A fiercely independent engineer walks out on the man her parents have set her up with — only to start working side-by-side with him at her job in this laugh-out-loud debut with “delicious banter, deep wounds, heartwarming friendships, and a path to love that often feels impossibly hard, and [a payoff] satisfying enough to give you a book hangover the size of Texas” (Sonali Dev, USA Today … Dev, USA Today bestselling author of Recipe for Persuasion).
Liya Thakkar is a successful biochemical engineer, takeout enthusiast, and happily single woman. The moment she realizes her parents’ latest dinner party is a setup with the man they want her to marry, she’s out the back door in a flash. Imagine her surprise when the same guy shows up at her office a week later — the new lawyer hired to save her struggling company. What’s not surprising: he’s not too thrilled to see her either after that humiliating fiasco.
Jay Shah looks good on paper…and off. Especially if you like that whole gorgeous, charming lawyer-in-a-good-suit thing. He’s also infuriating. As their witty office banter turns into late-night chats, Liya starts to think he might be the one man who truly accepts her. But falling for each other means exposing their painful pasts. Will Liya keep running, or will she finally give love a real chance?
Sajni’s fabulous rom com is the enemies to lovers book you’ve been waiting for! THE TROUBLE WITH HATING YOU features a no nonsense, outspoken heroine who won’t allow tradition or an overbearing father to force her into marriage. And the hero? Prepare to swoon! How can you not love a guy who would do anything for his mother?
I found myself laughing out loud at the banter between Liya and Jay. This book belongs on your to-be-read list. Don’t miss it!
3.5 STARS!
The Trouble with Hating You by Sajni Patel is a debut novel seeped in tradition and culture; a hate-to-love romance that will put you through the ringer.
Everyone in the community sees Liya as an easy woman. She’s disrespected and gossiped about among the elders. But Liya is strong headed and holds her head up high. She doesn’t show how much their blatant dislike hurts her. Liya doesn’t really have a good relationship with her father but she loves her mother. She feels like he’s always pushing for her to get married and have babies but she doesn’t want that right now. She’s driven and independent, focused.
Jay lost his father in a horrific accident which he blames himself for. He’s a lawyer. A humble man who loves his mother and brother. He’s attracted to Liya and though she fights with him every single time he is still very much drawn to her.
One moment I’m loving this story and the next, well, Liya frustrated me with her constant need to bring herself down and irritated me whenever she would accuse Jay of being after one thing only. It got redundant and lowered my rating. Jay had to continuously fight in letting her know he’s not like those other men who have wronged her and Liya was still stubborn. She would not believe Jay and it made me want to pull my hair out. I can honestly say in this novel, Liya is her worst enemy and she almost always assumes the worst.
Liya’s attitude would negatively affect Jay but he never gave up fighting for her. Between the two, they shared many cute moments. Both h/H hold onto dark and hurtful moments from their pasts that make them feel like they’re not worthy. Their romance blossomed with time, from constant bickering back and forth to flirtatious banter.
Overall, this book had a bit of a slow beginning; however, the author does sheds light on the sensitive topic of abuse with respect.
What I loved? Well, I loved Mama Shah!!! I loved the beautiful friendship with the girls!! The foods and their description made me want try Indian food pronto #foodie! Also, I would love to see books for other characters in the story, like Preeti!!
I started listening and stopped. Thought I’d made an error purchasing. Tried again and boy was I wrong the first time. This is a wonderful listen. Not an easy one as the subject matter is difficult and may trigger some who’ve been sexually assaulted and not believed. I am so glad I gave it another chance. The character development, her taking her power back and being supported was wonderful. Now off to see what other titles this fabulous author has written.
Great book
Patel has woven a rich tapestry of character, culture, friendship and love that plumbs both the riches and darkest depths of society, family and marriage. The characters are fully developed, varied, believable and sympathetic. Liya is a heroine that will touch the deepest part of you, and Jay is a romantic hero for the ages. Delightful and emotional read. You will root for these two right to the end.
Such a fun book. It’s my favorite kind of story — some truly deep, heartfelt issues but the emphasis isn’t on the trauma. Instead, it’s on the overcoming and growth that can happen after trauma.
It DID take a bit to get into because the heroine is pretty abrasive and judgmental. You eventually learn her why and can understand her behavior, but there were a few moments of, “why does anyone like you?”
But then you learn more and you see her growth and development, and you’re glad you kept reading.
Oh! And the hero is TRULY swoon worthy.
I really enjoyed that the book had appropriate but not gratuitous swearing (no f-bombs) and no explicit sex scenes — thank you!
I would definitely pick up another book by this author.
Rated PG-13 for thematic elements.
My immediate thought after finishing this book was, “What in the Indian soap opera did I just read???”
I cannot express how satisfying it is to read a book and be able to relate 1000 % to the character’s family life, the dilemmas they face, and just feel like someone else out there gets it you know.
Liya Thakkar suffers from what many women in our community do:
-Her parents are hella controlling and expect 100% obedience
-Arranged marriage at every opportunity to a suitable Indian boy
-The wrath of Indian aunties and their vicious words
-The thought that the mandir should be a place of worship instead of a gossip hub
I immediately knew this was going to be an amazing book when Liya and Jay’s first interaction was a cliche but cute Bollywood moment where they fell and her scarf got tangled up in his arms drawing them together (I eat Indian soap operas for dinner, do not come for me!”)
While they may have fallen (in the literal sense) it wasn’t in love and the story that ensued was equal parts emotionally satisfying and draining. The Trouble with Hating You made me feel a roller coaster of emotions: joy, anger, confusion, regret, pride, and like any good Bollywood drama I did tear up in the end.
The Trouble with Hating You is so much more than a love story, it’s a journey of self-love, of accepting yourself first before seeking comfort in others. It’s about facing the difficulties of your past and present to ensure your future. It’s about having the courage to stand up for yourself and say, “This is what I want and I won’t apologize.”
Sajni Patel perfectly encapsulated Indian culture and traditions while giving younger readers such as myself an outlet to express our frustrations as Liya and Jay battle many of the issues we face. The battle of generations was executed brilliantly and I applaud Liya for charting her course and finding independence from her family. Too often girls are “bad-mouthed” for prioritizing career over family and casual dating over marriage and I am so happy someone finally put into writing our thoughts of “Enough is enough.”
“The plight of a woman has to work to make money, but the purpose of a woman is to help her husband by taking care of the home and his needs…”
The Trouble with Hating You also brought to light an onslaught of taboo issues facing the community. As a child, you are expected to obey your parents, almost to the point of fear, and allow them to steer your lives without question.
Communication is a HUGE issue within the Indian community and topics of equality or independence are always viewed as forbidden or disrespectful by your elders, “God forbid you to want to tell them how you fell.”
The most impactful point has to be the subservient role of women. Men treat women as lesser, as a tool to be used at their convenience to cook, clean, wash and oversee children instead of as a person. There is also the unspoken abuse, mental and physical which gets swept under the rug because as an Indian woman you are expected to “Worship thy husband.”
“Love is enough. Its society’s views and old-world thinking that broke everything.“
I liked that Sajni did not shy away from these difficult topics but openly discusses them within the book as these harsh realities need to be brought to light. The systemic ills of the Indian society may need change overnight, but the fact that books such as these are written, is proof that there are voices wanting change, and I for one, support them.
My first book from Sajni Patel and what a wonderful story it was. An enemies to lovers romance done right. Lyia and Jay were amazing giving me glorious banter and delicious chemistry. I’m not a fan of fade to black but here the connection between these two was so palpable that I didn’t care there wasn’t any explicit intimate scenes and just one fade to black. I was so into Lyia and Jay’s blooming courtship. Also the secondary characters were terrific especially Jay’s family and Lyia’s girlfriends. I’m so excited to read Preeti’s book.
I was fully immersed and interested in TTWHY and after reaching the final page I’ve come out with more knowledge about the Hindu culture thanks to the author. I appreciate the differences between Lyia and her girlfriends. Some follow the Hindu traditions and others don’t as it is in Lyia’s case. That made the dynamics even more interesting and deeper.
This was just an amazing story and I’m excited to read more from this talented author.
4 You Will Never Be Alone Stars
Liya is constantly being set up by her parents to meet eligible men. Meet Jay, the most recent set up, whom also turns out to be a new employee at Liya’s job. It was fun to watch their friendship grow throughout the book. Liya is a strong character who is independent and a hardworker. This book was a great escape and with enjoyable characters.
I just reread this book when I want to feel righteous anger at the same time as warm feelings. I love Liya’s personality and how she and Jay clash. I especially like that Jay isn’t a perfect feminist love interest. He still screws up even while trying his best, and that’s what we need in love interests!
Thank you, Sajni Patel, providing a story with a feisty protagonist. I loved Liya as a bold and modern woman, with both strengths and flaws. Jay was also a worthy counterpart.
I really appreciate the community that’s featured in this book: of friends and family. The romance from enemies to lovers is classic but well-done. I’m also grateful for the deeper underlying themes about trauma and perseverance.
A romance centered on a wonderful equal partners kind of relationship with dashing main characters, and immersed in culture and surrounded by heavy, worthy topics.
Liya is a strong, brilliant, beautiful, and independent woman that does not need a man but don’t tell her parents that or the aunties that always gossip at the temple!
Jay is a sweet, cute, caring Momma’s boy and goes along with the arrangement to meet Liya at dinner but one thing Liya doesn’t know that her parents have been working in the background and as soon as she finds out she’s “Ight Imma head out! ” so fast that she runs into Jay and knocks him over.
She thinks I’m never gonna see him again and BOOM he ends up at her work!
Ok I LOVED this book! I loved the cultural background with the arrange marriage and the chatty aunties! Loved it! ABSOLUTELY LOVED Jay and he’s my new book boyfriend! What can I say I’m a sucker for a boy who’s caring and supportive!
Liya is a strong independent woman who has had to put up some walls due to a sexual assault in her past. Honestly, it was hard to like her in the beginning of the book, but as her walls slowly came down, she became a little more likeable. Jay, on the other hand, is sweet, patient, and sexy! I liked that this book wasn’t steamy at all, but yet there was build up to a swoon-worthy moment. The story takes place in Houston, so I was thrilled to read a book that included Tex-Mex cuisine. Liya & Jay’s Indian culture is a huge part of the story. I enjoyed learning about the culture and cuisine, while also sympathizing with Liya as she fought against the traditional restraints and those aunties who judge and gossip about her.
“Seriously, Liya. One date.” “Why?” “You have time for that answer? Because saying that I like you isn’t enough.”
“There were just some things most of us were predisposed to like: barbeque, cobbler and pies, iced tea (always sweetened), bluebonnet season, festivals, and Tex-Mex.”
This. Book.
In an effort to add more diversity in my reading line up, I found a thread on Facebook that listed a TON of Rom-Com’s written by BIPOC Folx. I’ve read a few from the list and meh…but this one?
This one was great.
Our main character is a spunky, super smart, super talented Indian woman who finds herself on the fringe of her families main circle due to some shady dealings. And it’s Shady with a capital ’S’ because *trigger warning* our main character was sexually assaulted as a teen. This point is important to the story line, but know that it’s handled well and is not described in any kind of detail.
Enter or leading man. Super sexy, smart lawyer, and the way they meet is in traditional rom-com meet-cute style. Completely with a trip, and fall, and catch.
Packed with drama, a few twists, and a look into the society of a traditional Indian family, The Trouble With Hating You has firmly landed itself on my favorite reads of the year list.
The MC, Liya, is an independent, modern, Indian-American woman who is hellbent on avoiding marriage. When her family tries to pull a fast one and set her up without her knowledge, she hightails it out of their house, bowling over her suitor in the process. Surprise, surprise when he shows up at her workplace Monday as a new coworker!
I read this book as part of a buddy read with @thechicklitbookclub, which was a super fun group to discuss the book with! Lovely group of ladies. However, I believe the format of reading 3-4 chapters a day instead of maybe half or the whole book at once did this book a disservice. Liya is a little bit of an asshole. There, I said it. She has reasons, she has a tragic backstory, she has a terrible family, etc. etc., but man is she RUDE. To STRANGERS. Like, really really rude, in a way that every human being should understand not to act. This disappears after the first third of the book, for the most part, and we get more information to empathize with her, but it was really rough to only read eight chapters or so and stop and stew with pretty much only negative thoughts on the MC (and her suitor, Jay, tbh). This was an enemies-to-lovers romance and they were DEFINITELY enemies. In most books, the “enemies” party typically stems from a misunderstanding or professional competitiveness…not really the case here. Kind of a misunderstanding, but even given the misunderstanding, there wasn’t really an excuse for either of their behavior.
Okay. Rant over. Otherwise, the book was great. Always good to see some Indian-American representation, some AWESOME female friendships (Liya has the greatest friends), and real chemistry between two characters. Liya is a pretty boss heroine, who owns her own condo, has a great job and can afford luxuries, a capable cook, and basically doesn’t need a man! But maybe she wants one? BUT IT’S HER CHOICE! I love seeing strong female protagonists. And the last third of the book was great. We get to see Liya’s sensitive side in her budding relationship with Jay, adorable dates, Jay’s wonderful family, and some people get what’s coming to them. The ending was just so perfect it pulled the book into four-star territory for me. Overall, I would definitely suggest reading this book, but maybe try to read most of it in one go…
Loved this! Sexy and smart, both the H/h are fully-formed humans in their own right, and after a rough start their relationship builds in a realistic manner, with high and low points and lots of personal growth.
The Trouble with Hating You by Sajni Patel is an enemies to lovers romance. When Liya is set-up by her parents, she is upset to say the least. Then imagine her surprise to find herself working with the same man Jay, the following week. Liya is a happy, independent single woman. But her parents want her to settle down. Jay was handsome but was also cocky. A fun and entertaining read.
3.5-stars. Happy reading!
I enjoyed this book for many reasons – I loved learning about Indian culture, and modern dating despite the strict tradition; enemies to love trope in a clean romance; nod to pride and prejudice; addressed important themes on sexual and emotional abuse; great side stories on amazing friendships and focus on families.
I gravitated to Liya and Jay’s non traditional way of meeting – despite the too frequent coincidences. It worked and made for a fun story with funny banters, but the word panties were used way too often for my liking .
I think this was a great debut novel that I enjoyed reading. I loved the energy of the characters, and there was just the right amount of balance of both fun and serious. The topics were introduced within the context of the storyline and worked very well.
I had fun reading this novel and I think you would like it too.
I found Liya a little too brash and too much for my tastes but I did understand why Sajni had written her to be defensive and over the top. I did find the details about India marriage traditions interesting. The writing was good just not my cup of tea.
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Surprisingly , this one was a great read with deep and interesting topics .
” I know you don’t approve of the traditional ways . We weren’t blindly arranged and I have the opinion to decline . Arranged does not equate to forced ”
The book talked about the concept of arranged marriage and how much it’s misrepresented in many ways , which I really admired.
It also , discussed the importance of getting to know others before judging them , the mistake of making assumptions depending on the first impression .
I liked how the author focused on the concept of how things aren’t always as they look .
I liked the strength and independence of Liya ( the main character )
I loved the relationship between Jay and Liya , it was lovely , respectful and healthy .
Trigger Warning : Child molestation.
All in all , this was a very interesting read .
Highly recommended .