Hello everyone!
I am back with another book review, today it is There's Something About Sweetie by Sandhya Menon. Thanks so much to Simon and Schuster Canada and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book, as always, all opinions are my own.
This book follows Sweetie, a young girl who is proud of her abilities as a runner and of her appearance, even if her mother is convinced she just needs to lose a little weight to be truly happy. When basketball star/playboy Ashish gets his heart broken, he finally agrees to let his parents set him up, just like they did for his brother, Rishi - if nothing else, it will be a distraction from his heartbreak. After Sweetie's mom refuses to let Sweetie date Ashish because of her weight, she decides to take matters into her own hands. Sweetie and Ashish both have their own agendas when it comes to their relationship so they know it won't turn serious - right?
First and foremost, I absolutely loved Sweetie and Menon's portrayal of a fat main character. There was a lot of commentary on the matter, it was a core theme of the book, but it was also undeniably part of Sweeties identity - not just an extra detail tacted on to her character. As a bigger girl myself, I related so well to Sweetie, and while there were some times I really disliked her mom for the comments she made, I do understand where she was coming from. I think this was a really important issue and it was well developed in the book.
Secondly, can we talk about that romance?! I've really been in the mood for great romance storylines and boy-oh-boy did this one not disappoint! Menon's writing has really improved from her first two books (not that they were bad, this just seemed more developed). You could feel the chemistry between Sweetie and Ashish, which was exactly what I was looking for! While things don't go past kissing, you can feel the connection between the two of them which just makes it even more fantastic.
We also get to see a bit of a Dimple and Rishi cameo in this one as well, which I loved! I know it's set in the same world (and Rishi is Ashish's brother) but I loved seeing what was happening with them.
Overall, easily my new favourite from Menon and I cannot recommend it enough!