Reviews

The Trouble with Hating You by Sajni Patel

jujijaja's review against another edition

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4.0

this was so cute!! had me screaming into my pillow at times skdhdie

srirachaa's review against another edition

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3.0

3.5? | it was alright! i dont have much words other than that

laurenreadsabook's review against another edition

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4.0

Tears 

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aninia's review against another edition

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fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.0

lariibalarini's review against another edition

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5.0

[Maybe 4.5] [Also, check content warnings/TW]
I would give Liya the world if I could, but Jay's gonna do that.
The book could've been a little bit shorter maybe, but I loved it overall.

ananya_shah3's review

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective relaxing 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

3.75

melanie_books's review against another edition

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4.0

Liya has a love-hate relationship with her Indian community. While there are individuals - her mom & her friends - whom she loves, there are others - her father & the gossipy aunties - whom she finds harder to stomach. Caught between her traditional upbringing and her very non-traditional lifestyle, she is in no mood to be set up with anyone - least of all Jay, the guy her parents have chosen for her. Jay is surprised, to say the least, when the girl he's meant to be meeting literally runs into him as she tries to escape the houseā€¦and later when she turns out to be a manager at the company his firm has been hired at.

Liya was a fascinating character in a setting that may be in my home country but one that is far removed from my own upbringing. Sajni Patel does a wonderful job at portraying life in and out of an Indian community - the pressures, the assumptions, the drama - while also shining a light on darker side of the community. Liya & Jay's relationship was beautiful, especially his patience in the face of her aggression which was borne out of a lot of pain. Knowing that the author was writing from a place of personal experience gave the story even more weight. The resolution at the end was very appropriate and touching. [Side note: I was originally a little disappointed that Liya's friends didn't get more of a conclusion to their stories but then I discovered that this was going to be a series!]

jcpdiesel21's review against another edition

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3.0

Not bad. The premise here is interesting with a strong focus on both Indian culture and family relationships. I enjoyed reading about these two strong-willed characters and appreciated the incorporation of some heavier themes with the trauma that both Liya and Jay have dealt with in the past that led them to become reluctant to fully open up to others as adults. The biggest problem that I had with the book is the pacing, as it hit a rut around halfway through with Jay persistently pursuing Liya but her repeatedly turning him down, and this dynamic continued for far too long.

shirleymak's review against another edition

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3.0

3.5* cute romance book! Liya (unwillingly) gets set up with Jay by her parents and storms out of the dinner only to meet Jay again a few days later, where he's the lawyer who's going to help her company stay afloat. Something happened in Liya's past that turns her off from commitment and relationships. ENEMIES TO LOVERS WE LOVE TO SEE IT. Solid romance book :)

TW: sexual assault, rape

div143's review against another edition

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2.0

I honestly felt icky the entire time reading this, heavy subject matter without analyzing the complex cultural/psychological effects, it just felt like the book used trauma as a narrative tool to prove devotion and add drama