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aesantiago's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Sexism, Violence, Sexual assault, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Bullying, Domestic abuse, and Misogyny
katrinaward's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.25
Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, and Child abuse
zabeishumanish's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Check trigger warnings! There are some super heavy themes here, personally, I think they were all handled responsibly and with care.
This isn’t a great escapism book, or it wasn’t for me, just because of how emotionally heavy parts of it can be a lot. While I wouldn’t call it great for escapism it hits the spot in a whole other delightful way. Still has that big romance HEA, just with a kick-ass bit of social justice on the side.
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexual assault, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Sexism, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual violence
Minor: Violence and Alcohol
jackiepreston's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Misogyny, and Pregnancy
donnicakelsey's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Grief, and Physical abuse
duaazahra's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Trouble With Hating you follows Liya, a young Indian woman who comes from a traditional, conservative family. Liya is the opposite of her parents — she’s outspoken, liberal, and not afraid to hold her ground. When her parents try to arrange yet another suitor for her to marry, something she’s made clear she’s not interested in, she’s immediately turned off by him. The only problem is he shows up to her work that same week, as the man in charge of saving her company. The story follows Liya and Jay’s journey of going from two people who can’t stand each other to slowly letting their guards down, and also making an impactful change in their community. It’s also filled with beautiful side stories about friendship, strength, and family — both given and chosen.
I thought the first couple of chapters were a little slow and I wasn’t exactly sure where the story was going, but after that, it really found its pace. I loved the contrast between Liya and Jay, and I loved how the story showed that South Asian culture isn’t a monolith. You have people and families with different customs and beliefs, and while Liya’s family held a more conservative view of the world, Jay’s family were quite the opposite. And sweet Jay — he’s one of my favourite type of MMC’s — soft, understanding, will turn into a cinnamon role for his girl, but fiery and determined at the same time.
One of the reasons I really loved this book was because of how much of myself and my upbringing I saw in Liya. There were so many things that she went though that I went through myself, and I understood exactly why she was the way she was and why she was so apprehensive about love and culture. And watching her growth was one of my favourite parts of the book.
Minor: Sexual assault, Death of parent, and Emotional abuse
scampbell1290's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Gaslighting and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Rape, Grief, Domestic abuse, and Death of parent
renuka__'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Sexual harassment
Moderate: Sexual assault and Death of parent
alisha's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Moderate: Sexual assault and Death of parent
katiemack's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
My main issue is with the writing. There is too much description in some parts and not nearly enough in others. For example, I still have no idea how Liya's career progressed or why Jay worked in Liya's office instead of his firm's building. I'm also not sure why the readers got a graphic depiction of childbirth and a lot of sexual tension/thoughts only to have the sex happen behind closed doors. (I completely missed it until one of the characters mentioned it.)
I'd still try Preeti's book because I thought she was Liya's most compelling friend, but the writing didn't work for me.
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse