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mynameisprerna's review against another edition
5.0
Well if I liked Dating Dr. Dil, I LOVED Tastes Like Shakkar!
I think of all the contemporary South Asian American romance novels, Nisha Sharma’s are my favorite. She does such a beautiful job of creating a vibrant plot mixed in with real issues from our community without glossing over them or being too overbearing, which is a hard balance to strike. Likewise, I think she has just the right blend of sometimes explaining Indian and Punjabi terms and sometimes leaving it to the reader to use context clues or look it up. It makes her books feel accessible to Desis and everyone else.
We love a man who knows how to prioritize taking care of a woman who is busy taking care of everyone and everything else. I liked the use of rope to show exactly how Bunty wanted/forced Bobbi to let go and be taken care of.
I can’t wait for book 3!
I think of all the contemporary South Asian American romance novels, Nisha Sharma’s are my favorite. She does such a beautiful job of creating a vibrant plot mixed in with real issues from our community without glossing over them or being too overbearing, which is a hard balance to strike. Likewise, I think she has just the right blend of sometimes explaining Indian and Punjabi terms and sometimes leaving it to the reader to use context clues or look it up. It makes her books feel accessible to Desis and everyone else.
I can’t wait for book 3!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Cursing, Fatphobia, Body shaming, Racism, Xenophobia, and Alcohol
Minor: Death of parent
fivecatsinacoat's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Thank you to NetGalley, Libro.fm, and the publisher for an advanced review copy of this book.
I really enjoyed this fun romance. I have Dating Dr. Dil, but haven't read it yet, but now I want to read that next! The characters' chemistry is wonderful and readers can really feel the tension and attraction on the page. The Shaadi Saboteur storyline was really fun and the Aunts are a hoot! They might be my favorite characters.
The audio was perfectly acted. I don't usually like more than one narrator, but both actors were great narrators and didn't take away from the story.
I really enjoyed this fun romance. I have Dating Dr. Dil, but haven't read it yet, but now I want to read that next! The characters' chemistry is wonderful and readers can really feel the tension and attraction on the page. The Shaadi Saboteur storyline was really fun and the Aunts are a hoot! They might be my favorite characters.
The audio was perfectly acted. I don't usually like more than one narrator, but both actors were great narrators and didn't take away from the story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Body shaming, Racism, Sexual content, Xenophobia, and Fatphobia
Moderate: Death of parent
sdupont's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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? Yes
5.0
Wow, Nisha Sharma really outdid herself with this one! I absolutely loved this book and didn’t want to put it down. I loved Bobbi and Bunty- I think they had such great chemistry and really understood each other. I loved their banter and seeing how their dynamic evolved over the course of the book. I felt that the 3rd act breakup was very realistic and it definitely had me tearing up. Honorable mention to the secondary plot: we love a wedding especially one that is chaotic and full of shenanigans. I really enjoyed this fun twist of the shaadi saboteur. And don’t let me forget to let you all know that this book has some quality spice just like Dating Dr. Dil featuring some rope play (fans of Dirty Rowdy Thing take note and pick up this book). I absolutely recommend this book, this is a perfect summer romcom!
*I received the ARC for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
*I received the ARC for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Fatphobia, and Body shaming
Minor: Death of parent
maddiebees's review against another edition
emotional
funny
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
First, let me say: I WAS SCREAMING THE WHOLE TIME!!!
In my effort to assign a Taylor Swift song to each book that I read this year (and in honor of the Taylor Swift references within the book that I LOVED), I have to say: this reminds me so much of Long Story Short. There's no more keeping score for Bunty and Bobbi--they just know there's more.
After reading and loving Dating Dr. Dil, I knew I’d love Nisha Sharma’s second book but I didn’t know just how obsessed I’d be. Shakespeare adaptations are always hit or miss for me but this was a bullseye. You could definitely see the nods to the source material if you were looking for them but they were subtle enough that they didn’t punch you in the face and the mystery in the story kept me guessing at every turn.
I’m not of South Asian descent but Nisha Sharma’s writing is so amazingly vivid, you can’t help but see just how beautiful the culture is. I was unfamiliar with certain clothing, traditions, and food items but I found myself googling and falling into internet rabbit holes as I learned. (And now I’m so excited to try some new recipes thanks to Chef Padda’s descriptions!) In addition to the beauty, she doesn’t shy away from addressing the internal prejudice within the culture and I deeply appreciate that look into an unfamiliar world.
Seeing a fat heroine who is unapologetic and doesn’t have to go on a journey of discovering self-love in the book was so refreshing; Bobbi loves herself and knows her worth and to me, that makes all the difference. I love how multi-faceted Nisha’s characters are because even if you can’t identify entirely with a character, it’s easy to see yourself within someone (shoutout to Bobbi’s gorgeous size, penchant for organization, and making everyone’s life easier except her own) in her world and I love how connected that makes me feel to the story.
Benjamin as a hero was everything! I love seeing a man so obsessed with a woman who doesn’t want to give him the time of day (even if it’s just because he put his foot in his mouth the first time things got a little heated). His journey of standing on his own outside of his family and the life they’d built was so well done. I don’t want to spoil anything but the resolution to his and Bobbi’s relationship conflict made my heart sing.
All in all, I loved this book and I am so excited for other readers to get to experience it firsthand.
Finally, thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!
In my effort to assign a Taylor Swift song to each book that I read this year (and in honor of the Taylor Swift references within the book that I LOVED), I have to say: this reminds me so much of Long Story Short. There's no more keeping score for Bunty and Bobbi--they just know there's more.
After reading and loving Dating Dr. Dil, I knew I’d love Nisha Sharma’s second book but I didn’t know just how obsessed I’d be. Shakespeare adaptations are always hit or miss for me but this was a bullseye. You could definitely see the nods to the source material if you were looking for them but they were subtle enough that they didn’t punch you in the face and the mystery in the story kept me guessing at every turn.
I’m not of South Asian descent but Nisha Sharma’s writing is so amazingly vivid, you can’t help but see just how beautiful the culture is. I was unfamiliar with certain clothing, traditions, and food items but I found myself googling and falling into internet rabbit holes as I learned. (And now I’m so excited to try some new recipes thanks to Chef Padda’s descriptions!) In addition to the beauty, she doesn’t shy away from addressing the internal prejudice within the culture and I deeply appreciate that look into an unfamiliar world.
Seeing a fat heroine who is unapologetic and doesn’t have to go on a journey of discovering self-love in the book was so refreshing; Bobbi loves herself and knows her worth and to me, that makes all the difference. I love how multi-faceted Nisha’s characters are because even if you can’t identify entirely with a character, it’s easy to see yourself within someone (shoutout to Bobbi’s gorgeous size, penchant for organization, and making everyone’s life easier except her own) in her world and I love how connected that makes me feel to the story.
Benjamin as a hero was everything! I love seeing a man so obsessed with a woman who doesn’t want to give him the time of day (even if it’s just because he put his foot in his mouth the first time things got a little heated). His journey of standing on his own outside of his family and the life they’d built was so well done. I don’t want to spoil anything but the resolution to his and Bobbi’s relationship conflict made my heart sing.
All in all, I loved this book and I am so excited for other readers to get to experience it firsthand.
Finally, thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Racism, Fatphobia, and Body shaming
Minor: Death of parent
thaliareads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
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? Yes
5.0
Thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager, as well as NetGalley, for the ARC!
Bobbi Kaur, wedding planner extraordinaire, is excited to finally get to plan the wedding for her best friend Kareena. However, she’s not excited that it means working with the groom’s best friend Benjamin, whom she has a rocky past with. Benjamin will do anything he can to change Bobbi’s opinion of him after he royally messed up. Fate intervenes in the form of a saboteur attempting to put a stop to their friends’ upcoming nuptials and forcing Bobbi and Benjamin to put their past aside and call a truce. Will they be able to figure out who is to blame? Will the close proximity break down the walls they’ve put up?
This was such a fun take on “Much Ado About Nothing”. It primarily likens the story of Bobbi and Benjamin to Beatrice and Benedick, however, it merges with parts of Hero and Claudio’s stories to provide a more original narrative. I actually enjoyed this much more than I did “Dating Dr.Dil”, which is saying a lot because I love “Taming of the Shrew”. This is just a joyous romp filled with mystery and drama that manages to maintain a sense of humor despite tense situations. I also really appreciated that despite being a retelling of a classic work, the relationship progression feels realistic to a modern environment. Additionally, I think the supporting subplots relating to meeting and addressing parental expectations, be they reasonable or unreasonable, is really important for a lot of people to read so that they can feel seen and maybe gain the confidence to address their own familial relationships. Finally, I love the meddling aunties and was so excited to see them back from the first book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia, Sexual content, and Body shaming
Moderate: Religious bigotry, Alcohol, Death, Death of parent, Racism, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Car accident
Sexual content is very detailed and appears in multiple instances throughout the book. While the main character is comfortable with her body, she does bring up the fact that it's not common for desi women to be accepted if they have a body type that is not deemed "traditional". I felt it was handled very well. Death and the death of parents and the car accident happen prior to the events of this book, but to play a role in why the main characters are the way they are. The wedding venue (intentional to the writing) comes off as minorly racist and bigoted against anything other than a "traditional" wedding ceremony. Benjamin's relationship with his father at the time of the book could be seen as toxic emotionally.
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