The Trouble with Hating You

by Sajni Patel

Overview

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 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?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781538733332
Publisher:	Grand Central Publishing
Publication date:	05/12/2020
Pages:	352
Sales rank:	86,960
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.80(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Sajni Patel was born in vibrant India and raised in the heart of Texas, surrounded by a lot of delicious food and plenty of diversity. She draws on her personal experiences, cultural expectations, and Southern flair to create worlds that center on strong Indian women. Once an MMA fighter, she's now all about puppies and rainbows and tortured love stories. She currently lives in Austin where she not-so-secretly watches Matthew McConaughey from afar during UT football games. Queso is her weakness and thanks to her family's cooking, Indian/Tex-Mex cuisine is a real thing. She's a die-hard Marvel Comics fan, a lover of chocolates from around the world, and is always wrapped up in a story.

Editorial Reviews

03/09/2020

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)

Publishers Weekly

"Liya and Jay are a couple I've been waiting forever to meet in a romance novel. The Trouble with Hating You has delicious banter, deep wounds, heartwarming friendships, and a path to love that often feels impossibly hard, and the payoff is satisfying enough to give you a book hangover the size of Texas."—Sonali Dev, USA Today bestselling author

"With witty banter and fascinating characters, Sajni Patel takes the classic enemies-to-lovers trope to a deliciously charming level. I loved everything about this book."—Farrah Rochon, USA Today bestselling author

"The enemies-to-lovers arc is classic, but the cultural specificity [Sajni] Patel brings makes this rom-com feel fun and fresh."—Publishers Weekly

"The Trouble with Hating You was everything I needed —witty banter, explosive chemistry, and a hard won HEA that still has me smiling long after reading the last page. I can't wait for Sajni's next book!"—A.J. Pine, USA Today bestselling author

"An enjoyable debut! The chemistry between Liya and Jay is off the charts. You'll be rooting for these two from their first meeting!"—Farah Heron

"Patel's vivid comedy of conflict and love within an upscale, urban Indian American enclave features endearing protagonists..."—Booklist

" . . . a rewarding romance set in an intriguing world that combines proper second-generation Indian Americans with a Texan swagger."—Shelf Awareness

From the Publisher

2020-04-13
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.

Kirkus Reviews

Read More