A review by lewnie
Dating Dr. Dil by Nisha Sharma

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. 

 
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