I'm actually not even sure where to start with this review. I don't think I can express how much I loved this book. There's Something about Sweetie was amazing, because this book has a message the world needs to hear.

Sweetie is an Indian-American, and her parents are very traditional when it comes to their culture. So what's the problem? Sweetie is fat. To her, fat isn't a bad word, but to her mother it is the end of the world. Sweetie receives constant negative messages from her mom and from others around her, even strangers. So Sweetie decides it's time to start showing herself AND her mom that she can do whatever she wants as a fat girl without fear, whether it's date a hot Indian boy, wear what she wants, or sing in front of people. I love Sweetie's confidence which grows stronger over the course of the book. Even though she is insecure sometimes, she doesn't lash out at others when they hurt her feelings. She also has the most supportive group of friends a girl could ask for, and I loved their interactions.

Ashish has some baggage when it comes to relationships, not only with girls but with his parents, too. I really liked getting to see the Patel parents more in this story. It is so refreshing to have a YA novel in which the parents are actually present and play an important role! Ashish also has a wonderfully supportive group of friends, as well as one who needs a little help finding his place in the group. I would totally love a novella or spin-off book for Samir.

Sweetie and Ashish may be opposites in everything except for being athletes, but the dates they go on and the moments they share draw them closer to each other and to who they want to be. The way they complement each other and expand each other's horizons is so sweet and beautiful. There was even a scene that made me laugh out loud (one word: parrots), which I hardly ever do when reading!

This book has everything. Heartache, love, family, friends, laughter, and the requisite misunderstanding or two with the best reconciliation one could hope for. Even the characters I disliked most were redeemable.

Preorder this book, buy it when it comes out, or buy it when you read this because it's going to be one of the best of the year. And if it's not, well . . . . fight me. It should be :D

A lovely companion novel to When Dimple Met Rishi.

Ashish Patel (Rish's brother) is a star basketball player and all around catch but he didn’t know that break-ups could be so terrible; that is until his now ex-girlfriend cheated and dumped him. Down on his luck, he agrees to let his parents pick a good Indian girl for him to take on sanctioned dates. Sweetie Nair is many things: a formidable track athlete, loyal friend and a stellar singer. However, she’s overweight; a flaw that her traditional parents cannot seem to overlook or forget. They agree to date each other in secret and it is not long before they discover that their chemistry is real.

Sweet, fun yet realistic and important novel which explores coming of age, identity and romance.

This book was adorable! I liked it even more than the first. The characters were complex and loveable and I was very invested in their story. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good rom com. I will definitely be ordering this for my library!

5/5 Stars

Top 5 Reasons "Sweetie" Steals the Show
Sassy Sweetie - This girl is my idol! Sweetie is a star runner, shower singer, and secretly pursuing a boy for the first time. Better yet, she's fat and not ashamed of that. Seeing her happy in her own body was something I totally needed now and as a teen.
Adorable Ashish - This boy might have been a player and charmer but seeing him deal with his heartbreak and find himself again while also falling head over heels for Sweetie was an absolute delight.
Expectations of Perfection - This book delves into the pain and difficulty of trying to live up to people's expectations and ideas of perfection. Sweetie deals with both the fatphobia of others as well as her mother's desire for her to lose weight to live. Ashish though is trying to live up to his big brother and having a perfect persona.
Romantic Hearts - Ashish and Sweetie make quite the pair. From their first meeting/race to each of their parent planned dates, the two of them form a beautifully sweet connection that left me swooning.
Friendship for the Win - Both Ashish and Sweetie had iconic friendship groups that totally had their backs. I'm particularly fond of Oliver and Elijah and their relationship as well as Sweetie's girls coming for Ashish when he messed up.

Overall Sandhya Menon's There's Something About Sweetie is an absolute beauty of a book with the most adorable protagonists and a brilliant story. Ashish and Sweetie leap off the page and their everyday struggles are so realistic. I couldn't get enough of them on their own as well as the dynamics between family and friends. Honestly this quickly became my fave book by Menon and I highly recommend checking this one out!

This book was, like all of Sandhya Menon's books, a complete and utter delight. First of all, it's just adorable; I love the way Menon writes crushes and her teen relationships are something anyone who has ever fallen in love can relate to, no matter their age. More importantly, Menon explores a lot of really important issues, such as acculturation processes for children of immigrant families, dating across social class, and body positivity and fat acceptance. As a sociologist who studies the family, one of my favorite things about the book is the way that Menon complicates the typical script about Asian-American parents and the dating and social lives of their teens that implies that "old world" values are bad and "Americanized" values are good: Menon shows the value of parental guidance and of children respecting their parents, while also writing characters that are independent, strong-willed, and stick to their own instincts about what is write. Menon makes it clear that the relationship between the two worlds children of immigrants often have to navigate doesn't have to be one marked only by antagonism and impossible choices between love and family, but that these families are dynamic and ever-evolving. That she does all this while making my face hurt from all the grinning over just how sweet her characters are shows what a force Menon is. I can't wait for more of her books!

Once again, Sandhya Menon has dazzled me and providing an engaging and enriching story about characters that are easy to love. Sweetie's story is one about struggles and overcoming them, but there's also a lot of fun to be had while reading this that I always find in Menon's work. The diversity throughout the novel is wonderful and a breath of fresh air in YA as always, and I love the inclusion of characters from previous novels that makes me feel as if I'm continuing to follow their journey just as I would with my real-life friends.

An A+ story once again and I can't wait to see what Menon will write next!

A delightful companion to Sandhya Menon's When Dimple Met Rishi, her latest follows Rishi's brother, n'er-do-well Ashish, and Sweetie Nair. Sweetie is, well, sweet, loyal, funny, athletic, beautiful, and fat...which her mother claims makes her not quite good enough for the hunky and rich Ashish. Ashish and Sweetie go behind her back in this cute, heartfelt yet hilarious teen romance. Menon delivers a realistic take on Sweetie's body image struggles or, more accurately, the struggles those around her have while she accepts herself just as she is.

4.5 Stars - So much positive in one story. It's EXACTLY the book we all need. I was laughing, I was crying, I was cheering, I was swooning, I was all the emotions and now I just want to read it all over again!

This book was like a warm cup of tea, or a nice hug. I've loved Menon's other works, and There's Something About Sweetie fit in well.

Sandhya Menon's backlist is full of romantic, heartfelt stories, and THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT SWEETIE is no exception. Sweetie Nair is a fat athlete and ready to embark on project Sassy Sweetie so she can prove to herself and everyone around her what she is capable of. Ashish Patel (who readers of WHEN DIMPLE MET RISHI will remember) has been off ever since his first love broke up with him. When Ashish brazenly challenges his parents to set him up, they create a dating contract between him and Sweetie. Ashish and Sweetie both have something they want to prove to themselves, but as they grow closer, they have to balance what they need for themselves as individuals without ruining what it starting between them.

There is so much to love in Sweetie and Ashish's story. First, Sweetie herself is an incredible character. Fat representation in general is hard to find (especially fat WOC characters), and it's even more rare that the representation is authentic. Sweetie feels incredibly real. On one hand, she loves what her body can do, like running record-destroying times. On the other hand, she's surrounded by cultural norms that say she can't/shouldn't be happy with her body and that she can't be a full person with her body as is. She has to navigate not only society and her mother especially telling her she can't do certain things, wear certain clothes, or go out with certain people (like Ashish) because of her size, but she's also dealing with internalized fatphobia. Sweetie's journey is learning to stand up for herself and to her mom is beautiful, powerful, and has a very hopeful conclusion.

Ashish isn't taking his breakup well. It's a joy to read a book that shows such a nuanced portrayal of vulnerability and emotion in a male character. His side brings up aspects we don't always see in YA, like how breakups can take a long time (months, or even years) to get over, no matter how good or bad the relationship was, and it's not easy sitting with that hurt. Ashish has to learn to be radically honest and vulnerable at times, both with others and with himself. Something I really appreciate about the romance is that when Ashish and Sweetie start dating, neither of them are magically 'better.' Sweetie is still finding her voice, and Ashish doesn't automatically gain his confidence back. What they each struggle with is ultimately a very personal, individual journey, and not something that should, or truly can be, fixed by another person. They learn to grow while falling for each other.

I also adore the side plots. Oliver and Elijah are hilarious and angsty at the same time. Samir and Ashish have a great friendship arc, and I'm here for a buddy cop spin off with Samir and Pinky.

THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT SWEETIE has heart, beauty, and deep feelings. Menon has stunned again.

Thank you Netgalley for early access to an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Sandhya Menon has done it AGAIN! I'm definitely adding Sweetie Nair to my bada** body positive heroines and this book made Ashish more vibrant and lovable than his appearance in When Dimple Met Rishi. I couldn't put the book down (the descriptions and the character development...total heart eyes!), and I know my teens will be CLAMORING for this book, whether or not they read When Dimple Met Rishi, I cannot wait for her next book <3

Sassy Sweetie is here to tell you that body positivity is all the rage! She's smart, she's confident, and she's completely fallen for star basketball player Asheesh Patel. This contemporary romance is all light, charming, funny, and adorable all wrapped into one.

I enjoyed Sandhya Menon's previous two books but felt this one was very MESSAGE: BODY POSITIVE to a point where I felt it was unrealistic. We get it.. Sweetie loves herself. You don't have to say it every single page. I liked seeing more from Ashish (and even the hints of Dimple and Rishi) but the insta-love and clunky dialogue made it a hard one to love at times. 3.5 Stars.

I received this as a review copy from NetGalley.

Ashish is right, there IS something about Sweetie.

This is by far my favorite Sandhya Menon book to date! She took a slightly deeper dive this time and I LOVED IT. It's only been day so far but I think There's Something About Sweetie is one I'm going to remember. Aside from the adorable (as always) romance that is featured, we also take a hard look at; body image issues (particularly how they relate to American-Indian culture), mother-daughter relationships, getting over hard breakups and finding ways to love yourself despite what anyone else thinks. There were a couple rough patches where the dialog felt a little cheesy or too forced. Especially in relation to the body positive conversations, they felt a little like they came straight from a personal development book. However those issues are pretty minor and easy to overlook. As a whole I thought this was a beautiful, motivational story and I had so much fun getting to see our main characters fall in love with each other - and themselves.


Recommend for fans of:
- Lighthearted Contemporaries
- Simple/HEA Love Stories
- Body Positivity
- Bollywood
- Hallmark Channel

I think There's Something About Sweetie was a good romance for teens. It emphasizes that people shouldn't be focused so much on appearance, which is a hard thing when our social media wonderland if meant to cause comparisons. It was well-written and I think teens will really connect to the Sweetie and her relationship with her mother. Thank you for the opportunity to read it!

I absolutely adored When Twinkle Met Rishi, so I was pretty pumped to try out Sandhya Menon's newest title. I honestly think I loved There's Something about Sweetie even more! Sweetie was such an inspirational character - someone who was comfortable in her own skin, proud of her own accomplishments and willing to stick up for herself. One of my biggest pet peeves in young adult literature is toxic female friendships, so when I find a books with girls who lift each other up and support one another, it makes my day. This book did that. Sweetie and her group of girls were the best!

Ashish Patel has lost it. His mojo to be exact. His college girlfriend cheated on him and now he's convinced his life is over. Girls make him nervous and there's no way he can handle a basketball like he had before. What is he to do now? After a childhood friend convinces him to let his parents set him up with a girl, Ashish's life turns upside down. He's always been convinced that this part of his Indian culture is backwards, but that was before he met Sweetie.
Sweetie Nair is a track star with something to prove. Despite all of her achievements her mother is convinced that if she would just lose a few pounds, her life would be so much better. So she creates the "Sassy Sweetie Project". Step one: find a handsome boy to date to prove that fat girls can date whoever they want and be wanted in return.
After an initial encounter between their mothers goes sideways, Ashish and Sweetie agree to a dating contract. Four dates sanctioned by the Patels then Ashish and Sweetie are in the clear. Should be easy right?

What starts off as two teens in need of forgetting and proving a point, becomes a delightful rom-com of a book that is completely swoon worthy. This book is full of laughs, parrots, love, and what it means to be perfectly content in your skin. Sweetie will inspire every girl to take a deeper look at herself and realize self worth is not bestowed by others, but already stored up within yourself. While some elements of this book are slightly predictable, none of them take away from the overall message of the novel. This book will fill you up and leave you feeling warm and fuzzy with the taste of first love.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon Pulse for providing this eARC.

<i>There's Something About Sweetie</i> is a companion to <i>When Dimple Met Rishi</i>, Sandhya Menon's first book. It follows Ashish, Rishi's younger brother and Sweetie, a fat Indian-American track star as they're set up by Ashish's parents and fall in love. This book is told in alternating perspectives and both protagonists need a boost of self-confidence, Ashish because he's been dumped by his former girlfriend, and Sweetie because her mom (and the world) are constantly ragging on her about her weight.

Like Dimple and Rishi, this book is deeply wholesome and Ashish and Sweetie are the cutest muffins. They are both talented and kind and love their families. For someone whose mom has been pretty openly horrible about her weight her whole life, Sweetie has a serious well of self-regard, and for a 16/17-year old is very far along the road to fat acceptance. I think that as a (fat) teen/tween, I would have been pretty floored by this book and I am happy that it will find its way into the hands of girls who are going through similar things as Sweetie. As an adult, however, some parts of this book veered into after-school special territory. Plus, Sweetie is exceptional - she's like an Adele-level singer, is a track star (like potentially being recruited by UCLA levels), and is really pretty. I think for some teens, this might muddy the message of fat acceptance, because she feels a little too perfect at times (Ashish too).

Overall though, I liked this book and I do hope it will do some good for teens/tweens (this one is fine for middle-grade level and might even be better there) struggling with self-image.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to review Sandhya Menon's newest book. I've enjoyed reading her other books and this one did not disappoint! I absolutely adored the characters of Sweetie and Ashish. Sweetie is a powerful girl with a great message for the world. I will recommend this to my teen romance readers. I can't wait for it's release so I can make a display for fans of To All the Boys I've Loved Before or Dumplin'....this should be the next Netflix teen movie!!!

I was provided with an eARC of this book in exchange for a fair review.

Ohemgee SO GOOD! I am a huge fan of Sandhya Menon’s books (both Dimple and Twinkle are amazing), and knew I would love this before I even started it. I wasn’t wrong. Sweetie and Ashish are total couple goals and absolutely adorable. I laughed, I cried, my feels worked overtime. This was a total 5 star read and one I will undoubtedly pick up again and again!