What do you think?
Rate this book
Marriage Game #2
The Dating Plan
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Romance (2021)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 fiance.
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.
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.
343 pages, Hardcover
First published March 16, 2021
About the author
Sara Desai
5 books2,097 followersSara Desai has been a lawyer, radio DJ, marathon runner, historian, bouncer and librarian. She lives on Vancouver Island with her husband, kids and an assortment of forest creatures who think they are pets. Sara writes sexy romantic comedy and contemporary romance with a multicultural twist. When not laughing at her own jokes, Sara can be found eating nachos. Visit Sara at www.saradesai.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 5,515 reviews
May 20, 2022
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!
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!
I loved Marriage Game a lot but I have to confess both Liam and Daisy are more adorable characters than Layla and Sam. I loved them more. I enjoyed their short term high school romance. Their extra inflammable chemistry which can easily put the chapters on fire!
Yes, Liam was Daisy’s first real crush, who was her brother Sanjay’s best friend, an inseparable part of their family till he became her prom date and stood her up! At the same day, he ghosted entire family. She doesn’t hear from him for 10 years till she bumps into him at the tech convention: very same day she holds a few feminine products in her hands to display them at her speech, running away from her ex boyfriend and her ex-boss who were making out at the restroom. Did I mention also one of her aunties follow her with a groom candidate at the same conference?
The couple’s encounter ends with a sweet kiss. Liam never gets over Daisy. We have every right to kick his ass because of dumping Daisy at her very special night at high school. But don’t worry! He has a real good explanation. So instead of getting angry at the guy, you want to hug him tightly.
Liam and Daisy agree for fake engagement because Liam should get married till his birthday and stay married at least one year to inherit his grandpa’s distillery and Daisy wants to get rid of her aunties’ and her own father’s pressure who push her so hard to get marry with an ideal candidate.
Both of them know at the beginning, there is a great risk to cross the lines because starting a fake relationship could be threatening to break both of their hearts when they still have deep feelings for each other.
I found Liam and Daisy’s story more emotional, genuine, intense. They really deal with burdens, dysfunctional family issues, abuse, insecurities. Both of them learn their mistakes and changed themselves. Only thing didn’t change is the pure love they feel for each other which makes this book one of my favorite readings!
I was going back and forth between four and five stars but I decided these lovely characters didn’t deserve one star less from the first book! So I’m giving five desi wedding, heartbreak hotel, best Elvis Presley impersonator, quirky, ultra smart heroine vs sexy, bad boy, rebellious hero stars!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
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!
I loved Marriage Game a lot but I have to confess both Liam and Daisy are more adorable characters than Layla and Sam. I loved them more. I enjoyed their short term high school romance. Their extra inflammable chemistry which can easily put the chapters on fire!
Yes, Liam was Daisy’s first real crush, who was her brother Sanjay’s best friend, an inseparable part of their family till he became her prom date and stood her up! At the same day, he ghosted entire family. She doesn’t hear from him for 10 years till she bumps into him at the tech convention: very same day she holds a few feminine products in her hands to display them at her speech, running away from her ex boyfriend and her ex-boss who were making out at the restroom. Did I mention also one of her aunties follow her with a groom candidate at the same conference?
The couple’s encounter ends with a sweet kiss. Liam never gets over Daisy. We have every right to kick his ass because of dumping Daisy at her very special night at high school. But don’t worry! He has a real good explanation. So instead of getting angry at the guy, you want to hug him tightly.
Liam and Daisy agree for fake engagement because Liam should get married till his birthday and stay married at least one year to inherit his grandpa’s distillery and Daisy wants to get rid of her aunties’ and her own father’s pressure who push her so hard to get marry with an ideal candidate.
Both of them know at the beginning, there is a great risk to cross the lines because starting a fake relationship could be threatening to break both of their hearts when they still have deep feelings for each other.
I found Liam and Daisy’s story more emotional, genuine, intense. They really deal with burdens, dysfunctional family issues, abuse, insecurities. Both of them learn their mistakes and changed themselves. Only thing didn’t change is the pure love they feel for each other which makes this book one of my favorite readings!
I was going back and forth between four and five stars but I decided these lovely characters didn’t deserve one star less from the first book! So I’m giving five desi wedding, heartbreak hotel, best Elvis Presley impersonator, quirky, ultra smart heroine vs sexy, bad boy, rebellious hero stars!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
January 2, 2021
This was super cute and it was the perfect way to kick off the new year. This book has a lot to love: fake fiancé’s, fake marriage, and our main character Daisy is a software engineer (we all love to read about women with badass jobs am I right?😍)
These characters are adorable, they have great chemistry, they have very well-fleshed out families and pasts, and I loved how much fun the fake fiancé thing was. I love that Daisy is really good at math and numbers and she’s obsessed with the Avengers. Her character is so adorable and quirky. Liam irked me a lot in the beginning but after I learned more about him I grew to love his character too.
My only critique is that it got slightly annoying how much Daisy held a grudge against him for standing her up at the prom in high school. I totally get that that’s a really shitty thing to do, but she’d constantly still bring it up and tell everyone she knows about it and it’s been over ten years..? I just don’t understand why she’d hold a grudge that long. And the ending got just a little predictable/dramatic for my personal taste... but despite those few things I really enjoyed this, and I appreciate this book so much for helping me get out of this weird reading funk I’ve been in lately. It’s been a while since I’ve finished a book so quickly!
But this was super adorable and I know it might be too early to say but I can see this being one of my favorite romances of the year!!
These characters are adorable, they have great chemistry, they have very well-fleshed out families and pasts, and I loved how much fun the fake fiancé thing was. I love that Daisy is really good at math and numbers and she’s obsessed with the Avengers. Her character is so adorable and quirky. Liam irked me a lot in the beginning but after I learned more about him I grew to love his character too.
My only critique is that it got slightly annoying how much Daisy held a grudge against him for standing her up at the prom in high school. I totally get that that’s a really shitty thing to do, but she’d constantly still bring it up and tell everyone she knows about it and it’s been over ten years..? I just don’t understand why she’d hold a grudge that long. And the ending got just a little predictable/dramatic for my personal taste... but despite those few things I really enjoyed this, and I appreciate this book so much for helping me get out of this weird reading funk I’ve been in lately. It’s been a while since I’ve finished a book so quickly!
But this was super adorable and I know it might be too early to say but I can see this being one of my favorite romances of the year!!
April 26, 2021
this was really fun!
i've tried a few romances with similar premises to this, but none have worked for me. idk what it is about start up culture/coding romances but they nearly never have developed character relationships. this was certainly an exception.
i thought this perfectly balanced culture, family, career, and romance. it was so fun seeing daisy and liam get their second chance and i actually (for once in my damn life) appreciated the quirkiness (and at times cringiness) of the characters. i also liked how both daisy & liam had their own individual struggles to work through before they could truly come together and make a successful relationship. i guess despite the expectations i had going in to this, it really did feel like a realistic romance and at the end of the day that's really all i'm looking for.
i've tried a few romances with similar premises to this, but none have worked for me. idk what it is about start up culture/coding romances but they nearly never have developed character relationships. this was certainly an exception.
i thought this perfectly balanced culture, family, career, and romance. it was so fun seeing daisy and liam get their second chance and i actually (for once in my damn life) appreciated the quirkiness (and at times cringiness) of the characters. i also liked how both daisy & liam had their own individual struggles to work through before they could truly come together and make a successful relationship. i guess despite the expectations i had going in to this, it really did feel like a realistic romance and at the end of the day that's really all i'm looking for.
July 24, 2021
There are no halftimes in hockey.
January 12, 2021
Warning- this is about as harsh of a book review as I give.
I picked this book for my Book of the Month because it seemed right up my alley. I tend to love a romance where the characters have a backstory, and I like a non traditional female main character. However, I did not like this. It was entirely too cheesy. The main character, Daisy, was far too quirky. Like over the top-constantly wears Marvel underwear- quirky. And there was not enough relationship development between Liam and Daisy because there were too many other things going on. I especially thought the side characters’ storylines were over the top and distracting- both Liam and Daisy’s relatives were written in ways that made me say “huh?” Maybe I’m just a fun hater 🤷♀️. Anyways, I won’t go on and on; I just think there are many better versions of this kind of book out there.
I picked this book for my Book of the Month because it seemed right up my alley. I tend to love a romance where the characters have a backstory, and I like a non traditional female main character. However, I did not like this. It was entirely too cheesy. The main character, Daisy, was far too quirky. Like over the top-constantly wears Marvel underwear- quirky. And there was not enough relationship development between Liam and Daisy because there were too many other things going on. I especially thought the side characters’ storylines were over the top and distracting- both Liam and Daisy’s relatives were written in ways that made me say “huh?” Maybe I’m just a fun hater 🤷♀️. Anyways, I won’t go on and on; I just think there are many better versions of this kind of book out there.
June 14, 2021
1.5 Stars
I picked this as my BOTM as I am a sucker for the fake relationship trope. I also loved that the two main characters were supposed to have a history.
Sadly, Daisy was a literal self-proclaimed Manic-Pixie-Dream-Girl of epic proportions and…well, I am a fan of the MPDG pretty much never. Also, the level of rom-com here was just a little too com-heavy for my liking. The attempts at making the characters seem effortlessly quirky felt very slap-stick, overly cheesy, and sometimes forced.
In addition, the story felt very tedious. A lot of repetition and a lot of telling vs. showing.
Anyway, this was just a miss for me. Oh well, next.
I picked this as my BOTM as I am a sucker for the fake relationship trope. I also loved that the two main characters were supposed to have a history.
Sadly, Daisy was a literal self-proclaimed Manic-Pixie-Dream-Girl of epic proportions and…well, I am a fan of the MPDG pretty much never. Also, the level of rom-com here was just a little too com-heavy for my liking. The attempts at making the characters seem effortlessly quirky felt very slap-stick, overly cheesy, and sometimes forced.
In addition, the story felt very tedious. A lot of repetition and a lot of telling vs. showing.
Anyway, this was just a miss for me. Oh well, next.
January 15, 2021
1.5. Seriously.
I just.... there was truly almost nothing that I liked about this book. I started skimming it about 40 pages in, determined to finish. Decided my time was too valuable, put it down, then convinced myself it had to get better so I choked through until the last 3/4... and just gave up.
So - what was so bad? I mean, I love romance novels. Rom-com, the fake relationship trope - guys, I'm pretty forgiving at the end of the day when it comes to my favorite genre. But this... I think it was just trying too hard. It made everything flop.
A few main irks:
- Daisy supposedly hates - HATES - this guy because he ditched her for prom 10 years ago. Prom. It's repeated, over and over again, how huge of a betrayal this is. PROM. If this was a YA book and the incident happened, say, 2 months ago, then sure. This is a grown-ass woman who still gives a shit about prom. I'm out.
- Daisy makes no sense. She's hyper intelligent, coder, supposedly introverted but... also "quirky" and "cool" and has all these "hook-ups" - and randomly really flirty. People like that exist, yes, but Daisy is not one of them. Her character just didn't work. At times her intelligence level was savant-esque (I was having The Kiss Quotient flashbacks) but other times she was just totally clueless.
- Liam, likewise, didn't work. He was super badass but really wasn't at all. Riding a motorcycle and wearing leather all the time doesn't automatically make you a rebel. Also not sure how someone could, apparently, spend three yeas as an outlaw in a motorcycle gang and then because a millionaire/billionaire venture capitalist. But okay.
- There are SO MANY CHARACTERS that mean nothing. There are literally like... 6 different co-workers named and her work situation barely matters. We know at least 10 of her Aunties! We meet a TON of his family. What the hell?
- The family dynamic felt SO hokey and stereotypical. The obsessive Aunties (literally stalking? Breaking down doors? Calling people on wilderness retreats in Belize?) that are way over the top and then, ooooof course, the Irish family that drinks and fist-fights and is super abusive. Instead of being tongue-in-cheek and feeling like comedy it all just felt really insensitive.
- 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?
Okay - I'll stop. The point is that this book just came off as absurdly annoying to me. No, thank you.
I just.... there was truly almost nothing that I liked about this book. I started skimming it about 40 pages in, determined to finish. Decided my time was too valuable, put it down, then convinced myself it had to get better so I choked through until the last 3/4... and just gave up.
So - what was so bad? I mean, I love romance novels. Rom-com, the fake relationship trope - guys, I'm pretty forgiving at the end of the day when it comes to my favorite genre. But this... I think it was just trying too hard. It made everything flop.
A few main irks:
- Daisy supposedly hates - HATES - this guy because he ditched her for prom 10 years ago. Prom. It's repeated, over and over again, how huge of a betrayal this is. PROM. If this was a YA book and the incident happened, say, 2 months ago, then sure. This is a grown-ass woman who still gives a shit about prom. I'm out.
- Daisy makes no sense. She's hyper intelligent, coder, supposedly introverted but... also "quirky" and "cool" and has all these "hook-ups" - and randomly really flirty. People like that exist, yes, but Daisy is not one of them. Her character just didn't work. At times her intelligence level was savant-esque (I was having The Kiss Quotient flashbacks) but other times she was just totally clueless.
- Liam, likewise, didn't work. He was super badass but really wasn't at all. Riding a motorcycle and wearing leather all the time doesn't automatically make you a rebel. Also not sure how someone could, apparently, spend three yeas as an outlaw in a motorcycle gang and then because a millionaire/billionaire venture capitalist. But okay.
- There are SO MANY CHARACTERS that mean nothing. There are literally like... 6 different co-workers named and her work situation barely matters. We know at least 10 of her Aunties! We meet a TON of his family. What the hell?
- The family dynamic felt SO hokey and stereotypical. The obsessive Aunties (literally stalking? Breaking down doors? Calling people on wilderness retreats in Belize?) that are way over the top and then, ooooof course, the Irish family that drinks and fist-fights and is super abusive. Instead of being tongue-in-cheek and feeling like comedy it all just felt really insensitive.
- 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?
Okay - I'll stop. The point is that this book just came off as absurdly annoying to me. No, thank you.
March 30, 2021
PLEASE DEAR GOD, can we stop making girls ‘quirky’ just because they don’t wear the latest fashion? I have never met anyone that wears ‘patterned tights, colored sunglasses, and a hat’ but okay. It just screams ‘I’m nOt liKe OtHer GiRlz” and I’ve over it. Let a character have a unique sense of style and be nerdy without making it an overly done cliché. Okay now that I have that off my chest, this was a cute, modern romance. I really appreciated the authenticity surrounding Daisy’s ethnicity. I nominate Aidan Turner to play Liam in the movie adaptation.
March 13, 2021
Check out this review (and more) over on my blog!
Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Quick Stats:
Overall: 4/5 Stars
Characters: 5/5
Setting: 4/5
Writing: 3/5
Plot and Themes: 3/5
Awesomeness Factor: 4/5
Review in a Nutshell: The Dating Plan is a cute and fun read, that’s perfect if you’re in a slump.
// Content Warning: Child Abuse (Mention), Abusive Relationship (Mention), Mature Content //
Release Date: 3/16/2021
Publisher: Berkley
Page Count: 352
Premise:
The Dating Plan follows Daisy, a software engineer desperate to stop her matchmaking relatives, and Liam, whose inheritance depends on him getting married. As a solution to both of their problems, they agree to a marriage of convenience, but as they spend more time together, they start to fall for each other.
- Plot -
This book is classic fake dating (or fake engagement, I should say) at it’s finest. Plus some extra angst from their past, of course. It’s addictive, with plenty of dramatic and adorable moments. There’s definitely a lot of cheesy stuff here, but that’s what makes it so fun (even if there were some parts where I struggled to suspend my disbelief).
- Writing -
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.
- Characters -
I really enjoyed the dynamic between our main characters. Daisy and Liam are both interesting, complex characters with history together and their own issues to overcome. I loved watching them develop, and their interactions were always entertaining. We also have a great cast of side characters, one couple you might be familiar with if you’ve read Sara Desai’s other book, The Marriage Game. I actually haven’t read that book yet but after finishing this one, I really want to pick it up!
- Conclusion -
Pros- Addictive, interesting characters, fun
Cons- Not that memorable
Overall- 4/5 stars.
The Dating Plan was just what I needed: a cute, lighthearted romance with fun characters.
Follow Me Here: Blog ||Tumblr || Bookstagram || Twitter|| Reviews
Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Quick Stats:
Overall: 4/5 Stars
Characters: 5/5
Setting: 4/5
Writing: 3/5
Plot and Themes: 3/5
Awesomeness Factor: 4/5
Review in a Nutshell: The Dating Plan is a cute and fun read, that’s perfect if you’re in a slump.
// Content Warning: Child Abuse (Mention), Abusive Relationship (Mention), Mature Content //
Release Date: 3/16/2021
Publisher: Berkley
Page Count: 352
Premise:
The Dating Plan follows Daisy, a software engineer desperate to stop her matchmaking relatives, and Liam, whose inheritance depends on him getting married. As a solution to both of their problems, they agree to a marriage of convenience, but as they spend more time together, they start to fall for each other.
- Plot -
This book is classic fake dating (or fake engagement, I should say) at it’s finest. Plus some extra angst from their past, of course. It’s addictive, with plenty of dramatic and adorable moments. There’s definitely a lot of cheesy stuff here, but that’s what makes it so fun (even if there were some parts where I struggled to suspend my disbelief).
- Writing -
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.
- Characters -
I really enjoyed the dynamic between our main characters. Daisy and Liam are both interesting, complex characters with history together and their own issues to overcome. I loved watching them develop, and their interactions were always entertaining. We also have a great cast of side characters, one couple you might be familiar with if you’ve read Sara Desai’s other book, The Marriage Game. I actually haven’t read that book yet but after finishing this one, I really want to pick it up!
- Conclusion -
Pros- Addictive, interesting characters, fun
Cons- Not that memorable
Overall- 4/5 stars.
The Dating Plan was just what I needed: a cute, lighthearted romance with fun characters.
Follow Me Here: Blog ||Tumblr || Bookstagram || Twitter|| Reviews
April 9, 2021
3.75*
After a bit of a slow start, waiting for the characters to grab me, I was getting worried. I wasn’t feeling the chemistry…. then suddenly everything changed. And the heat was on!🔥
Daisy Patel is doing her best to avoid all her Aunties. They keep ambushing her everywhere she goes with eligible young men in tow. What drastic measures will she need to take in order to stop the loving (yet meddling) aunties.
Liam Murphy is an old family friend. He was best friends with Daisy’s brother growing up. And Daisy always had the biggest crush on him. When he offered to escort he to her prom she was over the moon. That is until he stood her up, and was never heard from again.
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.
When Daisy and Liam collide at a work event. Maybe they can help each-other out with an “arrangement”.
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?
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.
Looking Forward to reading more from this author.
Posted to: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...
Thank you to Berkley Publishing via NetGalley for an ARC to read and review.
After a bit of a slow start, waiting for the characters to grab me, I was getting worried. I wasn’t feeling the chemistry…. then suddenly everything changed. And the heat was on!🔥
Daisy Patel is doing her best to avoid all her Aunties. They keep ambushing her everywhere she goes with eligible young men in tow. What drastic measures will she need to take in order to stop the loving (yet meddling) aunties.
Liam Murphy is an old family friend. He was best friends with Daisy’s brother growing up. And Daisy always had the biggest crush on him. When he offered to escort he to her prom she was over the moon. That is until he stood her up, and was never heard from again.
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.
When Daisy and Liam collide at a work event. Maybe they can help each-other out with an “arrangement”.
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?
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.
Looking Forward to reading more from this author.
Posted to: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...
Thank you to Berkley Publishing via NetGalley for an ARC to read and review.
August 20, 2022
This is a Fake Dating Romance/Chick-Lit, and this book is the second book in the Marriage Game series. This book pulled me in for the beginning. This book was sweet cute and funny. I love the two main character, and Liam was so funny and a great fake boyfriend. Daisy family is the best, and they made this book worth reading. This book is beautifully written.
This is my January 2021 Book of the Month pick.
https://www.mybotm.com/zr12wnytgc8?sh...
This is my January 2021 Book of the Month pick.
https://www.mybotm.com/zr12wnytgc8?sh...
March 20, 2021
Honestly if you’re on the fence about this one please read this review.
🌶🌶.75/5
This book was distractingly heavy handed and the author’s tendency to tell and not show was unfortunate. With too many details and not enough action, the pacing, scope, and tension of this book were completely messed up. At 340 pages, finishing it seemed like a Sisyphean task—there was always, regrettably, another chapter.
Crazily enough, I’m just not into software engineering, venture capitalism, odes about motorcycles and leather, or computer coding analogies. I genuinely didn’t understand half of the first chapter due to Daisy’s tendency to think in actual code. I like Marvel but it was laid on so thick that nearly every time it was mentioned after page 50 I recoiled in terror. It got kinky y’all.
Daisy’s “quirkiness” was so over-the-top and overplayed by the end of this book. I mean nearly none of her tendencies would be considered wildly strange or “weird” in 2021. Yet, even after telling us about all the ways Daisy was different, she barely showed them with her actions or thoughts.
Liam was . . . not great. Turns out his passion for his motorcycle was a major turn off for me. The only motorcycle man I’ll ever want is Chad Michael Murray singing Britney Spears in my front lawn. Wearing leather and work boots just seemed too contrived for the rest of Liam’s venture capitalist character, and describing him as a vagabond biker gang adjacent dude was just alarming and slightly laughable.
Plot points were haphazardly placed throughout the book for no reason. Some of the transitions between paragraphs were meant to be shocking, but they were just confusing. More than once did we end up in a hospital with absolutely no warning. I kept thinking “wait did I miss a page?”
So a main plot point is that Liam’s grandfather left him the family distillery on the condition he gets married before the next birthday of his that follows his grandfather’s death. Meaning that if his grandfather died one day before Liam’s next birthday, Liam would have been shit out of luck. Luckily ol gramps died with two months to spare, but seriously, that’s terribly thought out for the driving force of the novel.
Further, how in the world can we be promised the “brother’s best friend” trope without. the. brother. Sending Sanjay away for 95% of the book was a wild decision by the author. The tension is supposed to be created by the forbidden nature of the brother not wanting his best friend to date his sister. We were never shown one iota of Sanjay’s character; it was all told to us.
Further further, the fake dating trope was completely ruined by the main characters TELLING literally everyone besides a few family members they weren’t actually dating. Again, destroying the tension.
Overall, this book was so not the right choice for me. If I was not obligated to finish, I wouldn’t have. I didn’t feel a spark between the main characters, nor did I particularly like any character in this book. There’s so much more to say, probably about 340 pages worth, but I’ll leave you with these parting words: bitch don’t do it.
**other plot thoughts**
All of the pitches that were dealt to Liam’s company were so incredibly unfunny and gaudy. They basically made his company seem like a farce. The author spent a page and a half talking about why a dude selling edible cannabis underwear wasn’t viable. NO SHIT SHERLOCK. No further explanation needed. I bet the author had a good time thinking of the crazy ventures but seriously they needed to be scaled way back.
Plus, almost every interaction with Daisy’s dad ended up just as trite. The humor was so forced I ended up confused as to what I was supposed to be reading. It felt almost sitcom-y but there was no laugh track from me.
Next, how many times can Daisy mention the prom in the first 180 pages? Too many to count. She couldn’t let it go and fine whatever, but we didn’t need to constantly hear about it.
These were all pretty glaring pace and scope issues for me.
***minor spoilers below***
Who allowed the five-year-old to sound about 35 and suggest they “sell some land to save the distillery” like truly in what world is that natural? “Jaxon had a good idea about selling off some of the land and keeping the distillery.” Like what??? He’s five.
Also Josh and Mia should have ended up together, they were the only two characters I liked.
Why in the world did the main conversation between Sanjay and Liam HAPPEN OFF THE PAGE????? Seriously. The entire plot hinged on that mistake ten years ago and the author couldn’t bear to write any more about its culmination?
🌶🌶.75/5
This book was distractingly heavy handed and the author’s tendency to tell and not show was unfortunate. With too many details and not enough action, the pacing, scope, and tension of this book were completely messed up. At 340 pages, finishing it seemed like a Sisyphean task—there was always, regrettably, another chapter.
Crazily enough, I’m just not into software engineering, venture capitalism, odes about motorcycles and leather, or computer coding analogies. I genuinely didn’t understand half of the first chapter due to Daisy’s tendency to think in actual code. I like Marvel but it was laid on so thick that nearly every time it was mentioned after page 50 I recoiled in terror. It got kinky y’all.
Daisy’s “quirkiness” was so over-the-top and overplayed by the end of this book. I mean nearly none of her tendencies would be considered wildly strange or “weird” in 2021. Yet, even after telling us about all the ways Daisy was different, she barely showed them with her actions or thoughts.
Liam was . . . not great. Turns out his passion for his motorcycle was a major turn off for me. The only motorcycle man I’ll ever want is Chad Michael Murray singing Britney Spears in my front lawn. Wearing leather and work boots just seemed too contrived for the rest of Liam’s venture capitalist character, and describing him as a vagabond biker gang adjacent dude was just alarming and slightly laughable.
Plot points were haphazardly placed throughout the book for no reason. Some of the transitions between paragraphs were meant to be shocking, but they were just confusing. More than once did we end up in a hospital with absolutely no warning. I kept thinking “wait did I miss a page?”
So a main plot point is that Liam’s grandfather left him the family distillery on the condition he gets married before the next birthday of his that follows his grandfather’s death. Meaning that if his grandfather died one day before Liam’s next birthday, Liam would have been shit out of luck. Luckily ol gramps died with two months to spare, but seriously, that’s terribly thought out for the driving force of the novel.
Further, how in the world can we be promised the “brother’s best friend” trope without. the. brother. Sending Sanjay away for 95% of the book was a wild decision by the author. The tension is supposed to be created by the forbidden nature of the brother not wanting his best friend to date his sister. We were never shown one iota of Sanjay’s character; it was all told to us.
Further further, the fake dating trope was completely ruined by the main characters TELLING literally everyone besides a few family members they weren’t actually dating. Again, destroying the tension.
Overall, this book was so not the right choice for me. If I was not obligated to finish, I wouldn’t have. I didn’t feel a spark between the main characters, nor did I particularly like any character in this book. There’s so much more to say, probably about 340 pages worth, but I’ll leave you with these parting words: bitch don’t do it.
**other plot thoughts**
All of the pitches that were dealt to Liam’s company were so incredibly unfunny and gaudy. They basically made his company seem like a farce. The author spent a page and a half talking about why a dude selling edible cannabis underwear wasn’t viable. NO SHIT SHERLOCK. No further explanation needed. I bet the author had a good time thinking of the crazy ventures but seriously they needed to be scaled way back.
Plus, almost every interaction with Daisy’s dad ended up just as trite. The humor was so forced I ended up confused as to what I was supposed to be reading. It felt almost sitcom-y but there was no laugh track from me.
Next, how many times can Daisy mention the prom in the first 180 pages? Too many to count. She couldn’t let it go and fine whatever, but we didn’t need to constantly hear about it.
These were all pretty glaring pace and scope issues for me.
***minor spoilers below***
Who allowed the five-year-old to sound about 35 and suggest they “sell some land to save the distillery” like truly in what world is that natural? “Jaxon had a good idea about selling off some of the land and keeping the distillery.” Like what??? He’s five.
Also Josh and Mia should have ended up together, they were the only two characters I liked.
Why in the world did the main conversation between Sanjay and Liam HAPPEN OFF THE PAGE????? Seriously. The entire plot hinged on that mistake ten years ago and the author couldn’t bear to write any more about its culmination?
May 20, 2022
2 stars
The Dating Plan is a fake dating, friends/enemies/friends to lovers romance story between Daisy Patel and Liam Murphy. Growing up, Liam was best friends with Daisy’s brother and over at their house all the time. Daisy was entirely in love with him, until he stood her up for her prom and disappeared for eight years. When Liam bumps into Daisy all these years later, he realizes she might be the perfect girl to help him get his inheritance. The only catch? They need to get married.
There is so much about this book that bugged me and yet I finished it? Maybe I should have quit but by the time I started realizing I didn’t like this book I was too far gone. The number one thing I was annoyed by was the heroine constantly being referred to as “weirdly smart” and then we didn’t get any examples of how smart she was except for frequent (and I mean FREQUENT) references to how much she loved Marvel. WE GET IT. SHE LIKES MARVEL. ENOUGH! And aside from that she had major “pick me” girl energy. “I’m not like other girls I like Marvel and love doing computer stuff”.
A lot of the most interesting plot points of the book were completely glossed over: Liam’s relationship with his brother, Daisy’s relationships with her father and brother. I just felt there were so many things that were started in the plot but not finished, or maybe it was me. For a fake dating trope the plot was all over the place.
And one tiny thing that bugged me more than it should have. Hockey games have three periods, between which are period breaks. There is no half time break in hockey, you’d think something like that would be caught before publication but maybe I’m being too picky.
The Dating Plan is a fake dating, friends/enemies/friends to lovers romance story between Daisy Patel and Liam Murphy. Growing up, Liam was best friends with Daisy’s brother and over at their house all the time. Daisy was entirely in love with him, until he stood her up for her prom and disappeared for eight years. When Liam bumps into Daisy all these years later, he realizes she might be the perfect girl to help him get his inheritance. The only catch? They need to get married.
There is so much about this book that bugged me and yet I finished it? Maybe I should have quit but by the time I started realizing I didn’t like this book I was too far gone. The number one thing I was annoyed by was the heroine constantly being referred to as “weirdly smart” and then we didn’t get any examples of how smart she was except for frequent (and I mean FREQUENT) references to how much she loved Marvel. WE GET IT. SHE LIKES MARVEL. ENOUGH! And aside from that she had major “pick me” girl energy. “I’m not like other girls I like Marvel and love doing computer stuff”.
A lot of the most interesting plot points of the book were completely glossed over: Liam’s relationship with his brother, Daisy’s relationships with her father and brother. I just felt there were so many things that were started in the plot but not finished, or maybe it was me. For a fake dating trope the plot was all over the place.
And one tiny thing that bugged me more than it should have. Hockey games have three periods, between which are period breaks. There is no half time break in hockey, you’d think something like that would be caught before publication but maybe I’m being too picky.
May 3, 2021
3.5 stars
At the start of this book, I was really enjoying the romance. I will say, I did question why Daisy never questions Liam about why he stood her up for prom and broke her heart. You'd think after not seeing each other for 10 years after that night, she'd at least ask him what happened...instead, we don't have that until over 60% into the book. I thought the romance was cute, though, and I enjoyed how Liam and Daisy had to fake date. They have a history because Liam was Daisy's brother's best friend and it was fun watching them get to know each other again and grow to like each other as they went on fake date. I did, though, start to lose interest a bit during the last 30%. Liam didn't really grovel at all and the third act break up was annoying because it didn't really have a reason. If the couple just talked to each other, the last 30% could have been avoided. While it was a fun enough read, I was left wanting more at the end.
At the start of this book, I was really enjoying the romance. I will say, I did question why Daisy never questions Liam about why he stood her up for prom and broke her heart. You'd think after not seeing each other for 10 years after that night, she'd at least ask him what happened...instead, we don't have that until over 60% into the book. I thought the romance was cute, though, and I enjoyed how Liam and Daisy had to fake date. They have a history because Liam was Daisy's brother's best friend and it was fun watching them get to know each other again and grow to like each other as they went on fake date. I did, though, start to lose interest a bit during the last 30%. Liam didn't really grovel at all and the third act break up was annoying because it didn't really have a reason. If the couple just talked to each other, the last 30% could have been avoided. While it was a fun enough read, I was left wanting more at the end.
March 16, 2021
I can’t seem to get enough of these sweet, sexy, emotional rom-coms! Add Sara Desai's new book,
The Dating Plan
to the list!
Ten years ago, Liam broke Daisy’s heart when he stood her up at the senior prom. He was her older brother’s best friend and a total rebel; she was the science geek with a major crush on him. She was ready to show him that she was more than just a lovestruck teenager, but when he didn’t show up for prom he disappeared from all of their lives.
Needless to say she’s utterly unprepared to see him again—and he’s even more handsome—in the midst of embarrassing chaos at a venture capital convention. Yet as she encounters matchmaking aunties and her ex-boyfriend, Liam comes to the rescue and they wind up telling everyone they’re engaged.
Of course, after the smoke clears, Daisy will be fine if she never sees Liam again, but news of her “engagement” quickly spreads among her family. Then it turns out Liam is in need of a wife as well if he’s going to get his inheritance and be able to save a distillery that’s been in his family for generations.
So, they do what any couple would do: fake their relationship, plan a wedding, set out to accomplish their objectives, and divorce. Seems easy, right? As Daisy outlines their plan of dates to give credence to their relationship and let Liam meet her family, she’s nothing but business. And this plan does not include sex of any kind. (Yeah, okay.)
But is Daisy setting herself up for Liam to break her heart a second time? Why did he stand her up for prom anyway? And could Liam, who is known for a new woman every five minutes, actually be falling for Daisy?
Fake-dating rom-coms are such fun, and Daisy and Liam are terrific characters with fantastic chemistry. Throw in some workplace drama, dysfunctional Irish and Indian families, and some sexy steam, and you get a great book.
The Dating Plan publishes 3/16/2021.
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2020 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2021/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2020.html.
Check out my list of the best books of the last decade at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/my-favorite-books-of-decade.html.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
Ten years ago, Liam broke Daisy’s heart when he stood her up at the senior prom. He was her older brother’s best friend and a total rebel; she was the science geek with a major crush on him. She was ready to show him that she was more than just a lovestruck teenager, but when he didn’t show up for prom he disappeared from all of their lives.
Needless to say she’s utterly unprepared to see him again—and he’s even more handsome—in the midst of embarrassing chaos at a venture capital convention. Yet as she encounters matchmaking aunties and her ex-boyfriend, Liam comes to the rescue and they wind up telling everyone they’re engaged.
Of course, after the smoke clears, Daisy will be fine if she never sees Liam again, but news of her “engagement” quickly spreads among her family. Then it turns out Liam is in need of a wife as well if he’s going to get his inheritance and be able to save a distillery that’s been in his family for generations.
So, they do what any couple would do: fake their relationship, plan a wedding, set out to accomplish their objectives, and divorce. Seems easy, right? As Daisy outlines their plan of dates to give credence to their relationship and let Liam meet her family, she’s nothing but business. And this plan does not include sex of any kind. (Yeah, okay.)
But is Daisy setting herself up for Liam to break her heart a second time? Why did he stand her up for prom anyway? And could Liam, who is known for a new woman every five minutes, actually be falling for Daisy?
Fake-dating rom-coms are such fun, and Daisy and Liam are terrific characters with fantastic chemistry. Throw in some workplace drama, dysfunctional Irish and Indian families, and some sexy steam, and you get a great book.
The Dating Plan publishes 3/16/2021.
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2020 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2021/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2020.html.
Check out my list of the best books of the last decade at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/my-favorite-books-of-decade.html.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
January 9, 2021
This was...disappointing. The premise is one that I was excited for but sadly I felt myself wishing for SOME kind of conflict to drive the story. It was literally what the title of the book is. A series of dates with a set of characters who already like each other but refuse to really do anything about it over small and insignificant reasons (and utterly fail at keeping their fake engagement a secret, almost everyone knew it was fake because they TOLD THEM).
The main pair were already into each other from the second they ran into each other (SO many instances of them admiring each other’s bodies, a lot of ass talk) leaving no room for the kind of relationship growth I wanted to see.
There was hardly a plot to keep me engaged. Things just “happened” as if random ideas were thrown in to try and create drama. I was constantly waiting for the story to start even by the time the book reached its conclusion.
It was a very frustrating read.
The main pair were already into each other from the second they ran into each other (SO many instances of them admiring each other’s bodies, a lot of ass talk) leaving no room for the kind of relationship growth I wanted to see.
There was hardly a plot to keep me engaged. Things just “happened” as if random ideas were thrown in to try and create drama. I was constantly waiting for the story to start even by the time the book reached its conclusion.
It was a very frustrating read.
March 14, 2021
Fake dating/fake engagement, childhood bffs-to-lovers, second chance romance..... THIS HAS ALL THE TROPES I LIKE. Also: brother's best friend and a hint of marriage of convenience!
Daisy and Liam were a fixture in each other's lives when they were younger. Liam's family situation was bad and so he often stayed with the Patels when things weren’t well at home. Eventually, Liam left town with his mother.
Upon meeting again, they end up with a fake engagement arrangement. Liam would inherit the family distillery (which means a lot to him) only if he gets married by a certain date. He wants to find someone to marry, but someone who’s not interested in him so she’s not lead on so he asks Daisy since Daisy made it clear she hated him. In return, Daisy gets her company saved by Liam's company and her family off her back in return, but they need to make the marriage look believable. Hence... the dating plan.
I really liked the romance aspect — even when Daisy was younger, Liam helped a lot in making her feel more comfortable in her own skin. Even as adults, he still was able to make her feel that way.
Daisy was keeping her distance and just wanted to follow along with the dating plan but she found it was easy to get comfortable and fall back into their banter. They have so many cute moments and stolen kisses... also "hamraaz" as a term of endearment <3
I love that there was character growth for both of them as well. Liam ending the book on okay terms with his brother + Daisy settling in a company she believes in. There are also more family moments with the Patels.
content warning: abusive parent, domestic abuse, alcoholism.
Thank you to Berkley for providing an ARC.
Daisy and Liam were a fixture in each other's lives when they were younger. Liam's family situation was bad and so he often stayed with the Patels when things weren’t well at home. Eventually, Liam left town with his mother.
Upon meeting again, they end up with a fake engagement arrangement. Liam would inherit the family distillery (which means a lot to him) only if he gets married by a certain date. He wants to find someone to marry, but someone who’s not interested in him so she’s not lead on so he asks Daisy since Daisy made it clear she hated him. In return, Daisy gets her company saved by Liam's company and her family off her back in return, but they need to make the marriage look believable. Hence... the dating plan.
I really liked the romance aspect — even when Daisy was younger, Liam helped a lot in making her feel more comfortable in her own skin. Even as adults, he still was able to make her feel that way.
“He acted like the old Liam, the one who’d made her feel like her quirks and lists and plans were perfectly normal, the one who’d made her laugh and kept her safe and filled the hole in her chest that her mother had left when she moved to New York, leaving her young family behind.”
Daisy was keeping her distance and just wanted to follow along with the dating plan but she found it was easy to get comfortable and fall back into their banter. They have so many cute moments and stolen kisses... also "hamraaz" as a term of endearment <3
I love that there was character growth for both of them as well. Liam ending the book on okay terms with his brother + Daisy settling in a company she believes in. There are also more family moments with the Patels.
content warning: abusive parent, domestic abuse, alcoholism.
Thank you to Berkley for providing an ARC.
April 14, 2021
This was a cute and fun read! Great palate cleanser and also a romcom where I was actually invested in the characters.
I think what I liked best was the diversity and cultural backgrounds provided on both families. This aspect made it stand out for me. I was also happy to have another lead female in the STEM field (similar to The Boyfriend Project). I appreciated how Daisy also didn't NEED a man in her life to survive and she was independent and capable on her own. Her love of The Marvel Universe made me laugh and was a nice touch as well.
This was my first Sara Desai book and I can't wait to read another! Many thanks to Berkley Books, Netgalley and the author for the widget in exchange for an honest review.
Review Date: 04/14/21
Publication Date: 03/16/21
I think what I liked best was the diversity and cultural backgrounds provided on both families. This aspect made it stand out for me. I was also happy to have another lead female in the STEM field (similar to The Boyfriend Project). I appreciated how Daisy also didn't NEED a man in her life to survive and she was independent and capable on her own. Her love of The Marvel Universe made me laugh and was a nice touch as well.
This was my first Sara Desai book and I can't wait to read another! Many thanks to Berkley Books, Netgalley and the author for the widget in exchange for an honest review.
Review Date: 04/14/21
Publication Date: 03/16/21
October 15, 2020
Hey, you!
*waves*
Yes, you!
*gestures*
Yes, come over here!
*flails arms wildly*
I need you to listen to me when I say that PEOPLE ARE SLEEPING ON SARA DESAI'S WORK AND THEY SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THEMSELVES.
I thoroughly enjoyed Desai's debut The Marriage Game earlier this year and couldn't wait to read Daisy's story. If you're someone who loves your rom-com hijinks high-key, your protagonists full of tension (and steam), and your side characters fun and lil bit outrageous, you're in for a treat with The Dating Plan. Liam was a broody little mess and Daisy was the perfect mix of smart and a touch quirky without going full-on Zooey Deschanel.
I know some folks want their romances to be realistic and serious, but if you appreciate theatrics (and/or who just needs a lighter read that has a few weighty moments), you're going to have fun with this series. Honestly, if someone doesn't make either of Sara Desai's books into a delightful Netflix film, I'm going to have to start yelling.
Content warning: Discussions of domestic violence, discussions of abandonment
*waves*
Yes, you!
*gestures*
Yes, come over here!
*flails arms wildly*
I need you to listen to me when I say that PEOPLE ARE SLEEPING ON SARA DESAI'S WORK AND THEY SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THEMSELVES.
I thoroughly enjoyed Desai's debut The Marriage Game earlier this year and couldn't wait to read Daisy's story. If you're someone who loves your rom-com hijinks high-key, your protagonists full of tension (and steam), and your side characters fun and lil bit outrageous, you're in for a treat with The Dating Plan. Liam was a broody little mess and Daisy was the perfect mix of smart and a touch quirky without going full-on Zooey Deschanel.
I know some folks want their romances to be realistic and serious, but if you appreciate theatrics (and/or who just needs a lighter read that has a few weighty moments), you're going to have fun with this series. Honestly, if someone doesn't make either of Sara Desai's books into a delightful Netflix film, I'm going to have to start yelling.
Content warning: Discussions of domestic violence, discussions of abandonment
Shelved as 'dnf'
February 6, 2021DNF at 30%
Unfortunately I just don't think this book is going to work for me, mostly because I find the hero incredibly irritating and don't like him. I typically love fake dating/marriage of convenience tropes, I like the heroine who is a smart software engineer. But this is a romance, and unfortunately the hero is kind of a jerk but I think we're supposed to find it cute. He talks down on the nerdy things the heroine likes to do in the name of "banter" but really just comes across as him being an asshole. At least to me. He mocks her wanting to watch movies or get coffee and I just wasn't into it. I think it's supposed to be cute, but if I'm not rooting for the couple to be together it's not effective for me as a romance. That said, people like different things in their romantic heroes so I'm sure others will enjoy this. I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Unfortunately I just don't think this book is going to work for me, mostly because I find the hero incredibly irritating and don't like him. I typically love fake dating/marriage of convenience tropes, I like the heroine who is a smart software engineer. But this is a romance, and unfortunately the hero is kind of a jerk but I think we're supposed to find it cute. He talks down on the nerdy things the heroine likes to do in the name of "banter" but really just comes across as him being an asshole. At least to me. He mocks her wanting to watch movies or get coffee and I just wasn't into it. I think it's supposed to be cute, but if I'm not rooting for the couple to be together it's not effective for me as a romance. That said, people like different things in their romantic heroes so I'm sure others will enjoy this. I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
September 5, 2021
A fun rom-com with endearing characters. I did find the graphic sex scenes a bit tedious. The panting and thrusting went on and on and I fell asleep more than once before the climax...
November 26, 2021
actual rating ↣ 3.5
Fake engagement. Romantic angst. Lighthearted dynamics. This romantic comedy explores the past of ten years that navigated the unmet expectations of high school promises and a present that has brought the two, Daisy as the heartbroken and Liam as the heart-breaker, in a typical desi, familial circumstance that inevitably demanded their commitment. Starting with humour and sustained with emotions, this dramatic tale consistently entertains as the two characters attempt to plant something new, even if supposedly fake, while plucking out the bygone thorns.
Not only does the story unravel the complexities and beauty of an interracial relationship—Indian x Irish—and the admirable trope of enemies-to-lovers through steamy and ardent sequences, but also the appreciable South Asian representation that isn't burdened by the weigh of stereotypical reactions or rebellious disattachment, and instead strengthened by the inquisitive yet hilarious attitude of aunties, the steady support of a single father, the deliciousness of food references, and the stunning backdrop of a desi wedding. Maybe a little over the top but definitely fun, this quick read is worth escaping through.
↣ digital copy received via the publicist ↢
04.04.2021 a sweet + sexy adult romance with a classic fake dating trope that leads to adorable and emotional moments; cliché at places but that doesn't mean one can't enjoy — also, love the desi food references. rtc.
28.07.2021 when i see a pink-haired indian heroine, i'm already sure i'll love her and now that i know i'll love her, i'm very much interested in this fake dating + enemies to lovers story OMG.
January 19, 2021
this book exists in an alternate universe where hockey games are played in halves
May 8, 2021
The Dating Plan is a cute romantic comedy and a fake relationship. Daisy’s relatives are always trying to set her up on dates. Liam discovers he will only receive his inheritance of the family business if he is married. They decide to have a fake marriage, but for it to look real, they have to go on dates. During the dates they both develop feelings for each other. Can they move past what happened years ago? Why did Liam stand Daisy up for prom and disappear? They remember happy childhood memories together. I really enjoyed The Dating Plan. The romance is cute and I was invested throughout the book. Daisy and Liam are both very interesting characters. I enjoyed seeing how their different personalities interacted. I liked that Daisy is a career focused engineer. Family is an important part of the book. Daisy’s father doesn’t like Liam after prom. Daisy and Liam both try to make their families proud. There is Indian culture throughout the book. This is the second book in the Date Game series but can be read as a standalone. I didn’t read the first book and do not feel like I missed anything.
Thank you Berkley Romance for The Dating Plan.
Full Review: https://justreadingjess.wordpress.com...
Thank you Berkley Romance for The Dating Plan.
Full Review: https://justreadingjess.wordpress.com...
January 20, 2021
I picked this book for my Janurary Book of the Month subscrption and boy, was I disappointed.
I really hate to nitpick, but I noticed a couple of errors that made me pause and sigh. For one, the prom fiasco was intially described as Daisy being the nerdy freshmen going with the popular senior. Near the middle of the book, the story becomes that Liam stood her up during her senior prom. So which was it? Second, this book could have used a few more rounds of editing because there were some run-on sentences that confused the heck out of me!
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.
Third, the characters are straight up ANNOYING. There was no part of me that liked either Daisy or Liam. My biggest issue with Daisy is that she reads as neurodivergent, but she (and everyone else) just calls her nerdy and/or quirky. Her distant-mother used the phrase “weirdly smart” and part of me believes her mother probably thought that Daisy was on the spectrum and meant it to be hurtful. I’m honestly so tired of authors coding characters as neurodivergent as if it’s cute and quirky, especially if they are in the technology field. It’s ugly and boring and needs to stop! Second, I had no respect for Daisy because she would say one thing and then either do/or show something else. She claimed to loathe Liam after their first re-encounter, but she jumped on the chance to be his fake fiancee. Honestly, I generally felt little depth for both Liam and Daisy. They were so one-dimensial that I wasn’t rooting for either of them.
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.
I really hate to be negative in book reviews, but oof! This one was a serious doozy to get through. If I had gotten it from the library, I would have simply put it down, but because I spent money on it, I forced myself to get to the end.
I really hate to nitpick, but I noticed a couple of errors that made me pause and sigh. For one, the prom fiasco was intially described as Daisy being the nerdy freshmen going with the popular senior. Near the middle of the book, the story becomes that Liam stood her up during her senior prom. So which was it? Second, this book could have used a few more rounds of editing because there were some run-on sentences that confused the heck out of me!
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.
Third, the characters are straight up ANNOYING. There was no part of me that liked either Daisy or Liam. My biggest issue with Daisy is that she reads as neurodivergent, but she (and everyone else) just calls her nerdy and/or quirky. Her distant-mother used the phrase “weirdly smart” and part of me believes her mother probably thought that Daisy was on the spectrum and meant it to be hurtful. I’m honestly so tired of authors coding characters as neurodivergent as if it’s cute and quirky, especially if they are in the technology field. It’s ugly and boring and needs to stop! Second, I had no respect for Daisy because she would say one thing and then either do/or show something else. She claimed to loathe Liam after their first re-encounter, but she jumped on the chance to be his fake fiancee. Honestly, I generally felt little depth for both Liam and Daisy. They were so one-dimensial that I wasn’t rooting for either of them.
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.
I really hate to be negative in book reviews, but oof! This one was a serious doozy to get through. If I had gotten it from the library, I would have simply put it down, but because I spent money on it, I forced myself to get to the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 21, 2021
The short version is:
No. ❤️
The long version is:
Clears throat, taps mic...buckle up buttercup, this was one of the worst books I've ever read. There's not a damn thing I liked about this book. I only finished it because it was such a car wreck. Major spoilers below.
Let's start here. We don't grope people in their sleep. I'm gonna repeat this louder, though I didn't think I would need to. WE DON'T GROPE PEOPLE IN THEIR SLEEP. Of all the one star reviews, I cannot believe I'm the only one to mention this. This was on fake date #2. This is maybe the first time Daisy doesn't loathe Liam - his family is awful to him and calls her an escort, and then her dog ends up at the vet (it's been the longest day for both characters), so she feels bad for him, he takes her home from the vet and they end up playing Guitar Hero. She crawls up and snuggles next to him at some point and it was just 100% out of character. There was zero build up to them actually being touchy-feely with each other. Zero. Like, she hated him earlier in the day and now she's just leaning her head on his shoulder??? Very disjointed. Then they accidentally fall asleep on the couch, and when she wakes up they're snuggled up together. So what does she do? Literally reaches down and gropes the man, while he sleeps. There is ZERO consent, zero reason to think he would be into that. Also, zero reason Daisy would do this.
The amount of lip licking in this book is bananas. Not even before characters kiss. It's just constantly mentioned that they are licking their lips. What is going on???
This book falls into so many clichés. I cannot be convinced this author didn't choose them all by throwing darts at different tropes. "She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding," came through at like 20% in and I was like, oh here we go.
Daisy is so quirky. Think Jess from New Girl, but worse. Colorful hats, patterned tights, Iron Man and other Avengers covering all of her underwear and posted all over her walls. Look - I love some nerdy shit as much as the next person. I have a Death Star tattoo. I cried during End Game. But my entire personality isn't "I love the Avengers" which is literally all Daisy's was. And I mean, she literally ONLY liked the Avengers. It was like they were the only movies to exist. Daisy is quirky and weird, and likes to dress out of "typical" style, yet when Liam takes her to a Sharks game (THERE'S NO HALFTIME IN HOCKEY Y'ALL), she throws a fit about wearing a Shark hat, or any kind of game paraphernalia. Why not? You'd think she'd jump at that chance.
The hockey game also missed a huge opportunity. They were on the jumbotron. Her dad loves hockey. They could have used that as the moment the dad finds out. But no.
These two people have apparently been in love with each other since they were teenagers. Daisy was unpopular and teased in high school and Liam was the hot kid that everyone either wanted, or wanted to be. But apparently he fell in love with Daisy and has held a torch for her for the last decade, though he literally stood her up on prom night and then VANISHED from their lives. He was her brother's best friend, and basically lived at their house for 8 years, but left without a word. The family was furious. But then we find out he did it to save A) his mom from her abusive marriage, and B) to protect Daisy's brother who got into a car accident while high. Liam took the fall and vanished. This is an annoying reason for him to leave. He could have said he was in a car accident without ratting out the brother, he could have explained he has to take his mom somewhere, or that his parents are separating and he has to go with the mom. He didn't have to spill all the beans about either situation. But instead, he just VANISHES. And the brother, knowing ALL ALONG he was just saving his skin, let the family hate his best friend, for a DECADE.
Liam was also the brother's best friend. But the brother doesn't show up until the 95% mark. And we only see him interact with Daisy for about 2 seconds and then he tells her Liam is the best guy and the only one deserving of Daisy, and then he just....disappears again? We never see him interact with Liam. Never. For this story to be about falling for your brother's best friend, there's shockingly little 'brother' in the story.
The being stood up at the prom angle - multiple issues with it, but when they first run into each other, Liam is like, are you still mad about that? It was like, ten years ago??? And Daisy deadass knows the exact number of years, months, days, and MINUTES ago that she was stood up. So clearly she's FURIOUS and has been for ten years. Yet by fake date 2 she is groping the man. Everything is a mixed message in this book.
This entire book missed the "show don't tell" premise.
Motorcycle guys. Honestly, when are we going to retire them? They're not cute. I've never seen a guy drive down the street on his loud ass Harley and been like *swoon* what a hunk! No. It just doesn't happen. He is also apparently a really successful business dude, but when he was 20 he was in a shady biker gang for 3 years and did shady shit. Because OF COURSE HE DID.
The side characters. How many unnecessary exes or "friends" of Liam's did we need to meet? They were really just there to show how unlike his other relationships Daisy was. Everyone they met would ask, "No really, who is she?" every time he introduced her as his fiancée. Daisy's coworkers are super present at the beginning of this book and then they just kind of fade away and are just mentioned here and there. The same with the aunties. Apparently this girl has 67 aunties and they all meddle. They track her down at work events and bombard her with men to marry. It's aggressive and unnecessary.
The solution to all the problems - it's literally figured out by a five year old. Seriously, the five year old nephew figures it out for them. He goes missing during a demolition and no one runs over and stops the demo crew, they just run around looking for the child. Then part of the building gets knocked down and they panic. But do they run? No, we spend the time with Liam having a mental tangent about love. Like, the child might be in the building that's actively being torn down, and we're just gonna take a little aside. FRIENDS...no! Now is not the time. They find the child, who declares his interest in taking over the family business and ta-da! They decide to keep the building and figure out a way to restore it. Love wins. ❤️
The two brothers also have a terrible relationship and are always screaming at each other, and yet, not once in all of those fights did the truth ever come out. Like "I felt abandoned by you" and "I did the best I could to get you and mom out of the house!" No. They have screaming matches, and PHYSICAL fights all the time, but this was never said before????
The crème de la crème of this book is their first sex scene. I could have done without any of their sex scenes, but I laughed for 42 years about this scene. How did no one else catch it? The author literally took the Twilight sex scene (that we've all been laughing at for years) and just made it smutty. Like he SHATTERS her headboard with his bare hands. He's JUST A MAN. What is her furniture made of? Sawdust???
I could keep going but this is already longer than any report I wrote in college, so I guess I'll stop here, but guys. It was so bad.
No. ❤️
The long version is:
Clears throat, taps mic...buckle up buttercup, this was one of the worst books I've ever read. There's not a damn thing I liked about this book. I only finished it because it was such a car wreck. Major spoilers below.
Let's start here. We don't grope people in their sleep. I'm gonna repeat this louder, though I didn't think I would need to. WE DON'T GROPE PEOPLE IN THEIR SLEEP. Of all the one star reviews, I cannot believe I'm the only one to mention this. This was on fake date #2. This is maybe the first time Daisy doesn't loathe Liam - his family is awful to him and calls her an escort, and then her dog ends up at the vet (it's been the longest day for both characters), so she feels bad for him, he takes her home from the vet and they end up playing Guitar Hero. She crawls up and snuggles next to him at some point and it was just 100% out of character. There was zero build up to them actually being touchy-feely with each other. Zero. Like, she hated him earlier in the day and now she's just leaning her head on his shoulder??? Very disjointed. Then they accidentally fall asleep on the couch, and when she wakes up they're snuggled up together. So what does she do? Literally reaches down and gropes the man, while he sleeps. There is ZERO consent, zero reason to think he would be into that. Also, zero reason Daisy would do this.
The amount of lip licking in this book is bananas. Not even before characters kiss. It's just constantly mentioned that they are licking their lips. What is going on???
This book falls into so many clichés. I cannot be convinced this author didn't choose them all by throwing darts at different tropes. "She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding," came through at like 20% in and I was like, oh here we go.
Daisy is so quirky. Think Jess from New Girl, but worse. Colorful hats, patterned tights, Iron Man and other Avengers covering all of her underwear and posted all over her walls. Look - I love some nerdy shit as much as the next person. I have a Death Star tattoo. I cried during End Game. But my entire personality isn't "I love the Avengers" which is literally all Daisy's was. And I mean, she literally ONLY liked the Avengers. It was like they were the only movies to exist. Daisy is quirky and weird, and likes to dress out of "typical" style, yet when Liam takes her to a Sharks game (THERE'S NO HALFTIME IN HOCKEY Y'ALL), she throws a fit about wearing a Shark hat, or any kind of game paraphernalia. Why not? You'd think she'd jump at that chance.
The hockey game also missed a huge opportunity. They were on the jumbotron. Her dad loves hockey. They could have used that as the moment the dad finds out. But no.
These two people have apparently been in love with each other since they were teenagers. Daisy was unpopular and teased in high school and Liam was the hot kid that everyone either wanted, or wanted to be. But apparently he fell in love with Daisy and has held a torch for her for the last decade, though he literally stood her up on prom night and then VANISHED from their lives. He was her brother's best friend, and basically lived at their house for 8 years, but left without a word. The family was furious. But then we find out he did it to save A) his mom from her abusive marriage, and B) to protect Daisy's brother who got into a car accident while high. Liam took the fall and vanished. This is an annoying reason for him to leave. He could have said he was in a car accident without ratting out the brother, he could have explained he has to take his mom somewhere, or that his parents are separating and he has to go with the mom. He didn't have to spill all the beans about either situation. But instead, he just VANISHES. And the brother, knowing ALL ALONG he was just saving his skin, let the family hate his best friend, for a DECADE.
Liam was also the brother's best friend. But the brother doesn't show up until the 95% mark. And we only see him interact with Daisy for about 2 seconds and then he tells her Liam is the best guy and the only one deserving of Daisy, and then he just....disappears again? We never see him interact with Liam. Never. For this story to be about falling for your brother's best friend, there's shockingly little 'brother' in the story.
The being stood up at the prom angle - multiple issues with it, but when they first run into each other, Liam is like, are you still mad about that? It was like, ten years ago??? And Daisy deadass knows the exact number of years, months, days, and MINUTES ago that she was stood up. So clearly she's FURIOUS and has been for ten years. Yet by fake date 2 she is groping the man. Everything is a mixed message in this book.
This entire book missed the "show don't tell" premise.
Motorcycle guys. Honestly, when are we going to retire them? They're not cute. I've never seen a guy drive down the street on his loud ass Harley and been like *swoon* what a hunk! No. It just doesn't happen. He is also apparently a really successful business dude, but when he was 20 he was in a shady biker gang for 3 years and did shady shit. Because OF COURSE HE DID.
The side characters. How many unnecessary exes or "friends" of Liam's did we need to meet? They were really just there to show how unlike his other relationships Daisy was. Everyone they met would ask, "No really, who is she?" every time he introduced her as his fiancée. Daisy's coworkers are super present at the beginning of this book and then they just kind of fade away and are just mentioned here and there. The same with the aunties. Apparently this girl has 67 aunties and they all meddle. They track her down at work events and bombard her with men to marry. It's aggressive and unnecessary.
The solution to all the problems - it's literally figured out by a five year old. Seriously, the five year old nephew figures it out for them. He goes missing during a demolition and no one runs over and stops the demo crew, they just run around looking for the child. Then part of the building gets knocked down and they panic. But do they run? No, we spend the time with Liam having a mental tangent about love. Like, the child might be in the building that's actively being torn down, and we're just gonna take a little aside. FRIENDS...no! Now is not the time. They find the child, who declares his interest in taking over the family business and ta-da! They decide to keep the building and figure out a way to restore it. Love wins. ❤️
The two brothers also have a terrible relationship and are always screaming at each other, and yet, not once in all of those fights did the truth ever come out. Like "I felt abandoned by you" and "I did the best I could to get you and mom out of the house!" No. They have screaming matches, and PHYSICAL fights all the time, but this was never said before????
The crème de la crème of this book is their first sex scene. I could have done without any of their sex scenes, but I laughed for 42 years about this scene. How did no one else catch it? The author literally took the Twilight sex scene (that we've all been laughing at for years) and just made it smutty. Like he SHATTERS her headboard with his bare hands. He's JUST A MAN. What is her furniture made of? Sawdust???
I could keep going but this is already longer than any report I wrote in college, so I guess I'll stop here, but guys. It was so bad.
March 28, 2021
Sarah Desai’s The Dating Plan is one enjoyable read in the fake dating, fake fiancée, and second chance at love trope that I really do personally enjoy in the romcom genre. The characters were great especially our main lead, Daisy Patel who represents STEM as a talented software engineer with a slight marvel obsession. At a conference, Daisy meets Liam, her childhood crush, who was also the same guy who stood her up on her senior prom night. They both have something to gain by pursuing their fake relationship – Liam can secure his inheritance and Daisy can get her meddling aunties off her back.
I found the story so endearing and a true joy to read. I was swooning right from the start for Daisy and Liam’s obvious chemistry and attraction. I love the STEM representation as well as multiracial couple, and I can totally relate with the meddling aunties. I have not read Sarah’s previous book, and now I am certainly a huge fan. What a fun and entertaining book I simply adored.
I found the story so endearing and a true joy to read. I was swooning right from the start for Daisy and Liam’s obvious chemistry and attraction. I love the STEM representation as well as multiracial couple, and I can totally relate with the meddling aunties. I have not read Sarah’s previous book, and now I am certainly a huge fan. What a fun and entertaining book I simply adored.
August 18, 2022
I read wonderful book with title Dating Dr. Dil. So I was so excited when I picked up The Dating Plan. Alas, this book does not reach it's potential. Miss Desai fails to bring the comedy into the romance. I also wish the India culture to be prominent of the theme.
Daisy is quirky. I like her OK. But her obsession with Marvel is being told and shown in the story too much. I got bored with her character toward the end.
Liam meanwhile is flat hero. I want to see more depth and more complex from this character.
The idea of the story is promising. I like how their dates go.
3 stars
Daisy is quirky. I like her OK. But her obsession with Marvel is being told and shown in the story too much. I got bored with her character toward the end.
Liam meanwhile is flat hero. I want to see more depth and more complex from this character.
The idea of the story is promising. I like how their dates go.
3 stars
August 26, 2021
there's nothing i love more than witty, intelligent, sarcastic but sweet characters ugh
it was really cute !
it was really cute !
July 24, 2021
I took way to long to write this review; however, if you want to know my thoughts check out my video review here: https://youtu.be/D5Vfq-O_97c.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 5,515 reviews