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The Elevator
Aria Ramdeen is learning to love herself — and her favourite foods again. No guilt, no toxic boyfriend.
Rob Anderson is recently divorced, and living life as a single guy, while tending to the scars from his marriage.
Both live in the same condo building where they've crossed paths in the elevator many times. But neither has had the courage to connect.
Then one day, they match on a dating app. But are they ready to meet?
Set in the Toronto, The Elevator is an entertaining modern story of two people from different backgrounds who are on a journey of self discovery after failed relationships. The Elevator teaches us what it means to love oneself.
Content Warning: eating disorders, body image, discrimination
Rob Anderson is recently divorced, and living life as a single guy, while tending to the scars from his marriage.
Both live in the same condo building where they've crossed paths in the elevator many times. But neither has had the courage to connect.
Then one day, they match on a dating app. But are they ready to meet?
Set in the Toronto, The Elevator is an entertaining modern story of two people from different backgrounds who are on a journey of self discovery after failed relationships. The Elevator teaches us what it means to love oneself.
Content Warning: eating disorders, body image, discrimination
184 pages, Paperback
Published October 15, 2024
2 people are currently reading
21 people want to read
About the author
Priya Ramsingh
3 books11 followersWhen I was growing up, my mother enforced a rule in our house that Saturday trips to the local public library were mandatory. Although she wasn't an academic herself, she had the insight to push us into loving literature.
My brother, sister and I would walk down the street to the Albion Public Library and choose books for the week. I found myself absorbed in the stories. It spurred my own craft, and when I wasn't reading I was behind closed doors, in my room writing.
When my Grade 5 teacher gave me a certificate for story writing, I realized who I wanted to be.
It took me a long time, but I needed to live before I could write. One day, I sat down in front of my computer, and Brown Girl in the Room, came to life.
My first short story, Pies for Lunch was published by the Caribbean Writer in 2021 and shortlisted for the Canute A. Broadhurst Prize for short fiction.
My second novel, The Elevator was published by Palimpsest Press in 2024.
My brother, sister and I would walk down the street to the Albion Public Library and choose books for the week. I found myself absorbed in the stories. It spurred my own craft, and when I wasn't reading I was behind closed doors, in my room writing.
When my Grade 5 teacher gave me a certificate for story writing, I realized who I wanted to be.
It took me a long time, but I needed to live before I could write. One day, I sat down in front of my computer, and Brown Girl in the Room, came to life.
My first short story, Pies for Lunch was published by the Caribbean Writer in 2021 and shortlisted for the Canute A. Broadhurst Prize for short fiction.
My second novel, The Elevator was published by Palimpsest Press in 2024.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
May 16, 2025
There is only one thing to say: Priya, are you OK?
November 25, 2024
Actual Rating: 1.5/5
Thank you to NetGalley, Priya Ramsingh, and Literary Press Group for the E-ARC!
I was in the mood for a palette cleanser, and figured a romance book would be perfect for that. Unfortunately, I was underwhelmed by this story.
First I want to mention a positive though, and it's the diversity of subjects talked about in this book. There was mentions of race, gender, sexuality, eating disorders, and each character had such a different background. I think these aspects are really important in stories, so it was nice to see them.
Also, as a Canadian, and someone who grew up in Ontario most of her life, I really enjoyed reading a book that took place here. It was nice knowing the cities, the brands and stores, and how things worked (the Uber Eats delivery fees...).
Now for the things that brought down my ratings. First, I think the description of this book was a bit misleading, and that's the root of my issues. This book deals with a lot of heavy topics, and while I mentioned that as a positive, it needs to be advertised as such. I thought this would be a cutesy romance, and it was not. If I knew what the actual subject matters in this book were going to be, I definitely wouldn't have used it as a palette cleanser.
The expectations I had for this book were that Aria and Rob would meet in the elevator consistently, and thus grow to know each other, and later fall for the other. Unfortunately this wasn't the case, they didn't even talk until almost 100 pages in, and even that was such a short awkward conversation. After that, I think they maybe conversed one or two times, in the entire book. For a romance story, I expected something to develop between the two of them on page.
I also think this book really needed better separations for chapters. Throughout the story, you're constantly being pulled into memory after memory, in between random conversations and actions in present day. Even when you're in a memory, sometimes you'll fall directly into another, and then back into the one before it. It becomes quite confusing. I wish there was better structure for this, maybe separate chapters for present day and the past. It was hard to keep track of what was happening, what the timeline was, and when things happened in the character's lives.
My last thing, although this book talks about a lot of tough subjects, I didn't like how negatively people's appearances were discussed. At points in the book, Aria (and her friend Naomi at times), pointed out how a red haired woman at work wore too much makeup, how a man had fangs for teeth and she couldn't stop staring, how a woman had an overbite, and how a man who was working out had a fast food bag and would gain weight from it. I didn't enjoy these negative remarks, especially as someone who has a lot of insecurities around her teeth and mouth.
I think if this was advertised properly, this would find the right audience and many people would really enjoy it.
Thank you to NetGalley, Priya Ramsingh, and Literary Press Group for the E-ARC!
I was in the mood for a palette cleanser, and figured a romance book would be perfect for that. Unfortunately, I was underwhelmed by this story.
First I want to mention a positive though, and it's the diversity of subjects talked about in this book. There was mentions of race, gender, sexuality, eating disorders, and each character had such a different background. I think these aspects are really important in stories, so it was nice to see them.
Also, as a Canadian, and someone who grew up in Ontario most of her life, I really enjoyed reading a book that took place here. It was nice knowing the cities, the brands and stores, and how things worked (the Uber Eats delivery fees...).
Now for the things that brought down my ratings. First, I think the description of this book was a bit misleading, and that's the root of my issues. This book deals with a lot of heavy topics, and while I mentioned that as a positive, it needs to be advertised as such. I thought this would be a cutesy romance, and it was not. If I knew what the actual subject matters in this book were going to be, I definitely wouldn't have used it as a palette cleanser.
The expectations I had for this book were that Aria and Rob would meet in the elevator consistently, and thus grow to know each other, and later fall for the other. Unfortunately this wasn't the case, they didn't even talk until almost 100 pages in, and even that was such a short awkward conversation. After that, I think they maybe conversed one or two times, in the entire book. For a romance story, I expected something to develop between the two of them on page.
I also think this book really needed better separations for chapters. Throughout the story, you're constantly being pulled into memory after memory, in between random conversations and actions in present day. Even when you're in a memory, sometimes you'll fall directly into another, and then back into the one before it. It becomes quite confusing. I wish there was better structure for this, maybe separate chapters for present day and the past. It was hard to keep track of what was happening, what the timeline was, and when things happened in the character's lives.
My last thing, although this book talks about a lot of tough subjects, I didn't like how negatively people's appearances were discussed. At points in the book, Aria (and her friend Naomi at times), pointed out how a red haired woman at work wore too much makeup, how a man had fangs for teeth and she couldn't stop staring, how a woman had an overbite, and how a man who was working out had a fast food bag and would gain weight from it. I didn't enjoy these negative remarks, especially as someone who has a lot of insecurities around her teeth and mouth.
I think if this was advertised properly, this would find the right audience and many people would really enjoy it.
August 26, 2024
This book is misleadingly marketed as a romance, and I believe it is IMPERATIVE that the publisher fix that before this book is published. However, I am glad this book was short, so I wasn't forced to read 300+ pages of toxicity. There's nothing wrong with writing a short book, but if you try to cover every social issue under the sun, you end up leaving a superficial impact. While I actually liked some of the side characters more than the "leads" from the synopsis, delving into their backstories took away from the development of the main characters.
All that aside, this is about two people who SHOULD NOT be looking for a relationship, since they both have things to work on. Perhaps that was the author's point. However, if that is the case, the synopsis should be changed to not seem so light and fluffy. From the information presented in the story, it seemed like Aria had not come to terms with her eating disorder or healed from the mental abuse from her ex. I cannot imagine how difficult it must be since a big part of dating does revolve around food. This could have been a place for the author to do research on people who have gone through these challenging circumstances. Rob was also an unlikeable character because it seemed like he divorced his ex because she was a self-assured, successful woman. His behavior during the story was a complete turn-off, especially as a 40+ year old man! This would have worked so much better as contemporary fiction about people who are not ready for relationships realizing that with the help of their support groups.
Thank you NetGalley, Literary Press Group of Canada, and Priya Ramsingh for the ARC copy of this book.
All that aside, this is about two people who SHOULD NOT be looking for a relationship, since they both have things to work on. Perhaps that was the author's point. However, if that is the case, the synopsis should be changed to not seem so light and fluffy. From the information presented in the story, it seemed like Aria had not come to terms with her eating disorder or healed from the mental abuse from her ex. I cannot imagine how difficult it must be since a big part of dating does revolve around food. This could have been a place for the author to do research on people who have gone through these challenging circumstances. Rob was also an unlikeable character because it seemed like he divorced his ex because she was a self-assured, successful woman. His behavior during the story was a complete turn-off, especially as a 40+ year old man! This would have worked so much better as contemporary fiction about people who are not ready for relationships realizing that with the help of their support groups.
Thank you NetGalley, Literary Press Group of Canada, and Priya Ramsingh for the ARC copy of this book.
September 16, 2024
I do believe that this book would be best slotted in the Fiction category and definitely not romance. Romance readers dig through the romance section for light and fluffy type content in my opinion.
The book was not bad by all means and I enjoyed learning about all the cultural differences that the friends seemed to talk about quite a bit.
It’s about finding yourself and being able to love yourself despite your differences. A lot of social topics are involved as well: sexuality, eating disorders (check trigger warnings) and effects of dealing with past abuse of an ex. I really liked just how realistic the book felt. People are super judgmental in this world whether they voice their judgments or not and this shined a light on a lot of things many people believe but don’t say.
I did, however, expect a lot more since I was waiting for the romance. The app and a couple interactions in an elevator does not a romance novel make.
Thank you NetGalley and Literary Press Group of Canada for the opportunity to read this and give my honest review!
The book was not bad by all means and I enjoyed learning about all the cultural differences that the friends seemed to talk about quite a bit.
It’s about finding yourself and being able to love yourself despite your differences. A lot of social topics are involved as well: sexuality, eating disorders (check trigger warnings) and effects of dealing with past abuse of an ex. I really liked just how realistic the book felt. People are super judgmental in this world whether they voice their judgments or not and this shined a light on a lot of things many people believe but don’t say.
I did, however, expect a lot more since I was waiting for the romance. The app and a couple interactions in an elevator does not a romance novel make.
Thank you NetGalley and Literary Press Group of Canada for the opportunity to read this and give my honest review!
August 27, 2024
Thank you to Net Galley and Priya Ramsingh for the ARC of this story!
I really enjoyed hearing about all of the locations in Toronto (as a half canadian I could picture all of the places and found all of the mentions of Tims really exciting!)
I have to say that the story should come with trigger warnings for people who have had experiences with ED, gaslighting from romantic partners, and work place harassment. I spent a lot of time trying to make sure I was following the story correctly only to realize I never followed it at all. I used this book as a palate cleanser between my most recent read and my next read and I was glad it was a short story. All of that to say that I think the authors point in writing this story was to show that these people were not supposed to be together.
I liked the inclusion of LGBTQIA in this story as a positive, I was looking for a little more growth with the characters and it felt a bit of an abrupt ending but I’m grateful for the ARC!
I really enjoyed hearing about all of the locations in Toronto (as a half canadian I could picture all of the places and found all of the mentions of Tims really exciting!)
I have to say that the story should come with trigger warnings for people who have had experiences with ED, gaslighting from romantic partners, and work place harassment. I spent a lot of time trying to make sure I was following the story correctly only to realize I never followed it at all. I used this book as a palate cleanser between my most recent read and my next read and I was glad it was a short story. All of that to say that I think the authors point in writing this story was to show that these people were not supposed to be together.
I liked the inclusion of LGBTQIA in this story as a positive, I was looking for a little more growth with the characters and it felt a bit of an abrupt ending but I’m grateful for the ARC!
December 30, 2024
I enjoyed reading this book. Once I started chapter 1, I was hooked and read this book in two days. I couldn't put it down. Fantastic read. Great author!
November 21, 2024
Love this book. The premise is simple - a guy and a girl keep seeing each other in their condo elevator, but are too shy to start a conversation. Then she sees him on a dating app and sends him a smile. He doesn't respond. Then it gets really awkward in the elevator.
Living in a condo can be quite isolating, but the book made me rethink elevators as the place where we meet out neighbours. While riding in my condo elevator with the book in hand, I started up a conversation with another resident explaining that the book was about a couple who met in an elevator. A couple in the elevator said that they had met in an elevator in the Bahamas.
Priya may be on to something here. How many couples have met in elevators?
Living in a condo can be quite isolating, but the book made me rethink elevators as the place where we meet out neighbours. While riding in my condo elevator with the book in hand, I started up a conversation with another resident explaining that the book was about a couple who met in an elevator. A couple in the elevator said that they had met in an elevator in the Bahamas.
Priya may be on to something here. How many couples have met in elevators?
August 18, 2024
1.5⭐️
La sinopsis dice que esto es un romance, pues no lo hay, es más no tengo la menor idea de cual fue el objetivo de la historia. Fue una perdida de mi tiempo.
Tw: Trastornos alimenticios, racismo y xenofobia.
Sinopsis:
Aria Ramdeen is learning to love herself—and her favourite foods—again. No guilt, no toxic boyfriend. Full of newfound confidence, she subscribes to LoveInTO, a Toronto-based dating website, where she’s matched with a crush she’s had for years: the attractive light-haired man who lives in her building. Aria messages him on the app, but there’s no response, leaving her crushed and embarrassed.
Rob Anderson, who's recently divorced, secretly admires Aria. He just lacks the confidence to approach her. And since he’s let his LoveInTO subscription lapse, he doesn’t see Aria’s message. Suddenly, Aria seems guarded when they run into one another, and the pair endure months of long, awkward silence together in the elevator. Until one day, Rob decides to give the dating app another chance and subscribes again.
A fresh and entertaining modern romance seen through the eyes of two people who still believe in happily ever after, despite the pitfalls of modern dating technology, well-meaning advice from friends and family, and eating disorders. The Elevator will leave readers feeling hopeful and wanting to fall in love again.
Es desde el punto de vista de Aria, Rob y Mila, se supone que los dos primeros son los protagonistas y no tiene sentido que Mila tenga povs que no tienen que ver con lo que pasa entre Aria y Rob
Aria tiene trastornos alimenticios desde joven, pero se agravaron por culpa de su ex que se la pasaba contándole las calorías, la obligaba a realizar ejercicios y le pellizcaba el estómago para ver que tan gorda estaba.
Pasa un año soltera y decide que es tiempo para regresar a las citas, se inscribe a una aplicación, ve que el vecino que le gusta esta en ella y decide mandarle mensaje, pero él no le contesta. Días despues se lo encuentra en el elevador y se está besando y manoseado a una mujer por lo que se da cuenta que no está disponible, entonces decide salir con otros. Tiene 3 citas con diferentes tipos que resultan ser unos idiotas y que son iguales a su ex ya que hacen comentarios sobre la cantidad de comida, calorías, el peso, etc.
Eso es todo lo que pasa en sus povs.
Rob trabaja en un banco en la parte digital, está divorciado y al principio parece que es timido porque le gusta Aria, pero le da pena hablarle y al final resulta que es más fácil que la tabla del 1. Todo el libro está en diferentes relaciones, bueno 2 y no al mismo tiempo y al final no se sabe si terminó con Miranda o sigue con ella mientras invita a comer a Aria.
Se la pasa quejándose de sus novias porque son de cierta manera, pero él es quien busca mujeres con carácter fuerte y con trabajos importantes y al final resulta que son demasiado para él.
Él y Aria tienen como 4 interacciones, en la primera únicamente se saludan, en la segunda se presentan, en la siguiente se saludan y en la última él la invita a comer. Esa es toda su historia, el final es abierto.
Mila es una mujer trans, tiene pocos povs y narran como fue su infancia, en que momento se dio cuenta que le gustaban los hombres y como fue su proceso de volverse mujer.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
La sinopsis dice que esto es un romance, pues no lo hay, es más no tengo la menor idea de cual fue el objetivo de la historia. Fue una perdida de mi tiempo.
Tw: Trastornos alimenticios, racismo y xenofobia.
Sinopsis:
Aria Ramdeen is learning to love herself—and her favourite foods—again. No guilt, no toxic boyfriend. Full of newfound confidence, she subscribes to LoveInTO, a Toronto-based dating website, where she’s matched with a crush she’s had for years: the attractive light-haired man who lives in her building. Aria messages him on the app, but there’s no response, leaving her crushed and embarrassed.
Rob Anderson, who's recently divorced, secretly admires Aria. He just lacks the confidence to approach her. And since he’s let his LoveInTO subscription lapse, he doesn’t see Aria’s message. Suddenly, Aria seems guarded when they run into one another, and the pair endure months of long, awkward silence together in the elevator. Until one day, Rob decides to give the dating app another chance and subscribes again.
A fresh and entertaining modern romance seen through the eyes of two people who still believe in happily ever after, despite the pitfalls of modern dating technology, well-meaning advice from friends and family, and eating disorders. The Elevator will leave readers feeling hopeful and wanting to fall in love again.
Es desde el punto de vista de Aria, Rob y Mila, se supone que los dos primeros son los protagonistas y no tiene sentido que Mila tenga povs que no tienen que ver con lo que pasa entre Aria y Rob
Aria tiene trastornos alimenticios desde joven, pero se agravaron por culpa de su ex que se la pasaba contándole las calorías, la obligaba a realizar ejercicios y le pellizcaba el estómago para ver que tan gorda estaba.
Pasa un año soltera y decide que es tiempo para regresar a las citas, se inscribe a una aplicación, ve que el vecino que le gusta esta en ella y decide mandarle mensaje, pero él no le contesta. Días despues se lo encuentra en el elevador y se está besando y manoseado a una mujer por lo que se da cuenta que no está disponible, entonces decide salir con otros. Tiene 3 citas con diferentes tipos que resultan ser unos idiotas y que son iguales a su ex ya que hacen comentarios sobre la cantidad de comida, calorías, el peso, etc.
Eso es todo lo que pasa en sus povs.
Rob trabaja en un banco en la parte digital, está divorciado y al principio parece que es timido porque le gusta Aria, pero le da pena hablarle y al final resulta que es más fácil que la tabla del 1. Todo el libro está en diferentes relaciones, bueno 2 y no al mismo tiempo y al final no se sabe si terminó con Miranda o sigue con ella mientras invita a comer a Aria.
Se la pasa quejándose de sus novias porque son de cierta manera, pero él es quien busca mujeres con carácter fuerte y con trabajos importantes y al final resulta que son demasiado para él.
Él y Aria tienen como 4 interacciones, en la primera únicamente se saludan, en la segunda se presentan, en la siguiente se saludan y en la última él la invita a comer. Esa es toda su historia, el final es abierto.
Mila es una mujer trans, tiene pocos povs y narran como fue su infancia, en que momento se dio cuenta que le gustaban los hombres y como fue su proceso de volverse mujer.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
February 4, 2025
Real life romance rarely follows a fairy tale formula, and neither does the plot of “The Elevator”, Priya Ramsingh’s second novel. With warmth and wit, she delves into the messy, complicated world of love between two people from different cultural backgrounds—navigating dating apps, mixed signals, family expectations, toxic exes and ever-present body issues.
Aria, the novel’s Caribbean born protagonist, is recovering from an ED. As someone who has both struggled with and written about disordered eating, I was especially impressed by Ramsingh’s ability to capture Aria’s complex relationship with food. In describing her anxiety about eating a fattening burger, she writes:
“Over the past year, accepting food had been an uphill struggle for her. Walking directly to the bathroom after every meal was a pattern she couldn’t remember being without. Often she found herself standing in front of the toilet without knowing how or why she was there. Eventually she learned to how to revive a pleasant memory to take her mind off the food sitting in her bulging stomach right after a meal.”
Another recurring theme is Aria’s taste in men, which tends to skew white. In describing Aria’s encounter with her ex-boyfriend Tyler’s snobbish mother, Ramsingh deftly
captures the bewilderment of a white woman who “still couldn’t seem to grasp the ‘not Black-but-Brown concept.”
As Aria’s well-meaning friend Naomi observes, ”they are just living in their own little box, and don’t really want to understand other cultures. It’s too much work. So, they will always think you are either Black or South Asian or try to lump you into one or another. People like that never really understand because they don’t care to.”
Naomi, happily married to a Jamaican man, also notes that Tyler was “too white” and would never fully commit to Aria. She suggests Aria consider dating someone from her own cultural background—a suggestion Aria entertains, partly because it would please her parents, who would love to see her with someone “from the Caribbean with Indian heritage.”
The real dilemma though, is Aria’s attraction to another white guy—Rob, the preppy, light-haired neighbour from her condo. Unbeknownst to her, Rob is also on the dating site she reluctantly joined. Ramsingh expertly shifts the narrative to his perspective. Though he is drawn to Aria during their brief elevator encounters, he’s easily distracted—caught up in an office affair with Miranda, a green-eyed lawyer with kick-ass legs, “muscular calves lengthened by heels.” Their dynamic is charged with a power imbalance, as Rob is her subordinate, “just a middle manager sitting in a half-walled cubicle”, waiting for her texts for drinks and casual sex. He feels used when she occasionally blows him off at the last minute but can’t bring himself to say no to the proverbial twisted challenge:
“There was danger in dating the corporate lawyer who was miles above his pay grade and, quite frankly, out of his league. But she wanted him and she wasn’t shy about it.”
Will Rob and Aria ultimately get together? Will they share another chance encounter in the elevator, which leads to something longer lasting? No spoilers—but this story doesn’t follow a simple arc. Instead it perfectly captures the real-life trials and tribulations of finding a partner. Their story made me wanting more, and I’d love to see a sequel.
Aria, the novel’s Caribbean born protagonist, is recovering from an ED. As someone who has both struggled with and written about disordered eating, I was especially impressed by Ramsingh’s ability to capture Aria’s complex relationship with food. In describing her anxiety about eating a fattening burger, she writes:
“Over the past year, accepting food had been an uphill struggle for her. Walking directly to the bathroom after every meal was a pattern she couldn’t remember being without. Often she found herself standing in front of the toilet without knowing how or why she was there. Eventually she learned to how to revive a pleasant memory to take her mind off the food sitting in her bulging stomach right after a meal.”
Another recurring theme is Aria’s taste in men, which tends to skew white. In describing Aria’s encounter with her ex-boyfriend Tyler’s snobbish mother, Ramsingh deftly
captures the bewilderment of a white woman who “still couldn’t seem to grasp the ‘not Black-but-Brown concept.”
As Aria’s well-meaning friend Naomi observes, ”they are just living in their own little box, and don’t really want to understand other cultures. It’s too much work. So, they will always think you are either Black or South Asian or try to lump you into one or another. People like that never really understand because they don’t care to.”
Naomi, happily married to a Jamaican man, also notes that Tyler was “too white” and would never fully commit to Aria. She suggests Aria consider dating someone from her own cultural background—a suggestion Aria entertains, partly because it would please her parents, who would love to see her with someone “from the Caribbean with Indian heritage.”
The real dilemma though, is Aria’s attraction to another white guy—Rob, the preppy, light-haired neighbour from her condo. Unbeknownst to her, Rob is also on the dating site she reluctantly joined. Ramsingh expertly shifts the narrative to his perspective. Though he is drawn to Aria during their brief elevator encounters, he’s easily distracted—caught up in an office affair with Miranda, a green-eyed lawyer with kick-ass legs, “muscular calves lengthened by heels.” Their dynamic is charged with a power imbalance, as Rob is her subordinate, “just a middle manager sitting in a half-walled cubicle”, waiting for her texts for drinks and casual sex. He feels used when she occasionally blows him off at the last minute but can’t bring himself to say no to the proverbial twisted challenge:
“There was danger in dating the corporate lawyer who was miles above his pay grade and, quite frankly, out of his league. But she wanted him and she wasn’t shy about it.”
Will Rob and Aria ultimately get together? Will they share another chance encounter in the elevator, which leads to something longer lasting? No spoilers—but this story doesn’t follow a simple arc. Instead it perfectly captures the real-life trials and tribulations of finding a partner. Their story made me wanting more, and I’d love to see a sequel.
October 11, 2024
Many thanks to Priya Ramsingh, Literary Press Group of Canada, and NetGalley for my copy of this book. The following review is my personal opinion.
I had high hopes for this book, and sadly I was left extremely disappointed.
I was expecting a romance, per the book's description, and I found next to none in the book! Aria and Rob exchange less than 10 sentences in the whole story, and just exchanging glances does not make it a romance novel.
To highlight the good things in the book that probably should be used to market it differently: the book has a cast of very diverse characters, in terms of ethnicity, gender, and sexuality. It discusses multiple hard topics from eating disorders, to gender dysphoria, self-acceptance, and building confidence.
But the story of Aria and Rob specifically was very bland. They have been sharing an elevator in their apartment building for two years and never spoke to each other.
When Aria sees him on the dating app she "smiles at him", and then becomes butthurt when he doesn't interact back with her. She goes out on a few failed dates, then settles for someone that she doesn't feel completely comfortable around, and who sometimes has similar vibes to her ex-boyfriend (who was mentally abusive of her making her relationship with food 100x times worse),. And she still struggles with her self-image and relationship with food.
On the other hand, Rob is still dealing with the aftereffects of his divorce. He doesn't seem to have a healthy relationship with his mom. He was easily and repeatedly manipulated by someone higher than him at work to go out for drinks and sleep with her. And when he saw that person in a situation where she might have been SAed, he left her there, and barely had the decency to text her and say "Are you okay?" (We still don't know if she was okay!)
This all shows that these two people are not meant to be in a serious relationship, and they need to work on themselves and their boundaries before they include someone else in their lives.
And for someone who claims to be taken by her, it's very bizarre that Rob has issues recognizing Aria's face on the app.
Since a book that tries to discuss body image, self-acceptance, and food disorders, it was jarring to see some side characters being mocked for their appearance! Judging a guy for having a McDonald's takeout bag, and saying how does he expect to lose weight, when the main character of the book was shamed for wanting to go to a burger joint?! And making fun of the ex-boyfriend's current girlfriend overbite? Nuh Uh! Not okay!
The writing style was a bit dizzying. There's a lot of going back and forth between events in the past and events that are currently happening, and there are a few scenes that are presented separately from the points of view of two different characters. The separations were not clear, and there was a lot of redundancy. We know that Rob didn't renew his app subscription, so he could only see the profiles, and couldn't read the messages or interact with the people on the app!
Lastly, and this is just a minor thing, the description mentions the main two characters' last names, and the name of the dating app they were using, however, none of that is mentioned in the book itself!
I had high hopes for this book, and sadly I was left extremely disappointed.
I was expecting a romance, per the book's description, and I found next to none in the book! Aria and Rob exchange less than 10 sentences in the whole story, and just exchanging glances does not make it a romance novel.
To highlight the good things in the book that probably should be used to market it differently: the book has a cast of very diverse characters, in terms of ethnicity, gender, and sexuality. It discusses multiple hard topics from eating disorders, to gender dysphoria, self-acceptance, and building confidence.
But the story of Aria and Rob specifically was very bland. They have been sharing an elevator in their apartment building for two years and never spoke to each other.
When Aria sees him on the dating app she "smiles at him", and then becomes butthurt when he doesn't interact back with her. She goes out on a few failed dates, then settles for someone that she doesn't feel completely comfortable around, and who sometimes has similar vibes to her ex-boyfriend (who was mentally abusive of her making her relationship with food 100x times worse),. And she still struggles with her self-image and relationship with food.
On the other hand, Rob is still dealing with the aftereffects of his divorce. He doesn't seem to have a healthy relationship with his mom. He was easily and repeatedly manipulated by someone higher than him at work to go out for drinks and sleep with her. And when he saw that person in a situation where she might have been SAed, he left her there, and barely had the decency to text her and say "Are you okay?" (We still don't know if she was okay!)
This all shows that these two people are not meant to be in a serious relationship, and they need to work on themselves and their boundaries before they include someone else in their lives.
And for someone who claims to be taken by her, it's very bizarre that Rob has issues recognizing Aria's face on the app.
Since a book that tries to discuss body image, self-acceptance, and food disorders, it was jarring to see some side characters being mocked for their appearance! Judging a guy for having a McDonald's takeout bag, and saying how does he expect to lose weight, when the main character of the book was shamed for wanting to go to a burger joint?! And making fun of the ex-boyfriend's current girlfriend overbite? Nuh Uh! Not okay!
The writing style was a bit dizzying. There's a lot of going back and forth between events in the past and events that are currently happening, and there are a few scenes that are presented separately from the points of view of two different characters. The separations were not clear, and there was a lot of redundancy. We know that Rob didn't renew his app subscription, so he could only see the profiles, and couldn't read the messages or interact with the people on the app!
Lastly, and this is just a minor thing, the description mentions the main two characters' last names, and the name of the dating app they were using, however, none of that is mentioned in the book itself!
March 22, 2025
4.5/5
This is a case of a book fallen victim to being mis-genred.
When I first dove into this book, my initial expectations were a meet-cute between two people in the same building that turns into a fluffy romance story. However, it's clear very soon that this was not the direction of the book but rather falls more into the category of contemporary fiction. I'm glad that I was able to catch that early on, as I don't think I would have liked this as much if I didn't change my mindset.
With that said, I appreciate that this wasn't romance focused because this is a story that was mainly about two people, with their own baggage, working through their issues on their own, despite always being in the vicinity of each other and yet never having truly crossed paths. There's a lot of themes explored through their relatively mundane lives, like cultural expectations and eating disorders. While I appreciated that the story focused more on personal growth, I felt that it eventually became a double-edged sword. There's not much interaction between all the characters, in particular our two mains, for me to become attached, and I wished that wasn't the case so I can really feel the impact of the ending.
Nonetheless, I enjoyed The Elevator through its emotional exploration of baggage and issues experienced by modern day people. It also helps that I was biased because it was based in Toronto, and I had a lot of fun identifying all the different spots featured.
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This is a case of a book fallen victim to being mis-genred.
When I first dove into this book, my initial expectations were a meet-cute between two people in the same building that turns into a fluffy romance story. However, it's clear very soon that this was not the direction of the book but rather falls more into the category of contemporary fiction. I'm glad that I was able to catch that early on, as I don't think I would have liked this as much if I didn't change my mindset.
With that said, I appreciate that this wasn't romance focused because this is a story that was mainly about two people, with their own baggage, working through their issues on their own, despite always being in the vicinity of each other and yet never having truly crossed paths. There's a lot of themes explored through their relatively mundane lives, like cultural expectations and eating disorders. While I appreciated that the story focused more on personal growth, I felt that it eventually became a double-edged sword. There's not much interaction between all the characters, in particular our two mains, for me to become attached, and I wished that wasn't the case so I can really feel the impact of the ending.
Nonetheless, I enjoyed The Elevator through its emotional exploration of baggage and issues experienced by modern day people. It also helps that I was biased because it was based in Toronto, and I had a lot of fun identifying all the different spots featured.
September 28, 2024
Aria is recovering from a food disorder, her ex-boyfriend controlled her food intake and was intensely critical of her weight to the point of emotional abuse. Rob is recovering from a divorce, and is a bit flighty when it comes to relationships. They live in the same building, and are attracted to one another but both shy for their own reasons. Both have lots of baggage and must work through it to find their personal HEAs. There is a lot of focus on body image, both positive and negative, as well as both implied and overt racism. It feels like the multiple critical references to weight and body image was meant to illustrate how widespread this fixation is in our society, as well as to demonstrate Aria's recovery with disordered eating, but at times it felt overdone and unnecessary. There are also healthy discussions about ethnic differences and sexual identity, which are always welcome. This was a quick read, it felt a little one-dimensional, and overall the characters seemed shallow and overly focused on appearance and dating. I had a hard time investing in any of them, including the two main characters. I struggled to finish the story, and I don't think I was the best audience for this book as ultimately it was not the book for me. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3 stars. Thank you to NetGalley for providing an eARC of this story, these have been my honest and objective opinions.
October 15, 2024
My back-cover blurb for this book: Aria and Rob share a look and an attraction, but their lives are complicated, and connection doesn’t come easy. The world doesn’t pause for a look, though they-and we-wish it would. The Elevator is a warm, thoughtful, realistic novel of all the things that hold us back from love, from trauma and tough parents to bad timing, but also the kind friends, humour, and hamburgers that sustain us in the search for a partner. Love comes for Rob and Aria the way it does for most of us-in the middle of everything else.
Beyond the blurb: I would peg this book as a "realistic romance." People are struggling with real-life issues and challenges, and there isn't a simple arc to the story, but I rooted for the characters and hoped for their happiness in the sweet way I do in a romance novel. And their world is fleshed out—their friends, their families, the city that surrounds them. It's a very rich novel with a lot going on, including romance—the way you'd hope life would be!
Beyond the blurb: I would peg this book as a "realistic romance." People are struggling with real-life issues and challenges, and there isn't a simple arc to the story, but I rooted for the characters and hoped for their happiness in the sweet way I do in a romance novel. And their world is fleshed out—their friends, their families, the city that surrounds them. It's a very rich novel with a lot going on, including romance—the way you'd hope life would be!
October 15, 2024
Aria has been learning to have a healthy relationship with herself again. After breaking up with her toxic boyfriend she has been working at undoing all the negative programming she picked up in her relationship and from childhood. Rob is recently divorced and has been trying to get back into dating. The two live in the same building and have only seen each other at the elevators and have definitely noticed each other but no one has made a first move.
This book is billed as a romcom and I would definitely say that is inaccurate. It is more of a self discovery journey for two people if I had to put a label on it. There are some interesting themes but the book is a little too short to properly explore any of them. If this had just followed on character it might have been a bit better but the two crammed in it feels a bit incomplete. I wanted to enjoy this book but ultimately it felt more like a possible draft of a good idea for a book.
Thank you to Palimpsest Press Books and Netgalley for letting me have a copy to review.
This book is billed as a romcom and I would definitely say that is inaccurate. It is more of a self discovery journey for two people if I had to put a label on it. There are some interesting themes but the book is a little too short to properly explore any of them. If this had just followed on character it might have been a bit better but the two crammed in it feels a bit incomplete. I wanted to enjoy this book but ultimately it felt more like a possible draft of a good idea for a book.
Thank you to Palimpsest Press Books and Netgalley for letting me have a copy to review.
October 12, 2024
Unfortunately, I'm going to have to vote this one star. I was into the premise but it just didn't go the way I thought it was going to. It was a very slow burn but not one of the ones that pay off in the end. I felt that none of the characters had any chemistry with one another, whether it be friendship or relationship. I also felt that a lot of time was spent building up the side characters when in the end, it didn't really matter. The story was supposed to be about two who were interested in each other after seeing each other on the elevator in their building and then seeing each other on a dating app but it felt like we were in everyone's lives but theirs. I felt that it really had loose ends like there was an intended sequel but at the same time, that was just how it was supposed to be ended. I wish it had more of a romance aspect to it and less about about random people's lives.
Thank you to Netgalley and Palimpsest Press for this ARC.
Thank you to Netgalley and Palimpsest Press for this ARC.
September 19, 2024
I didn't have many preconceived ideas when I read an ARC of "The Elevator." As I dove into the story, I found myself rooting for Aria and Rob. I cringed as they tried to navigate the world of dating apps, agonized over bad dates and self doubt and eagerly awaited the next chance encounter with the attractive neighbour in the elevator.
Priya writes with an authoritative voice about dating in the big city, navigating office politics and intermingling cultures while searching for connections, be it romantic, or a good friend you can rely on. Priya packed in a lot of real life into this romantic story, which I enjoyed.
Priya Ramsingh's superpower as a novelist is the ability to create authentic and empathetic characters. She did it with "Brown Girl in the Room" and now with "The Elevator."
Priya writes with an authoritative voice about dating in the big city, navigating office politics and intermingling cultures while searching for connections, be it romantic, or a good friend you can rely on. Priya packed in a lot of real life into this romantic story, which I enjoyed.
Priya Ramsingh's superpower as a novelist is the ability to create authentic and empathetic characters. She did it with "Brown Girl in the Room" and now with "The Elevator."
October 23, 2025
The Elevator is a meaty, slice-of-life character study about a woman navigating her way through the world of online dating while coping with personal trauma. Ramsingh's characters are engaging and complicated in a way that readers will be able to relate. The final chapters had me on the edge of my seat as I waited to see what would happen between Aria and Rob. No spoilers: all I will say is that I loved the ending and it did not disappoint! I enjoyed this read.
August 29, 2024
I enjoyed this book so much. I love reading love stories with substance, and this title delivers. If you like your romance overly fluffy (which is fine), this one might not be for you, but I'm grateful that this writer tried to do something with a more depth. It also provides such a rich portrayal of community, and is still a fun and breezy read while dealing with difficult topics.
October 18, 2024
I received a copy of this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
Man, that was rough. The writing was fine, but the characters were not likable. And Aria's eating disorder was super triggering for me personally, which made it an even harder read. I think maybe I would have liked it if there was more to the story? It was short and just not enough for me.
Man, that was rough. The writing was fine, but the characters were not likable. And Aria's eating disorder was super triggering for me personally, which made it an even harder read. I think maybe I would have liked it if there was more to the story? It was short and just not enough for me.
February 2, 2025
A love story? Perhaps…But much more than that. There are so many layers to how the characters develop and grow. And the reader grows with them. Navigating romance in the age of apps, when one wrong swipe can change the trajectory of one’s love life, Aria faces challenges similar to many of us. I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of her journey. A must read.
March 1, 2025
The Elevator is utterly charming. The tension and tempo seem just right, and the dialogue became those characters’ voices in my head: distinct and authentic. I don’t care what anyone says, Mila was my favorite character, hilarious and genuinely caring simultaneously. The author's prose is tight and elegant. Nuance slides right into my brain without any linguistic chafing.
August 19, 2024
Short book (less than 200 pages), but so many heavy hitting topics. Felt like this was all over the place, like trying to touch on all the topics or something?
Not the cute rom com I thought this would be.
Thank you NetGalley and Palimpsest Press for my ARC.
Not the cute rom com I thought this would be.
Thank you NetGalley and Palimpsest Press for my ARC.
February 22, 2025
DNF at 45 pages. I wanted to stick it out since this one is so short, but I can’t. I think it’s just too Toronto for me? I can’t relate to any of these people and also don’t care about them (and it’s really dropping a ton of Toronto references).
October 20, 2024
Well written and a fantastic read!
October 20, 2024
I enjoyed reading this book! It was very well written and I could relate to a lot of parts in this book.
January 19, 2025
I’m inclined to suggest this be marketed as a character study/ general fiction read as opposed to a romance
February 28, 2025
this had a lot of interesting characters and i lived the lead up to them meeting. but wanted more in the end. an epilogue would be good.
October 28, 2024
I read this book in three days! What a great premise to focus on the awkward world of elevators. I enjoyed the diverse characters and funny situations.
February 5, 2025
This was a DNF. I stopped reading on page 23 as I found the characters were not very well developed or relatable.
December 27, 2024
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of The Elevator in exchange for this review.
This is a quick book about two strangers living in the same Toronto high rise and their dating trials and tribulations, with missed opportunities to connect with one another.
Aria’s ex-boyfriend was dismissive and abusive, limiting her food intake and commenting on her body in offensive ways. She needs time to heal before finding love again. Rob is recently divorced and has some questionable interactions with a higher up at work. Aria and Rob match on a dating app, but Rob doesn’t realize that because his membership has lapsed.
The story goes into these and other issues from their pasts and has other side characters as well. A fine read.
This is a quick book about two strangers living in the same Toronto high rise and their dating trials and tribulations, with missed opportunities to connect with one another.
Aria’s ex-boyfriend was dismissive and abusive, limiting her food intake and commenting on her body in offensive ways. She needs time to heal before finding love again. Rob is recently divorced and has some questionable interactions with a higher up at work. Aria and Rob match on a dating app, but Rob doesn’t realize that because his membership has lapsed.
The story goes into these and other issues from their pasts and has other side characters as well. A fine read.
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