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A review by upturnedroots
The Trouble with Hating You by Sajni Patel
4.0
Being Gujarati myself made it easy to see the reality in the food, people, culture, and traditions in Liya and Jay's world, and I appreciated this story for that alone because it's the first romance novel I've read where I could see myself represented so clearly and the references were perfect.
I appreciate that Sajni Patel sheds light on serious issues and mentions that this is one strand of experience, but Indians are not homogenous.
I don't doubt that mandir politics can get intense, but thankfully, I've never had to experience this myself as my family doesn't do organized religion. Also, I wish the arranged marriage issue wasn't always immediately the first one that comes to mind for Indian romance novels, but I think it was handled well here. I also appreciated that each of Liya's friends has their own views on romance and marriage and love, and that Patel acknowledges there's no wrong way to be true to what's right for you.
I also connected a lot to Jay's experience with grief, and Patel wrote with great depth on how both characters connected with their family, I thought for a short novel the pacing was so good that it felt like I had spent months getting to know and love these characters, their friends, and their families - and that their relationships with these figures were just as important to highlight as their growing love for each other.
I will say, the trouble with reading The Trouble with Hating You is that up to about 40% of the book, I was ready to give this barely 3 stars. The dialogue feels stilted. Neither of the two main characters are likable or believable, nor their attraction. Liya's only personality trait SHOWN is abrasiveness, despite being TOLD she's strong, smart, and a leader. Jay is a bit blah. Neither of them act impressively in interpersonal or business situations. Certain behaviors don't seem likely between the characters as we know them. There's enemies-to-lovers between two evenly matched minds, and that kind of tension is enticing and engaging. And then there's the weaker version of this dynamic with two annoying characters who fly off the handle at the slightest phrase. The romantic leads in this seem to fall on the wrong side of this balance. Literally, saying "hi" makes them get into an argument - and that isn't "cute banter.
However, after the 40% mark, the walls for each character start to come down and there's more genuine and "cute" interaction. I found myself wanting to keep picking it up. So my rating rounded up. It's worth the read after that 40% point - despite there, of course, being some of the same cheesy dialogue common to the genre. Still, as with all diverse books, it's important to remember, we want the tropes too - we just want the representation to go with it. So, all in all, The Trouble with Hating You is a cute book I'm happy to own for the representation in romance. And I will certainly be picking up the next book in this series focused on Preeti - I hope it has a cover that is just as cute too!
I appreciate that Sajni Patel sheds light on serious issues and mentions that this is one strand of experience, but Indians are not homogenous.
I don't doubt that mandir politics can get intense, but thankfully, I've never had to experience this myself as my family doesn't do organized religion. Also, I wish the arranged marriage issue wasn't always immediately the first one that comes to mind for Indian romance novels, but I think it was handled well here. I also appreciated that each of Liya's friends has their own views on romance and marriage and love, and that Patel acknowledges there's no wrong way to be true to what's right for you.
I also connected a lot to Jay's experience with grief, and Patel wrote with great depth on how both characters connected with their family
Spoiler
Liya's relationship with her father was enraging to me, and I hate that he and Mukesh were such terrible people. Liya's connection to her mother was heartbreaking in the sense that I wanted her mother to not be afraid and for the two of them to live happily away from the terrible people in their lives. I'm glad Jay and his mom stepped in. All of Jay's family were really great charactersI will say, the trouble with reading The Trouble with Hating You is that up to about 40% of the book, I was ready to give this barely 3 stars. The dialogue feels stilted. Neither of the two main characters are likable or believable, nor their attraction. Liya's only personality trait SHOWN is abrasiveness, despite being TOLD she's strong, smart, and a leader. Jay is a bit blah. Neither of them act impressively in interpersonal or business situations. Certain behaviors don't seem likely between the characters as we know them. There's enemies-to-lovers between two evenly matched minds, and that kind of tension is enticing and engaging. And then there's the weaker version of this dynamic with two annoying characters who fly off the handle at the slightest phrase. The romantic leads in this seem to fall on the wrong side of this balance. Literally, saying "hi" makes them get into an argument - and that isn't "cute banter.
However, after the 40% mark, the walls for each character start to come down and there's more genuine and "cute" interaction. I found myself wanting to keep picking it up. So my rating rounded up. It's worth the read after that 40% point - despite there, of course, being some of the same cheesy dialogue common to the genre. Still, as with all diverse books, it's important to remember, we want the tropes too - we just want the representation to go with it. So, all in all, The Trouble with Hating You is a cute book I'm happy to own for the representation in romance. And I will certainly be picking up the next book in this series focused on Preeti - I hope it has a cover that is just as cute too!