Soap opera in Pakistan.

I was contacted by the publisher, to read and review this book.
Although I'm not a great fan of Romance, I was attracted by the fact that the book was based in Pakistan and 'International Reads' are my favoured genre

It started well and I was fascinated by the interaction between the two families and the relative freedom there appeared to be. Then everything changed - two characters marry under duress and the ending suddenly became very predictable.

Since childhood, Zoella has worshiped her best friend's brother from afar. He doesn't even notice her, preparing to marry the awful, spoiled, Neha. Then disaster strikes and he becomes severely disfigured, his marriage plans collapse and Zoella's luck changes.

What really brought the book down, in my opinion, was the constant bickering between the married couple; for pages and pages and pages. I finished the book out of respect for the author, but unfortunately nothing changes until right at the end, when, out of the blue, it's 'happily ever after'.

Zeenat Mahal has written novellas in the past and that is what this should have been. Cut out all the arguing and jump to the resolution, that could have raised my star rating by one, if not two, stars. ( )

Note : A Review of this book is up @ Readers' Muse

A charming breezy romance set in Pakistan in the 1970s. Add to that a the concept of “prince”, luxurious lifestyle – Isn’t that a perfect setting for a perfect little romance. The story is just that – A picture perfect romance.
Our protagonist, Chandini, is a live wire with a soft core who was abandoned by her father and raised by her grandmother. Enters our hero, Taimur who annoys Chandini but is too hot headed to admit she is in love with her. Re- enter C’s long lost charming dad who can manage to charm even a stone who picks out a groom for C. C sadly, seems to be in love with a man who is quite older than her. Thus happens the “triangle” of men with C in centre. Eventually, C picks one of the three men.

The literary charade between Tiamur and Chandini is an absolute treat for pure literary fans. The writing is filled with humor and spunky comebacks which makes the story a pleasurable read in spite of few critical elements missing - I felt there was a vast potential with that "daddy-daughter" episode which the writer sort of missed cashing into. Nevertheless, it's all about perspectives.

I felt the writer did a bit of injustice to the “daddy-daughter” episode. In sense, the ending felt all too easy (Spoiler in making, I don’t wish to purse this thread of comment. Please read the book to get what I meant)

The characterization is perfect for a short read, though I would have loved to read a bit more of C’s long-lost dad.

VERDICT: Short and sweet refreshing read. Provided the perfect break I needed between hectic project deliveries (The day job circus show that I orchestrate).

RATING: 3.5 on 5 ( )

Note : A Review of this book is up @ Readers' Muse

I don’t normally pick up a book without reading the book back summary. This book is my first exception and I don’t regret it at all. Having read all of Zeenat’s book, I had become quite comfortable with her style of writing and characterization. Particularly, strong female characters are like a much needed dose of caffeine.

Our protagonist, Zoella, has been in love with her best friend’s brother Fardeen ever since she was 10. While he has never given her anything more than a cursory glance, fate brings them together into matrimony when he is left badly disfigured with an accident which brings out the beast in him. La! You have the beauty (Zoella) and the beast ( Fardeen). The story then moves on to elaborate if the beast finds the beauty’s heart.
There are few elements of the book which I would like to elaborate upon thereby reasoning my verdict.

The Socio-Cultural backdrop – A good way to depcit modernization of thoughts.

Set in Pakistan, the Socio- cultural practices described in this book are simply intriguing, especially for an Indian who is clueless about the neighboring country. The marriage of Zeenat and Fardeen is essentially a result of a narrow minded social setup where girls are looked upon nothing short of a burden and being open minded is thoroughly frowned upon – especially in the middle class families. Eventually, Fardeen goes on to point out this prejudice to people who think upon Zoella as a liability. Score one for the writer!

Characterization & Emotions

Zoella, the name itself sounds thoroughly exquisite – the character herself was even more exquisite. That character was everything a simple girl from a similar social set up could relate to. Her determination, her take on “seduction” and her emotions are something I was able to completely relate to, for I felt I was reading a story that portrayed me. Fardeen’s character would be the quintessential caustic beast. All the other characters (the best friend, the sister-in-law, the brother) supplemented the story emoting perfectly. A double goal for the writer!

Writing

The story was written in a very simple manner that effectively packed the punch. The writing was laced with appropriate amount of humor and emotions. There is a very fine line between being romantic and erotic. The writer thankfully never ventured anywhere near that boundary and stuck to the classic sense of pure romance. Score 4 there!

VERDICT: A well written romance which does immense justice to the age old
concept of beauty and beast. The perfect Valentine’s Day read ;-)

RATING: 4 on 5
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