There’s Something About Sweetie by Sandhya Menon

e-Audio, 11:36:28
Narrated by: Vikas Adam & Soneela Nankani

Release Date:  May 14, 2019
Published by:  Simon & Schuster Audio
Read from: June 2-9, 2019
Dimple & Rishi, #2
Source: Library (Overdrive/ Libby)  
TW: 
For fans of: Romance, Contemporary, POC, POC MC, LOL funny, Body Positivity, Ready to Talk, YA 

     Ashish Patel didn’t know love could be so…sucky. After he’s dumped by his ex-girlfriend, his mojo goes AWOL. Even worse, his parents are annoyingly, smugly confident they could find him a better match. So, in a moment of weakness, Ash challenges them to set him up.
     The Patels insist that Ashish date an Indian-American girl—under contract. Per subclause 1(a), he’ll be taking his date on “fun” excursions like visiting the Hindu temple and his eccentric Gita Auntie. Kill him now. How is this ever going to work?
     Sweetie Nair is many things: a formidable track athlete who can outrun most people in California, a loyal friend, a shower-singing champion. Oh, and she’s also fat. To Sweetie’s traditional parents, this last detail is the kiss of death.
     Sweetie loves her parents, but she’s so tired of being told she’s lacking because she’s fat. She decides it’s time to kick off the Sassy Sweetie Project, where she’ll show the world (and herself) what she’s really made of.
     Ashish and Sweetie both have something to prove. But with each date they realize there’s an unexpected magic growing between them. Can they find their true selves without losing each other?

*MY THOUGHTS*

       When I heard there was going to be a sequel to When Dimple Met Rishi I was so excited! I always liked Ashish and thought he was going to end up with that one person. But even with how much I liked that one, the positive body rep, the super cute romance, and the resilience of Sweetie made me love this!
     After Ashish is dumped, he loses the girl of his dreams and all the things that made him Ashish. He finally decides it may be time to take his family up on matching him up. Enter Sweetie. A girl who’s the star of the track team, a great singer, and fat. Her parents are traditional and continuously want her to lose weight. When Ashish and Sweetie come together to prove something to their parents, they actually find more than they bargained for.
     I first realized I was interested in Ashish’s life in WDMR. I remember him hitting it off with someone and I was hoping to see that person in this book too. Alas, I’m glad he ended up with Sweetie because it shows his growth and the way he changed throughout the story. And then there was Sweetie. She was the one who captured my heart in this one. Just like she did with Ashish. She was so good and literally a…. well Sweetie. I loved that she didn’t let anything stop her from what she wanted or what she wanted to do.As for the romance, I loved watching them fall for each other. I laughed out loud so many times. From the birds to RFF it was definitely something I found myself laughing out loud for real at. I also really liked the way they had different views on their cultures but still respected each other and their views.
     Then there’s the fat rep in this that I adored. Sweetie is so happy with herself and she knows that there is nothing wrong with being fat. And this is the rep that we need, especially in this age group, where there’s bullying and so much more going on. And SPOILER the fact that it ended with a happy ending and she changed nothing about herself  Yasssss! 🙌 I loved that she got to be herself and still got everything she deserved. Sweetie is pure and good and she deserved all that she got in this book.
     The audio of this wasn’t the best at the beginning, but it got better as it went on. It wasn’t anything that put me off from reading it and I still enjoyed it. It wasn’t a production, but it didn’t need to be.
      This contemporary romance was so good and I can’t wait to see what else Menon has. Ashish and Sweetie were so cute together and I was so happy that they found each other. They deserved all that they got and more!

Overall, I give this

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