The Trouble with Hating You by Sajni Patel

In chapter 37, Torry (she/her) and Sam (he/him) from The Bitter Jurors Podcast recap The Trouble with Hating You by Sajni Patel (8:06). Then get into their Internet Investigation, Wonder Whys, Gripes and Grumbles, and Sequel Scoop (58:15). Content Warning: Discussion about sexual assault and physical abuse throughout the episode. Take care! Spoiler Warning: While we explore The Trouble with Hating You  in detail, rest assured that there won't be any spoilers in the episode beyond this book. Leave a voicemail question or comment for Torry to include in a future episode. Suggest a book here. Upcoming Episodes: December 4: Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon December 18: A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey Follow Torry on Instagram, Twitter, Letterboxd, and GoodReads. Check out Torry’s pop culture podcast: Ready to Be Petty. Subscribing and leaving a rating helps us find new listeners! Thank you. Music by Simon Tebbenham.

Episode Transcript

(00:20):
Welcome to Ready TV Romance. I'm Tori.
And I'm Sam. And today we're discussing.
The trouble with hating you? Oh my gosh, Sam, thanks for
coming on the podcast. Can you tell the listeners a
little bit about yourself and your podcast, Bitter Jurors?
Absolutely. I do a queer survivor superfan

(00:41):
podcast called Bitter Jurors Podcast.
We came from humble beginnings in 2020.
Something about Island of the Idols just made us really want
to start talking about the show for some reason.
But we started and it's me and my friend.
It was me and my friend Derek originally and now we also have
a third Co host Christine who wemet through the online Survivor
community. We usually have a Survivor

(01:01):
contestant on every week and we talk about the episodes.
I feel like a fake Survivor fan 'cause I'm like, I'm such a
survivor girly and then I haven't watched this season, but
usually right there with you. Are you a big reader?
This Is Us a little get to know you because I actually, I don't
know. What do you like to read?
You have a library card, so I'm I'm assuming you're a big

(01:22):
reader. Call me.
I have many library cards. Yeah, I I was a huge reader as a
kid. Like literally loved reading,
was reading a book all the time and I loved reading so much like
through the beginning of college.
And I feel like a lot of people talk about this like in college
it started stopped reading because I was reading so much
for work or whatever and I was drinking and watching TV or

(01:44):
whatever instead of reading a book.
And so it really slowed down in college.
I was still reading probably like 2 to 3 audio books a year
or whatever through whatever that was Audible.
And then 2019 I, I, I was so excited for the Little Women
movie that I got a copy of the book and started reading Little

(02:05):
Women. And that that was the first like
physical book I had read start to finish in probably like a
really long time. And then it was still kind of
slow from there. But then I got the way of Kings
from Brandon Sanderson, which islike a popular fantasy book, but
like 1000 pages. So I don't really know why I
chose that one next. But like from there, like then
like that took me into the pandemic and then I started

(02:27):
reading Dune. Anyway, I started reading slowly
in 2020. And then in the pandemic I
started reading so much every year.
And then so now I read a lot andI read a lot of fantasy books,
but I kind of really, I really love reading like critically
acclaimed, like classically goodbooks.
Like I just it's I'm having the same experience now with the

(02:47):
movies where like I will put on a movie that I've heard my
entire life is one of the greatest films of all time or
whatever. And you're and when you when
people tell you that you're kindof like, OK, sure, whatever, But
then you watch Casablanca and you're like, that was fucking
amazing. Like it was so good.
And so not like usually I've been finding when there's a book

(03:08):
that's like much beloved, there is reason for it.
But no, I I fantasy is my go to genre.
I like, love fantasy. I love like a long series of
thousand page books. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
For whatever, for whatever reason, that is my go to.
And yeah, that's my, that's my book journey now.
I, I for, for 2020 through 2023,I was reading more and more

(03:33):
books consecutively every year. Like last year I read like 72
books or something. This year there's been a lot
going on. I just moved across the country
there. It's been a whole thing.
So I'm, I'm not as whatever, like big reader right now, but
I, I've read over 52 books this year.
So that's more than one a week. So that's pretty good.
But no, that's really good. I, I've talked to people and

(03:54):
I'm, they're like, oh, like, what do you read?
Or like, how many books do you read or whatever?
And I'm like, oh, like blah, blah, blah.
And they're like, oh, I'm tryingto get like 12 this year or like
10 or 4 or whatever. So it, it like really varies and
it's so funny. Whenever I'm like, OK, I read
like 100 books this year. I was like, was I like mentally
well? And it's either like I was, I

(04:15):
was like really doing well and like not on TikTok and like
stuff like that or I was like really unwell, like not leaving
the house. So 'cause it's a toss up to be
honest. There, there's a difference
between being like, so on top ofthings that you have so much
time to read and you like consuming to dissociate.

(04:37):
I was doing that a lot in October.
I watched like 21 movies or something and I was like, this
was not a good sign. So you can do it either way.
It's either really good or really bad depending on how
you're doing it. Truly.
And was this your first romance novel?
It was not I one of the a book Iread in 24 hours in 2020 was

(05:02):
red, white and royal blue, whichI think was my true first
romance book. And I like, like, I loved that
so much. Like loved the book like it was,
I'd never, I'd never heard a romance book before.
And I feel like a lot of people probably like, just like
absolutely love the first romance book theory because it's
so like, I mean, it's, there arebooks, there are not other books

(05:22):
that are like ROM coms that are not literally like ROM coms.
Like it's your first experience with this new thing.
And I like, I love a gay character.
I have a gay guy, if you can believe it.
And so I, I read that and then I, I didn't really read very
many others for a while, but I eventually read one last stop,

(05:43):
which I thought was whatever. And then I read I Kissed Cheryl
Wheeler, which I like more. And then I've also read the
Emily Henry books up to the mostrecent one.
I haven't read Funny story, but I've read all of her other books
and I think those are all the romance books that I've, oh, I
read. What's that called?
It was there's it's another gay guy what's called the charm

(06:04):
offensive. I read.
Which was good about The Bachelorette and yes, yes, yes.
There was another gay guy, one about like a politician's chief
of staff and his like tech guy or something.
I don't remember what that was called, but.
Those politicians. So I've like done some it's
definitely not my go to genre. I I definitely like it a lot as

(06:26):
like A to break up. Like if I read a really longer
thing and then I'm having a hardtime getting into another book.
Like I feel like these are like very easy to read, which is
good, or at least my experienceswith them have been.
But I totally and I and I've enjoyed most of the romance
books I've read. I definitely don't look down on
it as other people probably do. But it's it's not my go to

(06:47):
thing. There is like, it's what some
people really like about romancebooks is that they are very like
they can, they're predictable because of the story is that
it's a romance topple, which is like there are these things that
happen at like, I mean, even in this book it's like at 50% they
got together at 75% they had they got into a fight or
whatever and like that that thatis the genre.

(07:08):
Yeah. And I so that is good for me at
times, but at other times I'm kind of like I'm exploring.
I do I I like other things more,but I still like.
Yeah, this was a book that I wasactually surprised that I was
like, is there going to be no third act breakup?
And then the job stuff I kept looming and I was like, Oh no,
this is it. So yeah, sometimes a little bit
formulaic, but there is, you're right comfort in that for sure.

(07:32):
But yeah, I, I charm offensive Ijust added to my TBR because I
just saw it in the bookstore forthe first time and I'd I'd never
heard about it so. It was good.
They just, I think I just saw the the people who wrote script
for the adaptation of it. We're just featured on some
list. The movies not being made yet,
but I think that they're like indevelopment or whatever.
But I'm sure, I'm sure it seems like a book that would would be

(07:56):
made into a movie at this point.I read Court of Thorns and
Roses. I forgot.
That's like that's. Romanticity, but it's like.
Connected. Yeah, that's the the biggie
right now. OK, so spoiler warning, we're
going to be talking about the trouble with hating you, but
nothing that comes afterwards. And I just want to put a content
warning up at the top that we'llbe briefly discussing sexual

(08:18):
assault, physical abuse and child molestation, but we won't
dwell on it too much. But if you're listening, take
good care. I was shocked.
What do? You think grew up in the book?
I was like. I felt so bad.
I felt so bad because I I didn'tcheck the trigger warnings

(08:39):
before I sent you a list of these this list of bugs.
And as soon as this happened I was like Oh my God I feel so bad
that I didn't send like him an FYI.
I had no idea and so and I've never like not none of the other
books. I literally just talked about
how I didn't know that this was like stuff they get into.
And yeah, I just like, didn't even expect it.

(09:02):
It was like it was OK, but I waskind of like would have loved to
know that these were themes of the book and they cut why not
integral to the plot. And so I was just like, what's
happened with the other? Like I usually I'm like, OK to
not like I don't need too many warnings or whatever, but I was
just kind of like, oh, like, OK.I was like truly shocked because

(09:23):
also I listened to the audiobook.
Sam and I were just talking about this before we started.
I actually don't even think thatthere was like a content
warning. So like I was, I really like
just got like thrown off and like it was like pretty much off
page. It wasn't like super described
but like it's still, I feel likeeither I could have done a
better job researching or they could have like put some things

(09:45):
up top a little bit better. Yeah, I feel, cuz I feel like
we're in a culture now of like, you know, when you see
promotions for books that are covers and then they have like
arrows coming off of them in a squiggly line and they list the
tropes or whatever. Would love that for like content
warnings. Literally, truly, because yeah,

(10:06):
a lot of the romance novels obviously have like these really
bright fun and this book is bright and fun, obviously.
But like, man, oh man, you just like all of a sudden that like
was I was hit with the arrow that they should have included
on their book. The cover is like, yeah, like
even the second. The second one looks a little
more Moody and you're kind of like, OK, maybe this could delve

(10:28):
into some deeper thing, but the cover for the first one is like
The Sun I. Know, I know, I know IA lot of
books are like that, like the cartoonish kind of covers that
all of us like are like straightsmart or but look like
children's book or again, like cover pretty heavy topics like

(10:50):
this book, but you just would never know.
You really wouldn't. OK, let's get into it.
This book was written by Sajni Patel and it was published May
12th, 2020 and it stars Leah whois AMBA Scientist question Mark
who lives in Houston, TX and she's an Indian woman and she

(11:16):
has some conflict with her parents.
They are trying to set her up with a suitor because her dad is
a pretty old school kind of guy and Leah's a very like
independent modern woman and they kind of butt heads around
this. Yes, and not to, I mean, this is

(11:37):
me instantly going out of order,but I like obviously in the
first scene there's like, you know, that there's a strained
relationship between the mom andlike the mom and the dad and
like it's not it. And then eventually it's like
it's not like physical abuse or whatever, but it's emotional
abuse. And it's just like, that was
another thing where I was just like, Dang, this is serious, no.

(11:58):
Super serious and the the storyline with the mom didn't
really fully get wrapped up so hoping everything is well with
them. She's over for dinner and she
thinks it's just going to be a dinner with the three of them
but she is ambushed with Jay, one of their like kind of family
friends or like a member of their community and his mom and

(12:22):
Leah like tries to run out the back door.
She's really like, surprised andshe bumps into Jay and then
like, leaves anyway. Would you be a runner or would
you just sit through the dinner and.
I would have definitely sit through the dinner.
I have been confronting myself with this recently because I
feel like in 2020 I got very into meditation and I feel like

(12:46):
I became very good at like acceptance and met like
mindfulness that like I feel like I've gone too far and I'm
like too accepting of situationsand then when I should be like
leaving or whatever. So I definitely would just stay
there and like Stew and try to like calm myself and not I would
not be able to like leave because I'm like, well, this is
the situation that I'm in and I just have to deal with that.

(13:08):
Me too, me too. I would like sit, eat and like
play. I, I totally would.
Like, I, I applaud her for like leaving me and like, time is
important and I'm not going to spend one minute doing anything
I don't like. But I would have been like, Oh
my God, you guys. And just like, sit, sit through
the dinner. But this I, and I didn't say
this up top, but enemies to lovers is definitely my

(13:30):
preferred romantic entanglement situation.
I think I probably haven't read the right friends to lovers one
because it seems like something I might like, but it's really it
hasn't hit for me quite yet. So I love when people are mad at
each other and then they fall inlove.
Me too. There's something about like
the, I guess mystique or like how are they going to get out of

(13:51):
this situation with enemies to lovers that I really, really
like. The banter of like when charged
with anger rather than just likebanter on its own is also just
like. It's always going to be better
for me. No 100% even though in this book
are they really enemies like shelike she like yes, I they're

(14:13):
like haters I guess, but she definitely thinks that he's like
a suave like Playboy and uses women women for sex.
But and why does he hate her? Like literally because he like
right, he like me. He was, he was mad at her

(14:33):
because she made. His.
Mom like embarrassed or whatever, but that was cleared
up in the first like 30 pages orwhatever where she apologized to
the mom. I felt OK, this was my thing.
I have notes. I really the entire job plot
line needs to be totally reworked.
There's no detail on, but even beyond that, I feel like for

(15:00):
they're clearly going for enemy slippers.
It's called the trouble with hating you.
They are against each other. He should have been one of the
lawyers suing the company or something like that.
I feel like it could have ratherthan hurt him being whatever
he's doing and then okay. The other thing is I do not feel
sympathetic towards this company.
They're being sued by like countless people.

(15:20):
Like there's something that I don't understand what they did
wrong, but like they must have done something horrible.
And then she's like, I just really need to save this company
by doing these tests. And it's like, do you like, it's
like it's a net bad on society. 100% I have no idea.
Like listeners, please tell us like what?

(15:41):
What does the company do? Like I actually, I truly have no
idea. I was like listening because
she's like in her office with Jay and all these scenes.
Then all of a sudden she's like I've got to go to the lab and
like clean up or whatever. I was like lab.
Where she was promoted to be like a manager and of something.
But it's like, yeah, like what is it for?

(16:02):
And what? What it's like, did you put
micro plastics in the water? Like what?
What is this lawsuits all about?There was so they, because we
spent so much time at the job for us to know so little about
it and like I just felt like there was like other random
stuff I learned so much more about than whatever job they
were trying to talk about here. Yeah, but I totally agree.

(16:23):
He should be on the opposite, like maybe he is suing them and
that's why he's in the office all the time or something like
that. That would have been so much
better. I really like that, that note.
Yeah, there in community with each other, there's a few times
where they kind of have like some like bickery fights. 1 is
at the Mandir, which is like a Hindu temple where they meet a

(16:44):
lot and we get to know a few of their friends like Rima and
Rohan who are getting married. And basically Jay is like
talking shit out of basketball practice there to his brother
about what Leah did to his mom. And Leah and her friends are
renting the room after them. So when they haven't wrapped up

(17:07):
and it's time for them to leave,Leah's kind of a little bit like
rude again to Jay, but super nice to his brother John.
And Jay can't figure her out because he just thinks she's
rude to everybody. But that's clearly not the case.
Yes, she is. People like her, like people

(17:30):
have good things to say about her.
Then they I feel like they fixedthis over the course of the
book. But when this conversation
happened the first time, I felt like the guys in this
conversation were like, and I understand that it's like
fantasy of being a ROM com, but I was like, these guys are like
too woke. Like I felt like they were, they

(17:52):
were just very, I just mean likeI feel like a bunch of straight
guys playing basketball togetherwould not be like so forgiving
of like a woman. Just like I, I, I like it and I
feel like I appreciate these characters and I'm glad that
this is how this like went down or whatever, but it took me out

(18:12):
of it where I was like, they're just like being so understanding
of a woman being standoffish to someone.
I don't think that this is like what they would be saying.
No, it's actually so dark. I'm glad that you brought that
up, because the real fantasy novels are these romance novels.
Like where? Like it's so sad that when you

(18:33):
are, you're right, like reading the writing of like, like a
woman is writing this, this character.
And it's like, no, I don't want someone who's subservient.
I want like an equal and stuff like that.
And you're in your head, you're just thinking like, that's never
happened before. Like that's so dark sided.
There are also, and I didn't talk to any straight guys to

(18:54):
confirm this, but I just felt like there were numerous points
in this story where it was very clear that this straight guy was
being written by a woman. Like there was so much focus.
Like so many straight guys were talking about her shoes.
And I'm just like, I don't thinkthat there are a lot of straight
guys out there being like, your shoes are so sexy or whatever.
And then there was another pointwhere they talked about like all
of her little nail Polish containers in her house.

(19:16):
And I just feel like a straight guy wouldn't even look at those.
Like I wouldn't even notice them.
No, totally. The the shoes thing reminded me
of like Sex in the City. Like it was very like, I feel
like like Big might say that to Carrie or something like that.
But yeah, that that's like a that's a good.
Point your sexy shoes your. Sexy shoes Like I'm dead, I'm

(19:41):
dead. And so the next day at work,
Leah's late for a meeting and she shows up and lo and behold,
Jay is the company's new lawyer.Because they are being, they're
like over budget and being sued by a bunch of people.
And so he's trying to help them stay afloat and keep the, the

(20:02):
lights on in the office. And he like calls her out for
being late. And she's like, of course, like
my arch nemesis is, is now goingto be in the office every day.
Yeah, that. I mean, I like that they just
had to come. They had to come up with an
excuse for him to be there too, so that they're in every scene.
They are. It did feel like, and something

(20:23):
we haven't talked about yet is that every chapter flips back
and forth between the two perspectives.
And I don't think I've read a Roman someone that does that
where it's not just all from theperspective of one person yet.
But I did kind of wish that I feel like they were always in
each other's chapters too. Like I feel like they were
always together, which I guess was nice that they like the
couple was featured so much. But I kind of wish that we had
gotten more time with just the individual characters on their

(20:45):
own, especially if we're gonna get both of their perspectives.
Yeah, I actually really noticed in the book that and even if
they aren't together, they're with their family or their
friends, which is like good, butI wish that there was and there
was a lot of reflection, but it was like happening in the moment
of like like what? Like the self reflection that
they were having. And I was like, I would just

(21:06):
never be able to do that in person.
Like I would be I'm only self reflecting and I'm like at home
by myself type of thing. I was like, oh, they're like in
touch with their emotions in a lot of ways.
While Jay and Lee are at a coffee shop near the office,
another businessman from the area comes over to Leah and asks

(21:28):
her out. And she's declining.
But she's like, flirting with him.
And Jay has like, kind of sparksof jealousy.
So this is kind of the first time we see that he's kind of
jealous of her. Yes, I it's either here or later
where she says that he's like asked her out numerous times, I
think. Yeah, yeah, I guess he's.
This is like another guy who works in an office nearby their

(21:50):
office. Yeah, again, I'm not like, I
don't really know that like office culture, but like that.
But yeah, he has like, friends that work in Leah's company.
So he's like, around. And she says, yeah, she says no,
But we find out obviously later that they do end up going on a
date. So yeah, we wrap up this like

(22:11):
Liam embarrassed Jay's mom storyline because at the man
dear, she does apologize becauseshe does feel bad about it.
Like her intention wasn't to upset Jay and his mom coming
over. It was that she was ambushed by
her parents that have these like, rigid views of marriage.
And she sees this man who is like a, a pious man, a really

(22:37):
respected man in their community.
Mukesh. And we learned that he sexually
assaulted Leah when she was 15. She was over at his house with
and like his wife and kids were there.
And then the wife and kids left and she was alone with him and

(22:58):
he sexually assaulted her. So we learned that when she told
her parents, her dad took Mukesh's side and said that
like, Leah deserved it and like,seduced him and was the the
person who was initiating. Obviously, she felt like
rejected from her parents, rejected from the community

(23:20):
because he's so revered. And she feels like she couldn't
tell anybody else because of hisposition in the temple.
Yeah, the the darkest that a previous romance book that I
read, I feel is that like that Igot that got it got was that
like one of the leads singular parent had died or it was just

(23:44):
like yeah, it was just such it was so different.
So this was very heavy. It was.
Do you have like AB plot in the books?
Yeah, it is really heavy and it's really realistic.
Like I just, I feel like it's really realistic to have these
experiences with people that arehold positions of power and in
the community that you like wantto be a part of and just feeling

(24:07):
uncomfortable by it. Especially because I feel like
it is especially dark because I don't feel by the end of this
book that it is effectively wrapped up or like looks good
for the resolution. Like it's not even like we have
this proof now. It's literally just like we're
gonna fight it. But you're kind of like, OK, but
how? It's not like, it's not like

(24:27):
they caught him on a recording talking about it or something.
It's literally just like, I believe you, which is good.
But it's kind of, I just kind ofexpected it to eventually hit
some like breaking point where they like where his daughter is
like doesn't like him anymore. I they're like I her character.
I was like, I didn't love how she was represented, but I just
wish that there had been more resolution there, especially

(24:48):
because we followed it for so long.
I was just kind of like, I'm happy that people are starting
to get more on her side, but there's no like he was like,
yeah, we're gonna do whatever ittakes to get him locked up or
whatever. There's no statute of
limitations or whatever, but it seems like there's very limited
things that they could go do. Totally not that they even have

(25:09):
to go down the route of like thejudicial system, but I was like,
at least throw in a thing like we're going to go to a different
temple or like we're going like we'll.
Get him fired. Yeah, like that's something
something along the lines, but they didn't really talk about
that. And I'm wondering if spoiler or
like they talk about that in thesequel maybe as like.

(25:29):
I would hope. Yeah, because that that is a
common troop for romance novels,even if it talks about a
different couple that they will sprinkle in bits from the couple
previously. So I'm hoping that that's the
case for this one and we kind ofget some resolution.
I hope so too, but this is not the kind of plot line that I

(25:49):
would want to be tracking over numerous books.
If like, if I'm going to these books to be like light and
breezy, it's like, I would have loved a simple resolution for
this one right here, right now. Truly.
Especially because the the mom and dad are like gonna get
divorced probably too. But like we the very little
little on that. And so I'm just like these are

(26:10):
all like so such serious. But I want to hear about them.
Like I want to see in the next book they go to this couples
marriage. Not like, yeah, following up on
the the emotional abuse. No, that's so true.
Like I wanna see their honeymoonor whatever.
I don't. I don't wanna like, be in a
court proceeding or whatever. So we see Lee and Mike go out

(26:35):
for dinner and they you're laughing already.
Well, it's there's so many twisted the things that occur at
the very beginning of this book.Sorry, OK.
No, I know I was like, Oh my God, this isn't getting any like
better to be honest, but they gofor French cuisine.

(26:56):
There's like some funny things because Mike is like, do you
need help with the menu? And she's like, Oh, no, like I
can read it. And she's he's like, oh, do you
like speak French? Because I don't.
And she goes well, I like spent some time in France or
something. That's like we off the get go.
We know what type of man Mike is.
But when they're done dinner, they go back to his apartment

(27:18):
and he starts kissing her and, like, touching her legs and
stuff like that. And she's like, into this
because this is what she's looking for, kind of a
distraction. In the past, when she's felt out
of control, she's used sex as a way to feel, like, in control.
Yeah, She's, like, happy to havethis happen.
But when she says like, hey, should we continue this

(27:40):
upstairs? He goes like, Oh, no, like I
think we should just to have sexin the car.
And she's like, oh, why? And he's like, oh, it's just
like, better this way. And she realizes that like, A,
he like obviously doesn't respect her B, that there's like
a camera pointing to the car, soit's recording them.
And when she like demands an answer of like why he doesn't

(28:04):
want to take her upstairs, he says something along the lines
of like, girls like you don't get the girlfriend treatment.
So random and it's just like thethe using the camera in the
parking lot was so complicated. I'm just like, I feel like it
would just, it's so it's so muchsimpler to like he brings her
upstairs and there he has a camera set up there or something

(28:26):
like that rather. And then like, this guy's gonna
watch on like Grady security black and white footage to like
I. Kept on trying to like figure
that out because she got to be like, are you in like cahoots
with the security man or something like that.
I was like, I don't think that'sprobably the case, but gross
regardless. Yeah.
And they did. They.
I feel like this is like standard conversation where

(28:48):
they're like, you can't just payfor dinner and then that doesn't
mean I like want to have sex with you.
So true. And he's, that's the whole,
that's the whole conversation here.
Yeah. And then like, yeah, but then
it's like, then it's an assault like this.
She's like, it's constantly getting assaulted.
No 100% And she slaps him, whichI was like really surprised with

(29:10):
and like is obviously getting increasingly anxious and scared
and angry. Does she like leaves?
She she's like, can you drive mehome?
I was like, do not ask this man to drive you home.
Like do not spend any any more time with this man.
So she does end up leaving and her phone dies and she she

(29:34):
breaks a a Christian Louboutin. OK.
Twist her ankle. This is another thing with men
talking about shoes when she waslike getting out of the car.
He's like, I'm not driving you home.
And it'll those shoes are gonna be hard to walk home.
And whatever and it's. Just like this dude is not
thinking about that, no. I'm like, the shoes must be

(29:55):
crazy for you to think about. Yeah, that's so fucking funny.
But yeah, she, like, twist her ankle.
She like, falls on her face. But she sees a diner in the the
distance, the distance, thank you.
And heads there to call a cab. But again, if you can believe
it, Jay is there eating at the diner.

(30:16):
And he realizes, like this dishevelled woman comes in and
he realizes it's Leah. And he's really surprised
because she's really like, you know, like put together.
And so he asks her if she wants a ride.
And he can visibly see her like shrinking into her body.
But she's like, no, I called a cab.
Like, I'm all good. But because he's a, he's a

(30:38):
gentleman, he waits for her downthe street and like 30 minutes
past and the cab isn't there. So he goes back in and it's
like, I'm just gonna take you home.
And she's like, OK, And he needsto help her because her ankle is
so fucked up that he needs to like, help her into her
apartment. But we get this is a very big

(31:01):
romance trope. But we got the like, who did
this to you? Like.
Is this what he brings her to? Like, he washes her feet, right?
Yeah. There was a lot of feet chatter
in this book. The author is very focused on
like feet play. I truly didn't clock that till

(31:24):
now because yeah, when he takes her home, he takes her up to her
bathroom and washes her foot in like a sexual way.
They mentioned the feet numeroustimes after that, but I was
like, this is like for it's not,it's not even it's like the date
0.5 and you're like, yeah, hand washing her feet.
Yeah, and he's like, well, you wouldn't want to go to bed with

(31:45):
like dirty feet or whatever. And I was like, honestly, one
night won't won't kill her. And he's like, he also was like,
you don't want to get like an infection or whatever.
I was like, Oh my God, if it's like that bad, like go to a
urgent care clinic and like. I get it OK, but why?
And she does because her friend.I liked the friends.
I love the friend group. I, I, I thought it was I was

(32:07):
surprised that they all showed up that night.
She called them and all three ofthem came over OK.
But then the next scene is the next day at work.
Like they all came over to her house at like midnight on a
Thursday to like help her after this like bad date which love
love the. Friends love, love, love, love.
Love, love all the characters, love the friendship, love the

(32:28):
friends. I felt like, why don't we just
make this on like a Friday nightor something instead of like
showing us that it's work the next day.
I'm just kind of like. Sure.
And she's like, she hasn't like her ankles and heels.
So she's like, hobbling to work.And she has a meeting with Jay
among other people, but Jay is leading the meeting.

(32:50):
This is the first time she's really noticed that he's hot.
I mean, I feel like she probablywas, you know, I feel like any
photo she would receive in the context of being presented as a
potential match who probably instantly disliked the guy.
Yeah, 100%. Also, it's so funny when they

(33:10):
exchange phone numbers and she changes his picture to one of
the pictures that her mom sent. And I was like, if he saw that I
would be like, where'd you get this photo of me?
But she is like, her walls are up.
She is accusing him that he thinks she's a damsel in

(33:31):
distress and he's like, this isn't true at all and she she
doesn't believe him at this point.
And later that day, she sees Mike on the way back to her
office. Cuz he's like in their office
talking to his friends who work for or with her.
Yeah, they're like, say like in the lobby and they're just like
talking about the date and like how she was like wild in bed and

(33:55):
she's like, hey, like, like you're at my work, like place of
work. So I don't know.
I like would this happen IRL? So random of him to like not go
through the effort of bringing her up to his apartment and
still trying to like brag about having sex with her.
It's like, did he wanna? It's did he wanna have sex with

(34:16):
her or not? Like he kept inviting her out on
dates and then like wouldn't bring her to bed.
I know. I know that's so weird.
And then like also, and obviously this is just not the
way that books can work, but I was like, he would have just
texted his friends and been like, hey, this is what happened
last night. I don't think he's going to

(34:38):
their place of work and being like, it was crazy.
Yeah, I mean, you got to have a like you're saying it's a bug,
so people are talking. Talking in person, getting
caught at their work, at someoneelse's workplace.
But Jay-Z eating lunch at that cafe and overhears a bunch of
guys talking about Mike going ona date with this Indian woman.

(35:02):
And he, you know, didn't know that it was Mike with Leah last
night or like, truly what happened to Leah.
So he confronts them and when hesees Mike, he's like, you have
to apologize to her and correct all the rumors that you spread
about her. And he's like wiki.
He like instantly goes to like asuper racist and misogynist

(35:22):
remarks that also kind of go like where was his downfall
like? Where was the flowers thing?
He's like off his leaves, like he's.
Just not in the book anymore. Book anymore.
And it's like she didn't even want that.
And so it's like this is like it's so it's such a yeah, you're
right. I didn't, I stopped thinking
about him cuz he didn't come back up.

(35:44):
But he really didn't get anything wrong with him.
Yeah, yeah. So Shilpa, who is Mike's
brother's wife, is pregnant and invites Leah to her baby shower.
And so Jay has to give Leah's phone number to her and they

(36:04):
start texting because he's, like, inquiring if she's going
to go. And I think this also just shows
that, like, when she is kind of rejected from her community,
it's like the older folks, like,it's not the people that are her
age. They think she's lovely and like
want to be friends with her. Yeah, I really liked all of the

(36:25):
stuff with Jay's family, like both his sister and her
sister-in-law brother and mom and Leah were all like really
good relationships in this book,especially one like cuz after
Leah apologizes to the mom really quickly for leaving
dinner like that. And so I feel like just from
that point, everybody, everybodyelse in the story likes her,

(36:45):
which is really nice. And they were all nice to her
and understanding, especially compared to like the tertiary
characters who all hate her. Totally.
And she finally gets to clear upwhat happened at that first
dinner. So they're like, they're on the
same page now. The next day at work, Jay brings
her breakfast and she's like, did you bring me breakfast?
And then he's like, no, I didn't.

(37:05):
But then he got this crazy coffee order for her that was
like, you know, 9-9 different steps to make.
And then he brings her dinner, which that is people's love
language food for sure. Did he ask the assistant for her
coffee order? Yeah, Wendy, the assistant came
in so hot in the first to work scene that that scene is written

(37:29):
like this girl is going to be inevery single scene at work.
And then she disappears until like until the end when she's
just like suddenly a normal girlwho's like being fired and like
they're they're like her whole thing is that she's funny and
makes these like gross jokes. And then it's like that happened
once. It's like, you mean she like

(37:51):
does like workplace harassment, like you shouldn't be like
talking to people you don't knowlike this.
It was crazy. It was so wild to me.
I wrote that down actually in mygrapes and grumbles out like,
I'm like, you're making cum jokes like on a Monday morning,
Like, can you not like God? She's always working late.

(38:13):
Leah's working late because she's trying to save the company
and they stay, they end up staying together working till
3:00 AM and this is the first time where we get the lab
introduction. And I was like, Oh my God, I
thought you were like an accountant or something like
that. I truly I was like, I thought I
was paying really good attention, but apparently I
wasn't. No, this is also where where I

(38:35):
started realizing how little information about the work we
have like and it, it never gets cleared up.
Like it's she, she just works atan office and it has something
to do with science. Like we do not find out.
And it like I I don't even know if the if the author knows she,
we don't know anything. Truly, truly.
And one night when they're staying late, Jay's driving her

(38:58):
home and he's like, slurring hiswords and his eyes are closing.
So she's like, you need to sleepover at my place.
And the next morning, Leah makeshim breakfast and he's surprised
that she's cooking because she'sa feminist.
This is like one of the things that kills me so much is like
when people think that just because you're a feminist, you
like, don't want to like cook atall.

(39:19):
And it's like, that's not the, it's the context of like cooking
all the meals and doing all of the like household management
that like that people don't wantto do.
It's not that they don't want tolike, cook a meal for a loved
one. Cuz like we, cuz the example we
get very early, like in the first scene is them like the dad
is like doing kind of nothing and he's just like, make me a

(39:40):
drink. And then the mom was like, OK,
which is like not what she wants, but it's like she can,
she's, she's still, she's a woman who lives alone.
She knows how to cook a dinner. Totally, totally.
And he's like, well, I don't want someone like that.
Like I, I think we'd be a good match.
Like I do want like an independent woman.
And she's like, well, all men say that until you get into
relationship and then that kind of like falls away.

(40:02):
I felt like this is like they the I and I do love enemies to
lovers, but I feel like they need like a bunch of stuff to
fight about. Where I feel like in this book
they were fighting about regularly fighting about the
same thing over and over and gotvery repetitive.
Where it's like, I feel like it needs to be like, we disagree on
everything. Yeah.
And not, I mean, I did listen. Like I said, I listened to the

(40:25):
episode you did with Kirsten about book lovers.
Like I feel like that is the best ROM com book.
I mean I've read like seven of them, but it's like it's so good
and they like they are so against each other and the like
it makes so much sense from the opening.
And then like the way that that it's like that is the hot that
is the high watermark. And it's like this is not they
they just kept it kept being like, well, I'm an independent

(40:47):
woman who will never get marriedfor no reason.
And he's like well I can't move away for whatever reason.
Just like I I disagree on other stuff.
This is also why I started coming up with him being the
like on the other side of the lawsuits cuz I'm like this would
be a very good fodder for like arguments anyway.
Totally. Yeah, I completely agree.

(41:07):
There was a point in the book where I was like, Oh my God.
Like they're cuz OK, So like at every turn she's like, I don't
believe that you like think these things.
And at some point, I was like, Iget it.
Like, I know that obviously people's histories and, like,
lived experiences play out in their relationships, but I'm
like, at some point, this guy has not done anything for you to

(41:29):
suspect otherwise. And at some point, you do just
have to believe people that theyare like, who they say they are.
And I, it was like after their 10th fight about it, I was kind
of like, like, she storms out oflike a million dates.
And yeah, I, it was a little bitrepetitive, is what I'm trying
to say. Yeah.
Agreed. So they go to Shilpa's baby

(41:53):
shower and Jay sees Leah being getting anxious when she sees
Mukesh. People are like so rude talking
about Leah calling her unclean, saying that they like have to
wipe down the temple when she leaves and stuff like that.
I like cannot believe like that.I feel like that really showed a

(42:14):
sense of her character, that shecan still be a part of that
community. And we see Jay Bean set up with
Kajol, who is Mukesh's daughter and Leah's like.
Obviously horrified, of course. And she's like, why do I even
care? I don't care about him at all.
And like at the at the beginning, I thought that this
character was gonna be cool likeI thought she was.

(42:36):
Gonna. Be too me too like a good I'll.
Step aside or whatever. Or I just thought that cuz I
just felt like from the beginning she was like I, she
was set up to be like sort of intheir same way where they're
like, I don't want to be set up with anybody or like I don't
need it to be Jay or whatever. Cuz they talk about like going
to some lake house or whatever. And she even like, she doesn't

(42:57):
even instantly be like, Oh my God, yeah, like we absolutely do
that. She's like, I have to check my
calendar too. Like I'm not that excited about
it. But then by the end she's like
the, the resolution of her character is that we see her
over her dad's shoulder being like, I win.
It's like I thought you were gonna be, I didn't know you were
gonna be like a minion. Yeah. 100% yeah, like really 1D

(43:21):
character yeah and I I don't think we'll see anymore of her.
So like that kind of sucks, but this is also the first time that
like yeah, that there's jealousycoming up for Leah and like
truly Jay like asked her out andshe she declines as she she
leaves the man dear. But I think he's like intentions

(43:42):
are like pretty known at this point.
I don't know for me, I was also shocked because I feel like
enemies to lovers. They like they kind of end up
like hooking up or like dating, but they don't know.
But like he again, this is I feel like this isn't true
enemies to lovers, because he asks her out like pretty
straight up, you know, kind of at the get go the next day at
work, Jay goes to office and shouts at her go out with me,

(44:04):
which was wild. And then she's like, I don't
want to. I feel like you're only using me
for sex and he's like, she's like, you didn't even get me a
gift, which I'm assuming is protocol for him to get her a
gift. And she's like, I want like I
would want to be treated like anyone else.

(44:26):
He's like, well, you just assumed because I actually did
get you a gift and they're at it's at your house right now.
So she's like kind of feeling bad about herself.
I mean, I feel like him spendingover $1000 on her too.
Yeah, as a gift in the 1st placeis kind of like, OK, he's
probably not just using you. Like I feel like he wouldn't
like, you know, he's like a hot guy.

(44:48):
Like I don't think that he needsthis.
He needs it to be you specifically if he's.
But if you're spending like thousands of dollars on someone
that's kind of like maybe he, hewants you for something more
than Joe Sexton. He probably.
And it's a very thoughtful gift too.
He's like, remember that time I,I rescued you?
Here's the amazing shoes. And I guess he found out the

(45:11):
shoe size from her assistant too, but we didn't see that
scene either. Yeah, did.
Did you clock that it was Louboutin?
Because I was like, Oh my God, what could the gift be?
And then when she was like, I don't want your Louboutins.
When she goes and takes them back to his house, I was like,
Oh my God, like that's so smart.I can't.
I can't remember if it if I knewor not.
I don't remember. Yeah, I thought that was a cute

(45:33):
connection. Yeah.
So she brings the gift back, andhis family is just like,
actually, you should just stay for dinner, even though you're
kind of being a little crazy right now.
And Leah just really fits in with the family nicely.
I loved her like I felt like at certain points I felt like she
had better like charisma or likea better done relationship with

(45:57):
his sister and her his mom with him or like I was this was it
was like they were it was nice. They just like they just liked
her and like supported the relationship.
Yeah. It's not really conflict in the
in the in his family. And it became this very like
safe place for her, which I liked.
No, they they seem lovely. And after dinner he's like, do

(46:17):
you still like believe that I'm a type of guy like Mike?
Like, that's actually pretty disrespectful if you think that
I am like as bad as Mike. And they like kind of almost
kiss here. And he's just basically asking
why he doesn't have a chance with her.
So he asked one more time if he can take her out and she says
yes. And she thinks that they're

(46:37):
going to go on like one of theseclassic dates, like a dinner and
a movie or whatever and then take take her back to his
apartment. But he takes her out on laser
tag and they get like hot dogs and Gelato, which I thought.
Was lovely time this is. I felt like I learned so much
more about how to play laser tagthan her company.
Yeah, no, literally like every step of the process put.

(47:02):
Our mess on we get our points, we dispute the lasers.
Like I gotta go back to recharge.
It's like OK. So, buddy.
Clearly, clearly the author has played laser tag and has not had
a lab management job. Yeah.
Clearly. So weeks pass they are seeing
each other a lot and one day they go to the lake for one of

(47:23):
their dates and while they're putting on their bathing suits
to go swimming Leah notices thatJay has scars on his back and
like asks about them and he doesn't want to talk about them
because he his family has like house burnt down when he was a

(47:44):
young boy because he was trying to cook and his dad
unfortunately passed away because he was trying to save
his family. So his brother, mom and him
survived but his dad didn't. So obviously this is a good sad
reminder of what happened. Yes, furthering the darkness of

(48:04):
the I was. Literally I was like, oh, that's
like fucked. And cuz it's not even I feel
like the other books I've read where one of the character's
parent is that is like they died.
But like this character like blames himself and is like, if I
hadn't done this, I would like keep my dad would be alive.
And I'm just like, that is like is I feel like that that's good

(48:28):
enough. Like that.
That was that's all the darknesswe needed in them for me in in
my preferences. But it's it's just an additional
very heavy thing for a characterto work through amongst all the
other things in this book. Yeah, it was very Outlander.
I know you referenced that earlier when we were talking,
but you haven't read the help. But did you watch the show?

(48:51):
OK, OK. Cuz he Jamie, the main character
has really bad scars on his back.
And that was one of their him and his wife's first scenes
talking over the scars on on hisback.
So I was like kind of maybe a little rough to to Outlander.
The scars sounded intense. Yeah, he, like, won't have sex

(49:12):
with her at this point. I feel like that she's like, I
want to have sex with you because it's been like weeks.
But he says that he won't have sex with her and he's like, I I
want to know more about you. I still feel like you have walls
up. I know that men haven't treated
you well, but like, I need kind of like more than what you're
giving me. And she kind of tepidly asks how

(49:36):
he would ask if like there were the rumors about her, if he was
confronted with those, how he would respond and how he how his
mom would respond and his brother and stuff like that,
which is something obviously she's really worried about.
They go on more dates. They have the same conversation.
They do kiss. Eventually.

(49:58):
He rubs her feet more at her apartment.
See, it's all over this book. I OK, but I was surprised when
we eventually got to them havingsex that it was like fade to
black sexy. I felt like I felt the book was
so sexually charged up to that point.
Like like I don't even remember the descriptions, but I just

(50:20):
felt like they was very like setup to be like full on porn
because he's like, there are so many points in this book where
Jay is like, you're not going tobelieve the things I do.
It's like I was like more of that.
You were you. Need I feel I feel we needed
needed to be delivered upon if we're gonna get if we're gonna
go to that every single time or like if it's I feel like there

(50:41):
were mentions of like graphic stuff and it's just like, I
can't believe we didn't get a sex scene.
No, I was like really disappointed to be honest.
Like I cuz I kind of assumed that it would be kind of like
Emily Henry where it wasn't likesuper smutty and like whatever,
but like there's still like sex scenes and I was like fucking
shook when it was a close like pretty much a closed door

(51:03):
romance. Super disappointed.
Like to be honest cuz it all a lot of their conversations are
like yeah are sexually charged. Yeah, it was.
It felt like I cuz I, I mean, I don't remember what every book
I've read is like, but is why was the IT just felt so set up
to be like this is gonna get intense.

(51:25):
I realized I also read The Love Hypothesis which is a book where
it's very like very graphic sex scene.
Yeah, totally, totally. Yeah, I know.
I kind of thought it would be atleast sprinkled in cuz it was
giving Emily Henry, but we got nada, which, yeah,
disappointing, at least for me. I, I don't know, I like when
there's like a little bit, a little bit more.

(51:47):
After one of their dates, Leah does eventually tell him what
happened with Mukesh and how herdad responded and said that it
was her fault and actually like apologize to Mukesh for this
happening. And he tells her about his back
and lets her like touch it. It's just a very, very sweet

(52:09):
moment. Actually, this kind of also
reminded me of Sarah Jane Mass, where a million things happened
in the last quarter of the book because they find out the
company's closing, she is entering for a new job, and then
Shilpa has her baby. And it's just kind of these like
huge consecutive moments that are kind of wrapping up.

(52:33):
And while this is all happening,Jay is getting like increasingly
upset because it's that around the anniversary of his dad's
death. And we get to see Leah support
him in the ways that he has supported her, which is.
Very sweet. They're both there for each
other and it cuz even the cuz the first time she brings up the

(52:55):
like assault thing, he is like very obviously he's very
supportive of her and like believes her.
And then the like conflict at the end is about him like not
instantly reacting when it's like happening at the thing or
whatever. And so, yeah, it was they have,
they have good like emotional conversations.
Truly. And I thought they were, like,

(53:17):
pretty realistic. I liked when they were making
breakfast. And she's like, I actually,
like, can't even have you look at me, like, let's, like, cook
while we're doing this. I was like, I feel like that is
something that would actually happen IRL.
Yeah. But it's the wedding weekend for
Rima and Rohan. And we find out Leah gets the
Dallas job and she's consideringit because she wants to leave

(53:38):
Houston because of her past, even though she has, you know, a
great group of friends and her mom and Jay.
And the wedding happened. I thought we were going to get
more about the dance scene because I feel like that was a
big, it was mentioned throughoutthe book, but we didn't.
We didn't get much about the girls dancing at the wedding,
which I was sad about. I really liked all of her

(54:00):
friends. I wish they.
I feel like they were used well in the books.
And yeah, I thought that the dance was going to be like this
big thing, but. It wasn't, but we did get some
beautiful visuals of like some of the ceremonies and traditions
and rituals of an Indian weddingthat I really, this book really
is good at setting up a beautiful picture of like kind

(54:22):
of what's happening after the wedding happens.
Mukesh approaches Leah because he's mad that Jay isn't, you
know, dating Kajol and is with her and threatens to reveal the
secret in front of everybody. And her parents are there, Jay's

(54:43):
there and his his mom's there. And he basically Mukesh tells
his side of the story, which is that Leah seduced him.
And obviously she's like, that'snot what happened like.
But unfortunately her dad still agrees with him and hits Leah
for like, trying to stand up forherself.

(55:06):
Yeah. Which was really, really dark
sided. Like I literally don't even know
what to say. Like, it's really dark and I'm
glad that Jay was there to comfort her, but obviously this
was like, so embarrassing and soshocking and just pushes Leah to
take the job in Dallas. I am glad.

(55:29):
I mean, it did feel like something very dramatic would
have it would have to happen to have her mom eventually like
split from the dad. And so like this made sense as
like that thing. Yeah.
And I did really like the Jay's mom and her mom or like friends
or like comforting each other. But it was just like very.

(55:50):
It's another thing where I was just like, Oh my God.
I know, I know like I was. Like really taken.
Aback I know, I know. And we get some resolution where
Jay and his mom talked to Leah'smom and was like, if you need to
leave or if like you need any support or anything like please

(56:11):
come to us. And Jay, like Leah leaves.
Jay goes after her and can't find her at her apartment but
asks her friend Preeti where sheis.
And it's obviously Dallas. So he drives there and meets her
at her work. He says that she's the 1:00 and
that they should be together andhe will they can press charges

(56:34):
or do whatever she wants with Mukesh.
And he says I'll move to Dallas and then proposes to her with
the shoes. The proposal thing wasn't I
didn't that didn't I was like, Ifeel like this is like I feel
like this made sense where they were.
I feel like the whole thing was about like meeting these people

(56:55):
to marry. And so I'm like it did.
It is a little fast to get married, but it's kind of like
is that kind of the thing? But the but suddenly it's fine
for him to leave town. It's like that was the whole
conflict where he was like, I, Ithink it, I mean, it made sense
because I felt like he had like misunderstandings and misreads
on like what his family actuallyfelt and like what they thought
and they like never really talked it through or never

(57:17):
accepted their answers. But like his whole thing is like
I have to be here for my family and now his like his his I.
Can't remember his. Nephew was born.
Like, of course, of course he's gonna want to stay.
And then there's no he's just like, I'm actually gonna move.
I know, I know, I know. That was like really shocking to
me. I thought that they would come

(57:37):
to some type of more middle agreement where it's like maybe
they stay in Houston but she gets he helps her get another
job and they like go to another mandir or like something like
that. But cuz someone's like now she
now she just has him and doesn'thave her friends or anything.
Yeah, but they're still gonna goon their trips or whatever.

(57:58):
They'll be there every weekend, every other, every once a month
or something. And yeah, it's like, I'm not
even sure I want her working in this industry anymore.
It seems like it's. Literally whatever it is,
they're like polluting the oceans or whatever.
I think, yeah. OK, let's wrap up with our
roundtable discussion. This is our Internet
investigation, our cursory proves of the Internet of Things

(58:21):
you need to know. I liked this Sajni, the author.
It was born in India but raised in Texas, which obviously you
can kind of see some of those experiences mirrored in the
book. She, I'm gonna read this quote
and it's actually pretty long, so just bear with me.
But it's about how she kind of was able to write about South

(58:41):
Asian characters in like a very white, like especially romance.
The subgenre is like a very white, so I'm going to read this
out to you. So she said.
I remember early on, publishers would say the audience was
trying to capture a niche marketand they were unsure how to
market these types of books. I'm very grateful for the those
early South Asian authors that really paved the way and open

(59:04):
the doors because by the time The Trouble with Hating You was
published, marketing was no longer concerned.
I wanted to write about my experience as an immigrant and
the first born girl. I grew up in a traditional
household and I was taught to bequiet and keep my head down.
I was going through so many things, but I had to.
I had been told to keep my opinions to myself as to not

(59:25):
'cause issues, so I was not ableto voice anything.
I found that writing, especiallythe trouble with hating you, was
very cathartic. I was able to say things or
write my story in a way that I wish I could have done things.
I always say Leah is the type ofcharacter that I wish I could
have been. My writing was a therapeutic way
of dealing with emotions and I wasn't expecting to get where I

(59:48):
am now. I wasn't expecting the reception
for the book that the book received or to continue writing
South Asian stories. I definitely, I'm definitely
happy to do it and we'll continue writing.
Love. Beautiful love, I learnt a lot.
I did. It makes sense.
I forgot about this while I was reading it, but it makes sense.

(01:00:10):
She's from Texas because I felt early on in the book, reading
the book, I was kind of like, why are we in Texas?
Like I was just like, it felt itcould, it felt like it could
have been anywhere. But I did.
Cuz to me as someone who's not from Texas, I'm kind of like
when something is in Texas, I feel like that has that imbues
it with a very specific kind of energy that is not in this book.
And so it's like, I guess this is good Texan representation

(01:00:32):
too. It's just kind of like weirdest
normal people here. Totally, totally.
Like, yeah, you're right. Like this is what Texas is
made-up with because you're totally right.
Like when you think of Texas, you just think of like a very
specific type of person in community.
Yeah. So I really liked that.
And yeah, it wasn't the place wasn't very essential to the

(01:00:54):
book it you're right. It could have taken place
anywhere. But I'm glad, yeah, no, that
makes sense that she's from Texas.
And I mean, I'm sure this is a lot of.
I'm sure she's writing from known experiences.
Okay, I wonder why these are unanswered questions for the
listeners. Like my only really unanswered
questions, but I feel like more kind of were dug up as we

(01:01:15):
discussed it. But like what does Leah do for
work? I don't know.
And like what happens next? I feel like there was like a few
things that were kind of left unsaid.
Yeah, I feel like, cuz I feel like this is my first romance.
All I know about the romance genre on a macro level is that
every book has to end with it being happily ever after or

(01:01:35):
happily for now or whatever or happy for now.
But I I feel like this is the first time I'm reading one of
these books where I don't feel that way.
Like I feel like it's not. I think weren't all resolved.
Things were not all like it's not.
And I don't even like the resolution of many things that
are resolved. Like I don't think I feel like
there was over compromising, like things didn't really get

(01:01:55):
like effectively handled and there's just other things that
are still up in the air and not done.
Totally. And I wonder because again I.
Guess this is more gripes and grumbles and I apologize.
No, no, that's totally fine. I wonder if there's gonna be
like a third book in this year to maybe they revisit this

(01:02:16):
couple. But yeah, there there is a lot.
There is a lot unanswered and I felt like the last like 10% of
the books say was like pretty chaotic.
Like I I think the pacing could have been a little bit more like
evenly matched for maybe some ofthese things to be resolved in a
more complete way. Yeah.

(01:02:38):
And I think like, yeah, where's Mike?
Like, what happened to Wendy? Like, I don't know.
There's like. Where did she go?
She made such a huge impression immediately and then.
And then nothing. Nothing.
Then absolutely nothing. Sorry I keep griping and
grumbling. I'll wait.
OK, these are grapes and grumples, our nitpicky problems
we have with the book. What?

(01:02:59):
What's on your mind? I felt like there were.
I just feel like it wasn't funnyenough.
I felt like it was. I feel like I feel like the
characters were supposed to be being funny, but it wasn't.
Yeah. That's such a good play.
Yeah. Did you like, I didn't like it
seemed Romkami, but I didn't like laugh out loud.

(01:03:19):
No, she OK, well, this is not oncomedy, but I back to the shoes.
I I looked at my notes and there's an at the end of the
book early close to the end. There's a part where it's Jay's
perspective and he says in his thoughts.
She jogged down the steps in high heels.
How anyone could do that and notfall flat on their faces beyond
me. It's like no one who?

(01:03:41):
What man no. Who is even thinking that?
Yeah, 100%. There's something going on.
But the worst thing this book did?
Yeah. Is lay it on me?
Even beyond all of the dark things we've already discussed,
the book is split chapter by chapter, flipping back and forth

(01:04:02):
between the two leads every single time.
It's Leah. It's Jay.
It's Leah. It's Jay, It's Leah Jay.
But chapter 6 and seven are bothfrom Leah, and it never it's
That's the only time it doesn't flip.
Why did we? What's the point?
Why did stick with the things? Stick with the conceit.
I know, I know, I know. That threw me off so hard.

(01:04:22):
That really, truly threw me off.When it happened I immediately
looked, I pulled on my Kindle, checked all the future chapters.
I was like, is it not every other book?
Every chapter it is. Every other one is a switch.
Cuz that's what I was gonna ask.Like she's the main character,
right? Like they do like Jay is, is
really built up to be, but like she is the main character.

(01:04:43):
She is, I would say. But they but they feel like they
have this almost the same amountof chapters.
But she like she definitely has most like an actual active plot
where he's like reacting to her plot.
Yeah, yeah, exactly. This fucking killed me.
Jay eats tacos with a fork and knife because a no one eats
tacos with a fork and knife. Like I get maybe like pizza and

(01:05:05):
stuff like that, but no one eatstacos with a fork and knife.
And Indian cuisine, a lot of it is meant to be eaten with your
hands or using like a roti, a chapati, a piece of naan to pick
up the like lentils or whatever you're eating, which is very

(01:05:26):
similar. Like in Mexican, Mexican
cuisine, you also are using yourhands to eat a lot of the times.
And I was like this, it would never be happening.
Eating a Taco with a fork and knife is insane.
I completely agree, but that was.
Alarming. Cuz it's like, I guess I was

(01:05:46):
begging for them to be arguing about something new but it has
to be something that seems feasible.
Yeah, yeah. Cuz I guess we don't know.
I'm assuming that Jay also grew up in Texas.
There's so much Tex Mex food andstuff like that.
I was like, I don't know about this.
Even him eating the lukewarm soup at the diner after like
their culture and their like families revolve so much around

(01:06:11):
food. I was like why?
Why? Doesn't make any sense.
My life's last gripe and grumbleif you don't have any more.
My last one is that Preeti won'ttell him her apartment address
but will tell him where she works.
That is the same thing. Like and she, cuz she's like,

(01:06:31):
and she's actually there right now and I anger you.
This was the singular point in the book where it mattered that
he's a lawyer 'cause he was he, they made a joke about him, like
finding the loophole or whatever.
And so I'm like, OK. They really didn't talk about
him being a lawyer, why he wanted to be a lawyer, what type
of law he does or anything. 'Cause he was even like at one

(01:06:53):
point early in the book, he's like, well, I like doing this
other kind of thing, but this isthe kind of job that I can get
since I have to be here with my family or whatever.
I was like, you're still in Dallas or whatever.
Like if it's a big city, like what kind of law can you not
practice there that you could practice?
In Houston, Yeah. What happened?
I have a couple other Yeah, OK. We talked a lot about feet in

(01:07:18):
this book and we mentioned this another they they, she mentions
the tongues a lot. Like it's all about like tongue.
They met. They notice each other's tongues
all the time and like what they're up to.
That was too much for me. I think that that that one is
more I think that is more heavily used in romance novels.
I feel like is like is a is a character noticing the person's

(01:07:42):
hands, mouth, tongue. Sure.
That makes sense. But yeah, the feet thing, there
was an undercurrent that we werepicking up on.
I also feel like a character of Leah's demeanor would not use
the word crap. I feel like she said she said
and thought it all the time. And I was just like, you would

(01:08:03):
say fuck, like you would not be.You're not like, oh crap, oh
what the crap I have. And then she mentioned 01 time
she talked, she said somebody was worse.
You're no better than the crap on my shoes or something like
crap underneath my shoes. It's like I think you have crap
under your shoes. Like I don't think you crap in

(01:08:23):
crap. That's the that's the metaphor
we're going for. You have crap on your shoes.
Like what are you talking about?Yeah, I I clocked to that one
too. That's that's a really both of
those are really good. She wouldn't say crap.
She would not. Final thing.
Yes. I felt like this book was like,
this book was a little outdated with the its relationship to

(01:08:43):
bacon. I feel like, I feel like it was
very like it was connecting to bacon meme culture from like 15
years ago where people are like,Oh my God, bacon is so good.
But it's like, I don't think that's been a thing on the
Internet for like generations. I'm yeah, that.
No, you're so right. They were always cooking bacon

(01:09:05):
and. They were like, they would just
talk about it like like they were a meme.
No, that's so true. I totally noticed that.
It also kind of gives me those like vibes of like family shows
where the the parents would makelike this crazy breakfast for
their family and then the kid like takes a bite of an apple

(01:09:25):
and like leaves for school or whatever.
Sometimes it's kind of like that.
We get it, you cook a healthy breakfast every morning or
whatever. I don't know.
I don't know. That's really good.
Yeah, those were my grapes and crumbles.
That's perfect. Those are great grapes and
rumbles. OK, our sequel scoop.
This is our the T on any upcoming sequel seasons and the

(01:09:48):
general reception the book when it was like a viral TikTok book
talk book for sure. And the sequel is first love
take two and it was published in2021.
It follows Daniel and Preeti andwe get like the little sprinkles
that Preeti is in a partnership and like in a range partnership
right now that she obviously doesn't love the person and that

(01:10:13):
she is still in love with her past boyfriend.
So are you going? To read it.
Yes, yes. Who is not Indian?
Are you going to read the the sequel?
I don't, I, I don't think so. I, I just imagine that there are
further darknesses in these books and I'm just like, I, I'm
not coming to these books as like a frequent romance reader

(01:10:36):
and I feel like if I were to be looking for further romance
reads, I will go to a different source.
Just it's not my speed with all of that.
Totally, totally. I think that's fair.
I'm surprised there's only one sequel to this book, though.
It came out in 2020 and then thesequel came out in 2021, and I

(01:10:57):
guess the author has been writing other things.
No, it's not connected. She's just written other.
Room Tables. No.
Yeah, yeah, they're in like a different series.
Yeah, I'm surprised too, becauseagain, they were successful
books. But yeah, I guess it's been like
3 over just over three years since this last one was
published. And I think like we could have

(01:11:17):
totally got more about like Rimaand Rohan, like they could have
a book. Or cuz she's forefront like
she's 3. It's a group of four girls.
Like I feel like there could easily be 4.
Books. Let's go.
Yeah, Shoba and John. Yeah, let's do it.
So. Do they do?
Are there romance books where it's like they're already
married at the beginning of the book?
Usually it is if it is. If they're already married, it

(01:11:42):
is usually like AI would say like a sequel at that point, but
it's not. I I do think that there are some
like that because then they hit like a hiccup in in their
relationship or whatever, or it's like kind of flashback Y
stuff or like whatever. But yeah, cuz actually I don't

(01:12:03):
even know if this book, it sounds like I guess it does take
place after this book, but some books even are yeah, like play
with like. They go back and tell the story
of like how these people who were together in the first one
got together. Whatever.
Sure. Exactly.
Exactly. OK, anything else you want to

(01:12:25):
say about the trouble with hating you?
I, you know, it was good. I, I feel like I had just
finished reading a really like a, a much more dense text.
So I really, I was having a veryhard time connecting and reading
other books. So it was exactly what I needed
at the exactly the right time. I'm glad.
And what was I reading before that?

(01:12:47):
Oh, it was it. I was in a I've had a pretty
tough reading here. I feel like I haven't read as
many five star books as I would obviously love to, but it's so
it's been it's been tough to go.I I enjoyed the book.
I was happy to read for to discuss it and I'm very happy I
came on the pod today. Oh my.
God, I'm so glad you did too. Can you tell the listeners where

(01:13:08):
they can find you and anything else you want to plug?
Absolutely. My podcast is bitter jurors
podcast. We are bitter jurors pod on on
every platform that we're on. And that's it.
That's oh, if you were wait, when does this come out?
It'll come out Wednesday, November 20th.
Perf OK if you are in the LA area and you are a Survivor fan,

(01:13:29):
we are doing a viewing party with Fruity Island at Dynasty
Typewriter on December 4th. So come through would love to
see you that's. So fun.
That's so fun. I need to get back into
Survivor. OK, thanks again for coming on.
And that's the story of the Trouble with Hating You.

(01:13:49):
And thank you so much for listening.
And thank you to Sam for joiningme on today's show.
If you haven't already, follow me on socials at Ready to Be
Romanced and suggest a book thatyou want covered.
I haven't actually made the schedule past January 1st, so if
you have any book suggestions that you want me to cover, let
me know and I'd be happy to oblige.
We are coming up, which is actually nuts to me, but on one

(01:14:13):
year Ready to Be Romance that will happen, I think this
January, the end of January, which is like absolutely nuts to
me. So if you haven't already,
subscribe and leave a rating review on Apple Podcasts or
Spotify. It really, really, really helps
new listeners find the show. Let me know what you like about
it. Suggest a book in the review and

(01:14:35):
tell me how long you've been listening for.
If you've been here since day one, I really so appreciate it.
And if you're new, I appreciate that too.
OK friends, we are diving into our next monster romance, a
second for the show. I'm so excited.
Our next episode is Ice Planet Barbarians.
Until then, happy reading for Ready to be Romanced.

(01:14:56):
I'm Tori. Goodbye.