A story of trust: Long Lost Friend Love by Nivedita Vedurla

Long Lost Friend Love by Nivedita Vedurla is the story of Tia and Arjun set in Mumbai and Goa. It is story of friendship, love and trust.

The blurb:

Tia Mehta was still very young, when she had to face the harsh reality of life, and lost the enthusiasm to trust or love. How can she love anyone when her own mother had cheated on her?

She lives in her own shell; her only aim is to do her best and make her father proud.
Things start to get better with an old friend coming into her life, in the form of a saviour. Until she finds out, he had an ulterior motive, and had woven a world of lies around her.
Broken and shattered, she lets go of the people she loved the most.

But will she be forgiven and accepted by her father inspite of her wrongdoings? Or will she lose him as well and be alone, all her life?

Grab this enchanting passionate love saga and to find out what a daughter can possibly do to gain back her father’s trust.

The story:

Tia Mehta, an only child, was very young when her mother left her with her father twelve years ago leaving only a letter. And then her father changed. He had been a loving parent previously before her mother left them and over the tears, she has craved for her father’s love more than her mother’s. One lesson that her dad had taught her when she was 14 was that never cry in front of others because they will only make fun of you and think of you as a fool. And so she became adept at not showing her emotions. She has done all on her own right from selecting college to friends to management school because she wants to prove to her father that she is an intelligent and worthy daughter.

She had met Raghuveer Singh in her first year MBA who broke up with her saying that it was not working and then she completes her MBA and joins her father’s company, Mehta Group of Finance Companies, as a trainee and is treated like an employee, not as the heiress of the company.

And then her cousin is getting married in Goa, and Tia decides to attend the wedding. There she meets the owner of the resort, Arjun Pratap, and realises that her is childhood friend, her mother’s friend’s son. He reminds her of her school days, the days she was the happiest, the time she was happiest, the time she was safe guarded and loved unconditionally by her mother. And slowly starts trusting him. And even goes to meet her mother with him.

But later realises that Arjun also had an ulterior motive. And she wishes that she had never visited her mother or met Arjun and deletes their names from her contact list easing some of her pain.

My take:

This is a simple story of trust, betrayal, love and friendship. Bu mostly, it is the story of relationships and trust.

The characters are realistic and well developed. The language is simple and easy to understand.

The plot, especially the prologue, has been woven in such a manner that it kept me guessing what had happened for Tia to cut off the people she loved. And the twist at the end is the cherry on the cake.

 

A hilarious rom-com: The Cheese and Chutney Affair by Dee James and D R Downer

The Cheese and Chutney Affair by Dee James and D R Downer is a funny, light, romantic comedy.

The Blurb:

Bhairavi Chandrasekar, aka BC, the spunky girl who was ready to take on the world, was the epitome of bold and beautiful. A fresher right out of college, BC knew she could meet the world head-on; that is, till her darling dad was by her side. Music, her dream job, independence, she had it all! Now, if only something could be done about her arrogant boss who she lovingly referred to as ‘swine’ (in her mind, of course!).

Alessandro Davolli, aka AD, was a hot, Italian hunk and a proverbial bad boy. A marketing genius, he thought he could wrap every woman he met around his finger, making them dance to his tunes. That was until he met Bhairavi! Outspoken, opinionated, and someone who gave it as good as she got, she was the definition of difficult. Now, if only he wasn’t attracted to her!!

Add then there was BC’s father who polished his gun at the sight of AD. What about AD’s aunt? Where did she fit into all this? Will Alessandro and Bhairavi ever find their happily ever after? Read this roller coaster romantic comedy written by two authors – Dee James & D.R. Downer.

The story:

Alessandro Davolli was not two years old when he lost his parents in a car accident and his aunt, Fransesca Davolli brought him up. He grew up a brainy nerd who was into music, bikes and girls. Now, at 33, Alessandro is transferred for six months to Bangalore, India, as Marketing Head and would be heading their entire launch of their gelato and cheese in India.

Bhairavi Chandrasekar lived in Chennai with her mother, because her father an armyman, was always on the move. At fourteen, she lost her mother to cardiac arrest and her father left his job to stay with her. At eighteen, she left Chennai for Mysore because it was her dream to study Food Technology. And now, at 24, she has been placed in an Italian based MNC, TeknoFoods Inc., through campus recruitment, as a business analyst.

So, Alessandro and Bhairavi meet at work where he is her boss, who is not so impressed with her being a newbie. And BC does not like his attitude.

My take:

A beautiful story with realistic characters. The best part of the book was that the back stories of the characters and how they influenced the present. The conversations between the characters were interesting. I loved the relationship between Bhairavi and her father and also that between Alessandro and his aunt.

Overall, a cute, funny, light, romantic read. An ideal book if you want to relax.

And there are two love stories, not just one, so……

A must, must read.

 

Destination Wedding series: Remembering You by Andaleeb Wajid

‘Remembering You’ – part 2 of the beautiful ‘Destination Wedding’ series by Andaleeb Wajid is the story of Khalil and Kimmy.

The blurb:

Khalil loved Kimmy in college but she didn’t even know of his existence. Now, years later, she’s the photographer at his wedding to Naima Ali and he realises to his chagrin that he still harbours feelings for her.

Kimmy knew of Khalil’s crush on her in college but she dismissed it and went her own way, getting married, having a baby and getting divorced as well. She’s taken aback to see him all these years later, a handsome and successful entrepreneur and she finds her heart fluttering every time she lifts her camera to focus on his face.

There isn’t any chance for the two of them to reunite but when the wedding is cancelled, their paths cross once more and sparks fly. Can Kimmy and Khalil put aside their differences and make a life together?

Here’s to second chance romances, old college crushes and reigniting old flames!

Remembering You is the second book in the Destination Weddings series, written by Andaleeb Wajid, author of More than Just Biryani, House of Screams, The Crunch Factor, A Sweet Deal and Jasmine Villa series.

The story:

Kimmy Pereira had known Khalil as her senior in college and she had seen him after ten years in Maldives where she was the photographer at his wedding to Naima that never happened. Instead, Naima got married to Uzair and Kimmy felt bad for Khalil.

After the wedding, after she was back in Bangalore, she quit her freelancing job and joined Aditi, the wedding planner, in her wedding planner business, Happily Ever After. Khalil was actually relieved at the cancellation of the wedding because it was more his parents’ dream than his. He was done pleasing his family and immersed himself in his work because seeing Kimmy in Maldives, brought back his feelings for her. He had been in love with her during his college days and Kimmy had gone off and married her classmate. Khalil had never stopped loving her and the reality that she was never going to be a part of his life made him do back-breaking work so that he had a dreamless sleep.

And as coincidences go, Kimmy asked Uzair about Khalil and around the same time Khalil asked Aditi for Kimmy’s number.

My take:

This book is the story of two people, one who loves the other since a long time and the other, who has not realised her love. The story moves from Bangalore to Kolkata and back to Bangalore and the characters from the previous book in the series also make an appearance and give the series a continuity. The descriptions are detailed and I could picturise some of the scenes.

The language is simple and the story is fast paced. The characters are realistic and strong willed.

Waiting for Aditi’s story next or will it be Usman and Shireen.

This story can be read as a standalone too but you would enjoy it more if you have read Naima and Uzair’s story first.

An anthology of seven love stories: Something old, Something new

I love reading love stories and if they are romantic stories with second chances, they make me all the more happy. So when I got the chance to read and review the anthology, Something old, Something new, by Desi readers Adda, I took it. This book is a collection of seven novellas by authors I have read many times. And the reviews are posted in the ordder that i read these stories.

The blurb:

“Seven bestselling authors. Seven incredible second chance romances. One epic anthology.

What would you do for another chance with the one you love?

Something Old, Something New – DRA’s first novella anthology – tries to answer this question with fantastic, different, desi tales.

Whether it is shapeshifters or shifting relationships, small towns or big cities, childhood friends or passionate exes; this anthology has something for everyone.”

 

No Other Love by Aarti V Raman is the story of two doctors, Anika Chakraborty and Vikrant Pandit, set in Mumbai and Aronda, Goa.

The blurb:

Once upon a time, Drs. Vikrant and Anika had the happy ending…until they ruined it with pride, ego, and ambition.

When Vikrant Pandit, GP, left his wife to go back to Aronda, the small town he grew up in, he imagined it was forever.

A year later… he’s back. Worse, he needs Anika’s help.

Anika Banerjee, MD, was destroyed when Vikrant left. Taking her heart with him. But when he asks her for help, she is unable to deny the only man she’s ever loved.

Anika agrees to pretend they’re still married. But living together brings to light bittersweet revelations and red-hot desire.

Can they live with the reality of each other when no other love will do?

The story:

Anika and Vikrant fell in love with each other in the first year and married straight out of medical college and started working in the same hospital.

Anika wasn’t careless or callous, but she wasn’t raised like him – to always put others before self. She comes from a selfish, consuming line of overachievers, Vikrant from a family of givers, compassionate, empathetic people. Vikrant belongs to an ordinary, middle class, small town family with conservative parents, his father was the headmaster of a local school and his mother, a housewife and Anika’s father is a famous cardiothoracic surgeon, who thinks only about himself.

And one day, when they could not stand each other, they decided to go their separate ways. Vikrant went back to Aronda to work in the hospital there and Anika remained in Mumbai to continue her residency training. And they filed for a divorce.

Now, eleven months, twenty four days, six hours and thirteen minutes later, Vikrant is back in Mumbai and is asking Anika to pretend to be his wife for a week as he has to host his family there for festivities and he has not disclosed the real status to them.

And Anika agrees because maybe being back here, with him, for this one week, could give her the closure she needed to move on with her life without him.

My take:

The story has been written beautifully. The characters are realistic and well developed and the feelings of the characters have been expressed well. The descriptions are detailed and the language is simple and the story is fast paced.

 

My Warmest Sorrow by Preethi Venugopala is the second book of the anthology that I read. Set in Kerala and Bangalore, this book is the story of college sweethearts Ajay Menon and Diana.

The blurb:

In this age of social media, old memories often get kindled through WhatsApp groups. Sometimes, this can prove to be disastrous. Sometimes it is an intervention by God himself.

When Ajay, now an IAS officer, is added to his college WhatsApp group, he is welcomed warmly by all his classmates.

Except by Diana. She is thrown into despair by his arrival.

Diana and Ajay were inseparable while in college. Their relationship had transitioned from being best friends to love overnight. But then fate had intervened in the form of Diana’s tyrant father who had separated them ruthlessly.

Five years of silence has created a wall of sorrow between them. Their interactions in the class WhatsApp group are nothing like what they once used to be. Every moment is churning out more anguish and unpleasantness.

How much have they changed?

Is love still hiding underneath their public facades?

What are the lies they are hiding?

The story:

Ajay and Diana met each other in first year of engineering college and by the end of their course, their relationship had moved from being lab partners to best friends to soulmates. But religion, societal and financial status was against them. She is a Roman Catholic, daughter of a Superintendent of Police and he belongs to an orthodox Hindu family and his parents are government school teachers. She was the first one to give up and end their relationship because she values his life and on graduation day, she told him that she was getting married to a man that her father chose. And he left Kerala never to come back.

Now, years later, she is working in a structural design firm and one day, there is a flurry in their class whatsapp group because Ajay is being welcomed into the group. He has been selected in IAS and is awaiting his posting. He thinks she is married and posts in the group that he has a girlfriend. And then he is posted in Bangalore.

My take:

The story is simple and has been written in first person from the point of view of both the characters. A simple story of second chances, the descriptions are done well and the characters are realistic. I loved their friends and how they tried to help them and also Diana’s brother but my favourite was is psychologist friend.

 

My Heart’s Regret by Shilpa Suraj is the story of Raghav Cherukuri and Samaira Reddy set in Hyderabad.

The blurb:

Samaira Reddy, the girl in the big house, the Bade Sahib’s daughter, only wants one thing and one person…a life with her childhood sweetheart, her Rags.

Raghav Cherukuri has always been known as the driver’s son. And has also always loved his Sam, the girl he can never have and never forget. And so, he leaves her and his life in Hyderabad behind.

But now, Raghav is back. A Chief Officer in the Merchant Navy, he is the success he’s always wanted to be. And yet, he has failed.

Samaira is meeting the ‘perfect groom’ her family approves of…A man who Raghav can never be.

Can it finally be their time to be together? Or has their happy-ever-after passed them by?

The story:

Raghav and Samaira studied in the same class, but he was the driver’s son and she, the employer’s daughter. Her father paid for his education and as a payment for saving her brother’s life, Raghav was even considered for studying in the same school as Samaira. And then, they became best friends and soulmates, sharing their feelings with each other. But then, things change on her eighteenth birthday and Raghav leaves town without a word, a goodbye, without an explanation, without anything. His parents sell their land to fund his education.

Now seven years later, he is a second officer in the merchant navy and she is an architect. He visits Hyderabad with the purpose of asking his parents to move to his apartment in Chennai, but has to step in as the employer’s driver as his father is not well and has to ferry Samaira and her prospective groom to a restaurant and they realise that the feelings are still the same.

But the social differences creep in. And he has a long list of why they cannot be together.

My take:

I loved the story and more so because Samaira is a strong girl and does not mind putting her foot down whenever required. The story is simple and has been written in a simple language. The story is fast paced and moves back and forth between the past and the present. The characters are relatable and even their conversations are realistic. I loved the way the author completes the circle.

 

Coming Home by Andaleeb Wajid was the fourth novella that I read in this anthology. This book is the story of Jahangir and Meesha set in a small town of Dhakara, in Coorg Karnataka.

The blurb:

When Meesha breaks Jahangir’s heart and marries the man her Abbu has chosen for her, an angry Jahangir leaves the small Coorg town of Dhakara, vowing never to return. But when an ailing aunt brings him back to the town, nearly a decade later, Jahangir finds that Meesha is now a divorced, single mother and his heart still yearns for her. Will Jahangir put behind his anger and forgive Meesha and give the two of them another chance or is it too late for him to come back home, to the one place and the one woman his heart has never stopped loving?

The story:

Jahangir was ten when he lost his parents in an accident and was brought up by his father’s cousin, Nausheen Aunty, in Dhakara. And here he met Meesha Kan, whose father ran a café, Sweet Nothings. And these childhood friends became best friends and then sweethearts. And one day, ten years ago, Meesha broke up with him and married the man her father chose because she could not see her suffer another heart attack. And Jahangir left Dhakara with a plea to Nausheen Aunty that he wanted no reminders of his life here, especially nothing to do with Meesha. It had helped him focus on building a new life away from everything that he had known and worked at pouring out his entire angst into his work which was why he was such a successful businessman and now owned several automobile showrooms in the city.

Back in town after ten years, to take his ailing aunt back to Mumbai with him, he meets her at the hospital. She is a divorcee now and lives with her seven year old son Hammad and runs the family café. He realises that she still holds his heart, but can he forgive her for what she did to him ten years ago? But he also has to consider his girlfriend, Natasha.

My take:

The story is beautiful and I could actually picturise the scenes so well, the quaint little town the little café, the unplanned hospital and the beautiful Natasha. The characters are realistic and the conversations between them more so. The feelings of the characters have been described in detail. I loved the story and also liked how the story moved back and forth between the past and the present.

 

Never Stopped loving by Ruchi Singh is the fifth book of the anthology that I read. It is the story of Arjun Singh Tomar and Radhika set in Mumbai and Panchgani.

The blurb:

Bad memories surface, as Radhika steps back into big bad city Mumbai. A budding fashion marketeer she doesn’t have any option but to deal with her inner demons and make a name for herself.

A chance encounter puts Radhika in Arjun’s path once again. To his acute disappointment, he finds that she still had the power to affect him in the worst possible ways.

As both fight their feelings for each other, a secret comes to light which blows their world apart.

The story:

Arjun, a hotshot lawyer in Mumbai, was tricked into visiting Panchgani by his grandmother on the pretext of meeting her ailing friend. But all the while, his dadi wanted him to meet Radhika, her friend’s granddaughter and marry her. And so within three months of meeting Radhika, Arjun married her and eleven months after their wedding, he had nothing to do with her and divorced her without even listening to her.

Now, three years later, he sees Radhika again and is hatred for her is still there, until he realises what happened three years ago was not her fault. And now he wants her back. But she is not the same. She had been angelic and compassionate earlier. The person Arjun had known had disappeared and in her place, he finds a hardened, impenetrable soul.

My take:

I loved this story and the characters. The story has friendship, love, family and betrayal. The characters are lovable and the story has humour as well. The scenes have been described in detail and could be picturised easily.

Waiting for Yash and Nisha’s strory next.

 

Paper hearts and Promises by Devika Fernando is the story of Luke and Taara.

The blurb:

Happy running her little crafts shop and making a lifelong dream come true, the last thing Taara needs is to be reminded of heartbreak. But when Luke, the handsome architect from Australia—and the first man she ever loved—is thrown back into her life, the past and the present collide. She should absolutely not listen to her feelings and jeopardize her stable future, no matter how tempting a second chance seems.

When Luke returns to India after seven years, the last thing he expects is to meet Taara again. He’s here on business, not to lose his heart to the one woman who’s haunted his dreams for entirely too long. Why then does he feel like fighting for what seemed irrevocably lost? Why can’t he resist temptation?

The story:

Luke Turner had come to India with his family when his father, a diplomat had been posted here. He convinced his father that a study-abroad year would look great on his CV with the plan to finish two semesters, then return to Canberra and graduate while his parents would stay on for as long as the assignment warranted it. But he ended up doing architecture here. He met Taara Chauhan on campus and they had fallen in love with each other. And then Luke had left for Australia and after keeping in touch for a year, Taara went off the radar.

Now seven years later, Luke has expanded his business to China and is visting India when he comes across Taara’s shop. Taara’s parents want her to marry Varun and he has business to do with Varun. So, Luke suggests that to make matters more comfortable, they can be friends for old times sake.

They were both seven years older now, basically different people. He, a renowned architect with awards to his name, and she was had her arts and crafts. Surely so much in their lives had changed that they weren’t compatible anymore.

My take:

A sweet story of second chances. I loved how Taara gave up everything for her family and Luke and I also loved how Luke asks for friendship after seven years. The language is simple and the story is fast paced.

But at the end, I wanted more, maybe the author could plan writing a longer version.

 

Blood Red Love by Neil D’Silva is the story of Vimal Kapoor and Yamini Gupta.

The blurb:

Vimal, the most eligible bachelor in town, falls in love with the elusive Yamini, the most beautiful girl he has ever seen.

It sounds like a match made in heaven, but wait—the darkest of secrets besmirches their love. Yamini is not all human, and the non-human part of her, which she transforms into once a week, is the most terrifying anyone has ever seen.

Throwing all caution to the wind, Vimal plunges headlong in her love and vows to do whatever it takes to be with her, even if it means playing with his own life every single night.

For a while, everything goes according to plan. But strange are the ways of the supernatural! Yamini loses control of her transformation, and to much greater horror, she has no control over her actions.

Will Vimal be able to find a cure for Yamini’s rare condition and make her his eternally?

Will Yamini be able to find true love in Vimal? Or does destiny have something else in store for both of them, something that they could never have imagined in the wildest of their fancies?

The story:

Born into affluence, there was nothing Vimal had ever wanted. All he had to do was to name his desire and it was his. He fell in love with Yamini the first time he saw her while driving on the Worli Sealink. She was in a smaller car parallel to his, seated in the backseat; her nose buried in a book. He found her and asked her to move in with him. But she had a secret, something that she has to live with all her life and if she would say it, she would be doomed.

But still Vimal decides that they would take things as they come until….

My take:

This story is different from the rest and I was kept guessing as to what would happen. I felt for Yamini and I felt for Vimal too. The language is simple and the characters are well developed. The twist at the end came as a surprise.

 

DISCLAIMER: I received an ARC of the book and the review and views are entirely mine.

A feel-good romance novella with a dash of drama: Second Chance at Love by Sudesna Ghosh

Second Chance at Love: A feel-good romance novella with a dash of drama by Sudesna Ghosh is a cute book very perfect for Valentine’s day.

The blurb:

Aparna and Sid were high school sweethearts. Something tore them apart seventeen years ago. Neither of them expected to get a second chance at true love. And in the city where it all began. But someone doesn’t want them to have their happily ever after. Sid has to choose between the role of a blindly devoted son and that of an independent young man who is ready to begin a new life with his first love.

Can Aparna and Sid pick up from where they’d left off or will they have to forget each other again?

The story:

Aparna and Sidharth Basu, best friends and sweethearts at eighteen. They had planned to pursue their further studies in London. But his mother desires that he do his undergraduate studies in India. And on, the day Aparna left for London, Sid had overheard his mother say that she had prevented Sid from going to London as planned because she did not want him to live in the same city as her. And they broke up because geographical separation proved to be a big challenge. She had never fallen in love after they parted ways and he did not have any lasting relationships.

Seventeen years later, they meet at the Kolkata airport. They are back from London, she for good and he, for two weeks.

She is a successful children’s book illustrator and an independent person and he stayed on to work in London after completing his MBA there. Maybe fate had brought them together at the same place and same time to their birth city.

They were best friends and haven’t chatted online all these seventeen years.

And once they met over coffee, Sid knew he had never stopped loving Aparna. But what about his mother and her possessive nature that could be felt all the way to London?

Sid has to make a decision, either he would change his return flight or stay back and he decides to stay back for Aparna. She decides that she would not let his mother or society ruin their second innings. And he has just one week to set things in store. For his mother. For himself. For the love of his life.

Read the book to find who won?

My take:

Written in first person from Aparna’s point of view and in third person in all other people, this book is a cute read, perfect for Valentine’s Day. Aparna is a normal person, not a model with hourglass figure and Barbie doll looks. She has an adoring set of parents, but I cannot say the same for Mrs Basu.

Sid is cute and tries to balance between his mother and Aparna.

The language is simple and the book can be finished in one sitting.

I loved the book and would recommend it to everyone.

 

Release day Blitz: Something Old, Something New – A DRA Production

Something Old, Something New
– A DRA Production

Seven bestselling authors. Seven incredible second chance romances. One epic anthology.

What would you do for another chance with the one you love? 

Something Old, Something New – a unique novella anthology – tries to answer this question with fantastic, different, desi dramas.

Whether it is shapeshifters or shifting interracial relationships, single moms in small towns or rich alpha heroes, friends-to-lovers or passionate ex-husbands; this anthology has something for everyone.

Something Old, Something New explores the many different facets of love, forgiveness, fated mates and more in seven, distinctly Indian tales!

Blood Red Love by Neil D’Silva

When beauty becomes the beast…is love enough to save her?

Vimal, the most eligible bachelor in town, falls in love with the elusive Yamini, the most beautiful girl he has ever seen.

It sounds like a match made in heaven, but wait—the darkest of secrets besmirches their love. Yamini is not all human, and the non-human part of her, which she transforms into once a week, is the most terrifying anyone has ever seen.

Throwing all caution to the wind, Vimal plunges headlong in her love and vows to do whatever it takes to be with her, even if it means playing with his own life every single night.

For a while, everything goes according to plan. But strange are the ways of the supernatural! Yamini loses control her transformation, and to much greater horror, she has no control over her actions.

Will Vimal be able to find a cure for Yamini’s rare condition and make her his eternally? Will Yamini be able to find true love in Vimal? Or does destiny have something else in store for both of them, something that they could never have imagined in their wildest of fancies?

To know the answers, read Blood Red Love, the newest offering from Neil D’Silva.

Read an Excerpt from Blood Red Love

Vimal allowed Yamini to enter first and followed. The sedan softly purred and started to move.

They spoke little in the car, precious romantic things, and they held hands. He had his arm around her and he felt the softness of her body against his and sighed. For a moment, he thought of leaning in and cuddling her, but he checked himself. The car came to a stop outside his house and the chauffeur opened the door.

Neither of them stopped as they stepped out of the car, not even to look at the huge white bungalow that was Kapoor House.

Vimal looked at his watch once again and breathed hard. He brought her hurriedly into the hall, where he gave her a peck on her cheek. ‘Made it!’ he said, ‘With just about two minutes to go.’

She looked at him wistfully and said, ‘Good night.’

‘You have a nice night too,’ he said, and then stopped short as if he had said something truly horrid. ‘I mean… I’ll see you tomorrow.’

Yamini had tears in her eyes at the words. She ran up the flight of stairs that led to her bedroom. Without pausing, she opened the door and dashed into her room. Only then did she stop and breathe easily.

The room—her lair—was her private corner in this palatial house. Everything else was spotlessly white, but it was only this place, her room, that was not white.

Not at all. In fact, it was stained all over with grotesque red marks. They were marks of furious scratching and slashing and slicing, stains of animal and perhaps even human blood, and they were everywhere, even on the ceiling.

But they were the densest around the sill of the lone window of the room, the window that opened into the forest outside. The window from where she jumped out one night every week when her transformation occurred.

And tonight was the night of her transformation.

Weeping, she entered her lair of horrors, slammed the door shut and locked it from within.

About the Author:

Neil D’Silva primarily writes horror and is published with  Penguin Random House, Rupa Publications, and Hachette among others. His books and other stories are in the process of being adapted for screen on various platforms. He is the founder and festival-director of Mumbai’s interschool litfest, Litventure, and mentors aspiring writers. He has conducted workshops on writing at several places, notably at IIT Kanpur, and has also spoken on a TEDx stage on the art of writing a bestseller. He hails from Mumbai and pursues writing as his full-time vocation.

Giveaway:

First Prize – A Kindle

Second Prize – 6 Months Kindle Unlimited Subscription

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Irrfan Khan: The man, The dreamer, the star by Aseem Chhabra

I received the book Irrfan Khan: The man, The dreamer, the star by Aseem Chhabra as a review copy from the publisher and am thankful to them for the same.

The blurb:

An actor whose eyes narrate a sea of stories. Irrfan Khan is a gentle dreamer with arresting eyes, a towering presence and an illustrious filmography. Most of us know the man only through the characters that he has played: Roohdaar in Haider, Maqbool in the eponymous film, Rana in Piku, Saajan in The Lunchbox, and of course, Ashoke in The Namesake. Today, these characters have made him a recognized name around the world. Irrfan Khan is an intimate and meticulously researched account of this refreshingly unique and unconventional Indian icon. Drawn from personal interviews and told through many voices, Aseem Chhabra traces Irrfan’s personal and artistic life in all its many shades. Rich in detail and peppered with anecdotes, it is a fascinating look at the life and work of the actor that begins in a small household in Rajasthan and culminates in his face gazing down from billboards in Hollywood. It explores some of his greatest performances that have shown India and the world what cinema can do. At the heart of this story, however, is a man, possibly the finest actor of his generation, his passion for the craft of acting and his love for unusual characters.

My take:

Written in simple language and peppered with pictures, this book talks about Irrfan Khan, the human being. It talks about his childhood, his life in a middle class family in Rajasthan, his graduation from the National School of Drama and his struggles, his performances and his achievements from plays to films to Hollywood. I loved reading about the actor’s life and his struggles. It also contains anecdotes from famous personalities. The book also has some interesting facts about his life. The author has gathered information through interviews.

This book helps the reader understand the person behind the star.

A must read for all fans of the actor.

DISCLAIMER: I received a free copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I have not received any monetary compensation for the same.

Keshavam Connections trilogy- Book 2: Until a Day after forever by Vash Karuppa

I received Vash Karuppa’s second book of the Keshavam Connections trilogy, Until a day after forever, as an ARC and am thankful to her and the publisher for the same.

The blurb:

Book 2 in the Keshavam Connections trilogy.

She was trying to escape her past. He was offering her a future she craved. Can the power of family and friendship help them get their happily ever after?

Kaiyen Vaswani and Saiesha Menon meet while attending a training programme. Through their unlikely friendship, they develop a strong bond, one they had no way of knowing would become incredibly important to them. While Kaiyen has hopes for a future together, Saiesha’s troubled past compels her to disappear without a goodbye.

Three years later, a strange twist of fate reunites them. While their jobs force them to work closely together during a criminal investigation, their personal lives are entwined through mutual friends.

Initially angry over her abandonment, Kaiyen finds himself unable to get her out of his head and accepts she’s everything he wasn’t looking for. While Saiesha is determined to keep him at an emotionally safe distance, he remains steadfast in his path to rekindle what they shared and show her all the reasons they’re meant to be together.

Just when they think they have a future together, old and new enemies strike. Kaiyen unearths a secret Saiesha’s been hiding from him, one which could tear them apart and completely destroy their lives. Will this rock the foundation of their love and end it all or will they be given the chance of a happily ever after?

The story:

Kaiyen Vaswani and Saiesha Menon met each other in Washington when they were both there to attend the FBI training. And in the two months they spent there, they become good friends and she left without even a goodbye despite the relationship they shared. She did not share her personal details with him nor agree to a chance to explore a future together. All she left was a goodbye note.

Three years later, they meet again, this time in Cape Town, South Africa. She is a part of his sister-in-law’s friend circle, the Diva Squad, and is the founder of the Home of Safety for abandoned women and children and moved to Cape Town from India ten months ago. He is the Head of Special Investigations Unit for Crimes against Women and Children in South Africa. And they realise that they are working on the same case.

His attraction to her has grown intensely since their reunion and he realises that there were obvious obstacles he had to break with her first in order to succeed. She also realises that his friends and family had become an important part of her life and she also knows that, no matter what, she has to withhold her deepest secret, regardless of what transpired between them, a secret she would have to take with her to her grave.

My take:

This is the second book of the series and a book of second chances. As with the previous book in the series, this book is mostly set in South Africa.

The cover is beautiful and the story has many layers which reveal themselves as the story moves back and forth between the past and the present. The characters are well developed and even the secondary characters have roles to play in the story. Though there are many characters in the book, who are directly or indirectly related to one another, the connections at the beginning of the book, clarify most of them. The characters from the first book also make an appearance and the continuity is maintained. The family and friends and the customs, traditions and festivals make the story more interesting. The author has used a lot of South Indian words, but the vocabulary at the beginning of the book is helpful for non-South Indian readers like me. The descriptions are detailed and there were instances in the book where I felt that I was a witness to all the things going on.

The language is simple and the story is fast paced. The twists and turns make the story a page turner. The story has everything from friendship to family to relationships to love to conflicts. I loved the book and am looking forward to reading the next one in the series.

Though this is the second book in the series but it can be read as a standalone too.

DISCLAIMER: I received an advanced reviewer’s copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. I have not received any monetary compensation for the same.

Done with love by Shuchi Singh

I received Done with love by Shuchi Singh as a review copy from the publisher and am thankful to them for the book. This book takes off one year after Done with men, which is her debut book. The main protagonists are the same as her first book.

The blurb

A sparkling, funny, romantic novel- perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella, Sally Thorne and Bridget Jones!

After a riot of a vacation in Goa, and finding the love of her life in the very handsome Dr Vivian de Mello, Kairavi ‘Kay’ Krishna, a ditzy and dramatic travel journalist, is set for another laugh-a-minute romantic adventure.

Our delicious hero and sassy heroine are very much in love, and are just about to tie the knot when Vivian’s evil sister and his hot, leggy ex enter the scene.

That, coupled with Vivian’s unexplained commitment phobia, threatens to throw their fairy-tale romance to rocky waters. As Kay struggles with heartbreak and jealous rage, she is faced with an unexpected question: will their love survive the odds? Will they make it or break it?

Done with Love is another delightfully irreverent story by bestselling author Shuchi Singh, who writes on friendship, romance and the world of women.

The story:

Kairavi Krishna, Kay, a travel writer with New Age Traveller, left her job with Nat, when the management hanged, and now is a freelancer. She lives in Mumbai in her parents’ flat and is engaged to Dr Vivian D’Mello, an orthopaedic surgeon, whom she had met in the previous book when she had dislocated her shoulder in Goa after falling off the balcony of her hotel room. Her best friend, Baani is married to Kapil and she is settled in Goa.

Kay has the flat to herself and Vivian practically lives here. So, when Vivian’s divorced sister Jacinta decides to come to Mumbai with her three-year old son, Ronan, and Vivian asks her to let her stay in her flat, Kay cannot say no. Jacinta hates her and tries to belittle her.

And then she plans to surprise Viv on his birthday, but is in for a shock herself.

Keep reading…….

My take:

The story has been written in first person from the point of view of Kay and this makes the whole scenario interesting. There is The Thought Bubble, her inner conscience, which keeps popping up at the funniest of times. The characters from the previous book also make an appearance in the story and that keeps the connection to the previous book alive.

The characters are realistic, relatable and well developed. And the Thought Bubble is the best of them, keeping Kay in check.

The language is simple and the flow is smooth. It is a fun filled and a quick read.

The book is a perfect read for the Valentine month: Light, bubbly, funny and romantic.

Happy Reading!!!\

 

DISCLAIMER: I received a free copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I have not received any monetary compensation for the same.

Book Blitz: SELF-EDITING, EDITING & EDITORS by Inderpreet Uppal

SELF-EDITING, EDITING & EDITORS

by 

Inderpreet Uppal

 

 

BLURB

 

Self-Editing, Editing, and Editors will help writers and authors demystify the nitty-gritty of editing.

The Writer’s Toolkit covers the basic steps needed to ensure that you have a well-edited book.

Editing Simplified!

Easy to follow, step-by-step instructions on :

How to search for an editor, and how to negotiate and finalise the right editor?

Do you need self-editing?

How can self-editing help you?

How to ensure that you have the best editor?

Why does every writer need an editor?

How to negotiate, find the right editor and have the best contract?

How to ensure your work is safe and edited as per your needs?

All your questions and doubts answered.

The Writer’s Toolkit is for Self-Editing, Editing, and Editors for a polished book and a calm author.

Editing explained and why you need it.

 

Grab your copy @

 

Amazon.com |  Amazon.in | Amazon.co.uk

 

About the author

 

Inderpreet writes for her love of writing, edits manuscripts and reads endlessly. 

 

A sprinkling of fiction, a dash of books, and a bit of opinion add to the eclectic mix that is Eloquent Articulation, her blog.

 

Books, editing, writing, and blogging keep her busy whenever she gets a breather from mothering her ‘too tricky to handle son’. 

 

An Army brat, she now joins her adorable Army hubby across the country. “

 

Click here to check out all the titles by the author…

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