Jasmin the Unexpected

Five Friends with Chai

by Sookh Kaur

In my first meeting with Will Bennet, I drip paint all over his Hugo Boss suit.

Jasmin Sandhu at it again. Lowly painter ruins gorgeous Hollywood producer's thousand dollar outfit. He better not fire me because I need the money. I'll say yes to anything...

Even Will Bennet when he offers me a side job: Babysit his troubled brother in return for extra cash. It's only for a few days. Easy, right?

Except, his brother has a secret that could ruin their entire family. As an over-achieving, open-hearted Punjabi it's practically my duty to help others so how I can I stay out of it?

Although being around Will makes my brain go fuzzy.

Turns out he might be having the same issue with me. The sexy Hollywood billionaire is interested in solving my long-standing orgasm problem.

It's only temporary, a one-time fling. I have a different future planned out so my heart has to be protected at all costs. (Well, that's the idea anyway...)

One thing is certain: Paint or no paint, things are about to get messy.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Workplace Romance

234 pages, Paperback

Published May 1, 2021

Reviews

[rach⭑]

DNF @ 40%

The fmc keeps referring to sex as cunnilingus. Need I say more?

[Shazmin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel seen.
Jasmin's Billionaire is a fresh modern take on a romance with Punjabi/Indian style twists.

I randomly came across 'Jasmin the Unexpected' and I thought it would be a run-of-the-mill story but what I found was my perfect romance. Captivated from the get-go, I devoured this book as quickly as I could. I loved Jasmine, our main female protagonist, I related to her on so many levels, in her personality, loyalty to her family, her views, some of her experiences as a fellow brown girl. There are few South-Asian characters as strong female leads in Romance (This is slowly changing).

I swooned over Will, his kind-hearted warm nature and their sizzling chemistry. The writing is witty, refreshing and charismatic. Whilst being a light-hearted romance it also deals with sensitive topics, showcasing the characters trauma, and their subsequent growth. I just wished for a little more steam between the two characters, to if anything add a bit more to their relationship, but that does come down to personal preference; the balance is fine as it is.

I could go on for hours about how much I loved this book, I can't wait to dive into Priya, Gurpreet and the others' stories.

[Brandece · Rating 2 out of 5]

On paper this book should have been a hit for me. It has so many things that I love, and I did enjoy those things. But it had so so many things I don't love. And for me those things really brought down the good for me. I will say that it looks like this book was renamed and given a new cover at some point, because the book I bought was Jasmin the Unexpected not Jasmine's Billionaire. I wouldn't have looked at it twice if it had still been called that. I don't love billionaire romances at all. I knew that the hero was rich going in and that didn't bug me. But what bugs me about billionaire romances is usually the hero. And that was 100% the case in this book. I couldn't like Will, and his constantly throwing his riches and entitlement around, and between being Mr. Billionaire and being controlling, and possessive and his non communication. Don't get me started on the way he treated poor Caroline. He literally used her and had no remorse about it. Im sure it would never happen but I hope we see her get an HEA. I liked Jasmin as a heroine, I loved her loyalty, and she felt sincere. Like a real person and someone who would be a great friend. I loved the side characters in this book and I will definitely read the rest of the series because I need to see their HEA's. I would also love a story with Inder (Jasmin's little brother) as a hero (there may be, I own them all but one but haven't read the synopsis for them... see I thought I was going to love this world so much I got as many as I could get my hands on before even starting the series). The things I did really like about this book were the culture, friends Jasmin's family; I really liked Rhett and Mona.The steam was on point and the slow burn was great. What I couldn't get past was how long this book felt for such a short read. Also this was too instalovey for me. I mean these people knew each other two weeks and were ready to declare love. I also couldn't get past Will in general. With all that said I am going to read the next book. I feel like I love this world that the author has set up and I'm not going to let one character detour me from the ones I like.

[The Bashful Bookworm by Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ rounded up

🎨Boss x Employee
🎨Instalove
🎨OW Drama
🎨Slow Burn
🎨Platonic Friendship Goals
🎨South Asian/Punjabi FMC
🎨Mostly Single POV
**<250 pages
**Book 1 in Five Friends with Chai series.
**TW: Mention of Sexual Abuse of a Minor (not MCs)
**TW: Drug Abuse, Addiction, Overdose

Jasmin has recently been fired from her job that she gave everything to for the last 5 years. However, she is able to use this time to take a job painting a large scale mural for Hollywood family she applied for on a whim. The opportunity to paint again has reminded her so much of what she loves and has been pushing to the side. It is also this job and painting that has put her directly in front (or above) Will Bennet, the meet-cute depicted on the book cover. After their meeting, Will proposes that Jasmin stay on for a little while longer to help “babysit” his brother who is home from rehab to attended an anniversary party for their parents.

Let me start by saying this book is less than 250 pages, so it was a very quick read! This was definitely instalove for Will and Jasmin. However, their relationship is complicated (unnecessarily) by Jasmin’s immediate friendship and bond with Rhett, Will’s brother. When Will learns a devastating secret about his brother, he purposefully steps back from Jasmin, and let me tell you “IT HURT”!! Will breaks my heart and I understand why he thinks he needs to do it this way because he is trying to be noble but also why?!?!? The OW drama makes my heart hurt for Jasmin, especially because the OW is actually kind and Jasmin likes her. It’s all very angsty and sad. I hated Will for doing that. When it’s all said and done there was definitely not enough groveling. In conclusion (🤭) I love Will but I’m still a little mad at him.

Jasmin was fantastic. Basically going through an existential crisis with the sudden life upheaval and realizing she wasn’t really living and was unhappy. I’m so happy with her character growth and development, and where she ended up. I loved her relationship with Rhett so much!!! Truly a brother/sister vibe. The girl group got lots of page time and I enjoyed them. Looking forward to their stories. Her family was so wonderful and supportive and hilarious. I love that they are Punjabi but seem so modern and less conservative. That may be a false and unfair thought but Sookh writes very forward thinking in all her books even if they are small little bits here and there! Rhett’s past surprised me, I was not expecting it and I was devastated for him! It was heartbreaking.

Character’s POV: This was mostly single POV, Jasmin’s. Would I have liked more of Will’s POV? Most definitely! My love/hate relationship with Single POV continues, however I was very satisfied getting some of Will’s POV, even if it was very limited because it packs such a punch and makes me swoon and squeal and kick my feet. Mona’s and Rhett’s POV chapters were unexpected but kind of enjoyable, especially because they gave other views of Will and how he feels about Jasmin.

Buddy reading Sookh Kaur’s catalog has been a blast. This is book 1 in the Five Friends with Chai series and also SK’s debut book. She has a very unique style that I really enjoy. My book best Elyvia said it perfectly, “her heroines are always flawed, funny, real, and experienced!” And even though we don’t get a whole lot of the MCs after they are together, the MMC is always there supporting and loving the FMC in such unselfish ways.

I need to mentions the gym scene. It was so hilarious and then so freakin’ hot! I was literally laughing out load! This part of the book perfection depicts how SK writes her FMCs that show their vulnerabilities and chaotic humor.

Lastly: Ok, so I went into this blind. My mind went t a little crazy after she was fired. Is her boss Daniel in love with her? Did he fire her so she could pursue her dreams!? Why did the second email come so soon?! Welp…🤦🏻‍♀️ that was definitely not the plot of the book and thank gosh, her ex-boss is horrible but he does get what he deserves! But this shows my own chaotic romance mind at work!

[Sarah | Kerosene.Lit · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun romantic comedy, slight workplace romance, following a fabulous, Indian heroine.

As Jasmin is unexpectedly fired from her paralegal position, she seizes the moment by dusting off her paintbrushes and accepting a contract with the notoriously wealthy Bennet family as a muralist.

Confident in her beauty, fearless, and with her overall straightforwardness, Jasmin was a treat. The addition of Indian culture, including her absolutely hilarious, supportive family was wonderful.

I adored her relationship with the Bennet brothers, but I do feel the romance with one brother was somewhat outshined by the friendship with the second brother. I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s insta-love between Jasmin and Will, but his infatuation and possessiveness was a bit too strong for me.

This one also deals with drug addiction and sexual assault against a minor (not graphic, but mentioned). While it deals with heavy topics, there’s plenty of comedic relief the entire way through.

Despite my slight issue with the romance, I still really enjoyed this one!

3.5 stars

[ajournalforbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a culture junkie.

I love learning about different cultures, their foods, clothing, style, slangs and so much more. So when Kaur mixed both the Punjabi and Italian cultures, I was ecstatic.

This book opened my appetite to different cuisines and travel. The strong theme of family relationships and the way in which Kaur dealt with heavier topics was admirable.

The book was fun and lightweight, yet the underlying issues that the characters faced weren’t put on the back burner.

Definitely looking forward to read more.

[Jeaven · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jasmin made me cringe so many times I couldn’t get over it and the flow of the story was very choppy it felt more like a lot of scenes and ideas stitched together instead of one cohesive story.

The idea was there but the execution was not.

[Melissa]

Dnf at page 129

[Unapologetic Termagant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Talia Hibbert meets Never Have I Ever in this surprisingly charming and genuinely funny book.

I admit, I almost skipped this one. While I’m constantly on the lookout for contemporary romance with POC main characters, the illustrated cover, while super cute, and the blurb made me think Jasmin the Unexpected wouldn’t be to my taste. I expected a story of another hapless, scattered, clumsy young woman squaring off against a gorgeous, disgustingly rich and emotionally constipated man. I know that premise is the bread and butter of contemporary romance, but it's just so done. Still, I was willing to give this book a try mainly to read about her pushy, but loving Punjabi family and girlfriends. As it turns out, the “unexpected” part was absolutely true; I ended up really enjoying this charming, surprisingly moving and laugh-out-loud funny book.

I loved Jasmin. She was so smart, funny, warm and loyal. Her relationship with her friends and Rhett, her reluctant ward, was absolutely lovely. And yes, she does meet the hero of the book after ruining his expensive suit with paint, so there’s the cutesy romcom premise, but overall, she was relatable, flawed and endearing and not at all annoyingly adorkable. The beautiful scenes with her family show where she’s got her open and loving nature from, and the parts in which we learn more about her soul-crushing former gig as an unappreciated paralegal also gave wonderful insight into her character. I enjoyed her journey and watching her gain the courage and confidence to pursue her dream career in art.

Will, the hero, was fine, if a little boring. He was charming enough and did the requisite grand gestures, but I’ve just read about too many Wills in contemporary romance. I think that’s why the central romantic relationship actually fell a little flat. Will and Jasmin don’t really spend that much time together on-page. Their scenes together are lovely, but the romance overall was a little rushed and underdeveloped. The first sex scene came out of nowhere and then it was crickets for a large part of the book. However, I did enjoy the last few chapters, when they finally work it out. They were sweet, cozy and hot.

The book is far from perfect and there are some things that are a bit undercooked and left dangling (I’m still not sure where Will’s Italian heritage, which was referenced multiple times, came from. Their name is Bennet, for heaven’s sake), and on the strength of the romance alone, my rating would probably have been lower. However, overall, the book was so funny and touching and the heroine so charming that I found myself really enjoying it. I’m definitely keeping an eye on the author in hopes of discovering more books with kickass Punjabi characters and their fun, loud and loyal friends and families.

And to answer Will’s question: no, The Office didn’t work after Michael Scott left.

[Jeanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was such a refreshing, feel good romance that seamlessly wrapped in scandal, snotty Hollywood classism, and self empowerment in a tale dominated by strong women. I picked it up only this past weekend and dove in as a pallet cleanser following my last read. I was looking for fun and it more than delivered. I was enriched with the culture seeping from the description of food, customs, and identities of some wonderful Punjabi women and their families. And delighted in the way that Jasmin’s story wound it’s way from LA to Hollywood and beyond. And those Bennett boys? Yes, please. I wasn’t expecting so much substance. So my bad for discounting the story before it even unfolded. But really, I can’t remember the last time I highlighted within a fiction titled. There were just some real gems - funny and/or insightful - that I had to save.

My only criticism is that my kindle version had quite a few typos. And the love making scene from Will’s point of view felt a little... unpolished? We def get more feeling from Jasmin’s view earlier on. But overall, I loved the insertions from the other point of views throughout - I think we get a total of four people sharing.

Now, I’ve seen the series will follow her friends, and I will probably read them all (Sookh Kaur is now a go to author), but I really just want a few more with Jasmin, Will, and of course, I’d love an update on Rhett...and surprisingly Caroline. I rather liked her supporting role and am curious to see where she ends up.

I am not a sensitive reader but do want to warn those for some trigger warnings: Spousal abuse (mentioned, but not detailed), child neglect, child abuse/pedophilia (strong undercurrent of one character’s story, but not detailed), addiction, micro aggressions.

[Pragati · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love me some desi girl romance but why do they never live up to my expectations? YALL RAISED ON BOLLYWOOD AND YET CAN'T GET ROMANCE RIGHT.

This book had so much potential but it just fell so flat. For the life of me I could not understand when and why the leads fell in love with each other like one orgasm doesn't a relationship make. The heroine spent way more time with the hero's brother than she did with him. There were only a handful of scenes of the main couple together and honestly it made zero sense that they were so in love by the end of the book. Y'all have had literally two conversations together. Sookh Kaur, you are not Yash Chopra. You cannot make me root for a couple who has only spoken like thrice in the entire story. That's not how this works. I'm sorry.

Also, everything in the book was so surface level? The author never delves deep into any character's emotions and so many subplots are dropped abruptly. Like. What about Rhett? What about Caroline? What about Will's relationship with his parents? There's no resolution to so much stuff and that makes me mad cause bros? What even?

But, I give this two stars cause it was very easily readable and I did actually end up finishing it!

[Kayleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book through Voracious Readers in exchange for an honest review.

I don’t usually read romance novels, but when I do, I am a sucker for them. When I read Jasmine’s Billionaire I experience the same reaction. I devoured this book really quickly, because I was instantly hooked to the humour and light-heartedness of the characters. The development of the romantic elements of this novel are quick paced but I loved it nonetheless.
I especially loved the blossoming friendship between Jasmine and Rhett, I think we all long to have a special friend that we can be ourselves around. Kaur’s writing is easy to follow and highly enjoyable, I am a big fan of her passion to put females/ people of colour at the forefront of romance novels, and am excited to read the other books she has written. This book does discuss some hard hitting topics but it is handled carefully and beautifully.

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy reading these Punjabi FMC from Sookh Kaur. The voice is different from what I am culturally accustomed and I find it engaging. The dialogue is tilted, and by that I mean it's just a little bit different than what I am used to. Please do not misunderstand, I am not diminishing it in any way, in fact, I very much enjoy it.

Jasmin is fired from her job by a dishonest boss, gets hired to paint a mural, falls in love with her sort-of boss, helps his younger brother through a tough time (check those TW), and learns a lot about herself in the process.

[Hargun]

I loved this book! It connected well to reality and traced back to my culture too!
This was a great laugh, and the romance was awesome. There were some mentions of drug and abuse.
Jasmin and Will make the greatest couple ever, and her friendship with Rhett was adorable!
Overall, this was a short read, but I would really recommend it. I was hoping for an epilogue of the "Sunday Night Dinner" though. That was a disappointment, but it was still a great read.

[Elise Roberson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful romance with Bollywood sensibilities

This book is exactly what I wanted to read! It is the perfect mixture of fantasy and realism that you find in the best Bollywood romances. The characters have depth and the setting is interesting. I loved learning about Punjabi culture. Jasmin has a dream life with just enough drama to make it interesting without being too tear-jerking. I cannot wait to read the rest of the series!

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spoilers, kinda 🤷🏾‍♀️ but not really

The first 1/3 felt like it was all over the place, like it made it into the final draft without review/edits. It finally settled into a decent story thereafter. I'm not sure if I'll continue with the series, I'm not pulled to be that interested in the full stories of how each of her friends find love.
Also, him giving her that (rather intimate, imo) nickname less than 10 minutes after meeting her felt icky to me

[Anika Perera · Rating 4 out of 5]

technically a 3.5 but i round up

i love the brown representation!!! the only thing is the romance moved a little fast like i didn’t understand where it all came from how the relationship built. BUT each character was developed so well and it was really amazing to see how they navigated their journey

[Carolina CHC · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining story about second chances

I received this book as a gift for signing to the author’s mailing list and I’m grateful for the opportunity to enjoy another of her books.

This books addresses hard topics such as Pedophile, bad parenting, and celebrity stereotypes.

[Sue Hayward-Ault · Rating 3 out of 5]

Struggled at first due to the use of Indian language, I think if it had continued I wouldn't have finished the book. Loved the basic story, very light chic lit in genre. Didn't enjoy the explicit elements but to each his own. Generally a good read.

[Aletha Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pleasantly Surprised

I was pleasantly surprised that I really enjoyed reading this book. Once I started I couldn’t put it down until I finished it. I really liked Jasmin and her friends. Her mother and father were hilarious. I can’t wait to read the next one.

[Anita · Rating 3 out of 5]

80% good

The story is interesting up to about 80% in, tjen there's angst, then there's rushed ending. There are quite numerous typos and grammar mistakes. I forgave them when the story was good,but then I became irritated. I won't be buying the next book.

[Gregory Trammell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Fun, Funny Rom Com

A poor (comparably) young woman from a completely different culture and social standing meets a billionaire CEO of a mega corporation and sparks fly. Read how so many differences are overcome and lust & love blossom and bloom. A great read.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and Cute Slow Burn

Great book from an emerging writer. Loved the cover and the story didn’t disappoint. Reminded me of Talia Hibbert though slightly less steamy. Looking forward to reading more of this series.

[Amiee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was cute and sexy; I had some issues with pacing and Chemistry with the brother (I liked the brother more than Will).

Will continue to read about this amazing group of friends (I am a sucker for a solid group of friends who love and support each other).

[Sara Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute book! Jasmin could be a bit much at times and there was not a ton of build up of relationship to explain their quick deep feelings, but I still enjoyed the story. I love Rhett and the group of friends!

[Poonam · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 -

This was a fun and entertaining read. A romantic comedy with a brilliant and funny Punjabi woman trying to figure her life out after being fired from her job. All the cultural reference made me feel so seen. The romance was swoon worthy and the friendships were beautiful.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

surprisingly delightful!

What great characters, and the dialog is funny, sensible, and real. Thoroughly enjoyable. Off to purchase the next in this series!

[Nadia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[LeNita V. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute read. There were some typos but still a cute story.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Five friends , so fun.so much support.

Very ineresting look into the lives of Punjabi girls. Jasmine and Wil, CEO, so fun so inlightening, love the support of the girls club.