Review Diaries (Tea Time For The Jilted Lover by Prachi Sharma)

Tea Time For The Jilted Lover by Prachi Sharma
Who likes thrillers???
I do.
Who likes an unputdownable book???
Meeee.
Who likes some serious twists and turns???
Again Me.
And if you are saying yes to all these questions, guess which book you would love???
Tea Time For The Jilted Lover by Prachi Sharma.

About the book-
Homi Palsetia is a bestselling and acclaimed thriller writer. Living in a posh bungalow in Pali Hill, he's also single, debonair and charming male, believing only in no-strings attached relationships for fun.

Having just released his seventh book, he feels he's being stalked by a woman who claims to be madly in love with him. He gets blackmailed on the phone, and feels someone is visiting him at night, spying on him.

The media says he's faking it to promote his book. He himself can't be sure.Things get more complicated when Czech-Spanish acclaimed author Alyna Escobar, from Castilla in Spain, comes into his life. Intelligent, bold and beautiful, she challenges his ways & makes him think about love and commitment. However, their camaraderie is threatened by the stalker, who claims to want Homi all for themselves.

Is Homi actually being stalked by an obsessed fan? Or it is part of his imagination? Will he change his Casanova-like ways for Alyna? Will Alyna accept him despite his history with women? If the stalker is real, what do they want? Will the police ever catch them? Will Homi learn their identity?

Now my take on it-
I had real fun with this book. Homi kept reminding me of this twin of mine, who I have recently adopted. I mean who doesn't like a charming guy, who oozes with confidence, is easy on the eye and writes like a Champ. Homi is likeable, may be a little too much. He is one of those broken bad boys who very girl dreams of fixing, without being bad. He drinks tea, (me likey), can cook (me likey even more) and has a chip on his shoulder (me likey way too much). He is someone you really wanna be friends with. Now I loved the narrative and the easy flow of the story. Be it bringing a new character in or exploring their interests, the author has done a good job. The crimes are well executed, opps, I mean explained and the descriptions are very vivid. Inshort I loved it.
So I, Manali Dey, would love to give Tea Time For The Jilted Lover by Prachi Sharma a big hopping 4 out of 5 stars and a big pat on the back. Grear Job!!!

Review Diaries(The Gift by Sourabh Mukherjee)

Name of the book - The Gift by #SourabhMukjerjee
Status - 5 stars out of 5 stars plus a bag full of candies...
Synopsis -
After his bitter break-up with girlfriend Ishika, Aarav heads for his ancestral house in Mussoorie to get over his grief and to finish the novel he is working on. He meets Kishan, a child who has strayed into the house and spends his nights in the dusty, dark attic, scavenging through old books and toys that once belonged to Aarav and his cousins. Aarav finds his uncle’s diary, which chronicles a heart-warming love story unfolding in that house. What life-changing family secret does Aarav uncover...
My Take-
I loved it. The book is not even 50 pages, 45 if you count the contents pages but the story is of some 39 pages. So essentially it should be called a short story, right? WRONG! In those pages the writer has not only described his situation or his uncle’s but he has essentially drawn a picture so vivid that one gets it all in one go. The descriptions are so life like, it's almost like seeing it all happen in front of you.
There are two parts in the story which are woven together with some really good writing craftsmanship.
And some parts were so goosebump worthy that I had to stop for a second to check if someone was looking at me.
All in all this is one of those must reads, that you havta havta havta read. Don't take my word for it, go check it out yourself. 

Here's the link-

An Autumn Turmoil https://www.amazon.in/dp/B07GXM724H/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_MLsaCbFE6BWV9

This book has the thrill of a short story with the essence & fulfillment of a novel.
So, I, Manali Dey will love to give The Gift by Sourabh Mukherjee a big 5 on 5 stars and lots of candy.

Review Diaries (An Old Enchantment by Amanda Browning)

An Old Enchantment by Amanda Browning.
Book 1 on my Mills and Boons #readathron and incidentally it's also the first Mills and Boons book I read when I started reading them during my first year in college.
Synopsis -
Maxi was the black sheep of the family, and her return was not welcomed. What hurt was her father's and sister Fliss's frostiness - that of Kerr Devereaux was of no consequence to her : he could believe the same, Maxi had to agree to Kerr's suggestion that they appear to be lovers. What was strange was his kiss - it was so familiar. And what was alarming was that she liked it - very much...
So back to my take on this book, I love it. Not only cause it was my first M & B but also cause it was an adorable romance. As we all know there are many different kinds of M & B s like Romance, Desire, Doctors, Royalty etc. My favorite till date is Romance. And this book has it in spades.
A strong heroine, who doesn't need some prince to save her. And on the other side of the ring we have a handsome hunk, with a huge chip on his shoulder. And whenever they are together sparks fly!!!
But wait, this isn't all sugar, spice and everything nice. There are bad men, silly jealous sisters and stiff-upper lipped fathers.
All in all, this brings back a lot of nostalgia cause I am pretty sure I ended up imagining my own Mr. Right to be like this chap.
So I, Manali Dey, will love to give An Old Enchantment 5 on 5 stars. Trust me, you will love it.
QOTD - How do you imagine your soul mate be?
AOTD - I want someone who understands, respects and encourages me. Cause anyone can fall in love with me (wink to the narssissist in me), cause I am too darn cute, but I need someone who not only rolls with my crazy but also knows when to rell me in.

Review Diaries (Victims for Sale by Nish Amarnath)

Victims for Sale by Nish Amarnath.
Do you like thrillers?
Do you love yourself some strong women characters?
Do you enjoy taking down evil people who should be shot at sight?
If you answered yes to all the above questions then give this book a read.
Every time I come across a fast paced plot I become a bit apprehensive about the handling and hope that I don't miss out on any interesting stuff. But this one was a treat.
And the twists, oh my my!!!
They were amazing.
Quick QOTD - Are you someone with very little patience and are guilty of jumping to the last chapter to see if your predictions were correct?
Answer- I am guilty as charged.
But even if you are, guess what!
You can't skip this one to the end, cause it's un-skipable.
So I, Manali Dey, will love to give Victims for Sale by Nish Amarnath a big candy filled - 5 on 5 stars.
Good work!

Review Diaries (Regular Porridge by Sukanya Basu Mallik)

Question of the day - Have you ever been cut to ribbons by something you read?
I think that's not just the question of the day, it's more of a question of a life time.
I still remember the when I had my first brush up with war poems, Seigfried Sassoon. Our teacher had asked us to find one movie or story that potrays what war is for us. I choose' Saving Private Ryan', I still remember getting a star for my project.
But Regular Porridge by Sukanya Basu Mallik made me cry. Wars are fought not only by the soldiers, it effects the people around the war zone too.
For the past couple of days I have been caught up with things in a very materialistic way. You see it's my birthday coming up but now I feel so shallow about it all. I mean just imagine what can we do if suddenly our hometown is an active war zone.
The poems don't just make you feel things, it makes you realize that to never take peace and quite for granted.
I did love this book and given my deep love for poems I will gladly give Regular Porridge 5 on 5 and Sukanya Basu Mallik a warm hug. If I an this emotional just reading it, I can't imagine what you went through writing it all.

Review Diaries (Love is for life and beyond by Yashwant Kanodia)

They say love is blind, that loves does not hold a grudge and forgives all. And that's the best way to describe Love is for life and beyond by Yashwant Kanodia. It's about best friends and family, it's about medical emergencies and it's aftermath it's about heartbreak and solace.

The protagonist is a young chap, who sounds a lot like many of my friends. Ambitious yet with principles , dreams high but is grounded. With his first love, he shares all his firsts but gets caught up in life.

I have seen way too many relationships like this one where people on both sides end up driving each other further and further away without realizing what they did wrong. Sometimes they take solace in work, while at other times they find it in the warmth of someone else's. It can be a sibling or a friend or a new relationship 'opportunity'.

I have been kinda harsh for I find cheating to be the worst sin ever. The world is filled with many beautiful blessings but when you commit to someone you should stick to it. There are problems everywhere but that doesn't justify cheating, like never ever.

The story being from only one point of view gives the boy's story so for me even with a happy ending it feels like its still unfinished. So, I, Manali Dey will love to give this book a hooping 4 on 5 stars. 

QOTD- Can you forgive someone for cheating on you?

AOTD- I don't think so. Knock wood. I hope when I am finally in a relationship, it has honesty and courage so that we can talk about anything and everything under the sun, including our missed out communications or wayward attraction.

Quick Note- Finding someone attractive is okay but doing something about it is evil and demented.

Review Diaries (The Alpha Yeti by SUM?)

Question of the day - Do you sit a place and read or like me you dance around the whole house when  you read a book that's really good and your excitement is too high to hide?
Book- The Alpha Yeti by SUM
Status - 5 on 5 and a big Yipeee!!!
Yeah no points for guessing I loved this book.
My name is Manali and for those of you who don't know Manali is a hill station in Himachal Pradesh. It's beautiful and cool and mesmerizing and whenever I visit there I get free ice-creams. I have always been very curious and inquisitive. I would roam about and wander all around and make friends with strangers. My parents were worried so my Nani read me the story of the evil Yeti who eats little girls like me or as I was back then. So did it stop me from wandering around, no I just started carrying a paper and pencil so I can ask the Yeti questions.
So when I hear of a book that is called The Alpha Yeti but obviously I was interested. And boy oh boy did the author deliver. It's an exciting first part to what's bound to be an interesting series.
Every character is not only well written but also they are well established. Another thing I really loved about this book is the description of the relationship between a father and daughter. Remember Liam Nelson from Taken, yeah this guy can give him a run for his money.
And the Yeti was... Well I can't go any more in the story or else I will end up giving you spoilers, which I don't want to, cause who doesn't hate spoilers. Not me. I hate spoilers. So off you go and pick up this amazing book by SUM - The Alpha Yeti cause it will blow your mind.

Review Diaries (Tarikshir The Awakening by Khayaal Patel)

Question of the day - Stand alone or Series ?
When I read a book I read, eat, breathe and even sleep it. I imagine it all happening in front on me, not literally infront more like actively happening in my mind. And #Tarikshir takes the cake. Like OH MY GAWD (full Janice voice). The descriptions were amazing. Every single character was well thought out and very well established. It has everything that one expects in an epic. There is a King and Queen and a Prince and a kingdom big and strong. There are villains both living and undead. There are super powered allys and evil magical masters and a little bit of romance too.  I have read my share of modern day twist to old mythological stories of past but this one is the one that everyone should watch out for. A fast paced-page turner, this book will give you a taste of thriller mixed with folk stories and healthy dose of horror.
Nothing will be as it seems and good grief there is a major cliff hanger. Incidentally I finished this on on Halloween. Cue in the scary music.
Personally I loved the book, I enjoyed every single moment I spent with it. But I wanna talk about something IMPORTANT. Like the pros and cons of series VS stand alones with reference to #Tarikshir
Pros- Series are nice. They enlighten and entertain you with a lot if cool news, views and stories.
Cons- There are cliffhangers that make you wanna punch people in the face.
Arghs !!!
In simple words I loved the book and am excited for the next one. Hopefully it will be out soon. #fingerscrossed
So I, Manali Dey, will love to give Tarikshir The Awakening by Khayaal Patel a big 5 on 5 and big bribe of chocolates. Please write the next book soon or at least tell me what happens next.

Review Diaries (The Love Curse or Arrow Heart by Rebecca Sky)

Have you ever been in love?

Wait! I take that back, stupid question.

Of course you have been in love, sometimes it works out while at other times its DISASTROUS. And many a times it's one sided or as I call it first stages of being a masochistic person. And boy oh boy, if you grew up in India with Bollywood blaring it's head off on how wonderful your love is if you suffer for or from or the best of it all have it both. Yeah, if you detect heavy sarcasm there you are right or else I am loosing my sarcastic touch. Darn it!

Anyhu so when you see the love of your life- your lobster- your one and only (at least that's what it felt like for me) not give you much attention, you hope for a miracle so that they too fall for you. You hope for a day when your grandkids would ask him about your love affair, your crush turned husband would proudly say with a coy smile 'Your grandma made me fall for her. One moment I was dating this other chick and then poof! I see your grandma and it was like magic.' and then you two happily live together... forever!

Yeah, happened to you too, right?

So imagine if someone could actually do it. Now broaden your mind and imagine that an all girls' school teaches its special students this art form of making any guy dance to your tunes, quite literally with a kiss of love. *wink wink*

But your protagonist isn't like you and me. She believes that love that comes out of magic isn't real. She wants true love. 

Arrow Heart or The Love Curse by Rebecca Sky was a wonderful read. And I am eagerly waiting for book 2 in the series. I must add this that when I bought the book, it was known as Arrow Heart. So searching for part 2 I came across The Love Curse only to find it was the same book with a different name. Needless to say I was a little disappointed but eagerly awaiting for the next one.

And I, Manali Dey, would proudly give this book 5 out of 5 stars. Love you Rebecca Sky, please finish the next book fast... Pretty please!