Recipe for Persuasion

Dev continues the story of the Raje family (after Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors) with this nuanced and powerful second chance romance, a loose riff on Jane Austen’s Persuasion. Chef Ashna Raje fights to keep her late father’s Palo Alto Indian restaurant afloat while locking horns with her mother, a high-profile women’s rights activist who pushes Ashna to let go of her failing dream. In a fit of defiance, Ashna signs on to a reality TV cooking show, hoping the publicity and prize money will fend off her financial woes. This decision places Ashna squarely in the path of Brazilian football sensation Rico Silva, the man whose heart Ashna shattered in high school and her new partner on Cooking with the Stars. The fast-paced world of reality TV makes for a fun backdrop as Ashna and Rico grapple with their feelings, especially as the viewers pick up on their chemistry and #Ashico, their couple name, goes viral. Dev balances the toe-curling romance with high-octane family drama, fleshing out Ashna’s strained relationship with her mother with touching flashbacks to her parents’ past. Dev’s candor and sensitivity in both story lines set this family-centric romance apart. Readers are sure to be impressed. Agent: Claudia Cross, Folio Literary. (June)