The Trouble with Hating You

March 9, 2020
Patel’s fast-paced romp of a debut offers a peek into the vibrant Indian-American community of Houston, Tex., introducing a self-assured heroine striving for independence from the traditional expectations of her family. Biochemical engineer Liya Thakkar is perfectly happy as a single woman. She has a devoted group of best friends, a new promotion at work, and no problem finding casual flings when she wants them. When her family tricks her into attending a matchmaking dinner, she embarrasses herself and her parents by fleeing—only to later discover her would-be suitor, Jay Shah, is the lawyer assigned to save her company from closing, and they’ll have to see much more of each other. Despite their awkward first meeting and ongoing bickering at work, the chemistry between Liya and Jay is clear to everyone around them. But the headstrong pair will both have to learn to be vulnerable before they can trust each other. Readers will root for Liya as she struggles against community gossip and the weight of disappointing the people who should love her unconditionally. The enemies-to-lovers arc is classic, but the cultural specificity Patel brings makes this rom-com feel fun and fresh. Agent: Katelyn Detweiler, Jill Grinberg Literary Management.

May 1, 2020
A biochemical engineer ends up working with the man her parents would like her to marry. Liya Thakkar is happy both professionally and personally. She has a tight-knit group of friends and just accepted a big promotion at work. Unfortunately, her conservative father is still trying to arrange her perfect match--a good Hindu man from a respectable family--even though she never plans to get married. One night, Liya goes to her parents' home for a quiet family dinner and is surprised to find her father has invited a surprise blind date, Jay Shah. Infuriated at her father's meddling, Liya refuses to even meet Jay and sneaks out the back door. But running away from Jay is harder than it looks, as he's been hired to bail her firm out of a daunting legal mess. As they work together to save the company, Liya discovers that the prickly, confrontational demeanor she uses as a shield doesn't work with Jay. Meanwhile, Jay is surprised to find himself impressed with Liya's dedication and hard work. Liya is slow to trust Jay, but their professional relationship slowly evolves to friendship and then to romance. As a teenager, Liya was a victim of sexual assault at the hands of an older, respected member of the community. It makes her fight-or-flight survival strategy easier to understand, but she never moves past these simple coping mechanisms. The book fails to portray a modern world of dating. Early on, a white man expects her "to give it up" after an expensive dinner date, and she is openly shunned by her community for being a sexually active woman in her 20s. There is little nuance in Patel's exploration of gender and dating, which fuels rather than interrogates stereotypes of South Asian culture. Stale, unexamined stereotypes coupled with lack of character growth make for a disappointing romance.

COPYRIGHT(2020) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

May 1, 2020
There is no meet-cute for Liya Thakkar and Jay Shah. A recently promoted biochemical engineer, Liya is shocked when, arriving late to her first managers' meeting, she is castigated by Jay, an attorney who has been retained to keep the company she works for from collapse. Then, when a date goes violently wrong, Liya escapes, but, in a Cinderella-like moment, she breaks the heel off one of her $1,400 Louboutins, twisting her ankle. She finds refuge in a diner, where Jay just so happens to be eating. He comes to her rescue, but then what? In this warm and witty tale of opposites, Patel portrays Jay as a traditional Indian American man very close to his widowed mother and his brother. Brilliant Liya is scorned in their community as a loose woman. Both are attractive and successful, yet deeply scarred by traumas in their youth. Can they find their way to romance? Patel's vivid comedy of conflict and love within an upscale, urban Indian American enclave features endearing protagonists within a circle of friends who all act with integrity and strength.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)