The Design of Us was such a cute and sweet romance that had Indian/Desi representation. Sajni Patel is an automatic read for me and this was a solid story.

This was an enjoyable story featuring rival coworkers with a penchant for bickering. The female main character's role in STEM and her self-assurance was refreshing. The fake dating trope was well-executed, though the meta elements at times felt a bit excessive. One downside was Sunny's constant use of "Bane" when referring to Bhanu. Sunny, grappling with emotional scars from a toxic relationship, struggled with communication but made sincere efforts. Bhanu, mostly cheerful, also demonstrated the ability to assert herself when needed. Overall, a charming read. Spice: 1/5 (minimal detail, mostly closed door). Triggers: toxic relationships, family hospitalization, panic attacks, brief depiction of injured animal, racism, sexism.

The Design of Us took a lot of my favorite tropes and wrapped them into one story and placed it in the beautiful setting of Hawaii. Needless to say, I enjoyed my time reading this one.

When two coworkers who can’t stand each other find themselves at the same vacation spot, end up in a lie and have to fake date for the duration of their trip, some seriously uncomfortable and funny situations occur. And definitely some feelings.

I think this one flew under the radar this summer. It definitely should have had more praise.

It was a lot of fun, a story of two enemies fake dating and having to share spaces during a holiday and a wedding.
It you want to armchair travel to Hawaii and spend some time escaping the bleak times this is the right book
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This book was lovely. I appreciated that the reader knows from early on what the "inciting incident" was that caused Bhanu and Sunny to dislike each other. The narrative flow and pacing was fantastic. And I loved how seamlessly they transitioned from bickering to flirting, from dislike to like as they got to know each other more.

This book had a little bit of everything: workplace enemies to lovers; forced proximity and only one bed; fake dating; grumpy/sunshine; and dual POV. Add all that to the beautiful setting of Hawaii and a luxury resort and you have the perfect set up for this book!

Overall, I enjoyed this quick read; there was good banter, cultural representation, a well developed romance, and realistic conflict that didn't rely too heavily on miscommunication, but actual real-world, professional stakes. It won't stick with me, I think, but it was a fun, light read.

Enjoyed this summer-set romance by Sajni Patel! It is a slow-burn romance, in which our main characters have great chemistry. Overall, a great summer romance read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to be able to read and review this book!

3.5/5

I just couldn’t finish. I didn’t like the FMC and struggled to understand the MMC. I started and stopped many times. I love this genre but am just not sure about this title

Sometimes you need a bit of fake dating just to get some peace and quiet, which is the case in this fun one! Sunny and Bhanu are work nemesis’s but when they find themselves on vacation at the same small island and a bit of chaos ensues which leads them to a fake relationship. They thought that would be the easiest solution but it turns out nothing could be more complicated. This had a fun cast of characters.

Thank you #berkley and #NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

The Design of Us is a fun rom-com set against the stunning backdrop of a destination wedding in Hawaii. Bhanu and Sunny, two coworkers who don’t get along, are thrown into a fake dating situation to avoid drama with Sunny’s ex. While Bhanu’s bubbly personality clashes with Sunny’s grumpy attitude, their time together in paradise slowly sparks something real.

The setup is great, and Bhanu’s energy really brings the story to life. However, the slow-burn romance takes a bit too long to build, and at times, the pacing felt off. There’s plenty of humor and charm, but the story could’ve used more emotional depth to fully connect with the characters.

If you enjoy fake dating and the grumpy/sunshine dynamic, this could still be a light, enjoyable read, but it wasn’t a standout for me.

The Design of Us by Sajni Patel is a heartwarming romance that beautifully intertwines themes of creativity and love. The story follows a talented young woman as she navigates her passion for design while facing personal challenges and the complexities of her relationships. Patel’s engaging writing style and relatable characters make for an enjoyable read, capturing the nuances of ambition and the power of connection. With its blend of romance, friendship, and self-discovery, this novel is a delightful escape for anyone seeking inspiration and heartfelt moments.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

Such a cute and fun summer romance!
Set in tropical paradise of Hawaii this was such a nice mind vacation 😌 except I wanted a bit more of the exploration of the islands.

The chemistry between the two love birds, Sunny and Bahnu was quick and fun. I loved their banter and verbal edging. This is a more closed door romance for those interested in the level of smut. We get heated lead up and not much else.

I enjoyed the authors writing style and character work and thank you so much for that straw scene! Can't wait to read more of her backlist!

Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

hmmm okay i'm very in the middle with this I wish I could give a definitive answer on how I like this this but it was a fun read but some of the drama in this was just too silly and I had to push myself though it

DNF

So disappointed that this one fell flat for me. I wanted to like it; I love this author's other work.

This book opens up with a long, detailed explanation of the main character's job. I do not care about this at all. Felt like a LinkedIn job posting. I was so bored and wanted to get to the actual meat of the story, but I couldn't make it.

It's possible that all this tech/job information would have been very fascinating, but I don't care about the main character yet, so it's meaningless to me.

Sunny and Bhanu work for the same company. They both excel at their jobs and are both vying for the same promotion to Project Manager. The one thing Sunny and Bhanu do not excel at is getting along with one another. They are each other’s work nemesis and are constantly bickering and getting under each other’s skin.

When Bhanu takes a much needed vacation to Hawaii, the last person she wants to see or think about is Sunny, but yet, somehow they both end up there staying at the same resort. Sunny is there for a family wedding, and when Bhanu witnesses Sunny’s ex berating him for being a loser, Bhanu steps in and pretends to be his date. After the initial shock, Bhanu agrees to pretend to be Sunny’s date for the duration of the wedding activities. Neither has any idea how much this will change their lives.

I really enjoyed this one! I’m a sucker for a fake dating story, and this one even has rivals to lovers, grumpy sunshine, and forced proximity, which are also tropes I love. It was so much fun watching Bhanu and Sunny get to know each other outside of work and to watch those feelings start to shift from rivals to friends to more than friends. They have great chemistry and the banter between them was just so entertaining! I also loved how aware Sunny was of Bhanu’s anxiety and the little things he would do to support her if he sensed her becoming anxious.

There’s a bit of drama surrounding work and that coveted promotion, but overall The Design of Us is a great choice for anyone who enjoys romcoms and destination weddings.

When I think “summer read” this is exactly the kind of book I dream up. Set on a tropical vacation in Hawaii. Fake relationship at a wedding. Workplace enemies to lovers. Fabulous, flirty, fun! It gave Unhoneymooners/Bridesmaid for Hire vibes. I’m here for it. It’s exactly what I want to read next to a body of water (or when I wish I was next to one!)

FMC Bhanu is on a yearly vacation to Hawaii to see her sister. While sipping at the bar, she witnesses her grumpy, and exasperating coworker Sunny (because of course, somehow, he is here), being berated by his ex. Impulsively, Bhanu claims to be his girlfriend to stop the onslaught. Little did she know, news travels fast in Sunny’s friend group and before he even has time to explain to her what she’s done, his whole group, who are here for his best friend’s wedding, can’t wait to meet his new girlfriend. And of course, she must attend the week-long wedding festivities!
Oh, what tangled webs we weave… and what a delicious set-up for a tropical enemies-to-lovers fake relationship!

I loved it! Bhanu’s sister and boyfriend brought such fun as well as great depth and interest to the setting of Hawaii. Sunny’s friends were great (except for that ex - blegh!) and brought good natured ribbing and lots of interesting activities.

It’s not too late! There’s still time to get this read in before summer ends. Or be wild, you untamed goddess - and read it during fall/winter to dream of sunnier climes!

Okay, I have to be honest here. I didn't hate it, but I also didn't love it either. It's in-between with me. It had a lot of potential for being a good romance story. It just went flat around the endless drama. I like reading about messy drama, but this drama in the book was just too silly and nonsense. If we could have lessened the drama elements, then this book would have been a bit better. I am not saying it's a terrible book; it's just that the endless drama was too much at times to read. Besides the drama, the two rival characters were too cute for each other. You can tell that their banter is much more than it is.

This was a really fun and sweet rom-com! Bhanu and Sunny have great rapport and chemistry despite both being outwardly “grumpy” and work obsessed. I also appreciated and enjoyed learning their backstories and why they were both hesitant to jump into relationships. It made them feel very real.

I am almost always a sucker for a vacation trope in a book, but I’ve never read a book set in Hawai’i before! I loved learning, through Bhanu’s voice, about the Big Island and its incredible cuisine, culture, local wildlife, and more. The imagery was so rich I could see it all in my head.

I was really thrilled with the ending of the book and the way Patel gave Sunny and Bhanu their HEA. It was so sweet.