Thank you, Dell, Random House, and NetGalley, for the free advanced copy.

Light, funny, and with the ultimate forced proximity situation 𝘍𝘭𝘪𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘋𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 was a fun approach to second Chance.

From the opening lines, it is clear that Meena and Nikhil share a deep love. As the story unfolds, the details of their undoing come to light while they are sheltering together during a hurricane.

Told through Meena’s point of view, there is a lot of unresolved tension. I also felt it was clear that Nkihil still had feelings for her from the second they reunited (a must in a second chance for me—the possibility ).

I enjoyed the hurricane scenes and appreciated Nikhil's caregiving moments. These allowed the reader to connect with him despite not having his POV (it wasn’t needed).

However, I really struggled with Nikhil and Meena's lack of growth. I understood that they had left many things unsaid, but it felt like we were having the same turmoil as six years ago. I LOVE second chances, but I needed them to handle things differently than they did in the past. I would have appreciated earlier communication to help entangle the reader in their conflict. I found I lacked any real investment.

In contrast, the comedy elements were well done, and I am glad Meena got to talk things through with her sister. Also, this has a really well-done fade-to-black element.

While this was perfectly likable, I think I enjoyed her debut, 𝘚𝘢𝘺 𝘠𝘰𝘶’𝘭𝘭 𝘉𝘦 𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘦 a bit more.

Have you ever been in a hurricane? I technically have, but I was in the hospital with a generator for 60 hours…

Okay so I liked it, the concept was good and I loved Nikhil. Meena on the other hand…

In this story we’re presented with Meena and Nikhil who had a vegas wedding and tried making their marriage work because they indeed did love each other. But the pressure of passing the bar became so much for Meena that she felt like a burden to her husband as he barely showed any signs of being needed. This is one of their biggest issues, Meena wanted to move elsewhere to start her successful career, and Nikhil felt she actually didn’t want him there. They become estranged and years later, Meena returns during hurricane season and gets trapped together with Nikhil. In this confinement, they must work over their issues and try to maybe resolve their marriage… or not?

Nikhil’s character is one that I fell in love with soon into the book and the author really made me FEEL for him, his sadness and happiness, his wants to keep the person he loved in his life. While Meena, somehow she just kept breaking him down? I felt as though she simply wasn’t deserving of him, this is one of those marriage-in-crisis novels where you could really feel why things went wrong in the first place, and wonder how it could be fixed!

Welp another 3am, can’t put the dang thing down, read! 😅 I loved this story so much. She did Sweet Home Alabama vibes well. I haven’t read Say You’ll Be Mine but apparently I now have another book to add to my already daunting TBR so thanks for that 😉

Nikhil is so lovable!

Random thought I had while reading: “There is true power derived from someone believing in you. There is true courage in letting someone know you well enough to give them the chance to believe in you. There is true beauty in learning about the things the people you care about, care about.”

Lastly, Akka is the GOAT! She literally said what I had been screen screaming at Meena for 70% of the book 😂


Thanks for the ARC!

Ms. Kumar really brings all the creativity to this engaging story. I've read plenty of novels with a drunken Vegas wedding, a natural disaster event, or an old house needing to be saved, but this story had all three. There was still plenty of space left for personal conflict and romance. Meena and Nikhil parted ways not long after that Vegas wedding.Years later they are stranded together during a hurricane when Meena comes back to Houston to get Nikhil to sign divorce papers. Being marooned alone together in such dangerous circumstances, they begin the journey of learning to seriously communicate and discover all the hidden bits of each other that caused their breakup years before. There are plenty of "will they, won't they?" moments, since Meena's job is in DC and her goal is to run for office there. This story is a very convincing modern day tale, where being human and having to balance personal and professional goals just isn't as easy as it at first might appear. Though I was fairly certain Meena and Nikhil would achieve their happily ever after, I was completely enthralled reading about their journey.

I was given an ARC and volunteered to write a review.

3.5 stars / 5 (rounded up)

Pick it up if you want:
- second chance romance
- forced proximity
- complicated family relationships
- strong sense of place
- yearning for community
- big feelings
- picking stability or passion

“Sweet Home Alabama” meets "The Notebook" meets "Red, White, and Royal Blue." Main characters Meena and Nikhil navigate weathering a hurricane, while also attempting to finalize a divorce, and balance family drama, political aspirations, and more.

I think my rating would have been higher, but it took me several chapters to get into it - about ~40% of the way though, I started to get more invested in the characters. The MMC takes some time to open up but once he does...boy is he yearning. Both main characters also got in their own way for most of the story, either through inexperience (youth) or straight up miscommunication (leaving things unsaid).

Would recommend for contemporary romance fans, and would read more from the author.

Thank you NetGalley, Random House, Ballantine Books / Dell for this eARC copy of #FlirtingWithDisaster in exchange for honest review!

Meena followed her dreams of a big law life in DC. She left her hometown of Houston, Texas and with it, her marriage to Nikhil. Now that she is facing the career opportunity of her dreams, she needs to return home and get the divorce she's put off for 7 years.

But when she arrives at the home she built with Nikhil, a hurricane of epic proportions hits Houston. She's now trapped with her ex and flooded not only with pounding rain, but the memories of everything she loved (and didn't love) about this man. Will she return to DC and give up on Nikhil for good? Will they even make it out of this storm alive?

Things I loved:

🌧️ Forced-proximity (only one closet!)
🌧️ Overcoming the burden of immigrant guilt
🌧️ Nikhil 🥵
🌧️ FMC who has to balance career with love but refuses to sacrifice on either
🌧️ Second-chance romance
🌧️ The ANGST
🌧️ Nikhil 😍

I *love* a good second-chance romance. I might be a little biased because my marriage is a second chance romance, but I truly feel like the tension is incomparable because you're being led by not only your imagination, but your memories. I also loved how the forced proximity forced our characters to address the communication challenges they couldn't tackle the first go around.

I really loved these characters, despite getting frustrated with both of them at times. They were both flawed people, but I loved how they tackled those flaws. They were messy, real, and I was rooting for them throughout the story.

This is Kumar's sophomore romance novel. I need to go back and read Say You'll Be My Jaan!

Flirting with Disater was such a delightful read. The pacing of this book was so good! Second chance slow burns are my favorite. Naina did an incredible job of flushing out these characters and making them relatable and how you want to root for them to end up together. Over all 10/10 recommend this book was incredible!

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group Ballantine for the eARC.

This book is second chance romance done right. Just read it. *Chefs Kiss*

Meena is heading back to her hometown, Houston, during hurricane season. Her purpose is to have her husband sign divorce papers. She’s desperate to have the life she planned for, at all cost.

However, once Meena sees Nikhil, old feelings and memories come back.

I want to point out how accurate the environment felt. As a fellow Houstonian, I understand how hurricanes and weather changes behave. I felt Naina Kumar, described this accurately. The emotional state of both characters felt real and raw. The mindset you have, during the hurricane and how to brace yourself for what’s ahead.

Beautifully written and felt realistic.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read Flirting with Disaster.

What a joy of a book to read. I LOVE second chance romance and this did it just right. My heart was racing at the end, the yearning, the realizations, the love, the passion? The forced proximity? This was incredible. While I really enjoyed Say You’ll Be Mine, this was another level of a really good contemporary romance. So good. 10/10 recommend.

I enjoyed this book so much! It was a quick read and I immediately ordered a copy of her first book because her writing style and story was so well written. It follows the main character who travels from her home to her former home to try to get her ex to finally sign divorce papers. While she is there, a hurricane hits and hilarity ensues. I really enjoyed all of the banter between the characters but also the deeper meaning behind all of the storyline. It gave me a little bit of "Sweet Home Alabama" vibes in the best way. Absolutely recommend you pick this jewel up from Naina Kumar!

Estranged spouses Meena and Nikhil are facing two disasters — an impending hurricane and their failed marriage. At the start of Naina Kumar’s “Flirting with Disaster,” the odds are slim that they’ll survive either. And that’s when the fun begins.

Meena returns to her hometown of Houston to finalize a divorce with her estranged husband, only to get caught in a hurricane with the very man she’s trying to forget (think Sweet Home Alabama with a whole lot more rain). As the storm rages on, so do their anger and hurt. And their chemistry hasn’t fully tapered off either… Now, the two have no choice but to face their past and get through the storm together.

This novel is for all the forced proximity x second chance romance fans — it has all the longing, the bottled up feelings and past mistakes you could dream of.

Did not like this that much. Story was a little too boring but I did enjoy the writing style. Not the intended audience

Thank you @prhaudio for the gifted audiobook, and Random House Ballantine - Dell and Netgalley for the digital review copy.

Welp, I was already a huge fan of Naina Kumar after her debut, Say You’ll Be Mine. But Flirting with Disaster sealed the deal that she is one of my new favorite authors.

I’m guilty of watching Sweet Home Alabama literally every time it is on TV – I could recite the movie in my sleep (in fact, I probably have). Reading this second chance romance where she returns to her “husband” to ask for a divorce so she can pursue her big city political dreams – sure, in theory this sounds “Hallmark-y” but to just compare it to this classic rom-com would do this book a grave disservice. This book had so much emotional depth, with writing that completely gripped my soul and physically tore my heart apart and healed it by “The End.” Plus - told over the duration of a hurricane storm making landfall in Houston, TX, there is also a bit of action and suspense that adds another layer to the reading experience. I’d give anything to get inside Nikhil’s brain in this story, but he cares for Meena in the little ways he remembers her and her needs, even after years apart.

It’s early in 2025 but this will 100% be on my top reads of the year list. The audiobook was fantastic - Soneela Nankani once again narrates for Kumar flawlessly and truly immerses the listener in this 10 hr 30 minute performance.

✨ARC Review✨

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

An angsty second-chance romance with small town vibes? I. Ate. This. Up. The yearning between Meena and Nikhil made my heart ache. Ever been in a spot where your heart and brain want different things? That’s exactly how it was for Meena in this story, and I loved watching her character decide what was right. Flirting With Disaster feels like the rainbow that comes out after a storm.

Mini blurb: Meena goes back to her small home town in Texas to hopefully finalize her divorce with Nikhil. After she mailed him the papers and never got a response, she wants to take matters into her own hands. However, while she’s in town a hurricane hits. She can’t do anything other than survive in her old house with Nikhil. Being in the house and around him has made her realize that there are some unresolved feelings. Can she walk away from him completely?

Flirting with Disaster has:
☔️ Second chance romance
☔️ Forced proximity
☔️ Small town
☔️ YEARNING
☔️ Sweet Home Alabama vibes
☔️ Marriage in crisis

Ps, it released today!!

Naina is a new-to-me author and I’m already wanting to pick up her other book.

Thank you to @randomhouse and @nkumarwrites for this ARC!

4.5⭐️ for me. I loved this story. Second chance romance has really become something I enjoy as a trope. As we know sometimes it doesn’t work at the first time and timing is off. Meena and Nikhil get stuck together during a hurricane storm. Meena is there to end their marriage officially and chase her dreams of running for state senator with her ex/not ex Shake. What Meena doesn’t expect is her feelings to rush back when seeing Nikhil. Both characters are stuck together throughout this storm and during this time they have to find a way to work as a team to survive the storm. As the story develops you see how they learn what really happened from the other’s perspective during their marriage. This story does have some of the miscommunication trope but I didn’t mind it in this book and believe it was done well. During this I was rooting for Nikhil! I loved this! Naina is definitely one of my auto buy authors after reading this and Say You’ll Be Mine!!

Thank you Random House Publishing Group for the ARC!

omg so sweet houston set romance that is second chance!!! i loved this one sooo much! naina can do no wrong and im so excited to read more of her books this was such a great one! 10/10 cant wait to pick it up on audio and dive into this world again!!

Meena is a lawyer in DC with ambitions to run for public office and a plan about to be put into motion but first she has to clear up her divorce from a Vegas wedding almost a decade ago. She heads to Houston to get her estranged husband to sign the divorce papers he’s been ignoring and ends up getting stuck with him in a hurricane. They’re forced to sort out their problems to survive the storm together.

I am a little biased because I love disaster stories but this one was so well done! The characters are so relatable and so real, it’s like you’re reading a biography with all the emotional baggage explained perfectly. The character development is so well done even with two very strong personalities clashing Meena and Nik are such a cute couple. One spicy scene, very emotional. Great overall story and I’m looking forward to many more from Naina Kumar.

I loved this fun take on "Sweet Home Alabama". Naina created a world where Meena could be messy and unsure of her next steps, a beautiful difference from her first book. Meena and Nakhill rushed to the alter years ago, to shortly be estranged later on. Meena returns to Houston to ask Nakill for a divorce so she can marry her current boyfriend. While in Houston, a hurricane keeps these two stranded together (hello, forced proximity!). I enjoyed watching Meena slowly remember why she was attracted to Nakhill and battle those internal thoughts. We learned her family history with her parents and sister, which had much to do with her overwhelming need to do the "right thing" and succeed. This was a great story of self-discovery and romance. I wish we got a POV from Nakill, but I know the author purposely wanted Nakill to feel mysterious. Thank you for the e-arc!

Thank you to Dell Romance & PRH Audio for the review copies!

Flirting with Disaster
By Naina Kumar
🎧 Narrated by: Soneela Nankani
Book 1 of 2025

Flirting with Disaster is a reimagining of “Sweet Home Alabama,” which is one of my favorite movies. I felt like it really captured the angst of falling in love young, not knowing how to communicate your needs, and finding each other again.

Meena returns to her home town in Texas to have her estranged husband, Nikhil, sign divorce papers. She’s built a life in DC, and is planning to run for office at the same time as her new partner, Shake. Busy with a high-powered job, she didn’t realize that she was flying straight into the path of a hurricane, and is forced to take shelter with Nikhil.

I did have a little trouble with the introduction of Meena ignoring that she flew into the path of the hurricane, but it fit with her one-track mind about accomplishing her goals, so I was able to suspend my disbelief over that. I *love* a good forced proximity, especially if the two characters have this kind of delicious I-hate-you-but-I-also-love you energy, so that is what I was focused on while reading. The tension between them was soooo good.

With a second chance romance, I need to buy that the reason they didn’t work out the first time makes sense, but isn’t so bad that I can’t believe them overcoming it, and there needs to be enough communication for me to believe they truly HAVE overcome their issues. For me, Kumar hit all of these beats beautifully, and I absolutely loved Flirting with Disaster. It was the perfect start to a new year of reading for me!

Another aspect I wanted to point out is something I saw in @lit.erallymoody ‘s TT review, which is the inclusion of working class South Asian characters. Check out her review for this perspective!

🎧 The audiobook was excellent, I actually forgot it was a single narrator because Nankani created all of the characters so well, and her male vocal performance was 🔥🔥.