Book Review - Wrong Means Right End by Varsha Dixit

Wrong Means Right End is the second in a series of romance tales penned by Varsha Dixit. The first in the series Right Foot Wrong Shoe is Nandini and Aditya’s story of finding. losing and finding love. Wrong Means Right End is the third book of Ms Dixit that I’ve read and the writer has taken us through the love lives of another couple Sneha and Nikhil. Sneha who was introduced in the first book Right Foot Wrong Shoe, is a friend of Nandini’s and is now a single mom who lives in Mumbai with her little son , Advey. A working woman raising a young son however is the constant victim of sugary indulgence of her best friend Nandini who is trying to fix her up with eligible men. Nandini means no harm and wants Sneha to have someone to love and hold her.  And then there is Amla who takes care of Advey and one of the most interesting characters in the book.

  In Midsummer Night’s Dream the bard had said , “The course of true love never did run smooth” and how true this proves for the characters of WMRE.  Sneha’s otherwise routine and peaceful life is no longer the same when she bumps into Nikhil, someone she has known from her teenage days. And the history they share is rather unpleasant. Don’t we all love these love stories? But for Sneha and Nikhil the ride is bumpy. There is Aditya’s ex-fiancé Gayatri who still wants him. Blame the author for this. She has sketched the two men Nikhil and Aditya , erm too passionately.

  Soon things are about to fall apart. Gayatri’s presence is a threat to Nandini and Aditya’s marriage, Sneha and Nandini’s friendship is in the line of fire and only Nikhil can help her out of this.

  The rest of it is sweet and salty, mushy and fresh all at the same time. The reader would need the book cover to cover to find out what happens between those sheets. Varsha Dixit use of Bollywoodish charms is interesting and gives you the perfect chance to take a break from the mundane lives. Makes for a perfect weekend read or even the long commute read where you just want to create a fantasy world for yourself.

Book Review - Encounters by Sumana Khan

Encounters.  Somehow the cover of the book is a little deceptive. I had no idea what lay between the pages. And Sumana Khan has a fan. Encounters is one of the best books I have read in recent times
and though the book is listed in Fantasy/ Horror category on e-commerce sites, this is undoubtedly literary fiction.  The fantasy or horror never goes over the top and the author has seamlessly woven lot of social and contemporary issues in the stories.

First Love – The first story and probably the best in the collection is Ratna’s story. Ratna is almost every woman. A woman who is judged by her marital status or whether she has popped out a baby or two. The sheltered woman who is suddenly left with an unknown man by none other than her parents because husbands or prospective good grooms can do no wrong. But unlike most women who succumb, Sumana Khan’s Ratna has Vrka who would go to any extent to protect her and keep her safe.  Which woman wouldn’t want a Vrka? Whether he is just an illusion or a wolf or maybe her perfect man is for the readers to find out.


The Storyteller- This story made me cry. I still remember that December morning when I was living at a hostel and had groggily opened the newspaper to the heartbreaking news of Tsunami. But with time the heartbreaks were forgotten and with it was forgotten the lives lost that day. The Storyteller is Murugan’s story who is an agarbatti seller and is pretty successful in his career. On a particular Christmas day he succeeds in heavy sales and as he rides his two-wheeler back home traffic snarls lead him to lesser travelled road via Karaikkal.  And from there it was no looking back for this reader. The story of Thirukadal, the relationships, the tsunami, and humanity all woven in one little short story.

Reminiscence- This is Raghavan’s tale. A retired man who reminisces about his thirty- five-year long marriage and his wife Radha, of love and closure. A sweetly woven story

Happiness Clinic – Sheshadri’s story is my favorite title in the book. The man who has worked for  forty-five years as an accountant is no sick of the constant suggestions from people around him about how to better his life. His outburst at a public event is very relatable.  When Sheshadri reaches the Happiness Clinic the story goes to the next level. An interesting read.


Best Friends Forever-  Prerna and her friend Alice are best buddies. Prerna who has been traumatized as a child faints at her workplace after seventeen long years. And then you don’t know if Alice is real or an illusion.

Sumana Khan’s storytelling will give you goosebumps as you pass from one story to another.  I received a paperback for review and even though my review is late I am glad I got to read the book twice. A must read indeed.

Book Review - More Than Just Desire by Summerita Rhayne

It is no secret that I am irrevocably in love with Bollywood and everything that comes with it. So when I picked up More Than Just Desire by Summerita Rhayne I was expecting an out and out Bollywood romance complete with the glitz and glamor that comes along with it. But this book has much more layers and characters that live with you even after you finish the book.


Written cinematically Arfaaz and Piya, the settings of the filmy world the longing all of it reminded me of the beautiful Mora Saiyaan Mose Bole by the Pakistani band Fuzon and without the author’s permission, I assigned the faces of the actors of the music video to her Arfaaz and Piya.

 While writing love stories most authors have this habit of writing down characters that are too perfect to be real. Seeing the negative side of the characters was a refreshing change. While we see snippets of celebrity gossip doing the rounds, many fans also tend to think that people associated with the film world are perfect like their onscreen personas. But in the real world where Arfaaz and Piya live, where there are no cameras and make up there are egos running high. Piya the once successful actor had walked away from a career and most importantly her marriage with Arfaaz. But destiny has more in store and Piya is back in Mumbai and this time, Arfaaz wouldn’t let go easily. After all, who would want to be dumped and he is not only handsome but also a celebrity.

 Through the even pace of her narration, Summerita Rhayne delves into lust, attraction and hate that the main protagonists feel for each other. Even though the characters are set in Bollywood, the author’s challenge was to make them relatable and she does that with deftly. Piya actions are not rational but then that is what some people are in real lives. The gray in her, the sultry actress in her and the ability to love, make her my favourite character in the book. And of course for someone who loves cinema , it was natural for me to love Arfaaz too. Not too much was given to the supporting characters but then as the title says it is about the desire of the two protagonists. Without taking the route of spoilers , I would suggest readers , especially lovers of good romance reads to pick this up. There is a cinematic element in Summerita Rhayne’s writing that you would want to explore.

Cover reveal : THE PRINCE'S SPECIAL BRIDE by DEVIKA FERNANDO

Cover Reveal

ROYAL ROMANCE, BOOK 1: 

THE PRINCE'S SPECIAL BRIDE

by

DEVIKA FERNANDO

Sneak Peek

Marie doesn’t believe in fairytales and needs no handsome prince to rescue her from misery – but everything changes when she falls in love with Crown Prince Christian of Taragonia. When his sister invites Marie to the palace, their lives collide and leave them both fighting their forbidden attraction.

Prince Christian has no place in his life for love or for a woman who doesn’t fit into the royal scheme of things. But vivacious Marie steals his heart and puts all he has lived for at stake. When the media gets wind of their affair, he has to make a difficult decision. 

Will the unlikely couple have a chance at a happy ending?

About the Author

Almost as soon as Devika Fernando could write, she imagined stories and poems. After finishing her education in Germany and returning to her roots in Sri Lanka, she got a chance to turn her passion into her profession. Having lived in Germany and in Sri Lanka with her husband has made her experience the best (and the worst) of two totally different worlds – something that influences her writing. Her trademark are sweet, yet deeply emotional romance stories where the characters actually fall in love instead of merely falling in lust. She draws inspiration from everyone and everything in life. Besides being a romance novel author, she works as a self-employed German web content writer, as a translator, and as a faithful servant to all the cats, dogs, fish and birds in her home. What she loves most about being an author is the chance to create new worlds and send her protagonists on a journey full of ups and downs that will leave them changed. When she’s not writing, she’s reading or thinking about writing.

You can follow the author here:
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Excerpt from the book

Marie blinked some more, her feet automatically carrying her close. “What…what are you doing here?” Belatedly, she curtsied and added a weak “Your Highness”, remembering that they were not alone. 

His smile widened. For a moment, he seemed to be drinking her in, his gaze roving appreciatively over her body clad turquoise capris and a white polo shirt. She felt his gaze like a physical caress, driving her out of her mind, increasing the heat.

“This is my family’s property. Surely I have a right to be here,” he joked mildly. For a moment, it looked like he wanted to touch her, but his hand fell back down to his side, clenching into a fist once.

“Yes,” she replied, still dazed. “But you’re a crown prince, not a winemaker.”

He laughed, and the sound traveled straight to her heart. “That is correct, but I do know a thing or two about wine. My duties encompass everything concerned with my kingdom.”

She nodded. Of course. And wasn’t that what made him the perfect regent? His interest in anything and everything, his willingness to learn and his readiness to get his hands dirty?

He ushered her into the building, her entourage trailing behind and exchanging looks.

“I came here this morning with the dignitaries from England and Germany to give them a private tour.” Christian raked his hands through his hair, as if the time spent with them hadn’t exactly been fun. “My sister told me you’d end up here sooner or later, otherwise I’d have traveled through the region, visiting some other vineyards and villages.”

Marie swallowed. So he’d stayed behind because of her. She felt thrilled and anxious at the same time. As keen as she was on every minute spent with him, this would lead nowhere and should not even get a chance to bloom. Why nurture something that was doomed to be cut off at the stem before it could blossom?

Are you ready?????

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Book Blitz: Tales of Sunshine by Sundari Venkatraman

BOOK BLITZ

TALES OF SUNSHINE

(A collection of short stories)

by

SundariVenkatraman

Blurb

TALES OF SUNSHINE is a collection of ten short stories that bring hope.

“A Ray of Sunshine” is about young Raj who’s terribly upset when many people in his team lose their jobs. But is he able to do anything about it?

“A Promise Given” is about Sachin, the poor, rich, young man; and the pregnant Aparna.

“Life Goes out of Control” is the story where Preeti, an only child, is a bone of contention between her parents.

Rakesh Nath has slogged throughout his life to become rich, to suffer a massive heart attack at 57. Read “Rakesh Nath’s Recovery” to find out more...

“Exam Fever” is about Renu and her anxious mother, Maya.Renu wants to play truant from studies while Maya is terribly worried about her daughter’s exams.

“Until Death us do Part” is the story of Rekha, the 35-year-old COO of an MNC. She finds love or does she?

Ansh adores his grandfather. But his mother Anu is scared of her son spending time with the Alzheimer patient in “Is Grandpa Home?”

The “Daydreaming Mercenary” is Reema. She blows up her sister Rita’s hard-earned money. But are things what they actually seem?

“Breaking Free from the Mould” is the most difficult thing as a human. With so much pressure from his Grandma, will Aarush pursue his calling?

“The Elephant in the Room” is in the first person where the poorNandita talks about her friendship (?) with the rich Shruti.

Grab your copy @

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About the author

Tales of Sunshine is the seventh book authored by SundariVenkatraman. This book is an anthology of human interest stories. Other published novels by the author are The Malhotra Bride, Meghna, The Runaway Bridegroom, The Madras Affair and An Autograph for Anjali—all romances. She also has a collection of romantic short stories called Matches Made in Heaven. All of SundariVenkatraman’s books have been on Amazon Top 100 Bestsellers in India, USA, UK & Australia many times over.

Stalk her @

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Other books by the author

The Malhotra Bride

Meghna

The Runaway Bridegroom

Flaming Sun Collection 1: Happily Ever Afters From India (Box Set)

Matches Made In Heaven

The Madras Affair

An Autograph for Anjali

                                                           

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