Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

Recipe for Persuasion by Sonali Dev

63 reviews

macchiatojen's review

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emotional funny hopeful 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? It's complicated

5.0

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jessjess125's review

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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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the_wistful_word_witch's review

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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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shaipanda's review

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challenging dark emotional 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

4.75

This book was everything to me. I’ve never actually read Persuasion but this 100% made me want to and despite this being insanely reliant on the miscommunication trope and it being at times overly complicated I loved it so much 
Literally read it in just over 24 hours lol so so so good but definitely be aware of content warnings because this book may be a romance but it’s really dark and has a lot of heavy topics 
Edit: switched it from 5 to 4.75 though bc I just remember like nothing about it lol and I can’t keep something rated 5 stars if i don’t remember anything about it 
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annchmn's review

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sad 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? Yes

2.0

I wish I had read a content warning before reading this book… 
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hngisreading's review against another edition

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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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meganmaniaci's review against another edition

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hopeful lighthearted 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? No

3.75

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allisonwatkins's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful 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

3.5

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christenreads's review

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emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.0

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allisonwonderlandreads's review

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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.
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