Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC!

I absolutely LOVED this story! So cute and just so heartwarming. I loved the innocence in the love story. The characters chemistry was great. I enjoyed the aunties and uncles also. If you are looking for a cute romcom grab this book!

This was a really sweet and heartwarming story. If you liked "With the Fire on High" you'll for sure enjoy Sleepless in Dubai. This was my first book by Sajni Patel, and I really loved her ability to create complex, realistic, and lovable characters.

I was totally invested in the friends to enemies to lovers romance, and felt like I learned a ton about the main characters' cultures along the way as they travel to Dubai to celebrate Diwali. Also, Lily, Nikki's little sister is just the best side character anyone could ask for.

Ultimately this is a book for anyone interested in travel, culture, festivals, and wants to watch a really sweet second chance romance bloom. With Diwali coming up in November, I highly recommend adding it to your TBR!

I'm really grateful to #NetGalley and RB Media for allowing me access to this audio arc! I found the audio recording to be really great, and really appreciated hearing the narrator, Soneela Nankani pronounce some words and cities I wouldn't have been sure about if I were just reading on a page!

Nikki and her best friend Yash had a huge fight that lead to her spending the whole summer being mad at him.

Then the book opens with Nikki trying to get a shot of the sunset. She set her camera up at the perfect angle and starts to walk away to make sure not even her shadow gets in the shot. As she is walking away from the camera, a car comes speed down the road. Yash never saw the camera. It is broken and Nikki is upset because her dad worked hard to save the money for the camera. This is when we find out Nikki and Yash were best friends until their fight months prior.

Their families are close and travel to Dubai together to celebrate Diwali. Their parents force the time to spend time together. They want Nikki and Yash to mend their friendship and Lili, Nikki's sister, is the only one who realized the two were in love.

This was a cute story of friends to enemies to lovers. Soneela Nankani did a great job with the narration for the audiobook.

I don’t often read YA but this one absolutely pulled me in! Loved reading about Dubai, Diwali, and of Indian traditions.

A fun, cute high school story of friends, family, and culture.

Thank you NetGalley and RB Media for an ARC of this book!

4 stars! 💜💜💜💜

Sleepless in Dubai was a really cute and wholesome YA romcom about Yash and Nikki, childhood friends who are at odds after a big argument and are now spending Diwali in Dubai together with their families who are encouraging them to make amends.

I liked watching how they worked to rebuild their relationship and how their connection slowly developed from estranged to friends again to so much more. There was so many cute moments that definitely made me swoon.

The setting was beautiful! Dubai at Diwali seems like a magical place and I loved all the adventures they went on. The descriptions were all really immersive and I felt like I was there with them. I enjoyed being able to learn a bit more about Diwali and the traditions that occur.

I definitely recommend this is you’re looking for a sweet, fun and easy read with fun adventures!

I received this audiobook free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Instagram review - https://www.instagram.com/p/Cy0xIhsNIrM/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

I loved Isha Unscripted so I absolutely was excited to read Sleepless in Dubai!

First of all how can you pass up this cover?!?! It’s just gorgeous! I love a sweet friends to more than friends story. Nikki and Yash are just adorable as they traipse around Dubai during Diwali. I learned so much that it is now my life’s mission to visit Dubai.

This book gave me all the chills.

I'm trying to find the words when it comes to the story to explain why I love it, but it's everything. It's everything I've always loved and enjoyed of YA books. The cuteness overload in this was just too much for me something.

I highly recommend it as a feel good book, palette cleanser.

Thank you NetGalley for the audio-arc version of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a cute YA novel. I enjoyed how the book explored another side of Indian culture. The romance was adorable. The main character could be slightly annoying with her inability to empathize, but...teenagers, so it makes sense.

This was a sweet YA friends to lovers story set amidst the backdrop of Dubai. Nikki and Yash have known each other since birth with their parents being best friends. So growing up together, they were destined to be besties. When a fight between the two has them not speaking, the families push them together on their trip to Dubai, in an effort for them to make up. 

I really enjoyed reading about the Diwali traditions the families celebrated - learning about new cultures is always a plus through books! And with all the Dubai descriptions, I really felt like I was there. If you're in the mood for a clean YA romcom that will have you laughing in parts, this one is for you.

Aspiring photographer Nikki joins her family on a lavish Dubai trip for Diwali—along with childhood neighbor Yash and his parents. Despite their fraught history, Nikki's matchmaking family pushes her to reconnect with Yash. The former best friends must decide whether they can move past their differences to embrace the spirit of forgiveness during the holiday celebrations.

This is a joyous, fast-paced novel filled with fun and emotion. The author's strong voice immediately immerses the reader in the story and Nikki's complex feelings about her relationship with Yash. The descriptions of Dubai and the holiday made me feel like I was there. The audiobook narration was entertaining.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

‘Sleepless in Dubai’ is a charming YA enemies-to-lovers romance.

Premise - when two former best friends who’ve had a falling out end up taking a family vacation to Dubai together, they learn that their feelings for each other go deeper than they’d realized.

The characters feel like teenagers and their connection is sweet and healthy. I was rooting for them! The ‘twist’ is so predictable I called it right from the very start, but this isn’t a mystery - it’s a charming vacation romance that introduces readers to an interesting part of the world. Dubai really came to life in the story and was a third lead character!

This book has:
* forced proximity
* enemies to lovers
* vacation romance
* (ex) friends to lovers
* slow burn
* sweet-level romance
* second chance romance

I hope to read more by this author!

Thanks, NetGalley and Amulet, for the gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sleepless in Dubai is a fun YA romcom about finding your way to someone who’s been in front of you all along. With great narration from Soneela Nankani, this is the perfect audiobook for a quick and entertaining listen.

Nikki is a high school senior and aspiring photographer on the outs with her best friend, Yash. She and Yash, who is also her neighbor, have been bffs since birth— their parents are also besties! A few months ago, they got into an argument that got her grounded and she’s been holding a grudge against him ever since. When Nikki’s parents announce that Yash’s family will be coming with them on their Diwali trip in Dubai, Nikki is less than happy— but maybe a trip is exactly what they need.

Nikki is either slightly immature or a petty queen, depending on your point of view. Still, she went through a learning curve in this story and I ended up enjoying her character growth. All in all, this was a fun and engaging listen that had me rooting for our imperfect but big hearted main characters. Nikki and Yash’s families made for a lovable cast of characters with great family dynamics, and Diwali celebrations in Dubai served as a lively backdrop.

Soneela Nankani did a great job with this narration. Her portrayal of all the family members was effortless, and her delivery of Nikki’s internal dialogues added to the character’s charm. I recommend picking up this audiobook!

This story was beyond adorable. I felt like a giddy teenage girl again. It’s a perfect combination of innocent, heartwarming, and funny. This is 100% YA and I loved everything about it. Definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a sweet swoony rom com.

This was a genuine friends to lovers romance. I typically stay away from this trope but wow this story has changed my feelings about it. Nikki’s transition from seeing him as a friend and then developing a crush on him is perfectly paced and reasonable. I loved their dynamic. I was fully invested in them from the very beginning.

It was fun learning about Diwali. Sajni does so well creating vivid images of the mosques, the Indian food, and the celebrations. Dubai sounds like an amazing place to visit.

I also thought it was a great decision to keep this only in Nikki’s POV.

The narrator, Soneela Nankani, is one of the best female narrators. She’s able to successfully portray a wide range of emotions. And her voice is just downright appealing. Her male voice expression is subtle yet effective. I’ll listen to anything she reads.

This was a fun YA friends to lovers romance that takes place in Dubai over Diwali as two childhood friends are forced to reconcile after a fall out and discover they've both been secretly pining for one another. Great on audio narrated by Soneela Nankani and perfect for fans of authors like S K Ali. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for early digital and audio copies in exchange for my honest review!