Thursday, May 27, 2021

Where Is Your Bookmark? (A Lot of Romance & A Dash of Steampunk)




A weekly meme where readers share the first sentence of the book they are reading and say what they think. Hosted by the amazing Gillion Dumas of Rose City Reader.


So much about the world baffled Dr. Trisha Raje, but she was never at a loss for how to do her job. [opening of Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors]


A weekly meme in which readers share a random sentence or two from page 56 or 56% of the book they are reading. Hosted by the wonderful Freda of Freda's Voice.


Mortification colored her cheeks. One would think he had walked in on her in the shower. Falling asleep around a virtual stranger was obviously not something she did often. [excerpt from 56% of Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors]

I have had Sonali Dev's Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors on my TBR shelf for awhile now and when it was selected as the adult pick for COYER's June book club, I decided now would be the perfect time to dive in. The opening above does not reveal too much about the novel itself, but it does speak a little to the character of the heroine. I have not yet reached the Friday56 excerpt yet, but it certainly has me curious to know more! 
Award-winning author Sonali Dev launches a new series about the Rajes, an immigrant Indian family descended from royalty, who have built their lives in San Francisco...

It is a truth universally acknowledged that only in an overachieving Indian American family can a genius daughter be considered a black sheep.

Dr. Trisha Raje is San Francisco’s most acclaimed neurosurgeon. But that’s not enough for the Rajes, her influential immigrant family who’s achieved power by making its own non-negotiable rules:

· Never trust an outsider
· Never do anything to jeopardize your brother’s political aspirations
· And never, ever, defy your family

Trisha is guilty of breaking all three rules. But now she has a chance to redeem herself. So long as she doesn’t repeat old mistakes.

Up-and-coming chef DJ Caine has known people like Trisha before, people who judge him by his rough beginnings and place pedigree above character. He needs the lucrative job the Rajes offer, but he values his pride too much to indulge Trisha’s arrogance. And then he discovers that she’s the only surgeon who can save his sister’s life.

As the two clash, their assumptions crumble like the spun sugar on one of DJ’s stunning desserts. But before a future can be savored there’s a past to be reckoned with...

A family trying to build home in a new land.

A man who has never felt at home anywhere.

And a choice to be made between the two.
[Goodreads Summary]

Have you read Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors or another book by Sonali Dev? If so, what did you think? What book are you reading right now?

Originally a feature called Last Year I Was Reading created by Maria from ReadingMaria
I liked it enough to continue on my own, but have tweaked it
 to feature Five Years Ago I Was Reading. 
(I would have gone back ten, but I read so little in 2011)


This time five years ago I was reading The Shadow Revolution (Crown & Key, #1) by Clay Griffith & Susan Griffith a steampunk fantasy novel set in Victorian London featuring a spellcaster scribe and an alchemist. This was an entertaining start to a series, one I had planned to continue, but like so many other series I start, I never managed to follow up on. After re-discovering this one as I perused by reading log and old blog posts, I will be making a point to do so now.

Have you read The Shadow Revolution or one of the other two books in the series? 


Connect Five Friday is a weekly meme where readers share a list of five books, 
read or unread, or bookish things, that share a common theme. 
Hosted by the  Kathryn of of Book Date.

In celebration of Asian-American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Month, I thought it would be fun to feature books by authors of Asian and Pacific Islanders descent for the month.  Not all of these authors are American nor are their books all set in the U.S. I recently started reading Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors by Sonali Dev (featured above), and so today I am listing five other romance novels currently on my TBR shelves waiting to be read: 


A Sweet Mess
 (#1) by Jayci Lee
Korean-American author Jayci Lee delights with this delicious and light-hearted romantic comedy that readers will devour and ask for more.

Bake a chance on love.

Aubrey Choi loves living in her small town nestled in the foothills of California, running her highly successful bakery away from the watch of her strict Korean parents. When a cake mix-up and a harsh review threaten all of her hard work and her livelihood, she never thought the jaded food critic would turn out to be her one-night stand. And she sure as hell never thought she’d see her gorgeous Korean unicorn again. But when Landon Kim waltzes into her bakery trying to clean up the mess he had a huge hand in making, Aubrey is torn between throwing and hearing him out.

When she hears his plan to help save her business, Aubrey knows that spending three weeks in California wine country working with Landon is a sure recipe for disaster. Her head is telling her to take the chance to save her bakery while her heart—and her hormones—are at war on whether to give him a second chance. And it just so happens that Landon’s meddling friends want them to spend those three weeks as close as possible...by sharing a villa.

When things start heating up, both in and out of the kitchen, Aubrey will have to make a choice—to stick it out or risk her heart. [Goodreads Summary]

Hana Khan Carries On
by Uzma Jalaluddin
From the author of Ayesha at Last comes a sparkling new rom-com for fans of “You’ve Got Mail,” set in two competing halal restaurants. 
Sales are slow at Three Sisters Biryani Poutine, the only halal restaurant in the close-knit Golden Crescent neighbourhood. Hana waitresses there part time, but what she really wants is to tell stories on the radio. If she can just outshine her fellow intern at the city radio station, she may have a chance at landing a job. In the meantime, Hana pours her thoughts and dreams into a podcast, where she forms a lively relationship with one of her listeners. But soon she’ll need all the support she can get: a new competing restaurant, a more upscale halal place, is about to open in the Golden Crescent, threatening Three Sisters.

When her mysterious aunt and her teenage cousin arrive from India for a surprise visit, they draw Hana into a long-buried family secret. A hate-motivated attack on their neighbourhood complicates the situation further, as does Hana’s growing attraction for Aydin, the young owner of the rival restaurant—who might not be a complete stranger after all.

As life on the Golden Crescent unravels, Hana must learn to use her voice, draw on the strength of her community and decide what her future should be. [Goodreads Summary]


Last Tang Standing
by Lauren Ho
Crazy Rich Asians meets Bridget Jones's Diary in this funny and irresistible debut novel about the pursuit of happiness, surviving one's thirties intact, and opening oneself up to love.

At thirty-three, Andrea Tang is living the dream: she has a successful career as a lawyer, a posh condo, and a clutch of fun-loving friends who are always in the know about Singapore's hottest clubs and restaurants. All she has to do is make partner at her law firm and she will have achieved everything she (and her mother) has ever worked for. So what if she's poised to be the last unmarried member of her generation of the Tang clan? She doesn't need a man to feel fulfilled, no matter what her meddling relatives have to say about it.

But for a dutiful Chinese-Malaysian daughter, the weight of familial expectations is hard to ignore. And so are the men life keeps throwing in Andrea's path. Men like Suresh Aditparan, her annoyingly attractive rival for partner and the last man she should be spending time with, and Eric Deng, a wealthy entrepreneur whose vision for their future is more lavish than she could have imagined. With her workplace competition growing ever more intense, her friends bringing dramas of their own to her door, and her family scrutinizing her every romantic prospect, Andrea finds herself stretched to the breaking point. And she can't help but wonder: In the endless tug-of-war between pleasing others and pleasing herself, is there room for everyone to win? [Goodreads Summary]


The Marriage Game
(#1) by Sara Desai
A high stakes wager pits an aspiring entrepreneur against a ruthless CEO in this sexy romantic comedy.

After her life falls apart, recruitment consultant Layla Patel returns home to her family in San Francisco. But in the eyes of her father, who runs a Michelin starred restaurant, she can do no wrong. He would do anything to see her smile again. With the best intentions in mind, he offers her the office upstairs to start her new business and creates a profile on an online dating site to find her a man. She doesn’t know he’s arranged a series of blind dates until the first one comes knocking on her door…

As CEO of a corporate downsizing company Sam Mehta is more used to conflict than calm. In search of a quiet new office, he finds the perfect space above a cozy Indian restaurant that smells like home. But when communication goes awry, he's forced to share his space with the owner's beautiful yet infuriating daughter Layla, her crazy family, and a parade of hopeful suitors, all of whom threaten to disrupt his carefully ordered life.

As they face off in close quarters, the sarcasm and sparks fly. But when the battle for the office becomes a battle of the heart, Sam and Layla have to decide if this is love or just a game. [Goodreads Summary]


The Kiss Quotient
(#1) by by Helen Hoang
A heartwarming and refreshing debut novel that proves one thing: there's not enough data in the world to predict what will make your heart tick.

Stella Lane thinks math is the only thing that unites the universe. She comes up with algorithms to predict customer purchases—a job that has given her more money than she knows what to do with, and way less experience in the dating department than the average thirty-year-old.

It doesn't help that Stella has Asperger's and French kissing reminds her of a shark getting its teeth cleaned by pilot fish. Her conclusion: she needs lots of practice—with a professional. Which is why she hires escort Michael Phan. The Vietnamese and Swedish stunner can't afford to turn down Stella's offer, and agrees to help her check off all the boxes on her lesson plan—from foreplay to more-than-missionary position...

Before long, Stella not only learns to appreciate his kisses, but to crave all the other things he's making her feel. Soon, their no-nonsense partnership starts making a strange kind of sense. And the pattern that emerges will convince Stella that love is the best kind of logic... [Goodreads Summary]

Have you read any of these? If so, what did you think? 

Be sure and check out my other Connect Five posts featuring AAPI authors:  Fiction, Crime Fiction/Thrillers, and Science Fiction/Fantasy novels! If you have any recommendations, I would love to hear them.


 I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Be sure and tell me what you are reading and are up to!

© 2021 Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

40 comments:

  1. I think the Pride and Prejudice and Flavor sounds fun. My Friday Quotes

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anne - I am not too far in yet but am liking it so far. It's going to be a fun read, I think. Thank you for visiting!

      Delete
  2. Ooh 'Pride, Prejudice and Other Flavours' sounds like a really nice P&P adaptation! I mistrust them sometimes, but this one just immediately grabbed my by gender-reversing it all! Definitely adding it to my list :) I hope you have a lovely start to the weekend and do drop by my Friday post if you have the time! - Juli @ A Universe in Words

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Juli - I know what you mean. I am enjoying this one so far. It's an adaptation with very much its own flavor. I like the gender-reversal too. :-) Thank you for stopping by and I hope you have a great weekend too!

      Delete
  3. Pride and Prejudice and other Flavors sounds like a good read! Something different for sure.

    Have a good weekend and happy reading!

    Elza Reads

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mareli (Elza) - It is good so far. I'm not too far in, but I already know I will like it. I hope you have a good weekend too! Thank you for visiting.

      Delete
  4. Your book snippets make me want to read this book! Thanks for sharing, and here's mine: “YOU WILL REMEMBER ME”

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Laurel-Rain - I'm really enjoying it so far! Thank you for stopping by!

      Delete
  5. Yet another wonderful and eclectic selection. Long overdue a steampunk novel, of all of these books it is The Shadow Revolution that has captured my imagination.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Felicity - Thank you. The Shadow Revolution was an enjoyable read. I really need to pick up the other two books in the series. Thank you for visiting!

      Delete
  6. How did I miss The Shadow Revolution? I'm always looking for new steampunk reads and this one somehow slipped by me. It sounds awesome! I'm adding it to my wishlist right now. Thanks for sharing! Hope you have a great weekend! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ashley - I hope you like it if you give it a try! I hope you are enjoying your weekend too. Thank you for stopping by!

      Delete
  7. I've read The Kiss Quotient, and I really liked Stella and Michael together. Haven't read any of the others, but they do look like fun. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lark - I am looking forward to reading The Kiss Quotient! Thank you for visiting!

      Delete
  8. I have been really wanting to read The Kiss Quotient! And those other ones sound great too! Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cheryl - Me too! I've heard such great things about it. Thank you for stopping by!

      Delete
  9. I have the first book from that series on my wishlist! Happy Memorial day weekend!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Freda - I hope you have a great weekend. Thank you for visiting!

      Delete
  10. I haven't read a steampunk book yet but it's on my list of things I want to try.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mary - I enjoy steampunk from time to time. I hope you are able to find a book to try and that you like it. Thank you for stopping by!

      Delete
  11. I do want to try The Shadow Revolution - it's been on my tbr for so long!

    Lauren @ Always Me

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lauren - I hope you enjoy it when you do read it. Thank you for visiting!

      Delete
  12. I haven't read Pride and Prejudice and Flavors but it sounds really good.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yonne - I am enjoying it so far! Thank you for stopping by!

      Delete
  13. I just bought Hana Khan Carries on from Book Depository. And I got The Marriage Game in an Audible sale. So I look forward to both. I love Sonali Dev as an author, and am waiting for her latest.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kathryn - I hope you enjoy both! Thank you for vsiting!

      Delete
  14. This all looks like a great series of books! I've got Kiss Quotient and Hannah Khan Carries On on my TBR list.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Helen - I hope we both enjoy them! Thank you for stopping by!

      Delete
  15. I loved 'pride and prejudice'. Kiss Quotient was okay to me..there was this push and pull that was a lot different than the Hater's game.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Trin - I haven't read The Hater's Game, although that one is one I hope to read too. Thank you for visiting!

      Delete
  16. That's a great diversity of books you've here, Wendy! Will check them out when the mood (for a light read) calls for it. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Melody - I hope you like whichever ones you decide to try! Thank you for stopping by!

      Delete
  17. I've read Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors, The Kiss Quotient, and Hana Khan Carries On and really enjoyed them all.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Suzanne - I am glad to hear it. I loved Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors. Now to read the others! Thank you for visiting!

      Delete
  18. The only book that I have read from this post is The Kiss Quotient which I really enjoyed. I see a few more that I wouldn't mind giving a try.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Carole - I am glad you enjoyed The Kiss Quotient! I hope I will too. Thank you for visiting!

      Delete
  19. I haven't read any of these but some of these sound really fun and like the perfect summer reads!

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for taking the time to visit Musings of a Bookish Kitty. Don't be shy! I would love to hear from you. Due to a recent increase in spam, I will be moderating all comments for the foreseeable future. Please be patient with me as it may take a few hours before I am able to approve your comment.