A review by kdawn999
Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors by Sonali Dev

4.0

3.5 stars rounded up to reward this novel for all it did well. Don't expect it to follow every beat of the plot of P&P, but the ones it chooses are pretty smart. I've thought lately that P&P is unadaptable in a modern, American context--we can't be shamed as heavily by sex scandals, marriage is now no longer the sole means for financial survival, and what is good manners depends completely on the society you hold. Sonali Dev wisely takes the "flavors" of P&P--the issues of "pride" and "prejudice"--and shows how those can play out in the debt-inducing health-care system and racial biases of the US. Pride, here, is pride in one's work--the "Darcy" and "Elizabeth" characters each have jobs they love and excel at--neurosurgery and elite cooking. In this novel the characteristics of the romantic leads are mixed up and gender-swapped, and this was done well. Really, though, the best thing this novel did--which is a cornerstone of P&P--was deeply develop the ancillary characters and family drama. We dive into the backgrounds of the leads and come to care for their family as they do--even the indominable Catherine de Bourgh analog, here an Indian Maharaja.

The only thing that fell flat for me--and I guess it's a big thing--was the romance. The characters and situations are well-conceived, but the dialogue between the leads is utter garbage. Rather than witty, intellectual digs we get bumbling, pettiness, and social ineptitude on both sides. I really don't see how these two fall for each other as written here.

Nevertheless, I've already cast the leads for the movie adaptation, and I would fall over myself to see Nick Sagar (of The Princess Switch) and Simone Ashley (of Bridgerton Season 2) have at each other on screen.