Read If You Like:
- Second-chance romance
- Forced proximity scenarios
- Stories with Indian American protagonists
- Emotional and introspective narratives
- Themes of ambition and personal growth
- Modern retellings of classic romantic tropes

Flirting with Disaster is a second-chance romance that intertwines themes of ambition, identity, and rekindled love. The story follows Meena, a high-powered lawyer who returns to her Texas hometown to finalize a long-overdue divorce from her estranged husband, Nikhil. (Giving Sweet Home Alabama vibes anyone?!) Their unexpected reunion coincides with an impending hurricane, forcing them to seek shelter together in their former home. This forced proximity compels them to confront unresolved feelings and the complexities of their past relationship.

The novel excels in its portrayal of their chemistry and the nuanced exploration of their individual growth. Meena's internal struggle between her ambitious career aspirations and the deep-seated emotions she harbors for Nikhil is depicted with authenticity and depth. Nikhil's character, embodying the 'grumpy' archetype, complements Meena's 'sunshine' demeanor, creating a dynamic and engaging interplay.

The narrative is further enriched by its cultural context, offering sharp observations about Indian American identity and the societal expectations surrounding relationships and ambition. The hurricane serves as a potent metaphor for the emotional turbulence the characters experience, adding layers of tension and urgency to their journey toward reconciliation.

Thank you to the publisher for my gifted copy!

2⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for an advanced copy of Flirting With Disaster.

Meena is returning home for the first time in five years and it is to see her husband Nikhil to get him to sign the divorce papers. But a hurricane is headed for them so they are stuck sheltering together. They start to question why things ended like they did between them and realize they both may have been wrong about many things.

I am not a fan of a miscommunication trope so this was a difficult read for me. I was not a huge fan of the characters in this book. I liked the idea of the storyline but was not a fan of the execution.

Thank you to the Penguin Random House Ballantine & Dell Romance for my e-arc of this book! All these opinions are my own.

Last year I read Naina Kumar’s debut novel for book club and I really enjoyed it. I was looking forward to seeing what would be next from her and she did not disappoint! Kumar has really refined the ability to write great tension between love interests. While I’m normally hesitant with second chance romances, I was really invested in Meena and Nikhil’s story. It was clear they never stopped caring for one another, and I felt like they both had pretty strong character arcs throughout the novel. Their banter was fun and witty, and Kumar seamlessly blends past and present to give us the full scope of their love story. I may actually enjoy second chance romances now!

Aside from the romance I also loved how much care Kumar put into the setting of this story. This is also a story of the resilience of a city through natural disaster. Such a sensitive topic could feel exploitative when written about by the wrong person, but it’s obvious that Kumar has a deep connection to Texas and cares very much about it. All in all, I really enjoyed this book and I’ll definitely be on the lookout for whatever she has coming out in the future.

Thank you to PRHAudio Influencer Program for the ALC and Dell for the eARC.

I need to be honest I didn't love this one as much as I loved Naina's debut Say You'll Be Mine. This one is somehow slower even with the natural disaster happening around them. I think in part because I knew this was a contemporary romance in which they were both going to survive and the tone was lighthearted enough I didn't feel the tension of the water rising or his windows possibly breaking from the wind so all of those details only built the setting so much I wanted the core romance. The premise is so compelling to me, the Sweet Home Alabama inspo of it all. But we don't get a lot back from the MMC for sooo long. It wasn't so far in that I wanted dual POV but I wanted to skip to some of the deeper conversations they had later sooner.

Here's the thing though- I switched to audio 25% through and I'm so glad I did. I enjoyed the story way more. The narrator does a great job and brought all those extra details more to life for me thankfully. Highly recommend via audio.

3.5 ⭐️

I'm sad this didn't work out as I had hoped because I can see the potential and how much others may enjoy this story. I enjoyed the first part and the unique way the flashbacks are intertwined with the story. However, sometimes the jumps from present day to the flashbacks were a bit jarring. The chapters were very long, and I think shorting them and possibly making some flashbacks their own chapters, may help the flow of the story. Sadly once the back story of what had happened was explained, I found myself agreeing that they both needed to sign those papers. Although the ending was heartwarming and I enjoyed how the story unfolded, this sadly didn't click with me in the way I was hoping. I did love the nod and inspiration from Sweet Home Alabama though.

Although this book didn't fully work for me, I see high potential for others to thoroughly enjoy it.

Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC 💓

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Meena is a high powered DC attorney ready to take the next step with her boyfriend, another successful lawyer. There’s only one problem, she’s still technically married to her ex-husband. Determined to get the divorce papers signed once and for all, she flies back to Houston to convince him to sign the papers. When a hurricane changes her travel plans and she’s stuck with Nikhil old feelings start to surface. Can these two rekindle their romance or will they end things permanently.

This is a Sweet Home Alabama reimagining, and I was immediately intrigued with the premise. The forced proximity of the hurricane breeds opportunity for fun angst and tension. But to be honest, I wasn’t really feeling it. The problem with reimagining something is that you can’t help but compare it to the original. I didn’t feel this really brought anything fresh. The story is told entirely in first person POV from Meena’s perspective, and we never get a sense of Nikhil’s thoughts or feelings. It felt one sided and just didn’t quite work for me.

It was hard to connect with Meena because she’s so singularly focused on achieving her objective, the it encompasses her identity. We’re also told (from her perspective) about their past relationship through reflections that seem to pop up out of nowhere during the present moment. There’s no clear delineation between the past and present which makes for a jarring experience.

Because we never get to be inside Nikhil’s head, he doesn’t have much complexity. He’s a very flat character, and I didn’t feel the chemistry between the two. We’re told they’re supposed to be together but I never actually felt it. I didn’t like that she didn’t tell her family about him during the entirety of their relationship. As another reader pointed out, if the roles were reversed, that would’ve been a red flag. The lack of communication still happening at 75% was also really frustrating. They eventually work it out, but it took too long for my liking.

Overall it was an okay read to pass the time, but not something I would read again.

A heartwarming, albeit stressful, second chance romance set inside a Texas hurricane!

Let me start out by saying that second chance romances are not my favorite trope. But as soon as I saw that this was billed as Sweet Home Alabama, I knew I had to read it. The yearning was very on point and I was rooting for these two to make it back to each other.

Being a Florida girl the whole hurricane plot hit a bit too close to home for me though and even though it was a good catalyst to bring Meena and Nikhil back to each other is was a bit too stressful for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this earc in exchange for my honest review.

Pub date: 1/14

I gotta admit, I was a little afraid to read this. Knowing its about a hurricane that is going to hit Texas is a little too real for this girl from Texas who’s made it through multiple Texas hurricanes

And I was right to feel that way in a sense. I definitely felt all those emotions rushing back when I was reading this. I found myself aligning the way I felt back then with what they were feeling throughout the novel. It really felt authentic. (Well besides her not knowing. In 2025 she would have heard from someone somewhere that there was a big ass hurricane coming. Someone somewhere should have been boarding up something and the airports would have had some kind of weather channel stuff on and constant announcements) And the things she was doing, like walking through the water, or boarding up windows, and sleeping in closets really had me in tears from just remembering what I lived through with the many hurricanes I’ve been in. Basically, this really made me emotional. I opened up some emotions that I didn’t even know I had bottled up. Especially after Hurricane Beryl last summer. I was a mess.

I did have some problems with the FMC tho, I can’t lie. She seemed so toxic. She was so mad at him for something without even pointing out that she was doing the exact same thing to him. It was super obvious that he wanted to stay married to her and I know she could tell. She just WANTED it to not be true because she didn’t want to feel guilty. I think Nikhil could actually hear me yelling at him to just leave her lol However, I listened to this review from an Own Voices reviewer and I began to understand her a bit more. Did I like it? No. That man Nikhil was a blessing and she was stamping out his light by making him feel bad for providing for her. But I disliked her less tho lol

I did like the romance tho. For them to be on the verge of getting a divorce, it was like they never left each other. Maybe it was because Nikhil wore all his emotions on his sleeve, but whatever it was, I loved seeing them fall back in love. Idk how she didn’t know that he loved her tho. I think she was seeing what she wanted to see honestly. She was scared and convinced herself because even I could see that man was a goner. I DO think we should have gotten some more scene where she realized that she loved him. I never felt fully convinced. It was like oh something might be there, then there’s a fling, so of course she’s going to act like she likes him more…. No? Ok. I just thought he deserved more. And I felt bad because I was like girl, stop having me be on a man’s side -___-

This was so good. I definitely told my co-worker about this one in case they decide to use a romance for one of the programs at work. Between this one and The Kiss Countdown, Houston, Texas reads are getting less and less embarrassing and I LOVE THIS FOR ME! Let me know what you think if you read it!

Real Rating 4.5

What a phenomenon all read! This reminds me of Sweet Home Alabama but better. Set during a natural disaster in Houston, made to resemble the devastatingly Hurricane Harvey. I feel that it handled those scenes with respect and grace. It also handled some aspects of parental abuse and estranged family. This was a second chance romance but it was slapped together through the storm just to make it romantic. It was a well thought ou5 process which made it such a beautiful book.

Thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review as always all words are my own.

Thank you to Dell and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-m/f contemporary romance
-marraige in crisis
-second chance
-flashbacks
-forced proximity

I was incredibly lucky to get to read this book really early, so this was a reread and I just love this story. Naina writes such a beautiful story of two people who seem like opposites on paper, how scary it can be when you feel like you want other things, but sometimes trusting in your heart leads you to the best things. With a backdrop of a natural disaster, forcing two exes together and reckoning with their past as they both figure out their future. Naina just writes beautiful romances and I will read anything she writes.

Meena is heading to Texas to see her husband Nikhil, whom she hasn't seen for years, in hopes of being able to finalize the divorce and finally move on with her life and political career in Washington DC. What she doesn't account for is a hurricane in the Gulf that is headed right toward them. When she gets stranded with Nikhil, she is quickly reminded of their whirlwind romance that led them to getting married in Vegas in the first place. Will she be able to get Nikhil to sign the papers? Or will she begin to question her current life trajectory and what she really wants?

THE VERDICT: 4.75 (rounded up)

WHAT I LIKED:
- The chemistry between Nikhil and Meena
- The forced proximity from the storm (trauma-bonding?!)
- The Indian American rep and the pressures Meena felt from her family
- The way Meena and Nikhil navigated their relationship. Although there was some miscommunication, that had all happened in the past and the resolution focused on their growth and how they now have a better understand one another.
- They're in Harris County, Texas! (My Harris County Library Libby girls know!)
- Usually second-chance romance is not my favorite, but I really enjoyed the premise of this one and was rooting for the couple throughout the book
- Alan!!!

WHAT WAS A MISS:
- There was something about this book that didn't fully hook me the way I want a 5-star read to, but I will absolutely read more Naina Kumar & highly recommend you do, too!
- How do you just walk out the door and never actually get divorced!? I know it happens, but that is so wild to me!

eARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review!

Wow what a lovely read! I have always been a big fan of Sweet Home Alabama but I loved the twists this book gave to that story (also managed to avoid the cheating trope from the original). The characters were well developed and likable. I liked how this was set over a short period of time and was a quick read, I finished it in half a day! Overall, I very much enjoyed, would recommend.

A charming second chance romance set in Houston, Texas, where Meena returns to finalize her divorce from Nikhil, only to find herself drawn back into old feelings.

Meena and Nikhil had undeniable chemistry that kept me entertained the whole time! A page turning romance.
 
While I adored Nikhil—he’s the epitome of a sweet, down-to-earth guy—Meena’s back-and-forth indecisiveness drove me nuts. I know it’s a typical second chance romance struggle, but it still left me frustrated. Despite that, though, the characters are lovable, and I really appreciated the Texas setting, especially since it’s close to my heart, seeing as I live there myself.
 
Though I really liked this, there was just something missing that I can’t quite put my finger on. Overall, though, it’s a good read with tons of heart and emotional depth!

𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙂𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘼𝙍𝘾!

4⭐
PG-13🌶️

If you wish Sweet Home Alabama changed out the Civil War reenactments for a hurricane, this is the book for you. Through all the chaos of surviving a storm and rediscovering love despite a few plot points that felt a bit naive, Naina creates a sweet and hopeful romance that shows how her books continue to get better and better.

You had me at a twist of Sweet Home Alabama following an Indian couple set in the great state of Texas. At the beginning of the book, Meena, our FMC, wakes up in a hotel room in Las Vegas realizing she is married and makes sweet vows in bed with her new husband, Nikhil. The book then fast-forwards to 7 years later where we meet up with Meena landing in the Houston airport while discussing with Shake, a man she was previously dating, that she is going through with her plans. We find out that Meena currently lives in DC where she is a lobbyist and her ex Shake had broken up with her because she is still not divorced from her husband Nikhil. Of course, it is Houston and hurricane season, so Meena gets stuck having to bunker down with her husband to survive the storm. Is she going to be able to get him to sign the divorce papers when there is still unresolved feelings and sparks between the former pair are electric? You have to read to find out.

I enjoyed this book. I thought the connection between Meena and Nikhil was so beautiful, that both characters had so much love to give and just wanted always to help their partner. I did want to shake them at times because if they just communicated things better none of this probably would have happened. Both characters were incredibly insecure, for Meena is stimmed from trauma from her parents conditional love, and for Nikhil it seemed he was insecure about his job and the fact that Meena never introduced him to her parents (once again, this wouldn't have been an issue if there would have been more communication and discussions with active listening). The book is well-written, lots of angst, and overall just a great story about growth, self-reflection, and learning its okay to ask for help.

I have posted my review on Goodreads (linked below), I will post a story on my IG to my 32.7 k followers and save it under the highlight button ARCs (also linked below), and I will post on 1/14 a full review on my IG @the.bookish.dietitian

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For starters, I had really high hopes for this when I read the summary. I am a second-chance romance lover and honestly, I don't think this story was executed to its highest potential. I had an easy time reading it, but it all felt very lackluster and dull to me.

I did not connect with either of our main characters at all. There was not enough character development or enough background on the couple's past that would make me root for them to work out their differences. I found Nikhil more likable than Meena and often found myself annoyed with her actions throughout the story. Her history with another man was a big part of the story and I just didn't vibe with that. This might have been better if there was dual-pov or dual-timeline just so we could get more from both characters. It is hard to root for characters when they refuse to communicate with each other, open up to each other, and constantly create ultimatums for their futures. The ending felt rushed and underdeveloped as well. As I reflect on this, there were a lot more things that I didn't like in this book than I liked, but overall it was a fast-paced read. This was a miss for me but I could see it working for other readers!

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for the arc!

Sometimes I struggle with second chance romance because I don’t get the reason for their original breakup. This one, however, felt totally realistic and made sense. The chemistry between Meena and Nikhil was so good, and I really loved them. The backdrop of the hurricane made the story more unique and interesting. I didn’t love how they kept going in circles talking about why they broke up and how they wanted their future to look; it got a tiny bit annoying. This was an emotional but uplifting read, and I would definitely recommend.

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

5/5 ⭐️s
🌶️ - low spice, slow burn

LOVES:
- The prologue is so sweet, it hurts my heart ❤️‍🩹
- Especially followed by the gradual unraveling of the mystery of their relationship and the secrets they kept from each other. The bitterness and misconceptions they have about each other. So sad.
- All of the commentary on politics and politicians is very poignant. Great to think there are good ones out there!
- They both love Gilmore Girls 💗 but obviously he’s wrong about Logan 🙄😉
- The way she eats toast is unusual, but I’m not gonna lie, I’ve thought about eating it that way. It just makes sense!
- So much ANGST 💔
- The entire ending and epilogue are beautiful ♥️ Couldn’t have asked for better.

I so badly wanted to shake them both and say why are you doing this?? Just talk!! But I could totally see both of their perspectives and how they got into this mess. It was very satisfying to watch them work through things and untangle it all to get the crux of their feelings for each other.

The Sweet Home Alabama vibes were excellent. Anyone who loves that movie will love this book. Even if you don’t, you’ll probably love this book. It’s a gem.

Flirting with Disaster
by Naina Kumar
ARC Review
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Meena is a D.C. lawyer who returns to Houston where she said she would never set foot again, she returned 7 years later so that her husband could finally file the divorce papers, now that Meena is in her prime and has fallen in love again with someone who understands her and values ​​her work she wants to start a life with her new partner or that's what she thinks she wants. She thinks everything will turn out fine until she finds out that a hurricane will pass and she will have to spend it with Nikhil, her husband. As they spend more time together, Meena begins to remember everything that attracted her to Nikhil: his small-town charm, his thoughtful nature... his absurdly good looks and she begins to question why she left him.

I'm surprised that I liked this story so much. I'm not a fan of second chances but this one was definitely well deserved. At first the characters didn't have very good communication, they didn't even know their goals or their families, but when they were on the verge of breaking up everything flowed between them. I really liked Meena's development and how far they got as professionals and a couple. Nikhil really cares about Meena, you could feel that he really loves her and how much he cares. I loved their relationship. The whole book I wanted to go in and hug Shake, I just wanted him to be happy.
If you like the second chance trope, the movie sweet home Alabama, INDIAN-AMERICAN CULTURAL INFLUENCE, force proximity, and slow burn 🌶️ I recommend it to you.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

Even though their marriage stemmed from a drunken night in Vegas, the love between Meena and Nikhiil felt immediately real...and even though I knew what was coming I was rooting for them! Then you fast forward to years later and Meena is trying to get papers signed for a divorce! She is now a high-powered attorney with political aspirations and a boyfriend (though he recently broke it off) who fits her view of what she thinks the future should be.

This has been compared to "Sweet Home Alabama" and I could see the similarities. This however has been reimagined in a fresh and creative way with Indian characters as an added dimension. The story takes place during a hurricane which is fitting for the emotional storm between our couple. We get flashes of their year of marriage and little by little details of how things took a turn.

At times it was painful to watch...I just wanted to shout TALK TO EACH OTHER! I appreciated getting both sides of the story and though I didn't always like it, I could see why each of them felt and acted the way they did. Both Meena and Nikhil made mistakes and assumptions about their situation. It was heartbreaking that so much time was waisted because neither reached out with their truth.

There is the family dynamics within an Indian culture and that added pressure. Meena was so afraid of disappointing her parents and it colored much of her viewpoint. I can understand her reasoning, but also Nikhiil's frustration of their marriage being hidden and how it led to him feeling like he wasn't good enough. So much could have been resolved if they just communicated...sigh.

Despite all the turmoil, this second chance romance was filled with sweetness and a pure connection between out couple. The ending was perfection!

4 stars