Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Indian Authors, Poems

Unlocked Silences by Mukhpreet Khurana

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Title: Unlocked Silences

Author: Mukhpreet Khurana

Publishers: Notion press

Blurb: Unlocked Silences is a collection of abstracts, poems and excerpts written on tissue papers over a couple of years. It is a dive deep into the circles of emotion, empathy, acceptance, healing and insights into a different perspective towards life. In the voice of a budding adolescent, the book cascades into day-to day-shortcomings, carved into poetry and at the same time, embraces you in silence and stillness of thought. The book is an attempt to connect with the reader, to reflect upon them, unbiased and together and embrace a new beginning. With simplified use of grammar and vocabulary, this book seeks nothing but the companionship of all. With this debut book, the author aims to connect to one and to all in the message and purpose of existence, the aid of spirituality and an ode to a beautiful journey called life.

My Review

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“…Take the fall, for once and for all…

Know that you need nothing,

You need no one;

Lay in peace, sometimes

Lay in endless pain,

Celebrate every gain, dear one,

Thank every effort that went in vain….

I remember my flaws by a dominating perfection,

I remember life as a journey to be celebrated…”

 -The journey (Unlocked Silences) Mukhpreet Khurana

Unlocked Silences is a collection of poems, abstracts, and excerpts by Mukhpreet Khurana. I can’t start this review without praising the cover. It is unique and beautiful. Black and white combination is one of my favorite because it basically represents the tantrums of our own minds.  A book should be like that, bringing whiteness in the darkness. This color combination makes perfect sense with the title.

Every writer has struggled with their creativity. The unanswered questions and turmoil of emotions will be the cause to sprout creativity. So this is the breaking of silences. But this is not a mere breaking, it is unlocking. The author may have thought that this is an unlocking of his thoughts and he has to spread them in this world. Like that, this collection contains his thoughts ranging from healing, motivation, positivity to embracing fears.

This is actually like a rollercoaster ride, sometimes high, sometimes low. I think this is purely a reflection of the human mind including all our lives. All the lines are written with a meaning to reinstate belief in oneself and the rest will follow.

These deeper ideas are expressed through simple and smooth language but yet succeeded in producing an influence on one’s own mind. This book offers a path of healing, from hatred to peace.

Somehow, some lines are seem to be repeated, but it is aligned with the flow, so it never bothers the reader much. I felt this is like a walk of all the ill-emotions in our mind which keeps inner peace away, to the wisdom of our own mind.
I think this is a book for everyone because it is a collection of thought-provoking, light, and easy lines written to address one’s inner-self.

Rating 4/5

I received a copy of this book through the BOOK GENIE REVIEW PROGRAM

 

Amina Thajudeen Fiction, Indian Authors

Amma and I by Trishna Damodar

 

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Title: Amma and I
Author: Trishna Damodar
Pages: 204
Genre: Family Drama
Publisher: Leadstart Publishing

Blurb: You are unique in your own existence Kripa and Maya live in a small town in Kerala. Surrounded by greenery, streams, a vast rubber estate and a palatial home, they had it all. Maya enjoys listening to the radio and reading books and magazines as it offers her a chance to connect to the world outside. She wanted to do so much more in her life, but a sudden marriage proposal from a man based in France gets her anxious at the possibility of her dreams fading away like smoke.

Kripa has been the dutiful daughter, wife and mother. All she knew was her life and family in Kuttiadi. But she wants more for her daughter, Maya. So, when a proposal from someone in France came along, she jumped at the opportunity, hoping that this would give her
daughter a chance at a bigger and better life.

Maya, so lost in her own world, was unaware of certain shadows that lurked in her own backyard. What hides behind the constant smile on Kripa’s face? Read the journey of Kripa and Maya, set in the 1970’s, as they struggle to be heard in a society that is fixed in its norms.

 

My review

Amma and I is a heartfelt story of beautiful love and affection between a mother and daughter. I cannot begin this review without saying a few words about the beautiful and yet adorable cover of this book. It is one of the best covers I have ever seen. The adorable representation of mother and child with the touch of the iconic boat race of Kerala gives me goosebumps at the very first site. Also, the representation of the boat race gives a hint of the background of the story.

Like the title suggests, this is a story of a mother, Kripa and her daughter Maya set in the ’70s at a small town in Kerala. Maya is an ambitious girl in her 20’s and she wants to live her life in her own terms. Her parents start finding a suitable groom for her as they think she is at the marriageable age. The story goes very smooth until this stage with a perfect detailing of the dreamy life of Maya. The author introduces only one side of every main character until this stage. A clever introduction of twist at this point changes the lives of Maya and Kripa drastically from here onwards. This is where the story picks up pace and intensity.

The characters are gradually developed from the beginning to the end. The character of Maya was evolved from a small town girl with ambitious dreams to a stronger, confident, career-oriented woman at the end. Also, the character of Kripa was developed over time. The author never loosed the lovable nature of Kripa when she was developing this character throughout the story.

Basically, I always liked the story revolving around the strong female characters. Also being someone from Kerala, I felt the emotional attachment at the very first moment when I started the reading.

I will always think that the most emotionally bound relationship in every person’s life is with their own mothers. The care and selflessness of every mother are surely unreplaceable. We all got the first sight of true love from our own mothers. Because of this delicate nature, I think the portrayal emotions related to motherhood will be so difficult. Throughout the story, I felt the true emotion of the affectionate love between a mother and daughter. This is because of the immense command of the author on her storytelling skill.

The language used is simple, yet it is powerful to express all emotions of characters. This is a well-constructed plot from that point of view. This is a must read for everyone who loves a family drama.

Rating: 4/5

Amina Thajudeen Fiction, Indian Authors

Ready… Steady… Exit by P.C. Balasubramanian

 

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Author: PC Balasubramanian

Publishers: Srishti Publishers & Distributors; First edition (12 May 2015)

Blurb: Gautam completed Chartered Accountancy after several attempts and to his luck, landed up with Anand a close friend and brilliant CA, to launch an Accounting Services company named FAB. He finds love in the same profession, without much ado. Can life really be all that simple and straightforward? Can mere accountants build a valuable, visible, scalable and glamorous enterprise that could also grab business from across borders? That’s when Vimal comes in with a delectable package, an impressive consulting profile and his smart and very beautiful sister Ruchi, who agrees to support these starry-eyed entrepreneurs with her marketing acumen. FAB grows but relationship depletes. Some pull the strings, while others become puppets. Should they continue with the current arrangement or exit completely? Ready.. Steady.. Exit is a humorous, dramatic, romantic, enlightening and entertaining read. This story and narrative will inspire every reader, even more so if you are an entrepreneur or a Chartered Accountant or someone associated with financial services.

My review

‘Ready…Steady…Exit’ is a unique story of two best friends and their entrepreneurial journey from scratch. This is essentially a character-driven plot because the entire story revolves around two main characters, Gautam and Anand and their life. In the beginning, the author introduces Gautam, an ordinary guy with a passion to achieve his goals. He is not a ‘so-called’ hero that we are familiar with. He has his own battles to fight like any other ordinary man in his life and his first battle was clearing the CA exam. After many attempts, he is finally able to clear the exam and founded a start-up company with his best friend Anand. Here onwards the story picks up the pace and energy. Owing to the change of storyline, The author P C Balasubramanian introduces some other characters, Vimal and Ruchi to the life of these two friends. The smooth-flowing life of Gautam and Anand got a fierce stir after the entry of these new characters. The rest of the story unfolds around the life of these two youngsters and how they survive the cut-throat business world with their luck and intelligence.

The pace of the story is the main highlight. The story is told as in a nutshell, completing a circle at the end. I felt this is a very unique story because it deals with a rather rare and untouched topic, the struggled life of entrepreneurs, capturing their failures, dreams, small victories and emotions.

In the first part of the story, the author narrates struggles of getting CA, perfectly through the eyes of an ordinary student who has nothing but dreams. This is truly a good inspirational story to whoever wants to be a CA and then an entrepreneur. The book offers a lot to learn and I often felt the story as a personal experience of someone. It is a must-read for every budding entrepreneur.

Often the authors who are writing these kinds of success stories knowingly or unknowingly omit the personal life of the protagonists to highlight the struggle and passion towards their dream. Due to this, these stories lack plot completeness in the fiction genre. But here the author has taken care of the personal life of the protagonist, which is a good gesture.

The climax of the story has a nice twist which is essentially appropriate with the plot. I have read two of the other books by the author PC Balasubramanian which was published after this book. Due to this, I felt the drastic change in the narrating style and language he was using now. The hard work of the author is clearly visible if you read them. This shows, how much is the efforts he is putting in writing better novels.

Rating: 4/5

Amina Thajudeen Indian Authors, Self-Help

The Journey: Traveller With In by Tarun Deep Singh

“… Know him the True Warrior, who fights for the meek, Even being severed to pieces he does not leave the battlefield…”  – Gurbaani

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Book Name: The Journey: Traveller with in
Author: Tarun Deep Singh
Genre: Self- Help
Publisher: Become Shakespeare

Blurb: Every human is a seeker of ‘Truth’. But almost all give up in the middle since they are threatened by their alter ego, ‘The Fallen One’. The first step is to accept that yes, ‘I’ am ‘The Fallen One’ and then proceed for soul searching. This is unstable equilibrium so the caution has to be practiced. So, I would like to reach ‘Youth of India’ in particular by presenting them what ‘search for self realization’ has to offer. It is not easy, perhaps the most difficult task to be undertaken, but the persistence is the key. The book also contains few concepts related to science and mathematics which should interest logical minds. It is also meant for those who have gone under the same set of experience while performing soul search.

My review

“The Journey: Traveller with in” is a pure philosophy of mind and body. This book cannot be merely classified into a self-help book as it is more than that. The author has flourished this book inside out with his years of wisdom. I have read many self-help books in the past and all of them are written in a peculiar style of commanding which is right and which is wrong. That’s why I can’t include this one to that category. The author never tells us what to do or what not to. This book hardly has any pieces of advice. It is a journey of self-realization.

When I progressed the reading, I have the feeling that this is truly the journey of the author Tarun Deep Singh from denial to ultimate wisdom and spirituality. Anyone who reads this book will surely feel the turmoil of various emotions.

Highlights

  • The synopsis given at the beginning of each chapter gives a glimpse of the idea expressed in the following lines. Throughout the book, the author gives footnotes and explanation of the idea he wants to convey. This really helps everyone to grasp the concept to its deeper meaning.
  • The book is divided into six different chapters, each of them dealing a particular point of his journey. The book touches various delicate aspects like Karma, Greed, Ego, Depression etc. Sometime or another we all felt these emotions. On that sense, it is truly a journey within ourselves.
  • The flow-charts and diagrams included at various points of the journey help to simplify a rather deeper concept to every layman.
  • The quotes from various spiritual masters such as Guru Nanak, Kabir, Buddha and from religious books like Gita makes the books even more interesting. At certain points, these quotes break the monotonous narration.
  • To make this one more interesting, the author has used science and mathematics explanations at appropriate places. This is undoubtedly a  unique combination. All these features make it more interesting than any other self-help books.
  • The narration style of the author is very unique and this book deserves a large audience.
  • I liked the cover and printing quality of the book. The title and the cover absolutely go hand in hand because this is a journey from darkness to light. Like the river depicted in the cover, the journey is from turmoil and storm to the calmness of enlightenment.

Rating: 5/5

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Fiction, Indian Authors

I am Always Here With You by Himanshu Rai

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Title – I Am Always Here With You
Author – Himanshu Rai
Genre – Romance Fiction
Publisher – Srishti Publishers & Distributors

Blurb: Kartik fell in love with Ashima the very first time he saw her. She was everything he had ever imagined in his dream girl, his Angel. As their friendship bloomed into deep love, culminating into marriage, he became her Teddy, her confidant and an eternal support. But in trying to be with her, Kartik made a choice that broke his father’s heart and hopes. As Kartik and Ashima gear up to step into the next phase of their relationship, life seems like an overload of joy and love. He is confident his love for Ashima will win over all odds, even his father. Little did he know that things were going to change drastically, forever. Why does Ashima marry someone else? Why does Kartik accept it silently? And why is life so unpredictable? This is a story of deep love that knows no bounds, relationships that break all barriers, and a promise – I am
Always Here with You.

My review

Love is eternal. No matter how far two people are, it will stay the same in their heart. No distance matter in love. Like that, this is a beautiful love story from the author Himanshu Rai with a genuine touch of reality. The story is 100% true to the beautiful cover of this book. The title and cover are apt for this romance fiction.

There is a magic in these words “I am always here with you”. It is not pronounced from the mouth, but from the heart. Irrespective of age, these words can bring very delicate emotion in human beings, which is love.

This is the journey of a couple Ashima and Kartik, how they met, how their friendship sprouted and how their love unfolds. Kartik, who has fallen in love with Ashima at the very first sight and he considers her as his dream girl, an Angel. Also, Ashima finds his Teddy in Kartik as her strong support and confidante. True love is bound them so hard that Kartik marries Ashima against his father’s wishes, whom he considers as his hero. Everything was going smoothly in their life and soon they will be blessed with a baby. But life is not that dreamy in reality. Their seemingly perfect life gets a twist and turns soon after. How their life is changed so drastically?

What makes Ashima marry someone else?

The rest of the story unfolds to answer these questions.

The author captures every emotion in a relationship and describes them from the heart. I think every love story should be written like this, that it should be told from the heart, not from the mind.  This is a short read and one can easily read it in a single sitting or feel the rain of love in a short time.

Another best part of the book is the description of parental relationships. The author narrates in a very good manner how these relationships that we are bound by birth affects one’s life and decisions. Also, the story has a beautiful ending which the author has written with a touch of reality, satisfying every romance genre lovers. I believe every reader can relate this story some or other parts with their lives because of the beautiful storytelling by the author.

This is a good romance read, which never disappoints any romance-fiction lovers.

Rating: 4/5

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Fiction, Indian Authors

Sometimes It Happens by Karan Sharma

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Name: Sometimes It Happens

Author: Karan Sharma

Publisher: Srishti Publishers & Distributors

Blurb: What happens when two adults with a vast age difference fall in love?

Gautam is a twenty-five-year-old upcoming professional and Roshni a senior management member working in the same multinational bank. More than a decade apart in age, they cannot help but feel attracted towards each other.

However, can two people with such a vast age difference be compatible?

Sometimes It Happens explores the fun and turmoil as they fall in love, get laughed at by their friends and then develop cold feet, thinking about the repercussions their age difference could have on their relationship.

They say love is blind. So will two smart professionals decide to listen to their hearts or will they listen to their mind to avert what may be the biggest blunder of their lives?

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My review

Sometimes It Happens is a romantic fiction written by battle-hardened businessman cum author Mr. Karan Sharma. The story is beautifully written by the author and very well narrated. Love has no boundaries, not even age. This a common saying in every language and this book justifies this fact to the extreme.

The plot of this story revolves around Gautam and Roshni where they are facing hurdles in their love-life due to their age difference. This is a tale of various relationships and their level of acceptance, sincerity and believing. Through this story, the author points out that how badly other people’s opinion influence us and we often make a decision according to that and they will eventually prove to be a blunder in our life.

The story accounts the firm role of typical society in our lives. often we make decisions based on fear to go above the so-called society mannerisms and eventually drifts our lives in its after-effects. This love story is based on an unofficial taboo structured by Indian society. This is the best thing I like about this plot. Big hats off to the author for his courage to come up with this kind of plot and a justifiable storyline.

This the best thing I like about writing, creating a positive impact with your writing which will surely make waves.

Highlights

*The way, the love has been explained between two individuals of different age groups absolutely beautiful.

*The story is narrated in a perfectly smooth manner till the end.

*All the characters included seems to very relevant, relatable and developed.

*It is a very short read and complete in one sitting. But sadly the cover didn’t appeal me much. The cover design has to be more creative to catch the eyes of readers.

*A special mention goes to the writing style of the author which and narrated the story in a perfect manner.

Rating: 4/5

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Indian Authors, Memoirs

V.Q.E by Vivek Gumaste

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Name: V.Q.E: The Tale of an Indian Physician in the United Kingdom of the 1980’s

Author: Vivek Gumaste

Publisher: Notion Press

Blurb: Was Great Britain of the 1980’s a welcoming place for a young man hailing from its former colony? How did the National Health Service exploit the vulnerable physicians from a newly independent and struggling India to fulfill its needs? What were the flaming hoops that a foreign physician had to jump through to further his professional career in the UK en route to a final destination in the United States? Read about all this in a gripping, event filled narrative- VQE- an acronym for the dreaded Visa Qualifying Exam, a grueling 2-day test that all foreign physicians had to pass to practice medicine in the United States.
This dazzlingly original book does not subscribe to any set genre. It is a unique chronicle that weaves the current events of those times with the memoir of a young foreign physician in an alien land to produce a piece of work that is informative, touching at times and entertaining in parts. It captures the despair, the hopes, trepidations and travails of this young man from a financially indigent India of the 1980’s as he charts his way through the land of his colonial masters and the innumerable challenges of this tumultuous period of his life: professional setbacks in the form of exam failures, joblessness as he moves from one part of Britain to another changing cities sometimes every two weeks in search of work; a cataplexic agoraphobia as he tries to come to terms with British racism on the streets. Meanwhile in the background a host of remarkable events are being played out- Lady Diana’s wedding, inter-racial riots and the British-Argentina war over the Falkland Islands.
The author graduated from a prestigious medical school in India and has practiced medicine in 3 countries-India, UK and US. He holds numerous postgraduate qualifications- he is a Member of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (MRCP-I), a Diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology and has a degree in Health Care management from Harvard University
This book will be an interesting and compelling read for everyone in general and physicians in particular.

My review

V.Q.E, written by Dr. Vivek Gumaste is a memoir describing his struggle to secure a medical career at the US. The young, 26-year old physician from India decides to practice medicine at the US. But, it is not easy to get into the US as a physician because the applicant has to go through a rigorous, difficult Visa Qualifying Exam (V.Q.E).

For attending V.Q.E, he has to go to England and he thinks that it is a safe harbor for getting a temporary job and meeting his needs. So he goes to England and stayed there for over two years to clear this exam and based on his experiences during this period, he has written this memoir. One can easily relate to his ambitious nature and his struggles to overcome them midst of self-doubt and insecurity.

As soon as he lands at the UK, his struggle for accommodation, job, climate, and culture begins. For someone with a patriotic heart, the life in the UK, the country which gave you some unforgettable past with their invasion is not that easy to live with.

One thing I want to emphasize more is the racial discrimination he has been faced. The political atmosphere in Britain promotes this injustice and immigrants from Asia or Africa were subjected to racism at an extreme level. Leaders like Margaret Thatcher and Enoch Powell also used these immigrants as a tool for their political benefits. Further to this, his job at crime-dominated places like Hackney made his life even more miserable as he lived in constant fear.

Another highlight of this memoir is his narration of UK history over that period. He recollects the rise of Margaret Thatcher, Royal wedding of Princess Diana and how people welcomed that incident, the Falkland War etc. Also, he has attempted to educate the reader, the complexity of medical terms in a simple, understandable way. Because of that uniqueness, this book is a great read and time-worthy one.

This straight from the heart recollection which includes a message that whatever happens in life, be confident and patient and Victory will come eventually.

Overall it is raw, intense tale with a powerful narration which  will lighten up your day with its positivity.

This is the first book in 2019, which I will give 5 stars because it worths more than that.

Rating; 5/5

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Fiction, Indian Authors

Short stories: “My Aadhar is My Identity “and “Money Money: How demonetization changed our lives”

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Name: My Aadhar is My Identity

Author: Shabana Mukhtar

My Aadhar is My Identity is a humorous tale of an Aadhar enrolment. Manohar Lal who is described as a patriotic Indian is facing numerous hurdles during the process of his Aadhar enrolment. This is partially due to his laziness and unwillingness to accept a change. Eventually, he is facing many problems along with continuing discussions on the safety of Aadhar.

At once, many people faced this situation when the government proposed the Aadhar enrolment as a mandatory measure. Most people hurried to get their newly implemented unique identity. But some hesitates and this is the story of that some people.

The author has done a commendable job on writing a good piece of short story which is partly fiction and partly real life experiences.

As the story unfolds, the emotion which the author tried to express is fear. The fear of Manohar Lal on his losing identity. This drives the story further.

Overall it is a good short read which is narrated in a simple style

Rating 3.5/5

Money Money: How demonetization changed our lives

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This is the story of 4 girls whose lives were suddenly drifted due to the announcement of demonetization in India. These 4 girls come from 4 different corners of the country and have their own unique features. Throughout the story, these unique characteristics of them are emphasized properly in detailing the story. The long queues and frenzy for withdrawing the cash is an experience which so many of us have. The fear of being a cash-less in a single day is the emotion explored in this story. The story is narrated as a blog post written by one of the characters.

However, some character development and continuation of the story are missing on certain points. At certain points, it feels that it is purposefully lengthened and it needs some editing to omit recurring monologues.

Overall the author tried to express the situation many of the people faced during demonetization with a pinch of humor.

Rating 3/5

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Fiction, Indian Authors

A Drizzle in the Desert by P C Balasubramanian

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Name: A Drizzle in the Desert

Author: P C Balasubramanian

Publishers: Inkstate books, Leadstart publishers

Pages: 232

Genre: Fiction

Blurb: Abhi has no reasons to complain – he lives in the Land of the Dreams, the United States of America. He is working in a large retail conglomerate and has the trust and respect of his management. He is being offered the opportunity to set up India operations for the company. His best friend from IIT is his colleague. He is married to the girl he loves. And he has an angel for a daughter. And yet, he suddenly finds his life spiraling down. His wife Anjali suspects him of having an affair with his bestie, Deepali, who is undergoing marital problems. And she does not like Abhi’s father Sundaram dedicating his life to an unrelated person Vasudevan – a man whom even Abhi loves like a father. Abhi is also burdened by a request – Vasu’s last wish that Sundaram hopes Abhi will be able to fulfill. Will Abhi be able to fulfill it? Will Anjali understand and accept him? Will Deepali find happiness? Will there be a drizzle in the desert, will life bring back the lost happiness.

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My review

“A Drizzle in the Desert” is a good family drama with a pinch of romance, affection, and friendship. The story mainly revolves around the protagonist Abhishek “Abhi” Sundaram. He has a perfect life that everyone longs for- a high profile job in the USA, being married to the girl whom he loves for seven years, a toddler loving daughter. But this picture-perfect life of Abhi takes a rift after his company agreed to start their new office in Indian with Abhi as its head. Anjali likes to stay in the USA and don’t want to move back to India, but Abhi loves this idea because he wants to rekindle his relationship with his father. The situation becomes worse when Deepali, Abhi’s best friend and classmate joins with him as a colleague. Deepali is married to Karthik and they are suffering from some marital problems. Abhi reaches out a helping hand to her unknowingly creates problems in his life. This act of kindness leads Anjali suspecting him of having an affair with his best friend affair. Abhi’s father Sundaram has dedicated his life to the care and service to his friend Vasudevan and this further complicates Anjali’s misconceptions. Vasudevan is also expecting a favor from Abhi too. How Abhi sort out this ever-growing complication in his family is the rest of the story.

Highlights

$The beauty of relationships- between wife and husband, between father and son, between friends, between boss and employees, between colleagues- is portrayed very well throughout the story.

$The relationship, I personally like is between Abhi and his father Sundaram. A son who wants to reconnect with his father, who has been separated by the distance and a father who completely understands and believes in his son.

$The story is well crafted with a good amount of character development. The author certainly has a convincing narrative style.

$Language of the story becomes bit conversational on certain points which take away the soul of plot sometimes.

$The title and cover apt for the plot, however it can be made something more creative. The guy with his open hands and facing a desert hoping for a drizzle is what exactly covers the whole story.

$A small act of kindness is all we need in our life and this will sometimes feel as a drizzle in the desert. The author has expressed this idea very beautifully through an engaging family drama.

Overall it is a good read with an unexpected twist and turns and a satisfying epilogue.

Rating 4/5

 

Amina Thajudeen Book Review, Fiction, Indian Authors

Just Missed! by Himanshu Bhatia

 

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Name- Just Missed

Author- Himanshu Bhatia

Publisher; Petals Publishers

Genre- Fiction
Blurb: While we try to arrange marriages by matching horoscopes and compatibilities, we forget at times that “marriages are made in heaven”. We all love to say that Bollywood romantic movies are silly and that they go overboard in their depiction of love, we actually secretly fantasize to be characters in them. Siddharth Gupta (lovingly called Sid) is an ISB alumnus, who is an ambitious perfectionist. He wants to go up the corporate ladder at a faster pace than his age and is doing pretty well. In his matrimonial search, Sid meets Shreya Malhotra, who herself is an IIM graduate and very career oriented. He finds Shreya the epitome of the “Beauty with Brains” tag and develops a crush on her almost instantly. Shreya and Sid are going steady towards what looks like a ‘soon to be married’ state, but when has life been that simple! On her way to Bangkok for her friend’s bachelorette party, Shreya meets Shivam Malhotra, an IITian, with a living flirting tiger inside him. While Shivam’s cheesy lines ignite hatred in Shreya, it’s only the beginning of a story that doesn’t end in Thailand. “Just Married Missed!” is the journey of a practically arranged crush, chased by crazy filmy love

My review

“Just missed” is a contemporary love triangle connecting Siddharth Gupta (lovingly called Sid), Shreya Malhotra and Shivam Malhotra. The author Himanshu Bhatia has done a commendable job by penning down a good romance story which is a very light read with a satisfactory ending.

A notable feature of this book is obviously its cover. Instead of giving an ordinary title as “Just Missed”, the word “Married” is depicted as intentionally cut off and the guy standing with eyes of hope, looking towards the girl. The blurry image of the girl is quite unique though. This will surely raise the question “what happened between them?” and then the story begins. The story is a combination of friendship, love, parent –children bonding and the dilemma of taking decisions. The language is simple and easy which helps every reader to connect with the characters.

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The story also explores how Indian parents hunt the spouse for their children and how their thoughts and wishes impact on the life of their own children. The characters are developed well enough which is also a plus point. There is only a limited number of characters in this story. The author connected these characters so well to move forward the plot with quite an easiness. Pictorial representation of every scene is another plus point, especially the emotions, be it dilemma of Shreya about her feelings, love of parents, feelings of Shivam, crave for love, sacrifice, betrayal, ups and downs of relationships, everything is portrayed as picture-perfect.

The touch of sarcastic humor throughout the story gives a smooth flow which indeed helps the reader to engage with the plot. Initially, the story has been set in Delhi but as it progresses it covers a wide range of places like Gurgaon, Bangalore, Mumbai, Thailand, Amritsar, Goa, Jaipur, Tirupati, Paris.
Overall this book will give a roller-coaster ride of a Bollywood flick which will satisfy everyone’s, romantic heart.

Rating: 3.5/5