Book Review: The Singles Table by Sara Desai

Title: The Singles Table

Author: Sara Desai

Series/Standalone: Marriage Games Series (Book #3)

Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Adult

Pages: 322

Publisher: Berkley

Year Published: 2021

Format: Audiobook

"Opposite attract in this romantic comedy about a free-spirited lawyer who is determined to find the perfect match for the grumpy bachelor at her friend's wedding.

After a devastating break-up, celebrity-obsessed lawyer Zara Patel is determined never to open her heart again. She puts her energy into building her career and helping her friends find romance through the wedding season. She's never faced a guest at the singles table she couldn't match, until she crosses paths with the sinfully sexy Jay Donovan.

Former military security specialist Jay has no time for love. His life is about working hard, staying focused, and winning at all costs. When charismatic Zara crashes into his life, he's thrown into close contact with exactly the kind of chaos he wants to avoid. Worse, they're stuck together for the entire wedding season. 

So they make a deal. She'll find his special someone if he introduces 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."

My Rating: 4/5

This was my favourite book in this series if memory serves. The author does an excellent job of having realistic characters and even more realistic conflicts. The characters are dynamic, they are unique and fun without being too over the top. The conflicts are real, deep seeded issues and the author gives them opportunities to work on themselves. The reason this isn't a five for me is the ending. I don't love some of the tropes that were used near the end. Overall super fun and romantic. Excellent Rom-Com!

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: The Dating Plan by Sara Desai

Title: The Dating Plan       

Author: Sara Desai    

Series/Standalone: Marriage Game Series (Book #2)

Genre: Romance, Adult Fiction

Pages: 352

Publisher: Berkley Books

Year Published: 2021

Format: Audiobook

 "Daisy Patel is a software engineer who understands lists and logic better than bosses and boyfriends. With her life all planned out, and no interest in love, the one thing she can't give her family is the marriage they expect. Left with few options, she asks her childhood crush to be her decoy fiancee.

Liam Murphy is a venture capitalist with something to prove. When he learns that his inheritance is contingent on being married, he realizes his best friend's little sister has the perfect solution to his problem. A marriage of convenience will get Daisy's matchmaking relatives off her back and fulfill the terms of his late grandfather's will. If only he hadn't broken her tender teenage heart nine years ago...

Sparks fly when Daisy and Liam go on a series of dates to legitimize their fake relationship. Too late, they realize that very little is convenient about their arrangement. History and chemistry aren't about to follow the rules of this engagement."

My Rating: 4.75/5

I absolutely loved this second book. I had enjoyed Daisy's character in the first book and thought that she would make an excellent female lead in a romance. Her personality and her back story just really hit home different for me. I felt the same way about Liam. I do love the trope of fake dating, but also the trope of knowing each other before going out. This really did have a lot of tropes that I enjoyed. I think that Sara Desai also does a great job of describing a nerdier girl who has passions and interests without being too much. The only reason this doesn't get a full 5/5 for me is the way that some things in the sex scene were written. I have certain terms to describe body parts that push me out of a story, and these were used a few times. Overall, fun just not my favourite spicy scenes.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Reivew: The Marriage Game by Sara Desai

Title: The Marriage Game

Author: Sara Desai

Series/Standalone: Marriage Game Series (Book #1)

Genre: Romantic Contemporary, Adult

Pages: 338

Publisher: Berkley    

Year Published: 2020

Format: Paperback Copy (Library)

First Line: "When Layla walked into The Spice Mill Restuarant after yet another disastrous relationship, she expected hugs and kisses, maybe a murmur of sympathy or even a cheerful welcome home."

"A high stakes wager pits an aspiring entrepreneur against a ruthless CEO in this sexy romantic comedy.

After her life falls apart, recruitment consultant Layla Patel returns home to her family in San Francisco. But in the eyes of her father, who runs a Michelin starred restaurant, she can do no wrong. He would do anything to see her smile again. With the best intentions in mind, he offers her the office upstairs to start her new business and creates a profile on an online dating site to find her a man. She doesn’t know he’s arranged a series of blind dates until the first one comes knocking on her door…

As CEO of a corporate downsizing company Sam Mehta is more used to conflict than calm. In search of a quiet new office, he finds the perfect space above a cozy Indian restaurant that smells like home. But when communication goes awry, he's forced to share his space with the owner's beautiful yet infuriating daughter Layla, her crazy family, and a parade of hopeful suitors, all of whom threaten to disrupt his carefully ordered life.

As they face off in close quarters, the sarcasm and sparks fly. But when the battle for the office becomes a battle of the heart, Sam and Layla have to decide if this is love or just a game."

My Rating:  3.75/5

This was such a fun romance, I've been enjoying picking up slower-paced romances this spring/summer and this was really a treat. I enjoy the characters, the plot and the family aspects of this book.  There were a few smutty scenes but not out of nowhere. The only thing lacking for me was the atmosphere, but that's a pretty normal feeling I have in romantic comedies. I was also a bit disappointed at how fast the conflict was resolved, but overall a fun romantic comedy for those looking for a new one to try.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny