Review: The Trouble with Hating You by Sajni Patel

The Trouble with Hating You

by Sajni Patel

May 12, 2020
384 pages

Goodreads Summary:

A laugh-out-loud romantic comedy debut about first impressions, second chances, and finding the love of your life in the most unexpected way.

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 arrogant and 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?

Review

The Trouble with Hating You was an incredibly emotional read. I had a hard time keeping my emotions in check while reading. The sweet moments melted me while the tough situations made my blood boil.

I want to give Liya a gigantic hug. At first I was a little turned off by her attitude. But as I got to know her better, I understood her bluntness. She may put up a hard wall but she's kind to those who deserve it. Liya definitely grew on me.

I learned a lot about Indian culture from The Trouble with Hating You. The food, the fashion and the wedding traditions all sound wonderful but I hesitate to say I loved everything. The gender inequality and unfair treatment of wives/women were appalling. Poor Liya. I wish more justice was brought upon those who harmed her and caused her pain.

With a slight case of instant love the romance redeemed itself by being super intense. The attraction between Liya and Jay was obvious but both were headstrong and too stubborn to admit it outright. It was fun and delicious to see them dance around each other. Their undeniable chemistry made their relationship sizzle hot and hotter as the story went on.

The Trouble with Hating You was an emotional story with sassy characters and a passionate romance. Most importantly, it educated me in Indian culture. It's 100% a worthwhile read!

*I received a finished copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not affected in any way. Any quotes included in my review were taken from the copy I received.