Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

Recipe for Persuasion by Sonali Dev

24 reviews

gibbyupsidedowncake's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

If you're looking for a lighthearted romance this isn't it. The romance definitely was not the primary aspect of this book but I still enjoyed it! Definitely should have some tw notated at the start because it does discuss some heavy topics.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Death of parent

idesofjaim's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

3.75

This one felt like such a step up from the previous for me, though it is very clear the theme of this family is “misunderstandings ruin our lives.”

Ashna and Rico have such complicated backstories, and I think the addition of chapters about Ashna’s mom really lends to a successful story. I am not as intimately familiar with Persuasion as I am P&P, but I would say this is a very loose retelling from what I do know. If you’re going into this wanting a true Persuasion retelling, you may leave disappointed. 

Where I knock this one down is, from what I’ve seen, I feel like this series has been marketed as chicklit/romcom? And I could not disagree more, especially with this book. This one is H E A V Y. It deals with some very, very difficult themes, and while I found Dev to have written a good book here, this is not a light beach read. Definitely review trigger warnings before picking this one up. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction and Suicide

Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual violence

Minor: Car accident

anni_banani's review against another edition

emotional 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? Yes

4.75

Loveeee this book! 
Overall I love the Rajes series more than the original Austen books personally. The retelling work so so well and Dev pulls them off amazingly. I love listening to her discuss how she came to this series in interviews


What I love in this book 

• Intergenerational story rotating POV btw mother daughter and daughter’s love interest 
• I related too much to Ashna wow. As much as I was frustrated with her sometimes, i completely understand where she was coming from 
• I’m attracted to both love interests! 
• Rico was a great man MC 
• Ashnas character development, wow 
• Women in pro sports 
• Calling out martial assault and Islamophobia
• Chai mmmmm
• Women in solidarity 

This is maybe my fave in the Rajes Series. Dev gives you so much more than you bargained for, a really true and deep character overhaul. Wow the healing in this book outbounds me and that’s why I’ve re read it. I’m a sucker for inter generational storytelling and this book does it so well. I loved Shoban !! 

I was so satisfied by the end and will always cry when re reading 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Gun violence, Sexism, Suicide, Blood, Death of parent, and Abandonment

Moderate: Confinement, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Islamophobia

I believe the very beginning of chap 33 is when Shoban is r*ped by her husband. One paragraph that is easy to skip if you like. Detailed but brief

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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and 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. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Classism

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

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 against another edition

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: Addiction, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

Minor: Child abuse and Domestic abuse

alexkudej's review against another edition

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

---

Content Warnings

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

Minor: Child abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

katemch's review against another edition

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

---

Content Warnings

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

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!

---

Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Alcoholism, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, Death of parent, and Abandonment

Minor: Confinement, Infidelity, Vomit, and Abortion

ajahde's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

This book was branded as a romantic comedy, but it really is not because it deals with a lot of dark and difficult topics. I was hoping for a much more lighthearted read, which is why I think I didn’t enjoy this very much. I also really wanted more scenes set on the cooking show because I thought that sounded like a fun setting, but it was not featured that often. 

I also just could not get into the romance between Ashna and Rico. For most of the book, it felt like they were unnecessarily rude to each other and only started being nice at the very end. I wish there was more development to their relationship because it was kinda hard to see why they even liked each other. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent and Abandonment

Moderate: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Suicide

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders