The Design of Us - by Sajni Patel (Paperback)

About the Book

"One little lie leads to a weeklong ruse of fake dating in this destination wedding rom-com by Sajni Patel, author of Isha, Unscripted. There's only one person who can bring UX designer and sunshine incarnate Bhanu down: Sunny with the Denzel voice, aka her work nemesis and all-around killjoy. She hoped to get a reprieve from him while visiting her sister in Hawaii with family, but then she ran into the grump at the hotel. Not only is he there, but his ex-girlfriend is, too. But when Sunny's ex starts throwing around cruel accusations of why he doesn't have a girlfriend right in front of Bhanu, Bhanu instinctively claims to be his just to shut the woman up. After all, they're in Hawaii, and this lady needs to calm the hell down. Bhanu is the bane of Sunny's existence, but he's found himself stuck with her for the week because of her lie. Although, the last thing he wants is to bring tension to his best friend's wedding festivities, much less be the center of everyone's pity, so he hates to admit he should really be thanking her. But soon enough it'll be back to daily bickering and hopefully stomping her out for the coveted promotion they both applied for. But the more time Sunny spends with Bhanu, the more he lets his guard down. And the more involved Bhanu gets with this fake-dating thing, the more her family comes to adore "the man who will prevent her from turning into moss." Will either of them last the week on their pretend romantic getaway without crossing the line?"--

Book Synopsis

One impulsive lie leads to a weeklong adventure of fake dating for two bickering coworkers in this swoony destination wedding rom-com by Sajni Patel, author of The Trouble with Hating You.

Sunshine incarnate Bhanu brings big UX energy to whatever she does, including going for the promotion where her only serious competition is her work nemesis, AKA Sunny, the grump with the Denzel voice. She expected to get a reprieve from him while visiting her family in Hawai'i, but the universe has other plans. When Bhanu runs into Sunny at the hotel and witnesses his ex criticizing him about being single, Bhanu does the first thing that comes to mind: she impetuously claims to be Sunny's girlfriend just to get some peace and quiet. Except Sunny is on island for a friend's wedding and his ex has already texted the entire wedding party about this mysterious girlfriend.

Bhanu truly is the bane of Sunny's existence. But the last thing he wants to do is cause tension during his friend's wedding festivities, much less be the object of their pity. He has no choice except to play along, if only he and Bhanu can put aside their quarreling and act like a real couple.

Between Bhanu's hilariously meddling family and Sunny's ecstatic friends, the two are pushed closer together, even as stress mounts over the impending promotion.

They say what happens on island, stays on island. But as Sunny and Bhanu let their guards down, will either of them be able to resist this romantic getaway without crossing the line?

Review Quotes

"The perfectly designed romcom."--Ali Hazelwood #1 New York Times bestselling author of Love, Theoretically

"Patel (Isha, Unscripted) makes computer coding sexy in this winning enemies-to-lovers romance.... The supporting cast of Indian aunties charms, and the saltiness between the protagonists loses none of its oomph when it turns into sweetness. Readers will cheer for these two to find their well-deserved happily ever after."--Publishers Weekly

"Patel (Isha, Unscripted) expertly designs a modern beach read and a sassy rom-com filled with fun tropes and a gratifying slow burn."--Library Journal

"The lushly detailed Hawaiian setting provides a vivid backdrop to their delicious slow-burn romance."--Booklist

"Fake dating, office romance, witty banter... this book has everything... Binge this in a single sitting."--The Skimm

"Bhanu is the very embodiment of happiness and sunshine... This book was exactly what makes me enjoy reading a Sanji Patel novel, cute and easy to love characters, a catchy story and loads of funny moments."--Harlequin Junkie

About the Author

Sajni Patel is an award-winning author of women's fiction and young adult books, drawing on her experiences growing up in Texas, an inexplicable knack for romance and comedy, and the recently resurfaced dark side of fantastical things. Her works have appeared on numerous "Best of the Year" and must-read lists from Cosmo; O, The Oprah Magazine; Teen Vogue; Apple Books; AudioFile; Tribeza; Austin Woman; NBC; Insider; PopSugar; BuzzFeed; and many others.