Book Spotlight: Letters to my Ex by Nikita Singh

Nikita Singh is back with her latest book "Letters to My Ex" scheduled to release on the Valentine's Day. During Valentine's week, we feel romantic and derive a lot of pleasure reading romantic novels. Valentine's Day is the ideal time to rekindle lost love, memories, and incomplete stories. This Valentine's day, Nikita Singh brings a book that is not just about love and romance, but deals with what comes after and in between. Published by Harper Collings, this book seems to be a very promising read.

The book talks about real relationships, how they evolve and sometimes, dissolve due to ego, misunderstandings and other reasons. A romantic read with a difference, this epistolary novel will surely make you think about love and relationships.

When asked about the plot of the book, the author says, "This book is an exchange of letters between two people who have hurt each other, and are trying to recover from the heartbreak and fix their lives. It tends to get intense, and very emotional at times, which I enjoyed writing. As the girl who writes long texts and emails, I'm very excited to see how people will react to it."

If you find the plot of the book relevant and exciting, get yourself a copy of the book. As the book seems to be a roller coaster emotional ride, I am sure a lot of people will enjoy reading it.

About the book

Most love stories have their share of misunderstandings, angry tears and hurdles- only for longing and faith to save the day and make for a happily ever after. 

Most love stories - but not all. Not the ones that end with hearts left broken, their shards lost under the weight of all that is left unsaid. In these powerful yet quiet letters of looking for closure, Nikita Singh explores the what-ifs, whys and what-could-have-beens; words demanding, with grace and dignity and passion, a salve for what only time may heal. 

From the bestselling author of Like a Love Song and Every Time It Rains, here's a story of heartbreak and things left unsaid, articulated through letters, channeling in their nostalgic charm, making for a fitting medium for expression in this novel which is distinct in form and marks the author as a master of her craft. 

Blurb

'It feels like I'm on autopilot; I have no control over anything. The pain of losing you is so crippling that I can barely hold pieces of myself together. The slightest nudge could break me. But somehow, my possessed brain knows what I need. It's telling me to stick to my choice, to stay away from you, to open a Word document and bleed on paper, try to throw up all my jumbled thoughts in form of words, collect all disconnected facts, try to make sense of it all.' From the bestselling author of Like a Love Song and Every Time It Rains, a story of heartbreak and things left unsaid...

Book Review: Love Sutra: Secret to Happily Ever After

Book: Love Sutra: Secret to Happily Ever After

Author: Urvashi Pahwa

Genre: Fiction | Short stories

Format: Kindle Edition

Pages: 170

Price: 65 INR

A unique book on modern day relationships!

Love Sutra: Secret to Happily Ever After by Urvashi Pahwa is a collection of 5 short stories on relationships. What makes the book stand out from other short story collections is that the author has given solutions for problems that frequently occur in relationships.

In a unique manner, the author has diagnosed the cause of the problem and prescribed some easy solutions in reference to each story. The solutions are simple and effective. The problems that the author has talked about in the five stories are common problems in a relationship such as boredom, depression, diminishing self-worth, oppressed opinions, excessive suspicion, excessive display of love and affection, loneliness, etc. 

All the 5 stories are well narrated. These are very real stories that anyone can relate to. The first story, "Cassanova's Lover" is about a girl who unknowingly falls in love with a Cassanova and gets heartbroken and later gets repeatedly blackmailed. The second story "The Rich Wife" is about a married couple where the wife feels lonely because the husband is a workaholic. The third story "Love Birds" is about a young couple who battles with insecurity and the need for personal space. The fourth story "Miss Belligerent" is a story that shows the importance of a supportive life partner. Love is not enough for a marriage to work; it also requires understanding, respect, trust, and support. The last story "Mr. Always Right" is about a dominating husband who never cares to listen to what his wife wants. 

Love Sutra: Secret to Happily Ever After is a quick and light read. It can be seen as a self-help book for people who are in relationships. However, the book doesn't sound preachy or didactic. I believe that young couples can learn a few things by reading this book. I am going with 4 stars. 

Book Review: My Friendship with Yoga

Book: My Friendship with Yoga

Author: Revathi Raj Iyer

Publisher: LiFi Publications

Genre: Non-Fiction | Health and Fitness

Pages: 185

Price: 240 INR

The perfect book for yoga aspirants and yoga enthusiasts!

"My Friendship with Yoga" by Revathi Raj Iyer is a very well-written book that will help yoga aspirants, beginners, and yoga enthusiasts. The book is divided into three parts. In the first part, the author talks about her foray into yoga and how yoga can help you lead a beautiful life. Her experience at the Sivananda Ashram was beautiful to read. In very simple and engaging language, the author has acquainted the reader about the monkey mind, bandhas, meridians, and chakras. The author has included some beautiful quotes and interesting anecdotes to make the readers get interested in pursuing yoga.

"There is no fetter like illusion, no force greater than yoga, no friend greater than knowledge and no enemy greater than ego."- Gheranda Samhita 1:4 (Page37)

In the second part, the author talks about the several asanas in a very simple manner. The language is easy to comprehend and the illustrations given for each asana makes it easier for readers to understand. After mentioning the steps for every asana, the author has talked about the benefit of each asana in detail. I enjoyed reading the benefits of each asana as they enhanced my interest in many asanas which I have never tried yet.

I am doing yoga since 2016. Yoga and meditation are a huge part of my life. They help me lead a holistic life, but sometimes I miss my yoga regime for weeks when I have a lot of work. This book was the perfect thing that a yoga enthusiast like me needed.

In the third part, the author has shared her yoga regimen. This section is extremely helpful for people who want to have a disciplinary approach towards yoga. There is a regimen for each day of the week. Following the Monday to Sunday regimen will help you stay fit and healthy always. The tips mentioned at the end of every regimen is very helpful. 

Overall, this is a book that should be read by anyone who is interested in yoga. Even if you have never done yoga but find it fascinating, you must read this book. It will instill your interest in this holistic practice. The best thing about the book is its friendly tone. You will feel that a friend of yours is holding your hand and guiding you to embrace the world of yoga. And trust me, you will enjoy it! I am going with 5 stars. 

Remember yoga is a dance- practice it with grace, poise and fervour (Page 161)

Book Spotlight: Love Sutra: Secret to Happily Ever After by Urvashi Pahwa

Urvashi Pahwa's debut book "Love Sutra: Secret to Happily Ever After" uncovers the secrets of happily ever after through a couple of interesting short stories. 

About the Book

What happens AFTER falling in love? Is there a happily ever after or love fades away?
It is hard to find love but even harder to keep it strong. Sometimes, little things that we overlook matter a lot. 
Through a series of short stories, uncover the secrets of happily ever after. Take a ride into the lives of these five couples and explore how easy it is to keep dating forever.
•Casanova's Lover - A girl falls for a Casanova. Her heart was bound to be broken but will she ever find love again?
•The Rich Wife - She can buy whatever she likes, but all she needs is time from her husband. Is it her fault or her husband's? 
• Love Birds - Young hearts meet in college and start living together but more they get to know each other, more they start fighting on silly things. And then they found a way to solve this forever. 
•Miss Belligerent - Her husband was an entrepreneur. As a few challenges popped up, she clutched her claws on him, making his life miserable. How would he escape the situation?
•Mr. Always Right - He considered himself superior to his wife, and did not value her opinions, crushing her self - respect. Will she ever stand up for herself or will she keep enduring it?

Grab your copy of the eBook HERE

If you enjoy reading books on love and relationships, you might like it. The review of the book will be posted on the blog soon. 

You can connect with the author on

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FACEBOOK

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.'

Book Review: The Wise Man Said

Book : The Wise Man Said

Author: Priya Kumar

Publisher: Books That Inspire

Genre: Fiction | Spirituality

Pages: 180

Price: 299 INR

Blurb:

Sammy is an 80 year old billionaire, who finds himself at the peak of his success built on a mountain of sacrifices. He decides to participate in a life he missed to live. Eleven months in a year he leaves behind his identity and money and allows his curiosity and his willingness to experience anything—death even, to take him on life changing adventures and experiences across the world. Loaded with wisdom, surprise, humor and an eagerness to embrace life, The Wise Man Said is a collection of twelve such adventures of Sammy, where his journey becomes his greatest achievement—a life well lived.

A book that can change your life!

I have read Priya Kumar's "Calling" which is a beautiful book on spirituality and about understanding the calling of your heart. Therefore, when I was approached to review "The Wise Man Said", I was extremely happy. I had high expectations from the book and I am glad to announce that the book was beyond my expectations. 

After reading "The Wise Man Said", I will say that Priya Kumar reminds me of Paulo Coelho. Her wise words can change something very deep within you. The best thing about her writing is that she derives the extraordinary things from the simplest of circumstances and narrates it in such a lucid way that it touches the right chords. 

"The Wise Man Said" starts with Naina, an established writer who is on a writer's block. She had been delaying the submission of her manuscript for six months. When her editor gives her a deadline of 24 hours to submit the story, she feels overwhelmed as she doesn't have a story to tell. She is lost in her life and feels clueless about penning a new story.

She goes for a walk and meets an eighty-year-old man, Sammy. His white robe and red Nike shoes make him look endearing. Naina gets bewitched by the old man's wisdom as they start chatting. She starts finding her own self as she talks to Sammy. Naina dozes off on the meadow after some time and when she opens her eyes, the old man is nowhere to be seen. However, he leaves his brown leather book on which the word "Wanderer" is engraved. 

We read the wise man, Sammy's book along with Naina. There are 12 chapters in the book which are basically Sammy's experiences as he travels the world. But, what was truly remarkable in those 12 chapters were Sammy's perception about the experience in hindsight. Each chapter has a section called "What I missed seeing then" after each experience where I read some of the best words of wisdom.

The book taught me to use the power of hindsight. When you are going through a bad or challenging experience, you might wish for the experience to end and never remember it. 

But, what if, you thought about that experience later and can see something beautiful that can be learned from it? If you write about your experiences, your hindsight can bring a karmical liberating conclusion to even the most difficult days. 

All the chapters in the book are thought-provoking and taught me something about life. My favorite chapters are "I am skipping now", "Come find me", "The lost purpose", "The Man God" and "The future that wasn't."

There are so many brilliant quotes in the book that it's hard to choose the best among them. Here are some quotes from the book:

1. "All answers are within, O' Dear One. You can travel the world twice over, you will not find the answers outside, you carry them with you, everywhere you go."

2. What we take for granted no longer serves us-our lives included.

3. Your soulmate is not necessarily your lover. Soulmates always find each other. You will know when you do.

4. Purpose leaves clues. The fact that you are alive is a clue to your purpose. 

5. Leave notes of faith for people. Leave notes of hope for people. It will make your own suffering worth it if someone else can be saved from it."

I can definitely go back to "The Wise Man Said" again and again. If you are looking for a book that can change your life in a positive way, you must pick this one. 

I am going with 5 stars. 

I got a review copy from the author for an honest review. The opinions are my own.