the-text-best-thing

[the-text-best-thing]

Published : 23rd Januray 2024

Genre : Romance

Rating :⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

This is my second of her book after 'The Love and Other Words' (one of my favs btw) and this novella did not disappoint. Easy,short,cute with a modern day epistolary twist are best to describe this one. The characters are loveable and warm,making them relatable.

**SPOILER ALERT**

It all starts with an accidental mail to a student rather than teacher,gradually leaning towards being pen friends. They've pen names for each other 'C' (for Callum) & 'T' ( for Terra). Both start mailing to and fro only on Valentines Day (which becomes their tradition for years before finally meeting up) with a set of rules : no real names,no location disclosure,no phone numners and no mails except V-Day only. There were some heart warming moments : where one guessing the gender of the other(via email itself),they exchanging updates of their family,& when Callum gets to know unintendedly who Terra is before seeing each other in person,Terra after knowing about Callum's truth doesn't retaliate (as happens in quite a few novels).

Its a feel good,bubby novella and i thoroughly enjoyed it.

[the-text-best-thing]

Genre : Thriller

Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75/5

It was a disappointing start for me as it felt too presictible,but the story picked up pace especially in the last quarter. This one is about Sydney who is in desperate need of a boyfriend,after many failed attempts she finally secures a handsome doctor,Tom. Gradually after a series of events,their relationship starts to crumble,leading Syd to believe he is the serial killer 'boyfriend'. But,no its not what i thought,my guesses kept changing about the serial killer,lastly the end seemed a bit dissatisfactory.

Sydney,was childish and too gullible; while Tom, was disgusting who'd fantasize about seeing people bathed in blood. The other characters like Slug,is described in a grotesque way as someone who eats bugs,Randy is creepy,Daisy is a psychopath and Kevin is a man child (his character felt unnecessary and forced in many incidents).

Overall a good thrill read,but Mcfadden has done better than this.

[the-text-best-thing]

Genre : Rom com

Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

Sarah Adams does cute rom coms like no other and this one is no exception (but the enemy is my favourite one). This novel is about bestfriends to lovers,fake dating with a cheat sheet and is a fun read.

**SPOILER ALERT**

Nathan and Bree have been bestfriends for years with both harbouring feelings and not saying it loud because that might ruin the friendship that they have. Nathan is a baseball player (one who comes from wealth) while Bree is a ballet dancer instructor (struggling to make ends meet). Nathan secretly pays half of Bree's rent as he cant see her suffering,while she bakes him brownies and get donuts and coffe so he wouldn't feel lonely. Due to an accidental confession by Bree to a journalist,they both have to fake date for a contract for which Nathan's friends had him a cheat sheet.Slowly yet gradually they confess their feelings for one another.

Nathan's vulnerability with panic attacks,his calling her Bree Cheese & they getting married within hours was heart warming to the core.

[the-text-best-thing]

Genre : Historical Fiction

Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

The cover of the novel is captivating & with Hashmi's powerful writing,this one comes with a lot of heartache.'The Pearl' symbolises the human spirit,while 'The Shell' stands for the shackles of the society. The novel is set in Afghanishtan with parallel narratives spanning centuries between Rahima & her great great grandmother,Shekiba. Both of them had to become a 'boy' to help their families sustain without a male heir. The age old custon of 'bacha posh' in Afghanistan helps young girls attain unimaginable freedom until they hit puberty. Rahima becomes 'Rahim',while Shekiba is forced by fate to become her fathers 'daughter-son'. Shekiba is scared,deformed and her environment constantly reminds her she isn't whole : half face,daughter son. Their 'naseeb' had other plans and they are transformed back to their original gender,eventually to get married. The circumstances of Afghan women are unchanged even transcending time. Both Rahima and Shekiba have miserable married lives where they are overburdened with household chores,meant to satisfy their husbands,give birth to sons & not allowed to meet their family. Eventually,after a series of mishaps and life altering events,these resilient women take charge of their lives and escape the shackles of society,leading the pearl to alas breaking its shell.

[the-text-best-thing]

Genre : YA Romance

Rating : ⭐️⭐️/5

This is a sequel to the famous 'Better than the movies',which was better than this one in my opinion 😜

All here for Wes & Liz,but this one seemed forced as if the author wanted to extract more but these leads had already done their part. The sequel was unnecessary,forced and dragged.

**SPOILER ALERT**

There were cure parts too : Wes knoing Liz has a boyfried stays away from her though still his heart beats faster when he sees her,Liz having conflicting feelings for Wes when he tries to win her back,Liz being worries and concerned at the same time for Wes after being hurt by a baseball.

In a nutshell,an okayish read for me.

[the-text-best-thing]

Genre : YA Romance

Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

My first Lynn Painter one,was excited to dive into it due to all the hype around & yes,it did live upto it.

A typical enemies-friends-lovers trope with cutesy bits,no exaggerated plots & no 3rd wheeling (yes,for a little while but that much is digestable 😋)

The names of the main characters were different,a good different : Wes & Liz.

**SPOILER ALERT**

They both are next door neighbours who fight over parking space,Wes agrees to get Liz her childhood crush Michael (also neighbour) by almost fake dating & grooming her into someone that might attract Michael,only making Liz fall for Wes.

What was aww worthy was that Liz fell first unlike most of the romances where the guy falls first,later on we get to know that Wes was always into Liz since childhood,his teasing her was enveloped under love.

Love the Mr Darcy reference & how Wes eventually tells Liz,that she is more likeable as her (with nothing to change be it her hair,dressing sense etc)

Picked this one after a few thrillers & thoroughly relished it.

[the-text-best-thing]

Genre : Thriller

Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

McFadden is really good at thrillers & with this one she ate it. The opening line got me hooked,set the theme of murder & then filled the air with spooky vibes.

**SPOILER ALERT**

Nate & Eve are an apparently happily married couple teaching at Caseham School. Eve on the face of it seems stern,strict and unforgiving as a teacher; while Nate on the other hand is insanely good looking with all the girls drooling over him coupled with his sober & helpful attitude. Addie, a student of both Nate & Eve has a tricky past and reputation in school,with Eve being fully aware and incontrol of it. Both Nate & Eve are cheating on each other,but Nate with his students. Nate has exploited not one but quite a few students with Addie being one of them.

The kitchen scene with Nate-Eve-Addie,the grave digging scene of Nate & Eve,the unmasking of Hudson leave you astounded.

Alas,poetic justice is served to Nate.

[the-text-best-thing]

Genre : Thriller

Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

My first Mcfadden & i'm duly satisfied. I wont lie this one started as blah but it picked pace,kept me on edge & had me guessing the answers until the questions changed.

She weaved in the story smartly with one thing connecting thr other & making sense. Her writing is easy and to the point no fancy jargon.

Wasnt expecting Tricia to be Dr Hale's patient,neither an expert murderer (yes she killed 6 people). Ethan also came as a shock having killed his own mother.

The end wasn't a usual one,as they lived happily in Dr Hale's home with their daughter. I thought either they'll confess it to the police or the police will track them and their blood stained deeds down. But surprisingly it was a happy ending for a thriller,it was a good change for me.

[the-text-best-thing]

Genre : Fiction

Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Backman does it again,nailing it with his wit,sharp humour & simple words. The title made me dive into this novella & get me out of a reading slump. His take on human absurdities with a touch of compassion makes you laugh,cry & pull your hair all at once.The naming of the characters is intriguing: 'The Green Shirt','The Purple Dress','Head One','Head Two' etc

Overall a quick,short yet impactful read.

[the-text-best-thing]

Name : 21 Shades of Love by Dr.Sheetal Nair

Genre: Romance

Rating :⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

An anthology about love at different stages in varied circumstances.It was refreshing to see each chapter preluded by a poem,that sets the tone for the chapter ahead. With an interesting amalgamation of various types of love,this one kept me glued with its short stories. Some of my favourite ones amongst a plethora of stories are : where a father showing his childhood pictures of school times to child reminisces his innocent,first puppy love ; the love of a widow for a robot,transcended logic.

One of my many favourite couplets from this book :

"For love,true love,transcends the hands of time,

A steadfast flame that still in old age shines"

[the-text-best-thing]

Red flags & rishtas by Radhika Aggarwal.Published on 18th December 2024.

Genre : Rom Com.

Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

A desi,light hearted,fun rom com with a quirky & an eye catchy name. I've been currently reading desi rom coms and this one did not disappoint.

The Universe brings Ananya,the serial dater & Aadar,the serial suitor together on numerous occassions to end them together.

I liked how this novel is located in New Delhi,where I grew up. The familiar words like Greater Kailash M-Block market,Shahpur Jat,Noida made me a part of Radhika's world.

Ananya after confessing her love to Aadar is shattered to find out he went ahead to get enagaged with another girl. But what was courageous was that after sulking for a while,she got up to move on only to be reunited with her love,Aadar.

Favourite quote : "Romance may not be common.But its real"

[the-text-best-thing]

Peer-e-Kaamil (The Perfect Mentor PBUH) by Umera Ahmed.Published in 2004.

Genre : Religion & Spirituality Fiction

Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

**SPOILER ALERT**

Read this one in Ramadan & I feel it came at the right time. One of my best reads so far. Easily 5 on 5 without a doubt. I've seen Umera Ahmed's pakistani drama's & have always been in awe. But this one has been my first ever urdu novel,first ever Umera Ahmer novel & lastly,first audiobook (lot of firsts,yes,i agree 😋)

The title got me intriguing, a novel with a ginormous religious impact for Muslims. This one is about Muslims deviational sects,how Allah gets a religious God fearing girl,Imama get married to a then spoilt,indulgent boy Salar Sikandar,not once but twice. He changes whom He wills & knows whats better for us. What Imama thought was the worst case scenario for her,became a gift from Allah,for which she was thankful & grateful.

Despite their 8-9 year gap Salar's true love,repentance & dua got him what he wanted,Imama. Salar is a green forest (forget about being a green flag) in the second half of the novel. The good dreams,Salar's hallucinations about Imama,how he felt her presence around him & his home just teared me apart.

This one imapacted me,moved me deeply and will stay with me forever. I would highly recommend this one time & again.

Favourite quote :" Maine tumhe wahaan rou rou ke maangna hai,jahaan loug magfirat ki dua mangte hain"

[the-text-best-thing]

Practise makes perfect by Sarah Adams.

Genre : Romance

Rating :⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Sarah Adams is my go to for light,cute,lovey dovey romance. I liked how the dating vibe was present from page one. Will is the typical stoic,good looking,muscular guy,while Annie is soft hearted,angelic,always puting others first type & they make a perfect pair. Will is a hook up,no feelings attached kind of a guy,whereas Annie wants a family,kids & 'hearts for eyes' kind of love.

Will after quite back & forth finally agrees to become Annie's dating coach. And they both can't deny spark thats there from the start. Will is always curious about what Annie is reading (shes a romance novel sucker) which i found super cute. He also loves her in her banana pj's as shes nicknamed 'Anna banana' by her siblings.

As the book progressed,they both confessed their feelings for each other & decided to go their separate ways as both were on different paths. But we have a happy ending,minus the drama.

Favourite quote : "Grief...doesn't have timelines or rules. It hits when it wants"

[the-text-best-thing]

Genre : Psychological Fiction,Humour

Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

This is my second Backman book after 'A man called Ove' and he lived upto my expectations. As the synopsis suggests,this book is about a bank robbery (that didn't take place),which turns to a hostage situation with 8 hostages (anxious people). But there is more than meets the eye & this novel is deeper than you think. The start of the novel feels abrupt,and it took me a while to swing into it.

The writing is lucid,the narrative is absurd with constant back & forth of narratives mixed with the interrogation of characters by the father sun duo of police officers.

But as the novel progresses,Backman drops some gems & nails it completely. This novel explores humanity in its rawest,mosylt authentic form. This book is equal parts quirky,dramatic,humane & humourous. He time and again says 'this book is about idiots. My favourite character is Estelle,an elderly woman.

Backman,through his writing also peels off the layers of each character slowly and carefully,making them organic and vulnerable in front of the readers,alongside intertwining them masterfully.

Favourite quotes :

"If you want to make God laugh,tell him about your plans"

"Because the people we argue with the hardest,are not the ones completely different from us,but the ones no different at all"

"Some people accept that they'll never be free of their anxiety,they just learn to carry it"

"

[the-text-best-thing]

Fake it 'til you make it by Laura Carter. Published on 8th April 2024.

Genre : Romance,Comedy.

Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

The title gives away the plot,and its a light hearted,predictible,no drag romance,exactly what i was looking for. I dived right into it and thoroughly enjoyed this Bollywood style,fake relationship,real love novel.

**SPOILER ALERT**

Fate brings Ted & Abbey together who both have been cheater on by their respective partners. Shrouded by secrecy regarding names & professions,they admit their love in Canada where Abbey has taken Ted as his fake date for her parents' vow renewal.

I liked the fact that they confessed their feelings without the usually drag,beating around the bush that most writers opt for. Also,roles have been reversed,Abbey is the one who rushes to the airport to stop Ted,confess her love & forgives him for his set of lies as she lied too.

This one did end on a happy note,with Ted & Abbey being together. But not they typical where they got married & lived happily ever after.

Favourite quote : "People aren't always who they seem,that much is true....People can always surprise you"

[the-text-best-thing]

Mile High by Liz Tomforde. Published on 23rd April 2023.

Genre : Sports Romance

Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

This is my first Liz Tomforde book and i dived into this viral author without knowing that it was a sports romance & miserably long.

This is a story about Evan Zanders,an arrogant hockey champ and Stevie,his no nonsense flight attendant. Their conversations are fiery & fun. How the girl goes from i hate him to i like and ultimately love him is cute in this spicy yet slow intimacy. I personally loved Zanders playfulness towards Stevie when he call her 'sweetheart' during their initial conversations & continues doing so till the very end. How Zanders loves Stevie's body because shes extremely conscious and underconfident about it,the support he gives her is one that every girl craves for.

But there is more than meets the eye. Both Zanders & Stevie have dysfunctional family dynamics especially with their mothers. At some point,briefly though theu also trauma bond. Where Zanders' mom leaves the family for someone with money,Stevie's is expecting way more from her and is bitter.

This novel is also about the protagonists individual growth,a kind of bildungsroman where they break the shackles of their past,are self aware & hence emerge stronger.

All is well that ends well with both of them reuniting & expressing their true love to each other after a few bumps.

Favourite quote : "You deserve to be loved unconditionally,but you have to lay all your cards on the table in order for that to happen"

[the-text-best-thing]

Love and other words by Christina Lauren. Published on April 10 2018.

Genre : Romance

Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

Im always drawn to love stories,and this one is special as its my first Christina Lauren novel. This one did not disappoint. The writing is simple,yet loveable & characters are relatable. Not a fan of dual timelines in plots,but this one was neat,very neat.

Love & other words is about childhood romance gone wrong,followed by adulthood reunion. Elliot, is so well written (only a woman can write such beautiful male characters 😉). He's a dream partner every girl would ask for. Macy on the other hand is relatable,grief stricken and kind. When Macy's fiance Sean gets to know about her and Elliot,a mature conversation takes place without any drama and unnecessary length. Partly because both of them are mature & party because thry didn't feel so strongly for each other hence no chance of heartbreak. Elliot constantly (not annoyingly) tells Macy since they reconnected that he loves her and truly one can see it in his eyes (beauty of Lauren's writing). They've been apart since 11 years,due to Macy's shutting down habit and somewhat due to Elliot's mistake too.

**SPOILER ALERT**

All is well that ends well. An enjoyeable,easy and heartwarming romance.

Favourite quote : "Favorite word?” he whispers.

I don't even hesitate. "You"