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Dating Dr. Dil Book Review

Nisha Sharma's first If Shakespeare Was an Aunty series book, Dating Dr. Dil is just as rompy as it sounds. With a healthcare talk show, sister's wedding, and a house on the line, these two characters have a lot to handle—including each other. Sharma is able to create a trope-y read that also starts to explore the complexities of culture and tradition.

Nisha Sharma is the award-winning author of YA and contemporary romance. She grew up immersed in Bollywood movies, eighties pop culture, and romance novels, so it comes as no surprise that her work features all three. She lives in Pennslyvania with her Alaskan-born husband; her cat, Lizzie Bennett; and her dog, Nancy Drew. You can learn more about Sharma online at nisha-sharma.com.

Kareena dreams of having a perfect love story like her parents did. That's why on the morning of her thirtieth birthday, she's decided to suit up and enter the dating arena. When her widowed father announces he's retiring and selling their home after her sister's engagement party, Kareena makes a deal with him. If she can find her soulmate by the date of the party, he'll gift her the house, and she'll be able to keep her mother's legacy alive. Prem doesn't have time for romance, which is why it's no surprise when his first meeting with Kareena goes awry. Their second encounter is worse when their on-air debate about love goes viral. Now Prem's largest community center donor is backing out because Prem's reputation as a heart-health expert is at risk. To get back in his donor's good graces, he needs to fix his image fast, and dating Kareena is his only option. Even though they have warring interests, the more time Prem spends with Kareena, the more he thinks she might actually be the woman he wants to spend the rest of his life with. In this Taming of the Shrew re-imagination, for Prem and Kareena to find their happily ever after, they must admit that hate has turned into fate. 

Dating Dr. Dil is a retelling of Shakesepare's Taming of the Shrew, which I only vaguely know the concept for, and thus can't fully relate the two, and say how well Sharma did with the retelling aspect. I will say, however, that the whole "if Shakesepare was an Aunty" concept is super fun, and I'm so glad that it inspired a trilogy of books with South Asian characters as its main characters. This gives Sharma the opportunity to harken to some very familiar Shakespearean tropes and storytelling elements, while also bringing to light people and cultures and traditions not often seen in contemporary romance.

This story had an interesting format that kept it refreshing. There was the standard alternating point of view chapters with Prem and Kareena, which most contemporary romance readers love. There was also the WhatsApp Aunty group chats and other text threads with the characters, which I always love to see, because it's another eye into how the characters communicate. Sharma also introduces really short news updates from a famous reporter/matchmaking "expert" that provides updates on how to best matchmake. And finally, the romantic moments between Prem and Kareena are often broken up by the introduction of short conversations they had during their very first meeting. While this wasn't my favorite way for Prem to demonstrate that he was paying attention to Kareena, I understood the intent and necessity to set the interactions up like this. All-in-all, Sharma crafts a story that's a mix of prose and media, and even gives us a playlist at the end. It definitely gives the book a modern twist!

Like many readers, though, there were just some elements that felt too cringey to truly feel comedic. Take Charlie, for example. While the author did go in-depth on TikTok about this choice, I found that without that explanatory scene, all references of Charlie were off-putting rather than enlightening. The inclusion of this scene, too, would have helped readers understand Prem as a character better. We get to see a lot of Kareena's family, and understand her family's culture with her dad and sister and grandmother; but we hardly get that reciprocated for Prem. This makes his reunion scene with his mother, and his coming-to-terms with feelings for his ex-fiancée fall flatter than they could have. There was real potential for Prem to explore his past with his ex-fiancée and with his mother, and it was disappointing that it didn't fully deliver.

The second book in the trilogy has yet to be announced, but it will most likely follow one of Prem's or Kareena's friends/cousins. You can learn more about Sharma online at nisha-sharma.com.

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

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