as someone who grew up experiencing hurricanes and very recently experienced flood disaster, this hit home for me. i loveee second chance romance so i was hoping to love this a little more than i did - i think this was written really well and was a quick read but i don't think the characters had enough reconciliation to deserve that happy ending. i think this probably lands around 3.75 stars for me

I habitually lie to myself thinking that I don't like second chance romances, and then I read a really good one and remember that I DO actually love them when they're well done. Like this one.

Second chance romances tend to be more emotionally heavy, just because we have to unpack all the reasons why these people fell apart the first time, and this book handles that very well, while also balancing some lighter, more humorous moments. I loved this author's debut novel as well and can't wait to keep reading more from her.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I'm always a huge fan of South Asian representation in romance. I read Say You'll Be Mine last year and absolutely loved it, and when I learned that Naina Kumar was writing a forced proximity / second chance story, this book immediately became one of my most anticipated reads of 2025. I'm so happy to say it lived up to my (high) expectations and I'd give it a solid 4.5 stars! Meena and Nikhil developed so well as both individuals and as a couple throughout the story, and while there were occasional elements of the stuck-together-during-a-hurricane premise that felt a little dramatic, I thought it was a unique way to explore the relationship between the two. I'm not usually a big fan of miscommunication being used for angst, but I really liked the way it was handled here as well -- thought it was very mature and realistic. Overall, I'd highly recommend, and I'm already eagerly anticipating the author's next book!

This book captured relationships in such a beautiful way, highlighting how sometimes the end of a relationship can’t really be pinned on just one person. I usually find the miscommunication trope a bit frustrating, but I actually didn’t feel any irritation with it in this book because it felt so authentic!

In most second chance romances, the protagonist’s indecision about recommitting can be frustrating. I felt this in Flirting With Disaster, but it didn’t detract from my overall enjoyment of the book.

Characters

Naina Kumar definitely brought out compelling characters to drive this story forward, and I think this approach really works well for a second chance romance!

Meena is a determined woman on a mission, and her character is so inspiring! I loved reading about her meaningful work as a lawyer and her career ambitions. She comes from a South Asian family of immigrants, and faces barriers due to her upbringing which ultimately affects her life decisions such as her career and relationship. Whilst some readers might find her frustrating, I related to Meena a lot as a South Asian woman myself. There are often many factors affecting a relationship, making it difficult to reunite, even with deep care and affection.

Nikhil is the definition of a book husband who supports all women’s wrongs and rights. I loved how he never doubted his feelings for Meena, and his acts of service towards her was just so cute to read! It would have been great to have a dual perspective in this book, as it would have added an interesting layer for understanding the characters better. Even though Flirting With Disaster is primarily told from Meena’s viewpoint, we still get a glimpse into Nikhil’s feelings about their relationship and her through his dialogue.

Conclusion

Overall, Flirting With Disaster by Naina Kumar feels like a realistic, yet sweet portrayal of an adult relationship and two people trying their best to make a relationship work, despite seeming so different on paper! I’d rate the book 4 stars. It’s safe to say Naina Kumar is now an auto buy author for me, after enjoying this book and her previous one Say You’ll Be Mine so much!

I’m a sucker for second chance romance and loved Meena and Nikhil’s story. Flirting with Disaster took me on a emotional roller coaster as Meena and Nikhil worked through the miscommunications that had caused things to fester between them and the dammed up feelings that re-emerged when they were reunited after years apart. There was minimal spice, but boy was it 🔥🔥🔥. I loved the Gilmore Girls references, they were absolutely adoreable. And on a more serious note, I thought Naina Kumar did an amazing job of exploring the challenges of familial expectations, especially for children of immigrant parents, and getting married young. Would absolutely recommend

I loved this book! Maybe it's because I'm a Gulf Coast resident and could relate so much to the hurricane aspect but I was really drawn in. Miscommunication isn't usually my favorite but decided to forgo that and read based on the drama in a hurricane aspect. Also the ties to Sweet Home Alabama had me in a lock. I was invested and wanted to see this couple through it all.
Looking forward to reading more from Naina Kumar!

soooo lovely - the mmc builds furniture and wears their wedding rings on a chain around his neck and watches gilmore girls and cooks... what's not to love....

Thanks so much to Dell for the gifted copy of this book!

I am such a sucker for a marriage in crisis trope, and when I heard this was a reimaging of Sweet Home Alabama, I was totally sold! We read this for Beyond the Spines book club, and it was such a fun book to read and discuss. I loved that Meena was a woman with political ambitions and Nikhil brought us back to the small-town feel. There was a hurricane that caused forced proximity, there were cute Gilmore Girls references, and it was hard to put this one down!

Sweet Home Alabama-inspired second-chance romance, and… it was fine. The setup is great—our heroine ends up sheltering from a hurricane with her ex, who (surprise!) is still legally her husband. Forced proximity, unresolved feelings, and plenty of tension? Sounds like my kind of read.

But while the premise was solid, nothing really stood out to make me love it. I kept waiting for that moment that would make me swoon or go aww, but it never quite happened. I also think the story would have benefitted from a dual POV—I really wanted to see things from his perspective.

It wasn’t bad, just forgettable. If you love second-chance romances and a good forced proximity setup, you might enjoy this one, but it didn’t leave a lasting impression for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Naina Kumar and Dell for the ARC!

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers copy of Flirtins with Disaster by Nania Kumar!

4.5 stars!

I loved "Flirting With Disaster" by Naina Kumar! I ate this book up so fast and could not put it down. I am not a huge fan of second-chance romances, but this one hit the spot for me for some reason. I think it's because I totally believed the connection between the two main characters, Meena and Nikhil. I love how they get thrown together in a forced proximity situation during a hurricane and they are forced to work out their unresolved issues with each other. Just note that there are *a lot* of miscommunications going on in this book, so if that's not your cup of tea, you're going to want to steer clear of this one. I found the tension and unresolved pining between the two of them enough to erase any annoyances that sprung up from said miscommunications. Their connection was so strong that it was hard to *not* root for them to work through their issues! Though the story is a little bit predictable, that did not detract from my overall enjoyment of this story. I cannot wait to see what Kumar writes next. She's two for two in greatness thus far!

Thank you to NetGalley, Naina Kumar, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and Dell for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

Naina Kumar did it again! Flirting with Disaster follows Meena who flies to Texas in order to get her husband to sign the divorce papers. What she doesn’t expect is for there to be a hurricane forming in the golf. Suddenly she is trapped with her soon to be ex-husband BUT will this forced proximity rekindle the love they once had for each other? Meena and Nikhil’s love story was so real and honest. It truly explored what it means to be partners and individuals in a relationship. The give and take that comes when you’re committed to someone and examining the reality of marriage vs. the expectation. My heart broke for these two. You could feel the love and hope they had when they first got married. There were tender moments between the two and glimpses into their past and although I wouldn’t say this is a sweep you off your feet romance what makes it special is how honest it is. ❤️ I loved Nikhil and Meena. 4.25⭐️

Second chance romance at its finest!!!! THE YEARNING!!!!!!!!! thats it. that’s the review. But seriously I love how deeply grounded these two are with their love and believe in each other but also the care in their community. Absolutely beautiful in every way

⅘ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Flirting with Disaster
Author: Naina Kumer

Thank you so much Netgalley and Random House Publishing for my copy of this read! I kept seeing it everywhere on social media and I needed to read it asap! It was the perfect book for me right now. 💕. Meena and Nikhil eloped in Vegas on a whim, and now years later she is ready for her divorce. She was not expecting a hurricane to hit while she is with him, and to be stranded in the home they had originally built to live in together. As they navigate helping neighbors through the storm, and making sure they have all the essentials to survive, Meena must face the life she almost had and decide if she really is ready to give it up for good. This book is not like it necessarily, but for all the girlies begging for books like Twister this one fits the bill with the storm aspect at least. I loved it so much! Small town, second chance romance.. what’s not to like! Meena and Nikhil were adorable. I loved the story and definitely want to read more by this author! Thank you for the copy.

i think this was a nice homage to sweet home alabama! loved it but i did find meena kind of annoying, which hindered my enjoyment of the book :')

Like any millennial, I have rewatched Sweet Home Alabama approximately 11,000 and while I know that Melanie Carmichael would never have been able to get away with everything in the internet age, there is something nostalgic about the idea of keeping the connection to the version of yourself when you were young and idealistic - and someone who believed in you, even then.

I loved this book as soon as I realised that the main character, Meena, was a public interest lobbyist who also was interested in running for office, I was on her side. I really enjoyed that Kumar is thoughtful about the fact that running for office is a combination of ego and a desire to change the world - most of the people who do the smallest, most important changes, are people whose names will never be known. I also really appreciated that the conflict between the main characters was realistic to the issues you experience when you're young - when you're not yet totally comfortable with yourself, it is far too easy to subscribe your insecurities and challenges to your partner.

Finally, it was great to see Indian-American characters in a Houston setting, and I really appreciated that Meenha's love interest back in DC, Shake, was both also Indian-American as well, and that he had a completely understandable perspective of wanting to keep the supportive, if less than passionate relationship and real partnership that he and Meenha had developed.

I would really recommend this book to anyone who loves the books of BK Borison or Hannah Bonham-Young.

Flirting with Disaster by Naina Kumar 🌀🔥❤️ 3.75 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ARC received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a good one! I loved the characters-especially their names. That said, I couldn’t stop picturing Meena’s ex-boyfriend as Shek from Love Is Blind Season 1! Haha.😆

I really enjoyed when Nikhil called Meena by her full name-it added a sweet, personal touch. This book definitely had Sweet Home Alabama vibes, except instead of a fashion designer, Meena is an aspiring politician who worked hard to pass the bar and become a lawyer. Nikhil’s devotion to her reminded me of Jake’s love for Mel.

After years apart, Meena returns to Houston to finalize her divorce from Nikhil, her once-loving boyfriend whom she impulsively married in Vegas. Nikhil, a skilled contractor, is preparing for an incoming hurricane, and circumstances force Meena to hunker down with him for several days. As they ride out the storm together-going so far as to embark on a rescue mission through snake-infested floodwaters-old feelings resurface. Nikhil cares for her, reminding Meena why they were drawn to each other in the first place. But Meena’s fear of disappointing her parents and her aspirations to run for office—complicated by an ultimatum from her ex (divorce Nikhil, or they’re really over)-cloud her judgment.

While I liked Meena’s emphasis on family and values, I did think she made some frustrating decisions. I also loved the Houston neighborhood setting and Nikhil’s close-knit group of friends. The subplot involving Meena’s sister-who had a baby young, and now that niece is a college graduate-was a nice touch.

Overall, I enjoyed the story, but some aspects of the narration made Meena look clueless instead of letting the audience discover surprises alongside her. Like, of course the necklace around Nikhil’s neck had their wedding bands-duh!

I also noticed Flirting with Disaster was the January pick for The Local Romantics book club at Next Page Books in my hometown, which is kind of cool!

I definitely want to check out Kumar’s first book, Say You’ll Be Mine, eventually.

3.75 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

This was my first time reading a book by Naina Kumar. Generally, 2nd chance romances are not my favorite trope, but I love the idea of getting caught in a hurricane with your SO. This book was fun, with great nods to the current political climate and how hard it is to fight the good fight on capitol hill. I liked the depths of the fmc. I struggled some with why the relationship fell apart in the first place, it felt like just ridiculously bad communication- not my favorite device for splitting people. All in all, enjoyable read.

2.5/5 - honestly it kinda feels like a toxic love, they don’t really know how to communicate and I get that it makes it more realistic but it was really frustrating as a reader because it just felt repetitive. The mmc would show that he cared but bc it was a relationship from years ago, it didn’t feel realistic. There are some aspects of Intentional love within the story which I enjoyed. Honestly it was two insecure people getting together, I think they needed to grow and develop a little bit more before getting into the relationship. I enjoyed the themes of trying to please family through actions and feeling bound by what others think about you. The brown representation was EVERYTHING. Second chance romance! For some context, I loved the author’s previous book Say You’ll Be Mine and had high hopes for this one too. It didn't show any of the positives of Indian culture and rather only showed the high pressures faced because of community.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for honest feedback. Flirting With Disaster reminded me of Sweet Home Alabama. It was a cute idea and was a nice quick read. I think the main characters could have had a little bit more chemistry, given the fact that they are supposed to have been in love/still in love... It seemed like there was a spark missing, or something. I did enjoy this read and loved how quick the story went... It wasn't too drawn out for the information given, like some of the books I have been reading lately. 3 stars, but would recommend to anyone who loved Sweet Home Alabama and wants a quick romance read.