Blog Tour Excerpt & Review: The Dating Plan by Sara Desai

 

“You won’t want to put [it] down until you’re done!” —USA Today

The Dating Plan, the all new smart and sexy romantic comedy from
Sara Desai is available now!

Even with a step-by-step plan, these fake fiances might accidentally fall for each other in this hilarious, heartfelt romantic comedy from the author of The Marriage Game.

Daisy Patel is a software engineer who understands lists and logic better than bosses and boyfriends. With her life all planned out, and no interest in love, the one thing she can't give her family is the marriage they expect. Left with few options, she asks her childhood crush to be her decoy fiance.

Liam Murphy is a venture capitalist with something to prove. When he learns that his inheritance is contingent on being married, he realizes his best friend's little sister has the perfect solution to his problem. A marriage of convenience will get Daisy's matchmaking relatives off her back and fulfill the terms of his late grandfather's will. If only he hadn't broken her tender teenage heart nine years ago...

Sparks fly when Daisy and Liam go on a series of dates to legitimize their fake relationship. Too late, they realize that very little is convenient about their arrangement. History and chemistry aren't about to follow the rules of this engagement.

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What I thought about The Dating Plan

Daisy Patel has a job she likes and is content with her life, if only her aunties would stop trying to find her a spouse. And so what if her ex-boyfriend is dating her ex-boss.  She can handle it.  What she can't handle is literally running into the guy who stood her up ten years ago for Prom.  Him, she hasn't forgiven yet or forgotten. Her brother's best friend, her entire family holds a grudge against Liam Murphy for hurting Daisy and abandoning their family. 

When Liam Murphy finds out he needs to get married to inherit a beloved piece of family property, there's only one person he can ask to be a fake fiancé, and that's Daisy. Even though she is reluctant and still angry with him, Daisy sees a benefit too -- her aunties might stop with their arranged marriage proposals if she already has a fiancé. 

As Daisy plans their dates that will establish their fake relationship, sh has the opportunity to heal old wounds with Liam.  It isn't long before they are acting like old friends, bantering about everything. There's a real spark between these two characters that I absolutely loved about this story.  

I found myself laughing so many times while reading this book. Daisy is adorable as she tries so hard to stay mad at Liam and he tries hard to melt the walls she put around her after being stood up by him. He does have a good reason for breaking her heart that night, and he gives some great apology too.  It's clear from the start they still have feelings for each other, it's just going to take some work on Liam's part.

I just loved this -- it was so much fun, the aunties were hysterically funny, and Daisy's father was just the right mix of fatherly and forgiving.  This story warmed my heart in more than one way, and I can't recommend this book enough. If you are looking for a wonderfully romantic friends-to-enemies-to-friends-to-lovers story, The Dating Plan is a terrific choice.

A complementary copy was provided by the publisher. This is my honest review.

 

Excerpt

“Fine.” She sighed. “I’ll marry you.”

It wasn’t the acceptance a man dreamed about, but it was a “yes” just the same. He pulled out his phone.

“I’ll tell my assistant to get us on the first flight to Vegas tonight.”

“Vegas?” Daisy’s brow furrowed in confusion.

“They do quickie weddings,” Liam said. “I know a good chapel. Some of them are tacky, but this one has class. We can fly out tonight. The Elvis wears a three-piece suit and a tie . . .”

His spider senses tingled, warning him that something was wrong. Or maybe it was the scowl on his fake fiancée’s face. “If you don’t like Elvis . . .”

“Are you kidding?” Daisy walked over to the whiteboard and picked up a marker. “We’re not going to Vegas. We need a plan for this whole thing.”

“I don’t do plans.”

“Well you’re going to do one now because otherwise you won’t have your marriage of convenience.” She turned to the board, giving him perfect view of her lush behind. His thoughts immediately went somewhere the thoughts of a fake fiancé shouldn’t go, a small indication that this was going to be harder than it looked—in more ways than one.

“We can’t just jump into a marriage,” she said as she wrote on the board. “It won’t be believable. We’ll have to plan out some dates to legitimize our relationship before the wedding. We’ll need to be seen together by friends and family, and we’ll need photographic evidence we’ve been together.” She turned around and pointed to the board. “This is what we need.”

Liam read the heading and laughed. “A dating plan? I don’t plan dates, sweetheart. I go where the wind takes me.”

“When Orson and I used to go out with friends, we’d talk about restaurants we’d been to, or an interesting documentary we’d watched on Netflix, or an art exhibition we’d seen, maybe an energetic walk along the coast. Those are the stories that make a relationship sound real.”

Liam faked a yawn. “Orson sounds like a boring guy.”

“He was easy to be with. We didn’t have to talk much.”

“My kind of relationship.” He gave a sly smile.

Daisy raised an eyebrow. “If you are suggesting that all we did was have sex, you would be very wrong. We had an intellectual relationship. We saw thought-provoking films, and we discussed philosophy, religion, politics, programming issues . . .”

Liam dropped his head and then jerked it up again. “Sorry. I fell asleep after you said you and Orson never had sex.”

“I didn’t say . . .” She trailed off, her eyes narrowing. “It’s none of your business.”

“I’m your fiancé. I think your sex life is very much my business. I need to know what kind of woman I’m marrying.”

“The kind that doesn’t kiss and tell,” she snapped.

Thoroughly enjoying her discomfort, he leaned back in his chair, hands crossed behind his head. “Who is a better kisser? Me or Orson?”

Daisy’s eyes widened and she froze, her hand hovering in midair. Liam remembered that look from the afternoons he’s spent at her house, when she’d been caught doing something wrong. Daisy couldn’t lie.

“I have my answer.” He puffed out his chest. “The old Murphy charm wins again.”

“That was the only kiss you’ll ever get from me,” she said firmly. “My feelings for you haven’t changed. This is a marriage in name only. That means no physical contact except for holding hands or a peck on the cheek for appearances.” She turned back to the whiteboard. “I’ll write that down so you don’t forget.”

“I’m liking this plan less already,” Liam grumbled. “Write that down, too.”

About Sara Desai
Sara Desai has been a lawyer, radio DJ, marathon runner, historian, bouncer and librarian. She lives on Vancouver Island with her husband, kids and an assortment of forest creatures who think they are pets. Sara writes sexy romantic comedy and contemporary romance with a multicultural twist. When not laughing at her own jokes, Sara can be found eating nachos.

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