Bad Date Chronicles: An Enemies to Lovers Novella

by Chahak Kawatra

She thinks he’s a judgemental prick... He thinks she’s a spoilt brat. So, why is kissing him the only thing she can think about?

Arabella Lim-Sinclair has never been on a good date.

From tripping over her own feet and falling down in the lake on a romantic walk, to finding out she was on a date with a married man (mid-food-bite), she has unfortunately experienced it all. But she’s not one to give up; between working for her controlling father and pleasing her overbearing mother, her book boyfriends keep her hope alive that one day she will find her perfect man.

Enter Elijah Fitzgerald: Michelin-star chef, annoyingly handsome, and the man who swore off love after his bride left him at the altar for his younger brother, three years ago. He left his home, his family and the person he was behind; and now saving his restaurant is his only priority. So, when he calls her a spoilt brat in front of his entire restaurant (including her client) after a slight misunderstanding, sparks fly—and not the good kind.

And because the universe clearly has some sick sense of humour, they are both stuck together in more ways than one. Between their best friends getting engaged, the constant bickering, late night problem-solving, and one very unexpected (and toe-curling) kiss, she can’t help but wonder if her perfect man is the one she hates.



Enemies to LoversAge Gap (5 years)Opposites AttractForced Proximity Chef x Finance GirlieDiverse Characters

175 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 31, 2025

Reviews

[Abigail Enright · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved them, and I loved this book!
The humour, the angst, the tension.
The second that wine cellar door closed I was screaming and laughing. Absolutely incredible work Chahak!

[Priyanka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bad Date Chronicles by Chahak Kawatra is a fun, fast-paced enemies to lovers romance novella with elements of forced proximity and opposites-attract charm. The story follows Arabella Lim-Sinclair, a woman plagued by disastrous dates, and Elijah Fitzgerald, a Michelin-star chef who has sworn off love after being left at the altar. Their worlds collide when a misunderstanding leads to a public clash, setting the stage for a tension-filled, laugh-out-loud romance.

I was completely hooked by their constant bickering, late-night problem-solving, and undeniable attraction create a compelling push-and-pull dynamic. The lighthearted tone and the perfect pace made the novella an engaging read. 

However, the story also left me high and dry, wishing for a few more chapters to deepen the romance and character development. 

If you love enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, and sizzling banter, Bad Date Chronicles is the perfect pick for a cozy evening in or to get you out of a reading slump!

[Chloe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bad Date Chronicles was such a fun and fast-paced read! I really enjoyed the enemies-to-lovers dynamic—it was sharp, witty, and had just the right amount of tension to keep me hooked. The chemistry between the characters felt natural, and the banter had me smiling throughout. The pacing was perfect for a novella—it kept me turning the pages and never dragged—but I have to admit, I would have loved to spend more time in this story. A few more chapters to deepen the romance and character development would’ve made it even better. Still, a thoroughly enjoyable read that’s perfect for a cozy evening in!

[lisas.bookselection · Rating 4 out of 5]

i ain’t talking money i’m just physically obsessed and i’m greedy (greedy by Ariana Grande)

first of all i want to thank my beloved @authorchahak for this ARC 💕 it was once again a pleasure reading your book! i can’t wait to get my hands on the real copy

This novella follows Arabella & Elijah but takes place in the same universe as the Pitch & Pits series.

review: 4 ✨

I loved Arabella as a fmc and Elijah as a mmc, but they were missing a bit of depth in each of their characteristics. Considering this was only a novella this “flaw”
can be overlooked. Arabella being a dating disaster reminded me of my past experiences with men 🤪 it was funny experiencing this from another pov. Elijah we don’t learn much about except snippets that Arabella tells us (seeing it’s a 1st person pov book). I hope we learn more about both in the following books in the pitch & pits series.

And because this was an arc i decided to share my favourite conversation between our mc:
E: “Who did this to you? Arabella.”
A: “Why? You offering to get revenge for me?”
E: “Give me a name.”
A: “Issac.”
E: “Last name?”
A: “Newton.”
E: “What?”
A: “Well, he was the one who discovered gravity”

Unfortunately for me i had forgotten that this was just a novella and not a full book - so i was DEVASTATED that it ended so quickly 😂 i won’t post any screenshots of my conversation with Chahak but best believe i NEED more 💕

[Summer Munroe {sum.mun.reads} · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bad Date Chronicles is a fun, fast paced novella that is witty, full of banter and just a good time read. It took me a minute for my American brain to fall into a rhythm with what I assume is a cultural difference in how we talk… but I am typically a fantasy reader so this was not an issue for me! This story is full of likable characters and relatable situations.
If you’re looking for a quick read that will make you giggle, then you have found it!
I truly enjoyed the easy readability of this story and the group/text messaging is always a fun time! Bonus points for a playlist included by the author 🖤

Tropes:
•enemies to lovers vibes
•forced proximity
•opposites attract
•diverse characters
•age gap (5 years)

The dedication did it for me:
“For those who want someone to make them feel seen, and loves them despite their flaws.”

There is no spice in this novella, just some good old fashioned romantic tension 😊

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[alyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This quick, sweet novella is perfect for a simple weekend read to relax and experience the hilarious bickering between elijah and arabella. between their forced proximity, electric tension and already hate-filled feelings you’ll definitely enjoy this book. arabella was so strong and passionate i loved her character but i felt that elijah wasn’t as well rounded. his entire personality was his job- but maybe that was the aim. some of their scenes were so sparkling and angst packed i was giggling. elijahs final date was soo adorable. the flashbacks in this provided good context to their relationship which is needed when you’re reading a enemies to lovers story or else it doesn’t make sense. at times i think the author tried to put in a popular scene but it just didn’t work (in particular the “who did this to you” it felt forced and didn’t give the protective sexy vibe). i enjoyed this story very much and im sure you will too!

[jennysromanticreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite being novella length, this book held such a great story, I was so sorry to see it end! I'm a sucker for some good ol' fashioned romcom. Enemies to lovers, forced proximity, opposites attract all in one. And what a great combination it is. It gave me early 00's romcom film vibes and I was totally here for it. There were great laugh-out-loud moments as well as the sexual tension between the protagonists.

There's some time jumping that I had to go back and reread to understand what time frame the scenes were taking place. It was a little confusing, but it didn't take away from the great storytelling.

I cannot wait to read the next Kawatra novel! I'm hoping for a full-length!

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute novella, of a girl wanting to find her HEA and always coming on bad dates, from emotionally distant men to her own clumsy nature getting in the way- multiple mentions of dates accidentally on fire and over mishaps! 🔥
Despite her poor romance life, Arabella is very good at her job and Elijah, blue-eyed grumpy chef entrepreneur, becomes one of her clients. Through multiple misunderstandings over a couple of years , their fighting eventually turns into a truce and potentially something more...

Cute and full of tension between the characters, this was a nice quick read.

[Lisa Cavola · Rating 4 out of 5]

The perfect enemies to lovers novella. Fast paced and funny, the main characters are amazing, you just can’t wait for them to get together. And the scene in the wine cellar… well… just read it if you want to know what happens. Lovely to read during a weekend away at the beach 🏖️

[Em · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved them with my whole heart honestly 🥹

[est · Rating 4 out of 5]

short, sweet, and the perfect little palate cleanser with a LOL meet cute that causes the grumpiest interactions for the next two years. can’t wait to see more of them across the CK universe

[Leanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a fun little novella! I really liked the writing style and seeing how much history there is between the MCs. I really enjoyed this but I did find parts of the beginning difficult to follow

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

A cute, quick read with great banter. The scene in the wine cellar made my heart race, and my stomach fluttered in the best way. Because it was a novella, I didn't get as much of the relationship development as I would've liked, but it was overall an enjoyable read with great chemistry between the love interests.

I recommend this novella if you like enemies to lovers and are looking for a quick, fluffy read.