Reviews

First Love, Take Two by Sajni Patel

lemonadegirl29's review against another edition

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

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 against another edition

4.0

3.5

wenlingzhao's review

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 against another edition

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 against another edition

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 against another edition

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

voellera's review against another edition

funny hopeful reflective medium-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

3.75

emilywilliams97's review against another edition

emotional hopeful 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

melanie_books's review against another edition

3.0

Preeti is no stranger to pressure. As the chief resident in her dream practice, she is weeks away from her final presentation. The man she is dating (and his mother) really want to announce an engagement soon. She has supportive & loving parents, but some in her family and community look down on her for her past choices. The pressures have mounted, causing frequent anxiety attacks that only few know about. On top of it all, she is temporarily homeless and having to crash at her friend's house while she's out of town. The catch? Her new roommate is the man whose heart she broke six years ago. If only she was actually over him...

I really enjoyed returning to Preeti's community in this book. Sajni Patel does a great job of immersing the reader in the Indian community in Houston: the good, the bad, and the ugly. She shines a light on the stigma of mental health struggles, the racism, and the slanderous gossips that plague anyone who chooses to do anything different than the "norm." But she also has such a great family & friend group, who are always there for her. And then there is Daniel, who is a delight - caring for Preeti, even when he is hurt by her actions. The story got a bit spicy (though not explicit) at times, but was also super sweet - I do love me a second-chance romance! With any luck, we'll get a book about Sana next?!