Having experienced two hurricanes myself, I was initially somewhat skeptical of a romance story about rescuing a failed marriage while trapped in a hurricane. Is it even possible to have sane conversations about marriage and divorce amidst imploding windows, broken tree limbs, fire ants and cottonmouth and a city that has turned into a giant lake?

In this well written novel, Naina Kumar shows that, under the wreckage of a natural disaster, it is still possible to find that lost love. Flirting with Disaster is about two people finding the courage to be vulnerable in love, overcoming fear of failure and parental disapproval and, learning to make open and honest conversation with each other. The hurricane is the third main character and effectively provides most of the drama in this emotionally satisfying story.

When the story begins Meena is on her way to her hometown Houston to get her long estranged husband Nikhil to sign the divorce papers so that she could marry her boyfriend and kick off her political career. She plans to be back home the same day without realizing that there is a hurricane on the way. But with the city in a mad scramble to escape the hurricane, airlines are booked, highways are jammed and Meena has no choice but to stay with Nikhil.

Seven years ago, she met Nikhil while she was preparing for her bar exams. Nikhil who is in construction business, is a college dropout and suffers from a sense of inferiority, both about his profession and his lack of college education. Meena has her own hangups. She is terrified of failing and disappointing her parents. She desperately wants her parents to be proud of her who were deeply hurt and ashamed when her sister got pregnant and dropped out of college.

When she and Nikhil get married impulsively while on a trip to Las Vegas, she keeps it a secret from her parents and never introduces Nikhil to her family. When she fails her bar exam the first time she keeps that also a secret from her family. Nikhil is a rock during this difficult time for her and it is his love and support that helps her prepare for a second try. However, after she passes her bar exam, she leaves Nikhil and Houston behind to take up a job with a legal firm that lobbies for progressive causes in Washington, D.C.

The story is told from Meena’s point of view and it goes back and forth between present and past. In the present, during the days she spends with Nikhil, she realizes that she is still attracted to him and in love with him too. There are touching moments of togetherness when they rescue (using a paddle boat) a neighbor (a NASA astronaut, no less) whose house is flooded. When Nikhil is paralyzed with fear seeing a cottonmouth, it is Meena who steers the boat out of its way. Nikhil takes care of her when she develops a severe allergic reaction to fire ant bites and cooks her favorite pasta. She discovers that he watches reruns of Gilmore Girls and wants to build a similar beating heart kind of bed and breakfast hostelry.

Nikhil is a beta hero, a romantic ideal in a minor key, supportive, kind and caring,—qualities that she, obsessed with passing the law exams, never noticed when she was married and living with him. She had no clue about his emotional struggles and insecurities. Her beef with him then was that he never shared any of his work life with her and kept everything bottled up and gave her no chance to help him in the same way he was helping her. Yet, now she finds him readily opening up about his b&b project and the volunteer work he does repairing homes damaged in natural disasters. He shows no hesitation in letting her know he still loves her and is full of admiration for the work she does on the Hill. She too confesses that underneath her badass veneer, her actions were driven by fear of becoming a disappointment to her parents.

Whether intentional or not, hurricane serves as an allegory for the marriage—take flight when a storm is approaching and deal with the wreckage later or stay put, batten down the hatches and clean up the debris as it lands. The author draws a realistic portrayal of what it is to be in the middle of a hurricane—frantic preparations, incessant rains, howling winds, floods, power outages, isolation, using short frequency radio as a way of staying in touch with the neighbors and the long wait before it is over. The novel is particularly strong in showing personal development, especially for Meena who finally comes to realize that her marriage is worth fighting for.

If I have one quibble it is that I would have liked Nikhil’s point of view too. Secondary characters make brief but memorable appearances—particularly amusing is the NASA astronaut who is surprised that his is the only house on the street that has been flooded, a house which is situated right on the center of a cul-de-sac (even the mandatory flood insurance does not clue
him in!).

If you like forced proximity/ second chance romance, this one's for you. I greatly enjoyed this novel and give it a solid B+.

by Indira Govindan

This was truly a good read. Inspired by Sweet Home Alabama, with South Asian American leads, it's just a perfect romance read. But also, being set in Texas with climate change being an important plot point was a good addition. The main character Meena is a bit frustrating at times but she's a personality I can fully recognize (especially here in DC). Nikhil's a gem.

This was a fun one! It was set during a hurricane following a married couple who hasn't seen each other in years, but she wants a divorce--very Sweet Home Alabama. That was a creative take on forced proximity, and I liked seeing the couple work through the reasons they called it quits earlier in their marriage. Our main character was also into politics and considering running for office, which I enjoyed reading about. This wasn't a new favorite, but it was a quick and fun read:)

I read this author’s first book and was excited to read her sophomore publication. I enjoyed how she developed the characters throughout the book but was unsure why they broke up in the first place. It was like the FMC inexplicably became a different person from who was described in the prologue. I also couldn’t understand how so much time had passed without them getting divorced or why he didn’t move on during that time. This made it a little unrealistic.

Are you in the know? About the months of June-November.

Floridians and Texans are.

It’s that period where people act with a frenetic energy clearing out shelves at their local grocery, tipping off their gas tanks and are a significant reason for a spike in Home Depot sales.

This is the second read for me by this author. Thoroughly enjoyed “Say You’ll Be Mine” so when heard she was publishing this, scooped it right up.

The unnerving sounds of shattered glass, spotting wildlife within arm’s length and wading through man made rivers on local roads are all too real if you have lived through a hurricane. So too is studying for the bar. One exam that can upend a career.

Her writing is realistic as to these details. The reason why Meena and Nikhil’s seemingly solid relationship broke apart is shown with their respective assumptions and fears. Their slow reconciliation even had some hurdles. Meena’s introspective examination of what went wrong touched on cultural/familial expectations many young people encounter.

#FlirtingWithDisaster #NetGalley

This ARC was provided by the publisher, Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Flirting With Disaster is a sophomore novel from Naina Kumar. I absolutely loved this Sweet Home Alabama retelling!
This was such a heart warming, sweet second-chance romance.
The book included some of my favorite romance tropes such as accidental marriage, second chance romance, forced proximity.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine/Dell for this advance readers copy

🌪️❤️

A whirlwind of heart, humor, and storming chemistry, Flirting with Disaster is the perfect second-chance romance to sweep you off your feet. Meena and Nikhil’s love story is loaded with tension as they’re forced to confront their stormy past (pun intended lol)—and their undeniable connection—while riding out a literal hurricane. With sharp wit, relatable cultural touches, and characters you can’t help but root for, this book delivers all the big feels of a classic romcom with a fresh, modern twist.

Tropes:
- Forced Proximity
- Second Chance Romance
- He falls first

I just loved it, and now I need to go back and read everything Nania Kumar has written!

Overall I found the book to be super sweet and a cozy read, although it really dragged in the middle. Additionally, I couldnt figure out why the couple had broken up in the first place. It was missing some clarity + depth.

I feel like the characters were both saying "I've tried nothing and I'm all out of ideas!" on every single page. You know what happens when you assume? You end up yelling at each other six years of pent-up resentments during a hurricane that could have been resolved with a simple conversation like adults! at any time between then and now.

I loved the premise and there are some really good parts, but there's no real depth to the characters individually or as a couple. I think part this stems from the fact that the past is only told in small bursts of reflection, rather than immersing the reader in it. I also felt that for the first half of the book during the hurricane, Meena was almost blasé to the danger; I found it hard to believe someone would be going down memory lane and thinking dirty thoughts in this high stress environment. It's a very original idea executed in a very unoriginal way.

There were some minor things tin formatting and grammar to be fixed. It is to be expected to have some errors; however, the flashbooks could be differentiated better with italics or indentations. As an avid reader and master's student, I did need to look up some words which I found interesting and bothersome. The definitions of the words did fit the situation. If I did not have an ebook, I don't know that I would have looked them up and understood. As important as Houston is, I wish it could have been more description of the vibrant city.

Thank you for the copy.

4/5 stars

This book can be summed up as "Sweet Home Alabama reimaging where she's just trying to get a divorce but ends up stuck in a hurricane with her husband" and I really really enjoyed it!!

I love second chance romances and especially when they are with married couples.. The history, depth and love they have for each other deep down is unmatched.

The setting, banter, writing, steam and ending was incredible in this book. Naina Kumar does a great job making me feel like I'm right there with Meena and Nikhil and the small town setting/characters added so much to the story.

I'll definitely be reading what this author writes next!

3 stars

After thoroughly enjoying her debut novel, "Say You'll Be Mine", I was looking forward to picking up her latest book. "Flirting with Disaster" is an angsty second chance romance and a reimagining of the popular Reese Witherspoon movie "Sweet Home Alabama". While I like the set up of the book and the forced proximity due to inclement weather, I was not a fan of the book's execution. The book is told only through Meena's point of view and as a result we're blocked from getting Nikhil's thoughts and his viewpoints. We are told a lot of things by Meena, especially on how she fell in love with Nikhil, but we are not shown the process. Meena and Nikhil's inability to communicate, not being able to open up, and being vulnerable made this an incredibly frustrating read for me. The HEA feels tacked on and not earned. Kumar is a talented author that I will watch, but this was a miss for me.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for an advanced reader's copy of the book.

Super cute read! I loved Naina Kumar’s debut book and I was excited to read this one. At first I thought the hurricane aspect was weird. But then I realized it was because I’ve never read that type of forced proximity trope! So kudos to her for being creative!

What would you sacrifice on the altar of ambition?
Is pleasing others worth sacrificing your happiness?
Is compatibility enough to make up for a lack of chemistry?

Meena, a D.C. lawyer with political aspirations, is forced to confront these questions when she finds herself stranded with her estranged husband during a hurricane. Nikhil, too, has issues to work through - can anyone love you fully if you don’t allow them to know you fully?

Truthfully, I knew halfway through the prologue that I would enjoy this book. I also guessed, quite accurately, that it would make me cry. This is such a good example of both second-chance romance and miscommunication trope done well. You might find yourself frustrated with Meena and Nikhil, but you can’t say that their struggles are unrealistic.

Also, as a blue dot in very red Texas, I appreciated the political aspects of the novel. I know that might not appeal to everyone, but it appealed to me.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine for the advanced reader copy of this book, provided in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

A vulnerable and tender sophomore novel by Naina Kumar! Meena and Nikhil were so broken, and somehow managed to find their way back together after years apart. The forced proximity element of this was unique and brought so much delicious tension. Thanks to Dell and NetGalley for this advanced copy!

I knew I had to read this when I read the blurb: Sweet Home Alabama with a Desi twist in the middle of a hurricane? Check, check, and check. Unfortunately, the main pairing just didn’t give me butterflies like I expect in books like these. But it was still an enjoyable read.

Thanks as always to NetGalley for the ARC.

I enjoyed this twist on a second chance romance. Years prior to the events in this novel, Meena and Nikhil drunkenly got married in Vegas and now she finally wants a divorce. The events in the novel take place during a hurricane in Houston, so besides the epilogue, the novel only covers a few days of Meena and Nikhil reuniting. I wish there had been more of the flashbacks to their beginnings, possibly as their own chapters and I also think a dual POV would have served the book well as sometimes I didn’t like Meena. Nikhil was a more loveable character- I loved that he remembered little things that she liked and kept some of her things in the house, made it believable that he was still in love with her.

The character development for Meena did pick up when she visits her sister and we get more into depth in her relationship with her parents and sister. I don’t know how I feel about the ending of the epilogue but I won’t spoil that here. Overall, I enjoyed this novel and the slow pace allowed for character development.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishing team at Dell for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.75/5 ⭐️

Overall this was a lovely second chance romance with an added twist! I think one of the most compelling attributes to this story is the timeline. Instead of being a drawn out timeline it focuses on a very small portion of their personal history. We get flashbacks and moments of their longer timeline but are zoomed in on the present. I think this made the read feel more realistic and connected.

Another past of the story that I think gave it more substance was the discussions Meena had with her sister/family prior to them getting back together. I think sometimes romance novels have the tendency to brush over anything but the positive in a relationship and I like that in this story that was not the case.

I truly enjoyed this book and there was never a moment of lull or slump that kept me from picking it back up! I also love the cover! Thank you to the publishing team and Naina Kumar for the opportunity to read this ARC! I loved it!

DNF at 50%…the book is way too slow. I don’t like the politics side of the book which is boring. The writing pace is off. There’s too much description and I don’t like the sprinkling of the past. I wish there was alternating the past and present instead OR if we got the MMC’s perspective.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book!!

"You're my home, Meena. Out of all the places I've lived, I've only ever felt at home with you."

I've never seen Sweet Home Alabama so I can't speak to how well Kumar reimagined it, but I do like that I was able to come into this one with no prior expectations. And I loved it!! It's a quick, cute, rainy day read, and I ate it UP!

I love a second chance romance (and forced proximity), and I loved the premise of the main characters coming back together during a hurricane. It is a very original concept, and I think Kumar executed it very well. I think Meena and Nikhil are such relatable characters, and I found them to be very three dimensional and layered people. If you love strong character development and real-world issues that impact relationships, then Flirting With Disaster is a must-read!

There's also no dual timeline or POV, which I found refreshing because I've come to expect it in most romance novels I read nowadays. Don't get me wrong, I love dual timelines, but it was fun to switch it up and see the history of their relationship revealed through Meena's memories and flashbacks.

It did take me a second at the beginning to figure out what was going on - the book just dives head first into Meena heading to Houston to get Nikhil to sign the divorce papers, and it took me a couple chapters to get my bearings and figure out where we were in their story. However, the gaps filled themselves in over time and didn't negatively impact my reading experience.

In conclusion, 10/10 recommend!