Like the first book in this series, I found this story hard to get into. I'm not sure if it was Ashi's life or culture that felt like a barrier, but once I got into the meat of the story and plot I found the story much more relatable and fun!. The culture in this book is rich and deep and completely different than my own. I found the characters compelling. Dev's writing feels very clinical at times, but overall I understood the characters and their feelings even when I disagreed. This story is a modern day Persusaion for a culture that rarely gets to see themselves in retellings and it is so worth the read.

Persuasion is my favorite Austen so when I saw this modern retelling I was so excited! But unfortunately I didn't love Recipe for Persuasion as much as I had hoped. It feels more like a family drama than a romance, and the marketing doesn't let on how heavy some of the baggage Ashna and her mother are carrying really is, so this didn't hit the Persuasion-as-a-modern-cooking-show-romcom notes that I had expected. The characters are all great and fully realized but this just wasn't a favorite for me.

This Pride and Prejudice retelling wasn't for me. While I liked the individual stories and relationships that formed, this book is very character heavy and there's a lot of connections and relationships to keep track of. I wish there was something else that could have brought them together more.

I really wanted to love this book since Persuasion is one of my favorite books/movies ever. Unfortunately it just didn't move me - the characters and the love story were just blah. This is the kind of book I will forget all about in a few months. I also expected more of a Persuasion retelling as opposed to an "inspired by". This was just a bit of a chore.

This was a cute romance. It follows the Persuasion story line, only modernized. I enjoyed the authors take on this story.I love cooking shoes, celebrities and love so this was all of that plus learning experiences all wrapped up in one!!! Fabulous. There were a few more difficult moments with Ashna and Rico but overall a very sweet book..

I had read Sonali Dev's previous book about the Rajes titled 'Unmarriageable' and quite enjoyed it. That was a retelling of Pride and Prejudice one of my favourite book of all time.
So when I found that she had written another book I was excited. Thankfully, I was approved by the publishers and Netgalley for a digital ARC... So yay!

This story takes inspiration from Austen's Persuasion (as one can tell from the title) and I wasn't disappointed. I love a good romance and this one fulfilled it. Since I was already invested in the Rajes I was happy to read more about another member of the family.

The story is told from multiple people. Ashna Raje, the main female protagonist, Rico the male and also Ashna's mother. This helps tell the story through perspectives and also across the years. I enjoyed the modern-day adaptation and was quite in love with Rico.

I like that despite knowing the original story the author's take on the modern retelling is unique and so readable. So easy to be immersed in the world and invested in the characters. The characters are all well fleshed out and deep. I quite love the Rajes, their lovely and lovable family and now can't wait to know more about the other characters in the huge Raje clan. Book 3 come soon!

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Chef Ashna Raje desperately needs a new strategy. How else can she save her beloved restaurant and prove to her estranged, overachieving mother that she isn’t a complete screw up? When she’s coerced into joining the cast of Cooking with the Stars, the latest hit reality show teaming chefs with celebrities, it seems like just the leap of faith she needs to put her restaurant back on the map. She’s a chef, what’s the worst that could happen? Rico Silva, that’s what. Being paired with a celebrity who was her first love, the man who ghosted her at the worst possible time in her life, only proves what Ashna has always believed: leaps of faith are a recipe for disaster.

Losing Ashna years ago almost destroyed FIFA winning soccer star Rico Silva. So to prove that he's definitely over her, he insists on being her partner.

But when their catastrophic first meeting goes viral, social media becomes obsessed with their chemistry. The competition on the show is fierce and so is the simmering desire between Ashna and Rico. Can these two finally trust enough to get back what they once had?

I enjoyed this book quite a bit, but since I have never read Persuasion, I cannot speak to its parallels. Ashna has a lot of luggage to unpack and that it isn't an easy fix made me like this more. Most of the main characters are fully fleshed out and the cooking and teas are a nice touch.

I had so much fun reading this. Its all of my guilty pleasures, rom com, delicious food, and great relationships!

The basics of this story are charming. The way Sonali Dev weaves in elements of the original Austen novel without it being a straight retelling is fun. You end up looking for those bits like nuggets of gold as you read. Unfortunately, this book was a miss for me. I was looking forward to more about the Rajes after loving Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors, but Ashna's story got bogged down in too many details about the larger family. It really kept me from developing any connection to Ashna or Rico. The basics of their story is charming. I see where it was going, but it didn't get there.

Heat Factor: Fade to black
Character Chemistry: Swoon-worthy
Plot: Ashna enters a cooking competition in a bid to save her floundering restaurant, only to discover that her competition partner is her high school boyfriend slash love of her life.
Overall: If you can power through the angst, the payoff is so worth it

When I read Pride and Prejudice and Other Flavors, I was in such a glow over finding a Pride and Prejudice retelling that actually understood the source material that I kind of forgot that Dev writes really angsty books. Like. Really angsty.

In Recipe for Persuasion, Ashna carries the angst. She was honestly a challenging heroine for me. In P&P&OF, she came across as kind and helpful and calm, but here, we get a glimpse into Ashna’s inner life, and she is actually a quivering ball of angst and rage and anxiety and sadness. All of Dev’s characters have serious baggage, but Ashna’s baggage really defines her - it shapes all of her interactions and the armor she wears (all the time). So when we’re inside her head, she becomes reduced down to her baggage. Her chapters were therefore kind of a slog, especially in the beginning.

Rico more than makes up for it - he’s an amazing hero. First, he’s a soccer superstar. With a man bun. He has a lot of angst and anger about the way his relationship with Ashna ended, back when they were in high school; in fact, he has some vague revenge / closure ideas in mind when he finagles his way into competing with Ashna on Cooking with the Stars. However, he quickly figures out that while the hurt is still there, it doesn’t matter if the connection between them is still real. Basically, he still has angst, but it doesn’t define his entire being.

I will admit to crying at the end. I was so glad to see Ashna finally be happy and have some love and joy in her life. Also, some of the moments of them coming together are so beautiful. How can you not love a man who says “I don’t know how to be me without you”? (I’m crying again, even though pulling the line out of context from the whole book makes it seem kinda cheesy. It’s not cheesy, guys. It’s romantic.)

A few incidental notes:
Recipe for Persuasion is the second in the series that covers a big family full of drama. I would say it works fine as a stand-alone, but reading them both would definitely give you a larger picture of the characters. I found myself wanting to reread Pride and Prejudice and Other Flavors not because I was confused, but because I wanted to check back on how secondary characters were portrayed, as Ashna and Trisha have really different perspectives on their family members.
Dev also includes a detailed secondary plot about Ashna’s mother, with whom she has an extremely strained relationship, and whose story thematically mirrors Ashna’s own in some interesting ways. I think it worked, but other readers might find it distracting. It does mean that there’s less time for Rico to shine.
This is a retelling of Austen’s Persuasion, which I am less familiar with, so I can’t comment on the specific beats of the story. From what I recall, Dev follows the general arc of the story pretty well.





I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

This review is also available at The Smut Report. (Late May 2020)

Yup, the second in this series did not disappoint! I loved revisiting the Rajes and learning more about Ash; who will the next one be about???

The story moved quickly and it was great to see it tackle some, sensitive subjects. Yes, it pretty much only mentioned subjects, but 1. I was pretty impressed they even threw it in and 2. I didn’t want a heavy conversation about it anyways; I’m read froth and I don’t want sensitive subjects to harsh my vibe.

The Rajes return in this heartbreaking retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion. Inter-generational secrets conspire to keep young love apart, but this multilayered and emotional tale blooms with hope.

Sonali Dev does not disappoint in her newest book, Recipe for Persuasion. In this novel you get the point of view of the characters from her previous books, Ashna Raje. This novel is charming and funny. There are some very sad moments as the characters reflect on their pasts but ultimately come to understand each other better. I plan to read this again the next time I need a fun beach read.

I really loved this book - it was one that I found myself telling people about it as I was reading it. I absolutely love Sonali Dev's frame of a Dancing with the Stars-esque cooking competition was such an inspired choice! You really get drawn in to the story right away, and drawn into Ashna's struggle over cooking for so many people, and cooking recipes other than her father's menu. Rico was such a lovely foil for her - daring, charming, and outgoing when she cannot be. However, as the book gets along, there are some darker themes present, and some situations that definitely merit a trigger warning. It didn't affect how much I enjoyed the book, but I can absolutely see how some of those situations could catch someone off guard. All in all, this book kept the pace going, and kept me glued to the pages every step of the way. I'd definitely recommend it for folks who love, Austen, cooking, and family dramas.

Simply charming. Also, and perhaps importantly, it's inspired me to go make myself a curry, so may say has improved dramatically.

This was a great, cute, and quirky romantic comedy novel. The characters were well developed. The writing style was easy to get into and the storyline was engaging. This story will make you laugh and smile. A great read for the beach. Readers will love the romance and banter between the two main characters.

I like Sonali Dev's approach to writing Indian families and this book is a classic example of how she manages to capture all the flavors of India as well as integrate it seamlessly into a diverse romance/family drama in an American setting. I loved the second chance romance (even though it's not typically my thing) and the narratives of past & present as well as the history of Ashna, her parents & Rico are captured beautifully through multiple perspectives that adds interest without breaking the flow of the read - I ended up reading it at one shot. The premise of a celebrity cooking show takes backstage to the characters and their motivations and the feelings of the protagonists are vivid. Ashna & Rico grow on you as does Shobhi, as you see their minds & motivations open up. Read it for a well done diverse romance with interesting characters - irrespective of whether or not you are a Jane Austen fan. Now I'm going to go find the author's other books and re-read!

I really loved Recipe for Persuasion! It did a good job of adapting Jane Austen's Persuasion in a modern way. In any adaptation, you already know what's going to happen. Recipe for Persuasion did a great job of keeping things refreshing with the relationship with the mom and the competitions for the TV show. The characters remained true to the original novel. I have already picked up one of Dev's previous books. This is a fabulous book which will please any Jane Austen fan. I think the cover is eye-catching and it jumped out at me.

Sonali Dev has become a "must read" author for me, and I am so enamored with her series honoring Jane Austen with a contemporary spin. A Recipe for Persuasion is delightful for the mind and the palate. You will be hungry while reading this book and will want delicious Indian food.

Chef Ashna Raje and soccer star Rico Silva are high school sweethearts reunited for a reality TV cooking show and their chemistry is sizzling. We are reunited with characters we came to love from Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors.

Many thanks to Sonali Dev, William Morrow, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Recipe for Persuasion is a far stronger book than Dev's first title (Pride and Prejudice and Other Flavors). Ashna and Rico are much more approachable protagonists, and the jump between the two characters is much smoother than the first. What I love about Dev is how ambitious of a writer she is, from the unapologetic diversity (and South Asian representation) in this series, to how she normalizes the issues most of us face, but never read in our books. I thoroughly enjoyed this one, and I look forward to her next Austen adaptation.