Just finished it and really enjoyed it. I love finding new author that will be my new go tos and Sara Desai is on my list now. The story was fun and the characters were so enjoyable.

Sara Desai is an auto-buy for me. I love her writing and her characters and her sense of humor. I really enjoyed Daisy and Liam and I love the fake boyfriend/second chance at love/marriage of convenience chance at love tropes. Sara threw in the kitchen sink but, somehow, made it all work.

I went into this romance with high hopes because I read many a review that said The Marriage Game was one of their favourite romances of last year. Unfortunately, this one didn’t give me what I needed.

Daisy has been in love with Liam, her older brother’s friend, since high school. She has not seen him in over 10 years when he was supposed to take her to prom and never showed up. He whisks himself back into her life when he runs into her at a conference and they set up an elaborate dating/marriage scheme to each achieve their own ends. Shockingly, through their plan, things get cooking and not in the kitchen.

Here’s the thing – I need to want the characters to get together. And despite Liam sounding like a dreamboat, I wanted him to take a hike. YES, he had a reason that he didn’t show up. But in real-life is that enough? We’ve all got “stuff” and we all have reasons that we make decisions. Even if they were out of our control, how we deal with them afterwards is. And to me, disappearing and not providing any explanation for approximately 3,650 days is inexcusable. He made a decision to not explain himself because it was easier for HIM, not her. So maybe this one felt too realistic.

I tell my kids regularly that you teach people how to treat you – you treat people with respect and expect the same in kind. If you show people that you will allow them to disrespect you, I hate to say it, but there are people who will. Daisy should have forgiven him for not showing up on prom night. But she should NOT have been able to just move past him putting her aside for 10 years. And don’t give me the he loves him business – love is a bedrock of respect, consideration and putting the other person before yourself. If their whole little situation is love, I will take a hard pass.

I want to read love stories where women are empowered.

You know the saying to “save the best for last”? The last buddy read for our #RomComFebruary is the best of a very good bunch, in my opinion, and I couldn’t wait another second to tell you all about it- even if we don’t discuss it until tomorrow!
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After reading The Marriage Game months ago and loving it, I kind of suspected that I was going to fall in love with this latest book by Sara Desai, The Dating Plan. I was so right, I just didn’t know how much I was going to love it!!
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It is a romcom for everyone, a perfect blend of tropes- fake relationship, enemies to lovers, second chance romance, all my favorites. It also has a kick ass strong female lead and colorful characters surrounding her at home and at her office!! It also has a cute dog and The Avengers!
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I could honestly turn around and start at page one again and enjoy it all again! I have a huge TBR so I won’t be rereading any time soon, but you can read it for me!!!
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It was one of this months BOTM selections so hopefully it can be an add on in March if you didn’t get it this month. Otherwise, it’s Pub Day is March 16 so preorder, mark the date in your crafty planners, or get in your libraries wait list. This one is too fun to miss.
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It gets a little busy, a lot steamy, and and gave me some laughs at a time I REALLY needed the laughs and distraction. Although it is a rare occurrence, I can’t give it anything but all the stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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#fivestarread #bestromcom #readthisbook #justwhatineeded #brilliance #saradesai #thedatingplan #readersofinstagram #booklove #RomComFeb #FlirtyFebruary #buddyreads #readathon #romcom #contemporaryromance #chucklit #readit #bookish #bookstagram #BOTMselection #bookrecommendation #preordernow #bookishladiesclub

📖 "The Dating Plan" by @saradesaiwrites
will be released on MARCH 16, 2021

👩🏽‍💻 Daisy Patel is a software engineer who has a deep love (obsession) with Marvel Characters, has had enough of her family's meddling and arranged marriage propositions.
🏍Liam Murphy, a Venture Capitalist, had a tough time growing up (CW: domestic abuse) and has worked his way to the top with sheer grit and resilience.

🤝 Our two MCs grew up together, Liam being Daisy's brother's bestfriend.. but on the day of her senior prom, when Liam had sweetly offered himself as her date, he disappeared leaving her heartbroken. Now years later, they meet each other just as Daisy is once again running away from her matchmaking aunts with another eligible man in tow and Liam finds himself in need of a wife or he loses his inheritance. Together these two come up with a series of dates formally known as their Dating Plan to legitimize their engagement.

✅ Interracial Couple with a Multicultural cast of secondary characters
✅ ETL trope but with a good foundation that the HEA becomes realistic and organic
✅ Love how the Desi culture integrated itself into the storytelling
✅ The secondary characters are absolutely endearing and hilarious! I did not expect to find myself laughing out loud at some moments in this

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟 (4.75)
I cannot recommend this book enough especially to the readers out there who love the Fake & ETL Tropes!
Seriously preorder your copy now and get ready for some feel good storytelling from this romcom.

🙏🏻 Thank you to @netgalley, @berkleyromance & @saradesaiwrites for this ARC!

🛍 PREORDER whereever you buy books!
🎁RELEASE DATE: MARCH 16, 2021

Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for access to this ARC!

Let me start by saying that I thought this story was really cute. I LOVE to see romances that feature interracial couples because I feel that for many years, that was not something I had access to. As someone in an interracial relationship, I deeply appreciate the representation.

Here's what I liked:
- The trope: I love fake dating! It's always fun and I'm rarely not intrigued by stories that start this way
- This was a really fast paced read. I completed it in about 6 total reading hours. It's always nice to zip through a book after reading more medium to slow paced stories
- I enjoyed the peaks into Indian culture. I'm not personally familiar with the culture so it is always nice to catch it in the books I'm reading
- I loved the MC's love for one another. It was very touching and gave me all the gooey feelings

What I didn't like:
- This story, overall, fell a little flat for me. It was quite predictable in the sense that I feel like I've read maybe 10 other stories told almost exactly like this one
- The ending was a little wild and unbelievable at times. That last 80 pages or so had me shaking my head a bit
- I wanted a little bit more depth that never came. I also found it a little bit unbelievable that a character as smart and strong as Daisy would still be bothered by an old high school boyfriend

Overall, I enjoyed this story but I don't feel like it's one that I'll revise. I plan to recommend it to people that will like it, though.

THE DATING PLAN • Sara Desai • Pub Date: March 16, 2021 • ⭐️⭐️

I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. While I wanted to like this one, it sadly was not for me. Because of my lack of chemistry with this book, my review may sound negative, but I mean no offense to the author. This is just my opinion; please don’t let me sway you from picking this one up if it sounds interesting to you! Not every book meshes with everybody.

I personally felt that the writing in this book was clunky, and the story was rushed. The first chapter alone made my head spin. This did not bode well to developing any sort of believable relationship between a couple so unsurprisingly, I did not feel any chemistry between Daisy and Liam at all.

Speaking of unbelievable, the whole fake dating troupe was based on a will that would NEVER have been upheld. I know this is something most people could easily bypass, but it was such a glaring legal error that I was immediately disenchanted by this book. Ah, the struggles of being a lawyer! This isn’t the first book where my law studies made it impossible to ignore a giant plot hole, and I’m sure it won’t be the last. 😅

Maybe I could have overlooked some of these things, but I couldn’t even get myself to LIKE Daisy or Liam, separately. Their personalities just seemed forced. Oh, a quirky programmer who wears a full set of Marvel Superhero underwear on a date (twice!?)? A bad boy that’s just misunderstood? Come on. It was just too much.

TL;DR: This book was not for me, but it may be for you!

Daisy and Liam must come together in this arranged engagement to help each other out. Daisy who loved Liam when they were kids is guarded after he was a no show at their high school prom. Liam in love with Daisy was well does not believe he deserves her. This arrange relationship is layered with romance and family issues. It is amusing and deep at the same time.

The Dating Plan is mix up of hate to love and fake dating. It's funny, charming and easy to read. Daisy hates Liam. They have history where he stood her up for prom in Hugh school. She doesn't let it go. My biggest issue with this book was how long Daisy held her grudge. It was hard to sympathize with her when she couldn't move on. It's a smell concern but something that bugged me while I was reading. Overall, I really enjoyed The Dating Plan

Sara Desai does it again, but this time even better! The Dating Plan features two super lovable characters (huge upgrades from Layla and Sam IMO) wrestling with childhood trauma, doubting their self worth, and realizing their happiest selves through a zany fake marriage of convenience. Some of the reasons keeping the leads apart were a bit overdone, but ultimately watching Liam, the respectable bad boy, and Daisy, the quirky nerd, fumble their way to love was a darn, steamy treat!

I found this book such a joy to read. It was funny and sexy, sweet and steamy. It really had everything. I especially like how every storyline wrapped, making me feel warm and fuzzy by the end.

I completely understood Daisy. Her fear of commitment, her reluctance to take risks, her planning and scheduling. Everything that she felt made her weird and different only made her more relatable for me. It helps that I work in a similar field to Daisy so I *got* when she would talk about coding. I liked how much she liked Marvel and how open she was about expressing herself through her clothes. She was confident and seemed to know herself quite well while still leaving room to explore parts of herself she never considered opening up before.

Liam was such a More than I liked Liam, I liked how Liam loved Daisy which for me was very clear from the first time he appeared. No part of their relationship ever even seemed fake, no matter how much either of them said it, it felt very real from the beginning. Liam loved everything about Daisy, every quirk, every perceived flaw. I did find it slightly odd to keep referencing her teenage self with such longing although I choose to believe it was just fondness. I’m glad he got to know her as an adult woman.

I haven’t read The Marriage Game so this is my first Sara Desai book and I’d say it can definitely be read as a stand-alone (I don’t know if they’re actually related). I really enjoyed it so I’ll be going back and reading the other book for sure.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This is your typical hate to love romance trope. Daisy is Indian American who is very smart but has sworn off relationships. She was stood up at prom by her brothers best friend, Liam, 10 years ago. They run into each other at a work conference and Liam is just as handsome and charming as she remembers. They agree to a fake engagement for personal reasons. Daisy wants to put off her nosy aunts from setting her up and Liam wants to inherit his family distillery. Will they be able to work their dating plan without falling for each other? You probably already know the answer but this is a cute, easy read overall. It was however, super cheesy in some ways. Daisy wears Marvel underwear for goodness sakes. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy for an honest review.

I love the first part of this book but as the story progressed, it feels like the connection and relatability of the characters are coming off. I mean maybe because the title is about dating that it revolves around that idea. It is a good read with many funny moments. Quirky and engaging.

A fun, cute, light romance. I loved the main character's large, family full of interesting characters.

Liam Murphey won't gain his inheritance unless he's married, and Daisy Patel's family won't get off her back about getting married. They strike a bargain to fake a relationship and have a marriage of convenience to solve both of their problems. Daisy, a software engineer, approaches the "engagement" logically and plans a series of dates to legitimize their relationship. The chemistry sizzling between Daisy and Liam wasn't part of the plan.

This multicultural romantic comedy is an engaging read with likeable primary and secondary characters. While the tone is funny and upbeat, there is just the right about of believable conflict to keep the novel balanced. Recommended for fans of contemporary romance.

Review posted on GoodReads (February 18, 2021)
Review Linked.


4/5 stars!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for sending me an E-ARC of this book for an honest review.

I had heard so many amazing things about this book before I picked it up and all of the hype is true! This was such an adorable romance.

I absolutely fell IN LOVE with these two incredible and lovable characters. Their stories and romance were so much fun to read. You all know I love a good Hate-To-Love romance and this book is no exception.

I really recommend this fun, romantic, read!

Thanks for reading!
Caden

Identifying as a Desi myself, I have definitely read my share of novels that attempt to explain the first generation experience in America. I thought I knew what to expect reading my first Sara Desai novel, but was left pleasantly surprised and swooning.

Daisy Patel, an engineer and Marvel mega fan, is doing everything she can to avoid everyone's lingering question of "When are you getting married?!". A successful woman in her own right, she is breaking barriers in a multitude of ways. When it comes to her love life, the last thing she wants is any kind of arranged marriage and will do pretty much anything to avoid it.

Enter Liam Murphy. Daisy's former high school crush that suddenly comes back to town after disappearing without any explanation on the same night he was supposed to take her to prom many years ago. Back to face his own history and family, he is faced with a dilemma when faced with the implications of a family will.

After running into each other again, the chemistry is undeniable. What ensues is a series of hilarious moments, passion, family ties, and so much more.

A beautiful cover, fake engagement, and multi-racial couple? These factors alone had me intrigued from the start. What followed was a fresh take on the standard romantic comedy that left me with a cheek-to-cheek smile. This was a great transition novel for me while navigating a busy week. I was thinking about the characters even when I wasn't reading, and besides a little bit of cheesiness, I would highly recommend this novel.

Thank you Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for this advanced reader copy.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and Netgalley for the ARC!

This was a super cute and fun read! I’m a sucker for a good enemies to lover trope, even more so when it involves a fake engagement and second chance at romance!

Was it cheesy and predictable? Yes. Did I still love it? Absolutely yes!

It had a great balance of quirkiness and steam and the building tension and angst felt totally realistic.

I loved the unconventional character representation with the usage of a woman of colour leading lady and her career as a software engineer. I also really enjoyed how well the characters seemed to balance each other out perfectly!

Ultimately, this was the perfect sexy and smart, Flirty February read!

I’m rounding up my 3.5 star rating in this one... The Dating Plan was enjoyable, but predictable.

Daisy is no longer the same girl she was in high school. She knows her worth and her beauty. She has gained her confidence and she has a great job. But when she happens to run into her brother’s childhood best friend, she is reminded of that nerdy girl she used to be. She crushed oh so hard on Liam for so long... right up until he stood her up for her prom and left town, leaving not only her behind, but her brother Sanjay, too.

But, running into Liam again may have its benefits. Seeing as she needs to find a fiancé to get her family off her back and he needs a fiancé so he can inherit his father’s company. Although, it isn’t so cut and dry. She still cannot forgive him and he refuses to reveal the truth about why he hurt her so long ago and how it killed him as well. They decided to make a dating plan to make their rapid engagement more believable... and you can guess what happens next. These fake dates turn into real feelings.

I respected Daisy and her strength, strong work ethic and absolute loyalty to her family. She was so kind and caring and I loved her character.

Liam was dealing with the animosity between he and his brother in the wake of family drama. He is trying to overcome the feelings of inadequacy in his father’s eyes.

This book followed the typical fake relationship formula. I wish there was more to make it stand out from the rest. That doesn’t mean it wasn’t a fun read. It just felt like one I had read ten times over.

When I read romance, I really enjoy the stories with a slow burn, a great build up, and a solid relationship between the two characters. Not all romances do this, and some jump right into the love story. I really need the story to build towards the romance, and with The Dating Plan this story jumped in too quick for me. I needed more background from the characters to really buy into their unrequited love. I would’ve loved to have more flashbacks to their time together as teens to learn more about how Daisy Patel’s family had really welcomed and treated Liam. Because I didn’t get a lot of this information until the end the story felt a-little contrived for me to really believe in their love.

Overall the story was entertaining and by the end I was really glad for their happy ending.