Sajni Patel's First Love, Take Two is a wonderful second shot at love, forced proximity romance. I was cheering for Preeti and Daniel throughout the novel because they are such endearing people. Through the pages of the novel, I could feel their love for each other.

I loved it. It was my first by this author but won’t be my last. It touches on racism, culture, anxiety/depression & sexism (as well as some subjects that hit me hard but weren’t prevalent in the story just mentioned in Preeti’s job as a doctor such as stillbirth.). Love Daniel. So so much.

I really enjoyed this book. It was fun and funny. A bit implausible in places, but suspension of disbelief is part of the fun of reading romance, I think. Great choice for collections where modern day romance is popualr.

Great character development! The characters drove the story, with their families on the sidelines and the cultural divide, it made for one great love ending. I enjoyed that both characters had professional goals and success in their own right. The romance was steamy and also endearing. Definitely recommend for romance lovers

I downgraded this from what would have been a four star review at the time of finishing to a three star review because now that I'm trying to remember what the book was about...I can't. Not being able to remember the bulk of the plot just a couple months after reading it isn't a good sign for how memorable the story was. BUT I do remember enjoying it immensely as I was reading it.

If I recall correctly, this book made me equally want to cringe and felt represented at the same time. I resonated on a level with Preeti because I also don't really like to be touched. But having that touch aversion just happening to go away with your true love felt a little too pat for me.

I don't remember enough else about the book to really comment on it. But I do remember enjoying this continuation of the series following this group of friends enough that I'll want to continue reading to find out what happens to the rest of the friend group.

I really appreciate the representation in this book! I had a hard time getting into the book because the writing style unfortunately just wasn't for me as it felt like a lot of telling versus showing, which takes me out of a story. However, I think others will definitely enjoy this book!

This is the second in The Trouble with Hating You series. I really enjoyed the first book too.

Preeti Patel is doing her residency, and all those years of hard work is about to finally pay off and she’ll be a doctor. But why isn’t she happier about it? Between finding a job, finishing her residency, finding a new place to live, and dealing with family drama she’s suffering from some serious anxiety. Romance doesn’t even rank on her list of worries. Until she is offered a place to crash, only to realize that her ex has also been made the same offer and they have to stay under one roof.

Daniel Thompson still has a place in Preeti’s heart, how is she supposed to deal with everything else life is throwing at her while seeing him every day?!

I quite enjoyed this second-chance romance, and the discussions Preeti had with her friends and family were always so good. With Daniel being Black and Preeti coming from a traditional South Asian family there are issues of racism that came up throughout the book along with a lot of mental health struggles. I loved seeing them both grow throughout the book, but particularly Preeti.

First love take two was the first second chance romance novel that I have read. An Romance dealing with serious issues such as mental illness, racism, and family drama. Sajni Patel did a great job of addressing these important topics and explaining hardships. It starts off slow but it got interesting later on. I wished the book would have be longer, to see more interaction between Preeti, Daniel and the other characters.

A sweet and fun story that richly depicts the family love, pressures and expectations in an immigrant family. A great repesentation.

Preeti is just completing her residency, trying to find a job and managing her traditional family dynamic. Love is not on her mind as she is getting to know a man introduced to her by her family, but her world is turned upside down when she ends up sharing an apartment (and bed!) with her ex, Daniel Thompson. After having left him without an explanation, it makes for an awkward living situation. The real reason behind it had been family drama because of their economical and cultural differences.

This second chance romance is a sweet read. Being from a similar background to Preeti, I found it very relatable. I enjoyed watching the growth that Preeti has, from someone who puts everyone else before herself, and letting others influence the choices she makes to someone who stands up for what she believes in. The chemistry between Preeti and Daniel was palpable and I was rooting for them throughout the book. The author also worked in some heavier topics such as mental illness and racism, so it's got a bit more depth.

I recommend this for anyone looking for a romantic and feel good read, and one that is representing #ownvoices. Although it is the second of a series, it can be read on its own.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the review copy.

I am a member of the American Library Association Reading List Award Committee. This title was suggested for the 2022 list. It was not nominated for the award. The complete list of winners and shortlisted titles is at <a href="https://rusaupdate.org/2022/01/readers-advisory-announce-2022-reading-list-years-best-in-genre-fiction-for-adult-readers/">

This book is absolutely amazing and I am so, so, so in love with it! I was in it from the word go and was rooting for both the characters so hard. It was really binge-able and I ended up finishing it in one sitting, even staying up till 2am to finish this, despite having work the next day!

Both characters were individually amazing, not just as a couple, and I loved watching them grow as their own people apart from their progress as a couple. They were unbelievably tender and the way they cared about each other was just so heartwarming. I loved how they both opened up to each other over the course of the story and talked things out. It was just so beautifully done.

I'm just so in love with this book and would definitely recommend it to every romance fan!

the romance in this book absolutely GAVE. it was a nuanced perspective on the South Asian community while being so witty. the pacing was slightly off but i really loved these characters.

If there's one thing I know for sure, forced proximity is ONE HELL OF A TROUPE, and then add in second chance romance...sign me up. I greatly appreciated the conversations regarding mental health and racism, in the midst of a good slow burn romance.

Second chance romances aren't usually my favourite but this one was fantastic. Sajni Patel is a great writer and was able to create a realistic second chance.
What I loved:
- Preeti and Daniel had so much chemistry
- the relationship both Preeti and Daniel had with their families
- Preeti's relationship with Daniel's family

What I wasn't expecting was a still born child birth detailed at one part of the book. It's a triggering topic and I just wasn't expecting that kind of event to happen.

Overall great book and would recommend to most!

I loved this so much!!! I love Preeti, I adored Daniel. I listened to the audiobook and just had such an amazing time with it. I absolutely adored this second chance romance.

It was tough watching Preeti deal with her issues but I loved watching her become stronger through this whole book. And Daniel, what can I say about Daniel? I’m just in love with that man.

I loved Sajni Patel's first book, THE TROUBLE WITH HATING YOU, so I was really excited to read the next installment in this series, FIRST LOVE, TAKE TWO. This book was such a great take on the classic friends-to-lovers and forced proximity trope. Truly, one of the best romances I've read in a while! I can't wait for Patel's next book.

Another enjoyable read by this author. Well written and constructed sentences and storyline. And the cover also helped.

While I won't use this in any courses, I will recommend the book to my students. Patel offers a glimpse into romance in the desi community and explores mental health and racism in romantic relationships. This book will allow my students to recognize these issues and broach them in a low-barrier way, which they couldn't do without this book.

The main thing I like about First Love, Take Two is that it dives right into the action of the story. There isn't a long and drawn out beginning. In the first four chapters, Sajni Patel manages to take the reader right to root of the plot: ex-lovers Preeti and Daniel are soon-to-be-roommates after being apart for six years. And by the end of the fourth chapter, I was left wondering "Now how is this going to go?".

Going into the book, I didn't realize that characters from The Trouble With Hating You--which I have not read yet--would carry over, so I think I'll go back and read that one. I think the reader will still be able to fill in the blanks if they don't read the first one, but for me personally, I think it'll better clarify some of the things that were mentioned. Other than that, I liked this one!

Sending a big thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this preview.