Scan barcode
mariah_poulin's review
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Sexism
Minor: Death of parent
thewordsdevourer's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.25
dating dr. dil is a fast, lighthearted romcom that actually lives up to its genre for once, and one thats def got a lot of heart (in more ways than one) tho i do have issues w/ its main conflicts.
i love the characters (sans kareena's immediate fam): both kareena and prem are complex, w/ the latter sometimes turning me to goo bc of his thoughtfulness; their friends are hilarious; and the former's aunties are amusingly chaotic. the novel's also got a big heart - w/ kareena's ties to her mom thru the house and car, prem's desire to improve healthcare for his community - and its exploration of south asian issues like the immigrant experience, societal pressure, family, misogyny and sexism are appreciatively nuanced. throw in mouthwatering indian food and gorgeous indian clothes + culture, and it's a great read.
which it def couldve been if only i didnt find the novel's central conflicts - namely the selling of the house and prem's issue w/ love - unconvincing. for the former, rina's dad certainly has no qualms selling the house his dead wife toiled over, esp considering how loved up they were. and why the sudden extension at the end? he couldve made rina's life so much less stressful since the beginning. for the latter, i find it hard to believe prem's aversion/non-belief in love. gori's used as an explanation, but what abt before he met her? and he seems so hell-bent on it just to flip his entire philosophy after a single convo.
in the end, this book def succeeds at what it sets out to do - a romcom thats actually romantic and funny - but its core conflicts are too-obvious tools that exist just to make the heroine's life miserable.
i love the characters (sans kareena's immediate fam): both kareena and prem are complex, w/ the latter sometimes turning me to goo bc of his thoughtfulness; their friends are hilarious; and the former's aunties are amusingly chaotic. the novel's also got a big heart - w/ kareena's ties to her mom thru the house and car, prem's desire to improve healthcare for his community - and its exploration of south asian issues like the immigrant experience, societal pressure, family, misogyny and sexism are appreciatively nuanced. throw in mouthwatering indian food and gorgeous indian clothes + culture, and it's a great read.
which it def couldve been if only i didnt find the novel's central conflicts - namely the selling of the house and prem's issue w/ love - unconvincing. for the former, rina's dad certainly has no qualms selling the house his dead wife toiled over, esp considering how loved up they were. and why the sudden extension at the end? he couldve made rina's life so much less stressful since the beginning. for the latter, i find it hard to believe prem's aversion/non-belief in love. gori's used as an explanation, but what abt before he met her? and he seems so hell-bent on it just to flip his entire philosophy after a single convo.
in the end, this book def succeeds at what it sets out to do - a romcom thats actually romantic and funny - but its core conflicts are too-obvious tools that exist just to make the heroine's life miserable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Medical content
Minor: Death of parent and Grief
thecajunbookworm's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
Loooved this book!!!
I absolutely love the fake dating trope, gets me every time!
I loved the reading and seeing the cultural influence involved with dating and marriage as it relates to the main characters.
The characters were lovable and relatable! The dialogue flowed so well…I could gush about this one for a while!!
So good!
I absolutely love the fake dating trope, gets me every time!
I loved the reading and seeing the cultural influence involved with dating and marriage as it relates to the main characters.
The characters were lovable and relatable! The dialogue flowed so well…I could gush about this one for a while!!
So good!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent
sultrytartreviews's review
emotional
funny
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
4.5
I really enjoyed the excitement of this book. The story was contently moving which I liked a lot. Kareen had a great energy and I loved her character. She was realistic but still romantic. Plus, she had an amazing group of friends who were always fun on page and were not afraid of pulling punches. I had a harder time liking Prem for most of the book. I saw his view point on love as just sorta...odd. We do get down to his reasoning later on, but it's a short lived epiphany and we just move on so he can resolve his mistakes. I wanted to see more growth on page, even if I did like his character more at the end. I also really wanted to punt her sister. She was obnoxious the whole way through and I was convinced there was going to be a twist of her fiancé dropping her (unfortunately, this didn't actually happen). I'd be excited to read more in this series, especially if they follow Kareena's friends. Huge bonus, I did actually find the writing funny. I did not enjoy the fact that Prem named his dick. It was awkward...but since I was listening to the audio I sorta blacked out when he would say it and then just go on as if nothing had happened. I also wished the enemies stage had lasted longer. It felt a little short considering the original source material and the feelings Kareen was waving around.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent
public humiliationaargot1's review
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Death of parent, and Sexism
hillysreads's review
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and Sexual content
arthur_ant18's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Misogyny, Sexism, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Sexual content
Moderate: Terminal illness and Death of parent
Minor: Alcohol
thevicariousheroine's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Legit everything you would ever want in a Rom-com. This is 100% for the South Asian girlies but, thank you for letting this fellow immigrant kid ( and firstborn daughter 🥴) peek into your experience.
The story of figuring out how to be loved in the way you deserve and communicating that is a universal story. Kareena and Prem were relatable and funny characters. Mrs. Sharma managed to make realistic and loving characters with a believable conflict. This was a story about so many kinds of love within a community and how culture makes expressing it difficult.
Between the steamy scenes, swoon-worthy declarations of “not love”, and laugh-out-loud moments I can’t recommend this refreshing story enough.
Edit: I don’t think I explained how cute this was. It has eating competitions, our love interest saving the mc from her cinnamon allergy, kitchen fights, with a sprinkle of jealousy throughout. Like I said, perfect rom-com.
The story of figuring out how to be loved in the way you deserve and communicating that is a universal story. Kareena and Prem were relatable and funny characters. Mrs. Sharma managed to make realistic and loving characters with a believable conflict. This was a story about so many kinds of love within a community and how culture makes expressing it difficult.
Between the steamy scenes, swoon-worthy declarations of “not love”, and laugh-out-loud moments I can’t recommend this refreshing story enough.
Edit: I don’t think I explained how cute this was. It has eating competitions, our love interest saving the mc from her cinnamon allergy, kitchen fights, with a sprinkle of jealousy throughout. Like I said, perfect rom-com.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent
lewnie's review
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
4.0
Still single at thirty, Kareena is feeling the pressure from her family. When her father announces that he is retiring and selling their family home, Kareena is devastated but she doesn’t have enough saved for a downpayment. Needing the funds her father has promised when she gets engaged, she decides the time to fall in love is now.
Dr. Prem Verma doesn’t believe in love. In fact, he could– and does– make the argument that it’s bad for your health. But his dream of building a community health center for the South Asian community is put on hold by his investors after an argument between him and Kareena goes viral. Now they could both benefit from a successful engagement, but first Prem has to convince Kareena that this is a good idea because she has her heart set on a love marriage.
The good:I really enjoyed reading about the customs and traditions of Kareena and Prem’s community. While it was different from my own culture, I was able to really sympathize with both characters’ points of view. I also really enjoyed the characterization. I thought that there was meaningful development for both Kareena and Prem, and even their families and friends. Additionally, I really liked the relationship between the two of them and how it evolved.
The bad: This is more of a personal preference, but some of the pop-culture references seemed a little over the top and unnecessary. I know other folks really enjoy that in their stories, but for some reason it really takes me out of the narrative. In this case it was the over-emphasis on Taylor Swift and the odd nicknames for her. Again though, this is just a personal preference and I don’t think it takes anything away from the overall story.
Also, Prem uses “Charlie” as a euphemism for male genitalia, which I really could have done without.
Overall: This was a delightful Shakespearean retelling. There was banter, a little spice, and a lot of character development. I think what I enjoyed most was that both Kareena and Prem stayed true to themselves while still growing together as a couple. Prem was completely clueless to his own feelings throughout, which is one of my absolutely favorite tropes in romance. This was definitely one for the eldest daughters, and I really resonated with Kareena. I absolutely enjoyed the representation and learning more about Desi and South Asian cultures.
For fans of: Jasmine Guillory, Rachel Lynn Solomon, Sara Desai, and Sonali Dev.
Rep.: Author, main characters, and supporting characters are people of color.
CW: sexual content, misogyny, death of a parent, grief, sexism, classism.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexual content, and Sexism
Moderate: Grief and Death of parent
Minor: Classism
librarybookscene's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Medical content, Toxic relationship, Sexism, and Misogyny
Minor: Alcohol, Grief, and Kidnapping