This…was a tough one.

I LOVED the description of this, it seemed like a fun rom-com about a young woman trying to accomplish her dreams. And while the overall story IS that, the execution just was…not great.

I wanted to love Isha, but sometimes it was so hard. For some reason there was a way too long drunk scene that was painful to read, I ended up skimming through most of it. The whole Thirst Trap thing was a bit much (it was funny at first, but carrying it on through the whole story seemed unnecessary).

Sometimes Isha seemed to act way too young for her age, more early twenties. I kept forgetting she was almost 30, and her cousin kept saying she was always taking care of him, when he was the real MVP of this novel looking out for her CONSTANTLY. I don’t mind flawed characters, it makes them feel more real, but Isha was STRUGGLING, and a lot of it seemed to be her fault?

I was also bummed we didn’t really get closure on Isha’s next steps. Did she get the job? How does her relationship with her parents end up? I’ve gotten spoiled with epilogues in every book and this one had nothing, nada, just loose ends.

I actually sort of feel like this novel WOULD have been better as a script. Like this would translate well into a fun Netflix movie. I’d 100% watch it, and probably love it, but it just wasn’t wasn’t the best in this format.

If you’re looking for a really fast read, a messy main character, nothing TOO heavy (I feel like this wanted to touch on mental health and depression, but doesn’t quite make an impact) this is for you.

I do have another book by this author, My Sister’s Big Fat Indian Wedding, that I’m looking forward to reading!

DNF @30%.

Now before anyone comes for me, I absolutely loved The Trouble With Hating You and First Love, Take Two, so I’m really sad that this one didn’t work out for me.

I’m all for messy characters and coming of age stories, which Isha Patel most definitely is. What didn’t work for me was the constant repetitiveness within the first 30% of the book.

Isha meets a gorgeous bartender that she names Thirst Trap, and she doesn’t let the annoying moniker go even when she learns his name. It just grated on me.

Also, the sheer amount of AAVE that was used coming from non-Black characters was not for me. I really hope Patel’s next book is better because this one felt like a large departure from her previous books.

Read if you like:
🇮🇳 Diverse Characters
✍🏻 TV Writers
🤠 Matthew McConaughey
😂 Laugh out Loud Moments
🔥 Hot Bartenders

I really enjoyed this one and how it made me laugh out loud in several places. I truly love reading diverse stories with diverse characters and experiencing stories from other cultures and this one hit the mark for me!

If you are also obsessed with tracking down Matthew McConaughey, hot bartenders, and relatable MC’s that haven’t found their path fully by 30, then this one is for you!

Thank you Berkley for my ARC copy of this one in exhange for my review!

✨ Review ✨ Isha, Unscripted by Sajni Patel

This book was WILD y'all. The plot was fundamentally silly, but it repeatedly made me laugh and just brought me joy.

The basic premise is late-20s Isha is trying to get one last chance to break into the film industry, by seeking out help from her old UT prof Matthew McConaughey. As she sets out on this quest, nearly everything goes wrong, from drunk shenanigans to her contacts falling apart in her eyes, to run ins with MM's neighborhood security, this is truly a comedy of errors.

Accompanied by her truly lovely younger cousin and foodie Rohan and a hot bartender known primarily as Thirst Trap, Isha's coming-of-age quest is filled with mishaps and soul searching.

The plot sometimes read a little younger than late-20s, and I'm pretty sure Isha spends the majority of the first half of the book drunk, and so it read it a little silly at times? But, overall I enjoyed this book - it was light and heartwarming and really lovely.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.5 stars)
Genre: f/m contemporary romance, coming-of-age, rom-com
Location: Austin, TX
Pub Date: out now! (Feb 14, 2023)

Read this if you like:
⭕️ taking down clowns
⭕️ a variety of delicious foods and drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic)
⭕️ slightly ridiculous quests
⭕️ coming-of-age stories

Thanks to Berkley Publishing and #netgalley for an advanced e-copy of this book!

This was a fun, light romance. Isha and her cousin, Rohan, have a great relationship and their friendship and support for each other added a great element to the story. Isha is hilarious, especially her flirting attempts with the bartender. Isha’s journey to stay true to herself is handled with care while still allowing this to be a fun, contemporary romance.

Isha Patel is apparently frustrating her parents. They want her to not only have a degree but ideally a career that would prove that she is a responsible taxpaying adult. Isha has other plans. She always has. She has been determined to get her recently written script in front of producers. If that fails, Isha hopes that she can at least get her one-time professor, Matthew McConaughey, to hear her script ideas.

She is not alone in her quest however. Her younger cousin Rohan is with her every step of the way. Isha and Rohan are much more than cousins. They are more like siblings, a bond that is very strong, and they truly are best friends. Isha meets someone else that stands in her corner, and that is a bartender that she meets, a man she has an instant crush on. His name is Tarik, but what especially adorable was the nickname Isha had for him.

This very sweet story by Sajni Patel follows Isha as she strives to achieve her dreams despite the many struggles and embarrassments that happen along the way. I loved her strength and determination, even though her love and respect for her traditional parents clearly shone through.

Isha, Unscripted is the third book I have had the pleasure of reading by the delightful Ms. Patel. Her writing is fresh, relatable and enjoyable. I love how she writes her characters as she breathes life into their stories.

Many thanks to Berkley Books and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Please enjoy my YouTube video review - https://youtu.be/JelHKogMN18

This was better than I expected, but I’m not quite sure what I expected. I thought there would be a little more romance than there was; however, that wasn’t a dealbreaker for me.

Isha did many things that made me laugh, but she also made some decisions that made me question where the story was going. I adored the relationship Isha had with her cousin, Rohan. The lengths he went to to help her reach her goals were really sweet.

Isha was highly relatable. There were times when she struggled, and I appreciated that she wanted to carve out her own lane.

The writing was good, and I enjoyed the storytelling. I just wished some things were done differently. An overall good read.

Rating: 3.75

Alright, alright, alright
A fun hilarious night of flirting and trying to muster the courage to present her screenplay to someone famous. Turns into a night of shenanigans and almost turns up on Mcconaughey's doorstep lol.
Her parents do not agree with her chosen career path since it doesn't seem secure and they're very tough on her. This is a cultural issue that is brought up but for her mentality she was able to confront them and tell them her feelings even though they did not react the perfect storybook way and either may need time to process or wait till she is successful which would suck. It's hard when you think it's coming from a place of love but it still hurts.
Loved Thirst Trap he fell hard and she could not stop blinking like are you sure? Me?
Sometimes you just know.

Thank you berkleyromance for the e-ARC for the honest and voluntary review.

This would be such a fun book to screen adaptation! Isha does not live up to her family demands as the black sheep of the family, but she’s not going to let that stop her from trying to achieve her dreams.
.
She is desperate to get her script in front of the right person. The right person just happens to me Mr. Alright alright alright himself, Matthew McConaughey. While this may sound crazy he was her professor once upon a time at University of Texas. (Disclaimer this is fiction!)
.
This quest turns into a wild journey with crazy antics all with her cousin by her side. I loved their relationship. This was a cute one and a quick read.
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Thank you
Huge thank you to @berkleypub @berittalksbooks @thephdivabooks @dg_reads and @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Lately, I have been enjoying reading about messy main characters. And Sajni Patel provides the perfect messy main character in Isha, Unscripted.

Isha, Unscripted brings the m in the messiness of the main character, Isha Patel. Isha is pretty known to be the disappointment in her family. She does not meet her family's expectations by becoming established in her career or her life. And it’s something Isha does struggle with but yet struggles to be true to herself. It’s not always easy to do, especially being raised in Indian culture.

What I admire about Isha in her messy era is her willness in being true to herself even though it conflicts with her parents’ expectations. It’s hard not to follow your parents expectations, especially in a diverse culture. But if you are more willing and determined to be your true self, then you know what you will have too. It may be scary and lonely if it does not align with your family expectations or cultural traditions, but in the end, it’s you who has to face it. And that’s what Isha has been trying to do while she adjusts to her family's expectations.

What I will say about this book is that it is not a romance book as it is advertised to be. It’s more women fiction genre than romance. And it should be advertised as such. You will have better expectations.

Isha, Unscripted by Sajni Patel chasing her dreams... and Matthew McConaughey... is a fun and heartfelt read. I love the hijinks and the family drama surrounding Isha's coming-of-age story

I went into this book expecting a romcom but got a buddy/cousin comedy. It had its moments but Isha's behavior was hard to swallow. If she wants to achieve her dream so badly, stop drinking so much!

Thanks to Berkley for the copy to review.

Isha wants to be a screenwriter. Her family is disappointed with her career choice and wants her to get a job that pays. Her constant cheer leader is her cousin Rohan. Together they bring about crazy stuff throughout the book.

Their friendship and standing up for each other was what I liked in this story. Coming from the same background as them lot of things were relatable.

It felt a bit repetitive, characteristics and situation of the main character and supporting cast. I have read her books but this one didn't seem to meet the mark. Isha was always self depreciating and I wished she took some help.

This felt incomplete at many ends, Isha's relationship with her parents, her job, her script and even on the romance aspect. It felt more like Women's fiction but still the growth was minimal.

Sajni Patel's writing is great which is why this was a mix for me. It was a quick read, flowed nicely with cultural references. Tad bits were funny but overall I would say this was okay.

𝐈𝐬𝐡𝐚, 𝐔𝐧𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐝
𝐁𝐲 𝐒𝐚𝐣𝐧𝐢 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥
𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫: 𝐁𝐞𝐫𝐤𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝟐.𝟏𝟒.𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑 𝒪𝓊𝓉 𝒩𝑜𝓌!

Thank you @berkleyromance and @letstalkbookspromo for the gifted ebook. And thank you @PRHaudio for the complimentary audiobook.


𝐈𝐬𝐡𝐚, 𝐔𝐧𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐝 has such a fun and fresh premise and it name drops one of my favorite celebrities. (Alright, Alright, Alright 😉)

Isha has been trying to get her script in front of producers for some time now. And with every slammed door, it just reminds her of how much of a disappointment she is to her family.

During one of their nights of drinking, Isha and her best friend/cousin, Rohan come up with a plan to get her script in front of none other than Matthew McConaughey. It’s not that far-fetched - sort of. Mr. McConaughey was Isha’s professor at UT Austin, and he does technically live in Austin. So with that plan, Isha begins to chase down Matthew McConaughey in hopes of showing him her script.

There is more to the story, a little budding romance, family drama, a whole lot of drinks, and some crazy hijinks. Although it got a tad repetitive and Isha seemed immature for a twenty-eight-year-old, I still breezed through this one and had an enjoyable time - maybe because I was looking for Matthew just like Isha!

Our FMC, Isha wants to be a screenwriter but her Indian family wants her to have a stable career. Now that her agent turned her down and her one last hope of meeting her professor who is the famous Matthew McConaughey is lost, she gets super drunk and does one wrong thing after another.

Isha as a character is funny and ambitious. In certain parts, I felt like she didn't believe much on herself but she supported her cousin like anything.

The MC Tariq aka Thrist trap is a hot bartender who looks like Mena Massoud and Henry Cavill. By mentioning about Henry Cavill and his sexy canines, the author had me invested in this character but I should tell you he is such a cinnamon roll. Tariq and Isha had a meet-hot instead of meet-cute (IYKYK). I'd have loved to know more about his back story and wanted more scenes between them. The rom in rom-com took a back seat but wherever he came, I just couldn't help falling in love.

Cousins but more like best friends - Rohan was such a huge supporter of his motiben (sis) and I just wanted to give him a huge hug and eat whatever he prepares. These two had more screen space than the love interest. Also I wanna read about Rohan's love story. I'm sure his would be amazing.

The family pressure and Asian parenting dynamics were there. I thought we'd get a closure like Turning Red movie but we only got the outburst towards the end.
There were some dragging in between but it is a good funny feel good story.
The ending was okay but I felt it as "to be continued in next season" instead of feeling HEA. I'm not sure if that's what the author is going for but overall it's a good one.

Sajni Patel has long been a favorite author of mine with two of her books at the top of my romance recommendations list. Isha, Unscripted brought back her signature writing ease with a new set of characters.

Isha, Unscripted was a different experience for me than with her previous novels. Her writing was breezy and fun with elements of culture and real life. I am always drawn to her books because of the depth and emotions she puts in her words and the worlds she builds. This time around I appreciated some of the expectations of family in this novel, which is one highlight Patel does well in all of her books. Isha and Rohan's support for one another shines well throughout the story. One critique I would say is that this book read a bit younger than I was expecting with drunk night outs (which are fine), but it seemed to be a bit immature and just not for me. It was a bit frustrating to read about Isha's poor decisions over and over. I was hoping for a bit more growth. Overall, Patel brings to life a new set of characters with charm and fun. I will always recommend her books to anyone who asks.

Thank you Berkley for the advanced copy through Netgalley.

We love a good “get your life together” story. It was fun, relatable, and I rooted for Isha the entire time. Really enjoyed this book.

3.5, rounded up. This worked better for me than The Trouble with Hating You, likely because it feels more personal. I also loved the madcap adventures of Isha and her younger cousin, Rohan; their bond is a highlight of the book, though it makes it feel less like a romance than some readers may expect. Isha's drunken behavior is mildly annoying but hilarious, and I appreciate that she learns from/deals with the consequences of her mistakes. Her flirtation with Thirst-Trap (aka, Tarik) is bumbling and funny--though, again, it features less heavily in the story than a typical romance.

If you're open to a coming-of-age story with an imperfect character, try this. If you're looking for a straight-up romance, skip it.

Loved this cute romcom about Isha finding her passion and not letting her family dictate to her about what is respectable or acceptable. The romance was really sweet, though sometimes there was a bit too much self doubt loaded in Isha's descriptions. I wish the parents had more nuance... while the unresolved family dynamics seems more realistic than a neat ending, they didn't seem redeemable at all and were a bit flat. I loved the friendship between Rohan and Isha, and overall was very invested in Isha's character and what was going to happen to her. When I wasn't reading the book, I was still thinking, wondering about what would happen! Excited that Sajni Patel already has a queue of another book!

#BerkleyBuddyReads

Thank you @letstalkbookspromo, @penguinrandomhouse, and Berkeley Publishers for the gifted copy of ISHA UNSCRIPTED by Sajni Patel

Pub day: 2/14 (releases tomorrow)

I am enjoying seeing so many South Asian authors writing novels in various genres, including romance. This one has Hollywood vibes and includes Isha’s encounter with the actor, Matthew McConahuey!

What’s it about?:

A hilarious and heartfelt novel, Isha Unscripted is a story about an aspiring screenwriter who seeks to pursue her dreams in the glamorous Hollywood film industry.

Isha Patel is the black sheep of the family, because her family doesn’t take her career choices seriously. But, her best friend and cousin, Rohan, helps her gain access to a pitch session with Matthew McConahuey. Matthew McConaughey, who also happened to be her professor at the University of Texas years ago—he has to remember her, right?

Chasing Matthew McConaughey isn’t easy. Isha needs a drink or two to muster up courage, and she gets a little help from the cutest bartender she’s ever encountered. But when the search for the esteemed actor turns into a night of hijinks and unexpected—albeit fun—chaos, everything falls apart.

My only critique that bothered me was the reinforcing of stereotypes of South Asian families for Isha. Not only did I have a career in humanities, but my parents supported my decision to pursue a Phd in it. Moreover, I also have a cousin situted in Los Angeles who also pursued in acting/screen writer career in Hollywood. Not all SA families are like that, and that bothered me about what this book suggested that Isha (because she chooses to be a screen writer) is consdiered the black sheep of the family. It's a tired trope I think.

#BerkleyWritesStrongWomen #BerkleyPub #LetsTalkBooksPromo #Netgalley #NetgalleyReads