My thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to The Arctic Curry Club, sadly it was not for me. I found it slow going and rather depressing. Whilst the narrator had a lovely voice I found her intonation rather jarring, as though this was the first time she'd read the book and she didn't know where the sentence was heading. I enjoyed the geographical descriptions and loved the recipes so maybe actually reading a print copy myself would have been more enjoyable.

***ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.co.uk in return for an honest review***

When Maya moves to the Arctic with her boyfriend Ryan she begins an unexpected journey. As she learns more about herself & early memories of her life in Bangalore emerge, she must face up to long buried family secrets.

An absolute triumph of a novel. I absolutely loved it from start to finish.

I enjoy the story but I’m not a big fan of the narration so I’m putting this down until I can get a print copy.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me access an advance copy of this book in exchange for my feedback.

A story about mental health, inner strength, and finding your place in the world.

Already struggling with anxiety, Maya feels very out of her depth when she agrees to move to the Arctic with her boyfriend after he is offered his dream job. The rugged outdoors lifestyle is not her idea of fun and she feels very isolated in the desolate sub-zero environment of the northern-most point of the globe.

Having lost her mother as a young child, Maya is surprised all these years later to suddenly learn that her father not only has a girlfriend but is going to move from England to live with her in India. Having lived in England from a young age, Maya has no recollections of India or her mother, but when she visits her father in India and cooks her mother's recipes, she starts to experience flashbacks and begins piecing together the puzzle of her previous life.

Although I enjoyed the story, I found the narration slow-paced and a little insipid, with words mispronounced and sentences broken in strange places at times.

A book heavily focused on the trials, tribulations and struggles with mental health. Not the festive read I expected from the front cover - "never judge a book by its cover" - I know!

The narrator accent/pace was not for me and I struggled to keep my attention on the story as a result. Some books I find better to read and I think this would be the case for this audiobook.

Thank you for the opportunity to read though.

The Arctic Curry Club was my first ever audio book and it's safe to say, I am a fan now!!

I enjoyed the unique setting of the book and the arctic descriptions that left me feeling cold. The narrator's soothing voice was lovely to listen to, especially while driving and her expressions were on point.

I found Maya to be a relatable character, especially when the book eventually digs deeper into her past. Her mental health struggles were discussed in a manner that did not seem depressing, but rather shed a positive light on the importance of dealing with mental health issues.

Ryan was unlikable since the beginning and I had a feeling things would go the way they did. This book was easy to listen to, without any dragging bits and I enjoyed listening to the recipes that Maya kept experimenting with. Her father was a sweet person but I felt he could have stood up more for Maya.

This book was a delightful read with a coming of age plot in a manner that wasn't too cliche. Everyone has a right to make choices and Maya's character development was a strong one. Pick it up if you enjoy books with food as the main theme.

I really enjoyed the plot, the characters, the pace (it was so easy to listen to) and provided such escapism. THE FOOD!!! I ate so must whilst reading this 🤣🤣🤣 so beware! I loved how food was so integral to Mayas story and brought back so many memories for her. I have to say that the artic has never appealed as a travelling destination but I did enjoy reading about the snowy setting ❄️ Folks - the book does get emotional yet has a very uplifting feel to it. Not sure how books do this but they do hey?! Maya is a really relatable character and I appreciated the authentic portrayal of anxiety and depression. I found her endearing and warmed to her really early on. I think this book hits the spot for the winter season and I would describe it as cosy, heartwarming and honest. So cosy!!! Just get the snacks I’m ready 😂

This is a Women's Fiction with a lot about mental health. Most the market on this book says it is a romance, and that is what I was thinking it would be when I picked this book up. This is not a romance, and this is not a cute fun book. This is a hard hitting book where you follow a woman named Maya who is suffer from Anxiety, depression, memory loss and panic attacks. I have to say that the first half of this book was not fun to read and super hard to get through. The first half of this book was depressing to read because how down the character you are follow was. The second half was much better, and I felt I got to how the character more through the second half of the book. There was not a romance in this book, but the was a journey of overcoming through out this book. I felt this book showed how hard it is to live in Arctic is. I listen to the audiobook of this book. I did not love the narrator of this book. The narrator did not stop me for finishing this book. I was kindly provided an e-audiobook of this book by the publisher or author (Dani Redd) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins Audio and Dani Redd for an AUDIO ARC in return for an honest review.

This is the story of Ryan and Maya who up sticks and move to the artic for Ryan’s work. Maya calls into a depression due to isolation and loneliness, this rekindles her love for cooking. This is a story about love, friendship and family. It is moving and heart-wrenching, a lovely festive read.

It is narrated by Zoha Rahman who adds her own uniqueness to the story. She sets the scene really well and adds character to Maya. I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read more by Dani.

Well this audiobook wasn't anything like I thought it was going to be.
It was full of excitement, food, tragedy and memories relived. I really thought that it was going to be a lovely romance, it wasn't, it was much more than that.

If you do listen to it, get a pen and paper to write down the amazing recipes.

Normally I love novels like this but for some reason I couldn’t get into it. I picked it up and put it down so many times that it left me frustrated. Not for me - was this not an ARC I think I would have NDF'd this. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A curry tale with possibly too many condiments.

Warning: the cover is somewhat misleading. This is NOT a romance / chick-lit, or, rather: it is so only on a very secondary level. (It isn't.) (Methinks I'm still fairly annoyed by this).

Then, what is it?, you will be dutifully asking. Essentially, this is what I would call a post-trauma Bildung: Maya's true coming of age, or, her coming to terms with her childhood trauma that has affected her entire life. This book is about the excruciating knowledge of the past; the reconsideration of one's existence via the disintegration of truths previously deposited in the brain as absolutes and unequivocal.

More than anything else, this is about Maya's relationship with her father, and Maya's relationship with India: the emotionally-charged return to her hometown after twenty years, and the unexpected discovery of the lies underlying her story and her mother's death, from a father who perhaps cowardly quietened his conscience and his own torment by willing himself to protect his daughter from the Terrible Truth.

What I loved about this book:
1) the m-a-r-v-e-l-l-o-u-s setting of the Arctic, alternated by India. The overwhelming white-black of the Arctic region, the cutting silence, isolation, pitch-darkness: all delightfully captured. As is the singular arduousness of existing within this landscape;
2) the characterisation of Maya and the story's structuring around her flashbacks, beautifully connected with the love of food, inherited from her mother. In this I sensed the surprising uniqueness of this book: Maya, unlike many other sibling protagonists, tells her story with a depth that opens up instances of free-flowing interior monologue, enhanced by snippets of fun facts that are thus smoothly embedded in the storyline. Her severe bouts of anxiety are treated with seriousness whilst not dominating the scope of the story;
3) the huskies! As a husky owner I had such a laugh whenever one of the huskies featured in the story. I hardly think that I will ever forget Frosty the epic Farter.

What I disliked about the book:
1) simply too ambitious: there is just too much going on, putting a strain on the central concerns of the story, and making it go astray. Maya and her relationship with her boyfriend; her re-established intimacy with her childhood family friend, the new Arctic friends and their stories, the Curry Club, her trip to India...I could go on!;
2) yes, simply too cluttered;
3) ...
4) by consequence, the resolution of the individual strands felt rather unsatisfactory, too hasty, hurried, or inconclusive.

The narration by Zoha Rahman was fantastic: compelling and thoroughly enjoyable. I would definitely look out for other audiobooks read by her.

Recommended to those who are up for a fairly light read with some darker themes, and especially for those who are not put off by the tooooo-much-going-on situation.

3.25 ⭐

Thanks go to NetGalley and publisher for this complimentary audiobook. All thoughts expressed here are my own.

I read this book through a combination of audiobook kindly provided by @Netgalley and paperback ARC kindly sent to me for review by @avonbooks.

I really enjoyed this tale of Maya and how she becomes a strong, independent woman whilst getting to grips with the dark, freezing Arctic conditions.

Maya suffers from anxiety and panic attacks. As a someone who lives with anxiety, I felt the mental health rep was really well done & gave a great insight into what it feels like to deal with panic attacks.

Although this book would probably get badged as a rom-com, there's really a lot more to it than that. In fact the "rom" is only a small part of the story. It's really more about Maya dealing with her past and learning to love herself and put herself first.

I liked thar the audiobook includes recipes at the end, read by the author herself.

This book is unique, as it follows the story of Maya, a chef who is half indian, as she travels to the arctic with her boyfriend. So, in the book, we have a blend of arctic life, indian life and her adventures with cooking indian food. I learned a lot about cooking and food through the book, which was useful, although, since I am a vegan, I found that there were too many references to cooking animals, such as cooking reindeers, for example. I would like to have seen more vegetarian food included and less emphasis on animals being used. However, that is only my point of view and I am sure other people would love this if they are meat eaters. That was the only part of the book that I didn't like. I found the rest of the book very enjoyable and I felt like I was on an adventure with Maya. I particularly liked all the references to anxiety and I could empathise with Maya about her feelings. Even though she has anxiety, she was still strong enough to get out there and set up her own business to help others with her cooking skills, so she is someone to be admired. I liked her family, especially her Dad, although her boyfriend was a bit annoying. I liked the ending of the book, and overall I thought this was a good book.

The narrator of the book was very good, with a unique accent which suited the book perfectly.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Arctic Curry Club Review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Soon after upending her life to accompany her boyfriend Ryan to the Arctic, Maya realises it’s not all Northern Lights and husky sleigh rides. Instead, she’s facing sub-zero temperatures, 24-hour darkness, crippling anxiety – and a distant boyfriend as a result.
In her loneliest moment, Maya opens her late mother’s recipe book and cooks Indian food for the first time. Through this, her confidence unexpectedly grows – she makes friends, secures a job as a chef, and life in the Arctic no longer freezes her with fear.
But there’s a cost: the aromatic cuisine rekindles memories of her enigmatic mother and her childhood in Bangalore. Can Maya face the past and forge a future for herself in this new town? After all, there’s now high demand for a Curry Club in the Arctic, and just one person with the know-how to run it…
A tender and uplifting story about family, community, and finding where you truly belong – guaranteed to warm your heart despite the icy setting!

📚📚📚

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it felt like the perfect wintery read, but now I really want to visit Longyearbyen and India 🙈 I will start by saying that the anxiety and mental health rep in this book is totally and utterly incredible because I could relate to all of the main characters thoughts, feelings and actions! I loved seeing her journey (physically and mentally) with some really interesting side characters too that I could’ve happily read more about!

I loved the audiobook and found the narrator really easy to listen to.

It’s a very cosy read, and I enjoyed it so much I flew through it! Thank you @avonbooksuk and @danireddwriter for the early review copy! Out on the 9th December it’s not one to miss ❄️

Overall I enjoyed this book but I have to admit it took me until about 45% to really take to Mia. I found her a bit to irritating and definitely prefer stronger female leads. However, once we hit that point Mia became a character who I could relate to a little more and felt that she had enormous growth. The setting was absolutely beautiful and it left me filled with envy. Narration was done really well.

I really enjoyed a lot of aspects of this book. Especially the main character’s exploration into her Indian heritage through going to India and the food she learned to make. The food aspect of the book was something I felt really brought it nicely together and the main character grew more confident in herself with the exploration of food. I actually wish more of the book would’ve been in set in India too!
I also absolutely loved the main character, Maya. She was rather funny and really feisty.
Unfortunately the book ended up being a bit lack lustre for me, especially the ending. It didn’t end at all how I’d expect it to and I really wanted more from it.

3.5/5

What an interesting concept for a book! I don't think I've read anything predominantly set in the Arctic before, Polar bears and 24 hour darkness makes for an excellent dramatic melting pot. I loved the description of the scenery here and I was definitely feeling the cold as I was listening to the audiobook so the scene is set perfectly. We also have the juxtaposition with some of the scenes describing parts of India and the UK too so if anything that made it feel colder. make sure you've got a warm blanket or a fireplace around when you're reading this one!



Poor Maya is having a tough time, she hasn't had an easy run at life so far and this adventure is supposed to be the making of her but things don't always turn out the way we plan do they? Maya is a really interesting character because she seems pretty weak to begin with, someone who always plays second fiddle and is fine with that but we get to see her blossom and grow over the course of this novel. We learn that once she does start to take responsibility for herself and make her own choices and devisions, somme of her old anxieties come back to haunt her.



This book deals with mental health really well. It shows how taking care of your mental health is something that we should all be doing, not just waiting until it becomes an issues. It shows that everyone can be affected by anxiety or depression, not matter their walk in life and that it is OK to ask for help and I find that commendable, especially in this genre that doesn't always take mental health into account. I liked seeing anxiety through Maya's eyes although it did end up making me feel quite anxious and often down for her at times so make sure you're in a good headspace when reading this book.



Overall this book was very different from what I expected. The writing is definitely excellent given the fact that it had the power to make me cold and anxious all at once but it was definitely a lot darker than I was prepared for. There are moments in the book that verge on scary they're so tense and so there's definitely a touch of the thrill about some scenes and you definitely have to prepare yourself for the depths that it discusses depression, anxiety and suicide. The setting is fabulous though and the food will definitely make you hungry!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to listen to and review.

Oh this was such a great book! Maya suffers from panic attacks and anxiety, yet still follows her boyfriend Ryan to the Arctic. We get to see how Maya uncovers secrets from her past, including details surrounding her youth living in India and the death of her mother. This book was pure joy to read - and Maya was definitely a character to fall in love with as she grows and develops into the person she truly is.

What a wonderful winter read.

I really loved this story, the icy setting and how the characters developed but what I loved most was the anxiety representation.