Reviews

First Love, Take Two by Sajni Patel

cobaltbookshelf's review

2.0

Miscommunication trope with second chance romance needs to be stopped.

c_elise's review

3.0

***3.5 stars***

This book gets an official review because I won my copy in a goodreads giveaway! I was very curious about Preeti and Daniel’s history while reading the previous book in this series, so I was very excited to see they were getting their own book.

First, despite what the adorable cover might have led you to believe, this is not a lighthearted romcom.

The story focuses primarily on Preeti’s struggle with her mental health, and I feel like her perspective was written well and respectfully. I really liked how strong and true to herself her character was despite everything she was going through.

Spoiler

Seeing Preeti find her voice and stand up to her extended family, Yuvan, AND Yuvan’s family at the end was extremely satisfying.

Now for the aspects I didn’t love: So. Much. Miscommunication. There’s the obvious miscommunication between Preeti and Daniel (for 6 YEARS), and even more between Preeti, her parents and Yuvan.

Spoiler

I was also confused by Daniel’s reactions at some points. From the beginning of the book, I was under the impression that Daniel knew his family still regularly spent time with Preeti. But then he gets very suddenly angry with Preeti about this, as if he had no idea. Daniel goes from comforting her through a panic attack, to shutting her out, to acting like they’re back in a romantic relationship, all in a relatively short section of the book.

Tropes: second chance romance, forced proximity/one bed, miscommunication

TW: racism, mentions of SA, depression/anxiety, stillbirth, parental pressure/expectations

TL;DR: not a romcom, but lots of discussion of mental health. Sweet second chance romance if you don’t mind lots of miscommunication

farhana101's review

4.0

*3.5 stars
While I do love how this book touches on mental health issues in desi culture, the main plot dragged on for sooo long. It felt more like a contemporary than a romance, but thats not to day the romance isnt there and that Daniel isnt THE MOST understanding book boyfriend ever!

lemonadegirl29's review

emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective 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

3.5

theebita's review against another edition

This is a soft DNF because I might it up later. A read and the improbability wouldn't throw me off this much but that combined with the over-explanatory / hyper defensive narration and the cheating trope, I just couldn’t do it.
 

juliettecai's review

4.0

3.5

wenlingzhao's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.75

• this book put me in a reading slump because it was so strangely paced and everything about the romance was so obvious that the book felt like 80% literary fiction
  • why did everything in their relationship speed up in the last 5% like I get the point trying to be proved but
    marriage
    was doing too much
• literally did not care for any characters
  • I don't know if Preeti was just bland, or if I need dual POV books to understand what the guy sees in the girl, but literally what did Daniel see in Preeti
  • I was impartial to Daniel he was okay but he had no flaws so he was too perfect, apart from the fact that he was definitely love-bombing Preeti with
    the house and everything else
• I did think the exploration of familial piety was good
• the most unrealistic part of the book, coming from an Asian, was the fact that any of Preeti's elders/family understood and comprehended the RANTS she was going on about in English 🤣

jahoffie's review

lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

theeuphoriczat's review

4.0

This was a very cute and powerful book. It explores the imbalance between cultural expectations and love. We follow Preeti Patel who is doctor trying to lock in employment at the hospital where she has just completed her residency. With the stress of that, she also has to put on a mask with her family considering that she is about to marry a man who she does not feel comfortably having contact with (she doesn't like him touching her, not because he is creepy or anything)

But, we are introduced to extremely handsome and sexy Daniel Thompson. Her ex. She broke up with him after his father basically told her she is unworthy of being with Daniel. Another factor that played a huge part in them breaking up is the fact that Daniel is Black and Preeti's Indian aunties were basically blowing a carotid because of that. However Preeti never told Daniel the reason why she broke things off with him.

So when Liya suggests that Preeti share an apartment with Daniel while she searches for a new place to stay, she is hesitant but with no options. She would rather eat a shoe than move back in with her parents. This is how they start living together. This might not be extremely steamy but, Daniel definitely got my mouth watering!

This book explores race, culture, mental health, abandonment and more.

rachaeloneill's review

emotional hopeful lighthearted slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0