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Flirting with Disaster
Brought to you by Penguin.
Hot shot DC lawyer Meena is engaged - well, sort of. Her fiancé-to-be thinks they are. The only hitch? Meena is already married.
Which is how she ends up Houston bound to convince her childhood-sweetheart-slash-husband (courtesy of one slightly too wild night in Vegas nearly a decade ago) to finally agree to get UN-hitched.
But life loves to throw curve balls, or in this case, a good old natural disaster.
She touches down just in time to find out a hurricane is coming - all flights are cancelled and the only place she can take refuge? Her soon-to-be-ex-husband's home.
Will the storm force them to face what happened all those years ago? And might this be the best worst thing that has ever happened to them?
Hot shot DC lawyer Meena is engaged - well, sort of. Her fiancé-to-be thinks they are. The only hitch? Meena is already married.
Which is how she ends up Houston bound to convince her childhood-sweetheart-slash-husband (courtesy of one slightly too wild night in Vegas nearly a decade ago) to finally agree to get UN-hitched.
But life loves to throw curve balls, or in this case, a good old natural disaster.
She touches down just in time to find out a hurricane is coming - all flights are cancelled and the only place she can take refuge? Her soon-to-be-ex-husband's home.
Will the storm force them to face what happened all those years ago? And might this be the best worst thing that has ever happened to them?
Audible Audio
First published January 14, 2025
232 people are currently reading
44560 people want to read
About the author
Naina Kumar
4 books712 followersNaina Kumar is the bestselling author of Say You’ll Be Mine and Flirting With Disaster. She lives in Texas, close to her family, whose antics provide endless inspiration. When she’s not writing, she enjoys taking her rowdy rescue dog on walks, rewatching Gilmore Girls on a loop, and shopping at H-E-B.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,353 reviews
February 6, 2025
Sweet Home Alabama... but make it Indian and set in Houston? sign me the fuuuuuck up
edit: this was in fact DELIGHTFUL
edit: this was in fact DELIGHTFUL
May 5, 2025
This was a solid 3.5⭐️ for me!! At times, the pacing was a bit disorienting and I also felt like the couple’s history could have been a little more fleshed out to make their conflict more believable. But Naina Kumar can write a line that’ll give you butterflies that’s for certain. The tension was good, the banter was tender and never forced, and I couldn’t even see Nikhil but I know he’s hot! LMFAOOO
Definitely going to give her other books a shot and would recommend this because her prose, to me at least, was super satisfying.
Definitely going to give her other books a shot and would recommend this because her prose, to me at least, was super satisfying.
February 9, 2025
Wow! This is a heartwarming reimagining of Sweet Home Alabama, featuring a small-town, second-chance romance between a couple with unresolved issues about their past, stuck together in a house during a storm—the very house they once shared when they were married! Tension escalates as their lingering feelings, attraction, and yearning clash with resentments and misgivings.
Meena has always been driven—ambitious, successful, and currently pursuing her career as a high-powered lawyer on Capitol Hill. Recently, she broke up with her boyfriend, but she’s determined to reconcile—not out of love, but because she sees them as a potential power couple aiming for a Senate run in Maryland. The only thing standing in the way of her plans is her husband, Nikhil, whom she married in Vegas. After a year of a rocky marriage, she left him to move to Washington, D.C., to chase her dreams.
She finally sends him divorce papers, but when she doesn't hear back, she decides to take matters into her own hands and flies to her home state of Texas to confront him. When she arrives at the house where they once lived, she realizes her timing couldn’t be worse—a hurricane is forming in the Gulf and heading straight for them. While her ex prepares for the storm, boarding up windows and stocking supplies like their wise neighbors, Meena is caught off guard, having acted impulsively without checking the news.
With no hotels available, no flights, and no cars to rent, she’s trapped with her ex. She optimistically thinks this will give her the perfect opportunity to convince him to sign the papers so she can move on with her life. But as they begin to communicate honestly for the first time in their relationship, the real question becomes: Can she truly let go of her first love when there are still unresolved feelings and sparks flying between them?
Overall, Meena frustrated me at times—her insecurities fueling her ambition, often leading her to act selfishly without considering others' perspectives. It even bothered me that, despite getting closer to Nikhil, she kept making plans with Shake (honestly, what kind of name is that? It made me hungry enough to order a burger and shake from Shake Shack!). I loved Nikhil—his struggle to support Meena while facing his own issues made him more honest and likable. But in the end, this is still a well-written, angsty, and heartfelt love story that explores how people evolve, learn to change, and make peace with themselves as they engage in self-reflection. That’s what ultimately made me appreciate Meena and Nikhil’s flawed, imperfect, but compelling story, which I happily give 4 rekindling stars.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine/Dell for providing this heartfelt romance’s digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
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Meena has always been driven—ambitious, successful, and currently pursuing her career as a high-powered lawyer on Capitol Hill. Recently, she broke up with her boyfriend, but she’s determined to reconcile—not out of love, but because she sees them as a potential power couple aiming for a Senate run in Maryland. The only thing standing in the way of her plans is her husband, Nikhil, whom she married in Vegas. After a year of a rocky marriage, she left him to move to Washington, D.C., to chase her dreams.
She finally sends him divorce papers, but when she doesn't hear back, she decides to take matters into her own hands and flies to her home state of Texas to confront him. When she arrives at the house where they once lived, she realizes her timing couldn’t be worse—a hurricane is forming in the Gulf and heading straight for them. While her ex prepares for the storm, boarding up windows and stocking supplies like their wise neighbors, Meena is caught off guard, having acted impulsively without checking the news.
With no hotels available, no flights, and no cars to rent, she’s trapped with her ex. She optimistically thinks this will give her the perfect opportunity to convince him to sign the papers so she can move on with her life. But as they begin to communicate honestly for the first time in their relationship, the real question becomes: Can she truly let go of her first love when there are still unresolved feelings and sparks flying between them?
Overall, Meena frustrated me at times—her insecurities fueling her ambition, often leading her to act selfishly without considering others' perspectives. It even bothered me that, despite getting closer to Nikhil, she kept making plans with Shake (honestly, what kind of name is that? It made me hungry enough to order a burger and shake from Shake Shack!). I loved Nikhil—his struggle to support Meena while facing his own issues made him more honest and likable. But in the end, this is still a well-written, angsty, and heartfelt love story that explores how people evolve, learn to change, and make peace with themselves as they engage in self-reflection. That’s what ultimately made me appreciate Meena and Nikhil’s flawed, imperfect, but compelling story, which I happily give 4 rekindling stars.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine/Dell for providing this heartfelt romance’s digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
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February 24, 2025Welp that is certainly a title for a romance novel set during a hurricane.
Second chance romance with a Vegas-married couple separated for six years finally addressing the various insecurities and miscommunications that broke them apart in the first place, in the context of sheltering from a hurricane. I enjoyed this a lot, especially how it handles a high-powered woman with a man whose job is perceived as lower status, and it does a good job of rooting the communication fails in plausible insecurities that mesh badly. The couple are likeable and the disaster setting is interestingly done, with a lot of interesting practical detail.
Second chance romance with a Vegas-married couple separated for six years finally addressing the various insecurities and miscommunications that broke them apart in the first place, in the context of sheltering from a hurricane. I enjoyed this a lot, especially how it handles a high-powered woman with a man whose job is perceived as lower status, and it does a good job of rooting the communication fails in plausible insecurities that mesh badly. The couple are likeable and the disaster setting is interestingly done, with a lot of interesting practical detail.
January 9, 2025
Flirting with Disaster is a tender and raw second chance romance following Meena, a high-powered attorney ready to move on with her life and finally divorce her husband, Nikhil. Determined to get the papers signed, Meena flies down to Houston and discovers she couldn't have arrived at a worse time with an impending hurricane on the horizon. With no other choice but to stay with her husband, Nickhil and Meena are pulled back in time and slowly forced to confront why their marriage fell apart.
This was such an emotional roller coaster of a read! The utter devastation of Nikhil and Meena's failed marriage was so brutal and unfair, I was absolutely crushed every time they kept going back and forth with their miscommunication and avoidance. It was both annoying and completely necessary for them to find their way back to each other. While the second chance was so pivotal throughout the story, I loved the flashbacks of their previous relationship and the glimpses into their love. The tenderness and care was so sweet and needed to balance the impending divorce. This was an overall great read, full of tension, angst, yearning, unresolved feelings, and so much love to soften the bitterness!
~Many thanks to Dell for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.
This was such an emotional roller coaster of a read! The utter devastation of Nikhil and Meena's failed marriage was so brutal and unfair, I was absolutely crushed every time they kept going back and forth with their miscommunication and avoidance. It was both annoying and completely necessary for them to find their way back to each other. While the second chance was so pivotal throughout the story, I loved the flashbacks of their previous relationship and the glimpses into their love. The tenderness and care was so sweet and needed to balance the impending divorce. This was an overall great read, full of tension, angst, yearning, unresolved feelings, and so much love to soften the bitterness!
~Many thanks to Dell for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.
January 31, 2025
this wasn’t a bad book but it kind of felt like a hostage situation with two people with no chemistry and who annoyed me
March 3, 2025
boyfriend: you should work on actually liking books
me, about to write a mean review: :|
there's just no good romance novels out there anymore. i want to feel heartbroken and upset and throw up at least two times and then also feel giddy and happy and throw up two more times - is this really so hard to achieve. instead i'm constantly left feeling lukewarm and low-key bored.
the couple just felt very forgettable and tbh i think their conflict was stupid. there was no need to break up. i understand that you have to suspend disbelief but come on. nothing substantial really happened between the two.
but, the thing about second-chance romance (the best romance genre) is that even when they aren't good, they can never be bad (unless, they are written by colleen hoover, then they can indeed be very bad), so ... three stars.
me, about to write a mean review: :|
there's just no good romance novels out there anymore. i want to feel heartbroken and upset and throw up at least two times and then also feel giddy and happy and throw up two more times - is this really so hard to achieve. instead i'm constantly left feeling lukewarm and low-key bored.
the couple just felt very forgettable and tbh i think their conflict was stupid. there was no need to break up. i understand that you have to suspend disbelief but come on. nothing substantial really happened between the two.
but, the thing about second-chance romance (the best romance genre) is that even when they aren't good, they can never be bad (unless, they are written by colleen hoover, then they can indeed be very bad), so ... three stars.
February 7, 2025
Just okay for me. Not enough meat to the story and I’m confused, did they even like each other? Chemistry didn’t exist and both MC were bland. Was it an easy listen and had moments of charm and warmth? Yes absolutely.
January 15, 2025
I wish I had loved this more, I really wanted to, but by about 50% I knew this wasn’t going to be a favorite. I had a hard time rooting for the MCs because as their problems unfolded I felt as if they were so easily talked through but they just wouldn’t do it. As a staunch second chance and miscommunication defender, this book fell into the reasons why I fear these tropes fall flat sometimes. I did not think Meena and Nikhil should get back together once we learned why they broke up, and I also thought that they really failed each other by not ever really talking about anything, dropping hints left and right does not make for a conversation, especially when the outcome of what broke them apart was inevitable, they both KNEW they conversation had to happen. I did enjoy the family aspects of this book and watching Meena unpack that baggage with her sister, I think that’s was a really beautiful moment. I also enjoyed the few but strong ensemble scenes in this book, the minor characters had such a strong presence and the way they helped shape Meena and Nikhil’s story was really well done. At the end of the day I just wasn’t rooting for them as much as I felt I should and although I felt tenderness and warmth when they finally got their HEA I didn’t feel as if it was won.
Thank you Dell and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you Dell and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 25, 2025
This is Sweet Home Alabama for liberals (compliment)
January 22, 2025
I finished this beauty last night and I adored every second of it. It felt very fast paced and it was almost impossible for me to put it down. It's only 299 pages, so it's a short read.
Meena, an attorney, goes to her husband house (they have been separated for years) to finalize their divorce when a hurricane left them stranded at his house. You get second chance, forced proximity, no dual timeline (which I LOVE. I can't read second chance with dual timeline for the life of me) and it's told from her POV. Couldn't be more perfect honestly!!
There is a lot of miscommunication in this book which I appreciate because by the end, we are able to see them finally stand in their grown, understand each other, transform and grow. There is a lot of character development in this story, which made it feel realistic at its best!!
The romance is to die for!!! I loved seeing how the little by little went back to each other and how subtle their demonstrations of love were. Their love is sweet, soft and tender. There was something special there and it was heartwarming to see it bloom again. Also, the MMC has a chain okay? and I melted when I found out what it was. He is PRECIOUS.
Kumar writing is emotional, relatable and at times: inspiring. Meena is a lovely FMC and I love the way she thinks.
Meena, an attorney, goes to her husband house (they have been separated for years) to finalize their divorce when a hurricane left them stranded at his house. You get second chance, forced proximity, no dual timeline (which I LOVE. I can't read second chance with dual timeline for the life of me) and it's told from her POV. Couldn't be more perfect honestly!!
There is a lot of miscommunication in this book which I appreciate because by the end, we are able to see them finally stand in their grown, understand each other, transform and grow. There is a lot of character development in this story, which made it feel realistic at its best!!
The romance is to die for!!! I loved seeing how the little by little went back to each other and how subtle their demonstrations of love were. Their love is sweet, soft and tender. There was something special there and it was heartwarming to see it bloom again. Also, the MMC has a chain okay? and I melted when I found out what it was. He is PRECIOUS.
Kumar writing is emotional, relatable and at times: inspiring. Meena is a lovely FMC and I love the way she thinks.
January 25, 2025
While the premise had me hooked, the actual story became quickly repetitive. I think the lack of scenes from the past - we mostly just get vague summaries of past events without getting to be in those moments - made it really hard to connect with the already established relationship between Meena and Nikhil. We needed those key moments played out to really feel the loss of their marriage and the connection that was broken. By the end, I could barely care if they decided to stay together or not because it had become a repeating cycle of the same argument over and over without any plot progression.
January 12, 2025
A charming second chance romance set in Houston, Texas, where Meena returns to finalize her divorce from Nikhil, only to find herself drawn back into old feelings.
Meena and Nikhil have an undeniable chemistry that kept me entertained the whole time and SCREAMING for them to finally own up to their feelings and get back together already. A fun and page turning romance!
While I adored Nikhil—he’s the epitome of a sweet, down-to-earth guy—Meena’s back-and-forth indecisiveness drove me nuts. I know it’s a typical second chance romance struggle, but it still left me frustrated. Despite that, though, the characters are lovable, and I really appreciated the Texas setting, especially since it’s close to my heart, seeing as I live there myself.
Though I really liked this, there was just something missing that I can’t quite put my finger on. Overall, though, it’s a good read with tons of heart and emotional depth!
꩜𖦹༄ 𝗧𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀/𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗿𝗼 𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀
Second chance
Love triangle
Forced proximity
Marriage in shambles
Dual timeline
He cares for her when she’s sick
𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙂𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘼𝙍𝘾!
Meena and Nikhil have an undeniable chemistry that kept me entertained the whole time and SCREAMING for them to finally own up to their feelings and get back together already. A fun and page turning romance!
While I adored Nikhil—he’s the epitome of a sweet, down-to-earth guy—Meena’s back-and-forth indecisiveness drove me nuts. I know it’s a typical second chance romance struggle, but it still left me frustrated. Despite that, though, the characters are lovable, and I really appreciated the Texas setting, especially since it’s close to my heart, seeing as I live there myself.
Though I really liked this, there was just something missing that I can’t quite put my finger on. Overall, though, it’s a good read with tons of heart and emotional depth!
꩜𖦹༄ 𝗧𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀/𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗿𝗼 𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀
Second chance
Love triangle
Forced proximity
Marriage in shambles
Dual timeline
He cares for her when she’s sick
𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙂𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘼𝙍𝘾!
February 10, 2025
UGHHHHH I WANTED TO LOVE THIS ONE. but the whole relationship had ZERO communication. It was all based on assumptions. Everyone had a big wall up and it was frustrating.
March 8, 2025
We aren’t bowing low enough to Naina. I WANT NIKHIL AND I WANT HIM NOW. I’m gonna be a brat about that man forever
August 8, 2025
Flirting with Disaster took me by surprise. I especially love Miss Kumar writing. Her style of writing is something that match with my taste.
The plot is second change love. It is cute and yet simple. Not much of drama. The characters are lovely.
4 stars
The plot is second change love. It is cute and yet simple. Not much of drama. The characters are lovely.
4 stars
August 22, 2025
#️⃣4️⃣1️⃣3️⃣ Read & Reviewed in 2025 ☁️🪨
Date : 🌬️ Thursday, August 21, 2025 🌪️🌫️☕
Word Count📃: 93k Words 🐑⛰️
⋆𖦹⋆ˎˊ˗ 〰️〰️〰️ ──── .✦
₍^. .^₎⟆ My 35th read in "But I can see us lost in the memory. August slipped away into a moment in time. 'Cause it was never mine" August 🤍
1️⃣🌟, and so the forgettableness strikes again.
——————————————————————
➕➖0️⃣1️⃣2️⃣3️⃣4️⃣5️⃣6️⃣7️⃣8️⃣9️⃣🔟✖️➗
Thank you @Lara for the buddy read! (I agree that it's a bit trash, no not just a little bit... it is trash)
This book is one of those books where it is so bland and unoriginal that it would just make you feel bored all throughout the entire thing. I was expecting something to do with disaster since #1 the title is literally disaster & #2 the synopsis of the book says such. But what i didn't expect was one of the most boring love triangles to ever exist. Every single character is an interesting and that is saying so much because honestly there only three characters in here, Meena, Nikhil & Shake.
I don't know why but this book just mostly focuses on Meena "Trying" to take back her WAS husband, and possibly trying to do a second chance with him. WHILST ALSO SIMULTANEOUSLY LUSTING FOR SHAKE.... It is very flat and poorly executed because Shake just becomes this character to fuel meaningless conflict within Meena's inside thoughts because all she thinks about is how she can handle these two feelings at the same time. The book also primarily focuses on Meena and Meena only. This book doesn't try to give any reason and any character to Nikhil + Shake because the two of them just served as a plot device for Meena's narcissistic behavior that is thoroughly reflected by the writing style. It's so reminiscent of Wattpad that i won't even be surprised if this is just pulled straight from that.
All of it just makes the entire thing feel forced and none of it being authentic. All the characters are placed in these stereotypical boxes to tick as many tropes as possible and becoming as basic as possible. I can at least say that there is a little bit of attention and chemistry and development between her and her husband but.....(U know theres supporedly a third one right?) it's overall a bad read.
Date : 🌬️ Thursday, August 21, 2025 🌪️🌫️☕
Word Count📃: 93k Words 🐑⛰️
⋆𖦹⋆ˎˊ˗ 〰️〰️〰️ ──── .✦
₍^. .^₎⟆ My 35th read in "But I can see us lost in the memory. August slipped away into a moment in time. 'Cause it was never mine" August 🤍
1️⃣🌟, and so the forgettableness strikes again.
——————————————————————
➕➖0️⃣1️⃣2️⃣3️⃣4️⃣5️⃣6️⃣7️⃣8️⃣9️⃣🔟✖️➗
Thank you @Lara for the buddy read! (I agree that it's a bit trash, no not just a little bit... it is trash)
This book is one of those books where it is so bland and unoriginal that it would just make you feel bored all throughout the entire thing. I was expecting something to do with disaster since #1 the title is literally disaster & #2 the synopsis of the book says such. But what i didn't expect was one of the most boring love triangles to ever exist. Every single character is an interesting and that is saying so much because honestly there only three characters in here, Meena, Nikhil & Shake.
I don't know why but this book just mostly focuses on Meena "Trying" to take back her WAS husband, and possibly trying to do a second chance with him. WHILST ALSO SIMULTANEOUSLY LUSTING FOR SHAKE.... It is very flat and poorly executed because Shake just becomes this character to fuel meaningless conflict within Meena's inside thoughts because all she thinks about is how she can handle these two feelings at the same time. The book also primarily focuses on Meena and Meena only. This book doesn't try to give any reason and any character to Nikhil + Shake because the two of them just served as a plot device for Meena's narcissistic behavior that is thoroughly reflected by the writing style. It's so reminiscent of Wattpad that i won't even be surprised if this is just pulled straight from that.
All of it just makes the entire thing feel forced and none of it being authentic. All the characters are placed in these stereotypical boxes to tick as many tropes as possible and becoming as basic as possible. I can at least say that there is a little bit of attention and chemistry and development between her and her husband but.....(U know theres supporedly a third one right?) it's overall a bad read.
February 27, 2025
Tropes:
~marriage in trouble
~second chance
~forced proximity
This is Naina Kumar's second book and I've absolutely loved both of them! Any author who can take tropes I typically avoid at all costs (marriage in trouble and second chance) and make me invested and rooting for the characters deserves a 5 star rating! Sure, there was quite a bit of miscommunication but, at least on the hero's end, it was coming from a place of not wanting to hold the heroine back in her career aspirations despite him being madly in love with her. So while it was frustrating at times, I also definitely wanted these two to get back together and get their HEA!
I found it a unique set up to use a hurricane to facilitate a forced proximity situation, and am now kinda craving more natural disaster forced proximity romances. And kudos to the author for somehow making headlamps not only hilarious but kinda sexy lol.
I also really love the audio narrator, Soneela Nankani, so highly recommend picking it up that way!
If this book was Taylor Swift lyrics:
"All my flowers grew back as thorns
Windows boarded up after the storm
He built a fire just to keep me warm"
~marriage in trouble
~second chance
~forced proximity
This is Naina Kumar's second book and I've absolutely loved both of them! Any author who can take tropes I typically avoid at all costs (marriage in trouble and second chance) and make me invested and rooting for the characters deserves a 5 star rating! Sure, there was quite a bit of miscommunication but, at least on the hero's end, it was coming from a place of not wanting to hold the heroine back in her career aspirations despite him being madly in love with her. So while it was frustrating at times, I also definitely wanted these two to get back together and get their HEA!
I found it a unique set up to use a hurricane to facilitate a forced proximity situation, and am now kinda craving more natural disaster forced proximity romances. And kudos to the author for somehow making headlamps not only hilarious but kinda sexy lol.
I also really love the audio narrator, Soneela Nankani, so highly recommend picking it up that way!
If this book was Taylor Swift lyrics:
"All my flowers grew back as thorns
Windows boarded up after the storm
He built a fire just to keep me warm"
March 19, 2025
★★★✯☆
Forget about "flirting" with disaster. Duh 🙄However, binge-reading this out of the blue, while having an exam in a few hours is...basically a disaster waiting to happen.
RTC
Forget about "flirting" with disaster. Duh 🙄However, binge-reading this out of the blue, while having an exam in a few hours is...basically a disaster waiting to happen.
RTC
January 25, 2025
Meena and Nikhil had a whilrwind romance. They met when Meena was studying for her Bar exam and Nikhil was doing construction on her family's home in Texas. They soon eloped and were finding a way to make all of their dreams come true. Except that's not how their happy story ended. Meena's a laywer in DC and Nikhil is still in Texas exactly where Meena left him. When Meena needs their divorce papers signed so she can move on and Nikhil won't sign she decides to go down there and have him sign them herself. What she didn't account for was a hurricane heading right their way while she's there. As old feeling resurface, will Meena and Nikhil go through the divorce or find a way back to one another.
I went into Flirting with Disaster without really knowing too much about this book or the premise. But once I found out it was a second chance romance/marriage in crisis I was sold. I love a good angsty romance and Naina Kumar did such a good job.
Flirting with Disaster was such a sweet and tender romance. I will admit that I wanted to grab both Nikhil and Meena sometimes to shake some senses in them, but I know they had to find their way back to one another. I definitely had tears in my eyes a few times while reading this romance.
I also really liked the South Asian representation from both Nikhil and Meena. The internal struggles Meena and Nikhil had were portrayed well. I was able to relate so much to both of their characters.
I also had an opportunity to listen to the audiobook which was narrated by Soneela Nankani. I feel like Soneela did such a wonderful job portraying both Meena and Nikhil and I enjoyed the audiobook.
Overall, I really enjoyed Flirting with Disaster, it was a solid 4⭐️ read.
I received a complimentary copy of this book and audiobook from the publisher.
I went into Flirting with Disaster without really knowing too much about this book or the premise. But once I found out it was a second chance romance/marriage in crisis I was sold. I love a good angsty romance and Naina Kumar did such a good job.
Flirting with Disaster was such a sweet and tender romance. I will admit that I wanted to grab both Nikhil and Meena sometimes to shake some senses in them, but I know they had to find their way back to one another. I definitely had tears in my eyes a few times while reading this romance.
I also really liked the South Asian representation from both Nikhil and Meena. The internal struggles Meena and Nikhil had were portrayed well. I was able to relate so much to both of their characters.
I also had an opportunity to listen to the audiobook which was narrated by Soneela Nankani. I feel like Soneela did such a wonderful job portraying both Meena and Nikhil and I enjoyed the audiobook.
Overall, I really enjoyed Flirting with Disaster, it was a solid 4⭐️ read.
I received a complimentary copy of this book and audiobook from the publisher.
did-not-finish
April 23, 2025dnf @ 33%
i might pick this back up but it's one of those books that if i do, i would be forcing myself to read it, and i dont want to do that when after 106, i'm bored and uninterested. this is my first time reading something by this author and i genuinely do not like the writing style. it's very choppy and weird. I just don't "hear" a voice as I'm reading since it's very monotone and flat. im also just not convinced the characters they liked each other, let alone loved each other enough to be married at one point. in the middle of a chapter there'll be a flashback scene which always feels forced, and there is tooooooo much emphasis on Nikhil's appearance. Like, everything about his face gets discussed thoroughly and constantly.
i might pick this back up but it's one of those books that if i do, i would be forcing myself to read it, and i dont want to do that when after 106, i'm bored and uninterested. this is my first time reading something by this author and i genuinely do not like the writing style. it's very choppy and weird. I just don't "hear" a voice as I'm reading since it's very monotone and flat. im also just not convinced the characters they liked each other, let alone loved each other enough to be married at one point. in the middle of a chapter there'll be a flashback scene which always feels forced, and there is tooooooo much emphasis on Nikhil's appearance. Like, everything about his face gets discussed thoroughly and constantly.
April 24, 2025
buddy read with taj 🤍 i cannot believe this book had me siding with a man for a good 98% of it
September 19, 2025
I'm literally obsessed with Meena and Nikhil now. It was so beautiful to see the character development for each of them (and between them). This story was so beautiful. As a Texan, I loved seeing a lot of it being set in Houston! The hurricane storm part was intense and incredible to watch the neighbors come together during it. I am so glad I gave this book a go. This author truly has a way with words. I felt so much for the two main characters while watching it all bloom between them!
March 17, 2025
This was a really cute and sweet romance. I loveeee sweet home Alabama so as soon as I saw this was a retelling I had to prioritize it. Second chance, forced proximity bc of a massive hurricane, and relationship growth. I think it got a bit repetitive at times and bc of the hurricane I felt like there was little action since they were stuck inside! It could have used alternating timeframe chapters, maybe present + past so we could get more invested in the couples love story. But I have to say that some of the big convos they had made me tear up! I love the build up of the tension, starting with anger and then slowly leading into more desire and angst and that undeniable pull that we got in the movie. I think I wanted more of that here. This is not very angst, more sweet. It was quick and easy to binge, read in a day and a half. Cute, glad I read! 1 🌶️ not closed door but very minimal detailed spice
FLIRTING WITH DISASTER
rating: 3.5/5 - cute, liked it
genre: romance
spice: 1.5/5 not closed door but very minimal detail
there is nothing i love more than a 90s/early 2000s romcom movie and top of my list is Sweet Home Alabama (i'm nothing if not basic). when FLIRTING WITH DISASTER was described as a Sweet home alabama retelling i instantly prioritized this. instead of an up and coming fashion designer our FMC (female main character) Meena is an up and coming lawyer on Capital Hill who heads on a quick trip home to Houston to get a divorce from her estranged husband, Nikhil. only problem is her quick trip gets extended when a hurricane strikes the Houston area, leaving her and Nikhil no choice but to hunker down together during the storm. i think you can see where this is heading!
i found this romance so sweet but also really observant to today's political climate (yes, there is some discussion of politics bc Meena works on Capital Hill and wants to become a public servant!) so it felt deep at times. love a second chance romance and the forced proximity the hurricane imposed, plus the Indian American representation.
i think it is really hard to compare to my fav romcom. personally i love the build up of the tension, starting with angst and then slowly leading into more desire and that undeniable pull that we got in the movie. this leaned more sweet romance imo, and i just love all the angst and emotion lol. i think we could have used some alternating past and present chapters to get a better emotional attachment to Meena and Nikhil! that said, some of their conversations working through their past did bring tears to my eyes. overall it was very cute, binged it in a day and a half, and just what i wanted at the time!
FLIRTING WITH DISASTER
rating: 3.5/5 - cute, liked it
genre: romance
spice: 1.5/5 not closed door but very minimal detail
there is nothing i love more than a 90s/early 2000s romcom movie and top of my list is Sweet Home Alabama (i'm nothing if not basic). when FLIRTING WITH DISASTER was described as a Sweet home alabama retelling i instantly prioritized this. instead of an up and coming fashion designer our FMC (female main character) Meena is an up and coming lawyer on Capital Hill who heads on a quick trip home to Houston to get a divorce from her estranged husband, Nikhil. only problem is her quick trip gets extended when a hurricane strikes the Houston area, leaving her and Nikhil no choice but to hunker down together during the storm. i think you can see where this is heading!
i found this romance so sweet but also really observant to today's political climate (yes, there is some discussion of politics bc Meena works on Capital Hill and wants to become a public servant!) so it felt deep at times. love a second chance romance and the forced proximity the hurricane imposed, plus the Indian American representation.
i think it is really hard to compare to my fav romcom. personally i love the build up of the tension, starting with angst and then slowly leading into more desire and that undeniable pull that we got in the movie. this leaned more sweet romance imo, and i just love all the angst and emotion lol. i think we could have used some alternating past and present chapters to get a better emotional attachment to Meena and Nikhil! that said, some of their conversations working through their past did bring tears to my eyes. overall it was very cute, binged it in a day and a half, and just what i wanted at the time!
March 28, 2025
2025 reads: 67/300
meena hasn’t seen her husband, nikhil, for years…not since she left texas to pursue her political career and he refused to come with her. now, meena finds herself back in houston, set on getting nikhil to sign the papers that will finalize their divorce so that she can move on. however, with a hurricane on its way, meena gets trapped in their home and is forced to remember everything that initially drew her to nikhil.
ever since reading say you’ll be mine last year, i have been eagerly awaiting more from naina kumar! this was such a wonderful romance book, from the angst of a marriage in crisis, to the magic of young love, to the strife caused by the political and ecological state of the world. i thought naina kumar did a great job of balancing the heavy moments with the lighter ones, providing hope not only for the characters, but for the readers, as well. i highly recommend this book!
meena hasn’t seen her husband, nikhil, for years…not since she left texas to pursue her political career and he refused to come with her. now, meena finds herself back in houston, set on getting nikhil to sign the papers that will finalize their divorce so that she can move on. however, with a hurricane on its way, meena gets trapped in their home and is forced to remember everything that initially drew her to nikhil.
ever since reading say you’ll be mine last year, i have been eagerly awaiting more from naina kumar! this was such a wonderful romance book, from the angst of a marriage in crisis, to the magic of young love, to the strife caused by the political and ecological state of the world. i thought naina kumar did a great job of balancing the heavy moments with the lighter ones, providing hope not only for the characters, but for the readers, as well. i highly recommend this book!
May 14, 2025
3.5⭐️ I loved that this was set in Houston, Texas! The hurricane and close proximity made for a fun setup for a second chance romance. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the miscommunication, but overall it was a cute read. I’d definitely check out more from this author!
September 9, 2024
Immediate 5 stars. I caught myself smiling so widely at some point during my read and I realized this book is amazing. Listen, it will not be easy as it has angst and sadness layered with the child-of-immigrant guilt but it will be all worth it. This book is stated to be a "Sweet Home Alabama" retelling with South Asians and as that is one of my favorite movies I was ready to eat this book up. Meena is the main character and it is told from her POV. She is a successful lawyer in DC who needs to finalize her divorce from her husband Nikhil whom she has been separated from for 6 years. She ends up back in their hometown of Houston, only to get caught up in a hurricane and trapped in their home. So begins some forced proximity and emotional roller coasters as they work to survive and function together in the same space again. Flashbacks are thrown in to help readers remember along with Meena their sweet beginning and difficult end.
I wanted to love and dislike them both at the same time. They both made mistakes. They both need to communicate. They both need to realize their value but as with all humans, they need time to do that. I just hated that it took 6 years for them to try again.
Meena's main drive in all her decision-making seems to be her parents who want her to not be a "shame" as their eldest daughter was. As a South Asian who has been the "shame" of her family this struck me deeply. I saw myself in Meena and I loved that this book exists to speak of my experience. I love Nikhil and wish we had some chapters in his POV as I really wanted to dig into his head. However, we are just as confused as Meena by why he made that face or why he did what he did.
Naina Kumar did a great job hooking me in and holding my attention. I finished this book in one day and could not put it down. I highly recommend it and can't wait to see this author continue storytelling through the South Asian American immigrant lens.
A copy of this book was provided to me through NetGalley and the publisher and I was honored to write this review of my honest thoughts.
I wanted to love and dislike them both at the same time. They both made mistakes. They both need to communicate. They both need to realize their value but as with all humans, they need time to do that. I just hated that it took 6 years for them to try again.
Meena's main drive in all her decision-making seems to be her parents who want her to not be a "shame" as their eldest daughter was. As a South Asian who has been the "shame" of her family this struck me deeply. I saw myself in Meena and I loved that this book exists to speak of my experience. I love Nikhil and wish we had some chapters in his POV as I really wanted to dig into his head. However, we are just as confused as Meena by why he made that face or why he did what he did.
Naina Kumar did a great job hooking me in and holding my attention. I finished this book in one day and could not put it down. I highly recommend it and can't wait to see this author continue storytelling through the South Asian American immigrant lens.
A copy of this book was provided to me through NetGalley and the publisher and I was honored to write this review of my honest thoughts.
December 15, 2024
the setup of this story creates such a perfect way to develop tension between these two characters who have so much left unsaid between them. i loved how grounded the conflict felt and how it all was rooted in a love for the culture in Houston. i wished for slightly more sweeping romantic moments between the two, but i do recognize that is hard to do within the confines of a house during a hurricane. i did appreciate the subtle ways they showed love to each other in an effort to find their way back!
*thank you dell & netgalley for the eARC!
*thank you dell & netgalley for the eARC!
October 21, 2024
I had the pleasure of reading an ARC of this book (Thank You!!) and I love love LOVED this book. Meena and Nikhil are just 🫠💜😩. This was such a sweet second-chance romance. If you watched Sweet Home Alabama a hundred times like I did, you’re going to LOVE this. This is the author’s second novel (Say You’ll Be Mine being the first). I’ve loved them both. She’s officially an auto buy for me now.
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