I love a second chance romance, and I was drawn to this book because of both the second chance troupe, and the hurricane setting. I found Flirting with Disaster to be relatable, so much so I even saw myself in Meena at times. Meena and Nikhal just made sense to me. I really enjoyed this read and will be recommending it to my bookish friends.

Flirting with Disaster by Naina Kumar offers a charming premise of second chances amidst a brewing storm, both literal and emotional. Meena’s return to Texas to finalize her divorce from Nikhil, only to be stranded by a hurricane, provides plenty of romantic tension. The storyline has a familiar “Sweet Home Alabama” vibe, with its mix of nostalgia and rediscovered feelings, which will appeal to fans of the trope.

However, the novel stumbles in its execution. The lack of background on the couple’s past leaves the chemistry between Meena and Nikhil feeling underdeveloped. With more telling than showing, it’s hard to fully invest in their reunion. While the reimagined plot is refreshing, the narrative feels somewhat drawn out and could have benefited from tighter pacing.

That said, the novel still offers a breezy, easy-to-read experience, and the self-reflection of both main characters during their separation adds depth. If you’re looking for a lighthearted romance with a twist on familiar themes, this book is a pleasant, though not groundbreaking, choice.

Every word in this was book was brimming with such joy and longing. I was fully enraptured by the first page! You can’t help but root for Meena and Nikhil.

I love a cozy second chance romance with a backdrop of home repair. It satisfies the romance and HGTV lover in me. This book was deeper than I expected; tackling issues of first generation Indian-Americans, family expectations, and racism. Meena and Nikhil were such layered vibrant characters. I kept rooting for them to understand they were strong enough to be brave and vulnerable. My inner voice was saying "just tell him how you feel!" It's definitely hard to figure out what you want versus what your family/community grooms you to want. I could really feel Meena's struggle. Every character in this book was guarding their heart, including Shake. It's very relatable. I liked the message that sometimes the "mistakes" you make when you are following your instincts are the best choices. Oh, and I'm here for all the Gilmore Girls live in this book from literal references to the inn and the cast of characters in the neighborhood.
4 stars. Thanks to Dell and Net Galley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Meena's career is taking off in Washington, D.C. with her sights set on running for public office. There is one thing standing in her way and that is her marriage to Nikhil, a man she hasn't seen in seven years. She flies down to Houston to get him to sign the papers, but unfortunately there is also a hurricane headed straight for Houston. Now, she is forced to hunker down and ride out the storm with Nikhil. Will he sign the papers or will they discover that their love never really died?

You had me at "reimagining of Sweet Home Alabama" with this one! I loved the overall concept and being trapped together during a hurricane created some nice tension. I was hooked from the start, but unfortunately it lost a lot of steam at the end for me. Overall, an enjoyable ride, but not the most memorable.

Please tell me why we don’t have more Sweet Home Alabama inspired romances because this was everything!! So much tension and forced proximity, and such an emotional second chance romance. I loved the chemistry between Meena and Nikhil.

There were some minor things that kept me from feeling like this was a 5 star read, but I just couldn’t get enough of this. I think this was such a strong sophomore book, and I truly cannot wait to see what Naina does next.

Thank you to Netgalley and Dell for the eARC!

An absolutely heartbreaking story with such incredibly lovable characters. There’s something so universal about the clarity that comes with time and the pain and emotional labor that comes with reconnecting with someone from your past in the future. I have such love for these characters and cannot wait to see what the author does next!

Thank you to Dell for the ARC! I read Naina Kumar's first book and loved it, so I was very excited to see this one! This book was very different than her first in that this one was not as light hearted. That thing said, I really loved this one so much! I felt that the concept behind the book was quite unique and unlike anything I have ever read before. Flirting with Disaster is a second chance love story, but it is also a story of self discovery for both of the main characters. It is beautifully written and very captivating right from the start. I absolutely devoured this book and I'm already waiting for her next book! See below for a synopsis.

Meena and Nikhil got married in Vegas on a whim and vowed to try to make it work. Seven years later, they have been apart for years but never officially divorced. Meena has moved on to a career in politics when she comes back to Houston to attempt to tie up loose ends with Nikhil. What she doesn't bargain for is the fact that a hurricane is headed right for the area. The disastrous situation forces the two to face the reasons why they separated in the first place and to see the love that still remains. This is a five star read and I recommend it highly!

I loved this. Another great twist on the marriage of convenience/second chance tropes— more authors need to do this! As someone who’s been through a lot of hurricanes, reading this was both terrifying and heartwarming. I was really rooting for Meena and Nikhil. Like any great romance, their relationship was at the heart of this book, and I was along for the ride with them.

I'm always a sucker for second chance romance, so between that and the beautiful cover I had to check this one out. This has a lot of Sweet Home Alabama vibes with our FMC returning to her hometown to ask for a divorce from her estranged husband so she can move on with someone new. Fortunately for us readers, things get complicated very quickly. I thought both our MC's were flawed, which is the best kind of character as it allows for growth. I thought the added element of family pressure as children of immigrants added a lot of depth to the characters and the story. I enjoyed the author's writing style and thought she did a good job of portraying tension and introspection. I would recommend this to readers looking for a second chance romance that has more going on than meets the eye.

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

Meena and Nikhil got married on a whim in Vegas seven years ago but unfortunately, they separated when Meena moved from Houston to DC to pursue her career ambitions as a lawyer. Now she’s back in Houston to finalize her divorce before she can take a big step in her career with a potential new partner. However, she gets stuck with her estranged spouse during a hurricane. Will she be able to accomplish her mission of getting him to sign the divorce papers so she can move on?

Flirting With Disaster is Naina Kumar’s sophomore novel and I absolutely loved it!

A reimagining of Reese Witherspoon’s Sweet Home Alabama, this angsty, second chance romance grabbed my attention from the first page! I devoured it in 2 days, staying up late last night because it was such a bingeable read!

I appreciated Meena’s ambition and drive to create policy change. Her complicated relationship with her family as a child of South Asian immigrants. The pressure. The expectations. It was all too relatable.

Furthermore, I loved Nikhil’s ability to repurpose and rebuild things with his architectural skills. The way he supported Meena. It was very heartwarming. I was rooting for them!

The story is narrated only from Meena’s POV but it never felt like we were missing Nikhil’s POV. I appreciated how there were no flashbacks or dual timeline - we found out about their past through Meena’s memories. Why they separated felt realistic.

I loved how the forced proximity allowed them to rediscover why they fell in love with each other in the first place. The way their past resentments came to the forefront, which allowed them to openly and honestly communicate about what went wrong in their relationship was masterfully done in my opinion.

Flirting with Disaster by Naina Kumar

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I was really excited by the premise of a second chance at love and being forced together by a hurricane—it had so much potential. However, the book fell a bit flat for me.

The main character (FMC) was stubborn and somewhat self-absorbed, which made it hard to connect with her. She didn’t seem to have a clear understanding of what she truly wanted, and it made her frustrating to follow at times. Additionally, the blend of the present and past was confusing. There weren’t clear distinctions between the time frames, which left me trying to piece things together more than I should have.

The chemistry between the characters, unfortunately, didn’t come through as strongly as I had hoped. I found it lacking, which made the romantic tension less engaging. I also wish we had the story from the male main character’s (MMC’s) perspective. It would have added more depth and understanding to his side of the story, which felt a bit one-dimensional through the FMC’s viewpoint.

That said, I did appreciate the author’s attempt to explore the challenges faced by Indian-Americans. One aspect that stood out was how the FMC initially referred to her sister, making it seem like she had gone through something tragic or shameful, like death or drug use, only for it to be revealed that she had gotten pregnant. This framing felt unnecessarily demeaning and gave the impression that the FMC thought she was above her sister—a reflection of societal pressures within some Indian-American families. The idea that if you don’t become a doctor or lawyer, you’re a disappointment, was highlighted well, but it could have been handled with more nuance.

While there were some important themes, overall, the story didn’t resonate with me as much as I had hoped.

4 ⭐️

Did you love the movie Sweet Home Alabama? Did you love the movie The Notebook? Well you've come to the right book to get a mash up story. The storyline follows a little bit of Sweet Home Alabama and The Notebook. 2 characters meet, fall in love, end up married, miscommunicate, and need to find a way to make it work.

Meena and Nikhil were young when they first got together. They had and have trouble communicating which left to their demise. Years later, Meena returns to where she and Nikhil left off to get that divorce. Mother nature has other plans which leads these 2 to having some broken conversations.

I enjoyed Meena and Nikhil but I really wanted to just bop them both. They were both saying a lot but not hearing it. They wanted to make the other person happy but wouldn't listen and ugh. I was a little exhausted by the end of the book and them not figuring out how to communicate.

This was a quick read and I did enjoy it. I think Allan was a great added character and he made me giggle. I very much enjoy a happy ending.

*thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the eArc. Review contains my own thoughts and opinions*

meena and nikhal elope and get married. They are married for about a year. Once she passes the bar , she heads to DC. This is a 2nd chance at romance and figuring things out. She comes out to Houston with divorce papers and ends up in storm with Nikhal and they are navigating this time together .

Um...could this be one of my top romances of 2024?? (Out January 14, 2025) As soon as I was finished with Say You'll Be Mine, my request for this arc was approved. I'm grateful to be able to finish one and start the other in the same day. This pacing was perfection and the characters were loveable (they are my friends now).

Meena and Nikhil's second chance at love starts off as not that at all...After 6 years of not seeing one another, Meena flies to Houston to get him to finally sign the divorce papers, not realizing there is a hurricane brewing in the gulf. This book!! Firstly, I love that Naina Kumar loves Houston as much as I do. The people here are amazing, and the depiction of what Houston looks like during a hurricane was accurate and a little comforting. Since this book is set during flooding and an emergency lockdown, we spend soooo much time with our main characters. I could feel every day they were stuck together, every moment they worked through something. Unlike Say You'll Be Mine, this book's POV is in first person - while this sometimes frustrates me, I find Meena's maturity made her emotional journey a lot more relatable and entertaining. I truly want (need) to find more mid 30s romances.

Okay confession, I am also a Sweet Home Alabama fan and loved the mirrored relationship in this book! These two...they loveeee each other and they just needed some time to find their way back. I highly recommend this book to romance readers! And I'm officially a part of the Naina hive.🫡

I really enjoyed this book. The main characters Nikhil and Meena were just amazingly written. I absolutely loved this book. I always love a good second chance type situation! This is the first novel that I have read from this author, and I was not disappointed. I will be looking forward to reading more from Kumar. Thank you Net Galley ARC!

Imagine Sweet Home Alabama but with a hurricane thrown in!

Meena’s back in Texas to finally get divorced from Nikhil, her ex she once ran off to marry in Vegas. She’s moved on with Shake, a super successful lawyer who totally matches her Capitol Hill lifestyle. Everything’s going as planned... until a hurricane hits, and Meena and Nikhil are forced to hunker down together in their old house.

The storm outside is just a backdrop to the brewing storm inside. As the winds pick up, so do the feels—Meena starts remembering why she fell for Nikhil in the first place.

What makes this book a total winner is the perfect blend of heartwarming moments and stormy drama.

If you love second-chance love stories (especially ones with a little chaos), you’ll love this book!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for this free ARC!

I had the pleasure of reading an ARC of this book (Thank You!!) and I love love LOVED this book. Meena and Nikhil are just 🫠💜😩. This was such a sweet second-chance romance. If you watched Sweet Home Alabama a hundred times like I did, you’re going to LOVE this. This is the author’s second novel (Say You’ll Be Mine being the first). I’ve loved them both. She’s officially an auto buy for me now.

A second-chance romance inspired by the movie, "Sweet Home Alabama."
The story follows Meena and Nikhil, who married, but separated when Meena left to pursue her political aspirations in D.C. Now Meena is romantically ready to move on with someone that will help establish her as one half of a political power couple, but her husband Nikhil never signed their divorce papers. Meena intends on making a turn-and-burn trip to Texas to finalize the divorce, but a powerful hurricane in the Gulf forces her to hunker down with her husband in the home they once shared.

The progression of the storm coinciding with the building tension between Meena and Nikhil is very effective. The hurricane is depicted accurately and is a perfect foil to heighten their chemistry. The storm also provides a way for the characters to reflect on their relationship and reconnect, and I loved their tender moments of honesty. We get fragmented glimpses of Meena and Nikhil’s past through a flashback in the beginning, and through their present-day conversations, but I wish I had more material to convince me of their motivations and actions. When the “real” reasons of their six-year separation came to light, it left me feeling a little unconvinced and underwhelmed.

Meena’s professional journey and representation as a second-generation American adds depth to her character. The enormous pressure that Meena feels to succeed from her parents and fear of failure impacts all aspects of her life, including the relationship she has with her sister. I enjoyed Meena’s care for her home state, and the professional growth and redirection of her political career to what she truly desires- helping her community.

Nikhil is extremely likeable, easy to root for, and is perfect rom-com material. Despite the hurt he feels, it’s obvious that he still cares deeply for Meena, and his personal struggles and feelings of inferiority were heartbreaking. His likeability did make me frustrated with Meena, and did villainize her a little bit, because his role in the dissolution of their relationship seems minor compared with hers.

Meena and Nikhil’s growth both individually and in their relationship ends on a high note, with a few unexpected outcomes that make it unique. Fans of the movie that inspired the story, and those that love a pining man that builds things like Noah in the Notebook, will love this book. Readers that enjoy forced proximity and the resulting tension will love the hunkered-down-during-a-hurricane setting.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

Being stuck in a house waiting out a hurricane with your husband you haven’t seen in 7 years, trying to get him to sign divorce papers truly sounds like my worst nightmare but it has all the aspects for a wonderful second chance romance!

I loved Naina’s debut Say You’ll Be Mine and I’ve been desperate to read her second book after reading an excerpt! I love second chance romance and this one was so charming, sweet, and emotional.

I think the setting works really well for this story because of the forced proximity due to the hurricane allows these characters to come back together and examine their past relationship dwelling on what went wrong and allowing themselves to remember the good times they had. It also allows them the chance to realize that they still know each other and still miss each other even if they’ve been denying it for a while.

I loved Nikhil’s character. He was quiet, patient, supportive, and sweet and he cared so much for his community which really endeared me to him. He was such a sweet man and although we didn’t get his pov you could tell how much he still loved Meena. I love how he provided, took care of, and supported her. He truly just want we her to succeed and be happy. I just wish we would’ve gotten a little bit more of his backstory but he was a character that I was really rooting for.

Meena was also a really likable character even though she made some questionable choices I understand her motivations and empathize with her. Her character is riddled with this belief that she has to succeed in order to please her family and in having these beliefs she’s very determined to pass the bar exam. When she ends up failing this causes her relationship to be placed on the back burner and her singular focus is on passing the exam. I think her story is something you can really relate to if you’re a people pleaser or a child of immigrants who have these really high expectations that you’re expected to meet. In trying to meet there expectations she lost herself in the process.

One of my favorite aspects of the book is the love that Meena has for her state and her community. Coming from Texas I completely understand her sentiments. Texas is not perfect by any means, but it’s also my home and it deserves love and care and support and someone who wants to help and promote positive change. Seeing Meena realize she can and wants to make a local change was such a special aspect of this book.

Meena and Nikhil‘s relationship broke down due to lack of communication and insecurities, which comes along with being young and the family dynamics they grew up in. I think that Naina did a really good job of showing that the characters know what went wrong and have the ability to fix them in this second chance. Even if they’re still stumbling and making mistakes, I felt like I left this book knowing they the ability to make this relationship work because of their love and understanding of one another.

I only wish we got more of the beginning of Meena and Nikhil’s relationship because I think this book relies on the fact that the reader knows this couple has a loving relationship and in knowing that we believe this tension and this yearning.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I love the way that Naina writes. It’s very easy to read, and I also think that she writes yearning and this tension and introspection really well. I’ll definitely read anything that she writes in the future and this is worth a read, especially if you like second chance romance or Sweet Home Alabama!