Tastes Like Shakkar

Last year, I absolutely loved Nisha Sharma’s Dating Dr. Dil, the first installment in her If Shakespeare Was an Auntie trilogy. Now the second book of the series is here: Tastes Like Shakkar is a modern retelling of Much Ado About Nothing. It stars Bobbi, a wedding planner, and her friend group nemesis, a chef named Benjamin. Somehow, they’ll need to set aside their differences and help arrange a memorable wedding for their mutual friends… but they just might find their own HEA on the way.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Avon for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Summary

Ever since Bobbi and Benjamin (aka Bunty) met a year ago, they’ve butted heads at every interaction. But now their respective best friends are getting married, and these two enemies must find a way to get along and help plan an epic wedding for them. A successful chef, Bunty is in charge of the menu. Bobbi, a top-notch wedding planner, will handle the rest. By necessity, Bobbi and Bunty call a temporary truce to their antagonism… and start to actually enjoy spending time together. On top of their common mission to bring joy to the bride- and groom-to-be, Bobbi and Bunty also have a shaadi saboteur to unmask before the whole wedding is ruined. 

Review

If you enjoyed Dating Dr. Dil, you’ll love Tastes Like Shakkar just as much! This second installment in Nisha Sharma’s If Shakespeare Was an Auntie series takes inspiration from Much Ado About Nothing. It starts with two enemies within the friend group, but it’s really just Bobbi who hates Bunty (Benjamin), and he goes along with it all. With their best friends getting married and a big wedding to plan, they call a truce and learn to cooperate… and even kind of like spending time together. 

Tastes Like Shakkar has excellent pacing, especially in developing Bobbi and Bunty’s relationship. Even when they’re antagonistic with each other, they have noticeable chemistry. As wedding planning colleagues, they gradually warm up to each other, then appreciate each other’s support, and even start to like each other. It all develops so naturally. Even once things get spicy (and wow do they get spicy!), there’s enough breathing room for Bobbi and Bunty to build a strong emotional connection. Whether in a room together or exchanging flurries of texts while on different coasts, their relationship is perfectly paced and feels real. 

In addition to planning a wedding and engaging in a romance of their own, Bunty and Bobbi also have a mystery on their hands: Someone is trying to sabotage Prem and Kareena’s wedding! This shaadi saboteur is playing dirty, even putting Bobbi’s job at risk and the wedding on the verge of cancellation. I didn’t go into this romance expecting a mystery, but I certainly enjoyed it here!

This novel is also a wonderful exploration of friendship and family—including those infamous aunties! Family relationships, especially when business is involved, aren’t always easy. I like how they navigate familial obligations, setting healthy boundaries, and learning to make yourself a priority, too. Work and ambition also play a big role here, including as a barrier to finding true love. 

Another recurring theme is the racism the characters face. Gwen is kind of horrible, but I appreciate how Bobbi speaks up about respecting all people, regardless of race, religion, or cultural heritage. (And speaking of their Indian heritage, all the food Bunty cooks throughout the book sounds mouth-wateringly delicious!) 

Finally, can I just gush over that epilogue? Oh no, Veera! What on earth are you doing, Deepak? I 100% can not wait to read the third book in this series, because I need answers! And one more happily ever after, of course.

Final Thoughts

Tastes Like Shakkar is delightful romance and a quick read. The characters are fun, the relationships (romantic, friends, and family) are well drawn, bigger topics shine through, and the mystery keeps up a sense of added excitement. If Shakespeare Was an Auntie is such a wonderful series, and I eagerly look forward to Deepak and Veera’s love story next. 

Get the Book

You can buy Tastes Like Shakkar here – it’s available as a paperback, ebook, and audiobook.

Tastes Like Shakkar by Author
Series	If Shakespeare Was an Auntie (#2)
Audience	Adult
Genre	Romance
Setting	New Jersey
Number of Pages	336
Format I Read	ebook (NetGalley)
Original Publication Date	August 1, 2023

Official Summary

In the hilarious follow-up to the breakout rom-com Dating Dr. Dil, Nisha Sharma adds shakkar and mirch to Shakespeare’s iconic comedy Much Ado About Nothing for one sweet and spicy love story.

Bobbi Kaur is determined to plan a celebration to remember for her best friend’s wedding. But she has two problems that are getting in her way:

1. The egotistical, and irritatingly sexy, chef Benjamin “Bunty” Padda is supposed to help her with the menu since he’s the groom’s best friend, and

2. Someone is trying to sabotage the wedding.

With aspirations of taking over her family’s event planning business, Bobbi knows that one misstep in managing the Kareena Mann and Prem Verma (#Vermann) party, along with the other weddings on her plate, will only give her uncle another reason not to promote her. That means Kareena’s big day and Bobbi’s future career are on the line.

Bunty will do anything for his best friend, even though he has his hands full in finding a new location for his next restaurant while also playing mediator between his brother and father, the celebrated Naan King. When Prem asks Bunty to help with the wedding menu, he agrees, especially since it puts him in close proximity to the delicious Bobbi Kaur. When a mystery shaadi saboteur starts leaving threatening notes, and cancelling cake orders, Bunty and Bobbi have no choice but to call a truce and face the volatile attraction they have for each other.

Through masquerade fundraisers and a joint bachelor-bachelorette trip to Vegas, this chef and wedding planner explore their growing connection all while trying to plan a wedding at Messina Vineyards in a time crunch. But once the shaadi saboteur is caught and the wedding is over, will their love story have a happily ever after?

With the return of the meddling aunties (who are scary good at finding information) and a lot of hilarity and hijinks, Bobbi and Bunty’s romance is an event you don’t want to miss.