The Trouble with Hating You - Review

The Trouble with Hating You

By: Sanji Patel

Expected Publication: May 12th 2020 by Forever

352 pages

Genre: Adult, Contemporary

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

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Goodreads description--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?

I just told Husband that Indian literature might be a new favorite for me. Due to Britain's influence on India, some of my favorite cultural aspects of historical England can also be found in Indian culture. But with a modern setting. Plus the potential for arranged marriages, which utterly fascinates me. The Trouble With Hating You is the second book I've read recently about Indian-American characters that I absolutely loved. (The other being The Marriage Game by Sara Desai--review coming soon.)

Liya is not traditional at all. She is dealing with the after-effects of a sexual assault from when she was 15 years old. The man who assaulted her was highly respected in their community and considered to be very religious. And when she told her parents, her father not only didn't believe her but went so far as to apologize to the man. Liya has used these two events as a foundation for her faith in men...which is essentially non-existent. She's used men and been used by men. She can't see herself falling in love because those who should have protected her abused her. And her father holds her mother under such a tight rope that her example of marriage is a bit skewed. So any attempts at setting her up with someone are met with hostility.

Liya thought Jay was arrogant when they first met. She thought he was going to be the same as the other men in her life. Looking to use her body for sexual gratification and her for a submissive, silent wife. But Jay wasn't like that at all. He initially struggled with the first couple of interactions with Liya. She didn't behave as he expected, but given time and opportunity he began to see her a little more clearly. And he saw the potential in her and felt a connection with her early on. He thus had to fight her attempts at pushing him away and prove he wasn't just trying to sleep with her. And I can always appreciate a man willing to fight for the woman he loves. Jay has his own history to deal with and overcome.

The side characters were all lively with histories and personalities that enriched the story. I loved Liya's group of friends: Reema, Preeti, and Sana. I would truly love this to be the first in a series where we get to see the stories for each of these women. Jay's family: Jahn, Shilpa, and Ma. All of them were so supportive and I loved each one.

I do have to say that the only quotes I really highlighted from the story revolve around whether Liya would pursue a job in a different city or not. Her friends were encouraging her not to let a man hold her back from pursuing a career move that could really benefit her. In Liya's case, she had more reasons to need to move than simply wanting a good job. However, it's become a pet peeve of mine to hear characters encouraged to leave behind people they love in favor of jobs, cities, or colleges that might advance them. What are those things compared to or without people who love you? I think it depends on the strength of the relationship, but we can't put the stigma on every situation that putting our relationships before our careers is a negative or irresponsible decision.

I truly began to feel like an addict while reading The Trouble with Hating You. I was sneaking "hits" of the book any chance I could. If I had to put it down when I wasn't ready or just put it down in general, I felt myself being irritable--like going too long between fixes. Ultimately, I devoured The Trouble with Hating You and I give it 4.5 Stars. Have you read The Trouble with Hating You? What did you think? Let me know!