In her first novel, The Trouble with Hating You, Sajni Patel creates a rewarding romance set in an intriguing world that combines proper second-generation Indian Americans with a Texan swagger. Liya Thakkar, a successful biochemical engineer in Houston, is seen as a failure in the eyes of her traditional father because she has her own apartment, has dated a number of men and refuses to get married.
Liya resents her father's dominance and her mother's inability to do anything but obey him, so she goes home rarely. Thus, she is blindsided to discover that her father has been trying to arrange her marriage to a man named Jay Shah, and she angrily refuses to meet Jay.
Within a few days, Liya is informed that her company is struggling financially and needs to bring in lawyers to help stave off pending lawsuits. And, to her horror, when the head of the legal team arrives, it turns out to be Jay. Jay, who uses his charisma to hide childhood trauma, is equally appalled to discover that he'll be working with the woman who insulted him and his mother by running out of the house rather than dine with them.
Exploring what it means to combine traditional Indian values with modern American mores, and the pressure placed upon Indian women to conform, The Trouble with Hating You is a romance with a great deal of depth. Patel's writing is detailed but approachable, bringing readers into Liya's world and exploring the many complicated feelings Liya has about her family and her upbringing. Children of immigrants are especially sure to relate, but this is a lovely story that anyone will enjoy. --Jessica Howard, bookseller at Bookmans, Tucson, Ariz.