26 July 2017

Review #629: True Liars by Isha Inamdar



My rating: 4 of 5 stars


“We have to allow ourselves to be loved by the people who really love us, the people who really matter. Too much of the time, we are blinded by our own pursuits of people to love us, people that don't even matter, while all that time we waste and the people who do love us have to stand on the sidewalk and watch us beg in the streets! It's time to put an end to this. It's time for us to let ourselves be loved.”

----C. JoyBell C



Isha Inamdar, an Indian writer, has penned her debut contemporary romance story called, True Liars that revolves around the life of a young and aspiring female deejay artist caught between the worlds of her best gay friend and that friend's brother interspersed with wedding vows, typical big-fat Indian wedding, lies, friendships, love and passion in a serene landscape of a small heritage town in Jodhpur. This novel is perfect for the fans of Colleen Hoover, Sylvia Day, Jojo Moyes.


Synopsis:

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 rumors 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.


Anjana, a.k.a, NJ, is a deejay artist, who lives with her best gay friend, Harsh and his boyfriend, Sam in Mumbai. Harsh and NJ are the best of buddies, they found each other, they support each other and they love and respect one another, and not to mention, since Harsh saved NJ when she was running low on money and seeing an end to her aspiring career, NJ would do anything for Harsh, even if it means lying to the whole world as well as to Harsh's family about his sexuality. So when Harsh's baby sis, Kavya gets married at their hometown in Rajasthan, Harsh asks NJ to act as his girlfriend, so that his family does not get a hint about his sexual identity and NJ accepts his offer immediately. But as they arrive at their hometown, NJ instantly falls head-over-heels in love at first sight with Harsh's elder brother, Rudra, a brooding and heart-broken man with a equally painful past. And surprisingly, Rudra too feels the same for her, but since NJ is his brother's girlfriend, he could make any move, but a kiss between them, fills Rudra's mind with doubts about Anjana's true intentions. And when Rudra visits his brother Harsh's apartment at Mumbai, he finds out that NJ is missing. Can he ever find his true lady love? Will NJ ever let out the secret about Harsh's sexuality, even if it means sacrificing the love of her life?


A mushy, cliched and swooning love story about true love not only between lovers, but also between two friends, a brother and a sister and two brothers. The author has poured out all her best emotions while penning this beautifully depicted love story with many layers. The story explores so many boundaries about love in our country set against the backdrop of Mumbai and mainly Rajasthan. A fascinatingly concocted contemporary romance that is deep with passion and raw emotions which is bound to make the readers move deeply and feel with their hearts and souls. Also not to mention, the book's cover design is so apt with the title as well as with the story line, it has a subtle underlying meaning with the title of the novel.

The author's writing style is extremely eloquent and is laced evocatively that will let the readers contemplate the story line easily. The narrative is equally engaging, sensitive and realistic to the very core, and often sentimental, but that emotional roller coaster ride is very much present in this book, that makes it one hell of a stirring love story. The pacing is really fast, even though the author has delved enough details about the plot as well as about her characters, yet there is a slight mystery, that will keep the readers on their edges till the very end. Also not to mention, each and every scene from this book, especially, the romantic ones are penned with enough passion to make the readers feel that emotion vividly. While reading this book, I could feel the instant sparks flying between NJ and Rudra strikingly and made me feel the rush of falling in love.

The characters are well etched out and are well developed, complete with their flaws and strengths that give a realistic demeanor. The main character, Anjana, is a sweet and honest young woman, who knows what she wants in her life, be it her career or her emotional needs, she is headstrong yet traditional enough to know about her values. And I bet small town girls can easily relate to her and her struggles in a big city. The next primary character, Rudra, is a ruminating, thoughtful and handsome man with a broken heart, whose back story is explored beautifully and the readers will feel like they know him by the back of their hands. Rudra and Anjana's struggle with love and trust is depicted with sensitivity and thoughtfulness, thereby making it look believable in the yes of the readers.

In a nutshell, this is an absorbing and extremely entertaining love story filled with friendship drama, sexuality, self-identity, regrets, trust issues with a dash of mystery.


Verdict: A perfect and an uplifting book to curl up with when you're feeling gloomy.

Courtesy: Thanks to the author, Isha Inamdar, for giving me an opportunity to read and review this book.
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Author Info:
Isha Inamdar is a financial services professional and has previously worked in art direction in the film and advertising industry where her involvement with the sets made sure that she was always in her own world, constantly imagining stories and situations. Despite her day job, she pursues her passion as an art director in her free time. Isha fell in love with books at an early age and for her, nirvana means seeing her name on the book cover. True Liars is her first full-length novel.
Visit her here



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