The Design of Us, Sajni Patel
The Design of Us, Sajni Patel
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The Design of Us

Author: Sajni Patel

Narrator: Soneela Nankani, Vikas Adam

Unabridged: 11 hr 10 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Published: 07/16/2024

Categories: Fiction, Romance, Women


Synopsis

One impulsive lie leads to a weeklong adventure of fake dating for two bickering coworkers in this swoony destination wedding rom-com by Sajni Patel, author of The Trouble with Hating You.

Sunshine incarnate Bhanu brings big UX energy to whatever she does, including going for the promotion where her only serious competition is her work nemesis, AKA Sunny, the grump with the Denzel voice. She expected to get a reprieve from him while visiting her family in Hawai’i, but the universe has other plans. When Bhanu runs into Sunny at the hotel and witnesses his ex criticizing him about being single, Bhanu does the first thing that comes to mind: she impetuously claims to be Sunny’s girlfriend just to get some peace and quiet. Except Sunny is on island for a friend’s wedding and his ex has already texted the entire wedding party about this mysterious girlfriend.

Bhanu truly is the bane of Sunny’s existence. But the last thing he wants to do is cause tension during his friend’s wedding festivities, much less be the object of their pity. He has no choice except to play along, if only he and Bhanu can put aside their quarreling and act like a real couple.

Between Bhanu’s hilariously meddling family and Sunny’s ecstatic friends, the two are pushed closer together, even as stress mounts over the impending promotion.

They say what happens on island, stays on island. But as Sunny and Bhanu let their guards down, will either of them be able to resist this romantic getaway without crossing the line?

About The Author

Sajni Patel is an award-winning author of women’s fiction and young adult books, drawing on her experiences growing up in Texas, an inexplicable knack for romance and comedy, and the recently resurfaced dark side of fantastical things. Her works have appeared on numerous "Best of the Year" and must-read lists from Cosmo; O, The Oprah Magazine; Teen Vogue; Apple Books; AudioFile; Tribeza; Austin Woman; NBC; Insider; PopSugar; BuzzFeed; and many others.


Reviews

What To Expect- 🌞Fake Dating 🌞Dual POV 🌞One Bed 🌞Witty Banter 🌞Slow Burn 🌞Grumpy/Sunshine 🌞Third Act Breakup The Design Of Us is a good little summer read. You follow the main Bhanu and Sunny to Hawaii. I loved that this story takes place in Hawaii. This book was filled banter and the romance was a slow bu......more

Goodreads review by Nilufer

Can you imagine getting stuck on the Big Island in Hawaii, one of the most spectacular places on Earth, in a gorgeous resort with your arch-nemesis from work? He's characteristically a grump, and not only are you suffering from forced proximity, but you also find yourself fake dating him in front of......more

Goodreads review by Hannah

I really enjoyed the heart of this book—accidental fake dating on vacation in Hawaii—but it was pretty slow paced, VERY slow burn (with closed-door payoff), and seemed to take me ages to read. It’s a hard one because literally I enjoyed almost all of the individual parts, but as a whole it was just......more

Goodreads review by Shannon

This book was fake dating, coworker rival, dual POV, vacation romance goodness that sees Bahnu and Sunny, two UX techies up for a project manager job find themselves staying at the same Hawaii resort on their vacation and end up sharing a room with only one bed and pretending to date to show off for......more

This was a cute story with rival coworkers that had a knack for bickering. It’s always nice to have a FMC who is in STEM and knows her worth. The fake dating thing pretty good, even if sometimes I got annoyed at how meta it all was. I also didn’t like that Sunny kept calling Bhanu “Bane” throughout......more


Quotes

"The perfectly designed romcom."—Ali Hazelwood #1 New York Times bestselling author of Love, Theoretically

"Patel (Isha, Unscripted) makes computer coding sexy in this winning enemies-to-lovers romance.... The supporting cast of Indian aunties charms, and the saltiness between the protagonists loses none of its oomph when it turns into sweetness. Readers will cheer for these two to find their well-deserved happily ever after."—Publishers Weekly

"Patel (Isha, Unscripted) expertly designs a modern beach read and a sassy rom-com filled with fun tropes and a gratifying slow burn."—Library Journal

"The lushly detailed Hawaiian setting provides a vivid backdrop to their delicious slow-burn romance."—Booklist

"Fake dating, office romance, witty banter... this book has everything... Binge this in a single sitting."—The Skimm

"Bhanu is the very embodiment of happiness and sunshine... This book was exactly what makes me enjoy reading a Sanji Patel novel, cute and easy to love characters, a catchy story and loads of funny moments."—Harlequin Junkie