Sharma, Nisha. Dating Dr. Dil. Avon, 2022. ISBN 978-0063001107 384 pp. $15.99

***

There is something so compelling about the tension between modern day Indian women and their traditional parents who want to see their daughters married off, and the adolescent-like lifestyle of sneaking around and dressing in modern clothes and showing up for family in cultural garb and extending the conceit that nice girls avoid sex and alcohol. And, these novels are rich with family, food, and other cultural details.

In Dating Dr. Dil, antique automobile aficionado Kareena has been working to buy the home her now-deceased mother built, that her father and grandmother want to sell. The pressure to marry is on because her younger sister is engaged. When she agrees to go with her influencer wanna-be sister to a taping of a local doctor’s medical talk show addressing heart health, her outburst at Dr. Dil’s anti-romance stance goes viral.

Since her relatives have given her a four-month reprieve to get engaged and keep the family’s house, she and Dr. Dil strike a deal to act as lovers and get both of their families off their backs. Will she convince him that soulmates are a real thing, or will his heart stay impervious to love?

This had all the elements I love–humor, food, family dynamics. The only thing I didn’t care for were Prem’s affectionate terms for Kareena while actively trying to get her to sleep with him. It was just a little too slimy. His nobleness in wanting to provide healthcare for his community almost redeems him. Kareena, though, was a kick-ass character.

I received an advance reader’s review copy of #DatingDrDil from #NetGalley.