First Love, Take Two
Fiction
Forever
September 21, 2021
Paperback
384
Free from publisher
On the verge of realizing her dream of being a doctor, Preeti Patel should be ecstatic. But between the stress of her residency, trying to find a job, and managing her traditional, no-boundaries family, Preeti's anxiety is through the roof. Relationships and love aren't even an option. Fortunately, Preeti's finally found a new place to stay . . . only to discover that her new roommate is her ex.
Preeti never quite got over Daniel Thompson. Super-hot, plenty of swagger, amazing cook—the guy is practically perfect. And if it weren't for their families, there might have been a happily ever after. But it's hard to keep her sanity and libido in check when the man of her dreams is sleeping mere feet away. Can Preeti and Daniel find a way to stand up and fight for each other one last time . . . before they lose their second chance?
Time to spotlight a romance, which is not something I do that often. In order for me to enjoy a romance novel, there has to be some substance to it besides the romantic tension found in pretty much all of them. I also have to like and respect the main characters, this means no dumb doormat women, no controlling men, etc. I was impressed that this novel definitely had some substance in that the main characters were originally broken apart by their respective families and traditions. Preeti is Indian, and her family has an Indian man in their sights they deem perfect for her, while Daniel's father wants a well connected woman from a wealthy family for his son. Meanwhile the two are both still in love with each other. Of course most people would tell their families where to shove it, but it was interesting to read about the deep bonds of tradition that keep both of these characters tied to their families opinions about their relationship. The other thing I loved in this one was that both characters were successful in their careers, Preeti completing her residency, and Daniel involved in his father's company. They were smart, successful, and genuinely nice people that I loved getting to know. There was even some mental health representation as Preeti suffers from anxiety and touch aversion. Love that more books are exploring this, and happy it was touched on here. The ending, as most romances are, was neatly tied up and highly satisfactory.
This was a strong second chance romance with self assured independent characters you were rooting for. Add in the cultural ties to family, and you've got a story with much more than the typical romance read.
