Reviews tagging 'Addiction'

Recipe for Persuasion by Sonali Dev

11 reviews

mizz_destiny's review against another edition

emotional hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, and Suicide

Moderate: Abortion, Sexual assault, and Rape

gillenwaaah's review

emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was a very different book to the first Raje series. It felt like the emotional weight of all the characters was much much heavier? I think because it was tracing the line of 2 relationships, one seemingly healthy and positive and the other deeply deeply toxic and harmful. I'm glad Ashna and Shobi reached a point where they could be their truest selves to each other and learn to forgive each other, I'm glad Rico pushed Ashna to keep pushing herself and the tiny little moments proving how well they knew each other helped me believe in their love more.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse

Moderate: Addiction, Death of parent, Alcoholism, and Rape

thaliareads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Sonali Dev has done it again, turning a Jane Austen classic into an entirely unique modern retelling. While it is apparent that the plot is mimicking Persuasion, it doesn't feel verbatim or as simple as a retelling, it feels like something new. 

I loved the idea of the celebrity and pro cooking contest and I enjoyed seeing Ashna work through the trauma she's grown into with the death of her father and the absence of her mother. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death of parent, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Death, Domestic abuse, Car accident, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Classism, Grief, Physical abuse, and Suicide

Moderate: Sexual assault, Rape, Sexual content, and Panic attacks/disorders

This book does have a very high amount of content warnings. Ashna's mother has had a very hard life dealing with bigotry, classism, and sexism from her father first and then the man she was forced to marry. He was emotionally abusive as well as physically abusive leading to domestic abuse and even marital rape. Ashna's father struggled with alcoholism his entire life and eventually that compounded and led to his eventual suicide leaving Ashna feeling the grief of the loss as well as the blame for not being able to prevent it, leading to the panic attacks she sometimes suffers when trying to cook. There are some mentions and discussions of how Rico lost his parents in a car accident when he was young.

harperhoney's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Death of parent, and Abandonment

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Addiction, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, and Alcoholism

Minor: Child abuse and Domestic abuse

jessjess125's review

emotional funny hopeful reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

If you love Jane Austen, you are going to love this take on Persuasion! Ashna is trying to rebuild the shambles of her life but all of a sudden her steamy ex, Rico is back in the picture. This book does a fantastic job of addressing really hard things, like parental failings and depression, while still keeping things upbeat. It feels like a self help book masked as a romantic comedy, I for one, love it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Alcoholism, and Death of parent

Moderate: Suicide

Minor: Rape

the_wistful_word_witch's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

After reading the first book in the Raje Family series, I couldn't wait to sink my teeth into the next book. Recipe for Persuasion is oh so heartbreaking, but so full of the fragile hope of love and forgiveness. It's a perfect blend, just like one of Ashna's teas.

You don't see a ton of Ashna in the first book, so I was glad to get this deeper look at her life as a Raje cousin determined to save her father's failing restaurant while avoiding her estranged mother. So determined in fact that she makes the wild decision to participate in a reality TV show about cooking.

Which is where her old flame, Rico, comes into play. He's still not over Ashna, and it's clear she's still not over him. But life red-carded them. And they were both so young and so scared to share their secrets that they let those fears rip them apart and send them down completely unexpected paths. But now, he's stepping off the pitch and back into Ashna's life.

I also loved getting peeks into Ashna's and her mother Shoban's pasts, despite how tragic it all was. There are more secrets there, which just reinforces the message about open, honest, clear communication from the first book. Their estrangement really tugged on my heart strings as I am going though something similar, although for vastly different reasons. It helped me connect with Ashna even more.

Of course, my heart melted at the happily-ever-after ending, my tears of sorrow turning to tears of joy. This series just keeps getting better and better...

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death of parent, Addiction, Gun violence, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Rape, Suicide, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting

hngisreading's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Grief, Rape, Sexual violence, Blood, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, and Suicide

Moderate: Abandonment and Car accident

Minor: Abortion

jessiemenk's review

emotional hopeful inspiring tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Suicide, and Rape

Minor: Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Addiction

thosemedalingkids's review against another edition

emotional sad

2.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Classism, Misogyny, Abandonment, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Rape, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts

ashhearddwrites's review

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

this is another series where i (accidentally) started on the second installment, however i didn't feel like i was missing anything, all the characters were introduced well

it's a modern adaptation of jane austen's persuasion. in some ways it does a good job with that modernization, particularly in rico and ashna's relationship mirroring captain wentworth and anna, but otherwise i didn't really see many parallels and didn't really *feel* like an adaptation of persuasion. it also quoted persuasion (rico commenting on how "altered" ashna was felt like a word for word quote) BUT they also reference the book, as a thing that exists in their world that rico himself has read and enjoys (but will genuinely quote it without realizing???)

i enjoyed the story and characters, and would recommend the story on its own merits, but it feels a bit muddled in its intent as an adaptation. also mind the tags.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Suicide, Abortion, Death of parent, Vomit, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Alcoholism, and Addiction