This is a very raw and emotional second chance romance. I think it's realistic in the messiness that is our emotions and thoughts and being flawed humans overall. That being said, it wasn't my favorite. 🫣

I wanted to love it, but the miscommunication six/seven years later was driving me crazy. I understood that the younger version was less mature, but I was frustrated with the present-day characters. I was especially irritated with Meena. She was so stubborn and ignored all of the obvious signs. Then, she still takes a while to own up to her own flaws and mistaken way of thinking. The way she told Nikhil about Shake was also so messed up. I understand that she's a flawed, realistic FMC, but I kept thinking Nikhil deserved better.

Sweet Home Alabama…. but make it a hurricane. And Texas!

Meena’s burgeoning career as one half of a DC power couple is going great. The only problem? If she wants to take the next step - running, together, for political office with her boyfriend - she’s going to have to go home to Texas and get her estranged husband, Nikhil, who she hasn’t seen for years, to sign divorce papers. She can be in and out, and back to her life, in a matter of hours. Except a hurricane has other ideas.

We’ve got second chance romance, forced proximity, and too many miscommunications to count. Neither Meena nor Nikhil thinks the other person thinks they are the right fit — Meena thinks she’s too ambitious and driven to not disappoint her parents, and Nikhil won’t want her high-powered DC life; Nikhil thinks he’s not career-driven enough and Meena is embarrassed at his job and lack of degree.

There are quite a few things here that I often dislike in a romance (references to climate change and DC/politics stories by people who clearly don’t have much experience with either) I found myself cheering for this earnest couple who simply weren’t ready for one another when they first got together. [author:Naina Kumar} continues to be an author I look forward to reading.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine/Dell for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

As a born and raised Texan and have gone through my fair share of natural disasters in my community both here and in Louisiana (when I lived there for a bit) I was unsure how I would feel about reading a hurricane being part of the story. Now I don’t have to think about it any further because this book was done just perfectly.

Meena and Nikhil get hitched in Vegas after a whirlwind of a night out celebrating Meena’s accomplishment of passing the bar. They are both young and in love and hopeful of having a future together.

Yet reality happens and we are fast forwarded 7 years to the present day of Meena returning to Houston to get the divorce papers signed so she can move on with her life in Washington DC. She is trying to live up to what will make her parents happy and maybe even herself?
Nikhil is the strong silent type and will do anything Meena asks of him, if it makes her happy. He’s never stopped loving her and maybe she didn’t stop loving him either?

While trying to figure out the next step in both their lives, a hurricane hits Houston and forces them to lean on one another to help rescue a neighbor and boarding up a blown out window in their house.

The tension was there throughout the book and I was on the edge of my seat to see what happens next. I did enjoy the whole book as a whole and I would recommend reading the epilogue!

I really would like a story of Meena’s older sister. And her HEA.

Overall a great second chance romance book. I loved it and am mad at myself that I took so long to finish it.

Would I recommend? Yes!
Would I re-read? Yes I would especially if we get her older’s sisters’ story.

I am not usually a big fan of second chance romance but when I saw that this was compared to Sweet Home Alabama I knew that I needed to give it this one a go. I loved this story. It was so relatable and felt really genuine. I felt that the characters had a strong connection and that despite the years apart that connection never faded it any way. I was glad when Nikhil finally told Meena how he really felt, so that she could really have the reality check that she needed to reflect on where they wen't wrong and how she contributed to the downfall. I liked how this ended and felt that it was perfect without being completely neat and tidy.

I wanted to enjoy this book so badly but I was bored with it, regrettably. I didn’t really enjoy the miscommunication of the couple and the book wasn’t very romantic in my opinion

A second chance romance featuring adults ( and not 20 somethings 😃 ) millennial here, that features a south asian couple that is on the verge of a divorce but get stuck together due to a hurricane.
Love the premise of this book!
So well written
Enjoyable!

DNF @24% I’m just honest to god bored out of my mind and these characters could not be more bland.

The FMC was one dimensional, and there was no “com” in what is supposed to be a romcom. The attempts at are really not packing a punch,

I also find the premise a little hard to believe- you mean to tell me this woman landed from a flight into a hurricane and had no inkling about it???

~2.5, rounded up~
Meena, a successful lawyer on Capitol Hill, returns to Texas to finally get a divorce from her ex-husband, Nikhil, after years of separation. She's now in a relationship with Shake, another lawyer, and is ready to move on. However, when a hurricane approaches, she’s forced to take shelter with Nikhil in the home they once shared. Amidst the storm, old feelings resurface as Meena recalls what she loved about Nikhil, though she’s committed to her steady future with Shake. As the storm clears, Meena must decide if her heart will lead her back to Nikhil or if she’ll stay the course with Shake.
***
This was 'meh' for me - didn't love it, didn't hate it. If you like Sweet Home Alabama, you'll probably find this story delightful. I thought the setting/premise of getting Meena & Nikhil back in the same place to hash out their past was interesting. I think hurricanes and other natural disasters have been an emerging theme in novels for the past year or so, and being from South Florida, I could relate to their situation of hunkering down - which can be so incredibly nerve-racking, and then throw in an old flame? Holy hell.

This book appealed to me as soon as I saw it was being compared to Sweet Home Alabama. I love that movie, so I hoped to love this story too. I can't say I ended up loving it, unfortunately, but I liked it well enough. It was a sweet, second chance story overall. The characters were likable and their relationship was cute in a bland way. It wasn't a ground-breaking book, but it was decent for what it was.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

First and foremost, I want to thank Naina Kumar & Dell Romance for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I was super excited to get to read this book, because honestly, it sounded amazing. Second chance romance AND forced proximity? It doesn’t get much better than that.

While the book was still fairly enjoyable, it left me wanting more. While there was tension, it seemed fairly surface level for something that would result in something as major a separation/divorce.

There were also some descriptions of body parts in the book that seemed really odd to me, like saying his nose is in the center of his face and that he’s still the same height as he always was, but that’s probably just personal preference.

Overall, I definitely think that this book will still be enjoyable if you love a good second chance romance, forced proximity, opposites attract kind of vibe.

This was a DNF for me unfortunately. The main character was very aggravating and I could care less what happened to either main character. I DNF'd around the 30% mark, which was unfortunate because I loved the first installment of this book.

This quick, easy read was giving Sweet Home Alabama vibes and I’m here for it! I was surprised to find that I liked both male love interests - usually in a storyline like this one, one of them is awful! This was easy to read in one sitting.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for my review.

Short Synopsis:
Meena is a successful lawyer in DC and ready to run for office as a power couple with her friend/kinda boyfriend Shake (who she’s currently not with and cares for but doesn’t live). But the hold up? She’s still married to a guy she hasn’t spoken to in six years. But when she goes back home to Texas to get him to sign divorce papers, she gets trapped there in a hurricane with him.

My Thoughts:
Okay, hear me out. I need more marriage in crisis books. Pronto. (But also don’t tell my husband they’re my favorite. 😆)

Meena and Nikhail were EVERYTHING. Their chemistry was just SO DANG GOOD. 👏 Nikhail was so far gone for Meena. And I just wanted to protect him at all cost.

Being from Texas too, the book just felt really special. (The weather, the fire ants, NASA). I loved how Meena was driven to doing the most good in Texas politics.

I also didn’t see it was a Sweet Home Alabama reimagining until after I read it, but yes, that tracks. And I love that movie. And was really upset with myself that I didn’t place that until after. 🤣

The narrator for the audiobook is Soneela Nankani and she did a beautiful job bringing the emotion to Meena.

BRB, I need to go back and read @naina debut - SAY YOU’LL BE MINE.

What You’ll Find:
Marriage in crisis
Second chance
Texas-sized weather (and fire ants)
Forced proximity
Whoops! Got drunk and married in Vegas.

Flirting with Disaster was good! Meena and Nikhil meet again after years of being apart, so that can get the divorce she needs to move on with her life. Her life, her ambition and her new partner! However, Meena is so consumed with her needs that she books a flight home and doesn't know a hurricane is coming.

The natural disaster keeps Meena in the house with her soon to be ex! Only things don't turn out the way she thinks it will. Is her new life really better than her old life? Can she still fulfill her dreams in her old life? Do they still love each other or is that some chidhood fantasy that she needs to move on from?

This is the 2nd book I have read by Naina Kumar and she kept me guessing and reading. Enjoy!

I enjoyed this book so much! It was a quick read and I loved the writing style and the story was so well written. We follow Meena, who travels back to her home town of Houston with the goal of getting divorce papers finally signed by her estranged husband, Nikhil, so she can run for office. However, disaster strikes when a hurricane hits the city, trapping them together in their first home.. I really enjoyed all of the banter between the characters but also the deeper meaning behind all of the storyline. The yearning was very on point and I was rooting for them throughout the book.

Tropes:
- s𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞
- Fo𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐱𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐲
- 𝐄𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐬

With lovable characters, witty banter, and heartfelt moments, this romcom is a charming and funny delight!

Thank you Ballantine for for providing this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
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This might have been a case of right book but wrong time unfortunately. I think Naina is a beautiful writer and there is something so comforting about her prose but the story itself wasn’t for me sadly. I wish that it was a dual POV so I could get a glimpse of Meena through Nikhil’s eyes. There was a lot of miscommunication…or honestly, full blown lack of communication that made me a bit frustrated throughout the book (especially considering the age of the characters).
Conversely, the storm part of the book was definitely my favorite because of how real it felt. I also found it interesting to read about a woman working in politics.
I’d be happy to give another book of Naina’s a try because I did genuinely enjoy her writing style.

Did you love the movie Sweet Home Alabama? Or just a second chance romance lover? This book is for you! A retake on the film, our main character is going back to her hometown to ask her husband (who she has not seen in years) for a divorce.

The character development is interesting and I really enjoyed how believable the relationship struggles were. The problems they are working through are far better than your typical 'second chance romance' all about a simple misunderstanding. Well thought out characters with ambition and some fun side characters, as well.

4/5 ⭐

Thank you to Netgalley and Dell Romance for an advance copy of this book.

I loved Naina Kumar's debut and I LOVED this one as well. This was the swooniest second chance romance and I ate it up. 5 stars!!

A second chance romance about a still legally married couple who havent seen each other or spoken in years. Meena returns to Houston to visit her "ex" to get him to sign the divorce papers so she can finally move on and gets stranded there due to a hurricane. As they are stuck in his house together they get to know each other again and get a second stab at their happily ever after. While I liked this authors book more I think that was more a reflection on preferring the fake dating trope to a second chance. She does character development so well and I will read anything else from her down the line!