Joined in 2023 
82 
63 About this deal
When we have a Tortured Hero who’s also The Older Brother’s Best Friend, we’re in for a good time. Marriage of convenience isn’t a trope I really gravitate towards, but the enemies to lovers and fake dating in this drew me in. I also read this the weekend after January 6th and it was a perfect and necessary escape from *gestures wildly.* Now - I will say that the hero doesn’t code this behaviour as sexual harassment but I definitely read it that way anyways - and I would consider anyone who spills a drink on someone and relates that to their genitalia crossing the line into harassment. During this wedding season, Zara and Jay find themselves at the singles table and they make a deal - Zara will find someone special for him and in return, he will introduce her to his celebrity clients. But when their arrangement brings them together in ways they never expected, they realize that the perfect match might just be their own. Liam needs to find a wife. His grandfather’s will states that he can inherit the family distillery if he is married before his next birthday and remains married for one year. Only problem is Liam doesn’t even have a girlfriend at the moment, and his birthday is only months away.
The sparks between the two are still there. But can Daisy forgive Liam for leaving her on her prom night? Can they keep this as a business arrangement?Unless I missed it, there are random quirks (like her obsession with Marvel, and how much she cares about her dog) that actually have nothing to do with the story. Quirks are fun IF they can be tied to the story. Otherwise Hulk and Iron Man bras are just weird, okay? We need more feel good, laugh out loud, warming your heart books like this! We need thousands of them! Because dear Sara Desai knows how to create amazing, quirky, adorable, smart, sassy and sexy characters, and absolutely knows how to write pant melting, steamy, hot as hell love scenes! I'm so sorry." Daisy shot what she hoped was an apologetic smile at the dark-haired stranger. "I don't have time to chat. I'm about to go into a pitch session, and I have to get these product samples to my boss."
Another exemplary enemies to lovers and sunshine meets the grump troupes make us hooked up with this journey at first sight. Even though the plot is nothing groundbreaking and it’s a very typical one, it’s the themes it discusses and the interesting characters that set it apart. Both Daisy and Liam have some trauma issues as Daisy’s mother left their family and she’s always thought it was because of her as she was weird for the things she liked. On the other hand, Liam is quite lost and struggles with self worth, his dad was abusive and repeatedly told him he was worthless. The reactions and habits from each character were realistic for someone with trauma. Their flaws are one of the main focuses of the stories and so is their personal development. Both Daisy and Liam went through a big change throughout the story, and it’s great to see them grow confident by the end of the book. Their relationship is nice and cute and they balance each other out. Speaking of balance, the author did a great job balancing the more serious topics with the light-hearted and romantic moments. The tragic and deep topics are not explored in great lengths though, just enough to understand why each character is the way they are and chose the paths that they did. Not only does the plot make this easy to read, but the writing as well. It’s lighthearted and has some humor, allowing for you to easily get into the book. Not to mention- this book has some great banter. Daisy! I was looking for you." Salena Auntie, her father's sister, ambushed her only a few steps from the door.
What Research Says About the Dating Process
It was definitely worth the wait to see the chemistry build between these characters! I loved Daisy’s family and her well meaning yet obtrusive Aunties. What stopped me from giving this a full 5-star rating is because I didn’t like how shit went down nearing the end. Sam obviously had too much guilt to work through to the point that it served as motivation to do unjust things. I didn’t like how he handled some stuff and I feel hurt on Layla’s behalf. The good thing is that he did his best to fix things, not just with Layla but also with her family and his best friend, John Lee. She has great sense of humor! Your stomach hurts after laughing too much! You fall in love with those crowded, loyal, deeply connected, genuine Indian relatives! Second, I LOVE the fake dating trope. However, the point of the fake dating trope is for everyone to believe the couple is actually together. In this book, mored than half of the characters know that Daisy and Liam are lying and they talk about it loudly in public settings/her work like it’s NBD. Only a select number of family members (on both side) actually believe their relationship is real. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. How did she express the maelstrom of emotions coursing through her veins? It had been ten years since she'd stood alone on the front steps of her house—in a bright pink prom dress, the corsage her father had bought her pinned to her shoulder—waiting for Liam to take her to the prom. Ten years since he'd disappeared, never to be seen again. How many times had she imagined this moment?
I’m very happy to say that I absolutely loved The Marriage Game and I definitely can’t wait to read more of Sara Desai’s novels in the future. Again this is me speaking from my own experience BUT I am still to experience this situation: a guy who LEERS at a girl AND the girl thinks its SEXYAll in all, The Dating Plan is a cute and fun read that will distract you from reality for a little while. Predictable at times but perfect for those who may be looking for something light to read! Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review! Lastly, this book was described on BOTm as ‘LOL’ and ‘salacioius’ and that is simply not true lmfao!! First, the “funny” scenes were so cringy I had to put the book down several times. Desai tried to use the quirky aunts as jokes, but they grew old fast. One aunt makes bad dishes, such as mixing all the food at a stadium together and the gag was liam eating it to impress the aunt. After that moment, the aunt kept making it for Liam and everyone around them would laugh. Second, the sex scenes (sorry, this is not a graceful transition) were anything but steamy. I love a good romp but god, there was no spark or tension between Liam and Daisy! Desai made a joke about them breaking all the furniture in Daisy’s bedroom and I’m like...okay but how?? There was nothing steamy enough going on for Liam to break a headboard with his bare hands.
Related:
Great Deal 
New Comment