does that make sense?)

If you can’t tell, the characters were my favorite part. Well Yash was lol Even though Nikki has my name, she annoyed me. Idk how she didn’t know his drawing style? There has to be some signature or something? I get that he was hiding from her and the world, but SOMETHING should have been the same? Even the tone of his messages? Like come on lol But I also was mad at him because wtf dude. You didn’t want to say anything about this huge ass thing? Like really? I think you were just scared and didn’t want to lose her indefinitely. And not giving her the chance to choose was not ok. But also, Nikki girl, you got pissed over telling on yourself. You don’t seem like the easiest person to get along with lol They were both a mess, but it made for an entertaining story lol

I did like the information I learned about Diwali tho. I learned what the true meaning was according to them and I learned about why they call it the Festival of Lights. I also learned that the story is different depending on where they live, but the actual story always ends in good conquering evil. It didn’t go too much into detail, so I went and did some research on my own and got some more information.

This book was so much fun. I loved so much about it, but I still wish there was a bit more. The romance was cute and the characters were ok, but they all had some issues too. This was a nice book to lose myself in as I was making lists for Diwali and other winter holidays. I hope y’all pick it up too!

Incredibly wholesome and sweet.

A great read for those who appreciate the “friends to lovers” troupe. The pace of the book is a slow unwrapping of the plot—without dramatic twists or scandalous moments. All in all, a sentimental story of childhood best friends given a second chance.

The audiobook is engaging and well produced. I highly buying this book for tweens and teens.

Sajni Patel, I am here for all your books! YA Romance, Adult Romance, Women's Fiction, I don't care, I want to read it!

Diwali just occurred and Sleepless in Dubai was a perfect novel to read and feel a bit of the celebratory Diwali spirit.

Nikki is traveling to Dubai with her family and much to her chagrin her parents have invited their best friends and her once BFF, Yash. The two have been estranged since an incident that outed some of Nikki's less than appropriate behavior. Yash and Nikki stay away from one another in a state of detent, but when Yash accidentally crushes Nikki's camera, all the floodgates open and the words that had been left unsaid spill out.

Forced to travel together to Dubai, Nikki and Yash plan to keep staying out of each other's way, but their parents will have none of it. They are tired of them missing out on their once beautiful friendship and force the two to spend time together on the flight to "work things out".

As Nikki and Yash discover the beauty of Dubai, the traditions, the clothing, and the incredible street cuisine, Nikki attempts to capture the beauty on camera, but is surprised to realize her favorite subject is Yash.

Swoon! This one is for the girls who love holding grudges and can't resist the cutie next door!

Sleepless in Dubai is a sweet coming of age novel that touches on the ideas of family, friendship, and the complexities that come with both especially during the developmental switch between being a child to an adult. Nikki is the first born in her family who has a passion for photography. After her parents have supported her in her photography endeavors, the last thing she would ever want to do is disappoint them. That makes her ex-best friend Yash running over her expensive camera that much harder.
Determined to not let her family know about the camera, Nikki is set on somehow still getting the photo she needs to complete her photography internship application without the expensive gear. Only problem is that Nikki's family is headed to Dubai for Diwali, and coming along is Yash's family. This vacation makes it harder for Nikki to continue avoiding Yash and hiding her unusable camera.

This book is a sweet coming of age novel about making amends and learning from mistakes. I really enjoyed Nikki's character and how much passion she had for her family and dreams. Yash is super sweet but mysterious and shows over and over again how much he cares for Nikki. Their relationship seemed to mend very organically through their forced proximity in Dubai. I really enjoyed Yash and Nikki's families too. Both had a lot of character and added to the plot in their own ways, especially Nikki's younger sister, Lilly.

DNF at 2%. The main female character comes off as a whiny child and I just don't have the patience to listen to this.

I appreciate receiving the audiobook as an advanced reader copy, but this is not going to work for me.

🎧The Dubai setting is beautiful and the description is perfect. This is a YA book with friends to enemies to lovers. Filled with family ties, cozy vibes, and friendship it’s a good read. The plot is predictable but comforting. I enjoyed the narration of this one and learning about Diwali was fun. I recommend for a light fall read!

Thanks to NetGalley, author, and publisher for an audiobook copy of this story to review

This was a GREAT story to listen to! AWESOME narration! Great main characters. The plot was easy to find. The story was engaging and easy to follow. Will be purchasing this book. Shout out to Netgalley and publishing for allowing me to listen and review this story.

4 STARS!

I thoroughly enjoyed the chance to experience "Sleepless in Dubai." While the story followed a somewhat predictable arc, it remained engaging and held my interest throughout. It beautifully weaves a sweet teenage romance into the vibrant backdrop of Diwali, an Indian celebration. The portrayal of the celebrations and culture within the novel was thoughtfully executed. The main characters were not only likable but also possessed enough depth to keep me genuinely interested. Thank you NetGalley for providing this ARC.

Thank you for the ARC. I think this would make for a perfect holiday read with all festivities involved and the so called love for Indian food.

Sleepless in Dubai is about love, friendships and second chances. The story flows naturally and ends just as you would expect it to. There are no surprises, you can actually predict everything from the start which kind of did not work for me. But it was still a sweet read.

I think this is one of the best teen rom-coms I've read in a while. It was heartwarming and funny. I loved the characters, the setting and how I learned more about the indian culture and I absolutely loved the narration! The narrator did such a great job, I didn't want it to stop! I would definitely check out more works by the author and the narrator.

I received the advanced audiobook recording of the publication via NetGalley.

I want to say thank u Netgalley for an advanced Arc of the audiobook, also all the opinions & thoughts are my own.

This book was great I fell in love with this book in just a few chapters & I related to the main character a bit because of her personality, this book was a treat to listen to and the narrators did a great job bringing this book to live which helped in me getting so enveloped in the story.

If you are looking for a love story that starts with a stubborn woman trying to get a friendship back before she goes to university during a travel to Dubai for a family vaccination then this is it.

The story slowly builds showing that during their time together they are more alike than they thought & find the best in each other even through bad times.

4.5 stars 🌟

4 ⭐️

Thank you so much for the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC audiobook!

Things I Loved: The audiobook's narrator had an amazing voice to tell this story from the perspective of two teens in love. Great pacing, inflection and an engaging voice. The story itself was adorable and heartwarming and full of feel good teen romance. I love that this book took place in two different continents and in the city of Dubai. I didn't know much about this city but I feel like I got to experience it through the characters' experiences. I love travel romances. The ending was predictable but it honestly was exactly what I wanted. I would LOVE to read a sequel of this book with the two characters in college. I also want to add that the cover art for this book is beautiful and it's what originally caught my eye along with the catchy title.
Things I Didn't Love: Nothing!

Sad the audio was archived right in the middle of a listen. I adored this book, the characters are so cute love what I was learning about their culture, I know the romance between friends who grew up together would be dynamic, and they are not big fans of each other??? lol, liked that lol.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for giving me an opportunity to listen to this audio.

✨This one’s for the dramatic girlies who know how to hold a grudge 😘✨

I loved My Big Fat Indian Wedding and I absolutely loved Sleepless in Dubai just as much! I’d say it gives a bit more You’ve Got Mail than Sleepless in Seattle, but I’m not picky—especially when it comes to Nora Ephron love.

I can one hundred percent say, however, that it was an incredibly charming and cozy celebration of Diwali! What a perfect beginning of the holiday season read—something I’m absolutely desperate for right after Halloween.

I really enjoyed the slow burn romance between Nikki and Yash, as they had that former best friends level angst. The writing was as vibrant as the descriptions of Dubai. And the narration!! Gosh I loved the narrator, Soneela Nankani. If you’ve got the chance, I definitely recommend reading this via audiobook!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5



Thanks so much to the publisher for an ALC via NetGalley. All opinions are honest and my own.

I have loved almost all of Sajni Patel's books Sleepless in Dubai was no exception. It was a such a great friends to broken friendship to lovers story. I loved the generational dynamics in this, especially that Nikki enjoys so much about her culture and wasn't trying escape her parents' clutches. It was also quite refreshing that Nikki's parents were so supportive of her dreams. I really liked Nikki and Yash together. Overall Sleepless in Dubai was a great, clean, YA romance that had a big emphasis on family and culture and I loved it!

Soneela Nankani's narration was, as always, fabulous and she's become one of my favorite narrators.

Thanks to RB Media, Amulet Books, and Netgalley for an audioARC in exchange for an honest review.

I fell in love with the opening scene where our main character Nikki is trying to capture the perfect photograph of the fall colors during the golden hour. I loved Nikki’s enthusiasm, but her pettiness and refusal to accept responsibility for her role in her problems was frustrating. I know she’s a teen, but she seemed spoiled and immature for her age.

The best friends to not quite enemies to sweethearts plot was too simplistic and predictable for me, but it would have delighted my 12-year-old self. Nikki’s neighbor and former best friend Yash was a total sweetheart, and I felt like he deserved better. Thankfully, Nikki eventually learns and grows after her friends and family repeatedly call her out for her pettiness.

This is a clean, sweet story for teens, more about Nikki’s emotional journey than her romance with Yash. My favorite aspect of this story was learning more about Diwali, Indian food and culture, and Dubai.

The audiobook production was excellent. I loved the narration by Soneela Nankani, which really brought the story to life. She has good pacing and pronunciation, distinctive voices to suit each character, and the ability to convey mood and emotion effectively. This story works very well as an audiobook.

I received a free advanced review copy of the audiobook through NetGalley. I volunteered to provide an honest review.

Sleepless in Dubai is a fun contemporary holiday romance about Nikki and Yash, friends who thanks to happenstance reconnect in an all new way through their Diwali trip. They had a serious falling out but their forced proximity means it’s time to heal that wound and maybe find something more along the way. Both characters are full of life and well fleshed out. Even Nikki’s sister was a blast and brought lots of comedic fun! This was such a pleasant read and one I would definitely recommend to lovers of this genre.

Nikki and Yash had a wonderfully realistic journey, and one that we can all take away a piece of knowledge from. Their relationship was well fleshed out and never felt in any way forced or rushed. I loved the pacing style and how it fit the travel experience so well. This book as a whole was an artfully described delight, with beautifully descriptive details from the locations, the food, the celebrations/events and the characters themselves. It was also a very fun and lovely way to learn more about Diwali and Dubai! This will be a great read for lovers of friends to lovers, second chance romance and diverse stories! I know this will be such a great gift for my contemporary romance loving friends for Christmas. Here’s me hoping this gets picked up for a movie someday because it would be such a beautiful one!

The narration was also fantastic and I would highly recommend this to readers to hear the proper pronunciations of all of the places and holiday occasions. The narrator had a great diverse cast of voices with easily distinguishable characters. She brought a lot of spark to these characters and it was a joy to listen to!

Thank you to NetGalley & RB media for this audiobook ARC my views are my own.

2.5

The narrator of the audiobook was amazing. She really got the emotions of each character. One of the better narrators I've heard in a while!

The descriptions of Diwali, Dubai, and all the food were spectacular!! It was an absolutely beautiful setting, and the authors descriptions were so vivid it felt like you were there. I learned so much about the holiday of Diwali, and the family moments were very touching.

Sadly, I did not enjoy the plot. It bothered me that the main character was so petty and there was never a reasoning for her rebelling in the first place. The fact that Yash constantly was the one making efforts in their friendship when the only reason Nikki started talking to him again was so she could see sights in Dubai was frustrating. I felt bad for Yash a lot. It also really bothered me that Nikki has a meltdown when Yash very politely and reasonably sets some boundaries.

Would recommend for the beautiful and vivid imagery, but not for the plot or characters.