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kayschwe's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-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? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Sexual content, Car accident, Death, and Medical content
kfmcf's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
slow-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
3.75
Really my only issue was this book was that it relied a little to heavily on pop culture references (eg., Layla references the Princess Bride a lot and it even makes an appearance in the epilogue where Sam now knows what it is). I don't mind if books have sprinklings of references but this one almost seemed ingrained in the character development.
The plot of the book was definitely weaker than the characters, but honestly I would much rather have it that way than the reverse. I found the characters enjoyable and relatable if not possibly needing a bit more grounding. The side characters were very enjoyable and I'm glad to be seeing more of them in the sequels which I will happily read.
The plot of the book was definitely weaker than the characters, but honestly I would much rather have it that way than the reverse. I found the characters enjoyable and relatable if not possibly needing a bit more grounding. The side characters were very enjoyable and I'm glad to be seeing more of them in the sequels which I will happily read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Grief and Domestic abuse
Minor: Alcohol, Car accident, Child death, Death, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
ldystargazer's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
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: Sexual content
Minor: Alcoholism and Death
valeria_gzz's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
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
3.75
3,75 Okay so I liked it and it was VERY FUNNY, and I loved all the Princess Bride talk and references, but there are buts to this. I didn’t like how overprotective Sam was of someone he literally just met, or how the book was full of sentences describing Layla’s butt or chest or literally any other part of her. When he was chill I liked it but I don’t really like the overprotective guy trope, it’s pretty creepy. I did like that Sam and Layla both actually had other things going on besides falling in love with each other AND I liked that this was sorta realistic with the timeline being 6 months.
And I wanted to add that I’m not Indian-American but this doesn’t seem completely accurate?? I can’t explain what specific parts but it just doesn’t feel ‘right’.
Long story short I did like this book but there were parts of it that made me roll my eyes, cringe a bit, and feel annoyed at Sam. And I liked the Dating Plan a lot more. I did like Layla she was cool.
And I wanted to add that I’m not Indian-American but this doesn’t seem completely accurate?? I can’t explain what specific parts but it just doesn’t feel ‘right’.
Long story short I did like this book but there were parts of it that made me roll my eyes, cringe a bit, and feel annoyed at Sam. And I liked the Dating Plan a lot more. I did like Layla she was cool.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Car accident, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting
peachani's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Car accident, Medical content, and Violence
Minor: Alcohol, Death, and Fatphobia
bright_eyed_and_bookish's review
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Hilarious banter. However, I couldn't care much for the romance, first of all because the first kiss was poorly timed. Idk. The intimacy and the "I want you"s can pop up out of nowhere.
Setting that aside, I would recommend this for fans of the "many suitors competing" trope, because it is pretty entertaining going through that list.
Setting that aside, I would recommend this for fans of the "many suitors competing" trope, because it is pretty entertaining going through that list.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death
plumpaperbacks's review
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
The two worst things about this book were the overwhelming number of sexual jokes in the first half and the love interest Sam. The former is simply not something I enjoy, and the latter was unexpectedly obnoxious and equally off-putting. I didn’t think it was possible for a man to be so arrogant or obtuse.
My favorite characters were Layla, Daisy, Nisha, and Max. John also ended up being a good guy. My least favorite characters were Sam and Royce. I won’t even get into how much of an awful person Royce was, or Sam’s tendency to threaten Layla’s other potential suitors. More on that in a minute.
I feel like Layla and Sam had no chemistry. They thought the other person was hot, and that’s about it. I kept reading in hopes that I’d end up invested in their relationship, but that unfortunately didn’t happen. I wasn’t really invested in any part of this book; I just kept reading because I was curious and didn’t have anything better to do.
Honestly, I think that some of the guys Layla went on blind dates with would’ve been better for her than Sam. Sunny seemed decent, as did one or two others whose names I can’t remember. Only a couple of them were actually bad. All the others, in my opinion, had one trait or hobby that was overly exaggerated, likely to try and make sure you know that Layla is *only* compatible with Sam. Can’t have anyone outshining the love interest. Gotta make them weirdos to make sure that doesn’t happen, because it would be too easy otherwise.
I thought about giving this two stars, but decided on two and a half because of the few characters I did like. I liked the scenes in the Patel family restaurant, and when Layla and Nisha went clothes shopping. Oh, and the adorable little doggo, Max. What a good boy.
The Marriage Game definitely wasn’t my cup of tea, but I didn’t hate it and I do think some people might enjoy it. I eventually plan to read another book from Desai, which will hopefully be more enjoyable and less frustrating than this one.
Representation
My favorite characters were Layla, Daisy, Nisha, and Max. John also ended up being a good guy. My least favorite characters were Sam and Royce. I won’t even get into how much of an awful person Royce was, or Sam’s tendency to threaten Layla’s other potential suitors. More on that in a minute.
I feel like Layla and Sam had no chemistry. They thought the other person was hot, and that’s about it. I kept reading in hopes that I’d end up invested in their relationship, but that unfortunately didn’t happen. I wasn’t really invested in any part of this book; I just kept reading because I was curious and didn’t have anything better to do.
Honestly, I think that some of the guys Layla went on blind dates with would’ve been better for her than Sam. Sunny seemed decent, as did one or two others whose names I can’t remember. Only a couple of them were actually bad. All the others, in my opinion, had one trait or hobby that was overly exaggerated, likely to try and make sure you know that Layla is *only* compatible with Sam. Can’t have anyone outshining the love interest. Gotta make them weirdos to make sure that doesn’t happen, because it would be too easy otherwise.
I thought about giving this two stars, but decided on two and a half because of the few characters I did like. I liked the scenes in the Patel family restaurant, and when Layla and Nisha went clothes shopping. Oh, and the adorable little doggo, Max. What a good boy.
The Marriage Game definitely wasn’t my cup of tea, but I didn’t hate it and I do think some people might enjoy it. I eventually plan to read another book from Desai, which will hopefully be more enjoyable and less frustrating than this one.
Representation
- Indian protagonist, love interest, and side characters
- Indian side character in a wheelchair
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Misogyny, Sexism, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Ableism, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, and Grief
Minor: Death, Car accident, Violence, and Body shaming
The abuse, alcoholism, toxic relationship, violence, and death are referring to incidents that occurred prior to the story and are mentioned on-page.madamepincers's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Medical content, Emotional abuse, Sexism, and Sexual content
Moderate: Ableism, Car accident, and Grief
Minor: Death
Male MC has a tendency towards physical violence and gets in physical altercations multiple times. Side character unable to walk after falling/being pushed down stairs.kerrireads's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Death and Domestic abuse
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