Reviews with content warning for Toxic relationship - Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors

Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors by Sonali Dev

7 reviews

mels_reading_log's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring 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

2.5

I’m kind of confused with this book. If we take out the romance storyline it’s a great book about family and doing what is to keep them happy and healthy. I loved this part of the book. Now looking at the romance storyline, it doesn’t make sense. I normally love a good enemies to lovers but there was no indication that there were any feelings on one side of this relationship, and all of a sudden they were together. The way the two of them spoke to each other I don’t know why they acted that way if they liked each other.

Content Warnings

qgg's review against another edition

Go to review page

Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

I really want to give this book a higher rating. It’s a gender bent retelling of P&P with Indian-American culture. Trish Raje is a brilliant brain surgeon and she knows where her talents lie. She plays an excellent Darcy. DJ, in the Lizzie Bennet role, is a gifted chef giving the whole story a Indian foodie flavor. There is a truly wicked Wickham in the mix. What’s not to love?

Unfortunately, the Raje family dynamics are toxic

blaming Trish for things out of her control

The HIPAA violations between Trish and her family are unforgivable.

The resolution between DJ and Trish at the end seemed rushed and lacking in true chemistry AND it was another medical ethical violation unless Trish turned Emma’s care over to another surgeon.

Other reviews mention the length of the book and the side plots. I really liked the author’s writing and I think they helped develop Trish’s character.

I have two more issues.
1. Trish seemed to be written as autistic-coded. The book already was ableist AF. (Full star deduction for that.) Limited special interests, difficulty making friends, intense loyalty, strong *personal* ethical code (not necessarily aligned with laws like HIPAA), hyperfocus to the point of excluding sleeping and eating…. The only marker not explicitly stated was stimming. So, DJ’s dislike of her is even more ableism in this book.
2.

Maybe this is because I am a physical therapist who has worked in hospitals, but there is no way a surgeon would be researching a program, facility or artist like in this book for a patient. A social worker would call a meeting and SW, OT or PT would probably suggest changing artistic mediums to an artist. Resources would be suggested for the patient and family to look up on their own. Patients get autonomy at all times including the choice to stay sick and die with the dignity of their own choice.

Content Warnings

ldslizzard's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional funny lighthearted reflective 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

4.25

While it was slow for me to get into, once I got about 1/4 of the way through I couldn't put it down. Such a great take on Pride and Prejudice! Loved the role reversal and the independent woman. So many different life issues compiled into a beautifully woven story. I loved/hated the main character, but I think we were meant to! Very impressed!

Content Warnings

satsukiq's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark funny 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

4.25

Content Warnings

allisonwonderlandreads's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional funny hopeful inspiring slow-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

"This is how Trisha's dating life had worked since college: every now and again some guy came along and they confused the heck out of each other until he disappeared, leaving her more relieved than sad, and embarrassed as hell about her inability to know what was going on when it came to men. Why were men such complicated beasts anyway? Relationships felt like full-time babysitting jobs crossed with high-level code cracking."

This is one of the most emotionally accurate Pride & Prejudice retellings I've had the joy of reading. It's gender-bent, it's contemporary, the name "Wickham" makes me want to punch people, and the characters' personal growth was astoundingly beautiful while also stressful in the moment. I loved Dr. Trisha Raje as our Darcy character. Her arrogance is perfectly off-putting from both a real world and Pride & Prejudice frame of reference. Meanwhile, DJ is a saucy take on Lizzy Bennet with his big heart and straight-backed pride.

The story went beyond the original by weaving in new elements to reflect modern life and a far more diverse (in all senses of the word) cast than we see in an Austen novel. It builds on Austen's commentary on wealth and social class by turning a sharper eye on sexism and bringing in conversation about immigration, racism, and police brutality.

Dev builds a world that feels lifelike not only because she includes so many aspects of our brutal world but because she renders each individual character with such loving detail. Backstory for both families is deep and moving, and it made me want to read more, whether it was about the past or the future of any side character.

Finally, the story is powerful because of the messaging. It talks about the bonds of family and all that can be left unsaid in our long histories together, the pain and the love. And it reminds us that our work doesn't define us. We matter outside our professional accomplishments and what we can do for others (yeah, that part led to some tears on this end).

Content Warnings

robynrambles's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional medium-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I really liked this book, however, with Sonali Dev's other book 'Recipe for Persuasion' the amount of trauma she puts in the characters backgrounds is a lot for a contemporary romance. I don't think having a full background is necessarily a bad thing but she alludes to the trauma a lot and when it finally is revealed it seems much more serious than necessary for the main plot. I would say this book is more inspired by Jane Austen than a retelling, she gender bends Darcy and Jane but there missing a lot of family dynamics.

Content Warnings

bookishchloe's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional tense slow-paced

Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

Content Warnings

More...