I wish I knew The Taming of the Shrew better so I could have compared the stories, but even without knowing it, I still loved this book. T was a fun story. really felt for Dr. Dil, but enjoyed all the characters.

I read the book and was surprised, when I got to the author's note, to learn that the story is based on Taming of the Shrew by Shakespeare. Once I learned this I saw the parallels but the story absolutely stands on its own as a South Asian remix.
The story stars a woman who believes in love and a man who thinks it's not real. They go from enemies with opposing viewpoints to friends, and of course, eventually more. I really enjoyed the story itself and the main character, but the side characters were phenomenal too. There was ride or die best friends and extended families who are deeply invested in the main characters futures and love lifes. The story had alternating perspectives, going back and forth between the two lead characters. It's always nice to get both perspectives. Between the alternating chapters there were also excerpts from a very traditional woman's love advice column.
I honestly really enjoyed the book and read it so quickly. The story is fun with some great emotional rollercoasters. Additionally, I learned this is set to be a series, "If Shakespeare was an Auntie", which is very exciting. I look forward to reading more stories from Nisha Sharma.

Reviews Posted Feb. 22, 2022: Goodreads and Storygraph

THIS BOOK HAS ME IN A CHOKEHOLD!!! Seriously I don’t know what the author put into this book but it was amazing. The romance and characters were absolutely immaculate and I jus couldn’t get enough of all of it. Part of me feels like I could read about these characters for days and days and days.

Within the first 10 pages of this book I could feel my self tearing up. I immediately related to some many of the main characters thoughts and feelings. And through out the whole book I was rooting for the main character and her ending up happy with everything she wanted was all I cared about. I will say the only thing I maybe wanted more of is getting a better look into Kareena’s job and how she was doing with that, but I also know that this wasn’t the focus of the book, so it didn’t take away from the overall story.

The romance had me feeling all types of emotions, it felt like I was on a wild rollercoaster ride the entire time. One moment I was so frustrated with he couple and the next minute I was laughing along with them. The banter between the two of them was top notch and it was one of the main things that helped me become invested right off the bat.

This book also does a really good job at showing that within cultures there are a lot of different views and opinions on how things should be done or how women should act. While I’m not South Asian, people often make generalizations or broad statements about me and my family and how they think we should be acting since we are Chinese. I love reading books that highlight the differences about within cultures and I love seeing the varieties in cultures that aren’t mine.

A huge thank you to Avon Books for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

4.5🌟 4🌶

What I LOVED: This book was everything I love in a romance! The utter chaos that happened from the first chapters alone had me hooked immediately and I literally couldn’t put it down! This is the ultimate romcom for anyone who loves enemies to lovers, opposites attract romance starring a hero who believes love is an illusion and heroines dedicates her life to finding her true love. It was interesting how this was inspired by Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew as well.

What I LIKED: I was invested in Kareena and Prem’s love story from the moment they met, had a very public showdown and somehow ended up in an agreement to fake date for the sake of their reputation and money. Despite their reluctance and their constant bickering over the love marriage vs arranged marriage discourse, their chemistry was just too strong! Making every moment together especially their dates, their sassy and sarcastic bantering so adorable. The surprisingly steamy scenes between them had to be my favorite!

Kareena was the epitome of strong, independent woman who is determined to have her own happily ever after. I related so hard to her being a fellow romance reader, Swfitie and eldest daughter in an Asian household. I love how she’s never afraid to voice out what she deserves and to be her genuine self no matter how much people encouraged her to compromise to other perople’s preferences. The way she would fight for her love for her mother and the things she left behind made me teary eyed at times!

Then comes Prem, love-phobic TV doctor known as Dr. Dil! He checks all the boxes in being the perfect boyfriend but it’s sad how he thinks love is fake and irrelevant in relationships. I love how despite his strong beliefs against love, he can’t help but be the ultimate simp for Kareena. His journey towards realizing that love might not be as fake and scary as he thought it was was relatable (I say this as a member of an Asian household who barely shows affection through words)

This has equally fun side characters as well! Between both of Kareena and Prem’s family, there wasn’t a shortage of drama and chaos. Kareena’s aunties were so much fun to be with despite all the meddling and pushing to date. Both of their friend groups were the best, they were all so witty and supportive! With all the side romance brewing from her alone, I’m extra excited for their books next.

I’ve been enjoying beeing immersed in all the South Asian culture and traditions in this! It’s so eye opening and fascinating learning about it more and my mouth waters from all the food mentioned.

Also, there was a Lady Whistledown-like character in this named Mrs. W. S. Gupta! I loved her entries and I’m so intrigued to find out who they are.

Lastly, there’s a playlist at the end filled with Taylor’s songs for all fellow Swifities! The references in this book were spot on.

What I DIDN’T ENJOY: As someone who is in their early 20s and hasn’t dated, I feel the pressure as well of everything pushing me to date when I want to focus on myself first so all the struggles, teasing and misogynistic comments against her were painfully relatable. This book also convinced me further that men are trash and the AUDACITY some have are beyond my comprehension.

THIS BOOK IS PERFECT IF YOU LOVE:
• steamy enemies to lovers and opposites attract romance (hero doesn’t believe in love vs heroine who wants true love)
• Shakespeare retellings
• family drama
• South Asian rep

I have kind of been on a contemporary Indian kick since Spring of 2020. I have found the culture fascinating to read about. As with any book, though, you don't know the content until you've read it. I can say upfront that Dating Dr. Dil had more descriptive scenes than I prefer. The word "smut" came to mind a few times. And it's kind of a shame in my mind because the rest of the story was worthy enough to stand on its own without the "extra." But I know there are many readers who really enjoy the exact thing I'm complaining about.

Kareena put her dating life on hold to accomplish her career goals and now she's turning thirty and feeling lonely. It doesn't help that her younger sister is getting married and her father and grandmother have started to get pushy. Kareena's father drops the bomb that he's planning to retire and sell their house, the one that Kareena's mother designed and Kareena loves. She wants to buy it from him, but she doesn't have the money. He would give her the money for a downpayment on a house if she were engaged though.

Prem is a practicing doctor that also hosts a television show on a South Asian TV network geared towards bringing awareness to issues specific to the South Asian community. He ultimately wants to open a community health center, but he needs funding from investors to make it happen. After he and Kareena go viral having an argument over whether or not love exists or is an illusion, one of his investors backs out. Prem needs to prove his family-oriented attitude to this investor. So he comes up with the idea for these two to fake get engaged to both get the financial backing they need.

I liked that Kareena and Prem didn't actually fake date. They contemplated it. And they spent some time getting to know one another while Prem tried to convince Kareena to try his plan. Kareena is intent on marrying for love and since Prem can't give her what she's looking for, she can't bring herself to give up on the idea. So she's still trying to find the right match for herself.

I really liked these two and the journeys that each needed to go on in order to come together. I also liked the side characters. I'm torn on continuing the series. Because on the one hand, I liked the side characters enough to want to see each get a chance at a happily ever after, but I also don't really want more smut which I imagine will be included in future books.

The only highlighting I really did was over errors in the galley version I read. Pronoun shifts, the wrong name mentioned once or twice, the wrong word, etc. I'm sure these things will be corrected in the final copy.

I liked Dating Dr. Dil. It hit the spot when I was interested in a book that I hoped I would finish quickly. My contemporary Indian craving was satisfied for a while. And I am both looking forward to and dreading future books in the series. Dating Dr. Dil gets 4 Stars. Have you read Dating Dr. Dil? What did you think? Let me know!

I loved the premise of this book, because if you ever give me a fake dating/engagement story chances are I will pick it up. I felt the stakes weren't high enough for me to be truly invested in the story, the dialogue at times fell flat, and the chemistry between the two main characters felt lacking.

I desperately wanted to love this book, but in the end I just couldn't get there.

4.25 stars! It was good and I think I’d buy an actual copy and reread it!

Definitely for you if you enjoy:
- Enemies to lovers
- Fake dating (sort of)
- Modern Taming of The Shrew with SEA rep!

Kareena is newly 30 when she finds out her dad is selling her mom’s dream home and moving away. When she asks to use her dowry as a down payment on the house so she can keep it, her dad says he’ll do it of she can get engaged in 4 months. Finding someone to truly fall in love with her and be with her forever can’t be that hard, right? And when she meets Prem, it seems as though all her prayers are being answered.

Until the next day when Kareena assists her sister to the TV station and finds out Prem doesn’t believe in love at all. He’s certain a relationship can survive without it and he spews all of this to everyone who will listen. She calls him out and when their argument goes viral, Prem’s investors start to pull out and Kareena’s to blame. With Kareena looking for someone so she can get that down payment and Prem needing his reputation fixed, a fake relationship could fix everything but Kareena is set on finding someone long term and Prem doesn’t know if he can do it but he also can’t keep Kareena off of his mind.

📚

Oh my gosh! I actually liked this book so much more than I thought I would! Though the original synopsis gave me vague tropes but they had small twists and tweaks that I really didn’t mind reading about. It was like a perfect romcom that I could picture in real life.

Prem and Kareena were so fun and their bickering was great to just keep up with. They were such fun main leads to follow and read about. Prem was so sweet and it was just like “oh you sweet dumb doctor… you’re literally in love with her” I was obsessed the entire time. We love a dual POV!!!

Most books I’ve read with SEA rep have been so tame and I was expecting that with this one too. This one came throuuggghh though! They were so good and steamy and I just thoroughly enjoyed it.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC on exchange for an honest review.

Dating Dr. Dil is a contemporary retelling of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, with a South Asian spin set in New Jersey! It is a wonderful enemies-to-lovers that has humor, heart, and heat! It has all the ingredients for a rom-com: a gaggle of over-the-top aunties, ride-or-die best friends, a swoony love interest, familial drama, and off-the-charts sexual tension and banter.

Kareena Mann needs to find a man - ideally her soulmate - so that she can get the inheritance she needs to buy her house from her father, which she can only get if she's engaged. She thinks she's hit the jackpot the night of her thirtieth birthday, when she meets Prem Verma at a bar - he's incredibly good looking, they talk for hours, he says all the right things, and their physical attraction is HOT... until he leaves her in the lurch. The next time she sees him is at a taping for a local South Asian talk show with Dr. Dil - the love doctor - with her sister, where Kareena learns Prem's actually a doctor that doesn't believe in true love. They get into a massive public argument which ends up being broadcast, and neither of them look good coming out of the situation. Now Kareena's chances for finding her love match in time to buy her house is even worse than it was before, and Prem's lost the investors he needs in order to open the community center he's been trying to fund and build for years. Realizing that if they can just put their differences aside, they'll be able to help each other achieve their goals with a little deception - A FAKE ENGAGEMENT! But we all know what happens in a fake relationship...

This book really had it all - the mutual pining, the heat and sexual tension (those scenes were HOT!), the family drama, the aunty hi-jinks. Loved almost everything about this book.... except I'm never going to be a fan of the third-act breakup scene (sorry!). But it did feel necessary and was resolved well, so I can't hold it against the overall book too much. I hope this turns into a series so we can see what happens with the rest of Kareena's and Prem's friends!

Holy smokes, what a book! I could not put it down for a second and read this through the night. Phew, just wow. Ok, first off, the author has written such amazing characters of Prem and Kareena. I love their drive and ambition and how they both understood and accepted that about each other. Coming from a South Asian family, I also understand the relationships both positive and toxic with they have with their family. The sense of community and complex family ties that the author has written about are so on point that in some cases, I had to wonder if part of the story was taken from my own life. For example, the aunty network is so real and my mom will absolutely make me aloo parathas at any time of the day or night if I just ask. I have also seen and experienced the pressure successful South Asian women (and men, to be honest) face when they are focused on their careers and not yet married or in a relationship. I loved how beautifully the author has incorporated it all in this amazing love story of Prem and Kareena. Let’s also talk about the chemistry between the two right from the first time they see each other. Phew, it scorched the pages of the book. I loved it so much. If you cannot yet tell, I adored this book and would highly recommend it. It definitely is one of my favorite books of this year and will definitely have a spot on my all time favorite romances that I go to whenever I need some happiness and joy in my life.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review*

This was my first Nisha Sharma book and it won't be my last. I loved reading this, and seeing Kareena and Prem go from a (short-lived) one-night-stand-gone-wrong to enemies-via-social-media to reluctant allies in a bid to do what their families want them to do was a lot of fun.

Thank you to Bonkers Romance and NetGalley for providing an eArc of this book.

Addictive - couldn't put this down. Some tropes used include instant attraction, opposites attract (at least regarding their beliefs), enemies-to-lovers, and fake dating.

What I love:
- Kareena and Prem have electrifying chemistry.
- Kareena (intelligent, independent, outspoken, and a homebody)
- Clear communication during the sex scenes - makes them even hotter.
- Watching Prem fall in love.
- How brief flashbacks of their first meeting are woven throughout the story, underscoring the strength of their connection.
- The aunties
- Friendships for each MC

I didn't read anything about this before starting, so it wasn't until approximately halfway through I realized it was a retelling of The Taming of the Shrew. That is not an easy play to retell, because to appeal to modern readers, it needs to neutralize the misogyny that is inherent in the story. Nisha Sharma does it masterfully.

Dating Dr. Dil is a fun, engaging, Taming of the Shrew-inspired rom-com about American Desi culture.

Starred Review here: https://www.booklistonline.com/Dating-Dr-Dil/pid=9758946

Dating Dr. Dil is steamy, dreamy, and hilarious! I loved the characters, I loved the humor, and it was so spicy. A very fun rom-com from Nisha Sharma. I highly recommend to romance lovers!

What a great read!

I was so surprised and delighted by this adorable romance book. I love enemies to lovers (even though they didn't start out that way and didn't stay enemies for long). This book follows Kareena, who wants a fairytale true love story and Prem, a doctor who believes love doesn't really exist,

I absolutely love when guys get proven wrong and fall head over heels in love when they are least expecting it. Prem and Kareen made a perfect match and I was rooting for them the whole time. I also appreciated that, despite the sticky situation she was in, Kareena never compromised her belief that marriage should be for true love and she continued to search for it.

For a funny and heartwarming story about finding love even when you're trying not to, pick up this book!

Prem and Kareena gave me such joy through this whole book.

I loved their insta connection and their feeling of being pulled together. I loved their banter, it was excellently written.

What I loved most was Kareena. I loved that she wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty and the emphasis on her fixing her own car, her own house. The fact that she didn't need a man and worked hard to prove herself and then make the mental decision that she wanted the companionship, not that she needed it. Prem's ability to really see her, to encourage her, to remember the little things she told him one drunken night. It all worked and flowed so beautifully.

My favorite scene in the book, the scavenger hunt murder mystery at the museum. It was so fun to see their competitive natures, to see the brilliance in Kareena, and that brilliance really lighting the fire for Prem. He wasn't turned off by her brains or her competitiveness.

Dating Dr. Dil features a few of my favorite tropes: enemies to lovers and faking a relationship. Both Prem and Kareena are facing pressure from their families to find a spouse, though they have some fundamental disagreements on what makes for a successful marriage. My one quibble: I wish we had gotten more time with Prem’s family to really understand his perspective, especially since Kareena’s challenging relationships with her family were so well-written. As someone who’s also dealing with my mom’s death, and trying to maintain the childhood home I love, I definitely relate to Kareena’s drive to be able to save the home she loves so much. I wish we saw more honest portrayals of these challenging dynamics between adult children and their parents, and Nisha Sharma really nailed it.

It’s also worth noting that this is a romance with a healthy dose of spice - no fade to black scenes here! I thought the chemistry between Prem and Nisha really sparked on the page, but it was definitely on the more explicit side, so if that’s not your thing, you may not love this book. I thought it was just the right amount of spice for the story and showed that while they definitely had strong physical attraction, the characters also developed deep and meaningful love for each other over the course of the novel.

I hope we’ll hear more from this author in the future; there are a connections between Kareena and Prem’s friends that I hope turn into sequels, as I’d love to revisit these characters!

This was such a fun book!! I really enjoyed the characters, the VERY true to life Aunty squad, and the story in general. I think it was a bit too steamy for a mainstream romance novel (almost read a bit like erotica), but enjoyable in any case. I think the realistic portrayal of the Indian American community of New Jersey was my absolute favorite part - I found myself laughing and nodding along to so much of this story!! Definitely an author I have enjoyed reading in the past, and look forward to in the future as well!

🌟🌟🌟🌟/5

*Thank you Bonkers Romance and NetGalley for the ARC*

This was a fun, light contemporary romance with some elements of fake dating.

Kareena is a successful lawyer who is under pressure from her family to get engaged within a very short time frame, but she is insistant that she will only get married if it’s a love match. Prem is a cardiologist trying to fund a community clinic for the South Asian community, and does not believe in love. They meet in a bar and have an instant connection, but circumstances lead to them having a very public confrontation that put them in a bit of a mess. It becomes clear that the solution is for them to fake an engagement.

A central conflict between the two of them is their seemingly different definitions of love and the age old question: “what is love?” I sometimes felt like yelling at the characters, and maybe forcing them to read and discuss “All About Love” by bell hooks as an antidote to their epistemic disagreement. The nerd in me wishes the book spent a bit more time digging into the meaning of love, though I did appreciate how the characters resolved this for themselves.

This book had some hot steam and a lot of really fun side characters. I loved Kareena and Prem’s group of friends, the Aunties group chat (😂), and Kareena’s family (though her sister was a bit grating). I really felt like I was immersed in this New Jersey South Asian community. There were a lot of scenes involving food, and I am now going to have to hold myself back from over-ordering from my favourite Indian restaurant.

A solid, quality, hot, low-angst contemporary romance.

🌶🌶🌶🌶/5 high steam

Thanks to Avon, Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of Dating Dr. Dil!

There was a lot to love about this book: firstly, it was inspired by Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, and I think the plot fit so well for this modern retelling! (10 Things I Hate About You was also based off this play so I knew the vibes would be similarly excellent.) Kareena, the female lead, was an absolute badass. A lawyer with a penchant for sweater vests, who fixed her own car, took care of her family, and refused to settle for anything less than spectacular love. You couldn’t help but root for her the whole time!

While Kareena was a flushed out, developed character, I did find a lot of the other characters flat. I was definitely hoping for some more resolution with side characters, like Kareena’s sister, Bindu. Maybe we’ll see some additional books following this one to bring more to these characters! 🤞🏻

This was a SEXY book (like at least three descriptive scenes) with a LOT of Taylor Swift references (always an absolutely plus in my book). At one point, the male lead literally puts on Reputation!!!! Icon behavior. Excited to see what Nisha Sharma writes next!

Kareena Mann and Dr. Prem Verma meet at a bar (Kareena was celebrating her 30th birthday) and when Prem receives an emergency call, he leaves Kareena alone. Of course, she views this as a rejection, and while at a taping of his tv show, she tells him off. Because of Kareena's rejection, Prem loses an investor he needed to help open a medical clinic and is in need of finding some quick money. Kareena also received some surprising news that her father is selling the family home sooner than expected, and while she wants to buy the house, she does not have the funds to do so. Her father will gift her money if she's engaged. Thus starts a fake relationship of mutual convenience. Kareena can get the money from her father to buy the house, and Prem in a relationship may change the investor's perception of him and reconsider investing in his medical clinic. The only problem is that Kareena is interested in finding someone to love, and Prem doesn't believe in love.

This was a very cute "love" story with some very steamy scenes mixed in. I enjoyed the various meddling aunties, a very fun scene at The Met, and the slow burn of the fake relationship. Kareena also was a strong female character who was comfortable being herself and willing to find love in her own way.