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The Dating Plan Book Review

In this vibrant novel about a wedding of convenience, nothing comes easy—from a bathroom mishap to a boardroom fail, Liam's and Daisy's romance seems off to a tumultuous start, for sure! But these characters are instantly lovable from the first pages, and readers will be invested in their happily-ever-after even when the going gets bleak. Sara Desai knows how to craft a romance that is both trope-y and grounded, entertaining and thought-provoking all at once.

Sara 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. You can find her online at SaraDesai.com. You can find more of my reviews of Sara's works here.

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 fiancé. 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 ten 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. 

While I've read many books that have fake dating as one of the main tropes, faking engagement is a whole new trope level for me. I was so glad to get to explore it with Sara Desai's sophomore novel, The Dating Plan. While I personally would never be sold on fake fiancé's, Desai's writing allows any type of reader to suspend all belief, especially after reading about Daisy's and Liam's pasts. And isn't a romance novel one of the best places to suspend belief, anyways? Desai truly takes us on a tumultuous journey through Liam's and Daisy's fake engagement, peppered with dates and family meddling and much drama. This story is so engaging—I devoured it in less than a day!

Don't let the cover and the tropes fool you, though—this is a book that tackles some pretty heavy topics, including but not limited to abusive familial relationships and family legacies. These heavy storylines are mostly connected to Liam's side of the story, although Daisy also faces her own share of hardship with medical issues and meddling family. While there were some fictitious twists-and-turns, everything in The Dating Plan feels completely real. I also appreciated how nothing was a "taboo topic"—meaning, there was compassion and care in depiction of difficult topics, but also a real strength and trust in bringing everything up honestly. 

This story also hits close to home for me, with one of my favorite themes: adapting to change. It isn't a super honed-in on focus in the book, which is why I think it's so powerful. Desai is able to subtly demonstrate Daisy's shifting focus from always having a plan to living a bit more spontaneously. On the flip side, we also see how Liam shifts from being such a free spirit to someone a bit more grounded. The character arcs here wouldn't be believable without all the trials and tribulations, of course. But I really liked how the story was truly about how people adapt to change and can readapt to one another. It made for a truly beautiful story all around. 

Daisy's and Liam's story is preceded by Layla's, her best friend's, in The Marriage Game, and succeeded by the novel The Singles Table which follows Zara Patel's romance. Stay tuned for my review! 

*This review can also be found on my Goodreads page*

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