I genuinely love Nisha Sharma's writing so much; there's something about the way she writes and these stories that bring me joy.

I was worried I wouldn't love Tastes Like Shakkar as much as I did Dating Dr. Dil (which was one of my favorite reads of 2022), and while it didn't reach that level for me, it was still so delightful! I'm going to be honest, I think I saw a little too much of myself in Bobbi, which made a few parts difficult to read because I was getting a bit frustrated with how independent she was and refusing to ask for help (hello, pot? Meet kettle. Charmed 😂), but it made her character growth throughout the story really satisfying to read. Bunty also felt so real to me, and his whole arc of how he had to balance his family and his desires was so relatable. I loved that neither of them apologized for who they were, and instead of trying to get the other to change, they focused on making the other just better versions of themselves and happier!

All of the supporting cast were great, especially the Aunties. The story was so fun and rich in culture, and I know I was there for the romance, but the actual suspense of it all and the whodunnit really sucked me in! Food as a love language, exploration of kink, epistolary elements, what isn't there to love? I absolutely recommend this series and can't wait for Veera and Deepak's book!

Another Nisha BANGER! These two were so amazing individually that when they got together I was kicking my feet. Having two headstrong, goal-oriented characters means that SOMETHING has to give and the journey was beautiful. Loved it.

“Love is always better with cheese.”
This book is an Indian chef and a curvy Indian wedding planner’s enemies-to-lovers romance retelling of Much Ado about Nothing with spicy open-door scenes set in suburban NJ. This is the second in the “If Shakespeare was an Auntie” trilogy after Dating Dr. Dil, released in 2022, but I think you could read it as a standalone without missing any key information. Reading this book made me hungry, but I really enjoyed it. I listened to the first 2/3rds, and the narration was great, especially with some of the really spicy scenes! I finished by reading the ebook, smiling throughout.
I’m part of a team challenge to review more books during 2024, and this is another backlist review, plus it has been lingering on my NetGalley shelf for way too long. Thanks to Avon Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I love Nisha Sharmas writing and I couldn’t wait to read this book. I absolutely loved the first one and this one did not disappoint. The side characters are so likeable an amazing enjoyable :

After the Final Strife I was very much looking forward to The Battle Drum to see where Sylah and Anoor would go next. And I must say I was a bit disappointed. I found the plot a bit boring and the pacing uneven. I will continue with the series but not in a rush to read.

Tastes Like Shakkar is the best. This is easily one of my favorite romances of the year. It's well written, spicy, and witty with an unforgettable cast of characters and a hint of a mystery. Bobbi and Benjamin have so much chemistry right from the very start of the book. It was perfectly believable and I was invested in two of them getting their happily ever after. The aunties were hilarious. I can't wait to read more from Nisha who is an absolute force to reckon with in the world of romance.

While it took me a little longer to get engrossed in this book than I thought it would (I absolutely devoured dating dr dil), once i got into it i couldn’t put it down. nisha sharmas comedy is so underrated and i was giggling and kicking my feet through this book. the spice was SPICING.

I adore Nisha and I adored this book! I really enjoyed reading about these characters, once they get past their miscommunication issues they consistently show up for one another. Loved how we also got to catch up with the friend group. I also think the spice needs a special mention in this - the throne scene especially!! If you love an acts of service man, you will love Bunty, he does it so well.

Another smash from Nisha.

I might be in the minority for this, but I really didn't care for this book.

The pros:
I loved the plus sized romance rep and how BDSM was discussed with regards to being in a desi family. It was new and refreshing, and I really enjoyed reading Bunty's inner monologue about it.

The cons:
Honestly, I'm not too disappointed considering it is tagged as erotica but this felt like a book with more smut than plot. The main reason I loved the first book in the series was because it perfectly balanced plot with ample romance but I did not feel like this book lived up to that - nor did I feel like I really knew either of the main characters at the end.

That being said, I did enjoy the book despite minor issues and I rated it 4.5 stars (rounding up for Netgalley)

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the eARC! How have I not read anything by Nisha Sharma previously?! This was excellent! The found family, the relationship banter and the all too relatable struggle of not wanting to ask for help and the need to please and demonstrate worth through work and reliability - even at the cost of your own well-being.

I loved the FMC and that was plus size and it wasn’t a focus of the book, but also not ignored. I adored that the MMC desired her and was so charming and caring. They were a great pair and the chemistry between them was incredible and 🌶️🌶️🌶️.

I’m so excited for Vera’s book and will be reading the first in the series ASAP!

I really wanted to like this one. I read Dating Dr. Dil last year and really liked Sharm's writing. But I struggled through this one. I can usually read a book this size in 2-3 days, but this one took me over a month to get through.

I didn't like the main character Bobbi. I found her selfish and bull headed. I also thought Benjamin sometimes came off as weak and goes from being bossed around by his family to doing whatever his new girlfriend wants.

The pacing is off too. Some parts were super slow and the smut was mediocre. I think the drama that the author tried to develop with the person sabotaging Kareema's wedding seemed ridiculous.

Anyway this book really turned me off of the series and I don't have any plans on reading Veera's story when it comes out.

If Shakespeare was auntie series is absolutely amazing. Dating in a modern world while stating closer to tradition is hard. Nisha Sharma demonstrates that in the best way. Bobbi and Benjamin find their way successfully in life, finding love has been harder than success, but the journey is a delightful read.

You could tell this book was based on Much Ado About Nothing as Bobbi likes to think worst case and is a bit vengeful, though Bunty does run with that like a child and antagonize her to get her attention, continuing the cycle. That is until their friends force them to work together for a common goal.

With this excuse, Bobbi and Bunty quickly start to let their true feelings show, both respect and lust. They fall hard, fast (though they've really fell a year before and have been denying it since then).

Their quick rapport, communication (yay, no jealous miscommunication!), and care for each other was so great to read. With the external mystery you get to see them work as a team and come together (and I did not expect all that came out at the end).

Bunty is a great book boyfriend with the constant feeding, thoughtful actions, reading her romance book, and trying to give her all his time that he can. This includes a space for her to explore new kinks, with excellent dirty talk.

Overall, love some sneaky friends and cannot wait for the Veera's book. I love Nisha's writing and this series!

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

(and thank you to Nisha for making me so hungry this entire book that I did go out and get Indian food)

feat: spice with edge, why must family???, quickly resolved miscommunication, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, food=heart, Desi Indian representation, plus-size woman representation, chef hero

4.5 stars
3.5 spice

I liked this book more than Dating Dr. Dill. I loved the relationship between Bobbi and Bunty. My mouth was watering while reading all the food references throughout the book.
Another thing I liked was Shakespeare's references.
Thank you Netgalley and publisher for giving me an ARC of this book.

As soon as I heard this book is a retelling of William Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing", I just knew I needed to read it!

This is the second book in Nisha Sharma's "If Shakespeare Were an Auntie" series, the first being "Dating Dr. Dil", which is a retelling of "The Taming of the Shrew"!

(Possible Spoilers!)
Bobbi and Bunty, the Beatrice-esque and Benedick-esque characters in this story... my gosh these two have chemistry and it is SO DYNAMIC MY GOODNESS! When they agree to work together to help the wedding, their relationship grows deeper and deeper the more time they spend together. I do not want to say too much about the plot due to spoilers, but, I will say, this book truly has so much in it: culture and tradition, witty banter, an enemies-to-lovers story, both heartbreaking and heartwarming moments, friendship, family drama, and so much more!

If you enjoy Contemporary Romance, I highly recommend this book! It kept me turning the pages chapter after chapter, and I look forward to reading what Nisha Sharma writes next!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Avon for the e-ARC of this book, and to NetGalley for sending me a beautiful finished copy as well! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This story is about a wedding planner who has to pair up with her nemesis to help plan their friends’ wedding. It is inspired by Much Ado About Nothing, which is my favorite Shakespeare play. I liked the descriptions of food and the details about how the wedding would work. I also loved the family dynamics, especially the aunties. But ultimately, I couldn’t connect to the main characters. The writing felt distant from the reader at times so I wasn’t able to fully invest. I would still recommend this book. I think it was just a writing style that didn’t work for me in a romance.

Spicy, Spicy, Spicy! Nisha Sharma's latest novel- Tastes Like Shakkar is raunchy! Well beyond my level of spice, which is a bit of a bummer, because I loved the plot and struggled through the sexy bits. ::shoulder shrug:: to each their own, right?!

NetGalley synopsis:

Bobbi Kaur is determined to plan a celebration to remember for her best friend’s wedding.
With aspirations of taking over her family’s event planning business, Bobbi knows that one misstep in managing the Kareena Mann and Prem Verma (#Vermann) party, along with the other weddings on her plate, will only give her uncle another reason not to promote her.

Bunty will do anything for his best friend. When Prem asks Bunty to help with the wedding menu, he agrees, especially since it puts him in close proximity to the delicious Bobbi Kaur.

When a mystery shaadi saboteur starts leaving threatening notes, and cancelling cake orders, Bunty and Bobbi have no choice but to call a truce and face the volatile attraction they have for each other.

Oh my! When these two call a truce, they really waved their white flags in surrender and succumbed to their attraction to one another! I found the plot interesting and it reminded me a little Dial A For Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto and Murder and Mamon by Mia P. Manansala. It had so much ridiculousness with the aunties that I found myself often smiling at the pages in this book.

A huge thank you to Avon and NetGalley for granting me access to this title!

absolutely another amazing book by Nisha!! I loved this second installment in the ‘ if Shakespeare was an auntie’ series! Bobbi and Bunty were amazing characters with so much depth and their forced proximity together was perfect!

I was so excited to reach this author's second novel after really liking her first one and I'm happy to say I enjoyed this one even more! Loved the dynamic between the two MCs and very happy I read this

I love Bobbi and Bunty but I have to admit the food in this book rivals them (I’m very hungry, please feed me).

From their very first meeting sparks really fly between these two. They’re both passionate people and it makes all their interactions feel charged and captivating. While their first meeting doesn’t go great, it was incredibly entertaining to see Bunty get tongue tied and Bobbi to not take any (presumed) nonsense. It also sets the stage for their dynamic - they’re not afraid to go head to head about things they care about and it makes them a pairing that fuels each other passions and intense emotions. When it comes time to fight for each other, they’re all in.

The spice is amazing and the dirty talk is … ohhh boy, it’s something else. The need to one up each other isn’t just limited to their verbal sparring sessions let’s just say that.

Food plays a significant role in the story - not just because of Bunty’s job but also because of the cultural significance it has to them. The story explores how othering the lack of good options for cultural foods at events can be and the power something as seemingly simple as a meal and what the food (and its associate traditions and the role in serves in facilitating community) can mean.

Tastes like Shakkar is wholeheartedly witty, steamy, and overflowing with love.