Daisy Patel is a software engineer who understands lists and logic better than bosses and boyfriends. With her life all planned out, and no interest in love, the one thing she can’t give her family is the marriage they expect. Left with few options, she asks her childhood crush to be her decoy fiance. Liam Murphy is a venture capitalist with something to prove. When he learns that his inheritance is contingent on being married, he realizes his best friend’s little sister has the perfect solution to his problem. A marriage of convenience will get Daisy’s matchmaking relatives off her back and fulfill the terms of his late grandfather’s will. Sparks fly when Daisy and Liam go on a series of dates to legitimize their fake relationship. Too late, they realize that very little is convenient about their arrangement. review: I really liked the premise of this multi-cultural romance book but, unfortunately, it fell a bit flat for me. I enjoyed the cast of diverse and quirky characters, although I did find Daisy almost *too* quirky at times. I had a hard time relating to Daisy in any way. That said, I did enjoy the banter between Daisy and Liam but wish there had been more resolve for his disappearance. It was well-written with a well developed plot, I just didn’t find myself thoroughly enjoying it like I had hoped. rating: 3 out of 5 ⭐️

I *really* wanted to like this one, but I couldn't, unfortunately. It may be because I'd just finished reading a book that was a nearly identical plot, but that I enjoyed more, but this one fell short for me. I was annoyed by both of the main characters, and I couldn't really feel the chemistry between them.

While it was this adorable cover design that drew my attention initially, I was convinced to read The Dating Plan because of the premise. A fake dating situation between our heroine (software engineer Daisy Patel, who loves lists, Marvel and her family) and her older brother’s former best friend-slash-her childhood crush who broke her heart (venture capitalist Liam Murphy who is determined to prove something to the world… and his family) to ensure both their families get off their backs for their own specific reasons? So many of my buzz words are in that description, so I obviously jumped at the chance to pick this book up! While The Dating Plan was likable enough, it just didn’t hit the mark for me personally. I did appreciate the relationship dynamic between Daisy and Liam. They had plenty of great moments together, and I loved seeing their second chance play out the way it did. I also enjoyed the familial relationships, but particularly on Daisy’s side because I found her well-meaning, lovable, large family dynamic very familiar. Unfortunately, overall, the novel felt like it fell short in the character development department, which tends to be a big deal to me when it comes to the romances I read. I want to feel personally connected to at least one person in the main romantic relationship, and I didn’t get that with this book. The Dating Plan did have a lot of potential to be a new favorite read, but the reading experience fell short for me in the end.

4.5 Stars!!

I was lucky to be gifted an eARC of this book to review. This is a great rom-com story, with crazy shenanigans and the cheesy adorable moments that one looks for in a contemporary romance. I have not read anything by this author before, but they have been on my radar to try for a long time.

I think my favorite thing about this book was the romance between our main two characters. Yes it has its cheesy and dramatic moments. But it honestly felt so realistic to me. The two characters have their flaws, and sometimes those flaws get in the way of their own happiness. But I like that the author added that into the story. It made it all the more real, and I found myself truly rooting for these two to be together.

I was hooked by this story, and devoured this book in a matter of days. I can’t wait to continue to read stories by this author, and see what other books she continues to write. She has a fan in me, for sure!

The Dating Plan started off really strong for me. I loved the "meet cute" between Daisy and Liam. It was so funny and adorable and I felt a spark between these two. It was after that immediate first connection that I started to lose interest in the book.
Daisy needs a fake fiancee so that her meddling Indian family will get off of her back. Liam needs to get married in order to save his family's distillery. These two hatch a plan to get "fake engaged" and "fake date" until they get "fake married." Sigh...it's just a lot of faking and none of it felt real.
After the initial meeting between Daisy and Liam, I felt no connection with them whatsoever. At times Liam felt like he was two different characters. One who cared so much for his grandfather and the legacy he was trying to protect with the distillery and another version that was childish when he was with Daisy. I had a hard time feeling any angst between the two.
I really wanted to like this book, but I had a hard time connecting.

I went into this with no expectations, but it was so good!

I mean fake fiance, quirky and adorable characters and great chemistry and you have the perfect outline for a romance novel!


Ten years ago, Liam broke Daisy’s heart when he stood her up at the senior prom.

They meet again unexpectedly years later as Daisy embarrassingly encounters matchmaking aunties and her ex-boyfriend at the same time. Liam comes to the rescue and they wind up telling everyone they’re engaged.

And the story takes off.

i won't give away too much more of the plot except to say, I did love how the characters had stories outside of the romance because it added layers to their relationships.

This is a great rom com and was a great read for the weekend!

Can't wait to go back and read the first one.

The Dating Plan will not be in the running for my favourite romance of the year, but it is a super solid outing. It has something for everyone - tropes galore, slow burn leading to a whole lot of steam and a likeable female MC.

I didn’t totally believe Daisy and Liam’s relationship... there just wasn’t as much tension and chemistry as I would have liked! I also wish we would have gotten more of Daisy’s dad - he was my favourite.

Although I enjoyed The Dating Game, it was difficult to power through. I loved reading about the cultural aspects of Daisy’s family but at times, it was over kill. Liam beating himself up over and over again for his past became tedious.

Overall, this was a good read and had an interesting storyline with memorable characters. It could have used more editing to make it less redundant and one huge glaring error concerning the hockey game.

Personally, I found this book really boring. There was too much going on in the first few chapters and it was very hard to get into. There were a lot of characters and it was hard to figure out who everyone was. It all just felt very stereotypical and cheesy, with an overly quirky female character.

This is my first Sara Desai novel. It's a great old flames return story. I enjoyed the heat between the characters as well as the extended family.

This one is a cute and predictable story. The banter between the two main characters was entertaining. I was a bit distracted by the handful of secondary storylines taking place throughout the story. I thought that it took away from the main storyline.

The Dating Plan, an arc given to me; for an honest review.. is a very cute story. It’s exactly what a RomCom should be. Daisy Patel and Liam Murphy, reunite after many years part. Friends years ago, who ended their friendship on a terrible note. They meet at a time in their lives when they both aren’t where they thought they would be & not dating anyone seriously. They meet at a trade show and they find out they might be able to help each other, each in their own predicament. Quickly, they become “fake engaged” and the fun starts. Daisy a planner is going to plan out the entire fake engagement. She will have each date planned out and there would be a certain number of dates.. while they are fake dating, old hurts come up, new connections are made and something fake can become something real. I love how the author told this story. I really liked the characters and their interactions. This was a quick read, but with a lot of depth. So not your usual RomCom. This was a four star read for me. I want to thank Netgalley & Sara Desai, for a chance to read and review this book. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

This book was.. not for me. I don't even know how to properly sum up my feelings for it? First of all, I didn't care for either of the main characters at all.. Their personalities were a bit confusing and it almost felt like there were too many odd traits to each of them and it didn't work for this story. There were way too many side characters and plot lines that I didn't care about.. I just.. yeah just not for me.

The Dating Plan by Sara Desai is a chick-lit romance.

Daisy Patel was a very smart and kind of awkward girl. She was working as a software engineer at Organicare. She had accompanied her boss at a conference to showcase their new product. On her way there she stumbled upon her aunt, her former boss, her ex-boyfriend, and her
preteen crush, Liam Murphy. She was a girl who functioned with plans and this situation messed with her emotions so she blurted out that she was engaged with Liam. She regretted it the moment she said it because she hated him, he enjoyed it because he still loved her.
Daisy let him know about her hate towards him and they parted ways. Liam was going to inherit the family distillery only if he managed to get married in two months, his only chance was Daisy. After a long negotiation, she agreed in order to save the Organic are and her friends.
They were very different but the time they spent together was enjoyable, they pushed each other out of their comfort zones, plus there was intense chemistry no one of them could ignore. Everything was going as planned until the accident, Liam's insecurities drove him
away for one more time. Could two people who hated relationships have a future together?

It's such a good fun story. It has a realistic feeling with the combination of personal problems and the cute romantic story.
It's a friends-enemies to lovers-themed romance. For the most part is hilarious with Daisy's awkwardness, her aunts' antics, and Liam's humor. There are moments that it gets a bit emotional, especially when they talk about specific family members who ruined their self-esteem. My favorite parts were their banters and the jealousy scenes. I loved the characters, they are so easy to connect with and relatable. Daisy is the ordinary good girl and Liam the sexy bad boy. Their chemistry is exquisite. Her family was my favorite they were so entertaining.

In conclusion, this romantic and funny book will bring a smile to your face. I highly recommend you to read it and I will rate it with
4 stars.

The Dating Plan was a really cute and sweet story. A nice romance story for the month of February. I loved the characters, their quirkiness, the love of family and the history of the characters. I liked the little hints of Marvel and learning about the Indian culture also.

What I didn’t love was how predictable this story line was and the grudge that Daisy held on Liam just didn’t seem realistic to me at all. While it was a cute story I was skimming to get to the ending that I knew was going to happen. If you’re looking for a story that doesn’t require a lot of thought and you enjoy romance then maybe pick this one up, otherwise I’d pass on this one.

Also, this cover is really pretty. The purple drew me in 💜😍

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkeley Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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.

What is this? Annemieke reviewing a romance book? Why yes it is. I've given into one of my biggest trope loves in romance which is fake dating and arranged marriages. And with fake dating, contemporary often comes along. And I am okay with that. Which is why The Dating Plan appealed to me right away.

The Dating Plan is set in the same world as the authors previous book, The Marriage Game. While these characters make appearences in this book, it is not neccesary to have read it. I didn't and I understood everything just fine. I missed nothing from not having read the book and so this is truely a standalone.

There were so many things that I adored in this book. One thing being the families. The Patels and everyone around them are so incredibly pure. They are by no means perfect but they have their hearts in the right places. Granted Daisy's aunties are a little irritating thinking that marriage will make you happy, but then that is just how this works in their culture. It was just great to immerse in this family. On the other side there was Liam's family that has more problems. Even so I could see that there was something there that hadn't been delved into by any of the parties. Liam's little cousin, his sister in law, the Irish part of his family, the reminisence of his grandfather. The only downside was how Liam's mom didn't play a part in this which wasn't quite explained. There could have been phonecalls and the like.

As for the characters, I liked both Liam and Daisy. Daisy with all her plans. Liam with all his charm. Both hiding away the hurt of their childhood that has affected them into adult life. I thought they both worked great together too. They balance each other out.

As much as I liked this book it certainly wasn't perfect. I thought the romance banked too much on a history between Daisy and Liam that we hadn't seen. And after 10 years people do change and you have to get to know each other again. I thought there could have been more done with that. Also Liam being a womanizer for his job 10 months ago but not liking it,was a bit too much painting him in a perfect light for my taste. And there were a few more bits like these.

All in all though I did really enjoy reading this book and flew through it. It was just what I needed.

4.5 ⭐️

Master of plans, lists, and details, Daisy is also a master of protecting herself from heartbreak by not getting too involved in relationships. But deep down, she can’t help but care. After an emotionally traumatic prom night 10 years ago, where her date Liam aka her brother’s best friend aka the boy she’s always had a crush on disappeared without a word, he reappears at a tech conference? In order to save his family’s distillery, Liam must marry before he turns 30, and to get all her meddling aunties off her back, Daisy enters a marriage of convenience with Liam. But, we all know what a fake relationship uncovers, right?

Desai has this way of telling a story where I felt like I was part of it the entire time. Fake dating, marriage of convenience, and a second chance romance? Definitely my jam. But, all the other components of family, friendships, careers, and the supporting characters breathed in so much life to Daisy and Liam’s journey. The theme of reconnection and second chances was evident across the board, and I appreciated it so much. And, the banter, Daisy’s quirks, Liam’s charms made me laugh.

3.75

I thought this book was cute. It just kind of left me wanting more! Daisy is an Indian American software engineer who plans her life in spreadsheets (I can relate 🤣). And Liam is her brother’s childhood best friend who was always around flirting with Daisy when they were young. She didn’t have a date to prom so he offered to take her and then never showed up...10 years later they meet at a conference and they both need a fake bf/fiancé in their lives...cue predictable love story!

Don’t get me wrong I love a predictable love story but it just wasn’t one of my favorites. I wanted more background stories from their young days; the ones that were there I loved.

Things I did enjoy:
💕 Daisy blossomed as the book went on. She became confident and really went for what she wanted.
💕 Liam is the perfect rom com attractive, funny, sexy man candy. I loved how he came into his own and really grew up in the sense that he understood many things in his past from other peoples perspectives. He also just wanted to do any little thing that Daisy would love!
💕 The Marvel moments and steamy parts were too cute!
💕 Max and his pakoras 😂🐶
💕 “We. A small word with so much meaning. It meant forgiveness, love, acceptance. It meant closing old wounds and moving forward. It meant home”

Small things that bugged me that probably wouldn’t the average person:
🏒 While I loved the avid Sharks fandom, intermissions were called halftime in the book. As a big hockey fan and a math person, I tend to get annoyed when people call periods, quarters or halves, and now intermissions being called halftime 😬 Maybe this gets fixed in the non-ARC version 🤞🏼
🇮🇳 While I loved that Liam had come to love some desi chaat and wanted to wear a sherwani to make Daisy happy in their fake wedding ceremony, something was lacking for me on the culture side that I’m not quite sure how to explain. I also really don’t like when Indians assume that Americans can’t handle spicy foods; I’m really getting tired of being told it might be too spicy when I’m around Indians.
End rant!

Overall, a cute rom com that’s a quick and easy read!

So the first line: "Daisy Patel had no issues with besotted lovers hiding away in a toilet cubicle for a little covert tongue gymnastics," honestly started this book off on the right foot for me. Nothing screams ROM-COM like awkwardly being in a public restroom getting pads out one of those machines while people make out in the stall. Classic. And then running into her aunts (with a prospective husband), her childhood crush, and ex-boyfriend while carrying an armful of said pads? It killed me. Sign me up!

Daisy and Liam then fake an engagement to 1) get her nosy aunties to stop playing matchmaker and 2) so Liam can fulfill a weird properly law clause by getting married by his next birthday to inherit his families business (which is honestly so ridiculous but apparently, how Wills work?) So Daisy puts together A SPREADSHEET (bless her) to organize their fake dates leading up to a wedding.

I really liked the family aspect of this book. The overbearing aunties and Daisy's family contrast to Liam's somewhat absent (or at the very least strained) family and how each of them responded and were shaped by their family dynamics. I felt a powerful undercurrent of "family" and what that means throughout the entire book. Daisy and Liam were also pretty cute, if not a little cheesy. An early scene where he tries to act like he can handle "extra hot" Indian food cuz if that isn't the most realistic. Overall, I liked the characters and their development throughout the book.

I read earlier reviews about the eye-roll-inducing engineer-lingo, but I was happily ignorant to all of that. If anything, I was surprised how little was about engineering as I felt that it was marketed so strongly as Daisy's identity. At times, I felt like they were both very stereotyped as "chaotic, cool jock" and "quirky, smart girl" which eventually WE GET IT.

I did notice a few spacing and formatting inconsistencies but hopefully, that was just due to the advance copy.

In the end: I enjoyed it, I was entertained, it had more depth (themes of family, anxiety, trauma) than I had initially expected, I would read more by Sara Desai.