I really wanted to love this one after reading the first book in this series, but I just didn’t. The plot pace felt very slow until about the last 25%, and the first 75% felt repetitive at times. The third act breakup really bothered me, and I can’t say why without spoilers, but I’ll just say it didn’t make much sense given the rest of the story. I think this book was just too long, and could’ve done with some paring down. But there were still things I really enjoyed about it! I loved the continuation of the CMC friend group and their involvement in the story, and could’ve even had more of them in this book. I loved Payal’s passion for designing, and how inspired she was by her Indian culture. Her banter with Ayaan was fun and I could feel the chemistry between the two of them, and I thought they worked well together. I’m glad to have read this book and gotten more out of the characters, and I plan on read the next one whenever it comes out.

Ayaan is under immense pressure from his family to settle down and take things seriously now that he is over 30. When his brother is named CEO of the family business, he has to fight the urge to believe he is worthless and lazy. Payal is trying to step from behind he family’s massive shadow and showcase her own designs. Old friends reconnecting, what could wrong…or right? This book is a cozy rom com intertwined with humor and sarcasm and a London twist. I would give this book 4 out 5 stars and highly recommend it.

A SUDDEN ARRANGED MARRIAGE FILLED WITH DRAMA
rating: 3 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing an E-ARC!

Payal Mehra is a simple, bubbly girl filled with a sense of fashion, passion, and a girl who hasn't really felt romance fully. Her parents arrange a marriage Ayaan Malhotra, a businessman who Payal recently had some connection with. Payal and Ayaan must put up a fake show in front of their families in order to achieve what each of them want, but their hearts keep on giving them different directions.

When I first heard of this book and saw the e-ARC being provided by the publisher, I was captivated by the sense for romance and the Desi themes. When I started reading, I felt like the story was going well, but once I hit the middle, I felt like the writing was being too slow and there wasn't much of a clear direction anymore. Payal and Ayaan's dynamic wasn't really getting my attention, and I feel like they could have had more time together and have chemistry build up between them. The main things I really liked about this book was the ability to relate to a lot of the things in this book, such as the Indian foods and family senses. I really loved Payal's Nani, who definitely needs to be protected. The writing could have more detail and work put into it, but this does have a potential to be a good rom-com drama based book.

Sugar, Spice, and Can't Play Nice by Annika Sharma hits shelves May 2, 2023!

Payal is an Anglo-Indian fashion designer, living and working in New York. She dreams of having her own fashion line but she needs backing and her family, although wealthy, are in some business difficulties and cannot help her.

Ayaan is also from an Anglo-Indian family and is also living in New York. A stupid mistake when he was sixteen years old haunts him and has resulted in estrangement from his older brother Arun and the rest of his family treating him like the family loser. Ayaan's family business Veer wants to enter into a merger/acquire Payal's family business Luxuriant and in time-honoured tradition they decide that the business deal should be cemented by a matrimonial deal, marrying Ayaan and Payal. Little do they know Ayaan and Payal had a hot and steamy one-night stand which might have turned into something more, if Ayaan's ex-girlfriend (of that morning) hadn't messaged him the morning after.

Now Payal and Ayaan are separately summoned home to be ordered to marry 'for the good of the family'. Although initially vehemently opposed to an arranged marriage, both separately negotiate with their families for what they need to advance professionally: for Ayaan that's 50% of Veer and the position of CMO, for Payal it's Veer sponsoring her fashion line., Payal also intends to break off the engagement once the merger has gone ahead and she has presented her fashion show.

Despite a rocky start, Payal and Ayaan start to work together marketing Payal's clothing line and seem to have more of a connection, after all they have a shared culture and are ex-pats living in New York. Payal might be a party boy, but he knows everyone and has a strong following on social media, soon he's networking and getting Payal noticed.

I was enjoying this, although there were too many descriptions of exactly what everyone was wearing for my taste, but it descended into rinse-and-repeat territory for me. Ayaan slips up and sees his ex-girlfriend, Payal gets made, he grovels, they are friends. Rinse and repeat. Often there is nothing wrong on Ayaan's side. Towards the end I just felt the book was in a holding pattern and needed tightening up.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

3.5 rounded up. This was a sweet romcom. I felt like the beginning started off strong and then it started to drag quite a bit. Payal and Ayaan have a one night stand and then their parents set them up to be engaged to benefit both families businesses. They definitely started off with weird angry energy but some under pining for each other but as it goes on it isn’t smooth sailing and then 3rd act break was frustrating. Overall pretty sweet and predictable.

Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca for an eARC.

Thanks to NetGalley for an arc of this book! What a delightful read. A modern take on South Asian arranged marriage with fake dating trope. It was so fun to watch Payyal fall in love and visit with members of the CMC. The romance was believable and perfect. I loved the fashion in this romance and wish I could buy the designs myself! As a Desi, I loved seeing myself and my experiences in this story. It also felt like a love letter to both London and NYC. Be sure to pick this one up!

Sugar, Spice, and Can't Play Nice by Annika Sharma is the second novel in the Chai Masala Club series. However, it can be read as a standalone.

The story follows Payal and Ayaan and their subsequent fake engagement. Payal is a brilliant budding fashion designer, and with the impending launch of going full-time into her fashion line. She has zero time or desire for a relationship. Life has other things in store when she discovers that her parents want to arrange a marriage to save the family business. Ayaan finds himself on the other side of this arrangement. A brilliant marketer with a thriving career, his family only ever sees him as a screw-up. Both find their respective silver linings as they figure out they can leverage their families' wants against their individual desires. What ensues is the tale of two people trying to make an old-world solution work in a modern setting, all while keeping the other from finding out.

This book had all the makings of a great rom-com book, but it never really materialized for me. The conflicts between Payal and Ayaan were pretty weak, making most of the drama between them feel forced. (Their first miscommunication left me scratching my head because the reason for Payal's anger didn't make sense given the circumstances of their arrangement). And since it felt inauthentic, there was no real tension which is integral in this type of enemies-to-lovers fake dating storyline. The character development is minimal, which ordinarily would be acceptable for this type of romance novel, except the plot hinges on character development. There was also the somewhat obligatory rivalry between Payal and Ayaan's former situationship, which again felt forced. If anything, their interactions made me dislike Payal as a character. It did the opposite of what the author intended, making her seem petty and irrational rather than levelheaded and grace under pressure.

The side characters also felt a bit like window dressing. With the exception of Akash, they only did a little to move the plot forward. The author's depiction of the conflict between duty to self and commitment to family is where this book really shines. However, due to the nature of the genre, the author (rightly) didn't explore that dynamic as much as they could have. Also present are these deeply insightful moments about womanhood, which I thought were poignant. (Those scenes of candor and vulnerability were the highlight of the narrative for me.) There are also some adorable and sweet moments where you would have to have a heart like a block of ice not to say "aww."

This book is a good fit for someone looking for a light, mildly spicy, medium-paced, plot-driven read who likes high drama and miscommunication tropes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't realize this book was part of a series and after reading it and seeing what others thought realized there were a couple references that maybe I would have caught onto if I had read the others but overall I think you can safely read this as a standalone without missing too much.

For me it was just another romance book BUT I did enjoy the peek into another culture.

Sugar, Spice and Can’t Play Nice was a fun read that offered a glimpse into a culture that’s different from my own, which I loved and appreciated reading about!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc ebook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I liked the characters in this book and how they were formed as individuals. Payal is an incredible woman and Ayaan is actually really endearing and cool once someone sees some good in him.
I was a bit frustrated at their roller coaster and poor communication but that is fairly common in romance novels and real life as the characters battle through their past traumas and fears.
I guess I would have loved to see more of their happiness and a bit less drama, because it was obvious they had such amazing potential!
3.5 rounded up to 4.

Sugar, Spice, and Can't Play Nice
This is the second book in the Chai Masala Club, but you can read it as a standalone.

This book has ALL THE FEELS! I don't like the 3rd act breakup, I know why it exists, but I don't enjoy it. This one almost broke me. The absolute anguish! But like all good romances, we get our happy ending.

Things I am here for:
A strong empowered female main character
Messy families, so many feelings!
Authentic Asian representation
Power in being unapologetically bold.
I would trade in all my friends for Payal's Nani.
I am deeply in love with her - swoon!
Don't be coy about love

This is an ARC, and I'm not supposed to quote it, but this gem will stay with me long after the book is over. ❤️
"I saw aunties go from women who upheld their homes to goddesses who could take on the world. And the way their body language shifted as they wore remnants of home."

I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you to @netgalley for my free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to like this book, but it just wasn’t a good fit for me. I’ve heard wonderful things about this series, though, so I might recommend depending on your tastes.

For me, the language and some of the sexual content and the constant drama were too much, and I chose not to finish.

The second book in the Chai Masala Club series, this book features Payal, who is ready to launch Besharmi, her fusion fashion line. I enjoyed the behind-the-scenes look at her hard work and creativity as well as her close rapport with her CMC friends, but the romance was... fine. Not bad, not great, but just fine. Ayaan is a tough character to warm to, though he does gradually work through the conflict with his brother, the family's expectations, and his own tendency to impulsiveness and thoughtlessness.

What didn't work so much for me: the constant DRAMA and over-the-top emotions, the way both main characters tended to overreact defensively without listening to each other first, Payal's friend Akash's reactions, some very awkward dialogue in spots. No dealbreakers for enjoying the book, but they definitely dimmed the experience.

Thank you, Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley, for providing an eARC of this book. Opinions expressed here are solely my own.

Thank you to the publisher and author for letting me to read this eARC via Netgallery for an honest review.

I was ready to read the next installation of the CMC. I really liked the characters and glad to see more of Payal's story. It was light, fun, easy to read rom-com. It was a predicable read, however; it was still very enjoyable.

I really enjoyed this romcom by Annika Sharma. Payal and Ayaan were such lovely characters. I loved getting to see a glimpse into South Asian culture!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

This is book 2 in Annika Sharma’s Chai Masala Club series - I do recommend you read these in order because there are a few references to book 1 that will be spoilers if you haven’t read it yet.

This one is an antagonists to lovers, closed door romance so appropriate for anyone who doesn’t want on-page sex. Our protagonists are both London-born, and find themselves in New York for various reasons. This book offers look into modern immigrant South Asian culture. It feels very much like a Bollywood romance - the twists and turns and drama are all dialed up to 11. There’s a lot going on in this book - family drama, work drama, relationship drama. I love the lush descriptions of clothing and food - this book will probably make you hungry.

I did feel it was about 50 pages too long, I did skim pages across some sections, which is why I’m giving this ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really, really wanted to like this book but the writing irked me and I couldn't stick with the characters. The two stars are for the Indian representation and the scope and depth the characters could have had but didn't.

Payal and Ayaan did not have the chemistry to keep me hooked on their dilemmas. And I have read plenty of books with stellar plots but less-than-average execution in terms of writing to know that I would have ignored the writing to an extent if the characters resonated with me, but they did not.

I have, however, read great reviews of the first book in the Chai Masala Club series and I am going to give it a try.

Again, I did really want to love this one and thank you @netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

WOW!!! I genuinely enjoyed this book SO MUCH!! I knew I would, I love these characters, how real and raw they were. I love almost every single aspect of this book, devoured it in only a few days its so worth it. My only complaint would be that it feels like this book was written with white people in mind, giving us information that an Indian person would already know and doesn't need explained. Other than that this book was amazing and I loved every second.

It's rare to find a romance where I enjoy the dynamics of the main relationship, family relationships, and friend groups and this one did it! I'm executed to see where the author takes the rest of the series, and will be watching for the successor novels. Quick read and kept my attention.

Great book! I knew The couple would end up together because it’s romance. I still loved the story and how the characters grew.