Luv Shuv In New York (Luv Shuv, #1) (2024)

Hey Guys, I WROTE A BOOK. THIS BOOK.

In case, you didn't know, I am N.M. Patel.
And my book is finally out in the world!!

I had an absolute blast writing this novel. It's an OwnVoice novel, where I've derived some of my own experiences as an Indian immigrant in the US, some of my friends' experiences and add more fictional elements. It's about how easy it could be to fall in love with someone, yet how complicated it could get when you come from a different cultural background. It's about fighting for your love, for your freedom to choose who you love and making it in a different country.

I hope you have the best time reading it.

You absolutely need Luv Shuv in New York if you love:
- Friends to Lovers
- Closed Proximity
- The Coolest and the Hottest Indian Festivals
- Full-On Bollywood style Indian Family Drama
- Forbidden Love
- Steam (Kiss against the closed doooor and things taking quite a turn from there!!)
- Part of the story in NYC, and parts in India
- Ultimate Soft and grumpy Book Boyfriend "Sam White."
- Sunshine heroine (an Indian immigrant heroine determined to make it on her own) excited to share her culture with her friends
- Fighting for love TOGETHER
- NO UNNECESSARY THIRD ACT BREAKUP

Amazon US: https://a.co/d/2P2I5P8
Amazon CA: https://a.co/d/iDejiFQ
Amazon UK: https://amzn.eu/d/aqWdG00
Amazon India: https://amzn.eu/d/dFwDuvi

Happy Reading!!

PS: I created a separate author profile so I can still be a carefree reader and continue to share my love for all the books I read!

I think this review might be a bit long because I have thoughts, so bear with me:
Luv Shuv in New York is a well-written debut interracial (Indian/American) romance. I think this might be the first time that I'm reading this kind of romance, where the story is heavily focused on family acceptance of one's love interest, someone of different culture, origin, ways, upbringing, religion. And I'm glad for that representation: as said in the book, this acceptance from the family, especially in Asian culture, is an essential part.

Akira leaves her family and everything she knows behind to go to the US for her Masters. She meets Sam, who is very taken aback by this ray of sunshine, and they end up being friends. Friends who are attracted to each other. Akira struggles with whether she should allow herself to get into a relationship with Sam, knowing the battle that they will have to face with her family and people's opinions. After all, her father explicitly told her to not fall in love with a BMW: Black, White or Muslim guy (tbh I was offended at this term: I am Muslim, and I don't like to be termed as part of "BMW").

(Ok so originally the book was marketed as grumpy×sunshine, which is why I have this in my original review: for those looking for a grumpy×sunshine romance, Sam is not grumpy. He is reserved, polite, keeps to himself and his very small circle, but he is not grumpy at all. Akira on the other hand is an extrovert: chatterbox, always making friends, brings happiness wherever she is. So yes, they have opposite personalities, but it's more reserved×extrovert. As the description was later changed to opposites attract, this part does not apply anymore).

In terms of what the blurb advertises and what the book delivers:
- interracial, contemporary romance: yes
- lots of laughter: not really? I don't know if I missed out on anything, but I didn't laugh at all. I did smile at the sweetness of the characters and the family drama.
- a touch of forbidden love: yes, as stated, a big chunk of the story is focused on whether Akira's family would accept that she's is a relationship with Sam.
- steam: I usually skim through/skip those scenes, so I don't feel that my thoughts are valid here
- full-on Indian family drama: delivered! I really enjoyed the big family, the siblings supporting each other, the big shared meals. Those felt familiar and very rooted in Asian culture. I loved those!

A couple of things that did not work for me:
- The development of Sam and Akira's relationship went from 0 to full-on pretty quickly, with uber-serious conversations on the first date itself. Although this was a bit jarring for me, it's completely understandable under the circ*mstances.
- I felt that Akira was a couple of times triggered by Sam's thoughtlessness (? ignorance?) about her culture/family dynamics. That didn't sit well with me. I think her reaction was a bit much (but maybe also very real?): instead of being angry or frustrated towards someone who does not understand the culture, a more appropriate reaction would be to be understanding and take that as a teaching moment for the other person.

What I loved:
- Asian culture representation and the immigration aspect
- the falling in love part - paying attention to the small things that really fan the attraction: absolutely Bollywood-worthy
- exchange of culture
- the big Indian family and everything that comes with: the good, the bad, the ugly and the very, very beautiful

Overall, I think this was a good debut. Desi people will definitely feel represented in this story. I felt that there were a couple of cringe-worthy scenes (which in hindsight probably make the story feel all the more real), but I still enjoyed getting insight into this part of a love story that isn't much shown in romance books.
Congratulations to the author on a job well done! Can I also just say that I absolutely love the cover of this book - it's a beautiful representation of the marriage of two different cultures.

Thank you to the author for an ARC of her book. All opinions are my own.

Being an Indian I genuinely was so excited to read this book after seeing it be hyped up.
Like Indian extroverted girl with reserved American, i was excited to see how it would play out, how the culture was going to be portrayed.

Literally all those expectations took a nosedive in when i crossed a few chapters. The female lead needs to get her facts right while talking about opportunities and stereotypes. Rather than being updated she kept going in reinforcing those said stereotypes again and again. Like yes i get it India is still growing and all that but there are so many fields that india has good even fantastic opportunities on! It hasn't been limited to medicine or engineering no matter how much it's said to be. Design and architecture are growing rapidly, ui ux has so much scope. There is so much material, phenomenal teachers and facilities being provided. I completely agreed that following some passion is frowned upon in this society where professions are placed in a hierarchical structure, it's completely true and a real problem but is that not a problem in the west too?
And for f*cks sake sam is not internet why should we expect that sam should know about lack of Starbucks outlet in India? Why should it be an expectation that the person should know all about India and its culture? The female lead makes it such a big omg moment like how can you say that, i didn't have it in my country. Like okay Miss girl you didn't have them, why not try to explain in a nicer understanding way, you just met this sam for f*cks sake.

I can say that this plot had such potential to be a really good book, stuff just went wrong i guess? the author has good writing I suppose and I really liked the family aspect and how it's shown. But sadly this book just wasn't for me.

Akira is a loud international student from India that moved to NYC to live her dream. Sam is a quiet and reserved American boy pursuing his master degree in Architecture at the same University. They couldn't be more different, and yet so right for each other.

I loved reading about the differences about the cultures. I was really amazed at how different can be the family relationship in each culture and the culture itself. I am not familiar with Indian culture and this novel has great insights of what it’s like. I say well done! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

The story also felt real. To the point it makes me wonder how much of this author own experiences was in this book.

Luv Shu in New York was an enjoyable debut, with likable characters, lots of family drama and really funny moments.

Thank you so much N. M. Patel for your kindness to send me an ARC. 🙏🏻✨

I really had to convince myself to give this a star at all. I am not someone who likes to hate on an author. I write too, and so I know that every book is a labour of love, writers are extremely possessive of every word they write. On top of that, I love supporting South Asian writers and reading their stories. But this was a hard one to finish.

One of the things I did like about the book was that Akira's family wasn't shown to be brutal and unreasonable. Her parents' reaction may have been extreme, but their disapproval was rooted in their love and concern for their child, and I appreciated that.

Coming onto the negatives, I will try not to go off on a rant.

1. There was absolutely no chemistry between Akira and Sam. There was no build ul of their relationship at all honestly, not before they were dating nor after. I have no clue how he went from finding her weird to loving her enough to propose. This further affected the rest of the story because I never felt this immense feeling of support,sympathy, or happiness for them.

2. Sam is a red flag. I am not sure exactly what it is about him, but just something about him ticks me off. It really pisses me off, I really don't like him. He seemed very ignorant at times ( not the Starbucks thing that was dumb on Akira's part). He had a lack of respect for Akira's parents and where they were coming from, in my opinion. I delt hints of white supremacy and white saviour complex shining through.

3. Why does every South Asian girl have to be a bubbly butterfly? Can I please read about my brooding sisters?

4. My biggest issue with this book was the glorification of the West at the expense of South Asia. I am not denying the fact that alot of people immigrate to the West due to a more diverse option when it comes to studies and higher paying jobs for skilled professionals but that does not mean they don't have any issues and I didn't see anything regarding those besides a slight reference to racism. On the other hand, for India, there were numerous things referenced in a negative way, including: educational opportunities, rishta culture, suicide rates, population, and much more. It was stated in a very ignorant way in my opinion. It really bothered me not that the flaws were stated but more so the fact that the flaws were stated simply in one side when in reality I can state a slew of issues in the US with relevance to when this book was issued ( Feb,2023), this includes: School shootings/ General lack of gun control, racism, barely any abortion rights, a struggling education system, and so much more. So yes, I took offence to their glorification at our cost.

Overall, there was a point where the writing seemed to lack in my opinion. I feel that there are much better South Asian love stories you can find out there. Like 'Counting Down With You' , 'Unmarriageable' and so much more.

Hello,

This was a triggering book. Representation at what cost, cost of a white man saviour. No thank you. Next.

Best,

Rasleen

A great debut novel, written with ease and short chapters and genuine characters, that talks about falling in love with someone of a different culture.

It’s an Indian American romance, with a great focus on cultural difference and what challenges it brings about.

We follow Akira, an Indian student coming to the states for her architecture studies, and Sam her American fellow student.
They are almost opposite yet they are attracted to each other.

The romance happens quite fast then gradually starts exposing the obstacles the couple goes through, especially the girl’s family’s opposition to this union.

A lot of cute and funny moments, romantic ones, and family drama

There is a lot of info about Indian culture, the festivals, the cuisine, the clothes, the family bonds, but at times it took more importance than the romance itself.
But there is one sentence that bothered me “BMW” (Black/Muslim/White) even if it reflected some thoughts that Indian parents have.

This is the first book I read that focuses on what a foreigner feels when coming to a new country and it felt relatable :)

✨I thank the author for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review

No depth and very stereotypical aspects without any explanation.

3.5

Siendo 100% honesta pensé que este libro me iba a aburrir e iba a ser una lectura muy pesada, pero la realidad es que me divertí mucho leyéndolo.

La química entre los protagonistas es muy palpable desde el comienzo, me encanta como Sam fue volviéndose más abierto conforme iba conociendo a Akira.

Ambos personajes son muy encantadores y aunque para algunas puede resultar súper cursi todas las interacciones, lo cierto es que a mí me encantaron.

Me gustó la forma en que la autora representó la cultura de Akira, realmente sentí que conocía a la India a través de sus ojos.

Rating - 5/5

I loved this wonderful blend of Indian and American culture romance.
This book had everything that we go through and it was so relatable. The festivals, the celebrations, the rules and restrictions. Everything was spot on.

Akira is an Indian Architect student who is now pursuing her masters in an American Uni and that's where she meets Sam also of the same class.
Their friendship grows to be more than just attraction and they were meant to be together ever since they first spoke to each other.

This book was more focused on Indian traditions than love as a whole, which I felt was a little too much, but I don't think that could have been done any other way and it turned out to be perfect.

Their love was strong enough to fight with a huge joint family and loved how Akira's siblings helped her through all these. I loved reading the 2nd part of the book, that's when all the drama started!! It just picked up its pace after that!! I couldn't put the book down once I started 3rd part. It was a roller coaster!!

It was a pleasure to read such a refreshing book. Thank you N.M Patel for this.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

What a debut! I absolutely loved Akira and Sam's story. The way N.M. incorporated the culture into the story was beautifully written. Akira moves to America to live the big dream, but little did she know she would fall in love with an all American boy, something that was forbidden by her father. I'm a sucker for a forbidden love story, and this checked all the boxes.

It was the little moments for me. I loved the understanding between the two characters, the small yet genuine gestures, the way Akira enveloped Sam into her world, how understanding and loving Sam was and just the general progression of their relationship. They challenged one another, which was also very fun to read, it definitely wasn't love at first sight and to see these two strangers unknowingly starting to care for each other was heart-melting. They had their battles, their ups and down and above all, the disapproval of a family, but that only made the story that more compelling.

I also really enjoyed how well the story was paced, one of my favorite things to see in a love story, is the build up, the angst, the hesitations, the denials, it's sweet torture that I couldn't get enough of. I also thoroughly enjoyed the side characters, which I believe add a lot of value to a strong story, so whether it was Luke, Sam's best friend or Akira's siblings, they own held their own personalities, which made their parts that much more fun to read.

Luv Shuv in New York, was a heart-warming story that I absolutely would recommend to everyone!

The most joyful and enchanting romance - I couldn’t stop smiling! 💖

Akira is an international student from India pursuing her Masters in Architecture at Columbia University. At orientation she is so excited she strikes up a conversation with the cute guy sitting next to her: quiet and serious Sam. What follows next is a beautiful blossoming of friendship to lovers that embraces cultural differences but there’s a problem. Akira’s dad gave her one rule before she left; she can fall in love with whoever she wants so long as they are not a BMW: Black, Muslim, or White.

Despite the external conflict coming from Akira’s parents, this book is surprisingly low angst. There’s a heavy importance placed on commitment, clear communication, and overcoming cultural obstacles and they both do this happily with so much love in their hearts. Sam is determined to do anything to be the man Akira’s parents will approve of. He takes tutoring lessons from Akira’s Indian roommates, tries to build his tolerance for spicy foods, participates in festivals, and when he goes to India to meet her family he touches her grandparents feet. So many moments I was just overwhelmed with emotions and you really feel like these two would move mountains to be together. As beautiful inside as it is outside, I can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy in February.

On a personal note, this book really spoke to me as someone who is also in an international relationship. I’m American, my husband is Scottish, and we also met at university! 🥰

Big thanks to N. M. Patel for the ARC, it was a pleasure to read - all opinions are my own.

What have I read ... 😳
As much as I love romances set in New York and desi representations, this was horrible! It felt like a Chetan Baghat 2.0 ... the characters being in their late 20s acted like they were teenagers, and Sam (the male interest) was just 🤮.

This book felt like a biography about the author itself with slight changes in the details. Luv Shuv in New York is the first, and hopefully, the last book I'll read about how the main character was disgusted by her boyfriends toilet habits, I mean, who the heck writes about that 🫠...

Spicy scenes were cringe and written by some hormonal teen 😂... the one star is for the writing, which was bearable!

This is a cliche gone wrong. Read it at your own expense 😶‍🌫️

25 pages in, I hate it so much when Indians get excited to see foreigners like they're just normal people. I get that India is hom*ogenous when it comes to races but it's so embarrassing when fellow Indians act like that. I don't care, it's cringy. Hope she gets less embarrassing and cringy.

Done reading it and didn't like it very much. Their timeline went by way too quickly, their relationship had no build-up and the chemistry was barely there.

Akira had no personality other than wearing hideous clothes, smiling a lot and having conservative parents. Sam had absolutely zero personality of his own. I just couldn't connect to the characters.

This book had me blushing the whole time. The characters were just so cute, not only main characters, but all the side characters were just so lovable. Books having desi romances are just so adorable.
Can't wait for Luke's story 😍

A vibrant, chaotic, lively, sometimes flamboyant and occasionally dramatic love story -Luv Shuv in New York - is a debut novel by N.M. Patel which combines a heavy dose of fictional realism.

This book has a strong cultural influence, which I believe was necessary because Sam and Akira's love story needed to be understood as every couple encounters unique challenges. The reader would need to comprehend the cultures from which both Sam and Akira come in order to fully appreciate the risks involved in falling in love. And the author did a fantastic job of giving us a picture of both cultures

Sam and Akira had me in fits of laughter, swooning, and tears. The dramatic Bollywood flavour of the story's denouement not only gave it a funky twist, but I was also savouring all the feelings that these characters also evoked in me.

My meticulously charming nerdy book boyfriend Sam White has had my heart from the beginning. Who could resist falling for a man like that? Duh! Sam at times came off as reserved and a tad bit grumpy, but his fierce love and his genuine interest in learning about Akira and the way he progressively falls in love with her makes him so much more attractive. He was "The Nice Guy" whose actions will leave you swooning and wishing if he were real.

The author did an amazing job of capturing the confidence and dynamism of every other Indian lady in Akira's character. She is a feisty, noisy girl who speaks her mind. The way we picture her path is as an Indian immigrant, away from her own country, taking chances, and prepared to fulfil all of her aspirations. Her Indian ideals and morals are deeply embedded in her, and you can still see them as she tries to start a new life in the west. My favourite moments were when she stayed loyal to her culture and beautifully portrayed all that is Desi, from festivals to our fascination with Chai, or tea. Akira maintains her character, morals, and integrity. Her principles, her love for her family, and the connection that every Indian is based on are all depicted in a natural way.

The author has revealed a side of the Indian heroine that I have truly missed in romance novels. The characters have been depicted so well, and we even get a few of our favourite subtle Bollywood moments without going overboard.

You experience all the emotions as the author delves deeply into focusing on the opposing culture and opposite personality and merging them together in such a way that you cannot help but be mesmerised.
The phrase "an ocean apart" might be used to describe their relationship because of the way she draws you in and forces you to acknowledge the other culture, as well as the way they both make an effort to comprehend one another given their very different backgrounds.

The little "meet cutes" in between those fleeting moments that we readers crave are arranged so well. Sam and Akira progressively get to know one another during the build-up, which is more packed with intimate moments than it is with tension. Their attraction grows over time, and when they finally get together, it's like a vibrant explosion of love, leaving you speechless and swooning.

Both of the MCs have a scorching and passionate chemistry. You might melt in some of the situations and be left completely unsupported. You are not only left speechless by Sam and Akira, but their love also fills you with joy and ecstasy. You'll be moved to tears when they choose to overcome the cultural barrier in order to pursue their love. Sam is adamant about helping Akira with her family issues and so devoted that he never gives up till the end. Reading about them will make you yearn and wish to have your own love story to conclude like theirs did. (Sigh)

The way they both experienced each other's cultures was among the book's best elements. There were so many pivotal times that you couldn't help but sigh and smile: Sam assisting Akira to comprehend and adapt to US society by trying new things, and Akira helping Sam by likewise including him in Indian culture and festivities. Their ability to acknowledge and respect one another's profound cultural differences and then to adjust is what really distinguishes their narrative. Regarding love, there are no restrictions. Love is a feeling that transcends culture and nationality and completely transforms a person.

Luv Shuv in New York is a must-read for everyone else who enjoys reading romance novels with a Desi flavour. In particular, loving someone who physically lives across an ocean, hails from a foreign culture, and leads a very different life is very challenging, as the story vividly illustrates. A partner that is the complete antithesis of you in every way, yet you can't fathom your life without them.

I would also like to thank the author for giving me the opportunity to beta read this amazing book. I hope y'all will give this debut a well deserved chance😊❤️

3.75 ⭐️

oh how i love reading about characters who look like me <3

Akira was everything and more. Sam was a total sweetheart. This was a solid debut novel, i BREEZED through it.

I absolutely loved how supportive and loving Sam was. however, their relationship was a little drastic going from 0 to 100 instantly. It hit me by surprise, ngl but I wasn’t complaining. I did find some things kind of confusing though like how Sam pointed out that he only wears his glasses during a screen but had them on in the entire book? that was kind of useless information imo since it wasn’t followed through. and the way it was never told why Luke was zoned out about Meera’s story. So i’m hoping there’s a book for Luke coming ??? 👀

Either was a solid read and I enjoyed it thoroughly!!!

*4.25 out of 5 Stars

Just finished this lovely story a couple hours ago and I'm now ready to review it, let's do this!

First off, I'm super grateful to the author (and one of my favorite bookstagrammers) for the opportunity to read this e-ARC. And I'm quite proud of myself for actually reading it before it releases next month. ;)

In this book, we follow Akira as she flies halfway across the world, leaving behind her huge joint family in India, to study architecture in the States. Her parents, though supportive and proud of her, had only one condition - that she may not fall in love with anyone who's not Indian. Of course, fate had other ideas.

And that's all you need to know before you dive into this warm hug of a story. I'm not kidding. Right from the beginning, there was this sense of familiarity in the setting, the people and the descriptions of Akira's family dynamics that made me feel right at home in the story. I wished I was reading the actual physical book so I could hug it close.

I loved the dual POVs - seeing both Akira and Sam's thoughts and feelings, how they went from friends-to-lovers, how they opened up a whole new world for each other, the new experiences, the happiness, the love - despite their obvious and not so obvious "differences", and yet overcoming and celebrating those differences because of their love - just made me all warm and fuzzy inside. I even teared up a couple times seeing Akira's relationships with her siblings.

I did feel that the pacing and the writing had room for improvement and could benefit from some more editing - but for a debut novel with an Indian FMC and an American MMC plus more Indian and American side characters, set in India and the US, the author has done a wonderful job here telling this important story.

I look forward to seeing this book fly off the shelves when it releases, and I'm kinda hoping for a companion sequel of sorts about a certain side character and (if I'm guessing correctly) another minor character who we see very briefly in this story. Basically, I'm dying to read whatever Patel puts out next (even if it's not what I'm thinking it might be). :D

Thank you to @liberlady aka the writer for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Akira is an Indian woman who moved to New York for a master in architecture. She lives with other Indian girls, calls her family every day and has immediately bonded with classmates of different origins than the USA. Then she meets Sam, the broody quiet one who falls for the colourful, loud woman.

Clash of cultures is at at the forefront of the story, and it's what I liked the most (an episode I especially liked regards Akira and a certain bathroom mug) (but then again I'm Italian, we have our bidet, so I know the drill abroad). Seeing Akira explain her points to the white cishet guy, him being all sensitive and ready to learn was really satisfying.

And India, omg i loved everything about that part, I can't say much about it cause spoiler, but I laughed out loud, got to love Akira's family, and mildly fell for Sam's friend Luke. Can't wait for his story 😉

I just fell after the Garba scene and I haven't recovered yet😭❤️🔥

|| I turned and put my head in her lap.
The fantasy didn't even come close to the reality.
Heaven. This was what heaven would be like.
"I could stay here forever" ||

Full Review to come !
.
After weeks of not reading, I finally finished this book by @liber_lady !! Omg gurl you gave me anxiety with all the drama, tears and the tension!!
.
But honestly, this book has made me feel all kinds of emotions with the characters, the story and the love declarations!! Sam was an absolute sweetheart and he is now my book husband and I'mma not share him okay?? I really loved the conflict Akira faced and the support she received from her bae and her friends! I totally loved the family drama, but I loved the mentions of food more! The story is emotionally heavy, and the conflicts the main characters go through are so different. Gosh I wish I was Akira now 🥲 The steam was there, but it was the emotional aspect of it that made it so much better for me ! Omg Nili you are amazing to have written a debut like this !! I cannot WAIT to read more of your books! ❤️

Thank you @liber_lady for sharing your debut novel with me. As someone in an interracial marriage and an immigrant, I loved this story had both of these elements. Akira was such a great character, with her desire to become her own in architecture school while trying to please her family. I love her personality and her relationship with her family. Sam and Akira became such great friends and I love how open Sam was to the Indian culture. Akira's circle of friends also added a great dimension to the story. I hope to read more books from this debut author.

It felt like a wattpad Novel to me. It was cringe in a cute throwing up kind of way for me. Gave major DDLJ vibes and I loved that. The culture with the parents and not accepting a foreigner was nicely done and I give it a 2/5 in that category. Other than that, the book was cheesy and cringey.

3.75*

A good debut book. A lot of fun elements and tropes in this, loved the cultural representation. If you’re not desi reading this, I’m sure you’ll get to learn a lot from this book. It However, there were a few parts that made me kinda cringe and idk I thought that it was trying too hard to make Akira be unique with her bold colours and printed outfits but that could be just me.

I liked the relationship Akira had with her siblings and how supportive they were.

Things you may like:
-friends to lovers
-south Asian rep
-interracial couple
-forbidden love
-opposites attract
-steamy

Thank you to the author for sending me a copy of the book!

Too much drama felt like I'm watching one of the Karan Johar's film ( not to offend anyone)

This is the first book by Patel, and having followed her for many years on Instagram I was very excited to read her first novel.

Plot:
Akira is an international student in New York. Not only is this an exciting adventure, it is also an opportunity for her to be independent and get away from her Indian family. No matter how much she loves them, she really wants to see if she can manage life on her own, even if it’s just for a little while. What she doesn’t expect is to fall in love with the nerdy American boy who’s rather reserved.

Sam White is baffled by the colours and excitement that seems to follow the new girl on his masters course. He can’t help but be intrigued by her and the joy she brings to his life.

As the two form a friendship that later develops into something more, Akira can’t help but fear how her parents would react to her romance.

What did I like?

I really enjoyed learning more about India, Indian culture and Hinduism. Patel gives her readers a great glimpse into Akita’s life. The parts that she loves and the parts she fears.

I also enjoyed the lack of drama in Akira and Sam’s relationship. It was all very healthy.

The spice was also great and I liked the relationship development.

The three clear divisions in the plot were very well done.

What didn’t quite work for me?

The dialogue felt a little stilted and awkward. There were big chunks of monologue that didn’t feel natural. Sometimes it was difficult to remember these were postgrad students and not 18 year olds.

Not a lot happens. The whole book revolves just around Sam and Akira’s relationship and I just wish there was a little more to the plot.

There was a lot of telling and not enough showing. Lots of references to the heat and food in India but not enough sensory language to develop those.

Overall?

I would recommend this book if you’re looking for:

👏 Friends to lovers
👏 Light read
👏 Opposites attract
👏 Low angst
👏 Chaotic family

I think considering this is the first book Patel published, it’s a good read. I feel like the future books will only get better and I’m looking forward to reading them. Perhaps Luke and Ria will get a book?

I couldn't complete it.... Idk why I just didn't get the vibe with this book.
As being an Indian myself I was so excited to read this and somewhere subconsciously I do want to complete it but ther were a lot of problems with this book for that to happen.

1. Sometimes I could relate to her and how she felt but i just felt like it was too stereotypical of how life in India is
NEWS FLASH times are changing and so are people. Change takes time. We do hv Starbucks in India and quite a lot of them in fact, not every hindu person hates Muslims.

2. Sam (male lead) do you have a personality to which you can actually stick to? Like on one page you would say you don't have any friend and the next line you are sitting with a group of strangers and their handmade food.

3. This book idolised America so much. Like people in America welcome everyone with open arms but in India you have to get married at 12 and have 5 kids like bish pls SHUT UPP.

4.In here the girl's father said that she is not allowed to marry BMW- black, white and muslim.
Indians do not discriminate against skin color trust me, India is known to be a diverse country with all sorts of people with color. Unlike in America where this book takes place we welcome people from other countries with open arms, we get excited to teach them our culture and what not. We do not discriminate against them-

5. Akira(female lead)- The stereotypical good sanskari girl. She wears clothes that have bugs made on them, she always keeps talking, she is friends with everyone - a total sunshine

I could say this book had multiple personality/sunshine trope.

6.Also didn't like how they fell in love, one minute they are saying hii next they are banging and saying I love you.

7. Will say it again Americans not always welcome EVERY person with open arms 🙃 and pls stop making them as a saving grace for every other country.
______________

Hey Dear Readers,

I had an absolute blast writing this novel. It's an OwnVoice novel, where I've derived some of my own experiences as an Indian immigrant in the US, some of my friends' experiences and added more fictional elements. It's about how easy it could be to fall in love with someone, yet how complicated it could get when you come from a different cultural background. It's about fighting for your love, for your freedom to choose who you love, and making it in a different country.

I hope you have the best time reading it.

You absolutely need Luv Shuv in New York if you love:

- Friends to Lovers
- Closed Proximity
- The Coolest and the Hottest Indian Festivals
- Full-On Bollywood style Indian Family Drama
- Forbidden Love
- Steam (Kiss against the closed doooor and things taking quite a turn from there!!)
- Part of the story in NYC, and parts in India
- Ultimate Soft and grumpy Book Boyfriend "Sam White."
- Sunshine heroine (an Indian immigrant heroine determined to make it on her own) excited to share her culture with her friends
- Fighting for love TOGETHER
- NO UNNECESSARY THIRD ACT BREAKUP

Amazon US: https://a.co/d/2P2I5P8
Amazon CA: https://a.co/d/iDejiFQ
Amazon UK: https://amzn.eu/d/aqWdG00
Amazon India: https://amzn.eu/d/dFwDuvi

Happy Reading!!

PS: I created a separate author profile so I can still be a carefree reader and continue to share my love for all the books I read on my personal liber_lady page.

Sam gave me the ick. I don’t know why but it felt very Fetishizing and weird. Also I hate the way the west was portrait as being superior. Felt very white savior-esc

This book felt like home,, metaphorically and literally..

I won’t lie and say that being a South Asian/ Indian I love every romance novel where a/the characters are shown from my country and ethnicity.

More often than not, the story is cliched out in such a way that I want to throw the book away and say this does not happen.

But this book🤌🏼 it was perfect.

Being an Indian girl who plans to pursue her masters from abroad,, this book showed the glimpse of my future.. if only I get a Sam too 😩

The intricate details shown, especially the mug that me snorting and smiling at the same time 👀

Every sweetheart melted me more and more 😭😭

Him maturity each and every character showed was such an amazing thing to see…

The entire story was wrapped up way too perfectly and I would pay a lot more to get more Sam & Akira scenes..

I AM SCEPTICAL ABOUT THE WAY WE ARE REPRESENTED AND THAT HAS STEMMED FROM READING BOOK BY ONE OF THE SOUGHT AFTER INDIAN AUTHOR WHO WRITES INDIAN CHARACTERS IN ABROAD, BUT THIS BOOK IS A GREAT START FOR ME READING MORE INDIAN REP BOOKS.

JUST KIDDING I WILL READ EVERY BOOK THIS AUTHOR WRITES BECAUSE I TRUST HER 💕🫰🏼