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Priya in Heels
A new adult title from Entangled’s Embrace imprint…
Love doesn’t conquer all…does it?
Priyanka Patel is the epitome of an obedient daughter. She’s finishing up her medical residency at one of Houston’s busiest emergency departments, and has agreed—albeit reluctantly—to marry the man her family has chosen for her. The only thing that can derail the “perfect” life laid out before her is the sexy musician down the hall who wants into her life…and into her bed.
Tyler O’Connor has been infatuated with Priya since she treated his sprained ankle in the ER, and after saving her from a brutal attack, he can't get her out of his head. When Priya puts her family's wishes before their relationship, agreeing to an arranged marriage with another man, Tyler is devastated.
But love is fierce and unreasonable and clashes with the carefully sculpted life her parents want for her. Is going after her heart such a big deal, or will it truly unravel Priya’s world?
426 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 28, 2014
24 people are currently reading
413 people want to read
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September 11, 2014
4 Worth the Reasons Stars * * * *
We all are so interesting... each of our cultures bring so much beauty and traditions to our lives; discovering them through the books we read can be eye opening, rewarding and thought provoking. Because when long held ideas are challenged by other customs and more liberal ways.... questioning of what to do happens.
This story takes this type of situation and uses it legitimately in this romance. We have a woman devoted to her parents; accomplishing every challenge and goal with the main purpose of pleasing and rewarding them for all the sacrifices they have done to allow her to flourish.
Which leads us to the ultimate questions.... Do we live for ourselves or do we live to make our parents happy and honor them.... or is there a way to satisfy both of these life needs....
Priya has always been a good girl; focused on good grades, driven to become the professional her parents expected and understanding of how important the Indian customs and ways were to her and her family. Her family were loving and caring... more open then most of their friends in how they allowed Priya to live away from their home in Austin and do her Residency in Houston. They are proud of her being on her way to becoming a Dr. ... being a cherished daughter and ready to be married.
The matching has already started by the families.... tradition for Priya is an arranged marriage, not a love match. It is done with the eye for whether the match comes from a fine family; does he have a good living and will he care for her.... will he protect her and will they be looked on by the community with favor....
Because this matching... is more than two people meeting and having a life together... it is all tied together to community, status and most importantly... reflection on the parents... it is the ultimate goal for the parents to see their children be set in their lives... to continue the cycle with their children...
This tale tackles all of these things but goes much deeper; it addresses the double lives the children will live in order to please their parents. They will partake in all the traditional functions but then go clubbing and date those considered not appropriate to marry- those from other cultures ... and the conflicts of where to draw the line and live for yourself is what the driving force of this.
This love story was complex, sometimes sweet, sometimes frustrating but always intriguing and interesting. Never was I bored... I felt I was in the middle and sometimes wanted to shake the characters to see their way clear from everything. There was much emotion and I felt all of it.
The true beauty of this was the voice of the writer with the authenticity needed to believe and feel for all of the characters... there was no easy answer for any of the questions asked... and we worked through all of them together.
Finally, a quick note; the humor and strength was just right... it was an eye opening experience and those reads are always the best.
A gifted copy was provided by Entangled Embrace Publishing for an honest review.
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
We all are so interesting... each of our cultures bring so much beauty and traditions to our lives; discovering them through the books we read can be eye opening, rewarding and thought provoking. Because when long held ideas are challenged by other customs and more liberal ways.... questioning of what to do happens.
This story takes this type of situation and uses it legitimately in this romance. We have a woman devoted to her parents; accomplishing every challenge and goal with the main purpose of pleasing and rewarding them for all the sacrifices they have done to allow her to flourish.
Which leads us to the ultimate questions.... Do we live for ourselves or do we live to make our parents happy and honor them.... or is there a way to satisfy both of these life needs....
Priya has always been a good girl; focused on good grades, driven to become the professional her parents expected and understanding of how important the Indian customs and ways were to her and her family. Her family were loving and caring... more open then most of their friends in how they allowed Priya to live away from their home in Austin and do her Residency in Houston. They are proud of her being on her way to becoming a Dr. ... being a cherished daughter and ready to be married.
The matching has already started by the families.... tradition for Priya is an arranged marriage, not a love match. It is done with the eye for whether the match comes from a fine family; does he have a good living and will he care for her.... will he protect her and will they be looked on by the community with favor....
Because this matching... is more than two people meeting and having a life together... it is all tied together to community, status and most importantly... reflection on the parents... it is the ultimate goal for the parents to see their children be set in their lives... to continue the cycle with their children...
This tale tackles all of these things but goes much deeper; it addresses the double lives the children will live in order to please their parents. They will partake in all the traditional functions but then go clubbing and date those considered not appropriate to marry- those from other cultures ... and the conflicts of where to draw the line and live for yourself is what the driving force of this.
This love story was complex, sometimes sweet, sometimes frustrating but always intriguing and interesting. Never was I bored... I felt I was in the middle and sometimes wanted to shake the characters to see their way clear from everything. There was much emotion and I felt all of it.
The true beauty of this was the voice of the writer with the authenticity needed to believe and feel for all of the characters... there was no easy answer for any of the questions asked... and we worked through all of them together.
Finally, a quick note; the humor and strength was just right... it was an eye opening experience and those reads are always the best.
A gifted copy was provided by Entangled Embrace Publishing for an honest review.
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
September 20, 2014
1.5 stars
DNF at 64%
Arc provided by Entangled Publishing through Netgalley
Release Date: September 15
DNF at 64%
This started out in such a promising way, that I honestly thought I was going to love it!
Women who wore heels all day belonged in a mental institution for heinous self harm. Residency taught us to always look professional, and I envied the female docs who rocked nice shoes every day, but I drew the line with heels.
Hello, plantar fasciitis, anyone?
So imagine my surprise when highly educated twenty four year old Priya, a doctor, starts dishing out phrases such as this:
Tulsi had been raised in America and was borderline skank, and that was putting it nicely. Don’t get me wrong, I loved her like a crazy sister, but she led two distinct lives.
Skank?
With those words, Vicki tried to saunter away, but in those hooker boots, her ambling didn’t look natural.
Say what?
I watched cartoons in bed. Yes, a twenty-four-year-old doctor liked cartoons. Adult cartoons, not the smutty ones, just the ones with adult humor.
Of course you do..
Also, what smutty cartoons? o_O
Oh...never mind...
Having those intense eyes bore into my soul shook the foundation of my dislike for him.
Because this wouldn't be new adult (or even YA) if there weren't: "eyes boring into souls..." *sigh*
Now all of these gems were thrown in in the first 10 % of the book.
10%!!
One slut shaming quote per se, would be too much in a text. Now all of these?
This would have been enough for me to throw the book out a window... if I weren't reading in a pc... and if this weren't an arc...
So because this was an arc I forced myself to keep reading it! _ I really need to stop doing that!
Because unfortunately this never got better, and only ended up being a waste of my time.
The writing
Basic. Plain. Basically it was like reading a grocery list. The dual POV's didn't help things, mainly because Tyler's voice wasn't that differentiated from Priya.
The day faded away.
Adele played in the background.
My sore feet and back unwound.
The characters
No depth to them... besides their passionate nature!
It was said that "what's his name... Tyler" felt attracted to Priya, and after a while she gets attracted to him as well.
And that was it.
I wanted to see their relationship grow! I wanted to see these two people with so very different backgrounds fall in love. I didn't get that. I got their lust... but that's not exactly the same thing...
Then almost everything in this story is told : this went well... we did that...
It becomes monotone.
And then for those of you, who think that "the" slut shaming was only delivered on those first 10% of the story... yeah, think again.
Tulsi: Roped into a wedding?
Priya: Shut up, hooker.
She's such a judgemental person, that honestly after awhile I couldn't care less about Priya:
I didn’t expect Ty’s friends to be so educated, sophisticated. For a bar musician, he had an intellectual inner circle.
(..)
They were the ones who were screwing guys in college and wearing ho outfits.
I've decided to start counting some problematic words that should be used in stories as little as possible.
You know? Those words that really get on our nerves?
Like giggles... and blushed... inner goddess...
Score for "Priya In Heels": #14 "giggled"
That's fourteen times "giggled" too much...
What's wrong with using: She laughed?
Drama, drama, drama
I was expecting some drama due to the "clash of cultures" in which the story was founded. That was to be expected.
I wasn't however prepared for the level of soap opera drama that ends up appearing.
That was when I decided to quit reading this because... no.
I draw a line at promises extracted at death beds.
Bottom Line: This had everything to be a successful story, if the characters had been properly developed, if the writing style had been more worked, and if the plot hadn't derailed into the overly dramatic.
*cough, basically all the things that make a new adult title... a new adult title!*
I liked the fact that we were given some background information on Indian costumes, and the fact that the author didn't try to hide the "ugly side" of arranged marriages.
And once again it seems that "new adult" stories are not for me.
But give it a try. If what I mentioned doesn't bother you, this is bound to be a fast read.
DNF at 64%
Arc provided by Entangled Publishing through Netgalley
Release Date: September 15
DNF at 64%
This started out in such a promising way, that I honestly thought I was going to love it!
Women who wore heels all day belonged in a mental institution for heinous self harm. Residency taught us to always look professional, and I envied the female docs who rocked nice shoes every day, but I drew the line with heels.
Hello, plantar fasciitis, anyone?
So imagine my surprise when highly educated twenty four year old Priya, a doctor, starts dishing out phrases such as this:
Tulsi had been raised in America and was borderline skank, and that was putting it nicely. Don’t get me wrong, I loved her like a crazy sister, but she led two distinct lives.
Skank?
With those words, Vicki tried to saunter away, but in those hooker boots, her ambling didn’t look natural.
Say what?
I watched cartoons in bed. Yes, a twenty-four-year-old doctor liked cartoons. Adult cartoons, not the smutty ones, just the ones with adult humor.
Of course you do..
Also, what smutty cartoons? o_O
Oh...never mind...
Having those intense eyes bore into my soul shook the foundation of my dislike for him.
Because this wouldn't be new adult (or even YA) if there weren't: "eyes boring into souls..." *sigh*
Now all of these gems were thrown in in the first 10 % of the book.
10%!!
One slut shaming quote per se, would be too much in a text. Now all of these?
This would have been enough for me to throw the book out a window... if I weren't reading in a pc... and if this weren't an arc...
So because this was an arc I forced myself to keep reading it! _ I really need to stop doing that!
Because unfortunately this never got better, and only ended up being a waste of my time.
The writing
Basic. Plain. Basically it was like reading a grocery list. The dual POV's didn't help things, mainly because Tyler's voice wasn't that differentiated from Priya.
The day faded away.
Adele played in the background.
My sore feet and back unwound.
The characters
No depth to them... besides their passionate nature!
It was said that "what's his name... Tyler" felt attracted to Priya, and after a while she gets attracted to him as well.
And that was it.
I wanted to see their relationship grow! I wanted to see these two people with so very different backgrounds fall in love. I didn't get that. I got their lust... but that's not exactly the same thing...
Then almost everything in this story is told : this went well... we did that...
It becomes monotone.
And then for those of you, who think that "the" slut shaming was only delivered on those first 10% of the story... yeah, think again.
Tulsi: Roped into a wedding?
Priya: Shut up, hooker.
She's such a judgemental person, that honestly after awhile I couldn't care less about Priya:
I didn’t expect Ty’s friends to be so educated, sophisticated. For a bar musician, he had an intellectual inner circle.
(..)
They were the ones who were screwing guys in college and wearing ho outfits.
I've decided to start counting some problematic words that should be used in stories as little as possible.
You know? Those words that really get on our nerves?
Like giggles... and blushed... inner goddess...
Score for "Priya In Heels": #14 "giggled"
That's fourteen times "giggled" too much...
What's wrong with using: She laughed?
Drama, drama, drama
I was expecting some drama due to the "clash of cultures" in which the story was founded. That was to be expected.
I wasn't however prepared for the level of soap opera drama that ends up appearing.
That was when I decided to quit reading this because... no.
I draw a line at promises extracted at death beds.
Bottom Line: This had everything to be a successful story, if the characters had been properly developed, if the writing style had been more worked, and if the plot hadn't derailed into the overly dramatic.
*cough, basically all the things that make a new adult title... a new adult title!*
I liked the fact that we were given some background information on Indian costumes, and the fact that the author didn't try to hide the "ugly side" of arranged marriages.
And once again it seems that "new adult" stories are not for me.
But give it a try. If what I mentioned doesn't bother you, this is bound to be a fast read.
September 5, 2014
I've been skipping many New Adult titles recently because I've reached the limit of my tolerance for sameness and histrionic angst I've kept running into so when I saw Priya In Heels on Netgalley & read the blurb, I jumped at the chance to read something a bit different. I'm so glad I had the chance to read this. Priya was very engaging and I could relate to her. I did begin to find her putting off of her love for Tyler and underscoring how she'd only marry a man her parents approved, annoying but mostly because she seemed not to let Tyler go. It was a bit like she didn't want him for keeps but she didn't really want him to move on either. I said aloud many times, "Priya, you can't have it both ways!".
I enjoyed how Priya's relationship with her parents was shown and how sometimes their perception of her or her of them didn't quite line up in fact. It was very believable that anticipation of reactions and expectations of family members are often out of line with what actually happens even when all parties involved love one another and everyone wants their way. I won't spoil but I did like that both Tyler and Manuk were good and charming men. I was hoping the story wouldn't go in the all too trodden direction where one or the other had to be made into a complete prat to make the choice obvious for Priya or the reader. Thank you, author. Really.
While the romance is present in the story, I truly found the familya and friends bit to be the most poignant and engaging. For the final 10% of the story, I smiled, laughed and teared up with all that happened between Priya and her father and their trip to India. It was lovely and so very meaningful to me.
Finally, I won't give away which guy Priya goes for but I'll say now, you always choose the man who's the BSG fan. Though, I did have to wonder about Priya's choice of Apollo. If anyone in the BSG-verse was a toxic wasteland to the feminine psyche, it's Lee Adama. Ah, well, some of us would just have to make do with Anders & Helo. ;)
I received a free copy of this title from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. Many thanks.
I enjoyed how Priya's relationship with her parents was shown and how sometimes their perception of her or her of them didn't quite line up in fact. It was very believable that anticipation of reactions and expectations of family members are often out of line with what actually happens even when all parties involved love one another and everyone wants their way. I won't spoil but I did like that both Tyler and Manuk were good and charming men. I was hoping the story wouldn't go in the all too trodden direction where one or the other had to be made into a complete prat to make the choice obvious for Priya or the reader. Thank you, author. Really.
While the romance is present in the story, I truly found the familya and friends bit to be the most poignant and engaging. For the final 10% of the story, I smiled, laughed and teared up with all that happened between Priya and her father and their trip to India. It was lovely and so very meaningful to me.
Finally, I won't give away which guy Priya goes for but I'll say now, you always choose the man who's the BSG fan. Though, I did have to wonder about Priya's choice of Apollo. If anyone in the BSG-verse was a toxic wasteland to the feminine psyche, it's Lee Adama. Ah, well, some of us would just have to make do with Anders & Helo. ;)
I received a free copy of this title from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. Many thanks.
September 18, 2014
Twenty-four-year-old Priya is a proper Indian woman, working as a doctor and whose parents arrange her marriage to a dentist. Except that she meets a hot musician, who happens to live two doors down in her apartment building and who she met in the ER when he hurt his ankle. Tyler is thrilled that the neighbor he has his eyes on turns out to be his ER doctor. But Priya doesn't want anything to do with the hot musician next door. I thought this book was cleverly written and fast paced. I liked Priya a lot. She is very cranky and snappish towards Tyler but he likes and pursues her anyway. This is a culture that I don't know a whole lot about outside of Bollywood and Slumdog Millionaire. An arranged marriage is a foreign concept to me. Priya wants to make her parents happy even if it means she would be unhappy. I loved that Priya is so laid back and normal. She talks about peeing and farting. Which made me laugh out loud. I also loved that she is nerdy. My favorite line: “I have three goals in life: work in private practice, bring plaid back, and dominate San Diego Comic-Con.” I enjoyed this book a lot. And where can I get a hot, astrophysicist, musician? I thought this was a very sweet romance. I am interested in reading more books by this author. 5 stars.
February 7, 2017
DNF. I picked up this book because it was on a list of books about first generation Asian Americans, and I thought the premise was cute. Stopped reading because I am not here for this slut shaming soap opera monstrosity that barely manages to string sentences together.
October 20, 2014
My thanks to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for allowing me to read and review an ARC of this book.
I originally requested this title because the synopsis reminded me of the situation of one of my best friends when we were just finishing university. And in fact, as I was reading "Priya in Heels", I was brought back in time to where I couldn't understand why my friend would feel obligated to meet men that her parents felt were a possible match for her. It just seemed so strange to me, that in this day and age, and in this country, people were still arranging marriages for their children. My friend tried to explain the reasoning of this to me, but in all my ignorance, I still couldn't fathom it.
Anyway, because of this relationship with my friend, I felt some sort of personal investment in this book. It started off strongly. Priya and Tyler meet when Priya treats him in the ER for a sprained ankle. Immediately there is an obvious attraction between the two, and through the course of the first third of the story, they have several coincidental meetings, and some that are orchestrated by Priya's roommate and best friend.
I found Priya rather hard to warm up to. She was quite judgmental, to the point where I didn't even know why she was friends with the girls she was friends with from the way she described them. One dressed promiscuously and had relationships with non-Indian men, so Priya looked down on her. The other friend was very traditional and inexperienced in matters of the heart, so Priya seemed to look down on her as well. When Priya first met Tyler, she thought he was a musician, so she looked down on him for that, and didn't even believe him at first when he said he worked for NASA. Like, she's the only dedicated career person around! Her attitude really irked me!
Priya has a very close relationship with her parents, and one of the overriding themes of the book is how much she wants to please them. After meeting a couple of men her parents introduced her to and turning them down, Priya is finally introduced to Manuk, a dentist who seems to fit the bill in every possible way. Priya finds that she cannot turn down Manuk without severely disappointing her parents, but at the same time she cannot deny her growing feelings for Tyler. What's a girl to do? It was here that I first became dismayed with the direction of the plot.
I could empathize with Priya's situation, but I really had a hard time respecting Priya's mother after that.
Tyler seemed pretty great at first, if a little pushy. I liked how the relationship between him and Priya started with friendship and developed slowly. But then, something happened that really turned me off, and no matter how hard I tried, any love I had for Tyler was lost.
So, that brings me to rating time, which is really difficult in this situation. On the one hand, I enjoyed the fact that this book was different than the typical New Adult fare, what with the interracial romance and cultural obstacles the characters needed to overcome. The writing was well done, and I liked getting a look into Indian culture. These aspects would easily put this book at a four star rating from me. However, the things I didn't like didn't just irritate me, they pissed me off! Those things really hurt this book, in my opinion. After careful consideration, I'm awarding "Priya in Heels" 3 stars overall.
I originally requested this title because the synopsis reminded me of the situation of one of my best friends when we were just finishing university. And in fact, as I was reading "Priya in Heels", I was brought back in time to where I couldn't understand why my friend would feel obligated to meet men that her parents felt were a possible match for her. It just seemed so strange to me, that in this day and age, and in this country, people were still arranging marriages for their children. My friend tried to explain the reasoning of this to me, but in all my ignorance, I still couldn't fathom it.
Anyway, because of this relationship with my friend, I felt some sort of personal investment in this book. It started off strongly. Priya and Tyler meet when Priya treats him in the ER for a sprained ankle. Immediately there is an obvious attraction between the two, and through the course of the first third of the story, they have several coincidental meetings, and some that are orchestrated by Priya's roommate and best friend.
I found Priya rather hard to warm up to. She was quite judgmental, to the point where I didn't even know why she was friends with the girls she was friends with from the way she described them. One dressed promiscuously and had relationships with non-Indian men, so Priya looked down on her. The other friend was very traditional and inexperienced in matters of the heart, so Priya seemed to look down on her as well. When Priya first met Tyler, she thought he was a musician, so she looked down on him for that, and didn't even believe him at first when he said he worked for NASA. Like, she's the only dedicated career person around! Her attitude really irked me!
Priya has a very close relationship with her parents, and one of the overriding themes of the book is how much she wants to please them. After meeting a couple of men her parents introduced her to and turning them down, Priya is finally introduced to Manuk, a dentist who seems to fit the bill in every possible way. Priya finds that she cannot turn down Manuk without severely disappointing her parents, but at the same time she cannot deny her growing feelings for Tyler. What's a girl to do? It was here that I first became dismayed with the direction of the plot.
I could empathize with Priya's situation, but I really had a hard time respecting Priya's mother after that.
Tyler seemed pretty great at first, if a little pushy. I liked how the relationship between him and Priya started with friendship and developed slowly. But then, something happened that really turned me off, and no matter how hard I tried, any love I had for Tyler was lost.
So, that brings me to rating time, which is really difficult in this situation. On the one hand, I enjoyed the fact that this book was different than the typical New Adult fare, what with the interracial romance and cultural obstacles the characters needed to overcome. The writing was well done, and I liked getting a look into Indian culture. These aspects would easily put this book at a four star rating from me. However, the things I didn't like didn't just irritate me, they pissed me off! Those things really hurt this book, in my opinion. After careful consideration, I'm awarding "Priya in Heels" 3 stars overall.
September 18, 2014
Good girl, Priya Patel, knew from the moment that Tyler O'Connor, of the twinkling green eyes and easy smile, ambled into her ER complaining of a possibly broken ankle; he was trouble for someone.
She just had no idea that someone would be her.
Priya In Heels is a beautifully written story which manages to bring the trials and tribulations of love and marriage for Indian-American traditionalists. Though the beautiful Priya should have the world by the tail, blessed as she is with beauty, friends, and a residency at a top Houston hospital. Her parents long to see her married off to a "nice Indian boy", and tucked away with two kids in a suburb not too far away.
Since meeting and getting to know Tyler however, it seems that both Priya's mind and treacherous heart have their own versions of "happily ever after"
This is a book that fills the reader's heart and mind through honest and highly relatable characters, and true-to-life scenarios. Priya and Ty are a couple that readers want to fight for, as they fight the cultural and societal barriers to their love.
The 400+ pages comprising this novel fly by, and can easily be breezed through in one sitting.
Ty is the perfect blend of nerdy heat, compassion, and knightlyness.
Priya is beauty, brains, loyalty, and honesty.
Seeing them struggle against old conventions and mores, in a quest for the new and now, will warm the heart and feed the soul.
She just had no idea that someone would be her.
Priya In Heels is a beautifully written story which manages to bring the trials and tribulations of love and marriage for Indian-American traditionalists. Though the beautiful Priya should have the world by the tail, blessed as she is with beauty, friends, and a residency at a top Houston hospital. Her parents long to see her married off to a "nice Indian boy", and tucked away with two kids in a suburb not too far away.
Since meeting and getting to know Tyler however, it seems that both Priya's mind and treacherous heart have their own versions of "happily ever after"
This is a book that fills the reader's heart and mind through honest and highly relatable characters, and true-to-life scenarios. Priya and Ty are a couple that readers want to fight for, as they fight the cultural and societal barriers to their love.
The 400+ pages comprising this novel fly by, and can easily be breezed through in one sitting.
Ty is the perfect blend of nerdy heat, compassion, and knightlyness.
Priya is beauty, brains, loyalty, and honesty.
Seeing them struggle against old conventions and mores, in a quest for the new and now, will warm the heart and feed the soul.
January 24, 2019
DNF. This book is misogynistic and kinda racist.
July 16, 2016
* Kindly received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
WOW!! seriously. I wasn't expecting this. This was just hilarious and totally relatable for me.
Being a Sri Lankan I could totally empathise with Priya. For all you people who might think "IS it really like this for Indians?" Yep for most of us, not only Indians but Sri Lankans like me have it worse. In a way Indians are a bit more modernised.
The story was hilarious and I could totally imagine this happening to someone like us. My cousin married an Australian and my whole family just went nuts. Thank god at least her family was much more understanding and didn't actually reject the marriage but my dear aunts and great-aunts were just hyperventilating here when they heard the news. Funny story, they love her husband now. He's a sweetheart and loves her so much too. It's obvious to everyone in our family and he actually takes the time off to vacation here every year and sometimes stays for 3 months even.
So that's enough of my story, back to the story at hand. Like I was saying this book was awesome for many reasons. This being the first New Adult story I've read by an Indian or South Asian author, I wasn't expecting that much but boy wasn't I mistaken. The writing was hilarious and I could actually picture my own friends having the same reactions Tulsi, Jeeta and Vicky had during the story and I most probably would have been having the same reactions as Vicky if this happened to one of my friends. So as far as the friends go, they were just awesome and super realistic. And the cameo by Kabhi Kushi Kabhi Gham???? It had me the squealing the most. There is no Indian or Sri Lankan who does not love that movie and I am among them. It was one of the first Hindi DVDs I bought for my own self :D
How can anybody not like this duo?? Seriously they do not make such good movie anymore in India.
Hold on I think I just went a tiiiiiiiny bit out of topic right now. Anyway back to the story. Like I was saying the friends were awesome, the next stop are our Mains. Let me tell you one thing Ty was like super cute. He was a darling and he tried his best to understand the Indian culture but being an outsider and making accusations to the culture wasn't that cool. When it comes to culture and people making light of it I am a total Jeeta. I'm fiercely loyal to my country (as far as I go I mean) so some stuff he told pissed or rather mildly annoyed me. That was also another reason I loved Priya. She was loyal too. I liked how she tried her best to stay true to all of our customs and stuff and when she got mad at the aunties I was actually cheering for her in my head. But other than that I didn't like how she acted in the romance department. I really didn't like how she kept stringing Ty along when Manuk was obviously there. Arranged marriage or not you have to choose one girl. Other than that I pretty much loved the book. I guess it's thanks to Priya's foolishness in the Romance department that I knocked off 1 star. I guess lot of Sri Lankans and Indians would love this books (I'm not trying to be racist or anything, it's just so relatable)
Also a bonus for people who haven't seen Aishwarya Rai. Cuz Terrie says Priya looks like her. Aishwarya is one of my favourite Bollywood actresses after Kajol (The one in Kabhi above)
I added this one cuz it's not just fair to show her when she was young. Now a days her age is showing a bit more. Sad though but that's human life.
Happy reading guys.
* Edit*
After going through the review the second time, I see I've written more about our culture than the books itself. So here's an apology for it. It's just I got excited and got carried away a bit :(
WOW!! seriously. I wasn't expecting this. This was just hilarious and totally relatable for me.
Being a Sri Lankan I could totally empathise with Priya. For all you people who might think "IS it really like this for Indians?" Yep for most of us, not only Indians but Sri Lankans like me have it worse. In a way Indians are a bit more modernised.
The story was hilarious and I could totally imagine this happening to someone like us. My cousin married an Australian and my whole family just went nuts. Thank god at least her family was much more understanding and didn't actually reject the marriage but my dear aunts and great-aunts were just hyperventilating here when they heard the news. Funny story, they love her husband now. He's a sweetheart and loves her so much too. It's obvious to everyone in our family and he actually takes the time off to vacation here every year and sometimes stays for 3 months even.
So that's enough of my story, back to the story at hand. Like I was saying this book was awesome for many reasons. This being the first New Adult story I've read by an Indian or South Asian author, I wasn't expecting that much but boy wasn't I mistaken. The writing was hilarious and I could actually picture my own friends having the same reactions Tulsi, Jeeta and Vicky had during the story and I most probably would have been having the same reactions as Vicky if this happened to one of my friends. So as far as the friends go, they were just awesome and super realistic. And the cameo by Kabhi Kushi Kabhi Gham???? It had me the squealing the most. There is no Indian or Sri Lankan who does not love that movie and I am among them. It was one of the first Hindi DVDs I bought for my own self :D
How can anybody not like this duo?? Seriously they do not make such good movie anymore in India.
Hold on I think I just went a tiiiiiiiny bit out of topic right now. Anyway back to the story. Like I was saying the friends were awesome, the next stop are our Mains. Let me tell you one thing Ty was like super cute. He was a darling and he tried his best to understand the Indian culture but being an outsider and making accusations to the culture wasn't that cool. When it comes to culture and people making light of it I am a total Jeeta. I'm fiercely loyal to my country (as far as I go I mean) so some stuff he told pissed or rather mildly annoyed me. That was also another reason I loved Priya. She was loyal too. I liked how she tried her best to stay true to all of our customs and stuff and when she got mad at the aunties I was actually cheering for her in my head. But other than that I didn't like how she acted in the romance department. I really didn't like how she kept stringing Ty along when Manuk was obviously there. Arranged marriage or not you have to choose one girl. Other than that I pretty much loved the book. I guess it's thanks to Priya's foolishness in the Romance department that I knocked off 1 star. I guess lot of Sri Lankans and Indians would love this books (I'm not trying to be racist or anything, it's just so relatable)
Also a bonus for people who haven't seen Aishwarya Rai. Cuz Terrie says Priya looks like her. Aishwarya is one of my favourite Bollywood actresses after Kajol (The one in Kabhi above)
I added this one cuz it's not just fair to show her when she was young. Now a days her age is showing a bit more. Sad though but that's human life.
Happy reading guys.
* Edit*
After going through the review the second time, I see I've written more about our culture than the books itself. So here's an apology for it. It's just I got excited and got carried away a bit :(
December 23, 2014
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: http://bookbriefs.net**
Priya In Heels is a standalone title from Entangled Embrace's new adult line. I have said it before, and I will say it again- I love that Entangled has multiple different lines of books because it allows the reader to really have a good idea of what they are getting when they choose a book. Priya In Heels is a great example of a well done new adult book. It was fresh, romantic, ton of feeling and emotion and it took the readers on one heck of a journey. Holy cow, the author is not afraid to torment her characters a bit, or a lot. She puts them through the ringer.
Priya is indian and I loved how culture filled both her and her family and the book were. I feel like I got a lesson on Indian culture and the way it meshes, or doesn't mesh in some cases, with american culture. Old school v. New school. Priya never wants to disappoint her parents. I loved how close she was with them, although that turned out to be a large source of the conflict in the book. I really felt for her. I have felt that pull of wanting to appease both yourself and your parents. And it must have been 100 times harder for Priya because of the cultural divide. As Tyler likes to point out Priya has lived in America her whole life. She is American just as much as she is Indian.
Speaking of Tyler. There are so many things that I loved about Tyler. I loved that he never gave up on Priya. (even though I might have a time or two) and I loved how sweet and determined he was. The reasons that he left her were the cutest thing ever. I want those little reason cards littering my place. I loved how much he was willing to do for her. He really is a gem of a guy. I have no idea how Priya didn't wake up and see this way, way sooner. They were so cute together, but they have one heck of a bumpy road. At times you will have no idea how it is going to work out for them, but this book is on the longer side so there is plenty of time to ride out the ups and downs with Priya and Tyler.
Ayesha Patel has done a wonderful job creating a novel with a strong and unique voice. I really enjoyed how cultural this book was, but at the same time how accessible it was to me as a reader, who didn't know too much about Indian culture and especially religion. It was woven into the story in a way that made you feel knowledgeable but never lost. I had minor issues with Priya herself. I really liked her as a character, but I wanted to shake her and have her come to her senses a few times. And there was one scene where she was antagonizing over what to do and then all at once in the same night she makes this huge decision (for her). I felt like that was a little rushed. If it was this big of a deal for her, I thought she shouldn't have rushed into it as quickly as she did. But other than that, she was likable and I really felt the pressure she was under. It was so palpable throughout the story and it helped me relate to her. Priya in Heels is so worth a read.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
Priya In Heels is a standalone title from Entangled Embrace's new adult line. I have said it before, and I will say it again- I love that Entangled has multiple different lines of books because it allows the reader to really have a good idea of what they are getting when they choose a book. Priya In Heels is a great example of a well done new adult book. It was fresh, romantic, ton of feeling and emotion and it took the readers on one heck of a journey. Holy cow, the author is not afraid to torment her characters a bit, or a lot. She puts them through the ringer.
Priya is indian and I loved how culture filled both her and her family and the book were. I feel like I got a lesson on Indian culture and the way it meshes, or doesn't mesh in some cases, with american culture. Old school v. New school. Priya never wants to disappoint her parents. I loved how close she was with them, although that turned out to be a large source of the conflict in the book. I really felt for her. I have felt that pull of wanting to appease both yourself and your parents. And it must have been 100 times harder for Priya because of the cultural divide. As Tyler likes to point out Priya has lived in America her whole life. She is American just as much as she is Indian.
Speaking of Tyler. There are so many things that I loved about Tyler. I loved that he never gave up on Priya. (even though I might have a time or two) and I loved how sweet and determined he was. The reasons that he left her were the cutest thing ever. I want those little reason cards littering my place. I loved how much he was willing to do for her. He really is a gem of a guy. I have no idea how Priya didn't wake up and see this way, way sooner. They were so cute together, but they have one heck of a bumpy road. At times you will have no idea how it is going to work out for them, but this book is on the longer side so there is plenty of time to ride out the ups and downs with Priya and Tyler.
Ayesha Patel has done a wonderful job creating a novel with a strong and unique voice. I really enjoyed how cultural this book was, but at the same time how accessible it was to me as a reader, who didn't know too much about Indian culture and especially religion. It was woven into the story in a way that made you feel knowledgeable but never lost. I had minor issues with Priya herself. I really liked her as a character, but I wanted to shake her and have her come to her senses a few times. And there was one scene where she was antagonizing over what to do and then all at once in the same night she makes this huge decision (for her). I felt like that was a little rushed. If it was this big of a deal for her, I thought she shouldn't have rushed into it as quickly as she did. But other than that, she was likable and I really felt the pressure she was under. It was so palpable throughout the story and it helped me relate to her. Priya in Heels is so worth a read.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
September 24, 2014
*I was given an ARC from NetGalley. All comments are my own
A great, fun read that really shows us a glimpse of a culture that most might not be familiar with. Priyanka is doing her residency and she comes from a strict Indian family. She's an only child and a highly motivated woman who loves her independence. While she respects her parents' traditional ways, she also loathes the fact that she's about to be match-made with a batchelor from another "eligible' family.
Across the hall in her apartment building lives Tyler, who has had his eye on her since he saw her. He tries to woo her and she tries to avoid her real feelings for him with, not surprisingly a myriad of dramas. A tragic fate somehow pulls hers away from Tyler and nearly kills her, But it also opens up her eyes to what is true and what path she should choose.
I guess, this is a book version of what you would watch in Bollywood movies. Complete with over-the-top drama and dare I say predictable ending - just without the actual song and dance scenes....oh wait...you have that...only differently.
A great, fun read that really shows us a glimpse of a culture that most might not be familiar with. Priyanka is doing her residency and she comes from a strict Indian family. She's an only child and a highly motivated woman who loves her independence. While she respects her parents' traditional ways, she also loathes the fact that she's about to be match-made with a batchelor from another "eligible' family.
Across the hall in her apartment building lives Tyler, who has had his eye on her since he saw her. He tries to woo her and she tries to avoid her real feelings for him with, not surprisingly a myriad of dramas. A tragic fate somehow pulls hers away from Tyler and nearly kills her, But it also opens up her eyes to what is true and what path she should choose.
I guess, this is a book version of what you would watch in Bollywood movies. Complete with over-the-top drama and dare I say predictable ending - just without the actual song and dance scenes....oh wait...you have that...only differently.
January 25, 2015
Tiffany's Review:
Fun read! It has just the right amount of steamy romance and family drama. I have never really given much though to how people from India live once they move to American. How hard it must be for them to continue to follow their religion and especially the arranged marriage part!!! YIKES!!!! I would not want my parents telling me who to marry! Priya finds herself under the pressure of her parents to make a decision on marring the man they have chosen for her. The only little problem is the man two doors down from her may have already stolen heart...a white American man! What will her parents say?! Will Priya be allowed to make her own decision on love?! I would recommend this book! I give it 4 stars!
http://curling-up-with-a-good-book.bl...
Fun read! It has just the right amount of steamy romance and family drama. I have never really given much though to how people from India live once they move to American. How hard it must be for them to continue to follow their religion and especially the arranged marriage part!!! YIKES!!!! I would not want my parents telling me who to marry! Priya finds herself under the pressure of her parents to make a decision on marring the man they have chosen for her. The only little problem is the man two doors down from her may have already stolen heart...a white American man! What will her parents say?! Will Priya be allowed to make her own decision on love?! I would recommend this book! I give it 4 stars!
http://curling-up-with-a-good-book.bl...
October 16, 2014
Debut novel written by Ayesha Patel, Priya in Heels is a novel about chemistry and romance pushing the boundaries of Indian culture in America. Priyanka is a beautiful, independent and focused young woman that divides her time between medical residency rotations in the ER, sweating it out at the gym and harboring a love for plaid. “I have three goals in life: work in private practice, bring plaid back, and dominate San Diego Comic-Con. Nerd City.“
Priya is growing up as a young individual in America but doing her best to honor her Indian family’s culture and upbringing. Her closest friends are all Indian, she’s never let herself be tempted by boys and she is determined to make her family proud by agreeing to marry the Indian dentist that her mother has chosen for her. “I’m expected to be the best at everything, and anything less is failure. It’s like living under a microscope, and whatever I don’t do perfectly goes back to my parents.” Priya feels that she has a duty to be a good Indian daughter for the sake of her parents’ reputation and thus, does everything she can to be perfect.
When Tyler O’Connor-a gorgeous Irish musician that lives down the hall-suddenly springs into her life, Priya doesn’t know how to handle his attention except to try to push him away. But with the help of Priya’s meddling roommate Vicki, Tyler slowly works his way into her life, and into her heart. Priya believes that it is better to choose a marriage based on logic and reasoning rather than a relationship based on love. Love is only something that prevails in Bollywood, it’s not something that can exist in her life. “Bollywood is about living a life that would never exist in the real world. Love is nonsensical ideology, but ninety percent of Bollywood movies are about overcoming diversity and trials to be with the one they love.” Can the love between Priya and Tyler overcome the Indian culture that dominates her life, or will Priya choose to marry the dentist out of obligation to her mother’s wishes?
Priya in Heels is a wonderful romantic comedy filled with love, tears and laughter and you can’t help but fall in love with Patel’s compelling characters. It is intriguing to observe the different love stories throughout the novel and the way that culture can dictate such a huge aspect of one’s life. Above all, this is a story about love, a love that is undeniable and true. True love might just be found in books and Bollywood, but this is certainly one novel that you will want to read and experience for yourself!
Reason: I loved this book!
Reason: I love that if you buy it this week, it’s only 99 cents!
Reason: I love that you will understand this last bit of my review if you read the book!
~~~
Side note: I would advise anyone that plans to purchase a digital copy to be aware of the glossary at the end of the novel that defines the Indian words that are used throughout the story. My only complaint was that I didn’t know about the glossary until I finished reading and realize that it would have helped me better understand a few of the relationships in Priya’s family.
Priya is growing up as a young individual in America but doing her best to honor her Indian family’s culture and upbringing. Her closest friends are all Indian, she’s never let herself be tempted by boys and she is determined to make her family proud by agreeing to marry the Indian dentist that her mother has chosen for her. “I’m expected to be the best at everything, and anything less is failure. It’s like living under a microscope, and whatever I don’t do perfectly goes back to my parents.” Priya feels that she has a duty to be a good Indian daughter for the sake of her parents’ reputation and thus, does everything she can to be perfect.
When Tyler O’Connor-a gorgeous Irish musician that lives down the hall-suddenly springs into her life, Priya doesn’t know how to handle his attention except to try to push him away. But with the help of Priya’s meddling roommate Vicki, Tyler slowly works his way into her life, and into her heart. Priya believes that it is better to choose a marriage based on logic and reasoning rather than a relationship based on love. Love is only something that prevails in Bollywood, it’s not something that can exist in her life. “Bollywood is about living a life that would never exist in the real world. Love is nonsensical ideology, but ninety percent of Bollywood movies are about overcoming diversity and trials to be with the one they love.” Can the love between Priya and Tyler overcome the Indian culture that dominates her life, or will Priya choose to marry the dentist out of obligation to her mother’s wishes?
Priya in Heels is a wonderful romantic comedy filled with love, tears and laughter and you can’t help but fall in love with Patel’s compelling characters. It is intriguing to observe the different love stories throughout the novel and the way that culture can dictate such a huge aspect of one’s life. Above all, this is a story about love, a love that is undeniable and true. True love might just be found in books and Bollywood, but this is certainly one novel that you will want to read and experience for yourself!
Reason: I loved this book!
Reason: I love that if you buy it this week, it’s only 99 cents!
Reason: I love that you will understand this last bit of my review if you read the book!
~~~
Side note: I would advise anyone that plans to purchase a digital copy to be aware of the glossary at the end of the novel that defines the Indian words that are used throughout the story. My only complaint was that I didn’t know about the glossary until I finished reading and realize that it would have helped me better understand a few of the relationships in Priya’s family.
September 17, 2014
There was one big reason why I jumped to read this book: the romance between Indian Priya and Caucasian Tyler. Being married to an Indian, I was interested in seeing how the author was going layout the romance between these two, given how different they were culturally.
Priya, finishing her residency in Houston, has a bit of freedom from her traditional Indian family who lives in Dallas. It's very clear Priya does not want to disappoint her parents, even if what they want for her is not what she wants for herself. She lets her mother strong arm her into meeting with a man, because his good family called hers and they would be a good match. It doesn't matter that Priya doesn't want to meet him and really doesn't want to get engaged to someone she doesn't know...she doesn't want to disappoint her parents so she followed their lead.
Tyler, the man Priya meets one night in the ER and soon discovers is her neighbor, is instantly attracted to Priya. He doesn't care that she's Indian, he just wants to get to know this woman who's sparked his interest. But Tyler soon discovers trying to do anything with Priya was going to cause a lot of hurt (on both sides) and become an exercise in extreme patience.
In my opinion, Tyler was a saint. Being married to an Indian, I'm thankful my husband's family was very open to him being married to someone who wasn't an Indian. I only wished Tyler could have had the same thing. Instead of following the normal path of a relationship: meet, get to know each other, fall in love...., poor Tyler was put through the ringer. By Priya and her inability to put her foot down and tell her parents it's Tyler she truly wants, and by her parents and their prejudice against him. I would have walked away. No matter how much I wanted the other person, I would have said enough is enough. But Tyler has so much faith in Priya, even when it seemed like he didn't, but he was still there for her. No matter what she said, who she was with or what she did, he was still there for her.
Priya was not my favorite character, mainly because she kept stringing two guys along when she knew her heart belonged to one of them. I understood why she felt she needed to follow the course her mother had set, but having been raised in America and American enough to use some pretty horrible slang regarding her friends, I would think she would be American enough to tell her parents that she was in love with Tyler and she wasn't going through with the arranged marriage.
In the end, this was a decent read with drama and angst. Despite not liking Priya, the author does a great job of giving us insight into Priya life and how difficult it can be to blend two cultures. It takes Priya a while, but she does finally figure things out.
Priya, finishing her residency in Houston, has a bit of freedom from her traditional Indian family who lives in Dallas. It's very clear Priya does not want to disappoint her parents, even if what they want for her is not what she wants for herself. She lets her mother strong arm her into meeting with a man, because his good family called hers and they would be a good match. It doesn't matter that Priya doesn't want to meet him and really doesn't want to get engaged to someone she doesn't know...she doesn't want to disappoint her parents so she followed their lead.
Tyler, the man Priya meets one night in the ER and soon discovers is her neighbor, is instantly attracted to Priya. He doesn't care that she's Indian, he just wants to get to know this woman who's sparked his interest. But Tyler soon discovers trying to do anything with Priya was going to cause a lot of hurt (on both sides) and become an exercise in extreme patience.
In my opinion, Tyler was a saint. Being married to an Indian, I'm thankful my husband's family was very open to him being married to someone who wasn't an Indian. I only wished Tyler could have had the same thing. Instead of following the normal path of a relationship: meet, get to know each other, fall in love...., poor Tyler was put through the ringer. By Priya and her inability to put her foot down and tell her parents it's Tyler she truly wants, and by her parents and their prejudice against him. I would have walked away. No matter how much I wanted the other person, I would have said enough is enough. But Tyler has so much faith in Priya, even when it seemed like he didn't, but he was still there for her. No matter what she said, who she was with or what she did, he was still there for her.
Priya was not my favorite character, mainly because she kept stringing two guys along when she knew her heart belonged to one of them. I understood why she felt she needed to follow the course her mother had set, but having been raised in America and American enough to use some pretty horrible slang regarding her friends, I would think she would be American enough to tell her parents that she was in love with Tyler and she wasn't going through with the arranged marriage.
In the end, this was a decent read with drama and angst. Despite not liking Priya, the author does a great job of giving us insight into Priya life and how difficult it can be to blend two cultures. It takes Priya a while, but she does finally figure things out.
September 16, 2014
I really liked this book! First the name intrigued me, then the blurb. Then I did something I don’t normally do. Because I don’t read a lot of New Adults, I read the other reviews on Goodreads before I decided to dive into this book. LOL. The reviews were split and I hemmed and hawed, then I settled in to read today. I did not pause once. While it started slow, the buildup was fantastic and I could not help wanting to know more. I needed to know what would happen, and not once was I disappointed. I loved the peeks I got into India. I could feel the culture, taste the food, and the authenticity of it just leaped off the page and seduced me. Priya was a pretty interesting character. She had this inner core of strength that shone through in wonderful moments, like when she defended her mother against those that wanted to malign her. But that strength tended to waver sometimes and the vulnerability Priya showed us was sweet, heart breaking, and sometimes made me want to scream and say “fight for your heart…why the hell are you giving in?” I could feel Priya’s pain when she had to choose between family and the love of her heart. That is what made me enjoy this story so much. I felt engaged and invested in Priya’s journey.
Now for Tyler. I adore this guy. Charming and sweet as hell and I love how he felt about Priya. One of the review I read said she did not finish this book because the love was a little shallow. So I was gearing myself to not feel the love, and bracing for disappointment. Well I didn’t need to gear at all. It was bloody fantastic and this really cemented to me that what I love…it is so cool for someone else to not enjoy as much. Tyler was perfect, I saw how he felt about Priya and heck I felt it. I was there, feeling the slow slide into lust and love and I enjoyed every moment.
Now I don’t read a lot of new adults so the close door nature of the sex threw me a bit. I liked hot and scorching, but I got sweet and sensual, but you know what? It was damn perfect. I would recommend this sweet and endearing read.
Now for Tyler. I adore this guy. Charming and sweet as hell and I love how he felt about Priya. One of the review I read said she did not finish this book because the love was a little shallow. So I was gearing myself to not feel the love, and bracing for disappointment. Well I didn’t need to gear at all. It was bloody fantastic and this really cemented to me that what I love…it is so cool for someone else to not enjoy as much. Tyler was perfect, I saw how he felt about Priya and heck I felt it. I was there, feeling the slow slide into lust and love and I enjoyed every moment.
Now I don’t read a lot of new adults so the close door nature of the sex threw me a bit. I liked hot and scorching, but I got sweet and sensual, but you know what? It was damn perfect. I would recommend this sweet and endearing read.
September 3, 2014
My thoughts prior to reading it:
As soon as this book was available for review my greedy little hands wanted it. I love all the books Ayesha Patel has written, some of them under her alter ego Kaylie Austen. I have noticed that with every book she has published her writing has been improving significantly. So I was very thrilled to have the opportunity to read this.
Thoughts after reading it:
This book is by far the steamiest Ayesha has written. So why did I like it so much. It is something different from what I have read. I tend to stick to YA but this was more on the adult section. In the book Priya is facing a lot of conflicts, her heart is telling her to chase after Tyler but her head is telling her to marry Manuk, the man her parents have chosen. The moment Priya first meets Tyler they can feel an almost palpable connection. However Priya’s head is telling her this is wrong because her parents already have someone picked out for her and she has always obeyed them but with Tyler she can’t help but be a little selfish and want him so much it hurts. They click in every way one of them is being that they are both in love with Battlestar Glactica (geeked out in this scene).
This book really tugs at your heart strings. You want Priya to be with Tyler so bad but Priya is being stubborn because she wants to make her parents proud. How can she deny Tyler when he has done everything he can to win her over? And how many times can he take her refusal? Will he give up before Priya gives in? How can you deny a man who is so willingly trying to learn your native language?
Definitely a great read. Highly suggest it to everyone. Read this book and fall in love with these two amazing characters where you will fawn over Tyler and be envious of Priya.
As soon as this book was available for review my greedy little hands wanted it. I love all the books Ayesha Patel has written, some of them under her alter ego Kaylie Austen. I have noticed that with every book she has published her writing has been improving significantly. So I was very thrilled to have the opportunity to read this.
Thoughts after reading it:
This book is by far the steamiest Ayesha has written. So why did I like it so much. It is something different from what I have read. I tend to stick to YA but this was more on the adult section. In the book Priya is facing a lot of conflicts, her heart is telling her to chase after Tyler but her head is telling her to marry Manuk, the man her parents have chosen. The moment Priya first meets Tyler they can feel an almost palpable connection. However Priya’s head is telling her this is wrong because her parents already have someone picked out for her and she has always obeyed them but with Tyler she can’t help but be a little selfish and want him so much it hurts. They click in every way one of them is being that they are both in love with Battlestar Glactica (geeked out in this scene).
This book really tugs at your heart strings. You want Priya to be with Tyler so bad but Priya is being stubborn because she wants to make her parents proud. How can she deny Tyler when he has done everything he can to win her over? And how many times can he take her refusal? Will he give up before Priya gives in? How can you deny a man who is so willingly trying to learn your native language?
Definitely a great read. Highly suggest it to everyone. Read this book and fall in love with these two amazing characters where you will fawn over Tyler and be envious of Priya.
August 29, 2014
Cute story - I really enjoyed learning about the Indian culture through this story - it was really fascinating.
This story was about true passion and romance - the kind that really sticks - but it's also about loyalty and strong beliefs in a different culture that we're not accustom to.
Priya was raised in America, but she was raised by her mummie and papa who raised her by the way they knew back from India - She worked hard to make her parents proud and followed their rules as much as they needed to know. Sure she moved in with her friends and went out drinking sometimes, but she ignored guys and hung out with the right kind of friends.
But when Tyler saw her in the ED at the hospital, she started to falter. His heavy flirting was easy to ignore, but those eyes *dreamy sigh*
Tyler had seen Priya before in their building. But she was always running off to work or work out - but when he got the chance to meet her outside of the hospital, he jumped at the chance to gain her BFF Vicki on his side.
Teaming up with Vicki, Priya didn't stand a chance. She drew Tyler over to their apartment and dangled him in front of her. Tyler’s charming ways drew Priya in ways she's never known before.
but things get complicated when she gets word from her mummie about a new suitor for her to marry.
Arranged marriages was what she knew would be her forever. She didn't believe in love, because of that reason.
But with Tyler in the back of her mind, how could she marry another man? Even if her parents had high hopes for them.
Really a cute story about trying to forget the one you love. This story made me cry, and made me laugh. really cute :)
This story was about true passion and romance - the kind that really sticks - but it's also about loyalty and strong beliefs in a different culture that we're not accustom to.
Priya was raised in America, but she was raised by her mummie and papa who raised her by the way they knew back from India - She worked hard to make her parents proud and followed their rules as much as they needed to know. Sure she moved in with her friends and went out drinking sometimes, but she ignored guys and hung out with the right kind of friends.
But when Tyler saw her in the ED at the hospital, she started to falter. His heavy flirting was easy to ignore, but those eyes *dreamy sigh*
Tyler had seen Priya before in their building. But she was always running off to work or work out - but when he got the chance to meet her outside of the hospital, he jumped at the chance to gain her BFF Vicki on his side.
Teaming up with Vicki, Priya didn't stand a chance. She drew Tyler over to their apartment and dangled him in front of her. Tyler’s charming ways drew Priya in ways she's never known before.
but things get complicated when she gets word from her mummie about a new suitor for her to marry.
Arranged marriages was what she knew would be her forever. She didn't believe in love, because of that reason.
But with Tyler in the back of her mind, how could she marry another man? Even if her parents had high hopes for them.
Really a cute story about trying to forget the one you love. This story made me cry, and made me laugh. really cute :)
September 16, 2014
Originally posted on For What It's Worth 9/15/14: http://www.fwiwreviews.net/2014/09/i-...
I loved how this book started out. Priya and Tyler meet cute when he hurts his ankle and she treats him in the ER. He actually lives in the same building as her (unbeknownst to Priya) & has been crushing on her hardcore. He’s all in and it was adorable. However, Priya is conflicted between her Indian culture, an arranged marriage and loving Tyler.
I enjoyed the portrayal of Indian customs and the respect paid to Priya’s beliefs. While all of Pryia's friends are Indian and have a sense of obligation to culture, they don't all live the same way. It wasn't cookie cutter, which was nice.
By the end though, I was emotionally drained and wasn't sure if I even liked anyone anymore. There’s some major drama that causes a lot of pain & heartache in the family. I get it but I was angry at how infantile everyone was acting. Every time Priya and Tyler fight he calls her a whore and says he’s going to hook up with his ex. He was so damn cute in the beginning and then turned into a douche bag. I enjoyed the end – but getting Tyler’s pov would have gone a long way to helping me see how much he really did to get back into Priya and her families good graces. The family…why bother? They were all jerks. Customs or not.
And Priya – she was literally going to die from heartbreak. Like – she just couldn’t function at all – throw away your career – and die. Cute premise – I liked it overall & I would still recommend it but I had quite a few hell no – grrr moments.
I loved how this book started out. Priya and Tyler meet cute when he hurts his ankle and she treats him in the ER. He actually lives in the same building as her (unbeknownst to Priya) & has been crushing on her hardcore. He’s all in and it was adorable. However, Priya is conflicted between her Indian culture, an arranged marriage and loving Tyler.
I enjoyed the portrayal of Indian customs and the respect paid to Priya’s beliefs. While all of Pryia's friends are Indian and have a sense of obligation to culture, they don't all live the same way. It wasn't cookie cutter, which was nice.
By the end though, I was emotionally drained and wasn't sure if I even liked anyone anymore. There’s some major drama that causes a lot of pain & heartache in the family. I get it but I was angry at how infantile everyone was acting. Every time Priya and Tyler fight he calls her a whore and says he’s going to hook up with his ex. He was so damn cute in the beginning and then turned into a douche bag. I enjoyed the end – but getting Tyler’s pov would have gone a long way to helping me see how much he really did to get back into Priya and her families good graces. The family…why bother? They were all jerks. Customs or not.
And Priya – she was literally going to die from heartbreak. Like – she just couldn’t function at all – throw away your career – and die. Cute premise – I liked it overall & I would still recommend it but I had quite a few hell no – grrr moments.
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February 8, 2019ARC Review: Received for free via Netgalley for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
DNF 25%
CW: slut shaming
I'm so sad about this, I really am. I wanted to love this book so badly, for so tmany reasons, but there was so much I just couldn't look over and by the end I just couldn't carry on. I started it around the 8th of December and tried so hard to go back to it after dropping it but I couldn't do it, I couldn't keep reading.
When I first got this book, I was so excited. It's a book about an Indian med student fallingin love with her hot neighbour, like hells yeah, sign me up!. (I may be simplifying the plot A LOT but that's also in the book, so I'm not far off).
I was excited: Indian woman on the cover, Indian woman as a love interest, YES.
But actually no.
Why?
This book is so filled with cliches that I actually physically cringed at times. There's nothing wrong with cliches, of course, and I love me some good (and maybe overdone) cliches because they guarantee me a happy ending, and I want all the happy endings in the world!, but they weren't done as well as I would've liked here. There were also parts of the story where things were said and I would've gotten so diffencive if it wasn't written by an Indian woman, like that stuff was borderline racist to me.
Like, I'm so sad and disappointed that I couldn't enjoy this more, that I couldn't love it as much as I wanted to.
Maybe one day I'll feel like a reread and I'll fall in love with it. But right now, as it stands, it's a no from me.
DNF 25%
CW: slut shaming
I'm so sad about this, I really am. I wanted to love this book so badly, for so tmany reasons, but there was so much I just couldn't look over and by the end I just couldn't carry on. I started it around the 8th of December and tried so hard to go back to it after dropping it but I couldn't do it, I couldn't keep reading.
When I first got this book, I was so excited. It's a book about an Indian med student fallingin love with her hot neighbour, like hells yeah, sign me up!. (I may be simplifying the plot A LOT but that's also in the book, so I'm not far off).
I was excited: Indian woman on the cover, Indian woman as a love interest, YES.
But actually no.
Why?
This book is so filled with cliches that I actually physically cringed at times. There's nothing wrong with cliches, of course, and I love me some good (and maybe overdone) cliches because they guarantee me a happy ending, and I want all the happy endings in the world!, but they weren't done as well as I would've liked here. There were also parts of the story where things were said and I would've gotten so diffencive if it wasn't written by an Indian woman, like that stuff was borderline racist to me.
Like, I'm so sad and disappointed that I couldn't enjoy this more, that I couldn't love it as much as I wanted to.
Maybe one day I'll feel like a reread and I'll fall in love with it. But right now, as it stands, it's a no from me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 21, 2014
Reseña en español: http://soulbookblog.blogspot.mx/2014/...
Received an ARC copy provided by Entangled Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
I´m really delighted with this novel, it was light, romantic, easy to read and with charming characters. To be honest I didn´t know what to expect, I started it because I was struck by the synopsis and you know that covers attract me a lot and this is very cute.
I really liked that the protagonist was not American, but she had other roots, was something new and refreshing, plus all these things about her culture attracted me a lot, I feel it was something different from what I mostly read, I really don´t know how attached to Hindu culture was because I don´t know much about it. Tyler, I loved him! He was fun, sweet, sexy and with very nice nerd comments. The secondary characters were a good bonus too. Taboos and differences between cultures that were like the biggest problems, kept me interested about what would happen later, it was the first time I thought I would not have my happy ending. After the middle and until near the end, I passed it with a huge lump in my throat, poor Priya! When it rain, it pours.
This is a very enjoyable story, easy to read, tender, romantic and leaves you thinking about various things, I recommend it a lot and I´ll be waiting for more about this author.
Received an ARC copy provided by Entangled Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
I´m really delighted with this novel, it was light, romantic, easy to read and with charming characters. To be honest I didn´t know what to expect, I started it because I was struck by the synopsis and you know that covers attract me a lot and this is very cute.
I really liked that the protagonist was not American, but she had other roots, was something new and refreshing, plus all these things about her culture attracted me a lot, I feel it was something different from what I mostly read, I really don´t know how attached to Hindu culture was because I don´t know much about it. Tyler, I loved him! He was fun, sweet, sexy and with very nice nerd comments. The secondary characters were a good bonus too. Taboos and differences between cultures that were like the biggest problems, kept me interested about what would happen later, it was the first time I thought I would not have my happy ending. After the middle and until near the end, I passed it with a huge lump in my throat, poor Priya! When it rain, it pours.
This is a very enjoyable story, easy to read, tender, romantic and leaves you thinking about various things, I recommend it a lot and I´ll be waiting for more about this author.
October 1, 2014
We all know I struggle with New Adult. I was skeptical about Priya in Heels. As soon as I saw that Tyler was a musician, I prepared myself for disappoint. But Ayesha Patel surprised me entirely and delivered a clever book that I adored!
Not only did the author deliver on witty characters who stood out on their own and a slow-building romance that I supported so easily, she gave me a glimpse into the culture of India. I devoured the details of Priya's heritage right along with the budding romance. Ayesha Patel was able to weave a book as rich in detail and beautiful as the culture she focused on.
The characters in Priya in Heels were so enjoyable and diverse. Priya's friends often had me laughing at their antics. As for Priya and Tyler, I was sold and swooning from the very start. The romance wasn't heavy handed or dark like I've sadly come to expect with New Adult. It was light and charming in the best of ways.
If you're a fan of Big Bang Theory or Penny Reid, then you'll find a new favorite with Priya in Heels. It's a smart romance filled to the brim with enjoyable characters and endearing love.
**I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review with no compensation.
Not only did the author deliver on witty characters who stood out on their own and a slow-building romance that I supported so easily, she gave me a glimpse into the culture of India. I devoured the details of Priya's heritage right along with the budding romance. Ayesha Patel was able to weave a book as rich in detail and beautiful as the culture she focused on.
The characters in Priya in Heels were so enjoyable and diverse. Priya's friends often had me laughing at their antics. As for Priya and Tyler, I was sold and swooning from the very start. The romance wasn't heavy handed or dark like I've sadly come to expect with New Adult. It was light and charming in the best of ways.
If you're a fan of Big Bang Theory or Penny Reid, then you'll find a new favorite with Priya in Heels. It's a smart romance filled to the brim with enjoyable characters and endearing love.
**I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review with no compensation.
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January 8, 2015This might come in a harsh reality. I started reading this, in the hopes, someone had the courage to write about a Indian girl, and Irish boy, together.
I wouldn't say, I dated Irish men. But I've seen, and met some interesting people in my time at work, and often as my neighbors.
Let me tell you, with no disrespect, Irish love themselves. Kind of into their country,culture...etc, too much. They sometimes come across as superior, arrogant. And they surely should,, given they come a long way. And got the brains to do so. Thus, an Irish guy sort of falling head over heels over a Indian girl seems unrealistic, kind of feels pushing it.
Add to that, author did a poor job in sparkles fly. If it was slow, sincere built up. I would have loved it.
Most of all, the pacing was wrong. The scenarios seemed unbelievable. Internal dialogue seems weird. The whole dialogue seems off.
Sorry. The book is a big let down. I couldn't get past 25% of the book. I wouldn't say, I wasn't expecting. But the author did try. I might give this author another book a chance. First steps aren't always, the perfect steps. remember Baby steps.
Anyway,
Keep reading.
I wouldn't say, I dated Irish men. But I've seen, and met some interesting people in my time at work, and often as my neighbors.
Let me tell you, with no disrespect, Irish love themselves. Kind of into their country,culture...etc, too much. They sometimes come across as superior, arrogant. And they surely should,, given they come a long way. And got the brains to do so. Thus, an Irish guy sort of falling head over heels over a Indian girl seems unrealistic, kind of feels pushing it.
Add to that, author did a poor job in sparkles fly. If it was slow, sincere built up. I would have loved it.
Most of all, the pacing was wrong. The scenarios seemed unbelievable. Internal dialogue seems weird. The whole dialogue seems off.
Sorry. The book is a big let down. I couldn't get past 25% of the book. I wouldn't say, I wasn't expecting. But the author did try. I might give this author another book a chance. First steps aren't always, the perfect steps. remember Baby steps.
Anyway,
Keep reading.
September 16, 2014
ARC provided via NetGalley for an honest review!
So this was a lonnnnng story. It actually took me 2 days to complete it. The conflict in this story is that our heroine (Priya) basically has to chose between going with her heart or with tradition. her heart is telling her to chase after Tyler but her head is telling her to marry Manuk, the man her parents have chosen. I really enjoyed learning about the Indian culture through this story - it was really fascinating. she is raised an American, but her cultural make-up is not. Arranged marriages are what she knows and what she believes in. But Tyler messes that ALL up for her! LOL I would love to see this story as a movie. It would be very cute!
September 27, 2014
I liked this book. I loved how immerse I felt in the Indian culture, and the snapshots I got were really beautiful. I liked Priya as well. While at time she came off as a bit young, I liked the gumption she displayed time and time again as she chose love over family expectations.
I am hoping her friends will have their own books.
I am hoping her friends will have their own books.
September 6, 2014
Good concept, but rough execution. Full review on The Suburban Eclectic Review.
September 29, 2014
This is a fun, flirty book that also takes a genuine look at warring duties to American culture and subculture, self and parents. Well done for what it is.
January 5, 2019
I wanted so badly to like this book, but unfortunately it missed the mark.
The plot felt uneven with the story moving too quickly sometimes and other times dragging. I didn't particularly like Priya or Tyler either. Both felt immature and at times hypocritical and selfish. I did appreciate, though, the difficult position Priya was put in with her family and her growing feelings for Tyler being at odds.
The plot felt uneven with the story moving too quickly sometimes and other times dragging. I didn't particularly like Priya or Tyler either. Both felt immature and at times hypocritical and selfish. I did appreciate, though, the difficult position Priya was put in with her family and her growing feelings for Tyler being at odds.
January 1, 2021
I struggled to get through this book. It had a promising plot, traditional Indian girl falls for a boy who’s not Indian. The writing was poor and the editing was worse.
I felt nothing for the main characters who were supposed to be in their mid-twenties but didn’t act like it. There was a lot of slut shaming and the male in the story was misogynistic, abusive, and gaslighted the titular character.
I felt nothing for the main characters who were supposed to be in their mid-twenties but didn’t act like it. There was a lot of slut shaming and the male in the story was misogynistic, abusive, and gaslighted the titular character.
May 8, 2020
Some good parts. Priya is a sympathetic character and I like her family and friends. I also like the nerdiness and BSG references.
Tyler just annoyed me for so many reasons. He has his sweet moments, but he also did little things that were just bleah. So i couldn't really cheer too much for their romance.
Tyler just annoyed me for so many reasons. He has his sweet moments, but he also did little things that were just bleah. So i couldn't really cheer too much for their romance.
May 27, 2019
DNF @4% so much sex shaming.
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