The Marriage Game

Layla Patel and Sam Mehta are both promised an office above Layla's family's restaurant. Sam by lease. Layla by blood (and because she is wanting to start her own business, her father wanting to assist and help get her on her feet). When they both realize that they will be sharing the space with each other (after her father suffers a heart attack and cannot clear the issue while recovering), they immediately butt heads. Sam is far too uptight. He keeps everything so neat and in order. In piles, even! Layla, on the other hand, is far more chaotic, far more free-spirited. Layla soon realizes that her father, awaiting her return from NYC, had spent hours on a dating/marriage site sorting through marriage resumes, wanting to help his daughter find a good man as opposed to the losers she has been choosing. Seeing how she hasn't had any luck in love - just a lot of one-night stands and bad boyfriends - she decides to meet the men that her father put on the 'yes' list. Sam agrees to chaperone her blind dates for fear that Layla might end up with someone that will hurt her much like his sister's ex-husband hurt her. So, they make a game of it. If Layla meets a respectable man that she can see herself marrying, she gives up the office space. If she doesn't, Sam must find a new place. I think you know where this is going!

When I first read The Dating Plan by Sara Desai, I had no idea that there was a first book to the series. While I enjoyed The Dating Plan, I absolutely loved this a lot more. It was funny, sweet, sexy, and everything a romantic comedy should be! My only beef with this book is that I really wanted to know whether or not Nisha's ex-husband got taken down like I was hoping he would, but we never got to see the outcome of that. Otherwise, very solid! Loved it! I believe there is a third coming out at the end of this year or beginning of next. I'm looking forward to it!

I liked The Dating Plan better than this but it was still a lovely read. Not sure why people on here are so harsh on romance novels; I expect them to be funny, sexy, and a slightly fluffy distraction without being corny, and this book was all that. The lead was endearing, it had a great ending, and the scene with the gauntlet of aunties had me laughing out loud.

Hard to be interested in a romance where the male lead is a total asshole the whole time. He's coldhearted and mean and we're supposed to find him charming because the *banter* and he LOVES her - but he only shows that love by being possessive and jealous. A few steamy scenes doesn't make up for how he acts in the rest of the book. Also, it doesn't seem like he loves anything about her other than her body. Maybe i'd find the love story more plausible if he had a single thought about her that didn't include fantasies about her breasts. Genuinely painful to read his perspective.

The whole idea is Layla needs to move on from the selfish assholes she's dated in the past, but there's no evidence he's any different. Honestly, I don't think there's anything he could do to redeem himself after the 2nd act breakup.

I was honestly hoping the book would subvert expectations with Layla realizing she deserves better but no dice. Very hard to get through the ending. The whole novel reeks of internalized misogyny.

Leila and Sam were absolutely hilarious. I love their banter and the way they do effortlessly fit into each other’s lives. There were a few points that I wanted to wring Sam’s neck, but Leila always carried herself with such a strong no-fucks-given attitude, you knew she could stand up for herself. In the end, Leila asks Sam to marry her - a perfect way to end the book. Neither Leila or Sam thought they’d want to both win and lose The Marriage Game, but it turned out to be the best win-win scenario.