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holyhead_harpie's review against another edition
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
4.0
teresja's review against another edition
3.5
Not my favorite of Sonali Dev's novels, and definitely my least favorite of this series. I was mostly annoyed by Shoban's story and mostly skimmed those chapters. (I know, I should care more about her, and I do care about real women in her circumstances, I just felt annoyed by the way this story was presented and never felt invested in it.)
katelarsenkeys's review against another edition
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
The second delightful Desi-American Jane Austen reimagining in Sonali Dev’s The Rajes, a sweet second-chance MF romance about food, football, first loves and the dark family secrets that come out in the light of a reality tv cooking show.
thelilbookwitch's review against another edition
2.0
TW: suicide mention (which is more than the book did!!)
Recipe for Persuasion was another hopeful pick for me for January, meant to be a spin on Austen's Persuasion... I didn't make it very far since it didn't pass my lunch hour rule. However, it wasn't poorly written like this month's other DNF's... it just didn't hold my attention.
The blurb had me sold (as they often do!) and I think if Dev hadn't spent so long trying to develop Ashna's anxiety and desperation, I might have continued to read this book. Instead she opted to go the route of including a rather painful and out of nowhere reference to a parental suicide used as a means of establishing trauma and backstory.
Rico is... okay? I didn't get a lot of time getting to know him, or his personality or problems. The blurb promised some kind of rekindled romance, and I wish I had seen a bit more humor in the beginning, otherwise I might have continued into the murky waters of whatever emotional nonsense was sure to happen when the two former lovers reconnected.
This book failed for me with a poor beginning, but it's not entirely terrible, and I might consider trying to read a little further if I'm really stuck trying to find something to read this year...
You can check out [my blog] for more reviews!
Recipe for Persuasion was another hopeful pick for me for January, meant to be a spin on Austen's Persuasion... I didn't make it very far since it didn't pass my lunch hour rule. However, it wasn't poorly written like this month's other DNF's... it just didn't hold my attention.
The blurb had me sold (as they often do!) and I think if Dev hadn't spent so long trying to develop Ashna's anxiety and desperation, I might have continued to read this book. Instead she opted to go the route of including a rather painful and out of nowhere reference to a parental suicide used as a means of establishing trauma and backstory.
Rico is... okay? I didn't get a lot of time getting to know him, or his personality or problems. The blurb promised some kind of rekindled romance, and I wish I had seen a bit more humor in the beginning, otherwise I might have continued into the murky waters of whatever emotional nonsense was sure to happen when the two former lovers reconnected.
This book failed for me with a poor beginning, but it's not entirely terrible, and I might consider trying to read a little further if I'm really stuck trying to find something to read this year...
You can check out [my blog] for more reviews!
naomiflopes's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
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? Yes
4.0
If you’re a romcom reader, I HIGHLY recommend getting into this darling series - all modern stories inspired by Jane Austen’s novels. The characters are diverse and well-written, there are robust examinations of serious gender issues in different cultures, and the plot is the right balance of charming and serious (as a warning, the backstories of the main characters are very heavy, but written appropriately). One star off just because I didn’t get enough dialogue between the two main characters to fall in love, but I loved!!
kevinmccarrick's review against another edition
emotional
funny
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
jndsouza'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
3.5