First Love, Take Two

Preeti Patel is nearing the end of her residency and trying to juggle the stress of her residency, finding a job, her family, and trying to find a place to stay now that her roommate is married. However, the new place that she has found comes with a roommate - her ex Daniel Thompson, who she never really got over.

I completely, absolutely loved this book so much. Sajni Patel has such vivid descriptions, and I found myself engrossed in everything from the medical descriptions in the opening of the book up to the abundant details of the ending, taking me right into the heart of the scene. I loved reading the descriptions of food, which made everything more vivid and one of the ways I find to best connect to cultures. This book also touches on so many incredibly important topics while bringing in some of my favorite romance tropes, especially exes and "there was only one bed!".

This book touches on grief in a variety of ways - first from the way that Preeti and Daniel are both still grieving over their relationship and its unresolved end. Second, from Preeti's role as head resident at the hospital, and the grief that both the patients will have and the grief that Preeti as a doctor who often has to be the bearer of bad news. And the anxiety representation! I loved how the topic of anxiety is treated in this book, especially in the way that different characters deal with Preeti's anxiety, as well as the commentary on the social stigma of mental illness and seeking treatment for mental illness in this book. Her anxiety attacks were so real and I loved the way that Daniel would help her through them.

The characters were all so completely well done. I found Preeti and Daniel to be so well fleshed out. Both characters had some amazing family members that would support them so well. I loved Preeti's parents and Daniel's sister and grandparents, they're exactly the type of family you'd want to have in your corner - endlessly supportive yet will tell you exactly what you need to hear. I also love Preeti's found family - her group with Reema, Liya, and Sana. While the girls were all on different paths and busy with different things going on in their lives, you knew that they'd be willing to drop everything for each other in a heartbeat if need be.

I love the intersection of your culture and community, and how there can be toxicity in your community that isn't necessarily something you can escape safely without losing that entire community, but you can make it more bearable with the right support system and people uplifting you in the community. I also loved the commentary about how many cultures have rooted a deep respect for elders, especially in your family, and the way that this respect can either cultivate or destroy the next generation, depending on the intentions of the adults in question. The added difficulties that come from an interracial relationship and a relationship where the two people in question come from different classes - the possible struggles that come from expectations that clash in an ugly way when classism and racism rear their heads made the complexities of navigating this romance so worth reading.

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for the ARC.