The Singles Table follows Zara and Jay, two people have no interest in falling in love. Zara, a celebrity-obsessed lawyer who loves helping her friends and family find love during the wedding season, makes a deal with Jay. She’ll help him find his perfect match to please his mother, who really wants him to fall in love, and in exchange he will introduce her to some of his celebrity clients from his security company.

As a South Asian woman, I absolutely LOVED the representation in this book. The South Asian romance novels I’ve previously read were more based on the traditional side of our culture and don't really reflect how our society has modernized, which made it hard for me to connect to. I felt like The Singles Table definitely showed this modernization though, while still touching on important parts of our culture.

I think the only aspect of this book that I didn’t really love was how obsessed Zara was with celebrities. It was a bit much at points.

But besides that, I really loved this book and if you’re interested in reading a diverse opposites attract rom-com, I highly recommend this book!

The Singles Table was really a joy to read. I think from all the books by Sara Desai, this has been my favorite so far. I did enjoy the crazies the family of the main h continues to show and the just like the chemistry between the characters.

Meeting the love of your life and a paintball game? Yes please. Watching Zara and Jay open up was a great experience and I truly enjoyed every moment of this book. At the beginning, Jay is about his job, and watching their lives and come together just changed both of them for the better and this growth was written so well. Grumpy and sunshine trope for the win yet again. Thank you Sara for such a wonderful and enjoyable read!

Love, love, loved this read! It was cute, fun, and while some of the conflict could have just been solved by better communication between the two main characters, the plot did feel more relatable than I had expected! I only wish the epilogue had been a bit longer as SO much happened in the span of very few pages. It basically felt like a pitch for a second novel that fell flat, but was included to give the characters closure.

Going into The Singles Table, I didn't know it was part of the Marriage Game series. You can read The Singles Table as a standalone without any confusion. I haven't read anything from Sara Desai before, but I own The Dating Plan. After reading The Singles Table, The Dating Plan has sparked my interest more. So I'm planning to read that sometime soon.

Just from reading the summary, The Singles Table captured me with all of my favorite buzz words; grumpy x sunshine, opposites attract, and romantic comedy.

I can't picture things in my head. It's a condition called aphantasia. That aside, the whole time I was reading The Singles Table, I was able to imagine it as a rom-com film/tv series. Sometimes you want a rom-com to take you away from your life. Something cheesy and entertaining in the best possible way.

Zara is a walking contradiction. Not only that, but she's a mess and relatable. When someone is happy all of the time without a care in the world, it just seems fake to me, and it irks me. But with Zara, it was just enough that it doesn't cross the line. She may be happy and free-spirited, but she has depth. She isn't naive but rather chooses to see the positive instead of the negative. Jay was so grumpy, and I loved it. Even though they were opposites, they understood one another on some level. The only thing that I didn't like was how Jay was presented in the beginning with how he talked and what he said. But besides that, I enjoyed reading The Singles Table.

The Singles Table has a full-circle moment. It begins and ends with a paintballing scene, which was something I loved. Their meeting was so funny that I couldn't help but laugh the whole time I was reading it. The Singles Table as a whole was entertaining but also heartfelt. I can't wait to read more from Sara Desai.

While I loved the concept, I didn’t care for the opposites attract trope set up. The female lead was very all over the place and the male interest was obnoxious

3.5 ⭐️ A fun and quirky rom-com


Summary:

Neither celebrity-obsessed lawyer Zara, nor former military security specialist Jay, are looking for love. Jay is too focused on expanding his security company while Zara's recent breakup, coupled with the trauma from her parent's divorce has her determined to never open her heart again. But that doesn't mean she can't help others find their match.

During this wedding season, Zara and Jay find themselves at the singles table and they make a deal - Zara will find someone special for him and in return, he will introduce her to his celebrity clients. But when their arrangement brings them together in ways they never expected, they realize that the perfect match might just be their own.


My Thoughts:

Was this story over the top and a bit ridiculous at times? Yes! 🙈 But did I love it? Heck yes!

This was my first Sara Desai book, and I have to say, she does an amazing job writing about characters finding themselves in some interesting situations where instead of rolling my eyes, I laughed out loud! I mean, Zara's life, in particular, is chaotic and pretty unrealistic but I couldn't help but get swept away by her energy and charm. Pretty sure I'm just as enraptured by Zara as Jay.

I'm a sucker for the grumpy/sunshine trope, and Zara and Jay nailed this dynamic! Zara was wild and unpredictable and Jay is organized and focused. They are opposites in every way, but together they balance each other out.

Also, my favorite nickname in romance novels is 'sweetheart', so I instantly started swooning once that word started coming out to play.

And while this is a rom-com, I liked that there were some deeper elements to the story. For example, Jay's fear of abandonment and PTSD, and Zara's inability to form healthy attachments due to the trauma of her parent's divorce. These things allowed me, as a reader, to connect with Zara and Jay on a much deeper level. And it was nice to see them willing to work through these traumas in an effort to open their hearts to love.

The reason why it’s getting a 3.5-star rating is because I could easily put the book down (took me 3 days to read when something that had my full attention takes me 5 hours) and the pacing was sometimes off (it slows down in the middle and then wraps up quickly at the end).


But overall, I’d 100% recommend it if you’re looking for something that’s light-hearted and will make you laugh.


Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing an e-copy in exchange for an honest review! As always, all opinions are my own.

The Singles Table is the third book in The Marriage Game series. It was so much fun to return to the Patel family and their matchmaking shenanigans. Those Aunties never fail to make me laugh. Right away they could tell that thee was something sparking between Zara and Jay....even if they refuse to admit it to themselves.

Zara and Jay first meet at a combined bachelor/bachlorette paint ball competition and immediately clash. Zara thinks Jay is an egotistical alpha male while Jay think Zara is attractive but very loud and all over the place. The two characters are on complete opposite sides of the spectrum of life. As they continue to run into each other at various wedding functions, they make a deal: if Zara can find Jay a perfect match for his lacking love life he will in turn introduce her to some of his more famous clients. All seems very black and white and in order except for the little fact that trading barbs starts to become a little fun.

Jay and Zara are both afraid of relationships and commitment due to being hurt when they were younger. Zara's parents divorced when she was 11 year old and it crushed her and her faith in love. Jay grew up with a angle mother and has never met his father. He joined the air force after graduation and now experiences nightmares from the things he experienced. This only causes him to pull further away from the idea of a real relationship. Zara brings a sense of excitement to Jay in the way that she embraces life and shows joy. She reminds him of life before he got scared. In return, Jay brings a sense of calm to Zara who has spent years of avoiding suitors from her Aunties. She enjoys bantering with him and feels a sense of possibility. There is real sense of possibility for them both.

The banter between Jay and Zara jumps off the page. So does the sexual chemistry. I read all or their story in one sitting because I felt so invested. Also, there were so many "almost" moments between then that made it hard to put down. I had to know what was going to happen with them! Plus, I was also enjoying Zara's desire to meet celebrities and have them sign her arm. And I knew that the "find Jay a match " portion of the story wasn't going to last - these two were obviously end game.

The Singles Table uses the troupes of enemies to lovers and sunshine vs grumpy perfectly. It had me laughing one minute and swooning the next. There was a dramatic conflict but, thank goodness it was resolved rather quickly. In comparison to the other two books The Marriage Game series, it was much easier to make it through the dramatic conflict and still want them together. Zara and Jay had captured my heart just as they captured each other's.
Rating: 4.5 Stars

I read the first three by this author and loved them, so this was no exception! Each book gets better and better and has a trope that I am into! These books can be read in one sitting because you're so interested in what happens next. LOVE!

This book was a delight. I ended up listening to this book and it was the perfect way to get immersed in this world.

I love Sara Desai's writing! The Singles Table might just be her best yet. I loved Zara and Jay so much! I was rooting for them from the beginning and fell in love with them and their relationship. I definitely recommend this one!

Cute, funny rom-com with people of different ethnic backgrounds. This is a sexy read - rated R, for sure. I enjoy Sara Desai's humor and the light content. This is an entertaining book, similar to her others.

Grumpy Jay doesn't want to waste time on a relationship. Zara is fresh out of a bad break-up and wants to foley focus on her work as a lawyer. When they are seating next to each other at a mutual friends wedding, Zara learns that Jay a few of Jay security clients are celebrities! Soon they are making a deal that she will find his "someone special" if he introduces her to his celebrity clients. Throughout the wedding season, they go together, but as they spend more time together they may get more than they bargained for.

I loved this! Zara is lovable, upbeat, and outgoing! Jay is a no nonsense grumpy workaholic. Zara bring fresh life into his life and her crazy celebrity obsession. As the season progress, their perfect wedding date, may just end up being each other.

After her parents’ devastating divorce, free-spirited Zara Patel is determined to never fall in love again. Instead, she puts all her energy into building her career as a personal injury lawyer and matchmaking her friends during wedding season. She’s never met a guest at the singles table that she couldn’t match until she crosses path with Jay Donovan. Former military security specialist Jay has no time for love, especially as he’s trying to internationally expand his security company, J-Tech Security. He’s all about working hard, success, and no distractions. When Zara and Jay are thrown together for an entire wedding season, they make a deal: Zara will find Jay his perfect match if he introduces her to his celebrity clients. But when their deal brings them together in ways they never expected, they realize that they just might be each other’s perfect match.

I absolutely loved this grumpy-meets-sunshine/opposites attract rom com! I find Sara’s characters to be extremely well written, with believable insecurities, hopes, and fears. Zara’s personality and antics had me legitimately laughing out loud, but I especially enjoyed reading about her career. Zara found a law firm that was an amazing fit for her priorities and work style, instead of slaving away at a top law firm just for the reputation. And Jay, oh Jay, he was Zara’s perfect foil. He was just the right amount of grumpy, but more importantly, he was completely smitten by Zara and her larger than life personality. This book was just so *fun* and would make a great read if you're in the mood for a romantic comedy.

The Singles Table is an entertaining book that I read in one sitting because I was engrossed in the story. The interactions between Jay and Zara are fun, and the banter keeps the reader engaged. The book is well written; the prose flows smoothly, creating a fast-paced read that sucks you in till the very end.

This was a typical rom com book but I really enjoyed it. I liked all the characters and their chemistry and would loved to spend more time with them.

RATING: THREE STARS

*contains spoilers*

South Asian romances are the way to my heart so when I saw Sara Desai had published a new one, I was immediately sold. The plot of this book takes place over a series of Indian wedding events, wonderfully embedding the book's plot with key cultural components most South Asians would be able to relate to. I found myself wishing I was in Bangladesh to enjoy wedding season and dress up like the characters. One aspect of the book I enjoyed was Zara's commitment to being herself. Other than a few scenes, she did not quiet herself or change herself for anybody. As a brown woman, that is a level of confidence I aspire to have myself. Also, her energy being at a high all the time, I can't picture myself having it but I would love to spend a night out drinking with her!

As for the actual romance of the book, I did enjoy it but it fell flat near the end. The buildup towards the romance was really nice and I enjoyed reading Jay's POV about how much he wanted her and how he would spoil her. What girl wouldn't? That being said, Zara's resistance to the relationship, although understandable, was a bit tough to continue reading over the span of a few chapters. I wanted to shake her and say, "He's a good guy! Accept him!" Because of this, when they got together at the end, it felt a bit rushed and unfulfilling. I do wish more time was spent on building a healthy, loving relationship. But, I do understand the importance of showing Zara's commitment issues and that she needed to heal on her own.

With all that being said, I would still recommend reading the book because it has amazing cultural nods and a swoon-worthy Indian male lead!

Speical thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an e-ARC of this book!

Jay and Zara have one thing in common- neither want relationships. For Jay, he wants to focus on his growing security company. For Zara, she wants nothing to do with love after living through the devastation of her parents' divorce. Zara loves to make matches, though, so she makes a deal with Jay- introduce her to a few celebrities and she'll find the perfect woman for him. What could possibly go wrong? I enjoyed this book, the third in a loosely tied series (all can be read by themselves as there really is very little carry over). This was a great read for right before Valentine's Day!

I really enjoyed this book. The banter was spot on and I loved both characters and how they brought each other out of their comfort zones!!

The Singles Table is the third book in the Marriage Game series. I love Sara Desai and it’s honestly impossible to pick a favorite. This one might be it though.

In this book we meet Zara and Jay who are complete opposites. I couldn’t get enough of their back and forth antics. Both characters were wonderful.
Zara was such a free spirit I instantly fell in love with her. Jay was so loveable even though he tried so hard not to be.

Sara definitely knows how to write steamy scenes.
They were swoon worthy! Had me blushing throughout them.

I loved every second of this book. Highly recommend if you enjoy the sunshine/grump trope.

Thank you Berkley for the ARC.