Yes! Yes! Yes! This is my first time reading Sajni Patel and whewww did I love it! I think this also has solidified 2nd chance romances as one of my favorite tropes for a romance book. The tension between our two main characters was so good in this book and it really did a pretty good job tackling some of the stigmas surrounding mental health. I really recommend this to everyone! Looking forward to reading the other books in this series!

This was such a unique refreshing story. I loved learning more about Indian culture both the good & the toxic parts. I also loved how heavy topics like anxiety, depression, mental health stigma, & child loss were explored. I especially realated to Preeti's journey to getting help for her anxiety. It felt so well written & true to my own experience. I also loved how Preeti found her voice & stood up for herself. It is a great message to all women, we are worthy. Daniel was the ultimate cinnamon roll in the best way & was just such a good fit for Preeti

I loved this book, but I must say it was not the romance novel I was expecting. This book included some very heavy topics including cultural conflict that leads to racism and mental health that fit well in the novel, but just different. I really enjoyed Preeti and Daniel's characters and complicated relationship. If you do not mind these sensitive topics and enjoy a complex ex relationship, then I recommend this book to you!

Preeti Patel is a successful resident trying to get a permanent doctor position. She was looking for a temporary place to stay and a friend is out of town but she has to share it with her ex and there's only one bed!

Daniel is from a wealthy family and his father let her know (in college when they dated) he didn't approve of her and that's why she ended their relationship. Both had not had successful relationships since, they still feel for each other.

Preeti's extended family has been spreading gossip and creating vicious double standards because she had lived with Daniel during their relationship basically calling her unclean and used names. Daniel is African American and they were horribly racist about that.

Preeti's family wanted her to marry someone of their choosing and she has a touch aversion and she does not want him to touch her even with permission. But Daniel's touch is just fine, she craves it actually.

This book was steamy, heartbreaking, heartwarming, full of hard topics, cultural differences, mental health discussion and finally speaking up for ones own life. 

I loved this spoke about mental health, about having continued help and then speaking to her parents where they may actually have the same struggles. This topic is still taboo to many generations or cultures but it should not be something to be ashamed of. Sometimes having someone close to you telling you their story of getting help is what you need to seek your own help or realize you may be struggling with the same.

These two had real life problems, mental health struggles and they were standing in their own way because they thought it was best. I loved their chemistry!

Thank you readforeverpub , grandcentralpub  and netgalley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

Sajni Patel is slowly becoming a favourite. Between creating a world that I’m familiar with in a new way and writing characters that are so real and wonderful, her stories have captivated me. When I read The Trouble With Hating You, I ended up in a puddle of ugly tears because she tackled so many issues that Indian women (and women in general) face on a daily basis, but tied it in with supportive families, the best of friends and the kind of love that we all crave deep down in our souls. And then she announced that Preeti was getting her own book and I wept with joy!

Brace yourselves for an incredible story about forgiving yourself, growing up, fighting against bullies, supporting each other and falling in love. Because that’s exactly what First Love, Take Two is all about. And through Preeti and Daniel, we become so involved in the story of finding love in a familiar place while still battling demons that linger in the shadows.

Preeti Patel is a hardworking, determined and focused young woman who is well on her way to becoming a doctor. Her residency is taking up all of her time and between her friends getting married and falling in love, she’s found herself in this unhappy compromise with a man that was chosen by her parents. And when she has to find her own place to live after her roommate/best friend gets married, Preeti ends up sharing the space with the unlikeliest of people – the love of her life. Between fending off aunts that gossip and bully, working long hours and battling her anxiety; Preeti is stretched so thin she starts to fall apart. And the only person who is there to catch her is Daniel, even when he’s upset with how she crushed his heart and broke him apart six years ago.

First Love, Take Two is a second chance romance that you will absolutely devour once you get started. These characters are so wonderful too! I loved Preeti, I loved how passionate she was about her job, how important her family is and how much she cares for her friends. Preeti is, in so many ways, the perfect Indian daughter and her relationship with her parents show you that. While she keeps her anxiety and mental health struggles to herself (because Indian parents aren’t always accepting of these issues), her parents are aware of her touch aversion and her dislike for the community and the way they treated her friend Liya (from The Trouble with Hating You), Preeti is also putting everyone else in her life first. She loves so fiercely that it’s hard to let go of the things and the people that mean the most to her.

And then there’s Daniel…oh my god, he is so swoony! I really wish we got to see his side of things, but he was so wonderful! I loved that even though he’s so torn up and upset about the way Preeti ended things, his feelings for her haven’t changed. Daniel’s been her fiercest supporter and it’s clear in everything he does and says. He comes from an affluent Black family who has high expectations of him and he follows it as much as possible. However, the one thing he’s not willing to give up is Preeti, which becomes a big point of contention. The amount of love and affection Daniel has for Preeti blew my mind; he cooked for her, taught her how to cook, went out of his way to make her comfortable, showered her with affection even when she didn’t know how to handle it and more than anything, was there during every panic attack and moment of absolute helplessness.

Their relationship is so pure. Heart eyes the whole time. Because it’s a second chance romance following a really messy heartbreak, I was expecting there to be lots of angst and rage. But I loved that while some of that was there, it wasn’t the primary stage of their relationship. Their love for each other beats everything else and so when forced to live together because they both need somewhere to go, they work around the inconvenience and slowly get used to being around each other. I loved how Daniel teased Preeti for all the things that he’s known about her, how he made it hard for her to avoid him at all costs, but stepped aside when she needed the space. I loved that Preeti knew when Daniel needed her and when she needed to avoid him at the same time. When you’ve been together before, no matter how many years you’ve spent apart, the familiarity always wins and that’s exactly what happens with these two. And ugh, there is just SO much cute that my heart couldn’t handle!

Please take the content warnings seriously, because it can be hard for some. This book shattered me and stitched me back together with every page I turned. I have so much love for Sajni Patel’s storytelling and the topics she chooses to address, because even though the various points of conflict were sometimes hard to read, it was handled with grace. I cannot wait to read more of Sajni’s books, because I am now a fan for life.

Having read Liya's story and loving it, I was definitely up more from Sajni Patel. The author did not dissapoint. It's here! Preeti's story.
It's so much more than a romance. It's a second chance romance but with so much more. This takes on racism, elitism, prejudice and interracial relationship.
The book started out slow. The chemistry between the MCs were a little flat for me. But as the story went on I ended up liking the characters more and more.

Thank you Read Forever Publication for the early review copy.

This book is one that really played with my emotions! I went from hating characters to crying for others to cheering for my heroine.
Daniel is my new book boyfriend! I love how patient he was with Preeti and how he truly cared to be there for her. His Grandparents were adorable as well and it was nice to read how supportive they were of Daniel and Preeti.
One of my favorite things about this book is how the Daniel and Preeti talk and work through their issues deeply. With so much that has happened with the two of them the book needed deep conversations and the author got it perfectly.
Another thing that I loved was well written the panic and Anxiety attacks were. Most books don’t go into detail and it can be hard to understand. Sanji Patel got it perfectly and it made me feel as if I was there witnessing them.
I had a few things I didn’t like from this book. One was that at one point one of Preeti’s friends casually says that she is not going to temple because she has her period and feels unclean. Periods are a natural thing and no one should make a person believe they are unclean/unholy!!!
The other thing I couldn’t stand was Yuvan. Man is he an asshole! I get that you aren’t supposed to like the guy but man I wanted to punch him! He has one moment were he does some good. I still think that he’s an asshole.
This book can be read as a standalone but I recommend reading the first book.

Sajni Patel does it again! I loved First Love, Take Two. It’s a great love story that also takes on racism and mental health stigma. I can’t wait for her next book and hope this isn’t the last of this series because I absolutely love the characters she has created.

Thanks Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the copy of the book for a honest review

Whoa. This book snuck up on me. I went in expecting a fun, light romcom, and was pleasantly surprised to find a book that tackled so eloquently much deeper issues such as mental health and racism.

Preeti Patel is finishing up her residency and trying to find a job as a physician and at the same time managing the stress of her family and community's expectations for who she should date and marry. In the middle of all of this stress she also has to find a new place to live because her roommate just got married and is coming back to take over their place with her new husband. Thankfully she finds a new place to stay but there is one problem -- for three weeks her ex boyfriend will be staying in the one bedroom apartment with her. And this isn't just any ex-boyfriend. This is Daniel Thompson, the love of her life ex-boyfriend whom she broke it off with six years ago (for reasons related to their families) but has never gotten over. Can she manage to live with Daniel for three weeks? Are all of those family issues that plagued them six years ago still a barrier to them being together?

Where do I find a man like Daniel Thompson?! He was perfection. His ability to understand Preeti in her most vulnerable times and adapt to be exactly what she needed, even when he was mad at her, was everything. This book at me in tears more than once from the sheer vulnerability of the characters at times. Preeti was such a relatable character to me. Trying to hold everything together. Trying to be perfect and make sure everyone else was okay while she was crumbling to pieces from lack of self care. I wanted to reach through the page and hug her because it was so real and raw.

The issues in the case were honest and real. Sajni Patel does not shy away from hitting some of these topics head on especially issues of racism, traditional notions of gender roles, and mental health. There were parts of this book where I wanted to come through the page at some of these characters. This book made me feel so many emotions. It made me angry and sad and hurt for these characters. But that is the sign of a good book right? It makes you feel. And I felt so much from this one.

I would definitely recommend this book. It is an emotional roller coaster but a must read.

I’ve recently been getting back into reading books with second chance romance, and I was pleasantly surprised with this one. It had a very sweet and adorable relationship, really good anxiety rep and the forced proximity added to the overall ‘exes to lovers’ tension. Definitely recommend.

SWOONY. Ok, so I loved this author's first book, The Trouble With Hating You and was so excited to get an advanced copy of book two in this companion series. I was definitely NOT disappointed!!

Normally I don't love second-chance romances, but the chemistry between these Preeti and Daniel was unmatched. I also do love a good forced proximity trope so the fact that they had to live together for three weeks was great.

There were discussions of many heavier topics in this book, but it never felt bogged down or like it was trying to do too much. The characters touched on their issues with mental illness, community gossip, racism, elitism, and family pressures all while still delivering the most ADORABLE romance.

I think if you're looking for amazing writing and a love story that perfectly ties in real issues and relationship struggles, this is the perfect book for ya!

4.5 rounded up. I could NOT put this book down and finished it in literally two days.

I absolutely adored this second chance, interracial love story between Indian American doctor Preeti and her first love Daniel, a successful Black man from a wealthy family. Cultural differences caused Preeti to run away from a chance at true love six years before but she never quite got over Daniel. Now the two are temporary roommates bringing up all the old feelings and making Preeti second guess whether the arranged marriage to a man her parents want her to marry will really make her happy.

The chemistry between Preeti and Daniel was on fire!! I loved how supportive and sensitive Daniel was as Preeti struggles with her anxiety and touch aversion. The author does such a great job dealing with some heavy issues including the stigma surrounding mental illness and racism among both cultural communities. One of my favorite parts was Preeti's girl gang and Daniel's extended family who welcomed Preeti wholeheartedly. The balance between positive and negative influences on their relationships was really relatable I thought.

Highly recommend for fans of Sara Desai and Sonali Dev. This can be read as a standalone but I enjoyed the cameos from The trouble with hating you. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance review copy!

CW: mental illness, touch aversion, anxiety, racism, fetal death, slut shaming

I received an e-ARC of First Love, Take Two by Sajni Patel from Forever Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

I requested First Love, Take Two without knowing that it is the companion novel to The Trouble With Hating You, which I haven't read yet. Even so, I do believe that it is possible to read out of order. Though I do believe that if I were to now read The Trouble With Hating You, I probably know some spoilers. While I did generally enjoy First Love, Take Two - I love a good second chances story - there were parts to the story that I found too hard to believe. I felt the synopsis had misled me to believe how Preeti and Daniel ended up as roommates - when in the story, both characters willingly agree to this arrangement. Which I feel made the second meet-cute a little less cute and too connived and planned out. Even so, I think that it was a good contemporary romance that dealt with issues of racism and classism in a way that takes a hard and realistic look in the ways it can manifest even in minority communities.

I love it when the first book is good, but the second book is so much more. I was hoping for Preeti's story and it was nothing short of stellar. Her personal struggles, insecurities, but also her strength to fight through them and for herself are probably my favorite parts of this book. I love the friendships between all 4 girls and how they are choosing totally different paths in life. I loved Daniel's family and his solid, steady love for Preeti. I also really liked the contrast in her relationship with Yuvon and Daniel. It was such a good way to show just how much Daniel loved her.

You do not need to read the first book to love First Love, Take Two. But you definitely need to read this one.

First, a huge thank you to NetGalley and Forever Pub for providing me a copy of this book. As soon as I saw Sajni Patel’s next book available on NetGalley, I swooped in to request a copy. I was lucky enough to get a copy. Let. Me. Tell. You. - This book is good.

I flew through the pages instantly captivated by Preeti and her touch aversion. As someone who truly values her personal space, I gotta tell you, finding a kindred spirit is everything. What I love most about Sajni Patel’s writing is her willingness to connect her previous book with this one. We get updates on the whole friend group and of course about Liya and Jay. Somehow the fact that the stories are interconnected works perfectly. Readers of The Trouble with Hating You connected deeply to Jay and Liya. Continuing to provided snippets of their story only seems right.

Preeti is at a crossroads in her profession. Her residency is finishing up and she’s interviewing for jobs. Her research is a bit behind and the stress is mounting. The last thing she needs is added stress with Daniel, her ex-boyfriend reappearing. These two lovers to enemies are bound to lock horns. Neither is willing to let the other off the hook for what happened six years before.

The book is charming, I love the dynamics of these two lovebirds. However, the one thing that got on my nerves was their clear efforts to try and communicate better (and truly they did grow up), but how often Preeti griped about him. It just went on a little too long for me. I think this is just a personal issue, because I wanted them to be happy!

Sajni Patel, give me more! I love her books. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, as an Indian-American woman, authors like Patel, make me feel so seen and heard. I’m grateful for the increasing diversity of authors. As a child, I wasn’t able to read books by women like me as frequently nor did I see myself depicted in stories very often. So from the bottom of my heart, thank you.

This book was so good! I hadn't read the first book in the series, and while now I want to, I don't need to have read the first one in order to enjoy First Love, Take Two. This book tackles some heavy topics, including mental illness and racism, and I feel both were handled very well. The biracial part of this book is really important. It's not only just great to see the representation, the conflict with Preeti's Indian community over Daniel being Black, drives the story. I found myself having to check my attitude a couple of times while reading. I would get annoyed with Preeti's lack of a backbone and how she'd let the love of her life go because of her gossipy community. But then I had to check myself and realize that, yeah, I don't get it. I don't understand the cultural aspect and implications of sticking up to the community and family elders because I'm not a part of the community and instead of judging, I need to be learning. Realizing that, you can see the immense about of growth Preeti achieves throughout the book and it is incredible.

Mental health is still taboo over most, if not all cultures, and taking the steps to accept and overcome her struggles was not only important for her character development but also something important to remember in life. We all struggle. We all have "issues" to deal with and that's okay. Seeking help isn't a sign of weakness, it takes strength to admit when you can't do it on your own. I appreciate that despite Preeti's struggles, the author takes great lengths to make it clear that it does not diminish her intelligence, her talent, or her ability to be an outstanding doctor. I find that incredibly realistic. Just because we are struggling in one area of our lives does not mean we are struggling in all areas.

I also appreciated that while there were outside forces keeping them apart, Preeti and Daniel's relationship was actually really healthy. There were no toxic traits masked with some romantic trope. The way Preeti and Daniel loved each other was inspiring. Your partner should help comfort you, make you feel secure, and inspire you to be your best. I do wish Daniel's character had been expanded on a little more, as well as knowing more about their college days.

I absolutely loved Sajni Patel’s The Trouble with Hating You, so when I saw her new book, First Love, Take Two was available, I requested it immediately! This is a great follow-up, a steamy, second-chance romance that builds on the first book’s events but doesn’t rely on them. (I think you could read this one even if you haven’t read book one.)

Here, Preeti Patel is trying to embrace an arranged marriage with Yuvan. He checks all the right boxes: he’s part of her conservative, Indian community, and his parents are close with hers. He’s successful, as is she, and this seems like the perfect match. But she has absolutely no chemistry with him.

Preeti has been the subject of gossip before, six years ago when she had an interracial relationship with Daniel Thompson. When her father’s sisters found out that she was dating outside the culture and the race—Daniel is Black—they set the full force of community shaming upon her and her family. Daniel’s parents were no more accepting of her, and so Preeti broke off their relationship.

Since then, Preeti has built a successful career as a doctor—she’s almost done with her residency—has taken care of her parents, and has made every effort to fly under the radar of the gossip mongers. All of that has kept Daniel from the forefront of her mind and heart . . . until her friends and his sister conspire to throw them together once more.

This book does a great job dealing with a number of serious issues: anxiety and racism and touch aversion and, above all, both the blessing and curse of being part of a close-knit community. As a doctor, Preeti deals with heartbreak—miscarriage, death, and the expectations of her patients’ families—and more and more, she’s feeling overwhelmed by expectations both at work and in her personal life.

Watching Preeti and Daniel work through their relationship to support each other is fantastic: this is such a wonderful, second-chance romance, filled with a deep backstory and nuanced characters. As always in a romance series, I love seeing Liya and Jay from book one, and I have high hopes that there will be at least one more book involving Liya and Preeti’s friend group.

First Love, Take Two is a worthy, steamy, beautiful follow-up to The Trouble with Hating You.

Preeti is a stressed out resident doctor, and the pride of her parents. She’s almost engaged to a man of her parent’s choosing, and will do anything to keep her family and friends safe. There’s just one problem - she’s still hung up on her ex, Daniel. When fate (and a little meddling) have Preeti and Daniel briefly sharing an apartment, things start to heat up again between them. Will they come back to each other after 6 years apart, or will their families stand between them again?

I had so much fun reading this book, even more than The Trouble With Hating You! While I am not Indian or in medicine, I felt a really strong connection with Preeti from the moment she began describing her anxiety. It is so easy for depression and anxiety to cloud your thoughts and make you feel worthless. I recognize her thoughts all too well as she spiraled. The care that was given to Preeti’s journey of getting help was great - medication and therapy deserve to be discussed more!

There is a stigma on medical professionals who struggle with mental health - but that’s not realistic or helpful! Thank you to Sajni for speaking about this.

I also found the discussion of racism and respecting your elders to the point of ignoring their harmful behaviour to be very powerful. There was a lot of toxicity that Preeti and her parents had to deal with - much of which came from their own family. The idea that someone should get away with this behaviour because they are an elder is something I have a really hard time with, but I was not raised in a traditional Indian family.

The romance was sizzly and fun, but fades to black before we get to the really spicy bits. I loved the two together - the way that they support each other is beautiful.

CW: As stated in the Author’s Note, this book does discuss mental illness, racism, and a brief fetal demise scene.

This is a great second chance romance that covers so much more than just the romance. Preeti is nearing the end of her medical residency and hoping to land a full-time job in a practice soon. In the meantime, she finds herself looking for a temporary living situation and takes up an offer from a friend to stay at her place before realizing that her ex will be living there, too. Daniel was heartbroken when Preeti broke up with him six years ago without ever explaining why she left him. He is back in town to try and mend his relationship with his father and help out with the family business.

I liked a lot about Preeti and Daniel. Because the breakup really wasn't about anything to do with their relationship, they were able to fall back into an easy friendship of sorts. It was lovely seeing how well they still knew one another at their deepest level and so could be there for each other. This book covers challenges of racism, family expectations, and financial differences but what really stood out for me was the ways in which Preeti dealt with how to merge traditions and cultural beliefs with her love for Daniel. I enjoyed learning about the Indian culture. I felt like the discussions of trying to respect the traditions of your elders while growing into your own person was well done.

Patel also writes about touch aversion and anxiety on the page and how Preeti manages that. I really applaud books that write about these very real situations in a respectful manner. Daniel's acceptance and support of Preeti is wonderful. Both characters are strong and independent and are a great match together. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it.

CW: anxiety, touch aversion, stillborn birth on page, heart attack off page, depression, racism

I’m a VERY picky lady when it comes to second chance romances, so when one holds my attention throughout - it's a win! The obvious love and connection between these former lovers kept me hooked, and the deeper undertones of the story made it a richer experience. This has the same kind of vibe as The Trouble With Hating You, but I liked this heroine a LOT more than the previous one. I also ADORED the mysterious, sweetheart of a hero, and I kinda loved trying to read between the lines to figure him out (we only get the heroine's perspective). Was every part of this successful? No. I've definitely got a few minor complaints. But it's such a unique, intricate story that I got a little grumpy every time my reading was interrupted. And that's a sure sign that I was loving a book.

The story follows Preeti, a doctor just finishing up her residency. On the surface, it seems like she's got a great life - her career is on track, she's dating a handsome man that her discerning Indian family approves of, and an engagement is on the horizon. But there's something off about all of it. Anxiety is starting to eat Preeti up from the inside, and her touch aversion around her boyfriend has not lessened up, even after months of dating. So when Preeti's ex comes storming back into her life - as her temporary roommate, no less - it's a shock to the system. One minute in Daniel's presence, and Preeti remembers why he's the love of her life. The two can't stand to be in the same room together - because Preeti knows exactly why she ended things between them, and Daniel struggles to understand how their seemingly perfect love story could've fallen apart.

I loved the delicious TENSION in this: Daniel can't understand why Preeti would be willing to marry an obviously incompatible man, yet kicked him to the curb at the peak of their love. There is so much love simmering beneath the surface, it was easy to see in every interaction, despite the conflict between these two. This is definitely an emotional, angsty story, with a strong focus on culture, family, and mental health. It's got great depth, and I was rooting for Preeti and Daniel the whole time. So what didn't I love? Well, first of all, Preeti does kinda cheat on her boyfriend, at least emotionally - and her friends were encouraging it. You'd better believe that some of her actions were not acceptable. I can forgive that because they had zero emotional connection, but she's definitely in the wrong. Also, there is some OW/OM drama just to stir up trouble between Preeti and Daniel, which was necessary conflict for the story but not my favorite. This has such a diverse cast of characters (Preeti is Indian American and Daniel is Black), and I loved seeing the parallels between the two communities. This slow-burning, closed door romance will probably work best for those who like women's fiction/romance crossovers, because it's a little bit of both - with the romance central throughout. I'm absolutely looking forward to more from this series! I received an early copy and am voluntarily leaving a review of this second chance romance.