Dating Dr. Dil (If Shakespeare was an Auntie #1) by Nisha Sharma

I was really looking forward to this modern retelling of Taming of the Shrew, but I had a hard time connecting with these characters. Prem and Kareena are Indian Americans in the prime of their lives, being judged by their parents and peers for not being coupled, are forced into a relationship they do not want at first. Yet somehow they hate their way to love. 

The book has a great conversation about the immigrant experience. It also addresses how some idiosyncrasies of being an immigrant child from a particular country or culture only translate to other immigrants from the same place. The book showcased a lot of traditions, many food conversations that made me very hungry, a bit about fashion, that made me want to dress up for the next event I attend, and charming, if overprotective Aunties. (Though I would argue that we could relate to immigrant experiences even if we are not of the same culture or from the same place.)
I wished for these people to have better communication with each other and greater self-reflection. I know that Katerina and Bianca, in the original, are not supposed to get along, but the rivalry between the two sisters was so toxic. Every comment about Bindu, the younger sister, was so disparaging towards this woman. Her fiance had absolutely no personality and was reduced to a punchline of multiple jokes.

Lastly, and honestly, most disturbingly, not only did Prem name his dick “Charlie”, but he refers to his Charlie MULTIPLE TIMES during several open door sex scenes. If that doesn’t kill your book boner like a bucket of ice would, nothing will.

I wish I liked this book better. I wish I cared about Kareena and Prem. I wish it had more depth beyond the original text it was emulating, I wish I never knew about “Charlie”. -Sky