3.5 ⭐️

The Design of Us is an easy summer beach read for those looking to turn their brains off and enjoy the ride! The ending was a bit rushed, but overall I had a fun time with this one!

Read if you like:
👥 Dual POV
😈 Enemies to lovers
✨ Fake dating
🔥 Slow burn
👏🏽 Diverse cast of characters

Pub date August 27, 2024.

Thank you Berkley Romance and NetGalley for the ARC in change for an honest review.

⭐⭐⭐⭐
🫑 (Closed-door romance)

Thank you Netgalley, Berkeley Publishing Group, and @sajnipatelbooks for a copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Rounding off AAPI month with an author I met a few months ago while she was promoting her fantasy book is The Design of Us. Bhanu and Sunny are work nemesis. They're not even frenemies until they coincidentally vacation in the same place, a fancy resort on the Big Island. Bhanu is visiting her sister while Sunny is attending a destination wedding for his best friends. When a booking mishap causes Sunny to lose his reservation, he is not only without a room but at the mercy of his ex-girlfriend who seems to be on a mission to make his life miserable. Bhanu steps in to interrupt her tirade and off we go with fake dating shenanigans.

I love a good enemies to lovers, slow burn plot but this actually got me a little worried in the beginning because I felt zero chemistry between the MCs. Usually when I read this trope, there's something between the MCs that they hate that they are attracted to but in this book, Bhanu and Sunny properly DISLIKE each other (with a capital D). The latter even calls her ‘Bane’ as in bane of his existence. As the story progresses, we see both characters develop feelings for each other at a pace that feels appropriate. Despite their dislike for each other, they were incredibly respectful to their boundaries and learning each other's mental health struggles. This book also moonlights as a guide on how to be a respectful tourist when visiting the Hawaiian islands. Although this was a closed door romance, the tension and payoff were still 👩🏻‍🍳😘.

When Bhanu ends up going to visit her sister in Hawaii the last person she expects to see is her coworker Sunny. They bicker so much at work there coworkers place bets on who will win their vocal sparring match. But when she overhears Sunny’s ex berating him about being dateless to his friend’s wedding Bhanu can’t help stepping in, saying she’s Sunny’s new girlfriend. Now that Bhanu has gotten them into a fake relationship she has to play the part and go along some island excursions with Sunny and his friends. The more time Bhanu and Sunny spend together the less acting they seem to be doing. Can there really be an actual relationship under their farce? Or will Bhanu and Sunny go back to just being belligerent coworkers?

This romance comes with the characters not only slowly falling in love, but highlighting their mental health struggles as well, which Sajni is spectacular at writing. Bhanu is learning how to navigate her social anxiety which I can definitely relate to, and Sunny is once that has trouble expressing his emotions. It is a pleasure to be along with them as they learn to be vulnerable and real with each other. What a difference a Hawaiian vacation can have!

"One impulsive lie leads to a weeklong adventure of fake dating for two bickering coworkers in this swoony destination wedding rom-com by Sajni Patel, author of The Trouble with Hating You."

In "The Design of Us," Bhanu, a sunny UX designer, and her work rival Sunny, with his Denzel-like voice, find themselves fake dating at a wedding in Hawai’i. What starts as a quick lie to avoid his ex turns into a week of hilarious and heartwarming moments. Their dynamic is both funny and sweet, with meddling family, supportive friends, and romantic tension keeping the story engaging.

I loved the premise and the overall cuteness of the story! Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes of all time and this book really does it justice. The blend of Indian and Hawaiian cultures adds another layer of depth and brings color to the setting, and Patel explores social anxiety in an incredibly relatable way. I don't think I've ever seen a book do it without internally cringing about how exaggerated it was.

However, some parts felt over-explained, and a little more editing could have tightened the narrative, and maybe helped fix issues with length. The pacing was dragging in the middle. Despite this, Bhanu and Sunny’s romantic journey is charming and a breath of fresh air!

If you enjoy destination weddings, fake dating, and rom-coms, "The Design of Us" is a must-read this summer!

3.75/5

Patel never disappoints! This was cleverly written, with heart and gravity. It was cute, fun and entertaining. And, I’m really interested to know what the author might do next.

I’m so happy I was able to get an early copy of The Design of Us! This book was very funny and I loved Bhanu and Sunny so much. They cracked me up and the sexual tension between these two will have you fanning yourself. I’m a sucker for fake relationships of any kind so I fell into this book immediately. Sunny’s ex could kick rocks and she was so dang toxic. I loved Sunny’s other friends though. I also loved Bane’s family so much. The conversations with the mom and Sunny cracked me up. This was the first book I read by Sajni Patel but it definitely won’t be the last!

Combining fake dating with enemies to lovers, and setting it all in tropical paradise - what's not to love? Bhanu and Sunny have great banter, and Sunny, who hates the ocean, jumping in for Bhanu (and the turtles) is the swooniest of gestures. Plus the food descriptions! This was a fun summer rom-com!

Such a cute story! Bane and Sunny are work enemies turned friends turned to lovers in an unconventional way. The main characters are both so awkward so they work so well imo. I started this book and couldn’t put it down I was flying through it. Quick and easy read.

Thanks to Berkley for an advanced copy of this book.

This is the definition of a 4 stars for me. I have been a Sajni Patel Stan ever since I first read The trouble with hating you back in 2020 so you can only imagine how excited I was to read this and it did not disappoint. I had a freaking amazing time reading this, I mean I read this in my backyard with the sun out but in my heart I was in Hawaii with our MCs. Also I LOVED the little easter egg with the trouble of hating you, no but really I almost threw my kindle across the room!!

So, the book follows Bhanu who works in tech (YAY we love a woman in STEM) and her work nemesis/annoyingly handsome coworker with a Denzel voice, aka Sunny, who both end up in Hawaii for vacation. Although they are there for different reasons - our FMC's visiting her sister and our MMC is there for the wedding of a friend - a serie of unfortunate (is it really though) events has them faking a relationship. Oh, and they also share a room - GOD I love a forced proximity moment!

I can't even begin to tell you how perfect these two were. I loved how obsessed Sunny was with Bhanu and especially how respectful he was with her boundaries when it comes to physical touch. Also, this man very clearly is scared shitless of the ocean yet he dives right in when something's bothering her??? Swoon, like MAJOR SWOON! Idk I might be biased to Mrs. Sharma's male lead but every single one of them seem to work for me.

I thought that it was somewhat a lighter read than The trouble with hating you and First love, take two in terms of themes, so I'd definitely recommend picking up this one if you haven't had luck with her other books. For me? This was exactly what I needed it to be. It's a perfect summer romance filled with funny and heartfelt moments and I'm definitely purchasing a physical copy to add to my shelves.

I enjoyed this multicultural interest rom com. There was good angsty tension between the characters. I love a fake dating situation plus the addition of 'enemy' co-workers to lovers was fun.

Eh, this was fine. Which is disappointing to admit because I really enjoyed the last two books I read from this author. Personally, I don't think first person POV was the right choice for this story as I couldn't tell Sunny or Bhanu apart nine times out of ten. And there was just ... a spark missing from them. I liked them as a couple and Sunny treated her as she deserved (like a queen, okay), but I couldn't get invested in them the way I hoped. I skimmed the last 20% because I was ready to move on.

3.5/5
The Design of Us is a fun little summer rom-com! Bhanu and Sunny - two bickering coworkers - end up at the same resort in Hawaii for very different reasons. After Bhanu tries to get an ex off of Sunny's back by saying that she is the new girlfriend, the fake dating commences for the rest of their trip! While being a bit of a slow burn, I really liked Bhanu and Sunny's dynamic. Once they cleared the air about their meet disaster, they came to realize that they have a great understanding of each other and their friendship/relationship just kept growing stronger. What might have started off fake with each other was fooling all of the friends and family around them. I loved the Hawaii setting and I think that Sajni Patel did an amazing job of adding in bits about tourism (good and bad), the native culture, and a little history. 
Thank you so much to Berkley, Sajni Patel, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This is the most romantic novel I have ever read! I adored Sunny (new book boyfriend for me) and Bhanu together. The banter, the chemistry, the setting all made for the perfect mix of fun reading time for me. I will be seeking out more books by this author. Bhanu's love of Ube actually made me buy a package to try and I love it now too.

This was a really fun read. I enjoyed the characters a lot, along with the setting. I loved the commentary on tourism in Hawaii. The pace of the story kept me reading, and I finished the book within a couple days. The main characters had excellent chemistry and I felt like the progression of their relationship felt very natural, considering the situation. I've read a lot of books that follow the same trope of fake dating at a wedding, but this one had a very fresh feel to it. Overall, it's a solid romance and an A+ beach read.

What To Expect-
🌞Fake Dating
🌞Dual POV
🌞One Bed
🌞Witty Banter
🌞Slow Burn
🌞Grumpy/Sunshine
🌞Third Act Breakup

The Design Of Us is a peferct summer read. You follow the main Bhanu and Sunny to Hawaii. I loved that this story takes place in Hawaii. This book was filled banter and the romance was a slow burn. Which made it fun. I really liked how the characters talked about love for their culture and traditions. It was beautiful to learn.

This book was so much fun. It’s about Bhanu and Sunny, who were coworkers and rivals who have a not so great relationship at work. Bhanu goes to the Big Island on vacation, and runs into Sunny, who is there for a wedding. His ex is also there and not treating Sunny well. Bhanu overhears this exchange and blurts out that she is Sunny’s girlfriend. You can guess what happens next. 😏

*spoilers*

From the get-go - this book was absolutely for me. The cover is breathtakingly gorgeous. I LOVED the power of women in STEM. I am a fake dating lover. It’s my top trope. Combined with only one bed? Can’t go wrong. Ever.

I adored Bhanu. She was so witty and smart. Her and Sunny’s banter was *chef’s kiss* amazing. I found myself cracking up during so many parts of the book and I highlighted A LOT. Like.. a lot. I loved how she was protective of Sunny and how it led her to say she was his fake girlfriend. I loved her anxiety and how it was portrayed. I loved her love of Hawaii and respect for the people, culture, and environment. I loved her sister and her family. The scene in the villa with Sunny, Bhanu, Diya, and her parents had me cackling.

Speaking of Sunny!!! Yes!! He was everything I want in a love interest. Funny? Yes. Nerdy hot? Yes. Teasing? Yes. Yes to all!!! He noticed everything about Bhanu and was so loving and careful to her. He truly cared about her feelings and respected her so much. He apologized when he made mistakes and he DID BETTER. The man was amazing. I loved how he loved his family and friends, and how much he wanted to love Bhanu.

Their relationship developed so naturally and the heat between them was evident. They had great chemistry and I laughed so much, along with tearing up. The slow burn was done SO well (seriously they don’t even kiss til like 70% through) and it’s so satisfying. This was just a beautiful story and I cannot wait for everyone to experience it.

Thank you so much @berkleyromance @berkleypub and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love a fake dating trope and The Design Of Us does it so well in this fun and delightful #romcom

This book is low on spice but high on witty banter, hilarious interfering relatives and friends that help to bring Bhanu and Sunny closer together. I love that all of this hilarity takes place at a destination wedding in Hawaii- the ultimate romantic getaway.

Bhanu and Sunny’s little office squabbles turn to romantic gazes as they both try to fight their growing chemistry and feelings. It is so lovely watching them fall in love.

Thank you to @berkleyromance for my ARC.

What a great enemies to lovers, fake dating romance! I got a lot of laughs and all the feels from this. Man, the tension between Bane and Sunny was OFF THE CHARTS. I loved the way the author set the scenes and the building chemistry between the two MC’s. I also really enjoyed going back and forth between Sunny and Bane’s perspectives, and getting an understanding of how each person was feeling in the moment. This is the first Sajni Patel book I’ve read, but it certainly won’t be the last - I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a banter-filled, fun, romance!

Many thanks to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

Fake dating shenanigans ensue in this lovely novel from Sajni Patel. Bhanu and Sunny are workplace rivals who spend a week on the Hawaiian islands pretending to be a couple, and grow closer as they learn more about the truths of each other while navigating the quagmire of their increasingly intricate web of lies told to their meddling family and friends. Sajni Patel explores topics of conservationism and emotionally abusive relationships, while also creating this fun and enjoyable romance plus engaging side characters as well.

I loved this book, it was so nice being able to relate to the FMC career wise and personality wise. This book was a lovely slow burn and I loved how it touched upon the typical south asian experience. Sunny and Bhanu were so fun to read about and their banter cracked me up. I read this book in two sittings and would recommend to anyone that wants to read a south asian romance with a little spice and lots of laughs.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book. I received a copy of the ebook in exchange for my honest review.