I LOVED THIS SO MUCH!!! Dating Dr. Dil was heartwarming, swoon-worthy, and hilarious. I can already tell that Prem and Kareena's love story is going to live rent free in my mind for awhile.

The premise had me hooked from the very beginning (can we get more RomComs inspired by The Taming of the Shrew, please?). Kareena needs a fiance in order to unlock her inheritance so she can buy the family home that means so much to her before her father puts it on the market. Prem needs to repair his reputation to earn back his investors after Kareena tells him off on his talk show after their failed hookup. But a fake engagement with Prem has consequences Kareena isn't prepared for, like her growing attraction to a man who doesn't believe in love.

The banter between Prem and Kareena is nothing short of glorious. They push each other's buttons from the get-go (after their failed hookup, anyway), but despite their differences they can't deny the connection between them. I loved their dynamic together, and the ways they challenged each other. Also, I'm obsessed with how obsessed Prem was of Kareena. For a man who claimed not to believe in love, he sure as heck acted like a lovestruck fool for a good 85% of this.

I can't wait to see what else Nisha Sharma comes up with in the future! And you bet I'll be preordering Dating Dr. Dil!

This was very cute. I loved everything about this and I read it in two days. It was just delightful and I especially loved the banter between our two main characters. CW for death of a prior love. Interest due to illness. Some minor quibbles, but overall a good romance. My first by this author and I look forward to more.

❤️ AH I adored this one and devoured it in HOURS! It’s a enemies to lovers and fake dating combo I did know I needed. The banter was everything and the steam 🥵 it also touched on past relationship trauma and loss which I wasn’t expecting! I simply loved it!! It’s also a play off Taming of the Shrew soooooooo I basically am reading classics now 💃🏼

I read My So-Called Bollywood Life and wasn't a big fan so I was skeptical about this book. However, it had lots of good reviews, so I decided to give it a try. I'm glad I did! I really enjoyed this fake dating romance.

“What we have together may be short-lived, but it’s real. I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to admit that, but I’m putting all my cards on the table here.” – Dr. Prem Verma

★★★★★/5
🌶🌶🌶/5

Blurb:
Dr. Prem Verma is dedicated to building a local community health center, but he needs to get donors with deep pockets. The Dr. Dil Show was doing just that, until his argument with Kareena went viral, and he’s left short changed. That’s when Kareena’s meddling aunties presented him with a solution: convince Kareena he’s her soulmate and they’ll fund his clinic.

Review:
Wow just wow! My only regret with this book is that I didn’t find this author sooner! Nisha Sharma has this ability to take you out of your current reality and transport you into this rich South Asian culture that will having you wanting to be a fly on the wall in every scene. If you are a foodie, you will love this book! I swear, every other chapter Prem, Kareena, or their family were engaging in some South Asian dish that you want to try immediately. I wish there was a recipe guide at the end of the book that you can try your hand at after you finish the book!
Now Prem and Kareena relationship is a perfect enemies to lovers where the man fall in love first but doesn’t want to admit it to himself or her. I love how the first time Prem and Kareena met at the bar they immediately clicked. Yes, there was attraction and sexual tension, but they spent the majority of their first meeting getting to know each other. Their relationship and views on marriage is the perfect example of how your upbring shapes you view on life. Because they saw love being portrayed in different ways, they couldn’t fathom that love could be shown in different forms and it is ok! As long as the person you love knows you love them!

Kareena:
I instantly related to Kareena. From being the oldest child and feeling like you must be perfect for your family to having all the degrees and dream job, but your family don’t feel like you’re accomplished until you are married with kids. What I loved most about Kareena is that even though she was struggling to meet her family’s expectations of her, she still stayed true to having a love marriage and keeping her mother’s memory alive! Kareena helped me realize that you can only do what makes you happy in this life because if you follow everyone else’s plans for you, you will be unhappy and unfulfilled forever.

Prem:
Omg!!! Where do I even begin with Prem!!! From the very first encounter between him and Kareena, he made it a point to remember everything about her. From what she likes for breakfast, to what car she has, all the way down to her food allergies!! And did I forget to mention that Prem is the big D energy and consent king!!! He literally screams I want to do every little dirty thing to your body, but I need you to ask for it first!!! UGH!!! He was amazing to read even though he made me mad when it came to expressing his true feelings for Kareena but in the end everything came full circle.

Tropes:
- Enemies to Lovers
- Fake Dating
- Kind of Grumpy / Sunshine

***Received ARC for honest review***

thank you netgalley and avon for the eARC!

this book was so, so fun. something about romances with cultural aspects will always resonate with me, and this book delivers it perfectly. i've always adores the a hates love, b loves love trope and in this case its done incredibly.

i loved reading their romance come to life, loved exploring the growth of each character, and even enjoyed learning about the side characters throughout the book.

overall just an incredible fun and cute read!

A new romantic comedy inspired by The Taming of the Shrew features a love-phobic TV doctor who must convince a love-obsessed homebody they are destined to be together. Two people who could not be more different. Kareena believes in true love, in only marrying if she found her soul mate, she wants a marriage like her parents and wont settle for less... until her father tells her that he will be selling their home and the only way she can buy it from him is if she gets engaged and gets the engagement money he set aside for her. She has only 4 months to find her soulmate because she won’t settle for an arranged marriage. Cue, Prem Verma. Prem is a doctor who believes that love doesn’t exist, in fact he thinks it is an illusion. He is the host of a viral show and is trying to get funding for his clinic. These two opposites go on one disasterous date... and when their argument goes viral Prem’s investors are pulling out. Now he will have to find a way to prove to his investors that he does believe in love and Kareena needs a fake engagement... and there just happens to be the fiery spark between the two of them. Soon these two will be questioning their beliefs and in the end if they really are perfect for one another. This was such a cute and funny story about two polar opposites, fake dating, and hilarious and nosy family. It’s a cute take on the taming of the shrew and definitely a fun read! I would definitely recommend it!

*Thanks Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager, Avon for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

a shakespeare inspired modern day romance , sign me up for every single one! dating dr.dil was the perfect combination of humor, sweet moments, and a classic love story. kareena has always held out for her perfect love match, but when her dad tells her he’s selling her mother’s house all bets are off. oh and her dad just happened to drop that bomb on her 30th birthday… when she goes out to celebrate, kareena meets prem, a self renowned fixer of broken hearts. things go south though when prem leaves her in the middle of their hook up. they didn’t know when they met though that they needed each other in more ways in their thought.

prem didn’t believe love could happen, but when his laid eyes on kareena in that bar, prem started to second guess everything he thought.

i LOVED kareena as a main character: bold, independent, and a hopeless romantic at heart. and prem complimented her so well in every aspect. definitely pick this one up when it comes out!

thanks net galley and harper voyager for early access to this book!!

When I first saw Nisha’s publishing deal announcement that she was writing a series of desi romantic retellings of Shakespeare’s stories, I was immediately intrigued and have been waiting for one to release since. But I also have no clue about the plot of Taming of the Shrew, so I can’t comment anything on how close or not it is to the original. I can just say it stands very well on its own.

This was quite enjoyable to read all the way through. Nisha’s writing has a way to make you feel good and that’s what I felt for the most part. We have a sassy and true romantic at heart heroine Kareena who is happy to be working in the field that makes her happy even if her pay doesn’t live up to desi parents’ expectations. And Prem is a cardiologist who believes love only increases the risks for heart health. How these two come together is pretty explosive and funny, but one undeniable thing is that their chemistry is off the charts. She is a strong independent woman who knows what she wants and will not lower her standards just because she is thirty. And despite whatever misgiving he has about love as a concept, Prem is a considerate, attentive and respectful guy and they seemed so perfect together. They both also had a couple of amazing bffs and I have a feeling we might see them getting together in the upcoming books of this series.

But my problem with the book has to do with the families. Firstly, because this series is titled “If Shakespeare was an Auntie”, I’m glad depicted four delightful aunties who could be meddlesome as expected but also sweet and a bit more progressive than I would have thought. But it’s mostly Kareena’s family that infuriated me. Bindu, her younger sister is a full on Bridezilla and always taking advantage of her elder sister, disrespecting her but expecting only affection in return. But I liked how Kareena decided to deal with her towards the end.

But it’s both her father and grandma who were typical desi elders taunting Kareena for her choices and emotionally blackmailing her to get what they wanted. At this time in my life, I’ve realized that contemporary (or maybe even historical) romances don’t work for me because I’ve become too cynical. Even though I can still appreciate them when I need some fun, I’ve also understood that I should stay far away from desi romances. While it’s cool to see protagonists like myself on page, it’s very hard to listen to the elders on page regurgitate the same nonsense that I hear everyday irl from my family, and I absolutely have no interest in reliving all of it while reading as well, because books are my only source of joy these days.

Anyways, let me not dampen anyone else’s mood with my problems. This is a super fun romcom with interesting characters, sexy chemistry, great friends and some cool aunties and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for something like that. It’ll probably take a few months or an year for the next book to release and I hope I will be in a much better headspace to appreciate a desi romance novel by then.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC for an exchange for an honest review.

Definitely a fun read, recommend it.

Ms. Sharma has done it again, y'all. I've adored all of her books and this one is no exception. I wasn't sure how a romcom Taming of the Shrew would work but its handleded with care and critique and made for a really fun read.

I really loved Kareena and Prem. Their relationship is cute and believable, especially the conflict. I cried for them, because I'm soft, but it was a good cry. We learn a lot about Prem and his goals but I wish we got more of Kareena's life out side of her family and relationship with Prem. She's working her dream job but we don't learn much about it other than "helping women in business."

Overall, a good time. Def recommend .

Perfection! The way these two meet and then go viral, the way they fake it until they make it real, the side characters, the nod to Shakespeare…it’s just all done brilliantly!

Dating Dr. Dil by Nisha Sharma was a fun rom-com and definitely a fun read. The author, Nisha Sharma, actually made the characters in the book in their 30s which is more realistic instead of the normal romcom college age crowd.

I really liked Kareena and Prem. The had chemistry for days and their banter made me laugh out loud. The writing was fantastic and overall it was a really fun and fast read.

4.5 Stars, 3.25 spice

Yes!!! This was so good! Thanks to Avon publishing and Netgalley for my digital Arc. This is an honest review.

Dating Dr. Dil is probably my second favorite Rom Com I have read this year (right behind It Happens One summer by Tessa Bailey).
This book was unique, funny, sassy, spicy and heartwarming.

I loved that the main characters were 30 & 35 (so many romances are like college age). I felt that many of the expectations Kareena was being held to were things I feel pressure for, and overall just found her circumstances very relatable. I loved the passion that we see between her and Prem, enemies to lovers is one of my favorite tropes, and this book didn't mess around, they were very much so enemies.

Now, I have never read Nisha Sharma before, and I have never read a romance book where booth main characters are Indian. I really enjoyed seeing the marriage culture, and the familial expectations from the inside. In my own culture arranged marriages aren't done, so it was enlightening to see how one might view an arranged marriage as a preferred option to a love marriage. Unfortunately, Kindle was not cooperating with Hindi translation so I did have to do some google translating. I did really enjoy looking up the different formal attire that was talked about though, such a beautiful culture.

The fake dating trope (or fake engagement trope) was dangled as an option throughout the book and I am so happy that it was not officially used. I find that the fake dating trope is overly predictable, Kareena was adamant she did not want to move forward with that because she knew it would end way worse for her than for him, Love a character who has brains and foresight.

Also I really liked that Kareena is a well educated, career focused (passion focused), romance reader, home renovator and works on cars - SHE DON'T NEED NO MAN. *snap* Love to see a strong independent women.

I enjoyed Prem's POV chapters immensely, but boy, can men be stupid. LOL. and that was the whole point, he needed to reconcile his own feelings for this all to work out.

I don't usually bump things all the way up to 5 stars unless they really get stuck in my head or make me cry, so we didn't get quite to that point. Also I would have liked a little bit more in the epilogue, other than the column (which the column gave me a little bit of Lady Whistledown vibes, anyone else?). But I would assume we will see more of their relationship in the background of future books (which I am assuming with be about Prem's and/or Kareena's friends?)

Overall a really wonderful read, I am excited to read the next ones!

EDITING NOTES -
location 190/5371 typo 'J ust leave it'
general note about the texting conversations - the Aunties group is well labeled with the Whatsapp chat name, but it just jumps right into the texts with other people and I was confused at first if they were in the same conversation. Not sure how this will look in the final copy/sound when read on audiobook. May want to look at labeling them as well.

Goodreads review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4358584068?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Dating Dr. Dil is probably one of my favorite spicy romcoms I’ve read all year, and I’m so glad it delivered on my high expectations.

Inspired by Taming of the Shrew, Dating Dr. Dil is the story of a hopeless romantic Kareena and Prem, who doesn’t believe in love being necessary or even healthy. Despite being a hopeless romantic, Kareena is a self-possessed career woman and who knows what she wants. And Prem, despite his cynicism, he is funny, lovable and cares about his friends and community.

After a sexy night at the bar gone wrong, Kareen and Prem are thrown together on live TV on Prem’s TV show and Kareen eviscerates Prem for abandoning her the night before. Despite this, the connection between the two sparkles. Both are facing an issue that they can help each other out with: Kareena’s dad has promised her childhood home to her if she can become engaged before he relocates to Florida in four months. Prem on the other hand, needs to raise funds for a community health clinic. With the help of some meddling aunts, Kareena and Prem end up faking a relationship.

While the set-up for the fake dating is a little convoluted, the whole plot is an incredibly heart-warming and real, the side characters of Prem’s friends and Kareena’s aunts are absolutely hilarious, and the steam is A+. Nisha Sharma also can write explicit consent into her scenes seamlessly in a way that is just hot and doesn’t feel shoe-horned in. Bonus points for texting exchanges with grandma where the grandma writes in all caps. We’ve all got one!

This book is so relatable and real and the growth on both of their parts is rewarding to see. Kareena’s vulnerability and conflict with her family and Prem’s refusal to open up to love because of trauma just make the HEA so much more complex and like they really deserved it.

I really enjoyed this book! It was interesting to have a book with the fake dating trope that was perfect yet so different. Incorporating enemies-to-lovers and a quest for true love, and you’ve got Dating Dr. Dil. Kareena’s character growth was spectacular and I really enjoyed reading about her dating mishaps, interactions with her aunties, and of course, her time with Prem. I found it difficult at times to understand why she was a pushover with her family but by the end I was proud of who she became (yes, I was proud of a fictional character). Side note: this book was hella spicy and I was HERE FOR IT!

Thanks NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Dating Dr. Dil caught my attention because of it's cover!
Yeah, yeah don't judge a book by it's cover and all that but sometimes you got to.
Am I right?

To answer my own question yes, I was right!
This was a 5/5 stars!

You're giving me an enemies to loves story with a sassy hopeless romantic lead and a male lead that doesn't believe in love?
Count me in!

This book elicited a lot of emotions from me. I think it was because Kareena was such lovable and realistic lead. She knew what she wanted, was headstrong, and she didn't want to settle. ( Same girl, same )

Kareena has to deal with a lot of unnecessary grief from her family.
This was the first time I read a book with South Asian leads but I could understand some of the family demands and how unfair they can be.

Not gonna lie I wanted to smack some of these people in the head.
( I will talk about this in spoilers closer to release.)

Prem, Dr. Dil. Be still my heart.
He was total Husbandoo material with the smack and the flirty banter!
He was the reason for all my emotional turmoil!
Because here I am rooting for him and Rina but at the same time I know that she deserved better. But he HAD the potential to be the guy she deserved!

I loved their banter and those first encounters after they meet at the bar were so great! ( Spoilers )
Because it really cemented what we were going to be getting into with these two.
Their relationship was so cute, fun and flirty and oh my some scene had me clutching my non existent pearls because WOAH!

Now something that I really enjoyed was that conflict was always there in the back of our mind.
It felt so organic for it to pushed to the surface when it did even if it broke my heart. It was necessary.

I really like the supporting characters, their friends and oh my the Aunties were so funny!
Over all this was such a fun yet very emotional read. I woke up in the middle of the night to continue reading it and finished it at somewhere around 4:30AM.
This was my first Nisha Sharma book and I will be putting her other books in my TBR ASAP.

I'm placing an order for a signed copy first thing in the morning!

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: ★★★★.25 stars

✍️ One Sentence Synopsis: Hopeless romantic Kareena Mann and notorious love-denier Dr. Prem Verma have one thing in common: an egregious amount of money is being held over their heads and the only path available to this money is by being married--however, the two join forces to out-smart their family members/the public and get... almost... everything they want.

💭 Overall Thoughts: What a lovely read this was! At the 15% mark, I had a bad taste in my mouth due to Kareena's family and Kareena's own (childish) reactions. However, I decided to sleep on it, and lo and behold, the next day I was able to look past this distaste and I'm so glad that I did! This book held so much more emotion than I was expecting, and the romance that began as something explosive with passion, turned into something so soft and sweet.

What I Liked:
👍 The Romance: Kareena and Prem's love story was an absolute delight. From strangers flirting at a bar to enemies on camera to rivals with a common goal to friends, and then FINALLY to lovers... these two truly did it all. Their banter and the many tropes employed in their story will have you unable to put this book down, I can guarantee that!
👍 The Steam 🌶: I wasn't actually expecting smut here, but what a fantastic surprise it was! There were only a handful of scenes, but they were quality scenes, for sure. Prem is a giver and we love him for that.
👍 Climax/Grand Gesture: Prem's participation in the "climax" portion was like letting out a breath I was holding in for far too long! He said what I think we were all thinking from the very beginning of this book. The grand gesture aspect was so sweet to me and again showcased that Prem is a giver in more ways than one.
👍 Relatability: Regardless your cultural background, I think there's something relatable for everyone in this book, in respect to Kareena's search for love and refusal to settle. It's a common pressure across most of the world that a woman's "marriageable" years are a ticking clock, and 30 is a daunting cutoff age for many to be married by. As if we need a ring to prove that we're not alone in the world! Kareena is unmoving in her values to marry for love, and rather than having no fear in this, she looks it right in the eye. I think Kareena's determination in the face of cultural pressure is something everyone will find admirable.

What I Didn’t Like:
👎 Prem's "Love" Hang-Up: At first, I accepted this. It is explained fairly well, and it's manageable for most of the book. But there was a certain point reached where I thought it was just plain silly for a 35-year-old man to still be this stubborn.
👎 Kareena's Family: This is referring to Kareena's sister, father, and occasionally her grandmother. I understand that these characters were written as to be dislikable, but it doesn't stop me from disliking this part! Her sister being a self-absorbed princess and her father (and occasionally grandmother) being oblivious to Kareena's intelligence beyond her "too independent & unmarried" status was so frustrating. This was the element that gave me a bad taste when I began reading. The book has just begun and the majority of character we've met so far... are all assholes! There was a certain call-out here that relieved my frustrations here, so this is only a mild complaint now.

💞 Read this if you liked: The Hating Game by Sally Thorne and The Shaadi Set-Up by Lillie Vale.

⚠️ Content Warnings: Death of a parent (discussed), sexual harassment (depicted as chat messages)

I have conflicting feelings on this one. I really liked Kareena and Prem - I loved their banter and they had a ton of chemistry. The writing was fantastic and overall it was a really fun and fast read.

I was really bothered by they way Kareena’s family treated her (hence the one star knock off), but I also don’t want to focus on that too much since it might be due to cultural differences. The Aunites were fantastic and I loved the little bit we got of the friend group.

A modern update of ‘Taming of the Shrew’ is a difficult needle to thread but the author does it admirably. Prem is smarmy and compassionate and Kareena is very honest yet guarded and vulnerable.

There first meeting doesn’t go well and Kareena’s sister surprises both of them in their second meeting on live tv. Their second meeting goes even worse than the first one did.

However, Prem needs money for his medical clinic and Kareena needs money to buy the house she grew up in as her father is retiring and moving to Florida. The idea of a fake engagement is cooked up by Kareena’s aunties.

Prem buys into this idea first and it is this part of the book where I struggled. I know he is trying to convince her of their fake engagement but I wish he had had more respect for her boundaries.

However, once Kareena agrees to the fake engagement scheme the book becomes pure delicious rom com magic complete with scorching chemistry and aunties in restored cars and Kareena’s father learning to appreciate her. I read the the half in one sitting.

A very high four star read. This book was provided to me by the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.