Priya In Heels by Ayesha Patel

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A new adult title from Entangled’s Embrace imprint… 

Love doesn’t conquer all…does it?

Priyanka Patel is the epitome of an obedient daughter. She’s finishing up her medical residency at one of Houston’s busiest emergency departments, and has agreed—albeit reluctantly—to marry the man her family has chosen for her. The only thing that can derail the “perfect” life laid out before her is the sexy musician down the hall who wants into her life…and into her bed.

Tyler O’Connor has been infatuated with Priya since she treated his sprained ankle in the ER, and after saving her from a brutal attack, he can't get her out of his head. When Priya puts her family's wishes before their relationship, agreeing to an arranged marriage with another man, Tyler is devastated.

But love is fierce and unreasonable and clashes with the carefully sculpted life her parents want for her. Is going after her heart such a big deal, or will it truly unravel Priya’s world?

Thanks to the title, Priya In Heels sounds like it’s a whimsical affair and just plain fun to read. Not only did it fulfill that promise but it delivered more. With the growing push for more diversity in books, Priya In Heels is a wonderful title to add to the list.

Priya is a very dedicated person. She’s dedicated to her job, her family and her friends. Then Tyler comes along and jumbles up her feelings. She’s very weary of him makes it known from the start that she’s not interested and not available. Her priority is to get through her residency. A man in her life is not the distraction she wants. That’s all fine and good but he also happens to be her neighbor so they’re bound to run into each other. And Tyler makes sure that they do. He’s persistent but not creepy. Priya can’t help but be curious from at a distance. He’s a nice enough guy and all but she just can’t allow a relationship to blossom.

When her mom calls her to say that she has begun arrangements for a potential match for Priya and the son of another family friend, Priya obediently goes along with it just to appease her. See, Priya is not blindly loyal to her parents, she absolutely adores them. She never wants to do anything that may upset them. While an arranged marriage or marriage in general may not be the exact thing she wants at that moment, she agrees to at least meeting the guy. Tyler in the meantime tries to push the envelope with her, getting her to loosen up and be more relaxed around him.

The rest of the book follows the ups and downs of their friendship and growing attraction. All the while that Priya is denying any attraction to him, the stronger their emotional attachment gets. But for Priya it’s not just the fact that a relationship could distract her from her career, it’s also what her parents would think of her being with someone who’s not Indian. There is a story behind that which Priya explains later but in the meantime, to defy her family’s tradition is not a place that she wants to go.  As for Tyler, he's willing to embrace all that is important to her if only she'd be willing to embrace the idea of them together.

The best part of Priya In Heels, is Priya herself.  She’s an independent and smart woman who happens to care very much about her family. She's just trying to figure it all out like the rest of us. There are also her roommate and close friends who range from very traditional to secretly rebellious. A large part of the story too is how they try to live up to and uphold their families' traditions and values while also trying to fit in to the world they've grown up in. Embracing all those things that make you, you. For me personally, I got a lot of that.

Definitely give Priya In Heels a go. It's cute, heartwarming and in the end it's about the most important things in life -- family, love and happiness.

~ Bel