This one didn't quite click for me. I like Sonali Dev but her works really do border on the improbable and it's harder for me to accept it in a contemporary romance which is more my problem than hers.

It starts off slow and kind of dense, but once the action begins, it's hard to resist the story as it drives forward. It reads as a true epic, one that makes you feel the world really has been reshaped as you read it. Would recommend.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first Sonali Dev book and I might be hooked! I had a bit of a slow start with this but once I got into the book I couldn't focus on anything else. This is a Pride and Prejudice retelling but with the characters reversed. Trisha is a neurosurgeon who is wholly focused on her career and often feels alienated from her family and the rest of the world. We meet her as she is telling her patient, Emma, that she can save her life but at the cost of her sight. It turns out Emma is the sister of out hero, DJ, and after being insulted by Trisha he takes an immediate dislike to her.

This was such a fun book to read and I loved the allusion to Austen's work and how Dev turned some of the storylines from the original on their heads to make them realistic to the modern age.

There's a lot of South Asian Pride and Prejudice reboots coming out this summer. I normally love books by Sonali Dev but I felt this one had too much angst and drama to be enjoyable. Her earlier books had a charm that I felt this book lacked.

Unfortunately I could not get into this book. I tried on multiple occasions but couldn't connect with the characters.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

I thought this was a great adaption of Austen's Pride and Prejudice. I loved that elements of the classic story made appearances without keeping Dev from creating a new story all her own.

I always like Sonali Dev's work, and this was no exception. I talked about it on the Book Riot When In Romance podcast, and will likely consider it again when it's time for best of 2019 round ups.

I read a LOT of Austen adaptations; this one is worth the high praise it has been receiving. Sonali Dev does not trap herself by trying to replicate every plot point of Austen's original novel and thus frees herself to write an entertaining, interesting, and enjoyable work.

This one is a keeper.

I tore through this book as fast as I could. I have read her other works and liked them well enough, but I really loved Trisha and DJ's story. What a fun update on Pride and Prejudice!

Having heard nothing but good things about this author, I requested a copy on NetGalley to give her a try. There's been quite a few <em>Pride &amp; Prejudice</em> retellings lately and I should have known based on my feelings on the original that I *might* be setting myself up for book failure.

Aaaaand that's exactly what happened. I so very much wanted to like this book but every single character was awful in my opinion. 512 pages of terrible characters. Now, Dev's writing is beautiful. She is an amazing author I think just based on her writing style and descriptions but I just could not handle the way these characters treated each other and overall, I never connected with the book.

I think if you liked the original Pride & Prejudice, you will have a better time with this story than I did. I hated those characters too and Austen's writing IS NOT beautiful like Sonali Dev's is. Sad to say I'm giving this a 2 out of 5 stars.


Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors is a gender bent, Indian Pride & Prejudice retelling. Although a little lengthy, I really enjoyed this creative take on a classic. I liked Trisha and Dj's banter. Trisha is wonderful character. The vivid descriptions of DJ's dishes had me googling local Indian take-out. Thanks HarperCollins Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC of this title.

Lovers of Jane Austen’s classic novel should not be disappointed in this contemporary retelling of Pride and Prejudice. There are many similarities to the original plot but there are also twists in store. Dr. Trisha Raje is a skilled neurosurgeon who has a single focus – doing what’s best for her patients. But sometimes her interaction with people she is not treating, comes off as distant and cold.

One might think that her professional prowess would endear her to her own father, who is also a physician, but instead, she just can’t seen to measure up. So the young Dr. Raje has withdrawn from many family events, with the intention of saving herself from further hurt. But now she has decided to attempt to rejoin the family fold.

When she meets the new chef hired by her family to cater her politician brother’s fundraiser, the interaction does not go well. She insults him and he will not let it slide. It becomes a bigger issue when he learns that she is the only doctor who might save his sister’s life.

Like Elizabeth and Darcy, the doctor and the chef spar and argue. Even though lovers of the original tale know the storyline, this is a refreshing take on a beloved romance. Dev not only reverses roles but the Indian cultural setting adds more fascination to this retelling.

Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors was one of the most delightful books I've read this year. This story follows my favorite hate to love tropes. Trisha and DJ had fantastic chemistry, biting banter and incredible romantic tension. And the food! This book has it all: humor, complicated family relationships and loyalty, drama, steam, and the most delectable descriptions of food I've read in ages. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a diverse rom-com.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the free eGalley of this book.

I haven’t read an “inspired” retelling of P and P like this before. It’s very unique, specifically because of the diverse characters in it. It’s a loosely-based retelling, one that readers familiar with retellings will enjoy looking for similarities. Cute and well done.

Bollywood meets Jane Austin in a retelling of the classic tale. Over the year, I’ve read all these P&P takes, but I don’t love them all. But P,P and Other Flavors is a sharply observed, cross-cultural tale with plenty of sass, tension and lots and lots of delicious sounding food. Plus, a little Gender Bending in the main characters. In this version, she’s the fancy pants rich one and he’s the poor but decent hero. (Bravo!) Elizabeth is the Indian American neurosurgeon falls for DJ (Darcy James) a biracial British chef and both characters bring lively backstories, deep with cultural observations. And there is an excellent twist on the Wickham storyline for everyone who’s ever wanted revenge on a mean girl. Enjoy.

I really enjoyed this book, even though I'm often a little skeptical of books based in some way on Pride and Prejudice. The writing was really engaging and the characters felt real to me. I will definitely keep an eye on Sonali Dev in the future. Recommended!

I thoroughly enjoyed this! What a great P&P inspired novel. It wasn't too close to the original story to be a retelling, but it connected enough that you knew who everyone kind of was based on. Then the author mixed in Indian American culture. It was great.

This book is more like a 3.5 but alas, Goodreads doesn’t let us do that. A spin on the classic Pride and Prejudice, but modern and diverse. Dr. Trisha Raje seemingly has it all- except love. She’s part of an aristocratic Indian family- royal blood dating back centuries. Her family may be settled in CA, but much of their customs and food are rooted in India as well. Trisha is on the outs with her successful and close family after an incident happened with her former best friend and Trisha’s older brother. DJ Caine is a British chef who has dropped everything to have his sister’s life saved by Trisha. If you know Pride and Prejudice, You know through the whole book that they’re probably getting together, but it’s a cute read. If you’re in the mood for a light hearted book with diversity not just in the food being made in the book but also in the characters too- this is the book for you. While a light read, it also expanded my knowledge of other cultures and foods

This was a fresh (loose) retelling of a classic story, and I appreciated that Dev put her own spin on it. This book was enjoyable and filled with descriptions of delicious-sounding food. The setting was lushly painted, and I didn't have trouble imagining the characters in their environs or in their interactions with each other. I tend to enjoy P&P retellings, but I found this one rather dense until about 70 percent of the way through, at which point I found it really began to sail. I thought at times the book got caught up in descriptions of events of the past and in telling more than showing. I also didn't really care for the way the Wickham storyline was updated, as "current" as the storyline was meant to feel. Overall, though, Dev's care for the original certainly shines through to make for a pleasant read.

I received a digital ARC of this book (with thanks!) from Harper Collins/Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

With Indian royalty, California wealth, a governor campaign, a neurosurgeon, a Michelin-star-trained chef, and soul-satisfying Indian food, Dev has delivered a complex smorgasbord of a novel.

Both large-hearted DJ and socially shy Trisha are generous of their time and care with their families even as they are snippy and brusque bordering on rudeness with each other. Without meaning to sometimes and with intention the other times, they continue to hurt each other. How Dev takes them from animosity to love is a story of scaffolding of awareness, attraction, and noticing strengths and weaknesses of each other, and eventually deciding that the other is perfect for them just as they are.

Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors is a women’s fiction story with a large romantic sub-plot. Trisha’s journey with her family and with DJ is an archetypical hero’s journey as defined by mythologist Joseph Campbell and refined by author Christopher Vogler. From estrangement with a call to action to challenges to a black moment to atonement, and finally, to reconciliation and acceptance, Trisha navigates it all with trepidation and courage, with tentativeness and confidence, and despite setbacks, is triumphant at last. This book ranks up there among Dev’s best work.

https://frolic.media/the-heart-of-a-story-pride-prejudice-and-other-flavors-by-sonali-dev/