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A review by coolbeans
The Dating Plan by Sara Desai
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
This quirky, fast-paced romance brought everything it advertised and grew into a comfort read for me. It didn't blow my expectations away and probably won't be a reread for me in the future, but the warm, comfortable confines of the contents were like a nice piece of pizza or favorite scoop of ice cream. Familiar and a nice spot of fun for a little while.
Daisy Patel, the main character, brought the quirkiness and quite a love of Marvel superheroes and software engineering. She fit the story well for me and for the most part her love interest, Liam Murphy, did as well. I didn't play into his charm as much as Daisy seemed to at times. I understand that this story was an "opposites attract" kind of deal, but I was still wondering why these two were so taken by each other at times. Ultimately, the fake dating trope, the high jinks that ensues on their various planned dates, and the sad backstory of both characters pumped energy and life into this story. The backstory of the characters does take a more tragic, deeper dive beyond the surface of the story, but doesn't usually stay there for long. Just long enough for you to glimpse more of an understanding of why these main characters chose to take the paths that they did.
I gave this comforting contemporary romance a solid, comfortable 3 out of 5 stars. It was a good read. I didn't read this book for hard-hitting storylines or deep philosophical questioning, but a cute, fun read to take me away from reality for a few hours. Mission accomplished. Also, I love the Patel family. If I was Liam, I would have much rather been over at their house all the time as well.
I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this title.
Daisy Patel, the main character, brought the quirkiness and quite a love of Marvel superheroes and software engineering. She fit the story well for me and for the most part her love interest, Liam Murphy, did as well. I didn't play into his charm as much as Daisy seemed to at times. I understand that this story was an "opposites attract" kind of deal, but I was still wondering why these two were so taken by each other at times. Ultimately, the fake dating trope, the high jinks that ensues on their various planned dates, and the sad backstory of both characters pumped energy and life into this story. The backstory of the characters does take a more tragic, deeper dive beyond the surface of the story, but doesn't usually stay there for long. Just long enough for you to glimpse more of an understanding of why these main characters chose to take the paths that they did.
I gave this comforting contemporary romance a solid, comfortable 3 out of 5 stars. It was a good read. I didn't read this book for hard-hitting storylines or deep philosophical questioning, but a cute, fun read to take me away from reality for a few hours. Mission accomplished. Also, I love the Patel family. If I was Liam, I would have much rather been over at their house all the time as well.
I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this title.
Content Warnings
Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse