"Sleepless in Dubai" by Sajni Patel is a cute and enjoyable young adult novel that weaves together love, culture, and the Diwali festival in a way that, while not entirely groundbreaking, delivers a satisfying read.

The story follows Nikki, an aspiring photographer, who finds herself in Dubai with her family to celebrate the five days of Diwali. The twist in the narrative is Yash, the boy next door with whom Nikki has a rocky history, also being on the trip. While oblivious to the tension, Nikki's matchmaking family encourages her to get to know Yash better.

What sets this story apart is its ability to bring to life the Diwali festival and its cultural significance. The book offers readers a glimpse into another culture's festivities, adding an enriching and educational layer to the narrative.

While "Sleepless in Dubai" may not introduce entirely new concepts to the young adult genre, it excels in capturing the essence of teenage romance and the challenges of young love. The character development and relationship dynamics are well-portrayed, and the evolution of Nikki and Yash's connection is both heartwarming and relatable.

The novel succeeds in delivering a story that resonates with its target audience, offering a blend of cultural exploration and young love. It may not be groundbreaking, but it effectively accomplishes its goal of providing an enjoyable and engaging reading experience.

In summary, "Sleepless in Dubai" is a cute and culturally rich young adult novel that explores love, culture, and the Diwali festival. While it doesn't break new ground in the genre, it delivers a satisfying and educational read.

Thank you to netgalley and RB Media, Recorded Books for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. The romance is this book was so cute and believable. I really enjoyed getting to know each character

2.5 ⭐

I'm sad that I didn't love this as much as I wanted to.

The setting is amazing, I wanted to visit Dubai the entire time I was listening! The author did a fantastic job, there was just enough details about the setting that you could perfectly picture Dubai without it feeling info dump-y/too much.

but the characters is where the story lost me. The fight between Yash and Nikki was so immature, for some reason the whole fight was Nikki's fault when in reality they both messed up and both wouldn't own up to the fact they were BOTH in the wrong. Their friendship was toxic as hell. HOW WAS EVERYTHING NIKKIS FAULT?!?!?!? Yash was painted as this perfect kid who did no wrong and it was infuriating since half of the time he started the issues.

It was also very obvious from page one that Yash was the one writing the webtoon she was obsessed with.

I just wished it was written differently. In no way is this a bad book and I know it will have its audience, I just don't think I was the main demographic! I feel like younger YA would really enjoy this, probably around 14-16 Y/O's!

Thank you Netgalley, Sajni Patel and RB Media for a copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

Sleepless in Dubai is a really cute friends to lovers story set during Diwali in Dubai! Nikki and Yash have been friends since childhood but they had a falling out and are now forced to go on a trip together.

This ones started out a little slow for me but I really enjoyed the the story once Nikki and Yash started to realize they had feelings for each other. I really loved seeing Yash open up and talk about what the summer had been like for him. I loved that drawing was a way for him to be happy during a hard time.

I didn't find Nikki to be the most compelling heroine. She came off a bit selfish at times and as if she wasn't thinking about others. However, that's how teenagers are! It's probably good that as a 28 year old I felt like she was a bit immature. It means she's well written.

If you are looking for a cute Diwali story or you want a cute friends to lovers story I recommend this one!

I listened to the audiobook version of Sleepless in Dubai and really enjoyed it! It is single narrator and the narrator is Soneela Nankani whose narration I really enjoy! I also liked her performances of Pride Prejudice and Other Flavors and Dating Dr. Dil!

I enjoyed this contemporary romance and particularly enjoyed it being set in Dubai and during Diwali. I don't know a lot about Hindu culture so it was really nice to get to experience it through NIkki's family holiday and best friend/boy drama!
I really appreciated how real it all felt - sometimes the conflicts between characters can feel forced and unbelievable but that wasn't the case here.
The only "fault" I could give is that the "big reveal" at the end I had clocked on to pretty quickly and then it all wrapped up very quickly, but it wasn't done poorly at all!

ARC audiobook provided in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the narration on this book! It fit perfectly with the characters and I loved how it was culturally appropriate! I felt I learned a lot about Indian culture and all things Dubai, which I absolutely love learning about other cultures! The story was such a sweet rom com and while being predictable, still held my attention throughout. I enjoyed the humor and how even across different cultures and continents, love is love. I would definitely recommend to anyone who likes romantic comedies, traveling, and sweet young adult love stories!

I have read and enjoyed this author’s adult work. This was my first of her YA and my first audiobook of hers! I really loved the holiday/travel aspect to this novel. I learned a lot about Diwali celebrations and all the food and fun that goes with it. The narration was wonderfully expressive and matched the tone of a YA reader.

Eeeeeekkk! This audiobook is amazing! Teenage photographer, Nikki, is forced to spend time with her (ex) best friend, Yash, after a summer of avoidance following a falling out between the two when both their families take a trip to Dubai for Diwali. I absolutely loved everything about this book: the setting of Dubai sight seeing during Diwali's celebration week (foods and drinks galore!), Nikki's supportive parents and younger sister, Nikki and Yash's dynamic, and the focus of photography and visual art.

Sequel?! PLEASE!!

I will definitely be reading more by this author and listening to more audiobooks narrated by this voice actor! Very impressed.

Since I listened on audiobook, these quotes may not be completely accurate but they really stuck out to me:

"But one thing I've learned is that good friends are hard to find. We have superficial friends, acquaintances, people who shouldn't be trusted at all, passerbys. And then we have true, honest friends. And those friendships are like fine gold. We go out of our way to collect them, bring them securely into our lives, cherish them, protect them, maintain their beauty. It takes appreciation and work."

"We've only ever been in a bubble celebrating our culture. Here, there's no bubble. We're not othered. Not everyone here is the same, but we're part of the whole."

"Was this how Americans felt during Christmas? Like everyone just celebrated it? Or they assumed they knew what today was and was thrown around in a joyful anticipatory atmosphere boldly shimmering with holiday spirit out in the open?"

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun romance. I loved the setting in Dubai and how the setting was so well described. This was so fun and sweet to read. I loved the characters and their banter throughout the book.

Sajni Patel is fantastic at describing teen angst from a cultural view. She spot on describes Indian parents' reactions and the million thoughts racing through a teenagers mind, it's entertaining, eye opening and beautiful to see our own voices portrayed in fiction.

Thank you so much NetGallery, the author, and the publishers for giving me this opportunity to read and review this title.

This book was charming. If I was in my early teens I would’ve given this a 4 star hands down, which is why I’ve rated it so.

However, 32 year old adult me found this just cute, a solid 3 stars, but I’m not its 100% targeted audience. It’s a wonderful and predictable story of two best friends falling in love.

The author did a phenomenal job describing Dubai and Indian culture both in the States and Dubai. It was wonderful to listen to a story where family is the heart and the love interest is a bonus.

Would absolutely grab this for my siblings children!

It was a pleasure listening to this read. Sanji Patel always hits the nail on the head. This book was a sweet, and
cozy rom-com. It was funny and heartwarming too. I enjoyed the family dynamics and the romance was adorable.

A swoon-worthy rom-com. It was funny and heartwarming too. I enjoyed the family dynamics and the romance was adorable.

Sleepless in Dubai is one of the sweetest books I've read this year! Nikki and Yash's journey back to friends was relatable and enjoyable. I like that Nikki was able to work through her issues and recognize that Yash wasn't a backstabbing villain and that her friendship with him was valuable and worth saving. I also really enjoyed her slowly coming to realize that she saw Yash as more than just a friend. There were moments that had me cackling and screaming throughout this book. It was swoony, and sweet, and had me feeling all kinds of feelings. The third act drama had me feeling frustrated, but I was so thankful it was resolved quickly and didn't drag on forever.
Prior to this book I didn't know anything about Diwali, but the descriptions and explanations about their celebrations and traditions makes me want to learn more about it. I also really loved the narrator on this one! She did an awesome job giving each character their own voice that was easy to differentiate from everyone else! I'm so glad I was able to read this one and I look forward to reading more books by Sajni Patel.

Thank you Netgalley and RB Media for an ALC!

- I really enjoyed this one! It was a fun holiday read, and the romance was so sweet!
- The only thing I struggled with was the amount of slang used to appeal to teen audiences. It felt a little forced, but I'm also not a teenager so this may be just me!
- I loved the family dynamics of this one, especially with the little sister! She was so funny!
- The setting was fantastic! The descriptions had me both wanting to go to Dubai and so hungry!
- The romance was so adorable, and I loved watching them go from not talking to friends to crushing on each other.
- The descriptions of the webcomic were so incredible, and it had me wanting to read that series! There was something I found very predictable about a reveal, but it still worked well!

Sleepless in Dubai was so fun and sweet. I loved learning about how Diwali is celebrated in Dubai. The two main characters, Nikki and Yash, were fantastic together. I completely understood their falling out - both their feelings were well thought out. It was lovely to see them come back together. I enjoyed the family members popping into the story, especially Nikki's younger sister, Lily.

Super cute YA romance novel!

Although I’m a little older than the YA category, I really enjoyed this sweet budding romance. The cultural details were also fantastic throughout. Dubai is a dream destination for me, and listening to this story only added to that desire to visit. Highly recommend for a lighthearted read.

Thank you NetGalley and RB Media for an early audiobook copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced audio in return for an honest review.

YA is very hit or miss for me. This was definitely a win!! The Diwali celebrations, a family trip to Dubai and a secret crush on a lifelong best friend? All great. Definitely recommend for those looking for a cute, fun read!

Nikki’s family is heading to Dubai for Diwali, which she has been looking forward to forever. However, family friends are also joining them, and Nikki is going to be stuck with Yash, the boy she’s currently not speaking to, and who just crushed her expensive camera and dreams of getting a photography internship. Thanks to a little matchmaking help from the parents, Nikki and Yash are stuck together in several situations, making it impossible for them to stay mad at each other, and giving the reader plenty of opportunities to fall in love with these two as they navigate their obstacles together.
This rom-com was just what was needed after a stressful week. Parts of the characterization did feel slightly off–Nikki is supposed to be 18 but she acts pretty immature–and a few times things were re-explained that didn’t need to be. Overall, this was a fun read and provided a good insight into Diwali as well.

Audiobook Review - Sleepless in Dubai is a fantastic YA rom-com. The story is unique and the cast diverse. I love the two main characters and the bumbling friends to enemies to more storyline. This is a great listen and the narration was perfect for this story. This is a must for all YA shelves!