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milesandmiles's review
Do not judge this book by its cover or synopsis. It's not a cute romance.
A good chunk of the book is written from the MC's mother's POV. There's a tremendous amount of toxic family dynamics that are a huge part of the book but are not mentioned in the summary. From the ~1/3 I read, the emotional neglect and at times abuse within the MC's family is handled poorly.
This book couldn't decide if it wanted to be a romance or a family saga about intergenerational trauma and I quit when I got tried of yelling at the book to get the MC a therapist.
A good chunk of the book is written from the MC's mother's POV. There's a tremendous amount of toxic family dynamics that are a huge part of the book but are not mentioned in the summary. From the ~1/3 I read, the emotional neglect and at times abuse within the MC's family is handled poorly.
This book couldn't decide if it wanted to be a romance or a family saga about intergenerational trauma and I quit when I got tried of yelling at the book to get the MC a therapist.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse
Moderate: Suicide, Death of parent, Misogyny, Bullying, Abandonment, and Alcoholism
rdubs15's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
I wanted to love this book. I wanted to love it so hard. If it was the book that was described in the summary on the back of the book, I think I would have loved it.
But this book is not that book. It is not a “fresh, fun, and enchanting romantic comedy” as described. It is full of dark, triggering content. The real focus of the story (Shobi, her choices, how they impacted Ashna, and their mother-daughter relationship) isn’t mentioned at all in the summary. This book was the worst kind of bait and switch. I wouldn’t have picked it up if the summary was reliable because I was looking for a light hearted romance, not a heavy book with personally triggering content.
Even more upsetting is that I think both stories this book tries to tell had a real chance to be great.
Ashna’s exes to lovers story with Rico had the chance to be really sweet. The framework is there and the times that the book focuses on them is actually really fun - they have a cute dynamic! But their story, allegedly the focus of the novel, is pushed to the background and never given the room it needs to grow well. It is overshadowed by Shobi’s plot and, as a result, is under developed, suffers from really funky timing, and has an ending that doesn’t feel deserved.
Shobi’s forced marriage story has the potential to be a nuanced, heartbreaking, and fascinating story, but it has no business being in this novel. She is set up to be such an unsympathetic character at the beginning that the bulk of the novel is spent justifying her choices and attempting to redeem her, to the detriment of both her story and the alleged a-plot. And because we have to go back to the alleged a-plot romance, Shobi’s story suffers from horrible tone shifts (discussing the horrors of her marriage and then switching to Ashna and Rico having a conversation is whip lash inducing and negatively impacts both stories) and has to rely on stereotype to fast track story telling. Her story should have been its own book, then it could’ve been given the care and space it needed to be a fully developed story told the way it should be told. As it is, the plot has all the subtlety of a baseball bat and feels uncomfortable and out of place in what is billed as a fun and lighthearted rom com.
Separating out the two stories would result in a fun, sweet romance and a thoughtful, devastating look at the some of horrors that women face. Putting them in the same novel cheapens both stories, resulting in a muddled narrative that suffers from focus and pacing issues. The ending in particular is rushed and feels unearned, with more importance given to a happily ever after and tying everything up in a bow than actually addressing the consequences of the narrative.
I haven’t read Persuasion, so I can’t speak to how much inspiration it actually pulls from the book, but I spent a lot of the book going “this can’t be what Persuasion is about.”
The only reasons this book didn’t get zero stars from me is the strength of the writing - Sonali Dev writes beautifully - and the strength of the narration. Soneela Nankani did a fantastic job narrating this book. Her pacing was great, character voices easy to follow, and interpretation of the text engaging. I will definitely be looking for more books narrated by her.
Final thoughts: With an honest summary, this book would be much better. As it is, this book presents a deep tragedy and an exploration of generational trauma and violence towards women instead of the funky, fun, lighthearted romance that is promised but never delivered.
But this book is not that book. It is not a “fresh, fun, and enchanting romantic comedy” as described. It is full of dark, triggering content. The real focus of the story (Shobi, her choices, how they impacted Ashna, and their mother-daughter relationship) isn’t mentioned at all in the summary. This book was the worst kind of bait and switch. I wouldn’t have picked it up if the summary was reliable because I was looking for a light hearted romance, not a heavy book with personally triggering content.
Even more upsetting is that I think both stories this book tries to tell had a real chance to be great.
Ashna’s exes to lovers story with Rico had the chance to be really sweet. The framework is there and the times that the book focuses on them is actually really fun - they have a cute dynamic! But their story, allegedly the focus of the novel, is pushed to the background and never given the room it needs to grow well. It is overshadowed by Shobi’s plot and, as a result, is under developed, suffers from really funky timing, and has an ending that doesn’t feel deserved.
Shobi’s forced marriage story has the potential to be a nuanced, heartbreaking, and fascinating story, but it has no business being in this novel. She is set up to be such an unsympathetic character at the beginning that the bulk of the novel is spent justifying her choices and attempting to redeem her, to the detriment of both her story and the alleged a-plot. And because we have to go back to the alleged a-plot romance, Shobi’s story suffers from horrible tone shifts (discussing the horrors of her marriage and then switching to Ashna and Rico having a conversation is whip lash inducing and negatively impacts both stories) and has to rely on stereotype to fast track story telling. Her story should have been its own book, then it could’ve been given the care and space it needed to be a fully developed story told the way it should be told. As it is, the plot has all the subtlety of a baseball bat and feels uncomfortable and out of place in what is billed as a fun and lighthearted rom com.
Separating out the two stories would result in a fun, sweet romance and a thoughtful, devastating look at the some of horrors that women face. Putting them in the same novel cheapens both stories, resulting in a muddled narrative that suffers from focus and pacing issues. The ending in particular is rushed and feels unearned, with more importance given to a happily ever after and tying everything up in a bow than actually addressing the consequences of the narrative.
I haven’t read Persuasion, so I can’t speak to how much inspiration it actually pulls from the book, but I spent a lot of the book going “this can’t be what Persuasion is about.”
The only reasons this book didn’t get zero stars from me is the strength of the writing - Sonali Dev writes beautifully - and the strength of the narration. Soneela Nankani did a fantastic job narrating this book. Her pacing was great, character voices easy to follow, and interpretation of the text engaging. I will definitely be looking for more books narrated by her.
Final thoughts: With an honest summary, this book would be much better. As it is, this book presents a deep tragedy and an exploration of generational trauma and violence towards women instead of the funky, fun, lighthearted romance that is promised but never delivered.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Rape, and Suicide
Moderate: Misogyny and Emotional abuse
Minor: Abortion
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.
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.
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
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
taibreakfast's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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? Yes
4.0
I liked this even better than the first in the series! This one deepened the story of Persuasion by adding a multigenerational element and adding the [familial] love story between the protagonist and her mom. And that actually is just as important as or even more important than the primary romance story, although that is still good! I also appreciate that the Louisa subplot didn't carry out entirely faithfully to the original because that is truly so rough every time!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicide
Moderate: Death of parent, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Alcoholism, and Blood
Minor: Confinement, Abortion, Infidelity, and Vomit
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...
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...
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
allisonwonderlandreads's review
emotional
hopeful
slow-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
3.0
It still amazes me returning to this series how much heart and angst and life Sonali Dev can pack into a romance novel. She takes on heavy, relevant topics and Jane Austen retellings all in one book, navigating multiple perspectives and conflicting emotions to weave a masterful story. On that note, I want to mention some significant content warnings for the book before getting into the review: suicide, emotional and physical abuse, rape, grief and loss of a parent, abandonment, PTSD, panic attacks, depression, alcoholism, sexism.
This take on Persuasion has all the heart-wrenching second chance material you could ask for. The trope is handled so well, providing well-timed flashbacks to give us a sense of Ashna and Rico's teenage relationship and why it could haunt them twelve years later. Following the precedent set in the first book, family relationships are just as important to the story. Loyalty and unconditional love continue to be cornerstones of the Raje family, but this book also dives into some of the more twisted, uglier relationships. Flashbacks to Ashna's semi-estranged mother explain the tension in their relationship in 360°, inviting readers to dive deep into the complexity and understand why both characters are hurting. It makes seeing their journey that much more satisfying.
My only complaint has to do with pacing. The majority of the book is very fraught with minimal emotional progress as Ashna refuses overtures from both Rico and her mother to let go of the guilt and misery that define her existence. The pacing fit the gravity of the situation, and I respected the tone although the absurdities of the reality cooking show felt out of place to me in contrast (a personal first; I live for that shit). After all the pushback and struggle, I was surprised how quickly everything then resolved itself at the end and in totality. While I was certainly ready for things to progress, it was a bit of a shock to my system after the journey so far.
The Rajes hold a special place in my heart, and I love returning to this series. Second chance is not my favorite, but I think this take on Persuasion managed the characters' and my emotions beautifully. This is a weighty story, and I appreciate its unflinching look at important issues. I can't wait to read the next book.
This take on Persuasion has all the heart-wrenching second chance material you could ask for. The trope is handled so well, providing well-timed flashbacks to give us a sense of Ashna and Rico's teenage relationship and why it could haunt them twelve years later. Following the precedent set in the first book, family relationships are just as important to the story. Loyalty and unconditional love continue to be cornerstones of the Raje family, but this book also dives into some of the more twisted, uglier relationships. Flashbacks to Ashna's semi-estranged mother explain the tension in their relationship in 360°, inviting readers to dive deep into the complexity and understand why both characters are hurting. It makes seeing their journey that much more satisfying.
My only complaint has to do with pacing. The majority of the book is very fraught with minimal emotional progress as Ashna refuses overtures from both Rico and her mother to let go of the guilt and misery that define her existence. The pacing fit the gravity of the situation, and I respected the tone although the absurdities of the reality cooking show felt out of place to me in contrast (a personal first; I live for that shit). After all the pushback and struggle, I was surprised how quickly everything then resolved itself at the end and in totality. While I was certainly ready for things to progress, it was a bit of a shock to my system after the journey so far.
The Rajes hold a special place in my heart, and I love returning to this series. Second chance is not my favorite, but I think this take on Persuasion managed the characters' and my emotions beautifully. This is a weighty story, and I appreciate its unflinching look at important issues. I can't wait to read the next book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Suicide, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Alcoholism, Gun violence, Mental illness, Death of parent, and Rape
Minor: Cancer, Pregnancy, Car accident, Classism, Sexual content, and Vomit
baearles's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Misogyny, Blood, Suicide, and Death of parent
Moderate: Classism and Alcoholism
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Rape, and Vomit
thepassivebookworm's review
emotional
hopeful
medium-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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Rape, Domestic abuse, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Misogyny
thosemedalingkids's review against another edition
emotional
sad
2.0
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