Specifics:

Book: 10 Things I hate about Pinky

Author: Sandhya Menon

Published: 30th June, 2020

Genre: YA Romance

LGBTQIA literature: Yes

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Series: Dimpleverse #3

Pages: 368

My rating: 5/5

How does someone take a similar concept and write three novels with it belonging to the same series and somehow manage to make each of them unique conceptually and the way it touches our hearts?

SANDHYA MENON! Sandhya Menon can do that and actually, she has done it.

This was my 4th book of hers, 6th, if you add the two sweet novellas and also happens to be the final part of the Dimpleverse series.

It has really great writing with a very good pace, brilliant characters and plot. I related to the scenarios and characters so much. I've seen a few people calling it a cliché but I didn't see it at all.

Apart from the cute love story, it had passion, self-love, being driven for something other than one-self, it showed the power of what can happen when someone takes a stand and brings like minds together, it shows how communication can improve any relationship.

The most relatable thing is the love-hate relationship between Pinky and her mum and how it's been solved. A lot of Indian kids can relate to the former part and I'm lucky enough to relate the latter also.

The book is from 2 POV's, Pinky and Samir. Two complete opposites who happen to get into a situation where they fake a relationship for completely different gains. What starts with a list of '10 Things Samir hates about Pinky' slowly turns into the opposite.

Everything you expect happens. I'm not saying it's predictable. What I mean by it is if you've wanted a story where all the good things happen and all the problems are sorted, you'll be granted that wish. It's so heart warming and beautiful. Happy endings always please me. This was a happy ending multiplied by infinity.

I am rating the book a very merry 5/5 stars.

What I liked about it:

- Such relatable characters and plot
- very very emotional and I connected with the characters a lot
- Tears inducing happy love story
- Emphasis on how important Therapy is and can be
- Shows how communication can make any relationship better
- I might love my parents a tad bit more than how immensely I already did
- speaks about the importance of conserving nature and how a voice can bring a change in the community

What I did not fancy:

- Dimpleverse is over
- if you are single like me, beware, because you'll be craving for someone to love you like Samir Jha loves Pinky Kumar
- Agh! My heart! ( )

Probably more of a 3.5.

It’s been a while since I’ve read a book that was pure fun, so I finally decided to read this ARC because Sandhya’s books always make me smile. And this one didn’t disappoint.

The writing in the book is so easy to get involved in that I literally flew through the book. There are also many hilarious moments throughout which made me smile a lot. However, owing to the personalities of Pinky and her mom, there were a lot of arguments and confrontations which were interesting in the beginning, but got a bit repetitive soon (Also, I’m personally not a fan of confrontations, whether real or fictional). I also enjoyed the setting of the book at a lake house in summer, and I wish I could have read this while on a vacation, and not when we are all pretty much stuck at home.

Pinky has a soft and vulnerable side to her, but it takes a while for us to get to know that. I think I really liked seeing her through Sam’s eyes, because his insights about her are deep and he understands her very well. I was feeling pretty indecisive about her for a good chunk of the book because, while I really sympathized with her frustrations about having to live up the standards set by her perfect cousin (too relatable to me), it took a long time for me to get used to her forceful personality. Samir on the other hand is like the perfect boy whom you want to introduce to your desi parents, which might make him seem a bit boring but I could see parts of my younger self in him which made me nostalgic. I personally found that it was easier to root for him because he is amiable, confident, maybe scared due to his past but doesn’t let anyone get away with bad behavior.

However, I did have issues with how their arcs played out but I’m not sure if I can articulate them properly. The tension between Pinky and her mom is ever present, but the resolution was so quick that I was surprised. I liked what happened towards the end, but I guess I felt it deserved a bit more introspection and dialogue between the both of them. On the other hand, we see Samir interact with his mom probably twice in the whole book, which was unbelievable because we know since the previous book how overprotective she is of him. It almost felt like he forgot about her, but that’s just not him as a character. I also didn’t like the subplot with Cash and Dolly, because while I could empathize with her wanting to rebel, I really couldn’t see why she was tolerating such douchey behavior from him. The subplot of saving the butterfly habitat felt like a worthy cause, but it was another part which I thought resolved too easily.

To conclude, it might seem like I’m criticizing this a lot but I actually did have a good time while reading it. It’s just that I went into this book with the expectation of finding joy (Sandhya’s books have always given me that feeling), but I found parts of it exasperating and the characters got on my nerves, and I wasn’t prepared for it. So this was definitely me reading the book at the wrong time. However, if you have previously enjoyed the author’s books, you’ll have fun reading this one too. ( )

I am so sad to report that I did not really enjoy this book. I loved the others in the series but the drama in this one was waaaaaaaaaaay too much. Yes I know it's YA. Yes I know they sometimes come with lots of drama. But this was TOO MUCH. I thought Pinky was a brat and did not deserve Samir. No real character growth and hard to connect with any of the characters. The only thing that saved this from a one star is the characters we meet in Cape Cod who help Pinky with her latest project.

Disappointing end to an otherwise fun trilogy.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy. ( )

I loved this third book in the Dimple universe.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CBmA2ADnf9i/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet ( )

It starts with a pseudo corpse on the west coast, has a brief, but seemingly disastrous pit stop in Washington, DC and then alights on an island off the coast of Massachusetts. Imagine Pinky being the irresistible force and Samir as the immovable object, then factor in her need for a fake boyfriend, his need for something to replace what the Washington debacle took away, toss in a baby possum, a not-as-perfect-as-everyone-thinks cousin, an arrogant dentist's son, arson, an attraction that starts eroding both Pinky and Samir's beliefs about themselves (and each other), then toss in family secrets and a long loved nature preserve, threatened by development and enjoy. It's a great, fun read. ( )