Second chance romances typically are one of my favs but this one sadly didn‘t work for me.
I enjoyed the story, the storm and the little adventures they had to face during that were definitely a different approach to the forced proximity trope and I liked some of the things the characters said that showed how much they still care about each other.
I liked the political aspects of the story, the necklace thing, gilmore girls!! and the fmc talking to her sister after everything in the end was great but overall I just didn‘t feel the connection between the mcs.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for this arc!

Flirting With Disaster starts out when Meena, a DC lawyer with political ambitions, returns home to Houston to finalize her divorce from Nikhil, a man she eloped with in Vegas years ago. There she is trapped with Nikhil in their old Houston home as a massive hurricane sweeps through town flooding the streets and closing down the airport. As they function in a small space together, they’re forced to deal with their past, their many MANY miscommunication issues, and the feelings they still have for each other.

I love how some of the issues seem to evolve from being children of immigrants, the importance of success to these families, and the insecurity/shame that forms when young people fail to meet expectations. There are some emotional conversations about this (especially in chapter 12) that really hit me in the feels. I also loved the conversation between Meena and her sister.

The miscommunication trope is one of my least favorite but this book really uses it well. It started out so incredibly frustrating but midway through, learning where it was all coming from, I realized that this is probably one of the best uses of this trope that I’ve read.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book! It has a bit of everything: career, family, found community, and romance. It was moving and honest. I loved the realistically flawed characters who struggle to realize their own value and finally have to choose between security and following their hearts.

Flirting with Disaster is a novel about that love that got away, but didn't really get away because you're married to them still! An Indian twist on "Sweet Home Alabama", Meena returns home to her estranged husband looking for a divorce, but is forced to put her plans on hold when she gets stuck due to a hurricane.

Overall, I really liked this book and being a Tamilian from Houston myself, there were a lot of moments that spoke to me. When Meena is remembering what it was like to grow up in Houston and past hurricanes like Rita, it brought me back to my own childhood at that time. Even the casual way Naina writes the overheard conversation of her parents and how they speak to her with "ma" at the end, was very reminiscent of the way I speak Tamil.

At first, at about 60% in, I couldn't fathom what story was left to be told, but after reading the whole book, I see why we needed the story to run the way it did for character development. I also really appreciated that the story touched on some bigger notes with Meena's career in politics but didn't let it overwhelm the story and distract from the main premise.

This book was a fun, lighthearted and easy read and I gave it 4.5/5 stars. Thank you to Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine, Dell, and NetGalley for providing an ARC!

A smart, fun witty, second chance romance. The main characters were both well developed, smart and had very specific ideas of what love is and the life they each thought they wanted. Meena is a high powered DC attorney with a very specific agenda of her life path. It does not include her estranged husband. When he ignores her attempts to connect and and sign the divorce papers, she’s had enough and hops on a plane to their home in Texas that she hasn’t been to since the day she walked out. With divorce papers in hand determined to be in, out and done. What could possibly go wrong? Nikhil is shocked to see her on his doorstep dressed to kill. He also cannot imagine why she’d come to their former home given he is intent on never signing said papers and there is a tremendous and dangerous hurricane coming. Did she not have a clue? Apparently not, and with the impending threat and nowhere else to go they are forced to ride out the storm together. The more time together, the more she realizes that maybe, just maybe she gave up on them too soon and should rethink all that she has so tightly held on to. Can they make it work? Does she want to change everything she has so strategically planned. Forced proximity is the last thing she was looking for, but it also creates an space for them to hash things out, figure out what they want, who they are and what is next for them. I will say that initially I wasn’t a giant fan of Meena, but came around and was rooting for them to find their happily ever after. A sweet ending was exactly what I got.

3.5 rounded down.

This book was super sweet with two main characters that I really loved. They had healthy conversations… maybe toooooo healthy…. and acted their age which was nice. Sweet Home Alabama will also be a favorite and it was fun seeing it repurposed to modern times.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC.

I wanted to love this book with its unique premise but the romance was not for me. This book follows Meena and Nikhil who at a young age had a whirlwind romance they decided to split up Meena moves on and falls into her career when she try’s to finally get Nikhil to sign the divorce paper years later she finds herself stranded with him while they brace for a major hurricane. This second chance romance was not for me I like the characters individually but when they were together they drove me crazy. The writing was engaging and the plot was unique but the romance just completely turned me off this one. This was my first book by this author and I would love to read more from them in the future. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this story!!!! I love a “we’ve got to weather this storm together” trope and Meena and Nikhil were absolutely adorable in it!!! I love there second chance at fighting for what they want and who they love. Meena especially was such a special
character to me— I too failed the bar exam the first time and could so relate to that level of devastation. I felt for her as she spent years trying to keep herself safe from getting hurt, only to shut out her chance for real, passionate love. and Nikhil is an adorable, dedicated, oh so loving character! I love how he kept his and Meena’s house, made it a home, and then was able to show Meena how his love and devotion never changed over the years.

the way these two find their way back to each other was hilarious, tender, passionate, and so lovely!!

thank you for the arc!!!!

I loved the authors first book, “Say You’ll Be Mine”, so I was looking forward to Flirting with Disaster, a second chance romance (one of my favorite tropes) that leaves the characters stranded by a hurricane.

I personally found the story easy-to-read and the characters likable; I did see other readers relate this storyline to a familiar "Sweet Home Alabama" vibe, which I agree with to some extent.. I can see what the author was trying to do, but it was missing some things for me.

Not only is this a single POV, where you miss the thoughts and emotions from the MMC Nikhil, but it is missing crucial background details and moments which leaves the couple's present day connection feeling underdeveloped and lacking chemistry.

While this one wasn’t for me, it may be for other readers and I still will pick up the authors
next book ✨

**Thank you to NetGalley and Dell for the ARC and the chance to read and review. All opinions expressed are my own**

What you’ll find:

💙 second chance
💙 he takes care of her
💙 forced proximity
💙 lots of tension

Wow! This book was amazing. It’s the first I’ve read by Naina Kumar, and it definitely won’t be the last. Flirting with Disaster was beautifully written and a quick and heartwarming read.

The lack of communication between the characters frustrated me, BUT it was all worth it and I wouldn’t change a thing about the story.

I definitely recommend.

This was a really good book. It sucked me in, right from the start, and I read it in one (very long) sitting.

I liked the premise, and the way the author wrote the characters. They were both very charismatic and brought a little extra to the story, thanks to the authors story-telling.

I would recommend this book.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars! This story solidified Naina Kumar as a beloved author for me. I found myself so invested in the tension and emotions of these characters. I could visualize the setting consistently and Kumar's writing style provided levity and anticipation when needed. It has been a long time since I've encountered a second chance romance that truly captures the visceral feelings and thoughts a person experiences when faced with someone they used to know, but I believe Kumar accomplished that.
Meena and Nikhil are two characters that feel so familiar to me, and I found myself resonating so much with their internal struggles of self sabotage and self esteem. The dialogue in FwD feels raw and honest, and so many quotes from this have been living in my mind for the past week. Between the flashbacks to their early moments, to the present day yearning we see, this story felt fully fleshed out, and I wanted these two to be together 112%. Meena has spent her life living up to expectations and going through the motions, and Nikhil is the man who sets her alive and understands the Meena no one else sees. There is miscommunication, as expected, but I felt it was true to how we all talk ourselves in/out of things we believe we don't deserve, and it felt necessary rather than annoying. If you are looking for a romance with chemistry, angst, and tender moments all set in a literal hurricane, pick this up yesterday!!
I was so lucky to receive an e-ARC from Netgalley, so a big thank you to Random House.

This book was absolutely fantastic and I loved it. For the parts in the storm, it almost felt like a bottle episode of a tv show, little outside impact and told in real time. Overall though, it was the love story and how thoroughly Kumar told it that got me. This reads like a second chance and gives such a strong depth to the feelings of the characters and how they can better understand and support each other. It was beautiful from start to finish.

4.5 stars

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to PRHAudio for a free ALC and to Ballantine and NetGalley for an eARC.

A second chance romance that touches on Sweet Home Alabama. Meena is an attorney living in the DC area. She is wanting to start her political career and a new romantic interest. It's time to finally divorce her estranged husband Nikhil. She flies back to Houston to meet with Nikhil and get the papers signed.

Little did she know there is a hurricane about to hit. With no way to fly out and no where to stay, she ends up staying at Nikhil's home, which was also their marital home. There are still sparks. But they talk and discuss why their marriage fell apart. She learns some things she thought to be truths were not correct. And this has her questioning how she wants to move forward.

This was such an emotional read. You could feel their deep love for each other still, and you hope they are able to work things out.

Having lived in Houston during Harvey (thankfully did not flood but so many close to me did), I could feel every minute as the hurricane was coming and the aftermath of that as well.

An excellent second change romance that really digs deep.

I absolutely loved Flirting with Disaster! It was everything a rom-com should be and more! The characters were so likable and it was such a fun and quick read. Having family in the Houston/Galveston area brought this book more to life as I could picture exactly what the author was writing. I am excited to read more from this author! Highly recommend this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my e-arc. All thoughts are my own.

✨I received this as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review✨
This fucking book ripped my heart out and then slammed it right back into my chest.
First 5-star read of the year.
I was so nervous to start this, mainly because I fucking LOVED Say You’ll Be Mine when I read it last year and I was scared this wouldn’t hit the same. BOY HOWDY WAS I WRONG.
Meena made me feel literally every emotion possible, it was like the author looked directly into my soul and dropped it into the paper and then force fed it to me. The feeling of never being good enough and always having to go above and beyond and always feeling like you’re the second choice? hahahahahahahahahaha could never be me nope hahahahahahahahahahahaha.
Now normally I despise second chances, but I ate this up and then licked the plate clean. It’s, thankfully, not dual timeline, which is generally the case with second chance romances and also the main reason I hate them. I tend to get taken out of the story with the constant back and forth but this one did a really good job of having little memory flashbacks without doing the multiple timelines trope.
The ONE thing I would have really liked to see would have been Nikhil’s POV. The author did a really good job of bringing him to life in Meena’s POV, but I think for a completely rounded world I would have really liked to see how he felt about everything.
Naina Kumar, you will never get rid of me after this. Never again will I doubt you.
(That sounded vaguely ominous and im keeping it.)

I adore second chance romances with all my heart and this did not disappoint!

This book felt a bit like an onion, as we went along each layer of Meena and Nikhil slowly pealed itself away. In the beginning it was stomping through the early tropes of a rom—com with extreme scenarios of the universe pushing these two back together (a hurricane and a broken window resulting in sharing a closet for safety of course ;)!) But then I found myself choked up, and bracing for impact as the more time they spent together to more questions that had originally went unanswered, were spilling out.

Their love was palpable and obvious from the start. What a beautiful representation of right person wrong time, while also tackling internalized trauma and coming to terms with their own humanity. Being able to recognize when you were wrong, why you were wrong and the reasoning behind your actions is something so many of us struggle with., just like these characters!

The tension, the subtle hints of familiarity and small gestures had me cheesing all 299 pages.

And don’t get me started on how heartwarming it was every-time Nikhil revealed something he still did/does because it reminded him of Meena!!! The most lover boy to lover boy!

Definitely recommend to anyone looking for something quick(ish) to read, with lots of love and humor and depth all wrapped up in one!!!

This second chance romance is a fast and beautiful read. I sat down and finished it in a day. Naina Kumar was complex and beautiful characters that make you feel all their feelings. Flirting with Disaster is devastatingly beautiful and you’ll find yourself rooting for Meena and Nikhil to fix their marriage.

Meena Nader is an up-and-coming young talent in Washington, with a perfect Indian boyfriend with the same political dreams, and her future mapped out for her. Only one problem, she’s still married to Nikhil, her first love, back home in Texas. When given an ultimatum by her boyfriend Shake, to end things finally with Nikhil and finalize their divorce, Meena goes back home to Texas, to Nikhil and the hurricane season in the Gulf. They are trapped in the house where they had lived together as they are battered by a storm, and Meena has to face some unresolved issues and some unresolved feelings.
This was a good book—I was really glad to see two Indian main characters. They seemed a little palely drawn however, with Nikhil seeming like a pastiche of every perfect man stereotype, handsome, sexy, sensitive, and... he builds things? Too much. But it was good enough to keep me turning pages, and I liked Meena’s career trajectory, finding something that was meaningful to her that wasn’t necessarily driven by a need for recognition, which was alluded to as being a theme in her family. I would read more books by this author.

I absolutely ADORED Flirting with Disaster! I've admittedly not seen Sweet Home Alabama, which this is comp'd to, in quite a long time, so I can't speak to whether or not the parallels were over the top or just right. With that in mind, what I got with this story was just right to me!

Meena and Nikhil's second shot at romance after a drunken elopement that led into a married that crumbled before it got off the ground had me kicking my feet! Nikhil clearly carrying a torch for his wife through their time apart was literally delicious. Meena choosing her career then deciding to make her career work with love was incredible. I truly understood why they had to split, but I was rooting for them to get back together in such a big way. I love when second-chance romance gets it right with pining and angst (especially when there is a potential third party even though I wouldn't quite consider this to have a solid third-party). I also wouldn't consider this to be spicy, so if you're someone who avoids overly descriptive spice, this is for you.

The only thing I feel like could have been executed better was the whole storm aspect. While I did feel like it was prominent and talked about adequately, I felt like it didn't quite feel high stakes/scary enough for whatever reason. I could've done without the storm if I'm being honest, but it didn't make or break my reading experience whatsoever. I'm so excited to go back and read Naina Kumar's debut soon, and I can't wait to see what she comes up with in the future. And this was majorly representative of Indian-American culture and customs, and Indian love—which I loved reading about.

4.5 ⭐️s
0.5 🌶️

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine, Dell, and NetGalley for providing an ARC!

e-ARC from NetGalley.

This story gives Indian-American Sweet Home Alabama, but in Texas. A high-powered DC lawyer returns home to convince her secret husband to sign divorce papers, only to discover that their love isn't dead.

Gawd, I love a well-executed second chance romance. And this book was exactly that. I loved both of these characters and, while I understood why they didn't work, I also genuinely believed that they should. Nikhil and Meena are both such wonderful, flawed characters - in trying to be the person the other needed, they wound up being the exact opposite.

This story made me cry more than once. It made me want to be a better wife. It filled me with anxious desperation for these characters to just. work. it. out. Most importantly, it made me believe.

Plus, the political parts didn't piss me off or come across as too self-righteous and/or preachy.