Review: Flirting With Disaster
Author: Naina Kumar
Book: Flirting With Disaster
Sigh... I finished this book and was left speechless—no thoughts, just feelings.
Nothing could have prepared me for the emotional roller coaster I experienced with this story.
We meet Meena, our protagonist, a driven Capitol Hill lawyer who heads to Texas determined to finalize her divorce from her estranged husband, Nikhil. It's been years (six, if I remember correctly) since their whirlwind Vegas elopement and the happy year they spent living together. Now ready to move on with Shake, her steady and ambitious new partner, Meena's plans are upended when a hurricane traps her and Nikhil in their former home. There, they're forced to confront their past love amid the storm and consequently uncover why things really ended.
As the winds rage outside, Meena rediscovers what made her fall for Nikhil—his small-town charm, thoughtful nature, and their undeniable chemistry. While Shake represents the stability and shared goals she's built her life around, she finds herself torn between past and present. As the storm passes, she must decide where her heart truly lies.
I loved this book so much I devoured it in a day. I only put it down for work and picked it right back up at 5 PM. The story is raw, tender, and gripping, with Kumar writing both characters and their journey in an emotionally relatable way. This is THE second-chance romance that classic romance readers or movie lovers will adore.
The devastation of Nikhil and Meena's failed marriage felt heartbreaking and unfair. Kumar brilliantly uses flashback scenes to reveal glimpses of their relationship's early stages and who they were then. These scenes illuminate not only the source of their tension but also why they made their choices and reacted as they did. This context made their cycle of miscommunication and avoidance more understandable—without it, I might have found it frustrating.
Second-chance romances with forced proximity are common and can feel rushed or lazy. But as one of my favorite romance tropes, I was delighted to see it executed so well here. The literal storm brewing outside mirrors the tension building inside, escalating as their lingering feelings, attraction, and yearning clash with unspoken resentments and misgivings—ughhh I absolutely loved it! The combination of these moments with the flashbacks created real depth and emotional weight, making their reconciliation feel genuine and well-earned.
A couple other things I learned:
Witnessing the end of a relationship is devastating, especially when there's still so much love between the couple.
I am completely unprepared—mentally, physically, and logistically—for a hurricane. I definitely need to learn more about that.
I need someone like Nikhil in my life for emergencies. He even had a boat—an actual BOAT—on standby! 😀
This is Naina Kumar’s second book release. Her first was Say You’ll Be Mine which was released last year and I talked about here.