BOOK REVIEW : ‘TRUE LIARS’ WRITTEN BY ISHA INAMDAR

Book Title: True Liars

Author: Isha Inamdar

Total Number of Pages: 240

Publisher: Harlequin

Publication Date: 22 May 2017

Format: Paperback

Language: English

Genre: Fiction / Romance

BLURB

Aspiring deejay NJ – Anjana – lives in Mumbai with her best friend Harsh and his boyfriend Sam. When Harsh has to go to Phalodi, his hometown in Rajasthan, for his sister’s wedding, he convinces NJ to tag along, posing as his girlfriend to avoid being set up with any potential brides. At the wedding, though, she meets Rudra, Harsh’s elder brother, and the two are powerfully attracted to each other. One thing leads to another and they kiss, only to break away bitterly. But NJ will not let Harsh’s secret out.Wedding, vows, secrets, lies – of course, things get complicated. When Rudra visits Mumbai soon after, he finds that NJ is missing and no one knows where she is. Where could she have gone? Why are there rumours that she is dead? Will Rudra move on from the guilt and sadness that envelop him, or will he uncover the truth behind the mysterious disappearance?A big fat desi romance for those who stir a little darkness into their love potions.

REVIEWED BY SOHINEE DEY

I have read plenty of harlequin and mills and boon romances. In the past, whenever I thought of romance books, harlequin would be the first thing that would come to mind.

‘True Liars’ by Isha Inamdar is indeed a desi romance. The plot mainly revolves around Anjana or say NJ, who had left her home at an early age and had settled in Mumbai to make a career as a deejay. Of course it wasn’t easy in the beginning when she wouldn’t receive any gigs, but then Harsh took her under his wing and helped her as a friend. He also let her stay at his apartment which he had been sharing with Sam.

Harsh comes from a well-known traditional family and even though they weren’t very happy with his choice of work, they let him do what he was good at doing. He rarely visits them as he doesn’t want to be in that position where he has to answer all their questions. Originally from Phaloudi, Harsh visits his home when his sister decides to get married. The whole wedding ceremony is a grand event in royal Rajasthani style. From decorations to their outfits, everything is grand.

Anjana had never been interested in relationships and love but once she sets her eyes on Rudra, Harsh’s elder brother, she is immediately attracted to him. Same goes for Rudra. After his bad relationship, he has sworn off love and has turned into a cynic.

Everything would have went well with them only if Harsh didn’t ask NJ to pose as his girlfriend at the wedding. It is when the attraction between NJ and Rudra becomes irresistible, NJ couldn’t stop herself from kissing him. Rudra who had started to shed his earlier cynic demeanor, was stunned by her action. You could think of how it might have looked, right? Younger brother’s girlfriend kissing his elder brother? It ends up in a bitter parting.

When NJ goes missing, Rudra starts blaming himself for her disappearance.

The story was really interesting and I wasn’t expecting to like it as much as I did. I finished this in an hour and never felt bored. The chapters were short and I felt as if I breezed through the chapters in one strong push.

There’s drama, there’s love, there’s passion, there’s friendship, there’s bitterness, there’s a bit of suspense and mystery, there’s acceptance and forgiveness; the book was packed with emotions.

I loved the characters. They were so expressive. The author really did a fine job in sketching the characters. I could really connect with them and feel their emotions. Feeling the characters is very important when it comes to romance stories. All the characters were well-developed. Every little detail about their physical features and emotional thoughts have been laid out bare. Anjana was a strong character and I found her to be very relatable. She is a tad bit socially awkward and is not very good at expressing her emotions and that frustrates her. That’s me, right here! Rudra is a handsome man who is protective of his friends and family. He has a past, a little broken on the inside. Harsh is a carefree soul, he enjoys life and is very lively.

Rudra and Anjana were very similar to each other when it comes to their thoughts and coping mechanism.

The narration is evocative and the writing style of the author is very engaging. It compelled me to keep turning the pages until I reach the end. Even though the author didn’t miss out on writing everything in detail, the narrative was fast-paced and I love fast-paced novels.

The majority of the story takes place in the backdrop of the wedding. I really wanted to see more scenes other than the wedding. Like, I wanted to see more of Anjana’s deejaying, Rudra’s normal work life and also Harsh’s life outside of their apartment in Mumbai. I found the number of scenes to be very less. Next would be the ending, I was kind of digging for Rudra to seek forgiveness from Anjana and I wanted to see him open up slowly but he didn’t. So, I couldn’t exactly see what he felt in those moments when Anjana was angry with him. But still, he was very quiet and reserved with his emotions. That was something I missed in this book.

MY FINAL VERDICT

Overall, ‘True Liars’ was a mushy-gushy, swoon worthy novel. It wasn’t sweet like a cotton candy but it was a bittersweet romance between the duo.

This book would be perfect for readers who love romance novels and have been a fan of harlequin books. There aren’t any such explicit sexual scenes or much of strong language, so I’ll rate it a PG-13.

RATINGS :

Book Cover : ⭐⭐⭐.5

Book Title: ⭐⭐⭐

Concept: ⭐⭐⭐

Plot: ⭐⭐⭐

Writing Style: ⭐⭐⭐.8

Narration: ⭐⭐⭐.8

Language and Vocabulary: ⭐⭐⭐.5

Grammar and Punctuation: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

POESY IN CHRYSALIS RATING: ⭐⭐⭐.5 / ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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