Luv Shuv in New York

Luv Shuv #1

by N.M. Patel

Akira Mishra

My father had one request—more like a condition—to allow me to leave our large, Indian joint family and move to New York to pursue my master’s degree.
To not get involved with anyone who wasn’t a Desi boy.
And I did not miss a beat before I agreed.
Because why not?

All I wanted was Freedom. To live away from my overbearing—but very sweet and supportive—family.
To study hard.
Find a job in NYC.
And make it on my own, like millions of my fellow Indian immigrants.

My plan was all set.

So, of course, it’s completely ruined when I sit beside him on the first day of my class.

Sam White.
Sam White, my White American classmate.
Sam, with his dark-as-sin clothes, a permanent frown etched on his face, and his perfect grades in class.
Sam, with his total ignorance about my Indian culture but his determination to understand it better.
So what if he makes me feel a little more at home in an unknown country?
So what if he looks at me like I’m the only one he sees?
I will not fall for him.
I cannot fall for him.
I absolutely cannot break my promise to my father.
So, of course, I do.

Genres: Romance, Friends To Lovers, India, Indian Literature, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Love

387 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 3, 2024

About the author

N.M. Patel is a passionate author who writes romance novels inspired by her love of Bollywood movies. Her books are filled with humor, steam, and plenty of love, featuring strong heroines and swoon-worthy heroes. Get ready to be transported into a world of desi culture, unforgettable characters, and a romantic escape that will leave you feeling warm and fuzzy inside.

Reviews

[Liber_Lady]

Hey Guys, I WROTE A BOOK. THIS BOOK.

In case, you didn't know, I am N.M. Patel.
And my book is finally out in the world!!

I had an absolute blast writing this novel. It's an OwnVoice novel, where I've derived some of my own experiences as an Indian immigrant in the US, some of my friends' experiences and add more fictional elements. It's about how easy it could be to fall in love with someone, yet how complicated it could get when you come from a different cultural background. It's about fighting for your love, for your freedom to choose who you love and making it in a different country.

I hope you have the best time reading it.

You absolutely need Luv Shuv in New York if you love:
- Friends to Lovers
- Closed Proximity
- The Coolest and the Hottest Indian Festivals
- Full-On Bollywood style Indian Family Drama
- Forbidden Love
- Steam (Kiss against the closed doooor and things taking quite a turn from there!!)
- Part of the story in NYC, and parts in India
- Ultimate Soft and grumpy Book Boyfriend "Sam White."
- Sunshine heroine (an Indian immigrant heroine determined to make it on her own) excited to share her culture with her friends
- Fighting for love TOGETHER
- NO UNNECESSARY THIRD ACT BREAKUP

Amazon US: https://a.co/d/2P2I5P8
Amazon CA: https://a.co/d/iDejiFQ
Amazon UK: https://amzn.eu/d/aqWdG00
Amazon India: https://amzn.eu/d/dFwDuvi

Happy Reading!!

PS: I created a separate author profile so I can still be a carefree reader and continue to share my love for all the books I read!

[Nehal · Rating 1 out of 5]

Being an Indian I genuinely was so excited to read this book after seeing it be hyped up.
Like Indian extroverted girl with reserved American, i was excited to see how it would play out, how the culture was going to be portrayed.

Literally all those expectations took a nosedive in when i crossed a few chapters. The female lead needs to get her facts right while talking about opportunities and stereotypes. Rather than being updated she kept going in reinforcing those said stereotypes again and again. Like yes i get it India is still growing and all that but there are so many fields that india has good even fantastic opportunities on! It hasn't been limited to medicine or engineering no matter how much it's said to be. Design and architecture are growing rapidly, ui ux has so much scope. There is so much material, phenomenal teachers and facilities being provided. I completely agreed that following some passion is frowned upon in this society where professions are placed in a hierarchical structure, it's completely true and a real problem but is that not a problem in the west too?
And for fucks sake sam is not internet why should we expect that sam should know about lack of Starbucks outlet in India? Why should it be an expectation that the person should know all about India and its culture? The female lead makes it such a big omg moment like how can you say that, i didn't have it in my country. Like okay Miss girl you didn't have them, why not try to explain in a nicer understanding way, you just met this sam for fucks sake.

I can say that this plot had such potential to be a really good book, stuff just went wrong i guess? the author has good writing I suppose and I really liked the family aspect and how it's shown. But sadly this book just wasn't for me.

[Reading in Brussels · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this review might be a bit long because I have thoughts, so bear with me:
Luv Shuv in New York is a well-written debut interracial (Indian/American) romance. I think this might be the first time that I'm reading this kind of romance, where the story is heavily focused on family acceptance of one's love interest, someone of different culture, origin, ways, upbringing, religion. And I'm glad for that representation: as said in the book, this acceptance from the family, especially in Asian culture, is an essential part.

Akira leaves her family and everything she knows behind to go to the US for her Masters. She meets Sam, who is very taken aback by this ray of sunshine, and they end up being friends. Friends who are attracted to each other. Akira struggles with whether she should allow herself to get into a relationship with Sam, knowing the battle that they will have to face with her family and people's opinions. After all, her father explicitly told her to not fall in love with a BMW: Black, White or Muslim guy (tbh I was offended at this term: I am Muslim, and I don't like to be termed as part of "BMW").

In terms of what the blurb advertises and what the book delivers:
- interracial, contemporary romance: yes
- lots of laughter: not really? I don't know if I missed out on anything, but I didn't laugh at all. I did smile at the sweetness of the characters and the family drama.
- a touch of forbidden love: yes, as stated, a big chunk of the story is focused on whether Akira's family would accept that she's is a relationship with Sam.
- steam: I usually skim through/skip those scenes, so I don't feel that my thoughts are valid here
- full-on Indian family drama: delivered! I really enjoyed the big family, the siblings supporting each other, the big shared meals. Those felt familiar and very rooted in Asian culture. I loved those!

A couple of things that did not work for me:
- The development of Sam and Akira's relationship went from 0 to full-on pretty quickly, with uber-serious conversations on the first date itself. Although this was a bit jarring for me, it's completely understandable under the circumstances.
- I felt that Akira was a couple of times triggered by Sam's thoughtlessness (? ignorance?) about her culture/family dynamics. That didn't sit well with me. I think her reaction was a bit much (but maybe also very real?): instead of being angry or frustrated towards someone who does not understand the culture, a more appropriate reaction would be to be understanding and take that as a teaching moment for the other person.

What I loved:
- Asian culture representation and the immigration aspect
- the falling in love part - paying attention to the small things that really fan the attraction: absolutely Bollywood-worthy
- exchange of culture
- the big Indian family and everything that comes with: the good, the bad, the ugly and the very, very beautiful

Overall, I think this was a good debut. Desi people will definitely feel represented in this story. I felt that there were a couple of cringe-worthy scenes (which in hindsight probably make the story feel all the more real), but I still enjoyed getting insight into this part of a love story that isn't much shown in romance books.
Congratulations to the author on a job well done! Can I also just say that I absolutely love the cover of this book - it's a beautiful representation of the marriage of two different cultures.

Thank you to the author for an ARC of her book. All opinions are my own.

[Rasleen Kaur · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hello,

This was a triggering book. Representation at what cost, cost of a white man saviour. No thank you. Next.

Best,

Rasleen

[Zeesan · Rating 1 out of 5]

No depth and very stereotypical aspects without any explanation.

[bookssheread · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really had to convince myself to give this a star at all. I am not someone who likes to hate on an author. I write too, and so I know that every book is a labour of love, writers are extremely possessive of every word they write. On top of that, I love supporting South Asian writers and reading their stories. But this was a hard one to finish.

One of the things I did like about the book was that Akira's family wasn't shown to be brutal and unreasonable. Her parents' reaction may have been extreme, but their disapproval was rooted in their love and concern for their child, and I appreciated that.

Coming onto the negatives, I will try not to go off on a rant.

1. There was absolutely no chemistry between Akira and Sam. There was no build ul of their relationship at all honestly, not before they were dating nor after. I have no clue how he went from finding her weird to loving her enough to propose. This further affected the rest of the story because I never felt this immense feeling of support,sympathy, or happiness for them.

2. Sam is a red flag. I am not sure exactly what it is about him, but just something about him ticks me off. It really pisses me off, I really don't like him. He seemed very ignorant at times ( not the Starbucks thing that was dumb on Akira's part). He had a lack of respect for Akira's parents and where they were coming from, in my opinion. I delt hints of white supremacy and white saviour complex shining through.

3. Why does every South Asian girl have to be a bubbly butterfly? Can I please read about my brooding sisters?

4. My biggest issue with this book was the glorification of the West at the expense of South Asia. I am not denying the fact that alot of people immigrate to the West due to a more diverse option when it comes to studies and higher paying jobs for skilled professionals but that does not mean they don't have any issues and I didn't see anything regarding those besides a slight reference to racism. On the other hand, for India, there were numerous things referenced in a negative way, including: educational opportunities, rishta culture, suicide rates, population, and much more. It was stated in a very ignorant way in my opinion. It really bothered me not that the flaws were stated but more so the fact that the flaws were stated simply in one side when in reality I can state a slew of issues in the US with relevance to when this book was issued ( Feb,2023), this includes: School shootings/ General lack of gun control, racism, barely any abortion rights, a struggling education system, and so much more. So yes, I took offence to their glorification at our cost.

Overall, there was a point where the writing seemed to lack in my opinion. I feel that there are much better South Asian love stories you can find out there. Like 'Counting Down With You' , 'Unmarriageable' and so much more.

[Ana | SheSaidYestoBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Akira is a loud international student from India that moved to NYC to live her dream. Sam is a quiet and reserved American boy pursuing his master degree in Architecture at the same University. They couldn't be more different, and yet so right for each other.

I loved reading about the differences about the cultures. I was really amazed at how different can be the family relationship in each culture and the culture itself. I am not familiar with Indian culture and this novel has great insights of what it’s like. I say well done! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

The story also felt real. To the point it makes me wonder how much of this author own experiences was in this book.

Luv Shu in New York was an enjoyable debut, with likable characters, lots of family drama and really funny moments.

Thank you so much N. M. Patel for your kindness to send me an ARC. 🙏🏻✨

[Mehvish · Rating 1 out of 5]

What have I read ... 😳
As much as I love romances set in New York and desi representations, this was horrible! It felt like a Chetan Baghat 2.0 ... the characters being in their late 20s acted like they were teenagers, and Sam (the male interest) was just 🤮.

This book felt like a biography about the author itself with slight changes in the details. Luv Shuv in New York is the first, and hopefully, the last book I'll read about how the main character was disgusted by her boyfriends toilet habits, I mean, who the heck writes about that 🫠...

Spicy scenes were cringe and written by some hormonal teen 😂... the one star is for the writing, which was bearable!

This is a cliche gone wrong. Read it at your own expense 😶‍🌫️

[Books_et_bouquins · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great debut novel, written with ease and short chapters and genuine characters, that talks about falling in love with someone of a different culture.

It’s an Indian American romance, with a great focus on cultural difference and what challenges it brings about.

We follow Akira, an Indian student coming to the states for her architecture studies, and Sam her American fellow student.
They are almost opposite yet they are attracted to each other.

The romance happens quite fast then gradually starts exposing the obstacles the couple goes through, especially the girl’s family’s opposition to this union.

A lot of cute and funny moments, romantic ones, and family drama

There is a lot of info about Indian culture, the festivals, the cuisine, the clothes, the family bonds, but at times it took more importance than the romance itself.
But there is one sentence that bothered me “BMW” (Black/Muslim/White) even if it reflected some thoughts that Indian parents have.

This is the first book I read that focuses on what a foreigner feels when coming to a new country and it felt relatable :)

✨I thank the author for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review

[diya⁷ · Rating 2 out of 5]

25 pages in, I hate it so much when Indians get excited to see foreigners like they're just normal people. I get that India is homogenous when it comes to races but it's so embarrassing when fellow Indians act like that. I don't care, it's cringy. Hope she gets less embarrassing and cringy.

Done reading it and didn't like it very much. Their timeline went by way too quickly, their relationship had no build-up and the chemistry was barely there.

Akira had no personality other than wearing hideous clothes, smiling a lot and having conservative parents. Sam had absolutely zero personality of his own. I just couldn't connect to the characters.

[Jeenal · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn't complete it.... Idk why I just didn't get the vibe with this book.
As being an Indian myself I was so excited to read this and somewhere subconsciously I do want to complete it but ther were a lot of problems with this book for that to happen.

1. Sometimes I could relate to her and how she felt but i just felt like it was too stereotypical of how life in India is
NEWS FLASH times are changing and so are people. Change takes time. We do hv Starbucks in India and quite a lot of them in fact, not every hindu person hates Muslims.

2. Sam (male lead) do you have a personality to which you can actually stick to? Like on one page you would say you don't have any friend and the next line you are sitting with a group of strangers and their handmade food.

3. This book idolised America so much. Like people in America welcome everyone with open arms but in India you have to get married at 12 and have 5 kids like bish pls SHUT UPP.

4.In here the girl's father said that she is not allowed to marry BMW- black, white and muslim. This I felt like was a bit of stretch. Ofcourse there's discrimination here and based on numerous things like caste, status and what not. But if you are promoting this book as for the Indian girlies you might need to take all Indian bashing down a notch. People may not agree but discrimination on color in India is one of it's least problems and certainly not at severe as it is in USA .

5. Akira(female lead)- The stereotypical good sanskari girl. She wears clothes that have bugs made on them, she always keeps talking, she is friends with everyone - a total sunshine

I could say this book had multiple personality/sunshine trope.

6.Also didn't like how they fell in love, one minute they are saying hii next they are banging and saying I love you.

7. Will say it again Americans not always welcome EVERY person with open arms 🙃 and pls stop making them as a saving grace for every other country.
______________

[Cris ୨♡୧ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

Siendo 100% honesta pensé que este libro me iba a aburrir e iba a ser una lectura muy pesada, pero la realidad es que me divertí mucho leyéndolo.

La química entre los protagonistas es muy palpable desde el comienzo, me encanta como Sam fue volviéndose más abierto conforme iba conociendo a Akira.

Ambos personajes son muy encantadores y aunque para algunas puede resultar súper cursi todas las interacciones, lo cierto es que a mí me encantaron.

Me gustó la forma en que la autora representó la cultura de Akira, realmente sentí que conocía a la India a través de sus ojos.

[Fiction Vixen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating - 5/5

I loved this wonderful blend of Indian and American culture romance.
This book had everything that we go through and it was so relatable. The festivals, the celebrations, the rules and restrictions. Everything was spot on.

Akira is an Indian Architect student who is now pursuing her masters in an American Uni and that's where she meets Sam also of the same class.
Their friendship grows to be more than just attraction and they were meant to be together ever since they first spoke to each other.

This book was more focused on Indian traditions than love as a whole, which I felt was a little too much, but I don't think that could have been done any other way and it turned out to be perfect.

Their love was strong enough to fight with a huge joint family and loved how Akira's siblings helped her through all these. I loved reading the 2nd part of the book, that's when all the drama started!! It just picked up its pace after that!! I couldn't put the book down once I started 3rd part. It was a roller coaster!!

It was a pleasure to read such a refreshing book. Thank you N.M Patel for this.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

[Books Over Sleep · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a debut! I absolutely loved Akira and Sam's story. The way N.M. incorporated the culture into the story was beautifully written. Akira moves to America to live the big dream, but little did she know she would fall in love with an all American boy, something that was forbidden by her father. I'm a sucker for a forbidden love story, and this checked all the boxes.

It was the little moments for me. I loved the understanding between the two characters, the small yet genuine gestures, the way Akira enveloped Sam into her world, how understanding and loving Sam was and just the general progression of their relationship. They challenged one another, which was also very fun to read, it definitely wasn't love at first sight and to see these two strangers unknowingly starting to care for each other was heart-melting. They had their battles, their ups and down and above all, the disapproval of a family, but that only made the story that more compelling.

I also really enjoyed how well the story was paced, one of my favorite things to see in a love story, is the build up, the angst, the hesitations, the denials, it's sweet torture that I couldn't get enough of. I also thoroughly enjoyed the side characters, which I believe add a lot of value to a strong story, so whether it was Luke, Sam's best friend or Akira's siblings, they own held their own personalities, which made their parts that much more fun to read.

Luv Shuv in New York, was a heart-warming story that I absolutely would recommend to everyone!

[m · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most joyful and enchanting romance - I couldn’t stop smiling! 💖

Akira is an international student from India pursuing her Masters in Architecture at Columbia University. At orientation she is so excited she strikes up a conversation with the cute guy sitting next to her: quiet and serious Sam. What follows next is a beautiful blossoming of friendship to lovers that embraces cultural differences but there’s a problem. Akira’s dad gave her one rule before she left; she can fall in love with whoever she wants so long as they are not a BMW: Black, Muslim, or White.

Despite the external conflict coming from Akira’s parents, this book is surprisingly low angst. There’s a heavy importance placed on commitment, clear communication, and overcoming cultural obstacles and they both do this happily with so much love in their hearts. Sam is determined to do anything to be the man Akira’s parents will approve of. He takes tutoring lessons from Akira’s Indian roommates, tries to build his tolerance for spicy foods, participates in festivals, and when he goes to India to meet her family he touches her grandparents feet. So many moments I was just overwhelmed with emotions and you really feel like these two would move mountains to be together. As beautiful inside as it is outside, I can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy in February.

On a personal note, this book really spoke to me as someone who is also in an international relationship. I’m American, my husband is Scottish, and we also met at university! 🥰

Big thanks to N. M. Patel for the ARC, it was a pleasure to read - all opinions are my own.

[Shambhavi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had me blushing the whole time. The characters were just so cute, not only main characters, but all the side characters were just so lovable. Books having desi romances are just so adorable.
Can't wait for Luke's story 😍

[Ami Grewal · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sam gave me the ick. I don’t know why but it felt very Fetishizing and weird. Also I hate the way the west was portrait as being superior. Felt very white savior-esc

[Fay · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75⭐️

Finally a good Indian representation in a book. Even tho some places it was exaggerating and annoying but i still enjoy it.

Akira was sweet, charming, bubbly and her fashion sense slightly bit old because it works. Also i love how she fights for her love and go against her family because in an indian household you can do drugs(secretly) but you can’t choose your own man to love and to marry.

Sam he was your typical American man. He was charming and his chemistry with Akira was amazing i was down for their banter. I also love how he fight for his love and determined to get acceptance in an Indian family.

So many serious issues were also discussed in the book like farmers suicide which is really concerning in India. Also how parents manipulate children and how they always are right and us children aren’t and we are making bad decisions only they have the right to make decisions for us.

I specially love the festival scenes so much and even tho I’m a Muslim i still knew so much about the Hindu festival and why they are celebrated but i love the vibes(i don’t celebrate them) i really really love Garba the Gujrati traditional dance.

I can’t wait to read the Luke and meera story because i know that was gonna be sad and miserable but I’m prepared.

[Bookish Affair · Rating 5 out of 5]

A vibrant, chaotic, lively, sometimes flamboyant and occasionally dramatic love story -Luv Shuv in New York - is a debut novel by N.M. Patel which combines a heavy dose of fictional realism.

This book has a strong cultural influence, which I believe was necessary because Sam and Akira's love story needed to be understood as every couple encounters unique challenges. The reader would need to comprehend the cultures from which both Sam and Akira come in order to fully appreciate the risks involved in falling in love. And the author did a fantastic job of giving us a picture of both cultures

Sam and Akira had me in fits of laughter, swooning, and tears. The dramatic Bollywood flavour of the story's denouement not only gave it a funky twist, but I was also savouring all the feelings that these characters also evoked in me.

My meticulously charming nerdy book boyfriend Sam White has had my heart from the beginning. Who could resist falling for a man like that? Duh! Sam at times came off as reserved and a tad bit grumpy, but his fierce love and his genuine interest in learning about Akira and the way he progressively falls in love with her makes him so much more attractive. He was "The Nice Guy" whose actions will leave you swooning and wishing if he were real.

The author did an amazing job of capturing the confidence and dynamism of every other Indian lady in Akira's character. She is a feisty, noisy girl who speaks her mind. The way we picture her path is as an Indian immigrant, away from her own country, taking chances, and prepared to fulfil all of her aspirations. Her Indian ideals and morals are deeply embedded in her, and you can still see them as she tries to start a new life in the west. My favourite moments were when she stayed loyal to her culture and beautifully portrayed all that is Desi, from festivals to our fascination with Chai, or tea. Akira maintains her character, morals, and integrity. Her principles, her love for her family, and the connection that every Indian is based on are all depicted in a natural way.

The author has revealed a side of the Indian heroine that I have truly missed in romance novels. The characters have been depicted so well, and we even get a few of our favourite subtle Bollywood moments without going overboard.

You experience all the emotions as the author delves deeply into focusing on the opposing culture and opposite personality and merging them together in such a way that you cannot help but be mesmerised.
The phrase "an ocean apart" might be used to describe their relationship because of the way she draws you in and forces you to acknowledge the other culture, as well as the way they both make an effort to comprehend one another given their very different backgrounds.

The little "meet cutes" in between those fleeting moments that we readers crave are arranged so well. Sam and Akira progressively get to know one another during the build-up, which is more packed with intimate moments than it is with tension. Their attraction grows over time, and when they finally get together, it's like a vibrant explosion of love, leaving you speechless and swooning.

Both of the MCs have a scorching and passionate chemistry. You might melt in some of the situations and be left completely unsupported. You are not only left speechless by Sam and Akira, but their love also fills you with joy and ecstasy. You'll be moved to tears when they choose to overcome the cultural barrier in order to pursue their love. Sam is adamant about helping Akira with her family issues and so devoted that he never gives up till the end. Reading about them will make you yearn and wish to have your own love story to conclude like theirs did. (Sigh)

The way they both experienced each other's cultures was among the book's best elements. There were so many pivotal times that you couldn't help but sigh and smile: Sam assisting Akira to comprehend and adapt to US society by trying new things, and Akira helping Sam by likewise including him in Indian culture and festivities. Their ability to acknowledge and respect one another's profound cultural differences and then to adjust is what really distinguishes their narrative. Regarding love, there are no restrictions. Love is a feeling that transcends culture and nationality and completely transforms a person.

Luv Shuv in New York is a must-read for everyone else who enjoys reading romance novels with a Desi flavour. In particular, loving someone who physically lives across an ocean, hails from a foreign culture, and leads a very different life is very challenging, as the story vividly illustrates. A partner that is the complete antithesis of you in every way, yet you can't fathom your life without them.

I would also like to thank the author for giving me the opportunity to beta read this amazing book. I hope y'all will give this debut a well deserved chance😊❤️

[Shivani Rana · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️

oh how i love reading about characters who look like me <3

Akira was everything and more. Sam was a total sweetheart. This was a solid debut novel, i BREEZED through it.

I absolutely loved how supportive and loving Sam was. however, their relationship was a little drastic going from 0 to 100 instantly. It hit me by surprise, ngl but I wasn’t complaining. I did find some things kind of confusing though like how Sam pointed out that he only wears his glasses during a screen but had them on in the entire book? that was kind of useless information imo since it wasn’t followed through. and the way it was never told why Luke was zoned out about Meera’s story. So i’m hoping there’s a book for Luke coming ??? 👀

Either was a solid read and I enjoyed it thoroughly!!!

[Kadduu · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at 32%

I find the writing quite wattpad-y, cliché story line/things that happen and a little cringy at times.

I think this is the author's first book and it's common for these things to happen. It takes time to build the skill. I love the Indian representation but I wish the story was done better.

[Karishma · Rating 1 out of 5]

As a South Asian, I was really excited to read this book. The plot had potential, but the writing felt like it was done by a teenager. The portrayal of certain aspects was highly stereotypical, and the BMW comment was both rude and unnecessary. I would recommend skipping this book.

[♡•Madhu•♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just fell after the Garba scene and I haven't recovered yet😭❤️🔥

|| I turned and put my head in her lap.
The fantasy didn't even come close to the reality.
Heaven. This was what heaven would be like.
"I could stay here forever" ||

[Aarohi Prakash · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too much drama felt like I'm watching one of the Karan Johar's film ( not to offend anyone)

[Something interesting · Rating 1 out of 5]

Felt like I was reading a 14 year old mixed race but has never been to India teenager's Wattpad project

[The Bashful Bookworm by Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ rounded up.

🩷Grumpy x Sunshine
💛Opposites Attract
🩷Friends to Lovers
💛Close Proximity (school and project)
🩷Interracial (Indian FMC x American MMC)
💛Forbidden
🩷Indian Family Drama

I loved part 1. All the grumpy/sunshine and opposites attract moments between Sam and Akira were great. There was attraction from the beginning but Sam and Akira are very focused on school. However, they must do a project together and are forced to spend time with each other and this leads to a great friends to lovers foundation. The friendship they developed was really sweet and allowed them to see the other on deeper levels. I loved the tension as they could no longer fight their attraction and deeper feelings. There was a little angst that came along with pursuing their feeling and entering into a relationship due to their cultural differences. But I was cheering them on, I loved the encouragement and advice they received. The Navratri festival and Sam’s torment had me melting and OMG when they give in! So hot!

Part 2 was also pretty good, it had the conflict and drama and really focused on how dedicated Sam and Akira are to each other. Especially Sam! My heart hurt for Akira and her struggle with loving her family so deeply while being determined to follow her heart. I loved the support she rescue from her friends and most of her family.

Part 3 was anticlimactic and almost not needed. I mean once Akira’s parents talked to her again it felt pretty resolved and then the book felt drawn out. Most this part could have been condensed.

The smut was …ehhh. The first few scenes were good and felt in line with the tension and story, and were really hot! 🥵 But the rest didn’t really add anything. I didn’t mind them but there was no exciment in those scenes. They were just normal healthy everyday sex but could honestly have been fade to black moment for all they added.

Overall, I felt this book could be a good movie. I could see some hilarious montages of Sam and his Indian lessons, and other moment that are usually quickly glossed over in movies like a lot of their time at school and in India but in the book it was very drawn out. I enjoyed all the culture and real life descriptions but at the same time it was too much for a romance book. a 1/3 of that could be taken out, I hate saying that and it feels wrong but oh well.

I like the hint of Luke and Meera and I hope I enjoy book 2 more but I’m mostly excited for Aakar’s book! I’m glad Aakar was so supportive and proactive about Akira and Sam. I’m not sure I would have liked him as much in his book if I had seen a unsupportive, misogynistic, and racist side even if he would have come around.

[idk · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wish I could like this book but omg the ml is so fucking insufferable. in the authors attempt to highlight the differences and how new their cultures were to each other it came off as creepy and gross. like they fully wrote “But every piece of clothing seemed to be designed for seduction” and thought we’d eat that up not even a fourth way into the book when they hadn’t even admitted their feelings yet. there were SO many times where I was genuinely peeved by the mls behavior he is so ignorant I understand not knowing about something from another culture but it seems like this guy lived under a rock. also his pov was a hell I wish I didn’t have to experience like y is he possessive it seems like the author was just writing a character from those dark romance books but like he works a 9-5 so like 💀. he constantly only has sexual thoughts about her and is so judgmental towards her culture even calling it names like “It all sounded very archaic to me” also describing food as though it was gross and weird “Ignoring the alliteration and the weird-ass word of the dish” and “Fucking hell. What is up with the color of their food? … she put a few of those scary-looking pieces in my plate” if u can’t tell I really hate that guy. the mc is fine she’s a bit hella cringe and I judge her for liking that excuse of a ml. something she said which I was like what 😐 “I love him, Pappa. I wouldn’t fall for someone who wouldn’t be right for our family or who would disrespect our values and traditions” he literally does disrespect her culture objectifying it and her showing his judgment for foods he is hasn’t even eaten. I don’t get y this book reads like it was also written for white ppl ok anyways the ml is an ignorant pathetic guys and I fucking hate him.

[Deepthi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved reading Sam & Akira.

TROPES:
Friends to lovers, desi romance, opposites attract, close proximity, interracial, forbidden trope, spice:🌶️🌶️

Starting out as Friends these two grown fond of each and the sexual tension is great.
I just love how each of them are aware of those little things the other person does and attentive to each other.

Akira with her sunshine personality won me over. Sam he is a sweetheart even though he is grumpy and not a talkative person in the beginning, but i loved how he grew fond of Akira and got accustomed to her.

The desi aspect is a delight in this book. Though I am not aware of Gujarati aspect in this book, some of them are similar to all parts of India.

However some parts made me cringe so hard, the mug and poop scene, definitely tops it. It was funny but sometimes it came at unnecessary timings like when they are having s*x . Also some of Akira’s reactions felt overly dramatic, I also loved some.

The value of Indian family and that too joint family is shown beautifully. Aakar, Abhi, Ria, Luke i love them all so much.

Overall: 3.5⭐️

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

*4.25 out of 5 Stars

Just finished this lovely story a couple hours ago and I'm now ready to review it, let's do this!

First off, I'm super grateful to the author (and one of my favorite bookstagrammers) for the opportunity to read this e-ARC. And I'm quite proud of myself for actually reading it before it releases next month. ;)

In this book, we follow Akira as she flies halfway across the world, leaving behind her huge joint family in India, to study architecture in the States. Her parents, though supportive and proud of her, had only one condition - that she may not fall in love with anyone who's not Indian. Of course, fate had other ideas.

And that's all you need to know before you dive into this warm hug of a story. I'm not kidding. Right from the beginning, there was this sense of familiarity in the setting, the people and the descriptions of Akira's family dynamics that made me feel right at home in the story. I wished I was reading the actual physical book so I could hug it close.

I loved the dual POVs - seeing both Akira and Sam's thoughts and feelings, how they went from friends-to-lovers, how they opened up a whole new world for each other, the new experiences, the happiness, the love - despite their obvious and not so obvious "differences", and yet overcoming and celebrating those differences because of their love - just made me all warm and fuzzy inside. I even teared up a couple times seeing Akira's relationships with her siblings.

I did feel that the pacing and the writing had room for improvement and could benefit from some more editing - but for a debut novel with an Indian FMC and an American MMC plus more Indian and American side characters, set in India and the US, the author has done a wonderful job here telling this important story.

I look forward to seeing this book fly off the shelves when it releases, and I'm kinda hoping for a companion sequel of sorts about a certain side character and (if I'm guessing correctly) another minor character who we see very briefly in this story. Basically, I'm dying to read whatever Patel puts out next (even if it's not what I'm thinking it might be). :D

[Eva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to @liberlady aka the writer for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Akira is an Indian woman who moved to New York for a master in architecture. She lives with other Indian girls, calls her family every day and has immediately bonded with classmates of different origins than the USA. Then she meets Sam, the broody quiet one who falls for the colourful, loud woman.

Clash of cultures is at at the forefront of the story, and it's what I liked the most (an episode I especially liked regards Akira and a certain bathroom mug) (but then again I'm Italian, we have our bidet, so I know the drill abroad). Seeing Akira explain her points to the white cishet guy, him being all sensitive and ready to learn was really satisfying.

And India, omg i loved everything about that part, I can't say much about it cause spoiler, but I laughed out loud, got to love Akira's family, and mildly fell for Sam's friend Luke. Can't wait for his story 😉