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antonia_oana19's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide
Moderate: Sexual assault, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, and Mental illness
Minor: Eating disorder, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Death of parent, Car accident, and Addiction
lauraslittlebooknook's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Actually, I loved all the characters in this one (except Ryan, whose red flags were waving from early on!), and felt right at home with Mya’s found family. Redd’s effortless descriptions of the Arctic tundra, both scenery and temperature, had me totally immersed in the story (and maybe adding an extra blanket to my pile), and her descriptions of the food had me salivating throughout!
This was an empowering and enlightening story of being kind to yourself and finding where you belong.
There was some triggering content within this story, however I think Redd navigated these themes perfectly.
Graphic: Infidelity, Mental illness, and Sexual assault
alivictoria14's review
- 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
Graphic: Alcohol, Sexual content, Fire/Fire injury, Drug abuse, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Mental illness
fivecatsinacoat's review
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Infidelity, Death of parent, and Toxic relationship
katiekinsduncan's review
- 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
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Death of parent, Death, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts
emileereadsbooks's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I thought this would be a fun wintery rom com and while it was a fun read, it is actually a book about a woman, Maya, coming into her own identity dealing with her anxiety and facing the truth hiding in her past through cooking the forgotten foods of her childhood. The descriptions of food make my mouth water and I was so rooting for so many characters throughout this book. Plus I was transported to a land of cold darkness and felt the stress of Maya as she learns to navigate her newfound life.
Some steamy scenes.
Graphic: Mental illness and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Death of parent and Suicide
Minor: Addiction
chalkletters's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
It took some time for me to get invested in Maya. At first, her negativity created a barrier, making it difficult to sympathise with the hardships she was going through. The sudden journey to India, taking us away from the main plot and into a family mystery subplot that I could probably have done without was also pretty jarring.
But then Maya returned to the arctic and her life started to change in really compelling ways. I love character development, and Maya’s really kicked off around this point. Suddenly, I was reading chapter after chapter, ignoring my page goal for the day to keep uncovering Maya’s story. Dani Redd continued to include the history subplot, which never fully engaged my interest, but it did tie up with the main plot at the end in a way I could appreciate.
Moderate: Death of parent, Infidelity, and Mental illness
Minor: Addiction, Car accident, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, and Suicide
kellyinbookland's review
3.5
Moderate: Alcoholism, Mental illness, and Sexual assault
bookwormandtheatremouse's review
5.0
Moderate: Addiction, Suicide, and Mental illness
Minor: Fire/Fire injury and Sexual assault
asourceoffiction's review
3.0
Maya's anxiety is a huge part of the story, and the struggle she faces when it threatens to overwhelm her felt really authentic. I also liked the lists peppered through the book as a source of calm, it connected me to Maya's character.
I particularly loved the end; one of the things I often struggle with in cosy books like this is having everything neatly tied up at the conclusion, which just doesn't feel authentic. But there's none of that here; there are resolutions but everything and everyone is still very much a work in progress, and it's not all clean cut and predictable.
Warning though: do not read this book without quick access to curry in your house! I had serious food envy and loved experiencing Maya's cooking with her.
Graphic: Mental illness and Death of parent
Moderate: Drug use and Suicide