There's Something About Sweetie

Dimple and Rishi #2

by Sandhya Menon

Ashish Patel didn’t know love could be so…sucky. After he’s dumped by his ex-girlfriend, his mojo goes AWOL. Even worse, his parents are annoyingly, smugly confident they could find him a better match. So, in a moment of weakness, Ash challenges them to set him up.

The Patels insist that Ashish date an Indian-American girl—under contract. Per subclause 1(a), he’ll be taking his date on “fun” excursions like visiting the Hindu temple and his eccentric Gita Auntie. Kill him now. How is this ever going to work?

Sweetie Nair is many things: a formidable track athlete who can outrun most people in California, a loyal friend, a shower-singing champion. Oh, and she’s also fat. To Sweetie’s traditional parents, this last detail is the kiss of death.

Sweetie loves her parents, but she’s so tired of being told she’s lacking because she’s fat. She decides it’s time to kick off the Sassy Sweetie Project, where she’ll show the world (and herself) what she’s really made of.

Ashish and Sweetie both have something to prove. But with each date they realize there’s an unexpected magic growing between them. Can they find their true selves without losing each other?

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Contemporary, Fiction, Audiobook, Young Adult Contemporary, Realistic Fiction

378 pages

First published May 14, 2019

About the author

Sandhya Menon is the New York Times bestselling author of several novels with lots of kissing, girl power, and swoony boys. Her books have been featured in several cool places, including on The Today Show, Teen Vogue, NPR Book Review, Buzzfeed, and Seventeen. A full-time dog servant and part-time writer, she makes her home in the foggy mountains of Colorado.

Reviews

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75 holi-stic, colorful, heartwarming, dancing stars singing baby’s got blue skies over head but in this I’m a rain cloud,you know she likes a dry kind of love oh ohhh sweetest thing stars!!!Yeap I’m singing Sweetest Thing from U2 after I finished this book!

My head turns because of overloaded feelings are now everywhere ! After reading this book I feel joy, hope, love, genuineness, wholeheartedness, happiness, freedom , adrenaline, optimism pumping into my blood!

Sweetie , there is not something about her, there is everything about her! She can run, sing, whatever she seats a goal she may achieve! She’s strong, brilliant, intelligent, funny and she understands people, she observes then empathizes and connects with their feelings!
She’s the one! She might be overweighted but she accepts who she is, she doesn’t have inferiority complex! But unfortunately her mother has!

Our story starts with our hero’s , down to earth, confused but mostly sweet, friendly Ashish who’s feeling like he’s overshadowed by his brother happily in love with his girlfriend because his own girlfriend has cheated on him which destroyed his self confidence !
Now he decided his mother can play matchmaker and find a candidate trustworthy family for him to date!

Her mom finds the best candidate, Sweetie! Yesss!

But don’t get your hopes up! Because Sweetie’s mother thinks that her daughter is too fat and she’s not equal to Ashish! If they date, everybody will laugh behind them so she rejects Ashish’s mother proposal on phone .

And the worst part, Sweetie hears everything her mother told about her!!! ( Yess! I’m volunteer to give free punching gloves to everyone for teaching the lesson she needs to learn and all the mothers think low about their daughters plan to destroy their own child’s self confidence!!!)

But Swetie not only cries and resents, she acts behind her mother’s back and meets with Ashish!

And you know what Ashish likes her appearance and her challenge to race!
But our naive Ashish spills the beans and tells his parents his meeting with her!

So their parents take the opportunity to teach their son Indian culture and show their blessings about dating with Sweetie by preparing a full contract designates their date locations, activities!( From the sacred temples to Holi Festival and nuttiest aunt visit you can ever imagine! At least fourth place will be decided by the couple! Yeap, Ashish’s parents in the middle of conservative and bad shit crazy)

Yeap Sweetie accepts to sign a contract and obey it literally because Ashish’s parents promised her, they are going to keep as secret their dating from Sweetie’s parents till her birthday!

And Sweetie gotta prove her mother she can date a popular, rich, good looking boy for the first time in her life. She has nothing to shame about herself or her appearance! She loves who she is so her loved ones should respect her opinions! This is her rebellion! So I raise my hand and say hell yeahhh in Sweetie we trust!!!

I cut the points from the secrecy of Ashish who is texting to his ex ( she cheated on her but he is still heartbroken so he admits to Sweetie that their relationship can be only physical!!!) behind Sweetie’s back! And his friends repeated too many times he should give Sweetie a chance!!! What the heck!!!

Well at least Ashish comes to his senses and he meets with his only for closure!
And falling in love parts, one on one basketball game, Holi festival, their text messages give you awwww, yesss, yayyy moments!!!

I enjoyed this book, loved the heroine and literally I wanted to give a big hug because she was so real so amazing! I loved the couple’s passion, chemistry, emotional growing!

I also loved the references from Downtown Abbey to Dean Winchester, Aquaman to Popular Bollywood Star Hritnik Roshan!

As a summary our hero has some flaws but our strong heroine successfully overcompensates his weaknesses!!

It’s a great, entertaining, heartwarming story that I highly recommend to anyone who needs to learn love themselves!!!

[Kadbury]

Am I the only person who thought of Kal Ho Na Ho once they saw the tentative title?

Specifically


Sweetu

The adorkable Sweetu

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars

With Sweetie time passed in gentle waves. A conversation with her was like a warm hug and a cup of hot coca on a cold day – comforting, familiar, a place you never wanted to leave.

There’s Something About Sweetie was such an adorable YA read that had a beautiful message.

Sweetie Nair is an Indian-American teenage girl. She’s a track star, a good student, daughter, and friend, but what people always seem to identify her as first and foremost is fat. Sweetie loves the skin she’s in, but she doesn’t love how people always notice that first.

Ashish Patel is also an Indian-American teen. He’s grown up similar to Sweetie in many ways, but also different. Ashish’s family is well off and he’s the star basketball player at his school. He’s been in some not so great relationships and is trying to get over his last girlfriend. A friend recommends he let his parents set him up, and even though it seems crazy, he goes with it.

Ashish’s mom chooses Sweetie for Ashish. Ashish has never dated an Indian girl before, so it’s new to him. Sweetie’s mom isn’t okay with this, as she feels they aren’t a good match due to Sweetie’s size. The way Sweetie’s mom was made my heart hurt for her.

I loved seeing all the dates they went on and watching these two go from friends to more. You could see all these little things, where slowly but surely these two were starting to fall for one another.

I had a lot of fun reading this book. Ashish and Sweetie were real teenagers and I loved seeing them start to fall for one another. It was so nice to read a book about someone so young embracing her body and being confident in her size, even when outside forces try to make her ashamed for it. I wish books like this were around when I was a teenager. I enjoyed this audiobook lots!

"The word 'fat' isn't inherently bad or gross. It's people who've made it the way. 'Fat' is just the opposite of 'thin', and no one flinches at that one. So, to me, 'fat' is just another word that describes me, like 'brown' or 'girl' or ‘athlete’.”

[Stacee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m absolutely here for Sandhya’s words and I was beyond excited to see Ashish get his own book.

You guys. I can’t even tell you how much I love Sweetie. She’s so good and such a lovely person. I loved how she saw herself and how she was happy with herself. Ashish took me a second to warm up to, but he was quite a marshmallow and I was quickly invested. And there’s such a great cast of secondary characters here: both Sweetie and Ashish have excellent friends and I’m hoping we’ll get more from them.

Plot wise, it was everything I wanted. There were sweet dates and open communication and lots of kissing. Of course there are a few stupid decisions {that make complete sense}, but the angst doesn’t last long and the gestures that come after that are fantastic. Yes, I’m being vague on purpose.

Overall, this was an amazing story and I can’t articulate how important it is and will be.

**Huge thanks to Simon Pulse for providing the arc free of charge**

[Megha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, wow, wow!! Freaking wow!

Honestly, how can I not give this book anything but 5 stars. Matter of fact, I would give it a million! Obviously.

I mean what more can you want from a book than for it to be extremely adorable and a swoon-fest along with an important message. This book is not just about a cute romance but it also digs deep into self love and worth. It teaches us we are enough the way we are. The society may create a gap between “thin” and “fat” but at the end of the day we are all equal. We can achieve whatever we want though our will and not our weight.

Sweetie is confident and fierce. I loved her from page one. She is a force of nature that just keeps getting better and better. She knew what she was worth form the beginning and proved it to everyone else too. I loved how she never once self pitied. She is strong and independent and just a total badass with a heart of gold.

Ashish Patel may seem all cool and confident from the outside but inside he is struggling. It sure did get a little warming up to him but once I started to know him, I fell hard! He is like the sweetest person. He is caring, kind, and just adorable.

And their duo is out of the world. I shipped them from the get go. And every interaction they had just solidified that. Their exchanges were OBVIOUSLY delightful. They fit and complete each other so well. They are literally made for each other.

This was one of my most anticipated book of the year and I can gladly say that it did not disappoint. Not that I expected anything less form Sandhya Menon but she blew my expectations away and created a masterpiece. Sandhya Menon has managed to be one of my favorite authors in a very short time. I love her writing style, the humor, and the care she pours in it. I find myself literally laughing out loud from all the hilarious dialogues she includes. And of course, all the Indian aspects just makes my heart happy. All the tiny details she includes about the Indian culture. I LOVE it!! Plus, she included a Selena Gomez reference so what more can I want!

There’s Something About Sweetie will engross you completely. It’s a journey, it will make you happy, laugh, cry, swoon, and a little mad. All you’ll think about is Sweetie and Ashish. They will constantly make you smile form ear to ear. There is nothing but utter joy and happiness in this book. I absolutely love it so, so much!! 100% recommend to everyone.

All the opinions are my own and completely honest. Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the ARC!!

[Warda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish I could have given this a higher rating. Books that are geared more towards the plot irritate me, and average and weak writing can ruin a story for me as well and it was the latter with this one.

On the whole, this was sweet. I enjoyed the overall story of a fat girl proving to herself and others that she doesn’t need to be thin to be considered worthy or to have success. And she was doing this whilst challenging the Indian cultural norm and being respectful of it at the same time.

Their setup was unique. The two love interests are opposites and if you were to see them in person, you wouldn’t pair them together. Because apparently a fat girl and your ‘healthy looking’ guy aren’t supposed to be together.

But then they go on dates that have been selected by the male protagonists parents and instantly there’s a connection.

I found that there were a whole load of issues that were being tackled and they weren’t given the proper weight. Because the writing was weak for me, the overall storytelling lacked depth. It needed more meat added to those issues. It’s not that they weren’t handled, but it felt flimsy. So I felt quite disconnected throughout the story.

But all in all, it made me want to read more books with fat main protagonists.

[Jananie (thisstoryaintover)]

THAT WAS THE CUTEST, MOST WHOLESOME THING EVER AND MY HEART CAN'T HANDLE IT. LOVED THIS. even more so than When Dimple Met Rishi. Sweetie and Ashish were just wonderful characters and i love them so much and want the best for them both.

[Tani · Rating 4 out of 5]

My meanest dearest cousin ordered recommended to read this book. I absolutely hate love her for being stubborn thoughtful.

[h o l l i s · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, don't pelt me with rotten fruit, but I have to get this out of the way : THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT SWEETIE was very.. sweet. Kind of gooey. I wonder if it was a deliberate choice in order to balance out the less-than-fun fatphobic elements of the story or if that's just the author's preference (I've read WHEN DIMPLE MET RISHI but it was a few years ago and I can't remember what the sweet factor was like, so, anyway..).

Resisting fatphobic messages was one thing -- but what about the insidious, internalized fat phobia she carried around?

I was really keen on this one because of the aforementioned fat issue. As per the summary, Sweetie was toted to be big and beautiful and trying to be braver, bolder, in the face of her mother's criticisms and constant need to hold her back for fear of what others might say or do. And this definitely lived up to that. I actually really really adored Sweetie. I liked how she pushed herself to take risks, to stand up for herself, how she was confident in herself despite the fact that everything (society, media) and everyone (family, peers) would have her believe there was something wrong with her. But I also appreciated her moments of doubt, of frustration, with her body -- we all have that one area, or more, no matter our size, that we just dislike -- that just proved she was human, too.

"The word 'fat' isn't inherently bad or gross. It's people who've made it the way. 'Fat' is just the opposite of 'thin', and no one flinches at that one. So, to me, 'fat' is just another word that describes me, like 'brown' or 'girl' or 'athlete'."

As for Ashish, this is where the connection to the first book came. He's Rishi's little brother; confident, cocky, not-quite-connected-to-his-culture, and also recently heartbroken and reeling from the fact that for all his cool player ways he actually loved his ex, and doesn't know how to move on. Desperate to change things up, get his groove back, he follows in Rishi's footsteps and has his parents set him up with someone they approve of. And in comes Sweetie. Nothing like the previous girls he dated and yet..

Ashish was one of those naturally flirty people. It was, like, his resting state. He had resting flirty face.

I loved their connection, I loved their differences, I loved their individual sets of friends, and all the diversity within the pages. I'll admit that some of the monologue-y impassioned speeches or wise observations were a little much, and kind of over the top, and not hardly what I think we'd see from sixteen and seventeen year olds. But they were passionate and wise and accurate. So, thumbs up, but maybe a little too much and a few too many.

There's your typical 'hide something for good-ish reasons and have it blow up in your face' drama, which is hardly limited to YA and happens in all romance, and some issues or conversations did feel repetitive, plus Sweetie's mother as the sole hold out only to have the eleventh hour epiphany was kind of.. shrug. Again, typical, and I would've liked to have seen more gradual awareness in that transition but alas. The romance, too, is definitely a fall hard and fall fast situation and, again, ooey gooey sweet, but I still liked it.

He was doing his trademark smolder-smirk; she could see it in her peripheral vision. It was thirty percent smirk and seventy percent smolder, and she didn't even have fire protection in the car.

If you want a diverse, feel good, YA contemporary that's heavy on the romance and heavy on self-acceptance, this is the book for you.


** I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **

---

This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.

[Dahlia]

I continue to adore every single one of these books, but oh man, this one really had the fat rep of my heart. Also, one of my favorite endings (like, literal closing lines) of any YA ever. I don't even know why, but just...yeah <3

[Prabhjot Kaur · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first read from Sandhya Menon. I had wanted to read When Dimple met Rishi but it had received a lot of bad reviews so I didn't want to waste my time. Then this book received good reviews so I decided to read this and I am glad about my decision.

I loved the message that one has to accept and love themselves first as they are instead of letting society tell you how you should be. Besides that, it was a very predictable read. I really liked Sweetie's character, her confidence and her independence were the most admirable traits. Most of the characters were pretty good but there wasn't any depth to any of them. The writing was easy to read but nothing impressive.

All in all, I enjoyed the read even though it was way too cliched and cheesy for me.

3 stars

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

After enjoying From Twinkie, With Love in 2018, I couldn't resist the sequel to When Dimple met Rishi. Ashish, the younger brother of Rishi, is a high school basketball star and resident playboy, who has just had his heart broken. His parent's solution-let's find you a nice Indian-American girl. Enter Sweetie, a young woman that attends the same school as Ashish. A member of the track team and a gifted singer, Sweetie has often felt judged on her physical appearance. Even her mother believes that Sweetie will never be happy until she's thin. But then the two meet...

This heartwarming story captured me from the very first page and after finishing it yesterday, I am still smiling. In Sweetie, Sandhya Menon has created a character that I wish I could have been in high school and I would definitely want my daughter to be. I also adored the friends of both parties and there was one scene in particular that has me laughing until tears were running down my cheeks.


I recall years ago a person commenting to me that it always made them uncomfortable when encountering a certain type of couple. The tall muscular guy and his chubby girlfriend. I recall that person saying "Like, doesn't he know that he can do much better?" This was uncomfortable for two reasons- one I didn't share that thinking and two I WAS/still am a chubby girl and how dare they!! Now I haven't a clue whatever happened to that person, but I hope time has given them different opportunities to maybe broaden their vision.



Great characters, solid storytelling, and just a downright wonderful gem of a novel. That's why my original 4 star rating is now bumped to a 5.

Published on 14/05/19

Goodreads Review 16/05/19

Thanks to Netgalley and Simon&Shuster Canada for a digital galley in exchange for an honest review.

[Bruna Miranda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sandhya Menon, você tem meu coração <3

21/09/20: 4 meses depois vim fazer um comentário mais completo sobre esse livro que é, até agora, o meu favorito da autora e um dos meus favoritos do ano. A escrita da Sandhya Menon é algo delicioso, simples e divertido e isso é tudo o que eu precisava ler nesse ano. Encontrei os livros dela procurando algo fofinho e que me trouxesse conforto e foi exatamente isso que eu encontrei com There's Something About Sweetie.

Eu me vi demais bela: alguém que adora esportes, que tem momentos de confiança e insegurança, que tem um relacionamento difícil com sua mãe e que tem um corpo gordo – e alguém que tem esses últimos dois ponto se chocando ao longo da vida. Ao longo do livro a Sweetie e a mãe tem momentos de atrito e tem momentos em que a gordofobia, a vergonha do corpo gordo, vem à tona nos pequenos detalhes: encarar o prato de comida, sugerir uma troca de roupa, insistir em evitar uma situação... Às vezes parece sutil, mas é um atrito como todos os outros.

Com a autora trazendo um elenco de personagens indianos ou descendentes de indianos é impossível não trazer o elemento "família" pra história e como a autora trouxe a gordofobia que a Sweetie passa dentro de casa foi muito interessante pra mim. Todo mundo sabe como o mundo externo afeta nossa visão sobre nós mesmos e crianças são terríveis com quem não está dentro do que elas são ensinadas a aceitar; mas muita coisa acontece dentro de casa e precisamos falar sobre isso.

E sim, o livro é LEVE. O romance é tão gostoso de acompanhar quanto em When Dimple Met Rishi, e na verdade eu acho que eu prefiro até Swish (Sweetie + Ashish) do que Dishi (Dimple + Rishi).

Esse livro é um romance romântico #OwnVoices sobre se apaixonar, confiança, gordofobia e questões com corpo gordo, resgate cultural, identidade, e cultura indiana. Ele é tudo o que eu queria ler no momento que li e eu espero tanto pelo dia que poderá ser publicado no Brasil pra mais pessoas se apaixonarem por Swish <3

[Cortney - The Bookworm Myrtle Beach · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was my least favorite book by Sandhya Menon. The characters were all so one-dimensional, their dialogue was generic, and the story was really repetitive. 

[kav (xreadingsolacex) · Rating 5 out of 5]

"'Sweetie she's...she's like the other half of my jagged soul, you know? She's got the soft edges that fuse with my hard ones.' He shook his head. 'There's something about Sweetie. Something I can't explain.'"

There's Something About Sweetie by Sandhya Menon is her third YA contemporary rom-com, this one a sequel to When Dimple Met Rishi, her debut novel. There's Something About Sweetie follows the story of Ashish Patel, Rishi Patel's ~ cool ~ younger brother who loses his 'mojo' after his first love, Celia, breaks up with him, and Sweetie Nair, his love interest - a fat Indian-American athlete whose fatness is villainized by far too many people in her life and she is finally ready to fight back against a fatphobic society.

"I am happy like this. I'm happy being fat. To me, 'fat' isn't a bad word. It's other people who've made it like that. It's as much a part of me as being an athlete or Indian American or a girl. I don't want to change it, and I don't want to hide it. I'm not ashamed."

Menon wowed me with her first novel, she exceeded my expectations with her second, and she did something even greater with this third novel. So, in a completely unsurprising turn of events I loved this book with everything in me.

First off, I think there is something so great about reading a love story from two points of view. It allows for the reader to read the development of a brilliant relationship while they also get insight into the journeys of both characters equally, and I just love seeing the two individual character journeys that ultimately weave together to form something even more beautiful.

And this two POV novel is no different. Although it definitely doesn't hurt that I also adored both main characters.

Ashish and Sweetie are two exquisite main characters. The two are opposite enough that their voices in their POVs are distinct enough, but the two also have similarities that strengthen their relationship.

Ashish is everything I hate in a man - cocky, arrogant, someone who unironically uses the word 'mojo' - but somehow, I absolutely adored him. Ashish's journey from a character who comes off as an arrogant jock in When Dimple Met Rishi to a genuinely nice guy with a great sense of humor in this novel was so beautiful.

His character went through so much brilliant development, development I can't share here because ~ no spoilers ~ but just know it made my heart soar.

"You seem...pretty disinterested in Indian culture. I mean, you made it a point not to date Indian girls at all before me...Maybe to your parents, you not liking Indian culture feels like a rejection to them?"

What I can say about Ashish's character is that I think he internalized some great lessons throughout the course of the novel and he truly developed into a (more) emotionally mature young man who still retains his fun n fresh sense of humor.

And as for Sweetie...I honestly don't even know where to begin with how much I adored her. Sweetie is a beautiful character from any angle you look at her. She has this ability to be undeniably kind and always see the good in everyone, while still being a confident young woman who exhibits great bravery and advocacy for herself.

The majority of Sweetie's narrative does focus on her fatness and it is dedicated to her confronting fatphobia, but these kinds of constant positive messages/reassurances are what will ultimately seep into the minds of young readers. Fatphobia is so rampant in our society, so why not make fat acceptance just as much of a commonality?

"It entails me standing up for myself, for what I believe to be true. It entails me overcoming sixteen years of crap messages from my mom and the media and other people in my life - both kids and adults alike - who think I'm less than them because of how I look."

Like Ashish's journey, I adored watching Sweetie's journey and growth from start-to-finish. She is the type of person I wish I was, and she's the type of person I hope everybody aspires to be. (Yet I wouldn't call her perfect, just a genuinely good and kind person.)

And the way this book confronts fatphobia is just...GOD IT'S SO GOOD. And I'm not going to lie, this can be a challenging read because of how much fatphobia is in it, but it is also ultimately affirming and positive and a love story to young fat girls - particularly young fat girls of color, as Menon expertly weaves in the cultural intricacies necessary to discuss this important subject.

"I mean, the word 'fat' isn't inehrently bad or gross. It's people who've made it that way. 'Fat' is just the opposite of 'thin,' and no one flinches at that one. So, to me, 'fat' is just another word that describes me, like 'brown' or 'girl' or 'athlete.'"

Yet, though this novel does deal with many important themes and starts many necessary conversations, it also has so many hilarious moments.

"'But Kayla and Suki are...are feminists, Tine auntie told me.' She leaned forward when she whispered the word 'feminists.'

Sweetie bit on the insides of her lips to keep from laughing. 'Amma...I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but I'm a feminist too.'"

The novel retains it's light-hearted, summer contemporary feel while still tackling important subjects.

And to top it all off, the romance was more-than-brilliant. I mean...I can't even describe it to you because my words would not do it justice, you have to discover the beautiful connection between these two teens for yourself.

[Sweetie] was sweet and soft and mild, a daisy growing among throny weeds. Somehow, in spite of everything, she managed to round out his rough edges to fit with her soft ones. Somehow, it felt right.

And while I do not have time to go in-depth with this in this review because it is already so long, I do want to point out that I would die for literally EVERY. SUPPORTING. CHARACTER. IN THIS NOVEL. They all deserve only the greatest things.

Also, I cannot say too much about this because, again, ~ no spoilers ~ but the last line to this novel is my favorite ending line to a novel of all-time.

So, in conclusion, read this book.

No, but, in reality, There's Something About Sweetie is a hilarious, adorable, and moving contemporary rom-com that should be on everyone's summer TBR.

trigger warnings: intense fatphobia (always challenged but still intense)

disclaimer: i received an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review, this in no way impacted my opinions

[Rebekah Weatherspoon · Rating 5 out of 5]

SUPER FREAKING CUTE! Can't wait to read more from Sandhya.

[Dana Al-Basha | دانة الباشا · Rating 4 out of 5]

The cover is SO cute!! All of Menon's covers are so attractive!



Sweetie is a fat girl, she loves her friends, school, life, she is athletic, a runner and a singer. Her only problem in life is her mother. Who doesn't think Sweetie is good enough until she loses weight. Things go worse when Sweetie is into this guy Ashish and his parents want to set Sweetie up with him but her mom says that Sweetie can't be with him because they won't suit, she is fat and he is handsome, he is rich and she is "Sweetie".



So Sweetie decides that she WILL date Ashish whether her mom approves or not. So she introduces herself to Ashish, and his parents (I love them) approve and hide their secret.



What she and Ashish don't expect is that he falls for her, though she isn't his usual type and he's still in love with his ex.



Look, I get wanting your kids to be the best and to fulfill their potential, but some parents are just their children worst enemy. Sweetie's mom was so SO harsh.



I found the way Ashish's feelings were described to be way over the top sometimes, other than that, I laughed, cried and rooted for Sweetie and Ashish!

[Alexa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read with Rachel for Friends with ARCs!

4.5 stars. I really adored this book, friends! It’s easily become my favorite of Sandhya Menon’s body of work. I truly feel like this YA rom-com also has so much heart, and Sweetie and Ashish were both wonderful. Totally enjoyed it and cannot recommend it enough!

[Mlpmom (Book Reviewer) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is there anything better than a sweet cute contemporary that packs all the feels and leaves you with a smile shinning bright on your face? Something fun and energetic and most of all, just really really good? Nope, I don't think so, at least, not in the book world.

There's Something About Sweetie was so wonderful. Packed full of sweet and heartfelt messages about accepting who we are and being strong and independent while still being respectful of others.

I love not only the strong and powerful messages this book had but also the strong and supportive parents and heritage as well. There truly is something to be said about reading something you don't hear about every day. About a woman being confident in her own body, regardless of what color, shape, or size said body is. About accepting not only others, but ourselves too. Loving others and allowing others to love us in return.

The fact that no one is perfect. We are all learning and doing the best we can. We all have faults and cracks and insecurities regardless of our appearance but we don't let those things define us, we let them make us stronger.

I adored this read. The characters, the messages, the sweet building romance. It was just so real, so fun and really did leave me with a huge smile on my face.

*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

[Fizah(Books tales by me) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual Rating 3.5
It is the sequel of When Dimple Met Rishi, Ashish who is Rishi’s younger brother is MC here. I didn’t like Ashish in the first book. He was stubborn and annoying. But the first person POV made him looks better :D.

It is a light and quick read. The story focuses on two important issues, being fat is not bad and What the society will say( It is a big thing in South Asia, as we live in close communities so people have a real impact in your life, so yes parents are always too conscious about what people will think). But I also think that Sweetie’s parents migrated to USA and community system is not that strong there except a few families, so It was a bit hard for me to justify Sweetie’s mother’s care.

Ashish, an Indian-American guy is in gloomy phase after being dumped by his girlfriend, Lost his mojo can’t even focus on basketball, which gave him star status in school. Ashish is the opposite of Rishi, has a history with girls and trouble. But he never dated an Indian girl.

Sweetie also an Indian-American girl, with more curvey than the other girls, a perfect daughter, a runner, and a good student. But her mother is always conscious of her weight which bothers Sweetie.

Ashish decided to take help from his parents to set him up with someone. But sweetie’s mother as conscious as ever don’t think Sweetie can date someone with this body, Rest is the story 😀

I liked how Sweetie and Ashish, two athletes are perfect for each other, their date thing was also different. But the rest of the story was cliche, not the bad type. I know the ending and almost guessed everything was about ending. It is like a book version of Bollywood masala movies when everything is happening in the end, too much drama and tension.

Despite all these positive points, the book was too corny for my taste. I appreciate chemistry rather than a description of what they are wearing, how they are walking, what is the impact of air on their body language, or the gross one how their sweat smells like (Always makes me want to puke). So yes too much cheesiness is the thing I can’t handle well.

But if you can handle then go read it…

[˗ˏˋ lia ˎˊ˗ · Rating 4 out of 5]

“to me, ‘fat’ isn’t a bad word. it’s other people who’ve made it like that. it’s as much a part of me being an athlete or indian american or a girl.”

this was the cute and fluffy story i had needed. sweetie is quite literally the sweetest girl ever. i especially loved the fat rep and how open and empowering she is about her body. it wasn’t the cliché “no one will love me until i lose weight and love myself” kinda story, but she OWNED it and proved people that fat does not equal unhealthy or lazy or any other dumbass stereotype. the way she stands up to people to defend herself and her body (which shouldn’t be necessary actually) was soo great, i’d really die for her.

i loved ashish in when dimple met rishi already and imagine my excitement when i found out there’d be a book about him! he seems like he’s hard to crack from the outside, but he’s the softest boy ever if you get to know him a lil better. and dimple and him together? mwah, chef’s kiss.

the only two aspects i’d criticize are that the beginning was REALLY slow and it took me a very long time to get into the story and care about anyone, and the way the romance was rushed seemed very unrealistic. i would’ve preferred it to be a bit slower, but that’s just me.

→ 4 stars

[Romie · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book managed to have important conversations about fatphobia and trust while still being adorable and fluffy! I loved both our main characters, and although I'm not the biggest fan of the insta love trope, I still think Sandhya Menon managed to deliver a convincing romance!

[kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was everything I hoped it would be and then some.
It was adorable, funny, infuriating, real, honest and empowering. I loved it with my whole heart.

[Lisa Wolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet, empowering romantic story about love and family, this book follows two teen children of Indian-American descent as they navigate dating, love, and standing up for themselves. Sweetie is a terrific lead character -- a talented singer and athlete, a good friend, a successful student, but she's held back by her mother's view that she won't be truly acceptable unless she loses weight. Sweetie is tired of the fat-shaming. She actually likes herself as is, and wants her mother to see her as beautiful and not in need of fixing. Meanwhile, Ashish is broken-hearted and feels like his whole energy is off. Maybe it's time to rethink his avoidance of Indian girls and Indian traditions?

The story becomes truly charming as Sweetie and Ashish go on a series of parentally-planned excursions, during which they open up and get to know one another while also embracing their heritage and traditions. You might argue that Sweetie and Ashish fall in love in the blink of an eye... and you wouldn't be wrong. I took this as more of a fairy tale version of teen love than a realistic look at dating and romance. There was just so much cuteness in the chemistry between the characters that a lack of reality can be forgiven.

I really like how this author makes a point of showing the importance of family and tradition, even while supporting the characters in standing up against family pressure and expectations when they don't align with self-expression and feeling healthy and empowered. Sweetie and Ashish respect and value their parents, even when they disagree, and in general, the family relationships are quite lovely. Also, I love the inclusion of Hindi language, Indian-American foods, dress, and customs, and the respect the author shows for these elements.

Big shout-out too for the body-positive message this book provides. As Sweetie makes clear, "fat" is just a word -- it's society that gives it a negative meaning. Sweetie takes a stand and chooses to embrace herself as is -- she's a healthy, athletic, pretty, fat girl, and that's more than okay.

Reading note: There's Something About Sweetie is a follow-up and companion novel to When Dimple Met Rishi. It's not essential to have read the first book to appreciate this one, but it does add something to understanding Ashish's history, his family dynamics, and how he feels about his older brother.

Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley. Full review at Bookshelf Fantasies.

[The Candid Cover (Olivia & Lori) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full Review on The Candid Cover

There’s Something About Sweetie by Sandhya Menon is the charming rom-com I have been waiting for since we first met Ashish in When Dimple Met Rishi. I adored the mix of cute content and a powerful message, and both Ashish and Sweetie are realistic characters. This is the perfect light and sweet read for a sunny day.

I’ve been a fan of Sandhya Menon for a while now, so this book was one of my highly anticipated for the spring. It follows Ashish, who is dealing with a sudden breakup, and Sweetie, who is forbidden to date Ashish until she loses weight. Ashish’s family is in on their secret dating scheme, however they are thrilled to find their son an Indian-American girl and create a contract of set dates for the couple to follow. As always in Menon’s works, this book is adorable and entertaining while also spreading an important message. I must say, I was a little surprised to see a girl who isn’t Celia be paired with Ashish after what I read in When Dimple Met Rishi, but I definitely enjoyed Sweetie’s character and interactions with Ashish much more.

❀ ICONIC MAIN CHARACTER

Sweetie is such an iconic main character, and I loved her voice. She is a sassy track star who can kick anyone’s butt, and she has so much confidence. I liked how she is unafraid to stand up for herself instead of letting her mother bully her about her weight. Stereotypes are challenged as Sweetie proves that fat athletes are just as talented as anyone else and that she isn’t lazy. I also liked Ashish, even though he is a bit of a player at the beginning. He is adorable, and reading about him falling in love with Sweetie is so wholesome.

❀ LOVABLE NOVEL

There’s Something About Sweetie is a lovable novel about self-love and love in a difficult circumstance. I enjoyed the powerful message and both the main characters. This is such a feel-good book, and I would definitely recommend it this spring.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh. My. Gosh. I am totally swooning! This book is amazing (I know, I say that often, but it's true!!)!!!!!

This book is inspiring and delivers an important message in an impressive way: love yourself as you are, don't change, you are beautiful inside AND out! I've never been fat, I've always had a hard time using this word because it's pejorative, but I've been bullied in high school because I was tall and thin. I'm not saying it's the same thing, I'm saying you don't have to be fat to be bullied. But, seriously, this book? I love it with all my heart. And I love you too, Sandhya. You too have my heart ❤️

Many many many thanks to Simon and Shuster for my early e-copy of the book through NetGalley🙏💕

[Valliya Rennell · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

I delayed going into this book for ages. Like, I loved the first companion novel so I didn't want to ruin my impression of it, if I didn't like the 'sequel'. Luckily for me, though not being on that 5 star level of When Dimple Met Rishi, it did give me "all the feels" again. Sweetie is the star cross country runner of her school's team, she sings, she has loving friends, but she is fat, and that is the thing that her mother fixates on. She doesn't see Sweetie, she only sees her weight. So when Ashish's mother asks Sweetie's mother if the two could date, Sweetie's mother freaks out and says her daughter is not good enough for the star basketball player. To prove something to herself, Sweetie begins secretly meeting up with Ashish, though this soon evolves into something more. Ashish, on the other hand, has trouble moving on from Celia, but there's something about Sweetie that makes himself feel good again...

“There were few things that made her feel lonelier than conversations with her own mother.”

Other than the romance itself, I think that the thing I appreciated most about this book was actually the relationship between Sweetie and her mother. The build up and pay off were really worth all the work that happened in between. the plot points perfectly built up Sweetie's ambitions and showed her mother's worries and reluctances regarding her. All this put together built up to an even better finale. The struggles of Sweetie were ones that I am sure a bunch of people face and I really appreciated that they were shown in this relatable genuine way.

The romance itself during the ending was plagued by my least favorite trope: miscommunication. To be fair, the build up was surrounded by other things like Sweetie dealing with her insecurities as well as Ashish learning to move on. This made the trope not as terrible as it usually appears to be, though I still thought some of the things leading up to it were just kind of stupid. I'm the type of person who believes in no filter with your partner so it was just frustrating to see this.

Other than that I really liked Ashish and Sweetie. They were just a genuinely cute couple. I couldn't really relate to them as much as I did to Dimple, but that's ok. I did find Ashish cringey at time, but it lessened towards the end as he gained more confidence. I also liked how Sweetie empowered him and empathised with his problems. This was definitely a two-way romance. The start however was slightly insta-lovey, but again, that's fine because it was more of an insta-attraction.

Overall, solid companion novel, glad to have finally read it.

*book completed as part of the February Romances challenge
---------------------------------
Books in series :
When Dimple Met Rishi: ★★★★★
There's Something About Sweetie: ★★★.75

[Sahitya · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I thought When Dimple Met Rishi was wonderful, there is no way I could have described how excited I was for this one. While getting a story about Ashish was in itself a draw, my main reason to read this was a fat brown desi heroine. They so so rare in media that I don’t even look for this representation, so it was such a pleasant surprise when I first saw the amazing cover of this book. And I’m so glad I finally got around to reading it.

We already know from the first book that Ashish is a cocky jock, and here he is heartbroken after his breakup with Celia. He has always tried to reject his Indianness because he didn’t like his parents hovering over him, but finally decides to let go of the resentment and embrace their decisions for a change. This leads to his introduction to Sweetie. She is the top track star of her school, is comfortable in her own body for the most part, but her mother’s incessant comments about her weight chip away at her little by little. And she decides to just do something rebellious for once and prove to herself that she is wonderful and desirable just as she is.

I loved all the scenes they were together. The relationship development was very cute, all their “parental approved” dates really sweet and hilarious, and I could see why they really were good together. She helped him embrace his culture a bit more and also be able to show his vulnerability, and he gave her all the respect she deserved and always stood up for her. While this book is definitely a case of instalove, I kind of decided to go with the flow because it’s not really that unbelievable for their age.

Just like the previous two books, Sandhya’s writing is so pleasing and fun to read that I flew through this one in a matter of hours. I had a huge smile on my face for the most part because of all the cuteness and some hilarious pop culture references. I also liked the way the author manages to make these kids self respecting and strong, wanting to stand up for themselves, without ever disrespecting their parents. I also felt that the desiness of the book was very inherent and organic, it didn’t exactly stand out like the author was forcing it but it was just a part and parcel of these characters’ lives. My only gripe probably would be that Sweetie was too wise for her sixteen years, and I don’t know if teenagers really can give such sage advice all the time.

Obviously the major element of this book is body positivity and I loved how happy Sweetie was being the way she was. She still got hurt or felt bad when someone commented on her body, either intentionally or just due to ignorance, but she never lets it affect her perception of herself. The major conflict obviously comes from her mother’s character - she is constantly telling Sweetie to lose weight, saying that she wouldn’t be happy if she wasn’t thin, going as far as saying that even if she turned out to be both fat and happy, it would be a lucky miracle. These constant comments really hurt Sweetie and me because I have heard so much of this myself (I do even now). Such conversations have been so much a part of my life that for very long, I didn’t even realize fat shaming was wrong or that was the reason I kept feeling bad. While it’s awesome how Sweetie and the author reiterate the message of accepting our fatness and curves, I don’t know if I’m there yet. I try not to let them hurt me much, but acceptance will probably take a while. And that’s why this book is so important and I’m so happy it exists. Hopefully more books like these will help me too. And the one thing that stuck with me was that despite the reconciliation that happens at the end, Sweetie’s mom never actually apologizes for her fat shaming comments and I would have liked that to happen in a book, because it would probably never happen in real life.

If you liked Sandhya’s previous books, then you’ll definitely like this one too. It’s an adorable and sweet lovely, albeit slightly unrealistic at times, but still very enjoyable. But the reason I want everyone to read this one is for its important messaging, the fat acceptance and general body positivity, because this representation is very much needed and more so for desi readers.

[Nistha (taylor's version) · Rating 5 out of 5]

My god 😍 sweetie is one of my fav female leads ever

There is so much about this book that i love many things hit close to home really close 😔

After reading this book i am disgusted by the people who put others down just to feel better about themseleves totally disgusted 😑

I feel like sweetie mom truly only wanted to protect sweetie becz they do give people who are different a hard time and they sadly get accepted easily but when she standup for sweetie i have tears in my eyes

It did get a little cheesy in the middle but teenagers in love u knw 😅

4.5🌟

[Acordul Fin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eating was so fraught when you were fat: If you ate something unhealthy, thin people would say it was no wonder you were fat. But if you ate something healthy, they’d roll their eyes, laugh, and say, “Yeah, right.

This book comes from a good place but ultimately failed to be compelling to me. It falls under "doesn't mean it's good just because it's diverse."

The whole body positivity element sort of missed the point because the author kept beating a dead horse with how good Sweetie was at running and everything else she did. It's like she was trying to make up for her being fat by making her perfect in every way.

The insta-love was too much for me. Sweetie fell in love on the spot from his sad eyes in a picture and he was smitten instantly despite claiming to having been in love and heartbroken by this other girl, so much that his entire life was imploding, just the night before. Caring about them as a couple was hard because I didn't find it convincing. They were just the main characters and they were meant to fall in love. It was so obvious I was reading a plot device.

Sweetie's abuse by her mother was absolutely heartbreaking to watch and was addressed and sorted out in an unsatisfying manner. I won't stand by this kind of abuse, it should never happen. Love is universal and her mother's behavior was anything but loving (Also looking at Samir's mom here). Considering mental health is a almost universally taboo, I'm not surprised this kind of thing gets brushed off.

Also not a fan of how, when it came to dating, "American" girls (presumably white) were ALWAYS the bad influences, in contrast to Indian-American girls who were always good and pure and everything that's best in the world. It reads Indian = good. Non-Indian=Baaad. Very narrow-minded kind of thinking. It's not a good look to bring down other cultures down just to make yours look good. Are westerners more carefree sexually? Yes. Does this make them horrible human beings? No. People come in all types of personalities and behaviors regardless of culture. There are more tasteful ways in which cultural differences can be brought up. One can be proud of their own culture while accepting that other people were brought up and choose to live differently and they don't deserve to be stigmatized for it.