Book Review: You Never Know

Book: You Never Know

Author: Akash Verma
Publisher: Penguin Metro Reads
Genre: Fiction|Romantic Thriller
Pages: 216
Price: 175 INR

Blurb:

There will be times when you feel you have the best relationship, ever 
There will be times when it will be the worst that has happened to you 
There will be times when you know you are getting into something terrible; something that will not stop till it destroys you 
And yet . . . 
You will be pulled into it so inextricably, unstoppably . . . 

Dhruv knew Anuradha was his true love. So, despite being married with kids, he still went ahead with their affair. He hid it from his wife and his colleagues. He told lies so he could be with her-it was that amazing! But he couldn't save himself from the dark secret she was keeping. It pulled him into a vortex of danger so deep that he lost all he had. It happened to him and if you think it can't happen to you-think again.

A romantic thriller where all the characters are shades of grey!

"You Never Know" is a romantic thriller that also delves on human psychology with subtlety. The book starts with a very interesting Japanese proverb that says:

"You have three faces

The first face, you show to the world

The second face, you show to your close friends, your family

The third face, you don't show to anyone

It's the truest reflection of who you are."

This quote sums up the book. The main characters, Dhruv and Anuradha are neither completely white nor completely black. Both of them have shades of grey and that's what makes the story worth reading. Dhruv, despite being a married man with two kids cannot help falling in love with Anuradha. He lives a dual life, keeping one separate from another. Anuradha, whose boyfriend Sid had committed suicide a few days before their engagement cannot help falling in love with Dhruv despite knowing he is married. Although at first she doesn't care about his marriage, jealousy and insecurity soon get the better of her.

Both the characters are skilled at keeping secrets and living dual lives. Dhruv conceals his steamy affair with Aruradha from his wife, Shalini for as long as he can. Anuradha conceals the truth of Sid's identity and death from everyone. She tells a fraction of the story to Dhruv when her past threatens to destroy Dhruv's family. However, it's only at the end that we finally get to know the truth about Sid's death. 

The characters of Dhruv and Anuradha are interesting. The author has done a good job in sketching these two characters. They will keep the readers invested in the book, but the mystery is not jaw-dropping. People who read a lot of thrillers might guess it midway. The cover of the book is so brilliant that I expected the mystery to be something very dark and shocking. The final revelation was startling, but not something that will linger long after the book ends. Most of the scenes in the book are set in the office and therefore, are quite mundane, apart from the conversations between Dhruv and Anuradha.

The writing is lucid. The first person narration of the three characters: Dhruv, Anuradha, and Sid make it a very engrossing read. Readers will be tempted to turn the pages to know what Anuradha is hiding. Recommended to thriller buffs. I am going with 3 stars.

   

'I received a copy from Writersmelon in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.'

Book Review: A Window To Her Dreams

Book: A Window To Her Dreams

Author: Harshali Singh

Publisher: Readomania

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 320

Price: 299 INR

Blurb:

Aruna, a young divorcee, marries Bhuvan, an averagely successful young man. Both make promises of ever after with preconceived expectations—hers, freedom from a judgmental society and validation of herself and his, unconditional love and partnership.

Despite their best intentions, life plays rogue.

On the one hand, Aruna’s learned conditioning, developed as a result of her past, keeps coming in the way of their married normalcy and on the other, Bhuvan cannot fathom the signs of her distress.

Their good intentions are tried at every step until the day when Aruna’s past revisits her. Bhuvan’s silences, Aruna’s distrust and the resurrection of her troublesome past lead to a downward spiral in their life that shakes Aruna to the core.

As she stands on the precipice of a second failed marriage, Aruna tries one last time to take control of her life, something she had willingly surrendered last time.
Does she succeed in saving her marriage? Or is she held back by her own apprehensions, choosing to stay victim? 

A poignant story that will make you introspect about your own choices

"A Window To Her Dreams" is the story of a young divorcee, Aruna who decides to marry Bhuvan for her own selfish reasons. Although she is not ready for a marriage after a failed marriage that had bruised her physically, emotionally and psychologically, she decides to marry Bhuvan because the tag of a divorced woman chokes her and she wants a respite from the prying eyes of society by marrying a man who will love and respect her. 

But if the foundation of a marriage is weak, can it sustain long? 

Can a broken person dare to love again? 

Can a relationship that starts with dishonesty, flower with the passage of time? 

Is it easy to forget the past and move on? 

Is it possible to trust again, after your trust has been shattered in the most ruthless manner?

These are the questions that the author, Harshali Singh has dealt with, in the book with deftness. I really liked the way the author has sketched a few scenes where Aruna's dilemma is palpable. She understands the depth of Bhuvan's love, but a certain voice in her stops her from accepting his love and being transparent with him. But as the saying goes, love and only love can heal the most broken soul. 

However, there are many characters in the book. And the author has added a subplot for almost each of the characters which distracted me from Aruna and Bhuvan's story. Although I liked some of the characters like Aruna's mother, Uma and her sister, Charu, some of the characters and their stories weakened my interest in the book, at times. I loved the prologue where the haveli narrates the story of the people living in it, but in some chapters, the haveli's narration seemed unnecessary. 

The book is beautifully written, with a good vocabulary. Some of the lines are so well written that it was a treat reading them. 

"There has to be a special name to this pain...the pang that squeezes a mother's heart at the sight of her despondent child. Is there ever an end to it or do mothers die with this ache? Is it universal or is it only mothers who are cursed to feel this deep agony" (Chapter 1)

It is not a fast paced book as I mentioned that there are so many characters and their stories in it. The cover does complete justice to the book. I will recommend it to the ones who enjoy reading women's fiction. Aruna's story and choices will definitely make you introspect about your own choices. 

I am going with 3.5

'I received a copy from Writersmelon in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.'