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duaazahra's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
- 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
I love a good enemies to lovers storyline and seeing my favourite trope in a South Asian romcom? *Chefs kiss* And look at this beautiful cover! This book did take a little while for me to fully get into, but once I did I really liked it.
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Minor: Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, and Death of parent
scampbell1290's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Gaslighting
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
renuka__'s review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- 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
Ran through this novel in a day. The plot was really easy to jump into, even though it felt like we were just running into the characters as they lived their lives. I loved each character’s development and the ways in which they complemented each other. I also specifically appreciated that Liya was not expected to give everything up for Jay, and that Jay made the decision to move to a new city for her. It was a nice turn of common desi narratives that she didn’t have to sacrifice everything to stay with the guy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment
Moderate: Sexual assault and Death of parent
alisha's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault and Death of parent
katiemack's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
slow-paced
- 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
I don't find the plot points around abuse and toxic men unrealistic, unfortunately, and I did end up loving Jay's family and their warmth. Jay and Liya were mildly annoying, but for the most part I enjoyed their relationship. I can't speak for the accuracy of the cultural depictions, but they seemed to work well.
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Death of parent
aliciachauhan_'s review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
what can I say about this book? this was the first time reading a book where South Asians were the maim characters specifically Hindu gujarati therefore I felt like i could really relate to it. it was incredibly great to read about things I could specifically relate to such as traditions and beliefs so I felt a lot more connected to the characters than ever. I strongly felt a connection towards Liya as she has the same view as me on marriage and children within an Indian household and wider society. I just hope one day I would would able to experience this type of love in real life because this book was truly beautiful.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
coppolaklein's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting
maya_reads_books's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- 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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexual assault
Moderate: Death of parent and Fire/Fire injury
stravabutforbooks's review against another edition
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
solid premise and plot but quickly fell into the traps of "falling in love and sharing your trauma heals all <3" and "woman needs a ~good man~ to save her after sexual assault and promiscuity". lots of the very explaining-y dialogue made some scenes feel rushed, especially the main couple going from "hate" to love felt like a switch being flipped. almost every character was either amazingly good or almost cartoonishly evil
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Child abuse and Sexual assault
jrdnmanon's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury