Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors by Sonali Dev

Trisha Raje is a young gifted brain surgeon.  She has grown up in California as part of a very close family… and her father just happens to be royalty back in India.  The Raje family is tight knit, even more so now that Trisha’s younger brother Yash is running for governor.  The family has never forgiven Trisha for an event that occurred in the past that is the one thing that could derail Yash’s career.  Will Trisha be able to win her family back and will she be able to find a life outside of work?

DJ Caine is a chef who has moved to California to take care of his sister who is sick with cancer.  He is trying to get a break and has started to cater to the Raje family.  He is offended by the brusque Trisha at an event, and is even more surprised to find that she is his sister’s doctor.  Will he be able to put aside his prejudices and do what is best for his sister?

This novel has a title that sold me on it being a Pride Prejudice related novel, but it only has a hint of the Pride and Prejudice story.  It is not a modern retelling in the strict sense.   It is a gender swap with DJ Caine in the Elizabeth Bennet role and Trisha Raje as the proud Mr. Darcy.  Mr. Wickham makes an appearance in the form of Julia Wickham.  Julia is Trisha’s old friend that has a sordid past with Yash.

It’s this sordid past that I found troubling in the novel.  The treatment of rape did not sit well with me at all.  The family blaming Trisha for it as it was her friend that she had brought into the family also distressed me.  Trisha didn’t know her friend was sadistic and I don’t think her family should blame her for that.    I was glad that Trisha was able to find her way back to her family in this novel, but I felt she never should have been pushed away.

Other characters from Pride and Prejudice did not appear in the novel and it missed the charm and humor of the original.  I did enjoy the Raje family and the story, but it missed the mark for me.

Favorite Quotes:

“One Step at a time.  That’s how you changed the world.”

Overall, Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors was an interesting novel, but I wasn’t feeling the Pride and Prejudice chemistry in this novel.

Book Source:  Review Copy from William Morrow Books.  Thank-you!