Reviews tagging 'Panic attacks/disorders'

Recipe for Persuasion by Sonali Dev

32 reviews

blahlicia's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful 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? It's complicated

4.0

This was a big improvement on the first in this series, which I did enjoy. It was a little hornier and the relationship between Rico and Ashna was better developed. It also  dealt with some pretty serious topics in a way that felt respectful but also not too heavy. Still, some people may want a content warning.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Rape

yannareads's review against another edition

challenging hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad 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? No

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide, Grief, and Death of parent

Minor: Rape and Panic attacks/disorders

mycatmycatandme's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful 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? Yes

4.0

Like 30% of readers said this was lighthearted and funny according to the StoryGraph stats. The AI summary thing calls this a romantic comedy. Did we read the same book? The cover is cute, but the book is heavy! 

I liked it, but please don’t go in expecting a lighthearted romcom. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Alcoholism, Gaslighting, Suicide, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, and Death of parent

Minor: Islamophobia, Abortion, and Vomit

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

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

frantically's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad 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? It's complicated

2.5

If this had been marketed as a literary piece about mothers and daughters and loss and reconciliation, I would've liked it a lot more. But it wasn't. And it didn't even start like that.

We start with the typical rom-com elements, second-chance romance, meet-cutes, all the good stuff. When we get introduced to Shobi, I immediately think "Damn, I wish this book was about her." I spoke too early because in some way it did — and thus the rom-com was over.

This is such a heavy (and such a slowww) book. The different plots (Ashna & Rico and Ashna & Shobi and Shobi's past) didn't feel like  they fit into the same book, which made the whole thing feel all over the place.

Espically Ashna and Rico's story just didn't make me feel anything (which is bad in a supposed romance book). Most of the time I even thought there was a better love interest for Rico. We didn't have nearly enough development for their relationship.

I loved the first book in the series but after this one, I don't think I'll be continuing — too many surprises for me. I'll leave this at 2.5⭐

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Grief

Moderate: Infidelity, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Rape, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Abortion

alexkudej's review

emotional sad 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide, Panic attacks/disorders, and Death of parent

Minor: Sexual content, Sexual assault, and Child abuse

katemch's review

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Suicide, Rape, Domestic abuse, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Sexual violence, Alcoholism, Sexual assault, and Death

Moderate: Abortion and Pregnancy

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!

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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