Category: fiction

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Review of Jasmine builds on shifting sands

Jasmine builds on shifting sands

BLURB

Integrated with hybrid multimedia learning tools, Jasmine Builds on Shifting Sands is a unique self-help fiction offering. Its captivating narrative ties two seemingly distinct tales in an intertwined journey that explores the manifestation of dreams. At the center of the book is Jasmine’s journey of making it as a successful model in the cut-throat world of fashion. Her tale of victory and failure is enveloped within the master narrative of Sanjay, an erudite knowledge-seeker who meets his spiritual guru- Ma. Set between the esoter ic location of the Himalayas and the urban bustle of Mumbai, the book offers an enhanced learning experience which is further amplified through the embedded microlearning content that is interspersed throughout the text, making for a truly immersive experience.

MY REVIEW

Jasmine builds on shifting sands

Fiction and self-help are two of my favourite genres of books. I really don’t know the time ticking when I settle down in my reading corner with books in any one of these genres.

As much as I enjoy fiction, I also enjoy reading self-help books and try implementing principles which suit my way of life. That’s what they’re written for right?

What I look for in self-help books is strategies, lessons, case studies which tell you what to and what not to do. They should make you feel that you could try attempting to implement lessons learned. Examples which state what went wrong and how could that have been handled to make it successful are stuffs which anyone would basically look for in self-help books.

When I came to know that this book has both self-help and fiction entwined I knew I definitely had to pick it up.

What I could also relate is that the book is set in modern period and so is something everyone of us millenials could resonate to.

It takes a lot of time for us to understand ourselves in a better way. Not knowing about ourselves and instead looking out for others to accept us is something that is not plausible. The process of understanding oneself, about what we can and what we cannot, how we can and when we can is called self-discovery. Not everyone of us do this at the same time. For some of us this process happens early and for some later on. This book embarks you on Jasmine’s journey of self-discovery.

The Prologue and the Epilogue add value by providing a powerful context arising from the author’s own personal experience.

The realistic description of the travel to Kedarnath, the picturesque views of Himalaya would make you embark on a virtual journey. The divine relationship between the author and his spiritual guru , their conversations mentioned provide a lot of spiritual learning.

Jasmine who was about to land into a professional career life eventually landed into the world of fashion. Now that is two extreme opposite fields. So how does she handle it ? Does she succeed or fail ? Is she happy or keeps brooding ?

The field that she landed was something completely new to her. She had her parts of failures, jealousies, competition, wrong ways and finally rose above all of it. The author has a lot of learnings from life which he’s penned out beautifully through the story of Jasmine.

Everyone of us has a dream, a goal or an aim. We pursue our actions towards them . We chart out a goal plan to achieve the results. Did you know that the universe also has a major role in making our dreams come true? Now that is what the author tries to convey.

A motivational book that helps you to stay focused and have a positive approach to rise above hurdles and accomplish the dream. The connection to the universe and it’s integral part in making our dreams come true also is a lesson to be learnt.

I love the writing style of the author which he serves to keep it simple and crisp. No beating around the bush or extravagant descriptions. Overall a good one for self-motivation and self-discovery.

About the author :

Sanjay is an entrepreneur and an ex-banker, an alumnus of IIM Bangalore and a Chartered Accountant. During his successful career, Sanjay has been integrating the essence of a parallel spiritual journey with his material pursuits. He has now set out to share the ways and means of seamlessly traversing through the material and spiritual world. Thereby, enriching each journey.

Click below on the thumbnail to buy yourself a copy.

This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla, and generously SPONSORED BY Bugshield Clothing – Enjoy Outdoors More!

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The feast #WoWe

Married to an orthodox family, Mithila was nervous and desperate to get a good name. Though Arvind had already given her lessons of how the family traditions are, the ways they good, she still seemed tensed like a student who is appearing first time for the boards. Yes, Mithila and Arvind were in love and after a long struggle they had gotten married. Their traditions, customs everything deferred except for the love for each other which remained the same. They had an intercaste marriage.

It was the day when Arvind’s relatives were invited home for a feast. This made Mithila even more nervous. Taking a guess, yes Arvind is born in a strict Brahmin family who feast on vegetarian food, not even onion garlic or other foreign vegetables included in their food. Mithila on the other hand is a hard rock non vegetarian meat lover. Giving up on meat was the last thing she would have ever thought. But she had to.

The date was fixed for the feast and as a family tradition the new daughter in law was supposed to cook the famous paruppu urundai kozhambu. Had they asked for mutton kola or some other non-vegetarian gravy she would have happily danced her way into the kitchen and finished it off in a jiffy. SO she geared up for the challenge in front of her. She browsed through all possible sites for the recipes and had them practiced in her mind.

The next day she had it all set up, the ingredients, the ground paste and all other items needed to prepare the dish. And in a matter of half an hour she finished it. Arvind, his mom and his sisters tasted it and they all had the same expression. Well, did Mithila succeed? Well her mother in law was kind enough to point out that the dish was ok but it lacked the authenticity of a typical Brahmin dish. So she added whatever was needed and yes it was done. The dish was served to the guests and they were more than happy to taste and appreciate Mithila for being an excellent cook.

Wondering how this would relate the prompt? Nobody except Arvind knew that Mithila was from another tradition. But her way of cooking brought her out. Yes, his sisters were able to identify that. Her style of cooking was unique and known only to the people of her area. How did they know? They had colleagues from the same area who cook the same way. Now that they know, they casually tease Arvind and Mithila that they would let out the secret. SO even though Arvind tried to make Mithila as one in the family, her style of cooking gave out who she was. At least, to his sisters. So a wolf can only be a wolf, even if it dons sheep’s clothing.

This post is written as part of the #WoWe Blog Hop hosted by Mayuri and Rashi.

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Review of Bestseller

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Akshay Saxena, an out of work editor of a defunct literary magazine in the UK, is told to move to India for a year to help shore up the value of Kalim, an ailing Indian publisher. Akshay finds himself in a job where he has to do the impossible. Angus Lee, the new owner of Thomson Lee Books, wants at least five bestsellers in the coming year, failing which the business would be wound up. He has to find a way of making a success out of books he would never publish or would never even read. To complicate things further, he has to contend with motley crew of has-beens and misfits working for the publishing house as well as wannabe writers, dealing with their follies and derisive tactics, and battle his own affections for Zorah Kalim, the impulsive daughter of his former boss. Will he succeed in bringing out that one ‘bestseller’ from his publishing house? And what about his own life and love in office? Find out in this riveting read.

MY REVIEW:

A sudden burst of reviews and promos for the book really did make me want to read this. And must say the decision to buy this was worthy. Writing something about the publishing business in India and with elements of friendship, romance in it couldn’t have been widely thought of.

The author has taken up a different plot for the satire genre and has done complete justice to it. The books clearly lists out the various happenings that take place when a book is into publishing to become a “bestseller”. The humorous elements out into the plot makes it an engaging read.

The book is about an Indian who returns from UK and takes up an Indian publishing house job and to revive the business of the failed enterprise. Does he keep up his job by Publishing five bestsellers a year is the rest of the story.

It is a light read and a great book to go with your relaxing time. The book cover makes more sense as you progress through reading the book. The plot could be easily visualized giving credit to the narration and the simplicity in writing.

Overall it was an engaging read and I would definitely recommend this to people who prefer humor since there are a lot of LOL moments in the book making it an interesting read.

BOOK DETAILS:

  • Paperback:196 pages
  • Publisher:Rupa Publications India (3 November 2018)
  • Language:English
  • ISBN-10:9353332648
  • ISBN-13:978-9353332648

MY RATINGS:

Title: 4/5

Writing and presentation: 4/5

Plot:4/5

Cover: 4/5

Overall: 4/5

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ahmed Faiyaz is the bestselling author of Love, Life & All That Jazz…, Another Chance, Scammed and the editor of the Urban Shots anthologies. He was born and raised in Bengaluru. Apart from being a passionate writer, he dabbles with film-making and travels to lesser-known destinations to better understand life and the times we live in. He lives and works in Dubai, with his two boys and their tabby cat named, Bob.

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Review of lost and found in Banaras

BLURB:

Banaras celebrates death, but what does it do to the living dead? When three-year-old Brinda is widowed after being married for a few hours, her family refuses to take her back in. Deemed ‘munhoos’, she finds her way to Nirmala Ashram in Banaras where she leads a life of child widow under the watchful eye of Vasanti Bua and her friend, Debi. She and Debi are just another shade of white in the city’s numerous ‘white shadows’ until Sia and Uday return to Banaras. As visitors to the ancient city, they assumed that the unfinished stories of their past were long behind them. Little did they know that Banaras was waiting with its unspent debt and the dishonest voices would find their way back to them in Brinda and Debi. Will Banaras, standing at the crossroads between the ancient and the modern, help them expiate? Will they find what they once lost—love, longing or perhaps nirvana?

MY REVIEW:

A sober read that brings up the lives of innocent widows in Banaras is the story in this book. The book starts off with young Brinda and her brothers playing. Brinda is young, I mean very just that she is 3 years old. The house in the village is gearing up for a major celebration. No you’re wrong if you assume it would be the carnival or temple fest, it’s Brinda’s marriage. Yes, you heard me right, the three year old girl is being married off to an eleven year old boy, Biswaas.

The celebrations take place in a grand manner. Brinda is married to Biswaas who is from another village. So soon after the marriage and feast she is being sent off. Biswaas seemed disinterested right from when the marriage talks were on. Brinda cries her lungs out when she is being sent, but that is how it is in the villages. Upon her arrival she is welcomed by the siblings and her mother in law. Few moments later there is a strong downpour after which there are floods. The entire family except her father in law is lost and she keeps sobbing. When taken back to her village, things are not in their favor and she is marked as a sign of bad omen. Her brother Jhulan takes up an oath to come see her soon.So the father in law who is suffering a deadly ailment is forced to send her to Nirmala ashram run by Vasanti Bua , a home for the widows.

She being the youngest takes time to settle but is close with Debi upon whom there are numerous eye of the landlord for flesh trade. Vasanti Bua, safeguards her from the evil eyes and runs the ashram. Sia who returns to Banaras wants to bring this out to the world and give these young women a better place to live. Uday, a journalist photographer, stumbles upon SIa who then enlightens him the current situation. What happens next? Does Brinda meet her brother, what happened to Biswaas, Does Sia reunite with her love? Who takes over the ashram after Vasanti Bua is the rest of the story.

The author takes the plot in a slow pace and the sufferings of the widows and condition of the ashram is something we worry off. The vocabulary used is simple and easy to understand. It is a slow read and took me a couple of days to finish. I would not say this is a gripping read, but has a different style on its own.

The cover design could have been better. The characterization is done well with few characters playing their part. Nothing is over exaggerated. The narrations with respect to Sia’s life flashback could have been briefed instead of a longer write up.

BOOK DETAILS:

  • Paperback:232 pages
  • Publisher:Readomania (17 August 2018)
  • Language:English
  • ISBN-10:9385854666
  • ISBN-13:978-9385854668

MY RATINGS:

Title: 4/5

Writing and presentation: 3.5/5

Plot:4/5

Cover: 3.5/5

Overall: 3.75/5

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Mona Verma is an alumni of prestigious Lady Shri Ram College, New Delhi and an award winning author of 6 works of fiction, A Bridge to Nowhere, God is a River, the White Shadow, the Clown of Whitefields and other stories, the Other and Lost and Found in Banaras. She had edited various science journals, self -help books, biographies and is a regular feature writer for online newspapers. She is on board of various Universities as an advisory expert and is much sought as visiting faculty for Creative writing, Haiku and Limericks. She is now a member of FICCI and member of Writers’ meet called for by Governor of Uttarakhand, at Rajbhawan Dehradun. A Paul Harris fellow, she actively volunteers with Interplast, Germany and Rotary International foundation for the treatment of surgical accidents and burns victims. Recently, she has been honored with the executive membership in the Management Committee of Anushruti, a social initiative of IIT, Roorkee for the exemplary work done for the special children at Anushruti. She is also serving as a member of the Academic Review Committee with Anushruti, IIT Roorkee. Presently, she co-owns and runs her firm Disha, an education consultancy and thought leading initiative, which deals with corporate, organizational and faculty/student trainings in schools and Universities. Apart from the above, she has a keen interest in classical music, charcoal sketching, oil painting, photography and travel.

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Review of Pyjamas are forgiving #instacuppa #superbloggerchallenge

BLURB:

There sitting on that porch, that light-eyed man, a pitta like me, was my ex-husband and that woman whose inner element I was unaware of, unless bitch is accepted as an undiscovered fourth dosha, was his young wife. In the serene sanctuary of Kerala’s Shanthamaaya spa where food is rationed, sex forbidden and emotions centred, Anshu meets someone familiar and deeply unsettling – her ex-husband. Bittersweet, funny and wise, Pyjamas Are Forgiving confirms Twinkle Khanna as one of our great storytellers.

MY REVIEW:

When Twinkle Khanna made announcements for releasing her third book, it piqued quite a lot of eagerness and interests in her fans and minds of other readers. Since the second book did not do seemingly well, the timing that the release came in, it set the minds of the readers who were expecting a comeback.

The plot begins with the protagonist, Anshu ; a 40 year old divorcee who seeks rejuvenation and is a regular at the Shanthamaaya sthalam, Kerala. No it is not a spa when I meant she sought rejuvenation, it is an Ayurveda Ashram by Dr. Menon where people come in seek of freedom from the doshas that plague them.

Anshu seeks peace from her fast paced life in Mumbai and comes to Kerala seeking peace and tranquility. She signs up for the 28-day rejuvenation program, which holds her a lot of surprises. Among those who signed up, Anshu’s ex-husband Jay and his new wife Shalini are also included. Anshu is in for a roller-coaster ride of innumerable emotions at having to come to terms with her ex’s presence in such close vicinity.

Shalini can be described as everything in opposite to what Anshu is. She is young, flexible, beautiful and thin. It no longer is surprising that Jay fell for her when Anshu was still starting to get used to marriage and its many bizarreness. Anshu’s heart still skips a beat seeing Jay; even though they have been separated for over a decade. After all its her first love so she cannot get over so soon.

All the characters we are introduced in the book are realistic and serve a purpose of their presence.

The writing style as always is filled with wit and humor and it cannot go wrong if I say it is generously present throughout the book. But even then it did not make a strong impact.

The book is a short read but loses the engaging or the intriguing factor somewhere in the middle as it becomes monotonous. At some instances Anshu’s encounters with Jay and the instances handled seemed to lack luster and was becoming repetitive.

The cover of the book is designed so well; in fact, it was one of the factors that pushed me to read the book. But we also know that we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.

BOOK DETAILS:

  • Paperback:256 pages
  • Publisher:Juggernaut (7 September 2018)
  • Language:English
  • ISBN-10:9386228971
  • ISBN-13:978-9386228970

MY RATINGS:

Cover: 4/5

Title: 4/5

plot: 3.5/5

Writing and Presentation: 4/5

Overall: 4/5

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Twinkle Khanna is one of India’s top-selling writers and the author of two national bestsellers, Mrs Funnybones (winner of a Crossword Book Award 2016) and The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad. She is one of Times of India’s most read columnists and has won numerous awards, including India Today Woman Writer of the Year, Outlook Award for Most Inspiring Woman of the Year and Vogue Opinion Maker of the Year. She is the founder of Mrs Funnybones Movies and in 2018 produced the highly acclaimed film Pad Man. Khanna lives in Mumbai with her family.

This article is written as a part of SuperBloggerChallenge conducted by Healthwealthbridge.com , Allaboutthewoman.com and powered by Instacuppa and should not be repurposed, republished or used otherwise. The content herein is owned by the blogger. SuperBloggerChallenge is not responsible for any infringement caused.”

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Review of Something I never told you #superbloggerchallenge #instacuppa

BLURB:

When in love, you tend to take each other for granted, and sometimes, that can cost you a lifetime of togetherness . . . Ronnie knew that his first crush was way out of his league, and yet he pursued and wooed Adira. Shyly and from a distance in the beginning, and more persuasively later. He couldn’t believe it when the beautiful Adira actually began to reciprocate, falling in love with him for his simplicity and honesty.

Slowly, as they get close and comfortable with each other, life takes on another hue. From truly magical it becomes routine. There are fights and then making-up sessions-a clash of egos and doubts.

Things begin to change for the worst.

It is too late. Ronnie and Adira will probably never find their forever after . . .

MY REVIEW:

This book is yet another love story with the usual struggles. Raunak or Ronnie as he prefers to be called falls in love with Adira. Both are from middle class background. The story goes back and forth between the past and present.

Raunak is late for his first day at office and looks to have lost his metro card somewhere in the commotion with the auto wala regarding the fare. On searching around he notices that it is under the dupatta of a beautiful girl who is seated on the staircase talking on her mobile. I know that sounds cliched. On looking at her he realizes that she is not an unknown face but someone he knows very well.

This girl is Adira. Raunka’s maternal grandma has a PG at home, one of whom was Adira. Raunak immediately fell in love, the first day when she came into the place. Raunak hangs out with his cousins or more aptly the only friends he has during weekends, who help Granny with managing things for the house. A few formal hellos were the conversation exchanged between Raunak and Adira. Basically he is very shy to express his liking for her. This is evident in few instances where he buys a silver charm bracelet for her birthday and places a note on it without writing his name, consequence of which some random guy unknown to him in the party claims he was the one who presented it.

Bamm!! Our hero loses his chance. Yet again when Adira falls sick, he gets medicine and makes someone else hand them over to her and she thinks it was Rohit, Raunak’s cousin who took the pain of getting her medicines. Here we go again. At the same timeline, his cousin Piyush falls in love with Tamannah, Adira’s friend, proposes and they are all set for marriage.

Upon the metro train journey Raunak loses track of Adira and ends up late in office; halfway through an important meeting with the clients and his team. But a sign of relief is that through the window he catches a glimpse of Adira is happy that she works for the same company too.

Like a God given chance, Raunak and ADira are on the same team who travel to Melbourne for a client project. That is when they start talking casually. Raunak’s lead helps him understand that he is delaying a decision to go up to and confess his love to Adira.

Raunak decides and proposes, Adira replies saying she needs time to think but he is definitely more than a friend. IN between we have the usual opposition from Adira’s mom refraining her from any male company, she absconds, they meet again at Piyush’s marriage.

What happens to them? Do they reunite is the rest of the story.

The story started off in a good pace and somewhere in the middle that seemed lost. It again regained the pace during the climax. Part of the narration seems to be dragged and things are explained way more in details in the middle which kind of is not engaging.

The vocabulary was good; the narration is clear. Over all is a one-time read and a usual love story. The cover design is too good that makes you want to pick this up. Kudos for that.

BOOK DETAILS:

  • Paperback:256 pages
  • Publisher:Penguin (14 February 2019)
  • Language:English
  • ISBN-10:0143445901
  • ISBN-13:978-0143445906

MY RATINGS:

Cover: 4/5

Title: 4/5

plot: 3.5/5

Writing and Presentation: 4/5

Overall: 4/5

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Shravya loves to find hidden stories around her and write novels about them. Formerly a corporate employee, she managed to flee the madness after a few years of boredom to become a full-time writer. She is a sucker for romance and strives to pen down exciting stories. When she is not reading and writing, she is out enjoying nature, playing with her dogs or cooking for her family.

She lives in Melbourne with her family, in a house with a barren backyard and a lifetime’s collection of books.

This article is written as a part of SuperBloggerChallenge conducted by Healthwealthbridge.com , Allaboutthewoman.com and powered by Instacuppa and should not be repurposed, republished or used otherwise. The content herein is owned by the blogger. SuperBloggerChallenge is not responsible for any infringement caused.”

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Review of Aranghya and Jahar – Bandahar series part I

BLURB:

Evil Sorcerer or Tyrant? Mercenary or Warrior Prince? Songstress or Mythical Nymph? Three Protagonists conjoined by the wrath of a wasteland create an unprecedented history Only one thing stands between an evil sorcerer and his will to destroy a flourishing empire – Shikhanderi’s love for Ishanya Will Shikhanderi’s quest for his identity rock the very foundations of Bandahar? Will Shikhanderi and Ishanya’s love ever see light in the darkness that is Jahar? From a first time writer, comes a thrilling tale of adventure, myth, and fantasy.

MY REVIEW:

The plot involves many characters of whom Mithilesh is the King of Aranghya, part of Bandahar which comprises of seven kingdoms. He has been warned that he would be killed by a golden serpent. And also been warned by the dreamers that he would have to get rid of Kindgom else his entire dynasty would have to be wiped out of history.

Even after having all these thoughts in mind, the King wants to marry of his daughter Princess Binodhini to Prince Vikrant (Prince of Kingdom Dwadesh of Bandahar). But as a twist the prince is in love with Ishanya, the daughter of a sage and is someone who sings well. Her voice is known to be magical with mystical abilities. A love triangle exists between Binodhini, Vikrant and Ishanya.

The book begins with a scene which introduces the main Protagonist Shikanderi. The initial chapters give you an idea about the Kingdoms. There are too many plots involved like the Kind and his destiny, the relationship between the kingdoms, the prince and the princess. There is one more character, Karmachakra involved who wants to invade Bandahar and has ill intentions that he kidnaps women to satisfy his intentions. He is a great sorcerer.

What is the fate of the King Mithilesh, what happens to the kingdoms? Does the serpent kill the King? Does Karmachakra invade the kingdom? Whom does the Princess marry? Do Shikanderi and Ishanya unite is the rest of the story.

The narration seems a bit complicated to understand, but no worries you are provided with a glossary at the end. The too and fro between past and present, too many little plots make it a bit tough to continuously read.

The names of the characters and few serious sequences were worth mentioning.

The books cover shows open sky with some explosions which could have been better for a serious plot like this. But the cover does not reveal what the book actually holds.

Overall the book deserves its place in good one time read list.

BOOK DETAILS:

  • Format:Kindle Edition
  • File Size:2347 KB
  • Print Length:147 pages
  • Sold by:Amazon Asia-Pacific Holdings Private Limited
  • Language:English
  • ASIN:B07M6GG7GX

MY RATING: Cover: 3.5/5

Title: 4/5

plot: 3.5/5

Writing and Presentation: 3.5/5

Overall: 3.5/5

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Book blitz – The open road



The Open Road
Bo and Quinn Loftis
Publication date: February 13th 2019
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

Like all young couples, Jason O’Neal and his wife, Bethany, imagined a long and happy life with their children. But when Jason loses his family to a tragic accident, his storybook life dies with them on a two-lane highway. Unable to cope with the loss, Jason makes a last-ditch effort to find peace with their deaths. He plans to fulfill Bethany’s dream of visiting all fifty states, leaving mementos of his family along the way.

Samantha Showalter knows heartache after being left crying in an empty parking lot at the end of a three-year, abusive relationship. Seven months later, she’s rebuilding her life through sheer force of will, until her ex-fiancé shows up at her doorstep unannounced. But Samantha’s best friend has a plan to help Sam let go of her past once and for all … and finally find herself again.

Fate, with a little help from a meddling best friend, will bring two broken souls together. Both have their own valleys to cross before either can hope for a future of happiness.

Will Jason and Samantha find peace in each other, or will their past pain be too much to overcome?

The answer will be found on the open road.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

—

EXCERPT:

Just then, Sam heard a loud knock on her front door. She sat still, thinking maybe the knock had actually been on the apartment door next to hers. An emaciated old hippie named Skip lived there, and he received all manner of strange visitors. It was not uncommon for one of them to knock on Samantha’s door by mistake. When Skip wasn’t hiding behind his dark curtains, he spent most of his time sitting in a lawn chair on the stoop smoking nonfiltered cigarettes and petting his elderly cat Mrs. Kush Kush.

The knock came again. No, that was definitely on her own door. Who in the world could that be? She sucked in a breath as she remembered Henry and his bizarre statement about knowing their future. Could he have found out where she lived? Not that it would be hard. Samantha was pretty sure you could find anyone you wanted on the internet. The knock came yet again, a little more insistent this time. Still, she didn’t move. It was Sunday, almost noon. She wasn’t expecting anyone. This had to be some stupid door-to-door salesperson or maybe a religious nut just out of church and all fired up. Or it’s a crazy, psychic nut who’s obsessed with you, she added in her mind, choosing not to voice that out loud and somehow make it come true. Not that she was superstitious but why not play it safe, just this once? She wasn’t going to answer it. They’d go away in a minute.

The knock sounded for a fourth time, even louder this time. “Dammit,” she swore and threw the blanket off her body. She was annoyed enough now that she was able to tamp down any fear she might have been feeling a moment ago. Samantha lumbered up and stomped into the living room so loudly she probably made the pictures rattle in the apartment below her. She paused at the door and looked down at herself, noticing her breasts were about to come tumbling out of the top of the red shirt she’d been wearing the night before, which was stained and wrinkled. Her throat was on fire. Her mouth tasted like she’d eaten a raw dragon liver, and she could only imagine what her hair must look like.

Samantha yanked the shirt up as high as it would go. She briefly thought about quickly freshening up, or at least brushing her teeth, but then she might miss the chance to read the riot act to this jackass pounding on her door. And if it was Henry Hyena, she was going to make it perfectly clear that he was creeping her the hell out and he needed to stop. Sam was going to make this fool pay for dragging her out of bed—well, off the bedroom floor, anyway—on what should be a very relaxing Sunday. The knock came again.

Damn it! It’s my first day off in three weeks. I’m SO not listening to a sales pitch about satellite TV! This asshat is getting a piece of my mind!

Samantha unlocked the door and yanked it open. Everything she’d been planning to say froze in her throat as she stared up into the eyes of the man at the door.

“Nice shirt,” said Derek, grinning like a Cheshire cat. And Samantha vomited all over his shoes.


Author Bio:

Quinn Loftis is a multi-award winning author of more than 20 novels, including the USA Today Bestseller, Fate and Fury. In a previous life, Quinn was a nurse, but God had other plans for her. In 2011, she published her first novel, Prince of Wolves, and the rest, as they say, is history. Quinn is thankful to God and gives Him all the glory for her amazing life and family. She is blessed to be married to her best friend for over 19 years and they have three boys, two dogs, and a cat that wants to take over the world.


Author links:


Bo Loftis is an attorney turned novelist who recently penned his second novel, The Open Road, with his USA Today Bestselling author wife, Quinn Loftis. Bo lives in the Arkansas River Valley, where he deftly toes the line between gamer and jock, splitting his time between gaming (both board and video) and playing basketball, mountain biking, and acting as a color commentator for local high school football games. He has three sons, each of which love to use him as their own person jungle gym, and he wouldn’t trade them for the world.


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Review of Aavya

BLURB:

What do you do when your one true love is snatched away from you? Do you find a new love? Or do you go on loving? Raj has known aavya since they were kids. It is only now, at the threshold of adulthood that he has woken up to her beauty and grace. He is a dreamer while she is a realist. Together, they make a perfect pair. Both are visionaries who want to change the world in their unique way. But life has other plans for Raj. Aavya is spirited away across oceans by enraged parents, while Raj recuperates in a hospital. A decade later, Raj has been chasing aavya’s ghost across continents. Will their love find a way back to each other? And can love last when there is no promise that the lovers will ever be United? Aavya is the story of love, perseverance and finding hope in the darkest of times. It unfolds in letters spanning decades; written by those who lived it. At its heart is a hopeless romantic who makes his own world when the world rejects him – Raj.

MY REVIEW:

If you are looking for a light read and a person who does not feel bored to read letters and email exchanges, this book is for you.

Raj and Aavya, love each other. They did not realize that until they kissed. Post this they start having feelings for each other. They decide to elope and get married. But destiny as we know had other plans.

Aavya’s parents are clearly not interested in their relationship make her move abroad. Raj on the other hand is recuperating at a hospital. The book brings out feelings of unconditional love to the reader and makes you wonder if one can love unconditionally. Raj loves Aavya unconditionally and never gives up. He still waits for the day to come when he and Aavya can unite.

The book comprises of a series of letters and email exchanges between characters- Raj, Aavya, their friends. The letters and emails are so full of love and thoughts about intimacy and secrecy.

The narration makes you feel as though a box is pulled up from an old pile of stuff at the attic which has letters from parents which give us a whole new meaning f what their relationship was about. The author has penned down thoughts to appreciate family, love and friendship. The story swings back and forth between past and present and keeps you intrigued about the ending.

The initial thought of reading letters made it a slow read but picked up pace somewhere in the middle that I was able to complete it.

BOOK DETAILS:

  • Paperback:230 pages
  • Publisher:Kalamos Literary Services LLP; First edition (10 January 2019)
  • Language:English
  • ISBN-10:9387780171
  • ISBN-13:978-9387780170

MY RATINGS:

Cover: 4/5

Title: 4/5

plot: 4/5

Writing and Presentation: 4/5

Overall: 4/5

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

RISHABH PURI is an entrepreneur of Indian origin with business in Nigeria, Dubai, and China. Despite his demanding day job, he finds time to indulge in his passion for writing fiction. He is a national bestselling author with three books penned under his name – ‘Inside the Heart of Hope’, ‘Flying Without Wings’ and ‘Seductive Affair’. His readers have loved and enjoyed all his books immensely, and ‘Aavya’ is his fourth book. Diagnosed with life-threatening heart disease at the age of 1, Rishabh’s early life was mostly limited to talking to doctors and visiting hospitals for several major surgeries and regular checkups. Now, armed with the resilience and experience his fierce battles with the disease brought him, Rishabh has taught himself to live life to the fullest against all odds. His writings too are mostly centered on the beauty of hope, love, and life. Rishabh is also an avid traveller and a supercar enthusiast. He is based in Lagos, Nigeria but visits India regularly, returning to his birthplace, Chandigarh, which remains immensely close to his heart.

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Review of In love with Simran #superbloggerchallenge #instacuppa

BLURB:

Sanjana’s best friend in college is murdered. She was in love with a business tycoon named Nik Sethi, and Sanjana is certain that he killed her. In an effort to find proof, she decides to get close to him. Good looking and rich, Nik falls in love with Sanjana instantly, but a month later, when he accidentally discovers her real agenda, he throws her out of his life. Determined to nail him, Sanjana’s desperation exceeds all limits when she realizes that she too, like her friend, has fallen in love with a killer. After she escapes an attack one night, Sanjana quits college and goes into hiding. Now her only ambition is to punish the killer and her only weapon is her body. In a last, desperate attempt, she uses herself as bait and pursues her best plan. There are only two options: she becomes a victim or she becomes a victor. Through the story of Sanjana and Nik, In Love with Simran explores the boundaries of the basic instincts of the young: love, sex, trust and survival.

MY REVIEW:

The book starts with a classroom scene wherein the professor asks a question. Simran, a simple down to earth girl comes up with an answer that leaves everyone stunned. She replies that the distance between the moon and back is a kiss. The professor silences the class and proceeds to teaching.

Sanjana is Simran’s bestie. During a break at the canteen, she asks her what made her give the reply to the Professor which is when Simran confesses that she’s fallen in love. Sanjana quickly understands it’s Nik Sethi whom Simran is in love with, which doesn’t seem approving. But since her friend is happy she also joins her happiness. Not knowingthata the happiness is short lived, Sanjana receives call at night stating Simran is at the hospital.

Dropping everything at that instant Sanjana reaches the hospital only to know Simran is at the mortuary. She is surrounded by her family members. Sanjana is astounded and doesn’t know what to say, when she is taken aside by a police officer who introduces himself as inspector Khan, in charge of Simran’s case. He tells her that Simran was pregnant. Sanjana is shattered and immediately collapses on the floor. She then recuperates after two days and leaves the hospital. She is very sure that it was Nik Sethi who was responsible for the murder. She decides to make him feel guilty and confess the murder. She also helps inspector Khan providing vital information and only at a later point comes to know that he is working for Nik.

She decides to intern at a magazine in order to interview Nik and is successful at securing a job and an opportunity to interview Nik even after being refused of an opportunity by his assistants. She decides to encounter him directly sat the gym and ask for time to interview and succeeds. When she reaches his office and he behaves as if nothing happened and wasn’t guilty at all. Instead, he takes a liking for her. She is warned by his PA Ruby to stay out of the way or else she would end up like Simran. This terrorizes her but makes her more firm to believe that Nik is behind the murder. She is being followed by strange people. So she decides to take cover at her mom’s place in Dharamshala for few days prepare herself physically to take on Nik.

Due course of time, after her arrival from Dharamshala, she hires a detective to help her out in this case. The detective helps Sanjana but also saves her from few instances from life threats. While all this is happening Ruby the assistant and Pathan, Nik’s assistant is also being murdered and that too with the same weapon Simran was murdered.

The story takes a series of turns as to who would have committed the crime, there is also an angle accusing Nik’s mom; Rajbala. Sanjana falls for Nik and they both get married. What happens in the end?

Does she find the murderer? Is Nik guilty? Why did he kill three people? Is the rest of the story?

The author has taken the plot in a nail biting sequence as to who would have committed the crime of Nik’s close counterparts. Initially, we also have few alibis which make us suspect who would it be.

What started off as a quest to find the murderer by Sanjana continues in a way that she falls in love with the same guy who killed her friend. This point initially was difficult to accept but at a later point, we do come to know that Nik also has a story to tell. We have only been listening to one half of it.

Sanjana initially was full of rage and wanted to get hold of Nik and make him pay for his crime. The efforts she takes to make him confess and how swifts she wanted to take up a job just to meet him and make him speak are all accolades to her quick thinking.

Nik is smart and quick thinking, He says he deeply loves Simran and is sad that she had to depart soon. But one thing that makes me puzzled is why would he fall for Sanjana, within a short gap of Simran’s demise.

The narration is simple and intriguing to read.

The cover design is perfect and kudos for that.

What looks to be a romantic tale takes a twist.

BOOK DETAILS:

  • Paperback:224 pages
  • Publisher: Srishti Publishers & Distributors; First edition (10 January 2019)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10:9387022536
  • ISBN-13:978-9387022539

MY RATINGS:

Cover: 4/5

Title: 4/5

plot: 4.5/5

Writing and Presentation: 4/5

Overall: 4/5

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

One of the leading fiction writers in India, Kulpreet Yadav retired voluntarily from the armed forces to pursue a career in writing in 2014. Now also a motivational speaker, he regularly speaks at schools, colleges, and global corporate brands. Kulpreet’s latest spy novel, Murder in Paharganj, was published in 2017. Winner of “Best Fiction Writer, 2018″, at the Gurgaon Literature Festival, Kulpreet lives in Delhi.

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