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jadehusdanhicks's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
An interesting and diverse book, sam and laylas romance was a whirlwind. The enemies to lovers while fighting their feelings was a fun ride but I got in a slump nonetheless.
Though certainly perfect for one another, the toxicity of the surrounding bachelor and business drama just put a grey cloud over the book for me. Neeshas DV experience I feel was handled well though. Overall, it seemed like a great representation of the diversity of Indian culture but as I’m not part of the culture myself it’s an opinion to be taken with a pinch of salt.
Though certainly perfect for one another, the toxicity of the surrounding bachelor and business drama just put a grey cloud over the book for me. Neeshas DV experience I feel was handled well though. Overall, it seemed like a great representation of the diversity of Indian culture but as I’m not part of the culture myself it’s an opinion to be taken with a pinch of salt.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic friendship, Violence, Domestic abuse, Body shaming, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Blood, Misogyny, and Medical content
avidreaderandgeekgirl's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
After a terrible breakup, Layla returns home and decides to open her own business in the office above her family's restaurants. But her dad has already leased the office to Sam. When Sam arrives for his first day in his new office, he finds his polar opposite and new enemy Layla at his desk. So, they make a wager, if Sam helps Layla find and go through a list of potential husbands then Sam gets the office. But maybe they're a perfect match, for each other.
The book was as predictable as most contemporary romances. It had a good amount of humor but not quite enough spice. Most of the sex was off page, with some foreplay depicted.
I think this book should have been at least 2 hours shorter. I got to around 69% and wondered how there could be so much of the book left. It just felt very drawn out.
Overall a pretty good book, just too long and with not enough spice. Also, a bit heavier than your usual contemporary romance, which I wasn't expecting.
The book was as predictable as most contemporary romances. It had a good amount of humor but not quite enough spice. Most of the sex was off page, with some foreplay depicted.
I think this book should have been at least 2 hours shorter. I got to around 69% and wondered how there could be so much of the book left. It just felt very drawn out.
Overall a pretty good book, just too long and with not enough spice. Also, a bit heavier than your usual contemporary romance, which I wasn't expecting.
Extra ratings: Fluff - 2/5 Heartfelt- 3.5/5 Helpful-NA Horror- 0/5 Inspiration- NA Love aka Romance-4.5/5 Mystery-0/5 Predictability- 4.5/5 Spice- 2/5 Suspense- 0/5 Tear 1.5/5 Thrill- 0/5 Humor-3.5/5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Sexism, and Sexual content
Moderate: Body shaming, Grief, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
Minor: Death, Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Car accident
vj_thompson's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
This book was an emotional roller coaster that I did not need. I wasn’t a fan of Sam and Layla’s relationship. I thought it was very unhealthy. I also hated how every male character was written. Not every man constantly thinks about banging women…
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Cursing, Sexual content, Domestic abuse, and Misogyny
Moderate: Alcoholism, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Grief, Body shaming, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Death, Vomit, Violence, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Car accident
sweetchocolatez's review against another edition
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Chronic illness, Infidelity, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Alcohol, Classism, Death, Grief, and Medical content
Moderate: Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Sexism, Vomit, Violence, and Misogyny
Minor: Emotional abuse
rachelkays's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
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? Yes
3.0
NOT A ROMANCE WHERE THE GIRL PROPOSES 😭 I was appalled. Other than that, this was a very safe, averagely entertaining romance. I liked the story but at times I felt like the writing jumped around too much. Layla and Sam were very Wattpad in both an enjoyable and cringey way. The spice was there but lacking. One thing I did like was how quickly their miscommunication problems were always solved. This was a very solid, Hallmark channely angst-less romance.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Blood, Body shaming, Car accident, Vomit, Ableism, Death, Emotional abuse, and Sexual content
mypatronusisajedi's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
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? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Domestic abuse, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, and Physical abuse
Minor: Car accident
allyhoo811's review
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Rating: 2.5 rounded down to a 2
I read this book because I picked up the sequel through Book of the Month and, even though I know it isn't usually required in romance series, I like to read my books in publication order. Contemporary romance is rarely my thing, so fans of this genre should take my review with a grain of salt.
Basically this book is a slightly spicier version of a Hallmark movie. Tropey characters, contrived plot that brings the two love interests together -- it wasn't anything special or revolutionary. The overall story was entertaining in a cheesy sort of way, and I didn't hate reading it, but I did have some major issues with the characterization of the two leads:
1) The instanta-attraction/lust/whatever you want to call it was ridiculous. These two people were supposed to be irritated/annoyed/pissed-off with each other, but their internal dialogue in the first conversation was just cringe-worthy objectification of each other's bodies. That's fine at a bar, but these two people were in an office, it didn't make sense in that scenario.
2) These 2 people were supposed to be late-20's, early-30's age adults. The conflict they had over the office was like 2 middle schoolers fighting over a seat in class. In real life, this one have been a non-issue: Layla would have realized she didn't have a legal right to be in the office or Sam would have been compassionate because her father was in the hospital or they would have just agreed to share until her father was on the mend and things could be worked out. The whole thing made them both look petty and ridiculous.
3) Sam's possessiveness (right off the bat to boot) was not attractive...It was weird at best and controlling at worst. I don't care what happened to his sister, he doesn't need to try to beat up every guy that talks to a woman he just met. He harped on how the men on Layla's list were all creeps who leered at her backside and yet his entire inner-monologue was about how hot she was. Hypocritical-much?
(Edited to add) 2 Additional Problematic Elements (for me):
The continuous portrayal of Sam's job in corporate restructuring/downsizing as evil and a reflection of his character flaws. It's fine to show someone not loving their job and leaving for something more fulfilling to them personally. It's also fine to portray characters who have lost their job as angry at the people who made the decision. It's not okay to portray corporate restructuring and those who work in that industry as evil SOBs out to get everyone. If a company is going bankrupt, cuts have to be made or the whole ship goes under. In a similar vein, it's not cool to portray every person who works in HR as mustache twirling, sex-crazed villains, who get their kicks by making people cry.
I did think the author wrote well and the second half of the book was much better than the first. The interactions the 2 main characters had with their families really saved this one for me. I did find this one entertaining enough, especially with it being a debut, that I will be still be reading the second installment in the series.
I read this book because I picked up the sequel through Book of the Month and, even though I know it isn't usually required in romance series, I like to read my books in publication order. Contemporary romance is rarely my thing, so fans of this genre should take my review with a grain of salt.
Basically this book is a slightly spicier version of a Hallmark movie. Tropey characters, contrived plot that brings the two love interests together -- it wasn't anything special or revolutionary. The overall story was entertaining in a cheesy sort of way, and I didn't hate reading it, but I did have some major issues with the characterization of the two leads:
1) The instanta-attraction/lust/whatever you want to call it was ridiculous. These two people were supposed to be irritated/annoyed/pissed-off with each other, but their internal dialogue in the first conversation was just cringe-worthy objectification of each other's bodies. That's fine at a bar, but these two people were in an office, it didn't make sense in that scenario.
2) These 2 people were supposed to be late-20's, early-30's age adults. The conflict they had over the office was like 2 middle schoolers fighting over a seat in class. In real life, this one have been a non-issue: Layla would have realized she didn't have a legal right to be in the office or Sam would have been compassionate because her father was in the hospital or they would have just agreed to share until her father was on the mend and things could be worked out. The whole thing made them both look petty and ridiculous.
3) Sam's possessiveness (right off the bat to boot) was not attractive...It was weird at best and controlling at worst. I don't care what happened to his sister, he doesn't need to try to beat up every guy that talks to a woman he just met. He harped on how the men on Layla's list were all creeps who leered at her backside and yet his entire inner-monologue was about how hot she was. Hypocritical-much?
(Edited to add) 2 Additional Problematic Elements (for me):
The continuous portrayal of Sam's job in corporate restructuring/downsizing as evil and a reflection of his character flaws. It's fine to show someone not loving their job and leaving for something more fulfilling to them personally. It's also fine to portray characters who have lost their job as angry at the people who made the decision. It's not okay to portray corporate restructuring and those who work in that industry as evil SOBs out to get everyone. If a company is going bankrupt, cuts have to be made or the whole ship goes under. In a similar vein, it's not cool to portray every person who works in HR as mustache twirling, sex-crazed villains, who get their kicks by making people cry.
I did think the author wrote well and the second half of the book was much better than the first. The interactions the 2 main characters had with their families really saved this one for me. I did find this one entertaining enough, especially with it being a debut, that I will be still be reading the second installment in the series.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexism, and Sexual content
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Car accident, Grief, Medical content, Medical trauma, Toxic relationship, and Vomit
irisheyz77's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Chronic illness, Misogyny, Sexism, and Sexual content
Minor: Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Medical content, and Medical trauma
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.whatcaitreads's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
PROs: Strong character development, diverse cast of characters, enemies to lovers trope, and lovable supporting characters (including overbearing friends and family members)!
CONs: Layla and Sam had very quickly-changing emotions which made it sometimes hard to justify their actions. Also, Layla's impulsive decision to switch from casual relationships to looking for a husband was confusing for me. The medium pace was sometimes hard to follow as I tend to favor fast-paced books.
CONs: Layla and Sam had very quickly-changing emotions which made it sometimes hard to justify their actions. Also, Layla's impulsive decision to switch from casual relationships to looking for a husband was confusing for me. The medium pace was sometimes hard to follow as I tend to favor fast-paced books.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
Minor: Body shaming
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