(Expected publication: August 23rd 2022 by Rising Action Publishing Collective)
I feel spoiled lately with so many amazing ARCs. Lindsay Maple’s Not Your Basic Love Story, was no exception to this awesome streak I have going.
When I say I was pleasantly surprised…. Y’ALL.
Going in, I had low expectations and had no idea what to expect. It ended up hitting me deep in the feels and I absolutely adored every second of it. As a white woman in an interracial relationship, I relate heavily to Becky and Dev’s struggles. Granted, I married into a Venezuelan family, not an Indian family, but many of the components such as merging cultures, religions, and languages, feels very realistic. I appreciate how Becky realizes her white privilege, calls her brother out on his racial microaggressions, and made a genuine effort to learn about the culture she was marrying into. I applaud her for respecting Dev’s differences, even though she found them challenging to navigate. This book navigates a lot of heavier topics in a way that feels authentic rather than forced for the sake of including them.
I LOVE seeing a real relationship.
Everything from the beginning (when Dev puked on Becky) to them trying (and failing) to take it slow, to having insecurities, arguments, and problems, is all so refreshing for a romance novel. Instead of a perfect heroine and hero, we see two real people and their flawed love story. I absolutely adore how their love prevailed, and how they learned to make compromises for one another.
I read in the author’s note that Lindsay Maple almost quit this story. I am SO GLAD SHE DIDN’T, because this has probably been one of the most relatable romances I’ve ever read in my life, and I adore it. Thank you for this beautiful story.
