Article contributed by Laura Glassman
Recipe for Persuasion is both a modern re-telling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion, and a second book which involves characters from the Raje family of Dev’s earlier book, Pride Prejudice and Other Flavors. Though Recipe for Persuasion includes characters from the earlier book, it also works well as a stand-alone book, and focuses on a different plot with different central characters.
Ashna is the owner and head chef of Curried Dreams, an Indian restaurant which her no longer living father had started. However, she is dealing with some financial difficulties at the outset of the novel, and her assistant is leaving the restaurant for a new job. Her cousins offer her a gig on a cooking competition show which suddenly has space for a new competitor, and she accepts the offer. Little does she know that a man she has a history with, Rico, will be competing against her on the show. Rico has never found closure after their relationship, and has dated a few women who called him emotionally unavailable, a problem he never had before. Recipe for Persuasion also delves into Ashna’s difficult relationship with her mother, who in the past has paid her little attention, instead throwing herself fully into her philanthropic career.
Ashna is a complex character who is insecure, anxious, and deeply emotional at times. We learn the depth of her discomfort and frustration with her mother. We see her complex emotions about seeing Rico and realising he will be competing with her on the show. We also see her ties to her large extended family network of cousins and her aunt and uncle. This is not a book that just touches the surface of its characters, rather, it delves into Asha’s younger days and we learn how she became who she is at the outset of this novel; there is context to everything.
Food features heavily in this novel. Sonali Dev writes lush descriptions of the food that the Raje family enjoys, and the food that Ashna and Rico cook. The food Ashna enjoys with her family sounds delectable. Sonali Dev also describes recipes that Ashna and Rico prepare together, some of which are failures and some of which turn out better.
From the moment Rico and Ashna lay eyes on each other, there are a thousand emotions unleashed. Ashna is speechless with surprise and nearly drops a kitchen knife on herself, saved only by Rico diving for it. Their early conversations are filled with tension and angst and awkwardness. Neither knows how to behave around the other. There is plenty of depth to the relationship, as the author takes us back to their early relationship (and leaves plenty of hints along the way of things that happened before). It is clearly a complicated and difficult situation. As with Anne of the original Persuasion, Ashna had rejected Rico all those years ago. As the novel progresses, it is fun to see the way Ashna and Rico’s feelings develop and the way they slowly open up to each other again.
Familial relationships play a central role in the novel. Sonali Dev weaves together a broad cast of characters from within the Raje family. We learn the backstory of their relationships at an earlier age. One of the relationships at the forefront of Recipe for Persuasion is the relationship between Ashna and her mother, Shobi. In the past, their relationship had always been strained. However, Shobi unexpectedly flies to the US to live with Ashna and try to repair their fraught relationship. Meanwhile, Ashna has great nostalgia for her father (who committed suicide) and she tries to carry in his footsteps through her work for the restaurant. As well, cousins, a cousin in law, and an aunt and uncle play a role in the events of this story. In particular, we learn of how she cares about her aunt as a mother figure unlike Shobi who has stood by her side through the years.
Ashna’s mother, Shobi’s perspective is given space in this novel as well, and we come to see the context for her views and actions. In this way, Sonali Dev paints a complete picture of each of her characters and allows us to understand them fully, including their history that led to their present relationships and life. Shobi’s perspective shines a light on why she has behaved as she has and what her side of the story is in her relationship with Ashna.
While Recipe for Persuasion has an interesting array of characters and a fun plot, there were moment when it felt like there were too many side characters and too many threads to the story line. The novel might have been still more compelling with greater focus on the main storyline (the romance between Ashna and Rico) and less on so many family members and friends. That said, it is still an enjoyable read for its plot and for the complete picture that Sonali Dev gives to us of the central characters.
Overall, Recipe for Persuasion is an enjoyable story about love and family. The characters are full of depth and the story is entertaining. Readers who enjoy a modern take on a classic story will appreciate this novel. However, you do not need to be a fan of Jane Austen’s Persuasion to enjoy this lovely novel.
Recipe For Persuasion is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
From the author of Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors comes another , clever, deeply layered, and heartwarming romantic comedy that follows in the Jane Austen tradition—this time, with a twist on Persuasion.
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 asked to join 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.
FIFA winning soccer star Rico Silva isn’t too happy to be paired up with Ashna either. Losing Ashna years ago almost destroyed him. The only silver lining to this bizarre situation is that he can finally prove to Ashna that he’s definitely over her.
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. Every minute they spend together rekindles feelings that pull them toward their disastrous past. Will letting go again be another recipe for heartbreak—or a recipe for persuasion…?
In Recipe for Persuasion, Sonali Dev once again takes readers on an unforgettable adventure in this fresh, fun, and enchanting romantic comedy.
