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3.5k reviews for:
The Dating Plan: The One You Saw on TikTok! the Fake Dating Rom-Com You Need
Sara Desai
3.61 AVERAGE
3.5k reviews for:
The Dating Plan: The One You Saw on TikTok! the Fake Dating Rom-Com You Need
Sara Desai
3.61 AVERAGE
This book finished way better than it started.
That was harsh. Let me back up.
I feel like I’ve said this a lot over my last year of reviews, but I’m not into romance. “So Tianna, why do you keep reading romantic novels?” Good question random person who stumbled upon this review by an absolute nobody. It’s because I go in thinking it will be an easy read allowing me to enjoy something lighthearted and simple. And that’s kind of true. However, I get so annoyed with the triteness. I get annoyed when characters and interactions are forced. I can’t stand when the characters are one-dimensional and dry as cardboard. But also, new friend, sometimes they’re a nice little getaway! Like a weekend trip to visit family that you love, but you also know you’re going to have to field annoying questions about your life and hear stories that you’ve heard over and over for your entire life, but you still laugh at the parts you’re supposed to laugh and listen like it’s new and when the weekend is over you’re like, “aww, that was nice!” That was this book!
So much of it was trite. Daisy is so quirky! She’s SO quirky! Indian Zooey Deschanel. But she didn’t play a ukulele because she was too busy repping the Marvel Universe so hard that Tony Stark was literally on her BOOBS. A grown woman. With Iron Man t*ts. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, I’m just saying this was mentioned A LOT. She’s also average in a world full of beautiful people. Which is so hard I guess? I dunno, I found that Daisy could be extremely assertive and confident and suddenly wildly insecure and I couldn’t grasp the reality of that.
But here’s what I loved: Daisy’s family was the bomb. Her aunties were joys. As the story moved along and the author stopped repeating concepts she really wanted us to know, the story could be funny and sweet. I found myself genuinely laughing out loud during the hockey game chapter. And then I’d immediately get snatched back to reality by MORE MARVEL REFERENCES WE GET IT SHE LIKES THEM. I loved that these characters had real depth and problems outside of the plan. They had depth and trauma that they worked through. And while it doesn’t work out that fast in real life, I loved that it was even brought up. Everyone had some and everyone realized they couldn’t keep living like this. And they tried to do something about it, even when it wasn’t right.
The ending was...weird. It seemed like one last bit of drama was thrown in when it really didn’t have to be. And allllllll the callbacks came back into play. I’ve watched Hallmark, so I know I was supposed to like that, and maybe I would think it was cute as a movie, but for this it felt like a lot. But expected. Comforting, even. Like a family vacation.
Dammit. Now I’m doing callbacks.
That was harsh. Let me back up.
I feel like I’ve said this a lot over my last year of reviews, but I’m not into romance. “So Tianna, why do you keep reading romantic novels?” Good question random person who stumbled upon this review by an absolute nobody. It’s because I go in thinking it will be an easy read allowing me to enjoy something lighthearted and simple. And that’s kind of true. However, I get so annoyed with the triteness. I get annoyed when characters and interactions are forced. I can’t stand when the characters are one-dimensional and dry as cardboard. But also, new friend, sometimes they’re a nice little getaway! Like a weekend trip to visit family that you love, but you also know you’re going to have to field annoying questions about your life and hear stories that you’ve heard over and over for your entire life, but you still laugh at the parts you’re supposed to laugh and listen like it’s new and when the weekend is over you’re like, “aww, that was nice!” That was this book!
So much of it was trite. Daisy is so quirky! She’s SO quirky! Indian Zooey Deschanel. But she didn’t play a ukulele because she was too busy repping the Marvel Universe so hard that Tony Stark was literally on her BOOBS. A grown woman. With Iron Man t*ts. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, I’m just saying this was mentioned A LOT. She’s also average in a world full of beautiful people. Which is so hard I guess? I dunno, I found that Daisy could be extremely assertive and confident and suddenly wildly insecure and I couldn’t grasp the reality of that.
But here’s what I loved: Daisy’s family was the bomb. Her aunties were joys. As the story moved along and the author stopped repeating concepts she really wanted us to know, the story could be funny and sweet. I found myself genuinely laughing out loud during the hockey game chapter. And then I’d immediately get snatched back to reality by MORE MARVEL REFERENCES WE GET IT SHE LIKES THEM. I loved that these characters had real depth and problems outside of the plan. They had depth and trauma that they worked through. And while it doesn’t work out that fast in real life, I loved that it was even brought up. Everyone had some and everyone realized they couldn’t keep living like this. And they tried to do something about it, even when it wasn’t right.
The ending was...weird. It seemed like one last bit of drama was thrown in when it really didn’t have to be. And allllllll the callbacks came back into play. I’ve watched Hallmark, so I know I was supposed to like that, and maybe I would think it was cute as a movie, but for this it felt like a lot. But expected. Comforting, even. Like a family vacation.
Dammit. Now I’m doing callbacks.
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
4/5
I loved that the book covered a culture im not familiar with and that the main character was atypical. I feel like story development in romances is often unrealistic, but I try to not let it take away from the story. Definitely some eye roll moments, but it kept me entertained & was overall a good book
I loved that the book covered a culture im not familiar with and that the main character was atypical. I feel like story development in romances is often unrealistic, but I try to not let it take away from the story. Definitely some eye roll moments, but it kept me entertained & was overall a good book
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
i wont lie i was hung up on the fact that he's been horny for her since she turned 16 and that weirded me out bc hes like a few years older? 4? unclear but lots of weird implications towards a new 16 year old. the overall story was cute but third act stuff kinda made me roll my eyes and dropped this from a 3.5 to a 3, lots of miscommunication/lack of communication. also little bit of pick me energy coming from daisy. the spicy scenes were like a 2/5 for me, they felt unrealistically quick but who knows maybe liams a fucking wizard.
This book was cute but definitely could have been a lot shorter I thought it drug on a little long.
84% DNF. The main character wasn't likable and kinda flat. The male lead was better but didn't make sense either (e.g. he was 30 yet described as "Evolution’s most successful senior associate of all time"). Things were weird. Throughout the whole book, dialog was followed by a paragraph or 2 of explanation and back-story. A lot of telling, little showing.
Actually just 4 stars!!! This was super cute :) I loved the family dynamics and how much heart and humor this book had. I loved the chemistry between Daisy and Liam and all the whacky situations they got into. It only got a little drawn out near the end and I had to slightly suspend my disbelief for very minor aspects like people who happened to know each other or things like that. But overall I greatly enjoyed this and look forward to reading from Sara Desai again.
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Right now, I kind of have a rule where if I can’t make time to continue a book within a week, I just dnf it. Turns out it’s been a little longer than a week