Book Review: Done with men by Suchi Singh Kalra

Title: Done with Men
Author: Suchi Singh Kalra
Publisher: Indireads
Pages: 159
Price: Rs 175
Genre: Chic-lit?romance
Source: Publisher
Rating: 3.8 out of 5

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Summary (from Blurb)
Travel journo, Kairavi Krishna (Kay) has had it with men. After a series of disasters (losers, philanderers, leeches, mama's boys and possessive psychos), she is all too tempted to walk out on the prospect of ever finding love. Accompanied by her best friend and flat-mate Baani, she sets off for Goa, hoping to get away from her miserable love life and vowing to stay clear of the male species. 

Goa however, has a host of surprises in store for her. Ricky, her pesky ex-boyfriend, is busy painting the town red with his hot new girlfriend. Now what is poor Kay to do other than overdose on vodka, smoke pot, get an outrageous tattoo and fall off the hotel balcony? She wakes up in the hospital to the tender ministrations of Dr.Vivian D'Mello--young, suave and handsome as hell. Will Kay stick to her guns or will she fall for his ridiculously sexy charms? And what's up with the mixed signals he's giving out?

Review
I wanted to revamp my blogging with an easy breezy and light read hence entered Kairavi Krishna or Kay who has messed up her life with a dedicated consistency..All thanks to her love life, yet her job as a travel journo and her super caring and lovable BFF Baani sort of keep things going and of course there is a thought bubble that pops up at all times giving Kay a different perspective 24X7..Oh yea how can we miss Kay's way with sheer stupidity that sort of lands her into troubles and that's the way the story unfolds., Kay's great fall from the balco after an alleged lesbian encounter , disastrous tattoo which reads "DONE WITH MEN"..Predictably Kay is not at all done with men as she meets the attractive, handsome ortho Dr Vivian D'Mello in her funny lingerie with broken bones, bruised face and unconscious  On the contrary the doctor is too good to be ignored and carries a aura around him but did I miss telling you that Kay is still coming in terms with her life and the spoiled New year bash at the sun burn festival Goa that she and Baani had intelligently tied up , work and pleasure..

Things are really slipping away as she faces her as her ex (philanderer) is all cuddled up with a new girl and now she can't stop herself falling for the charismatic Dr Vivian, but wait is she wrong when she sees the same vibes reverberating from him at every encounter? But the who is  the attractive girl who seem to share a great bond with Dr Vivian..Guess what ??Baani seems to be breaking up with her love while she was all set to marry her long time boyfriend and to top it up her boss seem to be love struck with a girl with whom she had a close miss of a lesbian encounter..How can Kay handle it all at one shot when things are falling apart? Will her thought bubble come to her rescue? well read on.

You should definitely read if you are looking for an easy, breezy and fun read with no deep thoughts..Kalra's  writing is smooth and easy.The slang is handled well..She has captured the true spirit a girl in 20s..We see the protagonist and her BFF at polar ends, Kay is all messed up while Baani is clear with every step she takes, yet the bond and the friendship they share is amazing..The chemistry between Kay and Dr.Vivian though not new, the story on the whole makes it for a good read.. Kay's all new experience of love and her self discovery of love and romance will flint a smile both at her stupidity and the warmth she is yet to acknowledge..

Book Review: Arranged love by Parul A Mittal

Title: Arranged love
Author: Parul A Mittal
Publisher: Metro Reads
Price: Rs 150
Page: 256
ISBN:9780143418825
Genre: Chick lit/ Romance
Rating: 4 out of 5
Source: Author


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Summary:
Suhaani's dream of living her dream vanishes into thing air, one fine morning when recession hits the United states....Back home in India she struggles through her life with a long distance relationship with loving parents wanting to get her married to someone of  their choice...As time pass she finds herself being attracted to Deep-her parent's choice but then what about Jay her half Indian boyfriend???

Review:
Chick-lit genre is slowly expanding its horizon through the country and Mittal has come up with an interesting pot pouri  through her latest novel..
Suhaani's life is a bliss with an independent  life as a master's student in the United States with a handsome boy friend and an alluring career ahead of her..Though she misses India somehow she has chosen to fit in the US penning down a future there...Going steady with her half Indian boy friend Jay she is not ready to open up with her family.. But Alas her parents are all set to bring her back home and marry her to someone of their choice..Their choice being Deepakan IITian ..From start their frequency seem to be antagonistic with each other..But funny twist of fate bestows upon her in the form of recession and she finds herself on the couch of her home with no job a long distant relationship and a freaked out attitude..With much pursuasion from her father she calls Deep for career advice and ends up in Deep's project to her utter astonishment... Worst to come she finds him quite interesting and a great guy to get along...Trying hard to cope up with Jay's western culture she suddenly questions her own choice on Jay...

Suhaani's  mother's farmville love was quite hilariously portrayed... FB forms a mention all through the book showcasing the everyday life of every Indian..For Suhaani FB status depicts her state of mind...But Suhaani's current issue is that she is working under the prospective groom to whom she is strangely aligned or attracted to...To put a full stop she decides to reject him with a poison dose of love to her astonishment he rejects her taking it all well...Read on to know what further happens in the Jay-Suhaani-Deep triangle..

Though the protagonist was Suhaani , I was in awe with Tanu di...In her thirties she believed in true love while  having successful career and a strong sense honesty... When she reunited with Champ or Rohan sir it was high cheers moment for me..On the other hand Neha her best buddy is all vivacious and highly flirty creating lively aura all around...Though Suhaani's dilemna  was well done I couldn't stop myself from being irritated with the lack of sensibility while dealing with Deep's emotions...Though she grows up as the novel progresses, her benchmark of honesty is something I couldn't handle on...Suhaani's mother comes through as a charmer with her Fb love and a fondness on its application, while her father and she shares a wonderful father daughter equation...

Overall I loved the whole treatment of the plot with Hinglish slang, love for Rafi, Gibran...The company of  iTrot.com has all extremes of characters with every hue and colour painting very different perspective on love and relationship...This book is a sure scorer on lively read..

Book Review: The Notebook by Nicholas Spark

Title:The Notebook
Author:Nicholas Spark
Publisher:Sphere
Page:272
Genre:Romantic fiction
Rating: 4 out of 5
Source: e- book
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I saw the movie and somehow missed the book, though I had an e-book for a long time but kept on postponing until I happened to see the movie again..What I love about Spark is he always portrays the true love with no much eccentricities still going on the edge every single time that lives forever..For people familiar with Spark's work , the plot might be very predictable , but the characters would sweep you off with their authenticity, honesty and life .
As this one is a very popular version I wouldn't waste time in giving a short note still to begin with, I would say like any other romantic tale there lived two lovers who haven't yet attained the stage of stability of their relationship at their first meeting, just the flames are lit which both are yet to decode , whatever it is they have great summer together and  are torn apart by WWII..Noah Calhoun is unable get over it and lives his life in the fond memory of the gone by time until one fine day when his lady love Allie Hamilton returns to town , but expectantly she is engaged to be married to someone else...With just few weeks for the marriage Noah has limited time to get his feelings across Allie, while Allie is one to make the final choice of her life..Will true love triumph?? If yes what would happen to them?? What I liked about Spark is that he didn't stop with the happily ever after  tale but added few more doses of hard times in the form of Alzheimer's disease to the Allie and the story unravels in the reverse chronology..
Memories being erased are the worst thing that could happen to any person,it takes years to paint a canvas with our memories ,and when they are taken away from us nothing could be that bad...Spark has taken this angle to surface the true love..Allie writes down every moment of their life together and after years of togetherness when everything is wiped off her thoughts, its Noah who reads to her from the notebook every single day for the rest of their lives..
More than the plot I loved the characters Allen and Noah to the core..Allie is vivacious, extemporaneous, passionate while Naoh is gentle, calm with quite an energy and attitude..Together they complement each other so very well...The book is full of sweet moments that made me wish to take the hand of my love in mine for a walk ..The familiar phrases of lovers- love, pain and loss is made alive by Spark in this book, so read it if you are a hard core romantic...

Book 4 for Book blogger recommendation reading challenge

Book 13 for 2012 TBR reading challenge

Book Review:Rekindled by Tamera Alexander

Title: Rekindled
Author: Tamera Alexander
Publisher: Thorndlike Press
Genre: Christian historical fiction/Romance
Format:pdf
Rating:3.5 out of 5
Source: friend

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It was one of my friends who send this book to me and just going by the genre I didn't pick up this book for long..Finally I gave upon over her insisting...I love to read romantic novels...Off late though I haven't been able to do ample justice to it....This book was passed on to me from a friend...As the title suggests its about the rekindled love between Katryn Jennings who leaves behind her family and wealth for the love of her life Larson..But soon after her wedding she moves to Colarado Territory and discovers that her marriage is not on par with the happily ever after tale.Small misunderstandings,  conflicts creates much trouble between the couple slowly drifting away from each other..On a stormy Christmas eve Larson disappears leaving Katryn all alone with her grief and sadness, yet somehow she believes that Larson is alive somewhere..His absence rekindles the love and romance that they had missed with their saturating companionship..With a child yet to be born  she keeps his dream of their home from falling apart..All of a sudden she is attracted to the disfigured ranch for no reason and strangely he watches over her as her guardian angel till the story sewed together into perfection..She also finds help from unexpected quarters @ Annabelle a local prostitute..Will Larson emerge  after standing up various hardship to reach Katryn???, well read the book to know more  ...The book picks on the flame of love that brightens after ten long years...

Rekindled explores the distance strengthening the bond between two lovers to portray the faith and trust in the love of each other...Even as the relationship had become not so comfortable to each other , their absence lets them know the real value of in each others lives...I enjoyed the romantic moments between Larson and Katryn, the classic vintage romance..I am not sure if I would read the subsequent books of the series..I didn't go gaga over the book nor I was put off..The book has a warm and wonderful moments but may not appeal as a whole....

Book 5 for TBR challenge

Book Review: Sierra by Taylor Dean: Blog Tour

Title:Sierra
Author:Taylor Dean
Pages:337
ISBN:9781475187960
Genre:Romantic suspense
Rating: 4 out of 5
Source: Review copy



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Summary

Alyssa Fontaine’s life, loved ones—everything familiar and dear—are brutally taken from her.
Taken captive by two men, she endures a horrific nightmare. A new life is forced upon her and even a new name.Just when it appears that no hope is in sight, she is saved by an unlikely twist of fate. Trapped in the beautiful Sierra Nevada Mountains, life will open its arms to her again and she will embrace it. She will find love such as she never knew existed.  
Sierra is a heart-wrenching story of the power of the human spirit to survive amidst impossible circumstances and severe losses. It is a story of survival . . . and hope. 

Review
Alyssa Fontaine had it all ,in a blink by the twist of fate she loses it all..From a fairy tale life with her loving husband Sam and her only son Clay , she running for her life being taken captive soon endures horror, trauma....After her first visit to Sierra, mesmerized by the beauty of it  she gets back this time with her son only to find her life twisted beyond recognition....On the edge she has given up all hope when she is saved for good .then again getting back to love and life...The novel starts in such a romantic mood with lovely dovy family...Pace of the book only gathers up as it moves through the twist of suspense, thriller, though you may not sit on edge still you could feel the sprinting unfolding tale...I would have loved it more only if more details of Sam and Alyssa's lives were given, though I got the glimpse of it, still I wanted to hear more...Romance and kidnapping is something that don't go as in a company, still you read all this with a difference...Alyssa's natural instinct kicks on after kidnapping ..She stumbles upon Alex's cabin and from then on things take a smooth drive from rough patches..I had one difficulty coming in terms of Alyssa, it was as though the memories of Sam and Clay were erased from her memory forever, can that happen so fast?? I mean one might have recurring memories especially if they were intimate  ...

This is tale of loss and finding strength to move on in spite of the odds...Dean has painted Alex and Alyssa beautifully that you'll sit back and admire them at times...I wanted to live in Alex's cabin so much...To live in a cabin by woods indeed tempting...

This book is to anyone who love romance with a tinge of suspense..Though this book is not a full off a suspense thriller yet it goes on for an enjoyable read...

Excerpt

Stay strong, Alyssa. Another opportunity for escape will come, you just have to wait for it. And yet, she wondered if she would live through the next day.

It wasn’t a matter of being lost in the woods, it was a matter of being totally, and utterly, lost.

“WE HAVE TA find our community today. We’re out of food,” Pa said at lunch as they ate the last of the granola bars. “I know wur close.”

As they hiked, Adam walked behind her and pushed her every time she slowed down. They were all slow today. He never walked behind her. The trip was getting to all of them.

Alyssa felt as though she could simply lie down and die. Her pain, which had been significant, seemed to have diminished into a dull, anesthetized feeling that enveloped her. Maybe this is what death feels like—a sluggish, agonizing death, that is, she thought numbly.

As they hiked down the mountain through a heavily wooded area, a deluge of rain descended upon them. They did not stop or seek any shelter, they hiked right through it. The noise of the storm hid the fact that Alyssa sobbed out loud. The moisture hid her tears. She didn’t even try to rein it in—she just let it out and was glad for the cover of the storm. Lightning and thunder roared around them and still they walked. Pa was sure the community was just below them.

Alyssa knew that life—as she knew it—was over.

Her fate was to be with Adam.

The thought set in and her heart sank. She couldn’t remember ever being so terrified in her entire life.

It soon became obvious they were nowhere near their precious community, however. Pa cursed and yelled in a fit of temper. They were all hungry and tired. When they stopped for breaks, Alyssa fell asleep each time, hardly able to hold herself in an upright position.

 That evening as they walked through an area dense with pine trees and foliage, to their surprise, they came across a cabin in the woods. Pa and Adam stood in the trees staring at it. It was obviously occupied. Smoke wafted out of the chimney, the smell of fresh bread was in the air, and the tinkle of music could be heard if you strained your ear.

As Alyssa's eyes alighted upon the cabin for the first time, she thought perhaps she was dreaming. It was like seeing a mirage in the desert. It couldn’t be real—the sight, the sound, the smell. It was . . . charming. She was seeing things. It must be her imagination. After all, who lived up here in the middle of nowhere? But if she was seeing things that weren’t really there, then so were Adam and Pa.

They decided to pay the occupant a visit and cautiously began the walk up to the door of the cabin. Alyssa suddenly felt like Dorothy along withtwo cowardly lions approaching the wizard. The cautious music from the movie played in her befuddled brain.

Yep, she was losing it.

Puffs of smoke shot out of the chimney and she wondered if Adam would turn around and run.

Maybe the wizard would grant her deepest wish.

Freedom . . .

About the author

Taylor Dean lives in Texas and is the mother of four grown children. Upon finding herself with an empty nest, she began to write the stories that were always wandering around in her head, quickly finding that she had a passion for writing, specifically romance. Whether it’s paranormal, contemporary, or suspense—you’ll find all sub-genres of romance in her line-up

Website

http://www.taylordeanbooks.com/

Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky

Title:Awaken
Author: Katie Kacvinsky
Publisher: Graphia books
Pages: 320
Genre: YA/Romance
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Source: online

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Summary:
As the title goes Awaken is a tale of Maddie who is awakend from her digital world to lead a normal life, this is of course made difficult as founder of the digital school is her father..Things go weary when she is attracted to Justin who insists upon the real world with more physical contacts rather living in a virtual world...Now its her father's turn to react to this situation, how Maddie finds a space and lead a life she had desire for becomes the rest of the novel...
Review:
Maddie is the protogonist of the novel who is like any other teenager, she re -reads 'The wuthering Heights' over and over.... The novel is set in 2060 and the whole plot is future forward, completely digital...Digital to the darkest core, even dating, movies ,chatting all were through virtual world...It didn't really sound surprising as that is where I guess we are all headed to....The digital world built by Kacvinsky is quite creative and amazing, it all sounds authentic and that's were the author scores..Maddie though reclusive about all this setup, still doesn't complain , she has somehow come in terms with all of these., that is until she meets Justin who is nothing she has ever met...She meets him on school chatroom and is attracted to him for no reason....He suggests Maddie to head on to a real tutor..All this goes against Maddie's father who happends to be the founder of Digital school...I likes Maddie with adrenaline rushing , the teenage syndrome of acting first and thinking about it later just fit into her character well..I liked her loving side as much the rebellious string, on the other hand Justin sounds more like a saint disguised as a teenager so full of message and advice....Ironically I read this book virtually..Okay was I the only one who didn't share the same energy with the end??
The start of the novel was classy
"My mom gave me an old leather-bound journal on my seventeenth birthday.At first the blank pages surprised me, as if the story inside was lost or had slipped out. She explained sometimes the story is suppose to be missing because its waiting to be written..Leave to my mom to give me something from the past to use it in the future:"
This book is an easy read, the pages that flip across easily....This is another book that got me by its cover .