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readingwhilemommying 's review for:
The Dating Plan
by Sara Desai
This sexy, multicultural romance impresses with an enjoyably nerdy heroine; a charming and willing-to-be-vulnerable hero (love that in a man!); and a cast of fun, well-fleshed-out supporting characters (Daisy's large Indian family, particularly her aunties, are a hoot).
An inventive new take on the popular (and my personal fave) romance trope, fake dating, it finds Daisy Patel reconnecting with Liam Murphy, the boy (now gorgeous man) who stood her up for prom. As the sister of Liam's high-school best friend, Daisy adored/loved Liam for years and was devastated when he never showed and then never apologized/made contact for the next ten years. As a boy from an abusive home, Liam loved visiting and sharing in family activities with the Patels, so she couldn't understand how he could cut himself off from her, her brother, and the security and love her family gave him.
When she meets him at a pitch event for start-ups and venture capitalists, Daisy isn't ready to forgive and forget. Yet, when both she and Liam are presented with the perfect "fake fiance" plan--she, to avoid the matchmaking of her aunties and father and Liam, to get the inheritance he needs to rebuild his grandfather's beloved distillery--they jump in, lingering feelings be damned.
Although we know how this is going to go, the getting there is both distinct enough to create a new, fabulous foray into this beloved trope's library and delicious enough to keep romance fans reading with eagerness and enjoyment. Author Desai does a great job putting a new twist on the beloved trope.
One minor quibble. I know most novels nowadays are around 300 pages on average but 340 seemed a tad too long for this one. The conflicts that derailed the romance were believable but did, as a whole, seem a bit too prolonged.
I love the diversity; the creative, fun new takes on beloved romance tropes; and the small but relatable details present in today's romance novels (Go Sharks!). It shows how both the genre and its readership have progressed. Love it!
Now, off to buy The Marriage Game. How did I miss that?!
An inventive new take on the popular (and my personal fave) romance trope, fake dating, it finds Daisy Patel reconnecting with Liam Murphy, the boy (now gorgeous man) who stood her up for prom. As the sister of Liam's high-school best friend, Daisy adored/loved Liam for years and was devastated when he never showed and then never apologized/made contact for the next ten years. As a boy from an abusive home, Liam loved visiting and sharing in family activities with the Patels, so she couldn't understand how he could cut himself off from her, her brother, and the security and love her family gave him.
When she meets him at a pitch event for start-ups and venture capitalists, Daisy isn't ready to forgive and forget. Yet, when both she and Liam are presented with the perfect "fake fiance" plan--she, to avoid the matchmaking of her aunties and father and Liam, to get the inheritance he needs to rebuild his grandfather's beloved distillery--they jump in, lingering feelings be damned.
Although we know how this is going to go, the getting there is both distinct enough to create a new, fabulous foray into this beloved trope's library and delicious enough to keep romance fans reading with eagerness and enjoyment. Author Desai does a great job putting a new twist on the beloved trope.
One minor quibble. I know most novels nowadays are around 300 pages on average but 340 seemed a tad too long for this one. The conflicts that derailed the romance were believable but did, as a whole, seem a bit too prolonged.
I love the diversity; the creative, fun new takes on beloved romance tropes; and the small but relatable details present in today's romance novels (Go Sharks!). It shows how both the genre and its readership have progressed. Love it!
Now, off to buy The Marriage Game. How did I miss that?!