Gifted: Dating Dr. Dil by Nisha Sharma

Dating Dr. Dil by Nisha Sharma
Release Date: 14 April 2022

Waterstones | The Works | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon US

Kareena Mann dreams of having a love story like her parents', but she prefers restoring her classic car to swiping right on dating apps. When her father announces he's selling her late mother's home, Kareena makes a deal with him: he'll gift her the house if she can get engaged in four months. But her search for a soul mate becomes impossible when her argument with Dr. Prem Verma, host of The Dr. Dil Show, goes viral. Now the only man in her life is the one she doesn't want. 

Dr. Prem Verma is dedicated to building a local community health center, but he needs to get donors with deep pockets. The Dr, Dil Show was doing just that until his argument with Kareena went viral, and he was left shortchanged. That's when Kareena's meddlinh aunties present Prem with a solution: convince Kareena he's her soul mate and he'll regain funding for his clinic. 

Even though his views on love matches and arranged matches conflict with hers, Prem finds the more he's with Kareena, the more he beings to believe she's the woman he wants to spend the rest of his life with. But for Prem and Kareena to find their happily ever after, they must admit that hate has turned into fate. 

Anger. Crying. Laughing. Squealing. Back to crying. 

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ out of 5 stars

Trope: Enemies-to-Lovers/Fake-Dating

Two people with completely different meanings of love come together with a plan. A plan that will benefit them both whilst also satisfying their Asian families.

Kareena has always believed in love. She believed that what her parents showed her when she was younger was true love. She wanted what most girls wanted, a happily ever after. Yet, not having a motherly figure there to guide her anymore she can not freely go ask for advice. 

Prem (aka Dr. Dil) does not believe in love. He believes love is an illusion, the feeling that may exist is simply connection between two souls. Having this set view may not be every girls dream, and it definitely was not Kareena's ideal type.

From their hatred only grew a burning desire to love one another. 

This book had a very slow beginning and was quite hard to get into. However, the writing style was very easy to follow through and they talked about TIKTOK! 

I loved Prem's friends, the banter between them all was hilarious to read. I was giggling non stop by their behaviour. 

As an Indian, this book was very relatable in more ways than one. I understood the language used in typical Indian culture to respect family. It may be hard for readers who were not bought up within asian culture to understand this book, but it does state this english meanings to phases and understanding it is pretty straightforward. I'm constantly reminded at my age about marriage so I felt the pain from both characters about the stress aunties bring to the topic of marriage. 

This book felt so immersive and made me incredibly emotional. If I could read this book again and agin like it was my first time reading it, I would.

I need this book to be made into a movie! 

A character I did not like AT ALL and since the beginning was Rina's sister. No more needs to be said. You would all understand once you've read it. She was a trouble maker from the start and I could spot it from a mile away. 

How did I read till the whole book only to find Prem & Rina's Taylor Swift Playlist at the end of it:

1. 22

2. Look What You Made Me Do

3. Blank Space

4. Delicate

5. I Knew You Were Trouble

6. New Romantics

7. Don't Blame Me

8. I Know Places

9. Willow

10. Call It What You Will

11. Wildest Dreams

12. Cruel Summer

13. State of Grace

14. Cardigan

15. You Belong With Me

If this won't convince you to read this book then I don't know what will.

There was so many quotes that had me in tears, but nothing will top the last line of the book.

"We're a team, Rina, honey. We have been from the start, but it just took a bit of time to figure things out. Now we have a lifetime together."

Thank you @dishapatel.x for gifting me this book to review

ps. Kareena's taste in books is perfection. She is me. I am her.