Audiobook narrated by Soneela Nankani

In my review of Sara Desai's previous novel, THE MARRIAGE GAME, I mentioned that I went in with zero expectations. I loved that book so much that when I went into THE DATING PLAN, my expectations were pretty high. Suffice it to say, they were met. I would be hard-pressed to find a romance novel from this year that I love more than this one; Liam and Daisy’s story was so special. This book gripped me from the very first page when Daisy, at a conference for work, walks into the bathroom at the venue and hears her ex-boyfriend having sex with her old boss. It gets worse when her family shows up with a marriage prospect for her. And then things progress further when she runs into her teenage crush with an armful of feminine hygiene products that promptly go flying everywhere. This sets the tone for the entire story, told with razor-sharp wit. 

Liam, Daisy’s older brother’s best friend, spent a lot of time at her house when they were younger, and she fell for him like a ton of bricks. Clearly, it was one-sided, as he never showed up to take her to prom as he promised. When Daisy runs into Liam after years of not seeing or hearing from him, it’s clear her grudge runs deep. But Liam hasn’t changed--he’s as charming as ever, and Daisy’s in danger of falling for him all over again. When he proposes a finite marriage of convenience to take care of both of their problems, Daisy has all she can do to keep a hold on her emotions.

Like I said in the intro, this story was so special. It was so much fun, and that’s credited in large part to Daisy’s family. They were so loving and funny, so desperate to find a husband for Daisy, that there was no suspicion at all when Liam entered the picture. They just wanted her happily married and popping out babies like she’s "supposed to." Along with that, there’s Max, Daisy’s dog that she adores and is her partner in crime, appearances from Layla and Sam (including a hilarious scene in which Liam and Sam celebrate being able to carry swords at their weddings,) the broken headboard (enough said,) and Liam’s hilarious jealousy over Daisy’s healthy sex life before she met him. But it’s not all fun and games; Liam and Daisy have very real issues they’re trying to work through that haunt them even now, and there is a particularly poignant scene between Liam and Daisy’s father that really hit my heart. This book had it all. Every bit of it captured my heart, and I was rooting so hard for Daisy and Liam to find their way together.

THE DATING PLANby Sara Desai was such a spectacular read. It was full of eccentricity and charm, and I was left utterly besotted.

Narration: I was thrilled to see that Soneela Nankani was narrating THE DATING PLAN, as she narrated the first book and did a fabulous job. Same here. She did a great job with the accents, and she really captures the spirit of these characters. I loved her voice for Daisy; the vulnerability that she gave her even while she was strong. And Liam’s banter was always so spot on. I just love what she did with this story. I can’t wait to listen to more from her, and I’m so excited to see she’ll be narrating the next book in this series!