There's Something About Sweetie

By: Sandhya Menon

Narrated by: Vikas Adam, Soneela Nankani

One of AudioFile’s Best Audiobooks of 2019!

“Adorable, joyous.” —BuzzFeed

“I’m head-over-heels for this charming, funny, romantic, life-affirming book.” —Becky Albertalli, New York Times bestselling author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda and Leah on the Offbeat

The irresistible companion novel to the New York Times bestseller When Dimple Met Rishi, which follows Rishi’s brother, Ashish, and a confident, self-proclaimed fat athlete named Sweetie as they both discover what love means to them.

Ashish Patel didn’t know love could be so…sucky. After being 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?

The guy reading for Ashish is not great.

The story here is adorable and charming as heck. The narrator for Sweetie is good, but the guy reading for Ashish is not great. I actually recognized him from narrating another book I listened to recently, in which he was even worse. Somehow the voice he does for any female character seems like it would better fit a cartoon pterodactyl.

Even better than When Dimple

I pre-ordered this to get a five dollar credit without knowing anything about the author’s
work. When I was waiting for it, I read When Dimple and fell in love with both books. This one is the kind of YA novel that I wish I could write, filled with the kind of characters that I wish all kids could have for friends.The characters are funny, sweet, and real. They are family, friend, and school focused, but they are not cardboard stereotypes. Menon’s protagonists are fabulous role models without being too cheesy. They earn their successes. And yes, there’s lots of romantic tension, but not a lot of bare skin. This was so good that I finished it in two days.

Cute! But just ok....

I liked it, and it kept my attention. But if was definitely too...sweet...for my taste. I also didn’t love the voices, they definitely seemed too old for the characters they were being.

Endearing, captivating and beautiful.

Absolutely loved this, I finished this book within a day or two it was very hard to put down. Love the characters and even the high school drama bits! Great read, highly recommend.

A sweet, light romance with a positive message

OH THIS IS SUCH A CUTE BOOK. The romance is sweet and makes you just want to be back as a teen experiencing first love. Swoon. But it’s not just about romance, it also intertwines Indian culture, and tackles body image and self-acceptance.

I loved the strong, yet sweet character of Sweetie, and Ashish was such a gentleman. What a great pairing!

Reading the prior book in the series, When Dimple Met Rishi, is not a prerequisite for enjoying this sequel.

Recommended for lovers of YA romance.