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A review by duaazahra
The Trouble with Hating You by Sajni Patel
emotional
funny
inspiring
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
I love a good enemies to lovers storyline and seeing my favourite trope in a South Asian romcom? *Chefs kiss* And look at this beautiful cover! This book did take a little while for me to fully get into, but once I did I really liked it.
The Trouble With Hating you follows Liya, a young Indian woman who comes from a traditional, conservative family. Liya is the opposite of her parents — she’s outspoken, liberal, and not afraid to hold her ground. When her parents try to arrange yet another suitor for her to marry, something she’s made clear she’s not interested in, she’s immediately turned off by him. The only problem is he shows up to her work that same week, as the man in charge of saving her company. The story follows Liya and Jay’s journey of going from two people who can’t stand each other to slowly letting their guards down, and also making an impactful change in their community. It’s also filled with beautiful side stories about friendship, strength, and family — both given and chosen.
I thought the first couple of chapters were a little slow and I wasn’t exactly sure where the story was going, but after that, it really found its pace. I loved the contrast between Liya and Jay, and I loved how the story showed that South Asian culture isn’t a monolith. You have people and families with different customs and beliefs, and while Liya’s family held a more conservative view of the world, Jay’s family were quite the opposite. And sweet Jay — he’s one of my favourite type of MMC’s — soft, understanding, will turn into a cinnamon role for his girl, but fiery and determined at the same time.
One of the reasons I really loved this book was because of how much of myself and my upbringing I saw in Liya. There were so many things that she went though that I went through myself, and I understood exactly why she was the way she was and why she was so apprehensive about love and culture. And watching her growth was one of my favourite parts of the book.
The Trouble With Hating you follows Liya, a young Indian woman who comes from a traditional, conservative family. Liya is the opposite of her parents — she’s outspoken, liberal, and not afraid to hold her ground. When her parents try to arrange yet another suitor for her to marry, something she’s made clear she’s not interested in, she’s immediately turned off by him. The only problem is he shows up to her work that same week, as the man in charge of saving her company. The story follows Liya and Jay’s journey of going from two people who can’t stand each other to slowly letting their guards down, and also making an impactful change in their community. It’s also filled with beautiful side stories about friendship, strength, and family — both given and chosen.
I thought the first couple of chapters were a little slow and I wasn’t exactly sure where the story was going, but after that, it really found its pace. I loved the contrast between Liya and Jay, and I loved how the story showed that South Asian culture isn’t a monolith. You have people and families with different customs and beliefs, and while Liya’s family held a more conservative view of the world, Jay’s family were quite the opposite. And sweet Jay — he’s one of my favourite type of MMC’s — soft, understanding, will turn into a cinnamon role for his girl, but fiery and determined at the same time.
One of the reasons I really loved this book was because of how much of myself and my upbringing I saw in Liya. There were so many things that she went though that I went through myself, and I understood exactly why she was the way she was and why she was so apprehensive about love and culture. And watching her growth was one of my favourite parts of the book.
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual assault, Death of parent, and Emotional abuse