Category: review copy

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Review of A girl to remember

BLURB:

In every angel a demon hides, And in every demon, an angel strides. Neel is a self-proclaimed demon, a slave to his desires, putting at stake even the purest of relationships for it. He lives for himself, takes life as it comes, and considers people who love as emotional fools. When he first sets his eyes on his new landlady, a widow who is eleven years elder to him, all he can see is an opportunity. He has a plan to get rich and is working hard to achieve it, until he bumps into Pihu. She is an immature teenager who likes Neel for no apparent reason, and blindly believes that he is an angel who will take away all her life’s troubles. Neel hates Pihu for her unexplained obsession, and her being a hindrance in his plan, but her firm resolve to see a good person in him shakes Neel to the core. Will Pihu make a difference? Does inner transformation come to a man who has gone to a point of no return? A Girl to Remember is an emotional roller coaster which will make you believe that confession is the best punishment.

MY REVIEW:

Human mind works in such a way that it can make you seem like an angel one time and a devil at another time.

A girl to remember is one such book that portrays the life of Pihu, an innocent girl who awaits an angelic appearance to make things right in her life.

Neel on the other hand is a teacher at one of the reputed institutions in Pune. Due to his strange actions he losses job and his accommodation at the hostel is at stake.

Pihu who is kind of obsessed with Neel, that she offers accommodation. Neel gets to know Annu( Pihu’s mom) in this situation and he immediately makes a plan. He tries to trap Annu through PIhu to get hold of the property owned by her. He uses Pihu as the trump card. But Pihu continues to see him as the angel or the savior for whom she’s been waiting for long. Annu also is aware of Neel’s activities and his past record.

But what makes both of them agree to let Neel stay? What was the incident that costed Neel his job? Why is he doing all this is the rest of the story.

The three main characters- Neel, Pihu and Annu are portrayed very well. Neel is shown as a demon whose desire is only money and fantasizes women. He would use any person as an opportunity to get what he wants.

Pihu is an innocent and immature teenager. Annu who lost her husband at young age, has overcome a lot of difficulties with strong perseveration and has a determined attitude.

The style of writing is simple and lucid. Love, confession, responsibilities, realizations are all notable elements in this plot. The twists are unimaginable and are brought out in a way that makes the book a quick page turner.

BOOK DETAILS:

  • Paperback:224 pages
  • Publisher:Srishti Publishers & Distributors; First edition (28 September 2018)
  • Language:English
  • ISBN-10:9789387022393
  • ISBN-13:978-9387022393
  • ASIN:9387022390

MY RATINGS:

Cover: 4/5

Title: 4/5

plot: 4/5

Writing and Presentation: 4/5

Overall: 4/5

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ajay K Pandey has touched the lives of many with his writing, and continues to write stories of love that change lives. His bestselling books You Are the Best Wife and Her Last Wish have been on top of various bestseller charts, and explore the depths to which a heart can go for love.

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Review of elephants in the room

BLURB:

A ragtag group of friends are planning a bank heist to end their cash crunch. Novices to crime, they are driven more by emotions than skill – their plan seems fool proof, or so they think.In another part of the city, a gang of seasoned dacoits has botched up a job and now owes money to the local crime lord. They have to either pay up or pay for it with their lives – and time is running out… In a bizarre twist of fate, both these groups are brought face-to-face. Trapped in a situation beyond the realm of their planning and experience, they must think on their feet, form quick alliances and rally behind an unlikely leader.Set against the backdrop of Chennai, where men sing gaana songs in kuppams (fishing hamlets) nestled against swanky glass-fronted buildings and life-size cut-outs of film stars and politicians, a story of love, greed, friendship, fate and the absurdity of the human condition unfolds.

MY REVIEW:

Firstly, if you want to have this book on your TBR please make up your mind that you could not complete it at one go. NO I do not mean it’s not engaging I intend to mean the length that it runs into a massive 600-page suspense fiction. For a debut novel this is seriously a great attempt. A longish 89 chapters covered in 600 pages.

A bank robbery involving three gangs unaware of each other’s existence until they meet at the crime spot makes an impressive plot.

Quick thinking and smart decisions being planned by gang to loot away from the other has been narrated very well. The narration from the perspective of a robber is indeed different approach to this heist plot.

Each and every character made a mark which was one of the positive notes, instead of involving too many characters leading to confusion.

The local dialect used at places makes it even more relatable for we are well aware of the language. The unfolding of events given in an elaborate verbiage makes another plus point. But this book will never let you down of making it a choice.

The book cover is designed with a cute picture of elements which is completely in contrast to the mystery that the book holds inside. SO go ahead and grab your copy.

BOOK DETAILS:

  • Format:Kindle Edition
  • File Size:1624 KB
  • Print Length:659 pages
  • Publisher:The Write Place (11 October 2018)
  • Sold by:Amazon Asia-Pacific Holdings Private Limited
  • Language:English
  • ASIN:B07JCL37DV
  • ISBN – 978-9-38728-242-1

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Suraj is a big fan of crime and mystery thrillers. Movies in the genre of crime and suspense inspired him to take up writing on similar subjects. He started by writing movie reviews. He lives in Bangalore and is a software engineer by profession. His hobbies include reading and playing tennis. Readers can connect with Suraj through the website http://www.authorsuraj.com.

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Review of The day he was gone

The day he was gone

BLURB:

Reeva Panchal has had a traumatizing past, but she is trying to build up her life again from scratch with her skill in art. When she receives a surprise marriage proposal from the wealthy hotelier Agnivesh Solanki, she can’t help but feel odd about it even though her parents are insistent that she agrees to it. With Agnivesh’s entry into her life, all her problems seem to alleviate at an unrealistic pace, even though Agnivesh continues to exude a dark aura for her. What unfolds is a series of unprecedented events where relations are broken, mistakes are made and the past is dug up to destroy as well as heal.

MY REVIEW:

Reading through the blurb and at a first glance the book seemed to be telling an ordinary story. But once I started reading it, I realized I was wrong. No, the author proved me wrong. The book starts with the protagonist Reeva receiving a marriage proposal from a millionaire Business man Agnivesh. No one including her parents are clueless about this guy and his whereabouts when suddenly he proposes to marry their only daughter.

Sumitra, Reeva’s mom gets elated since she gets the surety that her daughter would be well settled if she marries Agnivesh. But on the other hand Prakash, Reeva’s father is a person who understands his daughter and does not pressurize her to get into wedlock. Especially with a stranger who pops out of nowhere.

Reeva owns a handicraft workshop where she supplies gift articles for smaller celebrations. She initially resists Agnivesh, but after getting to know him over a couple of instances she falls for him finally.

The book alternates between the story between Reeva and Agnivesh and chapters from a diary “All about Sona”, where we see a letter being addresses to the diary by a guy about his to be girlfriend whom he names Sona. The part where both stories intertwine is just amazing.

The characterization is just done perfect. Especially that of Agnivesh. There is not a single spec of doubt that arises though he is portrayed to be a reserved stubborn guy initially. Getting to know he has a past and that has Reeva in connection is woven pretty well.

Reeva’s part, I won’t say is subtle, but the emotional struggles she undergoes from within and how she tries to hide them from the outside world makes her a strong protagonist. She does not fall for Agnivesh immediately when the proposal is received. She is curious to know who he is and how did he know of her and propose a marriage. She takes time to understand him and believes him completely when she is shattered by an instance which makes her solely dependent on him to prove her innocence when her own parents accuse her.

Prakash is a protective father, who does not thrust decisions on her but also wants her to settle in a good manner.

The writing is crisp and clear. Nothing was difficult to understand or required a dictionary peek to understand terms.

The cover is designed well with the picture of a girl looking dejected portraying that she is thinking of her past and in engrossed in it completely.

BOOK DETAILS:

  • Format: Paperback
  • Publisher:Invincible Publishers; First edition (23 September 2018)
  • Language:English
  • ISBN-10:9388333039
  • ISBN-13:978-9388333030
  • ASIN:B07HLM164P

MY RATINGS:

Cover: 4/5

Title: 4/5

plot: 4.5/5

Writing and Presentation: 4/5

Overall: 4/5

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Born and brought up in Pathankot (Punjab), Anjum Awasthi Malik is presently residing in Noida (U.P.). She has done her Post Graduation in Engineering from G.G.S.I.P.U. Delhi and has seven years of experience in the technical world. Last she worked in Centre Development of Advance Computing (CDAC), Noida. She took a break from work to look after her kids and meanwhile started writing the stories which have always been there in her mind. ‘The Day He Was Gone’ is her second book. Her first book ‘The Twist of Fate’, published by Invincible Publishers in December 2017, is widely appreciated by the readers and has several positive reviews on Amazon as well as Goodreads. With her writing and narration style, she has carved a niche for herself. She has always been a creatively inclined person.

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Review of the forbidden quest of Mysore

BLURB:

Around 1500 a famous astrophysicist Yagnabhatta created an ancient enigma, Gandabaerunda. To protect it from falling into the wrong hands, the great King Krishna Devaraya hid it in Mysore. Ever since then, the chase behind it has never stopped. Back in 2017, there lived a self-claimed archaeologist, Amar. He loved an intellectual girl, Pooja. Like every other Indian love story, they too had hurdles. Pooja was elder, and her father was rich. Their families were of a different caste and spoke different languages. Yet they never stopped loving each other. Embrace into the city of palaces as Amar and Pooja go in search of an impossible mission. Can the couple overcome the trials to decode the hidden secrets of the King Raja Wodeyar III? Can they fight the prejudices of the Indian society to get married?

MY REVIEW:

This book is perfect to be judged as a romantic mystery. It starts with a love story between two people from diverse backgrounds in all aspects such as region, linguistic and economy. Amar Bharadwaj and Pooja Naidu fondly called as Poo are the love birds and the two main characters. The writings bubble with love whenever there is a mention of these two. Amar’s father was an archeologist and is suspected to have run away with the biggest secret treasure of Mysore. Hs is in the papers for all wrong reasons. Amar as a dutiful son wishes to find what his father was up to and to unveil the mystery of the so called secret treasure. Pooja works in one of the biggest IT company in Mysore, while her parents stay in Bangalore.

The story builds up as Amar tries to gather various clues that are to lead to the treasure. In this treasure hunt, we are being taken virtually to all places of historic importance and architectural excellence in and around Mysore. The parts in Mahabaleshwar and Chamundeshwari temple were extra ordinary.

The descriptions and pace of the story especially in these parts were commendable. Together Pooja and Amar set out on the quest to discover the secret weapon. They occasionally, no no very often stay at a common friends place who does help them out by making them stay at his place and of course not to forget to give a mention about his delicious food which is a favorite of Poo and Amar.

During the course of time, we see the usual struggles in love marriages- caste differences, financial background differences play a major part. Poo is emotionally blackmailed by making her mother the prey to lose interest on Amar. The cat mouse race between the father & brother of Poo and Amar is the usual interpretation. Nothing very new here.

In between we have a crucial part by Dr.Venkatacharya who discloses shocking facts about the treasure and Amar’s father. This actually brings about turning point in the story.

Does Amar discover the treasure, does he unite with Pooja, what happened to his father is the remaining part of the story for which you should definitely grab the book.

The characterization is very good, especially that of Amar as a dutiful son, a good brother, a fond lover and a determined treasure hunter.

The pace of the story was right at the needed places but I felt a romantic overdose a few places which would not be liked by all. The vocabulary is crisp and was fluent.

BOOK DETAILS:

  • Paperback
  • Publisher:HALF BAKED BEANS (17 October 2018)
  • ASIN:B07JHRG24N

Get your copy from amazon: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B07JHRG24N/

MY RATINGS:

Cover: 4/5

Title: 4.5/5

plot: 4/5

Writing and Presentation: 4/5

Overall: 4/5

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Puneeth JH is an Indian writer, relishing in Germany. He indited his first book at an early age of nineteen and covet to write until he is ninety. He presently writes codes in C++ for living and stories for his love for words. He inscribes on the vivid issues of romance, feminism and mythicism.

Apart from writing, his Jekyll and Hyde tendencies make him a researcher cum programmer in the field of future wireless communication. In laymen words, he is one among the million engineers, who are trying to connect multiple smart vehicles with ultra-reliable low latency communication, so that they could drive on their own, and bring down the loss of life in road accidents.

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Review of high heels and haywires by Shama Farheen and Suraj Dey

BLURB:

Cover of high heels and haywires
Cover of high heels and haywires

When the roller-coaster of mixed emotions hit Sameera. She finally decides it’s high time and she needs a break from the life she has been living all these years in the small town of Himachal. That when she decides to run away one night, in search of a perfect life she had always longed for, only to find herself getting deeper into the clutches of what she has been running from. In the new city she befriends Shikha and Akanksha who are haywired in their own war of destiny much like her but with very much opposite characters.High Heels and Haywires is all about them, their friendship, love and heartaches. Something most of you could relate to in one way or the other.

MY REVIEW:

The story revolves around three female characters as mentioned in blurb- Sameera, Shikha and Akanksha. Sameera is new to city and bumps into Shikha like in a Bollywood movie. AN instant connect between them and she immediately moves in with Shikha. Shikha on the other hand is carefree.

Sameera meets Akanksha in office and comes to know she’s on the lookout for accommodation. She decides to bring her into the picture with Shikha.

The three girls have loads of fun staying together. There are few other characters such as Vineet and Abir- Sameera’s colleagues, Kartik & Sonia who are Sameera’s childhood friend, Pooja Abir’s ex-girlfriend.

The romantic portions are very well portrayed with not an iota of over exaggeration.

The plot moves in a pace that seems to be engaging and unputdownable.

The narration was simple and crisp. There was no drag or over exaggeration anywhere.

The female emotions were portrayed absolutely well. Sameera’s thoughts were so clear and she was just characterized as a girl we meet up every day. Abir seems very reserved but the portions of him and Sameera brought out a smile every time.

I finished the book in a day, since it’s a light read.

BOOK DETAILS:

  • Format:Kindle Edition
  • File Size:1020 KB
  • Print Length:167 pages
  • Publisher:INDEPENDENT (5 September 2018)
  • Sold by:Amazon Asia-Pacific Holdings Private Limited
  • Language:English
  • ASIN:B07H4ZG6NC

The book is available on amazon. https://amzn.to/2CWFxYV

MY RATINGS:

Cover: 4/5

Title: 4/5

plot: 3.5/5

Writing and Presentation: 4/5

Overall: 4/5

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Review of Sneak peak by Krishna Kumar nair

BLURB:

THIS BOOK IS FOR ALL THOSE DARING HEARTS, WHO HAVE SECRETS OF THEIR OWN AND WOULD WANT TO CONFESS A FEW IN FRONT OF OTHERS. Sneak Peak will take you through a time when APPLE was still a fruit, children spend time playing with each other rather than in front of computers and a time when people rescued a dying person instead of taking their video and posting on Facebook. There was a simpler time in the 80’s and 90’s and those who lived those times and who didn’t, will equally love what you are going to read here. It’s not my story but it is yours too! The hero of this story is not Dhyankumar but the story itself. Here Dhyankumar closely post-mortems the various phases in his life, how he felt and how different it would have been, or should have been, had he thought in a different way. The book deeply emphasizes the values of friendship and how it can change one’s life and sometimes destroy the same.

MY REVIEW:

The book is of a different genre from the current trend that prevails. I felt like reading out from a diary of kind born in 90’s, keeping in mind I am one such. It brings out numerous nostalgic incidents.

It speaks about an era of no social media intervention. Yes, that’s right no mobile phones, no tabs. Leading a simple life enjoying a vacation with no social media check-ins, hanging out with cousins, TV series and cartoon and most important of all staying with our grandparents. Isn’t that a wonderful feel, staying as a complete family with many people and relatives, helping each other out, laughing, sharing. This I feel is something that the current generation is missing out on.

Though we have several advancements in technology and comforts at all levels, the concrete jungle can never equal the above mentioned joys.

The book is about a protagonist Dhyankumar who introspects the various phases of his life. The narration portrays his life filled with love and affection as a boon of staying with grandparents. A couple of mischievous events and few confessions make it an interesting read.

The pace of the story seems to be slow at places and characterization needs betterment. The cover design could have been improved. With no surprise elements the narration is pretty good except for the slow-paced parts which seem dragging. The language is simple and crisp making this a good choice for one time read.

MY RATINGS:

Cover: 3/5

Title 3.5/5

Plot: 4/5

Writing and Presentation: 4/5

Overall: 4/5

BOOK DETAILS:

  • Title : Sneak peak
  • Author: Krishna kumar nair
  • Genre: Realistic fiction
  • Format: Kindle Edition
  • File Size: 3259 KB
  • Print Length: 142 pages
  • Publisher: Half Baked Beans (26 July 2018)
  • Sold by: Amazon Asia-Pacific Holdings Private Limited
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B07FY9KL7N

The book is available on Amazon https://amzn.to/2O3kW7d

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Review of Zidd by Hetansh Desai

BLURB:

Vihaan looked at the skies, took a deep breath and shouted, ‘I want to be on the hoarding outside Raina’s flat!’ Parth did not react right away. After a few minutes, he asked, ‘Sorry? What is that?’ ‘She said she doesn’t want to see my face. So, now I want to ensure she sees my face every day the first thing in the morning.’ Parth took a step towards Vihaan. He shrugged his shoulders, confusedly. ‘I don’t understand.’ ‘There’s a hoarding outside her flat.’ ‘And you want to be on it?’ ‘Yes!’ Turns out, the hoarding outside Raina’s flat was the most expensive in the city! Witness the roller coaster journey of Vihaan, a college dropout and Parth, an illiterate tea vendor, who have an accumulative savings of 3500, set out to earn 20 Lakh in 18 months to buy the coveted hoarding space.

MY REVIEW:

The story does not fall into any specific genre, but has elements of all romance, fiction.

The plot is about two boys from contrast background who have different perspectives.

Vihaan is a rich kid who is kind of arrogant, impatient and is determined not to continue business studies and take over his father’s kite business. HE wants to pursue at SLS .

On the other hand, we have Parth, whose father is a tea seller. Parth wants to set up his own business but does not know how.

The story starts with childhood scenes from Vihaan’s life. A train journey where Vihaan’s father is worried about his business. One idea from Vihaan and he is all successful.

Here at Parth’s end, his father wants him to be a good salesman so that he can sell more cups of tea.

After his father’s death he starts working at an IT company and is very successful selling software.

Their paths cross and they both end up in the same hostel.

Vihaan falls in love with Raina, things speed up here and finally the girl rejects him and conveys she does not wish to see face. This ignites Vihaan’s ego.

So Vihaan and Parth decide to become successful. Vihaan wants to put up his hoarding near Raina’s apartment so she wakes up to it every morning, ironically see his face every day. Parth helps him. Do the love birds reunite, does Vihaan get a hoarding, Is Parth successful in setting up his own Business is what we will have to wait and watch.

The book has a perfect blend of all feelings- love, ambition, most importantly bromance. We also see a couple of business concepts being clearly explained. The book is a pleasant read with lucid writing. The characterization could have been improved especially that of Raina, who seems to be missing for a really long duration and just comes up finally at the end.

The book is a light enjoyable read and I would recommend it as a one-time read. The book uses some unsuitable talks which may not be suitable for a bit younger audience.

BOOK DETAILS:

  • Publisher:HALF BAKED BEANS (15 August 2018)
  • ASIN:B07GJLW5LH
  • No of page: 165

MY RATINGS:

Book Title: 3.5/5

Book Cover: 4/5

Plot: 4/5

Characters: 3.5/5

Narration: 3.5/5

Language & Grammar: 3.5/5

Final Rating: 4/5

The book is available on Amazon https://amzn.to/2MSOlo8

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Hetansh Desai is the Founder and CEO of Vital20Communication, a marketing consultancy based out of Mumbai. He has pursued his graduation in Liberal Studies and post-graduation in Entrepreneurial Leadership from Babson college, USA. You can find him in Ahmadabad- as his family lives there- or in Mumbai, or on a cheap, midnight SpiceJet flight.

In his free time, he loves playing and watching cricket, reading the Bhagavad Gita over and over again and listening to music. His hobbies include writing and public speaking.

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Review of heart quake by Ishita Deshmukh

BLURB:

Bhuj. Circa, 2001. A city wrecked by a massive earthquake. They met after ten long years. Their hearts wrecked by the promise of togetherness that could never be. As love tries to bloom again in the unlikeliest of places, intrigue sets in. Fleeting shadows… Hidden eyes… Mysterious deaths. What will happen when the tremors of love collide? Will he make it to the epicentre of love? Will her heart quake? Only Heart Quake will tell…

MY REVIEW:

The plot is set in the disastrous background of Gujarat earthquake in 2001. Sonal Patel whose a nurse comes to Bhuj to assist her team of doctors to treat people who keep coming in the wake of the quake. It is predominantly a romantic story also highlighting the ghastly reality of a natural disaster that shook the nation in 2001.

Sonal comes to Bhuj to look for her friend, Smita; who lived in the same city . But she comes across Tejas her ex-boyfriend; who was there to pick themost challenging medical cases for his soon to be launched multi-specialty hospital.We also have Dilip, who was Sonal’s friend all these years and was to be her fiancée.There are a couple more relationships going on this plot. Say nurse Pooja from Sonal’s team who falls for Tejas.

Amongst all this, unidentified to any of them, there are uncivilized agents at work in this disastrous times hell-bent on filling their pockets at the cost of scarcely surviving human lives.

Can Sonal find Smita among the rubbles? Will she resolve her troubles with Tejas? Or will she move ahead to the next phase of life with her fiancée.

The portrayal of characters is very well done with notable importance to each and every character. The character of Sonal’s mom, was also portrayed well where she calmly advises her daughter. But in the end its only Sonal who gets the Spotlight.

The narration was lucid and flows fluently. I didn’t have to look up words to understand what they meant, such simple was the use of words by Author. The emotional quotient was managed commendably.

BOOK DETAILS:

  • Author: Ishita Deshmukh
  • Paperback: 255 pages
  • Publisher: LiFi Publications Pvt. Ltd. (2018)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 9386191490
  • ISBN-13: 978-9386191496

MY REVIEW:

Book Title: 4/5

Book Cover: 4/5

Plot: 4/5

Characters: 3.5/5

Narration: 3.5/5

Language & Grammar: 3.5/5

Final Rating: 4/5

The book is available on Amazon https://amzn.to/2oakecS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ishita Deshmukh is, in many ways, a mascot for national integration! Born to Bengali and Gujarati parents, she grew up on a steady diet of Tamil culture and French literature in Puducherry. If that wasn’t enough, she is married to a Telugu bidda. She has this uncanny (and unnerving) ability to switch between six different languages in the course of a conversation. She is a multi-tasking marketing professional who currently runs a small home business in Singapore and helps with her family business back home at Puducherry. She is passionate about the arts, loves painting, playing the piano and embroidery, but has always dreamt of becoming a writer. She is a regular fixture at the neighbourhood library and has a special place in her heart for romantic fiction. So, get ready to devour Heart Quake, the first of many delicious fares from her literary cauldron.