Recipe for Persuasion by Sonali Dev

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I don't do a blog post for every book that I read but with this this book there's a lot that I need to unpack. You ever pick up a book expecting on thing and when you start reading it you realize it's something else entirely?  That's the feeling I had with Recipe for Persuasion.

When I came across it I saw it labeled romance and the blurb said it was a heartwarming romantic comedy. Bitch where? Did the person who wrote the blurb actually read this story? Because there was nothing funny about it. Granted I requested this from HarperCollins before the outbreak but someone looking for something light during this time will feel hoodwinked. I never read Persuasion so I'm not sure how accurate it is as a retelling.

The book follows Ashna, Rico, and Ashna's mother Shobi. Ashna is still getting over her father's suicide and after having trusted some close associates of his who robbed the family blind she is left with crippling debt. Rico is a former football player for United Manchester who is still recovering from a career ending injury. Shobi having put her horrible marriage behind her dedicated her life in India to fighting patriarchy at the detriment of her daughter who she now desires to build a close relationship with.

My biggest critique of this story was that it tried to do too much as once. The story of a chef and an international footballer falling in love while doing a show on the Food Network could've been a story by itself. That part would have you think this is a fun romantic comedy. But then it gets into tough family drama which includes alcoholism, spousal abuse, suicide, PTSD, depression, and anxiety among other things. There were some powerful statements about upholding the negative in cultures and breaking generational cycles. But it was jarring to switch between light-hearted events to reflecting on the traumatic past.

As a second chance romance this story fails. There's little chemistry between Ashna and Rico in the present day and the many flashbacks don't show why they would still be yearning for each other. What made that relationship so special that neither were able to move on?

Ashna needs a therapist and I would've liked to see that addressed in this story. She has anxiety and is dealing with alot of childhood trauma over her parent's relationship along with the feelings of abandonment. She can't even cook anything other than her father's recipes without passing out. And when she is asked what she likes about cooking she can't even answer.

I never warmed up to Rico. While I understood being upset over Ashna keeping him as her secret years ago the parallels to his relationship with his father I found his feelings towards her unwarranted. Why was he holding on to this relationship so many years later? Why did he feel the need to reappear in her life and act an ass to her for the majority of the book?

Shobi's backstory was the most developed but I couldn't root for her. I understand her situation was horrible however she left her only child with an abuser instead of fighting harder for her. She justified not sacrificing what she wanted over having a relationship with her daughter. She flew in ready to force her daughter to reconnect with her because the award she was receiving had her reflecting on her life. She kept asking Ashna why she was so adamant about not letting her in. Why would she want to let in a woman who was off in another country most of the time during her prime developmental years?

The way the author wrote was good and for the most part kept me interested but there were just too many moving parts and I couldn't connect to the characters. Combine that with a very slow pace and it was a Recipe for Disappointment.