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Priya in Heels by Ayesha Patel
3.0

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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