Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice gets an Indian-American California makeover here, with a gender-swapped version of the classic story. It’s an easy, breezy read, and rather silly and predictable, but there are times (like these) that readers want the comfort of the familiar with just a little novelty to spice it up.

Dr. Trisha Raje is the heroine, an accomplished neurosurgeon from a wealthy and successful family. She is brilliant at her life’s work, has a strained relationship with many of her relatives due to a past incident, is extremely socially awkward, and finds herself unexpectedly falling hard for the caterer her family has hired for her brother’s latest political campaign. This caterer, DJ Caine, is a brilliant chef, under some financial strain, with a problematic past and a very ill sister. He despises Trisha and her arrogant, snobbish ways. You can see where this is going.

What I rather like about this take on the story is that the Wickham plotline, which is often glossed over, is front and center here.  Pride and Prejudice isn’t just a romance–it’s an examination of a society’s response to sexual predation–and that’s something as relevant today as it ever was. Sonali Dev does a nice job updating the details to maintain that relevancy, and it gives the reader a bit of serious food for thought in the midst of a mostly lighthearted story.

The characters in this novel, you will find, are all a bit over the top. They’re ridiculously accomplished and extremely dramatic. You may or may not find this annoying–it’s all an unrealistic fantasy, so perhaps it works. What I found slightly more problematic was the cavalier attitude Trisha had about medical ethics and patient privacy, but again, this is not the real world and HIPAA does not apply.

If you’re looking for a little solace for any reason, or if you’re fortunate enough to be on a beach escape, this novel might be just the thing for you.

HOW TO PURCHASE: AMAZON

NOVEL: Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors

AUTHOR: Sonali Dev

YEAR OF PUBLICATION: 2019

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Book Cover – HarperCollins