Review: One Hundred Names by Cecelia Ahern

Publication date: May 6th, 2014
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | The Book Depository
Stars: 5/5
Source: Review copy (Thank you, William Morrow!)

Internationally bestselling author Cecelia Ahern delivers her biggest and most compelling book yet—a tale of secrets, second chances, and the hidden connections that unite our lives

Scandal has derailed journalist Kitty Logan's career, a setback that is soon compounded by an even more devastating loss. Constance, the woman who taught Kitty everything she knew, is dying. At her mentor's bedside, Kitty asks her, "What is the one story you always wanted to write?"

The answer lies in a single sheet of paper buried in Constance's office—a list of one hundred names—with no notes or explanation. But before Kitty can ask her friend, it is too late.

Determined to unlock the mystery and rebuild her own shaky confidence, Kitty throws herself into the investigation, tracking down each of the names on the list and uncovering their connection. Meeting these ordinary people and learning their stories, Kitty begins to piece together an unexpected portrait of Constance's life... and starts to understand her own.

REVIEW

I give this book five, very subjective stars. I'm not quite sure if I would've given it five stars if I'd read it way back in January, when I received it for review... or even a bit later, when in the midst of finals. But then again, is there any such thing as an objective rating? That being said, I read One Hundred Names when I needed to read it the most.

One Hundred Names opens in a hospital, where Kitty Logan asks her dying mentor, Constance Dubois, about the one story she's always wished to write. It's a difficult time for Kitty as well. She made an error in one of her stories, the scandalous kind, that caused her a suspension from her job as a TV-journalist and set her network back big time. It's a mistake that may forever ruin her career. She's hanging on to her other job at Etcetera magazine, however unrelated to the TV scandal, by a thread.

Constance asks her to retrieve a list of one hundred names-- a list that had something to do with the story she had in mind. Before Kitty can get back with the list, Constance passes away. As a part of her tribute issue, Kitty needs to find out what connects these people; the very nature of the story Constance wanted to write. There isn't much time to piece it all together... it's ONE HUNDRED different people, and lives, she'll have to delve into... and her job might just depend on it.

I can definitely picture this book being made into a movie. It would be one of those romcoms with a slightly quirkier twist, and dialogues that are meaningful and sometimes even funny. The plot might seem a bit contrived: the way most plots involving a large cast are. It features six very different, very dreamy, "ordinary" but interesting people... people who, like in most books that have several subplots, gradually find their stories intermingling when they are thrown in a common setting.

Reading One Hundred Names, however, felt far from contrived. I've always admired the earnestness in Cecelia Ahern's writing. I'm glad she doesn't stick to the same formula. Instead, she always tells us different kinds of stories that take on different perspectives; retaining the freshness in her narration. In this book, it's the earnestness of the main players that gets to you. It's easy to picture them living their lives, one day at a time. 

Kitty attempts to uncover what Constance could've possibly wanted to write about them- practically drilling various angles into their lives... and as the arc finally dawns on her- it humbles her, and the reader. It's not something you couldn't have guessed several chapters before. In fact, I think it was pretty clear from the beginning. Still, it's beautiful because it's something all of us take for granted but is very very true.

One Hundred Names, through wonderful characterization, several humorous and WTF moments, is one heck of a journey! Before you know it, you are a part of their lives: laughing, groaning, whooping and cheering them on! Their energy is your energy. It reminds you of the value of a genuine and positive story; how wasteful it is that we are constantly on the lookout for superficiality, drama, a "dark" past and conflict instead. It encourages you to look beyond the surface, at what is already around and within you. 

Rating: ★★★★★

Review: Right Click (Click, #3) by Lisa Becker

Publication date: May 19th, 2014

Publisher: CreateSpace
Links: Goodreads | Amazon
Stars: 3.5/5
Source: Review copy

Love. Marriage. Infidelity. Parenthood. Crises of identity. Death. Cupcakes. The themes in Right Click, the third and final installment in the Click series, couldn’t be more pressing for this group of friends as they navigate through their 30′s. Another six months have passed since we last eavesdropped on the hilarious, poignant and often times inappropriate email adventures of Renee and friends. As the light-hearted, slice of life story continues to unfold, relationships are tested and some need to be set “right” before everyone can find their “happily ever after.”

REVIEW

Right Click takes us back to the CC'd and BCC'd adventures of Renee, Ethan, Shelley, Mark and the rest! With moving away, relationship-hiccups, break-ups, baby-troubles, Vegas trips, celebrity-run-ins, funerals and a wedding-in-planning, we're in for quite a ride; peppered with Billy-Joel-offs, pun-offs and plenty of surprises along the way.

In the final part of one of my favourite email-trilogies ever, Becker maintains the zippy-and-cheery pace set in Click and Double Click. Email plays an even bigger role in the characters staying connected to each other; especially in context of specific situations where no other medium works as well. 

The likability of the main players, however stuck-up and relatively annoying some of them may appear to be, instantly won me over. They have grown over the span of three books-- but at the same time, their voices are easily recognisable. Some of them make less-than-ideal comebacks and others, you continue to love to hate. While the story is centered around Renee, who has her share of ups and downs, Shelley continued to make me involuntarily "LOL" and Ashley's struggles were realistic and made my respect for her grow. Mark, who I've always found adorable, also gets his happily ever after!

I'm not going to deny that, like all chic lit novels, Right Click, too, did have that point when it got a bit too fluffy and even the ha-larity felt like an overkill. Thankfully, that's exactly when Becker chose to infuse grit and a surprising dose of tough love! Reading the last few email (!) exchanges between what has, over time, evolved into Renee's pretty tight-knit group, even left me a little teary-eyed! 

Click started out as a breezy and hilarious novel chronicling the online-dating (mis)adventures of Renee and Mark. Over time, over new and renewed friendships, heartbreak, funerals, PR-events, therapeutic pun-tertainment and hilariously tacky cat videos, it's clear that through chemistry, witty and light-hearted banter, forwards and mis-forwards, this series has morphed into so much more. And Right Click, over several plot arcs and important character milestones, provided a heartwarming and balanced finale to what has been a fabulous e-journey!

Rating: ★★★1/2

Cover Feature: Right Click by Lisa Becker

I really liked Click: An Online Love Story as it was incredibly fun and light!

The sequel, Double Click, was even more of an entertainer.

And now it's time to unveil the cover of:

Release date: May, 2014
Links: Facebook | Click Book Trailer

Love. Marriage. Infidelity. Parenthood. Crises of identity. Death. Cupcakes. The themes in Right Click, the third and final installment in the Click series, couldn't be more pressing for this group of friends as they navigate through their 30's. Another six months have passed since we last eavesdropped on the hilarious, poignant and often times inappropriate email adventures of Renee and friends. As the light-hearted, slice of life story continues to unfold, relationships are tested and some need to be set "right" before everyone can find their "happily ever after."

!!!

Sad as I am to have to part with this series, I can't wait to see how the loose ends are tied up! And I love the heart-shaped mouse in the cover.

Right Click is due for release in mid-May. Check out the Facebook Page for further updates!

Review: The Secret Proposal by Aniesha Brahma

Publication year: 2012
Publisher: General Press
Links: Goodreads | Flipkart India
Stars: 3/5
Source: Review copy

Eight years ago, she was the teenager he would use to get out of boring parties. But now, he is stunned to see her grown up.

He decides to delay his marriage by getting into a false engagement with her. Then he falls in love with someone else and she forces herself to move on. He comes back to her, but she's determined not to take him back. Will she ever get over her unrequited love for him?

Would a grand gesture from him make her believe otherwise?

And how do you know that your knight in shining armour has been standing right next to you?

Join Tanveer 'Veer' Bhattacharya and Larissa 'Jasmine' Chakroborty as they embark on a journey which questions relationships, friendships and makes one wonder...

how long would it take for love to eventually find a way?

REVIEW

I started reading The Secret Proposal a little before my December break and it felt amazing to sink into this... fluffy, dreamy haven. The Secret Proposal is a story of unrequited love, a fake engagement that gets out of hand and a lot of ups and downs, highs and lows, red, green and mixed signals in between.

If I had to describe the protagonist, Larissa "Jasmine" Chakroborty in one word, I'd go with "likable". She's someone you'd easily be friends with and that made it easier to slip into her predicament and feel a part of this insane chapter of her life. Tanveer "Veer" Bhattacharya is the kind of guy you would fall for and probably idealise a bit too much... so I could see what Jasmine saw in him. And then there's Neeraj, who comes out of nowhere and there's no second guessing his role in the story.

As you may have guessed from the title and the cover, The Secret Proposal feels like something out of a fairy-tale. Sure, there's no prince and princess and magical kingdom but there's Veer who could double for Prince Charming in Jasmine's eyes, even if he gets on her last nerve... and Jasmine herself, who is waiting to be swept off her feet, even if it is through a fake engagement to the boy she's secretly been in love with since forever.

The Secret Proposal is at the same time a bit more grounded than most fairy-tales. For instance, the media threatens to ruin everything. We are given more than a taste of Kolkata: with a full, blown-up picture of the city during Durga Puja; the mouth-watering sweets, colours, diyas and dancing. The Happily Ever After isn't instantaneous. The pangs of misery, loneliness and confusion before the Ever After feel real. More than anything, the Prince Charming here messes up a lot and needs timely help from a good friend to make his Grand Sweeping Gesture that was staring at him in the face all along!

There are times when the ups and downs of Veer and Jasmine's relationship get a little too much and the description of Veer's "chocolate brown eyes" during their every encounter feels like too much of an overkill... but overall, The Secret Proposal is a light and breezy read. It's just the book you'd pick up if you were in the mood for something girly and romantic... if you don't mind a few cliches (and a lot of swooning) here and there. Especially when they are well-written cliches and there's enough banter to keep you entertained!

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Review: Double Click by Lisa Becker

Publication date: 27th March, 2013
Publisher: Create Space
Links: Amazon|Goodreads|CreateSpace
Source: Review copy
Rating: 4/5 stars

Fans of the romantic hit Click: An Online Love Story will enjoy another voyeuristic dive into the lives of Renee, Shelley, Ashley, Mark and Ethan, as Double Click picks up with their lives six months later. Are Renee and Ethan soul mates? Does Mark ever go on a date? Has Shelley run out of sexual conquests in Los Angeles? Will Ashley's judgmental nature sabotage her budding relationship? Through a marriage proposal, wedding, new baby and unexpected love twist, Double Click answers these questions and more. Readers will continue to cheer, laugh, cry and cringe following the email exploits of Renee and friends.

REVIEW

Double Click is the sequel to Click, a book I reviewed not long ago that chronicled the online dating adventures of Renee in the form of short, pun-filled, energetic and fun back-and-forth emails! Double Click is equally entertaining and ha-larious... where you're not as much privy to the online dating scene but it does a great job of sucking you into the lives of Renee, her best friends Mark, Shelley and Ashley! There's secrets, unexpected pairings, proposals and pregnancy blues in the ultra-cute second part to this fabulous feel-good series!

One thing I was really missing in Click was more of Mark's story! This is done complete justice to in Double Click. You're going to be sooo surprised when you find out who he ends up with! Mark's love interest made me giggle so much. They are so um, compatible. It was interesting to see the different ways in which his friends reacted to her and made her feel welcome (or not welcome)!

There's also a lot going on with Shelley... much more than her multiple business trips, that's for sure. And I grew quite fond of Ashley by the end of the book... in spite of her reverting back to the "old Ashley" with her pregnancy blues.

More than anything, I loved the parts in Double Click where Renee, Shelley, Ashley and their friends were just hanging out. The very light and very fun banter was enough to bring a smile to my face! While a great deal happened in the course of this book... there was no rush in pacing with scenes both relevant and completely irrelevant to the plot. With the email format, I found myself LIKING this utterly normal sequence and pace of events!

Double Click is the kind of book you read while lounging around. It's quick and it's fun and best of all, it manages to be what it is with consistent characterization and absolutely no suspension from reality! I liked Double Click even more than its predecessor and would totally recommend it if you're looking for a cute and hilarious read!

Rating: 4/5 stars

Review: The Girl Most Likely (Rachel Hill #2) by Rebecca Sparrow

"When you were 17, what did you think your life would be like when you hit 27?"

At 17, Rachel Hill was the girl most likely to succeed. At 27, with an Honours degree and a career as a travel writer, she wonders if marriage is the only thing missing from this perfect trifecta. But one disastrous life decision changes everything. Suddenly she is living back at home in her childhood bedroom - a room still celebrating 1987.  She's also working as a nanny for a surly six-year-old, proof-reading erotic fiction and crucifying movie themes on the piano. With Su-su-sudio in the cassette deck, Rachel tumbles head first into a quarter-life crisis. As she revisits her idea of perfection, she finds that happiness is living the life you want to live, rather than the one you're expected to.

It's been a while since I've been regular on the blog and I really, really miss it. I've been reading as much as I did all year... nothing can stop me from pouncing on a book and I've read some truly amazing books in the past month. It's been the kind of month when I've had days when I have been sleeping a lot (the so-called study holidays) and these other days when there are bags under my eyes and I would nod off if it weren't for the endless supply of Coca Cola and Dairy Milk (end-Semester exam week).

I curled up with The Girl Most Likely by Rebecca Sparrow on a rainy day, wanting, more than anything, to take a break from real life. I couldn't have asked for a better comfort read. I had already met seventeen year old Rachel Hill in The Year Nick McGowan Came to Stay (my review) (can you believe that TYNGCTS was written after The Girl Most Likely? Meaning, technically, I'd read this one out of order) almost a year back. Which made it hard to believe twenty-seven-year-old-Rachel's state of affairs.

Twenty-seven-year-old Rachel Hill is seventeen year old Prefect Rachel gone wrong. A failed marriage causes her to spiral out of control as she quits her job as an editor in a prestigious travel magazine, is house sitting for her parents and spends her days eating too many cartons of Froot Loops while babysitting a misunderstood six year old. Her desperate attempts to regain control over her life and retain perfection go hilariously wrong... in a foot-in-the-mouth, self esteem depending on her ability to master a movie theme song on the piano kind of way. And it feels like everything is falling apart...

...when really, it isn't.

And that, really, is the core of why I loved The Girl Most Likely so much.

Rachel Hill is all grown up... there is no doubt about that. Of course it was simpler when she was seventeen  year old Rachel, the Girl Most Likely to Succeed. And when her marriage that her parents had no idea about fails, she can automatically feel herself spiraling out of control... Girls like her weren't meant to be living at their parent's house and handling a divorce. Girls like her aren't supposed to veg out in front of the television, struggling to get through each day. She sees herself as a failure through her seventeen year old self's eyes and that itself feels like the biggest failure of all.

But as she gets acquainted with Matt, her neighbour who gives her piano lessons and her best friend Zoe is not one to leave her alone... Rachel realises that maybe it's not all about picture perfection. Maybe perfection is overrated. And the lengths at which the author goes to drive this point home makes it an amazing read.

I haven't laughed or cried as much in ages as I did while reading this book. Aside from learning so much from Rachel's quarter-life crisis... I loved how her journey felt so genuine, so heart wrenching that if I could, I would've wanted to be there for her. The fact that I read The Year Nick McGowan Came To Stay first, in which Rachel is all goody goody yet endearing, made me feel particularly empathetic and like I had truly known her for a long time.

Zoe Budd, Rachel's best friend, is as hilarious as she was in TYNMGCTS. I also think there's more to her in this book and I feel like overall, I know her better. Matt, the sexy neighbour next door, could not endear himself more to me and Alex, the six year old Rachel babysits, was tough and interesting. I could understand how Rachel wanted Alex to like her... especially when Alex made it really difficult.

This is the perfect book to read if you are going through any sort of a meltdown or even if you just want to have some fun. You're going to laugh your heart out, introspect and sob like a baby before bursting into helpless giggles again. You're not going to want to leave these characters... as they are made of awesome. What can I say... like TYNMGCTS, The Girl Most Likely gave me the warm-fuzzies and urged me to look beyond perfection and just enjoy the journey!

Final note: Another Aussie gem that was plain b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l! I'd strongly advise reading The Year Nick McGowan Came to Stay before this one, though!

Publication date: 1st March, 2003
Publisher: University of Queensland Press, Australia
Links: Amazon| Goodreads | The Book Depository
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Review: Forgotten by Catherine McKenzie

Publication date: 16th October, 2012
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Links: Amazon | The Book Depository | Goodreads
Source: ARC from publisher
Rating: 3/ 5 stars

[from goodreads]

When everyone thinks you’re dead, how do you start your life over again?

Emma Tupper, a young lawyer with a bright future, sets out on a journey after her mother’s death: to Africa, a place her mother always wanted to visit. But her mother’s dying gift has unexpected consequences. Emma falls ill during the trip and is just recovering when a massive earthquake hits, turning her one-month vacation into a six-month ordeal.

When Emma returns home, she’s shocked to find that her friends and colleagues believed she was dead, that her apartment has been rented to a stranger and that her life has gone on without her. Can Emma pick up where she left off? Should she? As Emma struggles to recreate her old life, everyone around her thinks she should change – her job, her relationships, and even herself. But does she really want to sacrifice everything she’s working so hard to gain?

Forgotten by Catherine McKenzie puts its central character, Emma Tupper, in a situation far more horrific than a near-death experience. Emma returns from Africa five months later than she should have... after falling sick and surviving an earthquake only to find out that she had been presumed dead. Her apartment has been rented to a stranger, her bank account has been frozen, her position at work has been taken over by her arch nemesis and her boyfriend has moved on; having dealt with her supposed passing on.What do you do when you're pushed back into a life where everyone has moved on without you?

Emma realises that maybe fate has presented her with a fairly twisted way of starting afresh. Now she's starting at the very bottom of the law firm she was about to be made partner in, rooming with the man living in her apartment who has scars of his own and questioning the aspects of her life that she previously took for granted; making her reevaluate herself and the relationships forged around her.

As someone who has loved every Catherine McKenzie book she's read, I was itching to read Forgotten since the day I read about the premise. While it didn't fall short of my expectations, I didn't enjoy it as much as Spin and Arranged. It seemed to lack the spunk and spice I found in McKenzie's previous books though as the story progressed, I enjoyed the understated way in which the conflicts were dealt with.

Emma is smart and probably one of my favourite lawyer characters ever... I loved that she loved her job; heavy workload and all. This was also one of the few books in which I actually looked forward to the flashbacks that shed light on Emma's African vacation that changed her life. With Catherine McKenzie's trademark witty and fun writing style, this book was a poignant and compelling read. A bit of a letdown compared to McKenzie's other books but can nevertheless be picked up based on the premise and author's breezy writing style alone.

Rating: 3/5 stars

Review: Arranged by Catherine McKenzie

from goodreads

Anne Blythe has a great life: a good job, good friends, and a potential book deal for her first novel. When it comes to finding someone to share it with, however, she just can't seem to get it right.

After yet another relationship ends, Anne comes across a business card for what she thinks is a dating service, and she pockets it just in case. When her best friend, Sarah, announces she's engaged, Anne can't help feeling envious. On an impulse, she decides to give the service a try because maybe she could use a little assistance in finding the right man. But Anne soon discovers the company isn't a dating service; it's an exclusive, and pricey, arranged marriage service. She initially rejects the idea, but the more she thinks about it-and the company's success rate-the more it appeals to her. After all, arranged marriages are the norm for millions of women around the world, so why wouldn't it work for her?

A few months later, Anne is travelling to a Mexican resort, where in one short weekend she will meet and marry Jack. And against all odds, it seems to be working out-until Anne learns that Jack, and the company that arranged their marriage, are not what they seem at all.

review

Arranged was easily the most fun book I've read this summer: it was cute, charming and swept me off my feet! As someone who adored Anne of Green Gables, as someone who crushed on Gilbert Blythe while growing up and as someone who is constantly spoiled by fictional hotties that real life can never match up to, I could relate to the main character, Anne and her predicament.

After a string of relationships that all ended the same disastrous way, a business card that Anne finds lying on the road leads her to Blythe and Company. She approaches them thinking they are a dating service but as it turns out, they are a little more than that. Blythe and Company is an arranged marriage service and after a lot of thought and research Anne asks herself, why not enter into an arranged marriage? She is tired of dating and failed relationships and while pricey, Blythe and Company has an impressive success rate. And that is how Anne meets Jack and marriage is just the beginning of their relationship.

I'm from India and arranged marriages are pretty much the norm here though not necessarily the only option.  It's how my parents and grandparents and great grandparents got married and when it works out, it's pretty amazing; when marriage is a mixture of friendship, adjustments and gradually, maybe even love. It was interesting to read about a fresh perspective on arranged marriage, when it takes place in an environment where it's not the norm at all. I loved how Anne didn't just jump into it: she did the research and tried to make an informed decision.

Jack, Anne's match/husband, was a surprise. I loved how he was flawed, down to earth and yet so charming. Even when he was sarcastic to the point of being intimidating and made some pretty bad decisions, he was so open and real, he made me smile so much! I could feel the chemistry between Anne and Jack and it was amazing how we got to see their relationship grow and develop.They both had issues of their own and there were a lot of twists and rude surprises thrown into the mix but there was no doubt that they were made for each other!

But Arranged wouldn't have been half as awesome without Anne's Anne of Green Gables-crazy mother and the rest of her really fun and supportive family. Anne's brother was called -wait for it- Gilbert Blythe and I absolutely loved their banter and that he jokingly calls her Cordelia. It made me nostalgic for Anne of Green Gables (and made me want to pick up the other books of L. M. Montgomery's series, save the two other Anne books I'd read out of sequence). The book was filled with so many Anne references, I loved it and if you are high on the Anne of Green Gables love, I'm sure you'll be charmed by it too!

Though I liked Catherine McKenzie's debut Spin a tiny bit more, Arranged was a fresh, fun and thought provoking read. After Spin and Arranged, I'm sure I'll read anything by this author! I love that her books always deal with real issues with a unique spin to it and are so heartwarming! I think it goes without saying that I wholeheartedly recommend reading Arranged and anything written by Catherine McKenzie, really.

Publication date: 15th May, 2012
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Source: ARC obtained from publisher
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | The Book Depository

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I've Got Your Number: A Novel by Sophie Kinsella

from goodreads

Poppy Wyatt has never felt luckier. She is about to marry her ideal man, Magnus Tavish, but in one afternoon her “happily ever after” begins to fall apart. Not only has she lost her engagement ring in a hotel fire drill but in the panic that follows, her phone is stolen. As she paces shakily around the lobby, she spots an abandoned phone in a trash can. Finders keepers! Now she can leave a number for the hotel to contact her when they find her ring. Perfect! 

Well, perfect except that the phone’s owner, businessman Sam Roxton, doesn’t agree. He wants his phone back and doesn’t appreciate Poppy reading his messages and wading into his personal life. 

What ensues is a hilarious and unpredictable turn of events as Poppy and Sam increasingly upend each other’s lives through emails and text messages. As Poppy juggles wedding preparations, mysterious phone calls, and hiding her left hand from Magnus and his parents . . . she soon realizes that she is in for the biggest surprise of her life.

review

I absolutely adore Sophie Kinsella's books! They are like dessert or sparkly things, depending on what you like more. While sometimes it gets way too blindingly over-the-top, it ultimately leaves you feeling warm and loved! I've Got Your Number surpassed the Shopoholic series and even some of her best standalones in terms of being super hilarious and insightful! What more- even the over-the-top moments were good over-the-top (while in the Shopoholic series, it could get annoyingly over-the-top). I loved the made-for-movie moments and beautifully flawed Poppy!

I've Got Your Number opens with Poppy freaking out after having lost her engagement ring (in a hotel fire drill) and cell phone in one go. She finds an abandoned cell phone in a waste basket and is glad to have a replacement phone. Only, the phone's owner, businessman Sam Roxton (it belonged to his PA), wants it back. Poppy and Sam come to an agreement about sharing the phone (she agrees to forward all of his messages to him) till the hotel gets back to her about the engagement ring. Meanwhile, her fiance, Magnus's parents are in town and since she's already way intimidated by Magnus's super brainy family, the last thing she needs is for them to know that the ring is gone.

What follows is sequence after sequence of hilarity mixed with wonderfully sweet moments. I adored the book to bits. Every text message between Poppy and Sam, every smilie and "x" and "o" made me smile! On the surface, Poppy seems very similar to Becky Bloomwood of the Shopoholic series, but as you get to know her more, it is obvious that they are both different people. I adored Poppy and could relate to her compulsive need to be liked. She is a great person and doesn't even know it!

I enjoyed getting to know Sam as well. While Poppy peppers her messages with a zillion x's and o's, Sam's emails are painfully short and cordial. They couldn't be any more different but somehow, in the course of their interactions, they bring out the best in each other. I was squealing along with Poppy when Sam used his first smilie! There is also that certain scene in the woods that was plain beautiful! ❤

I also enjoyed a lot of Poppy's random ramblings- whether it was about the lady who says "You have one new message" or her hilariously disastrous conversations with her future in-laws. They were fun and they were also equally meaningful! Apart from the text messages, the book is written in Poppy's point of view. And there are also footnotes (yes, footnotes)! I did not enjoy navigating through the zillion footnotes this book has but I couldn't help laugh out loud at the purpose of the footnotes! 

If you enjoy chic lit or you're just looking for a feel-good book that will keep you smiling throughout, you've got to pick up I've Got Your Number! I read this when I was extremely frazzled and annoyed and it instantly changed my mood. I'd love for this book to be made into a movie!

Publication date: 14th February, 2012

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group

Source: Bought

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

NOTE: Now that it's up, don't forget to check out my 100 follower giveaway for a chance to win a 10$ gift card from Amazon! :)

The Reluctant Detective by Kiran Manral

The Reluctant Detective has an interesting premise: pairing a bored thirty-something housewife with two murders in a suburban neighbourhood. Kanan Mehra, also known as Kay, was the last person to see Sheetal Jaiswal alive before she was brutally murdered in the midst of her morning jog. As was she with Rohit Sharma, whose body was once again discovered by Kay and her husband. Against her will, Kay finds herself intrigued by the mystery of the murders. With the help of her detective friend, Runa, she half heartedly (and the emphasis is on half-hearted) sets out to find the murderers while simultaneously making sure her kid, 'the brat' gets enough to eat and she is regular to his parent-teacher meetings.

As you can see, The Reluctant Detective seems like a quirky formulaic whodunnit with just enough personality to make it stand out! I wanted to fall in love with this book so badly. But, it kills me to say but, this book just wasn't amazing enough. It was breezy, sure. It had its moments of fun. I do not regret picking it up. But it could've toned down on the frivolousness and had more action; more twists and puzzle pieces in the mystery.

I'm going to go ahead and dissect the cover, characters, plot and writing separately.

cover

I've seen way too many stiletto covers in the past two years. Especially when it comes to Lauren Weisberger's books. Still, a huge stiletto in the cover screams chic lit which is great! That, along with the drop of blood under the heel represents the book perfectly!

characters

The characters were engaging enough! The main character, Kanan Mehra or Kay, did not make a good first impression. I was ready to hate her. There are a lot of people in real life like her who you have to learn to love. Just like I did eventually start liking Kay despite and in a way because of her little quirks.

'The spouse' and 'the brat' were even more fun to read about than Kay herself! Kay's husband, despite not possessing a single romantic bone in his body is loyal and caring. That was enough to move me! Kabir or 'the brat', as Kay lovingly refers to her son, won me over instantly with his disdain for certain things and his cute way of saying things! Go Kabir!

plot

The Reluctant Detective's tagline reads: 'how a housewife became a murder investigator between being a school-gate mom and her ladies lunches.' I'm sorry but murder investigator? Really? There were more of the ladies lunches and birthday parties (which were fun to read about! And I discovered so much more about Kay in the process) and less than fifty pages of actual detecting. Kay doesn't even start with the investigation till the second half of the book. Even then, her friend, Runa, is the one who gets started with the work.

There were a lot of fillers and the resolution of the mystery was a bit too simple. It was more chic lit than a murder mystery.

the writing

I love Kiran Manral's writing, especially towards the end. In the beginning, I couldn't stand it as the author made the main character digress a zillion times. Which was not very wise in terms of plot or scene progression. But by the second half, there was less frivolousness and fixation with what exactly the fat cells in Kay's body were up to when she devoured fried food. Instead, other than lengthy ramblings, there were more astute observations and fun dialogue. If only this had been the case throughout!

As you can see, the 'reluctant' in The Reluctant Detective was a bit of an understatement. The murder mystery plot barely picked up over the course of the story and I didn't care for how it was resolved. The narration lacked crispness in the beginning though it picked up and was filled with funny and fresh observations towards the end. One thing I can say for sure is that the author has a lot of potential. If The Reluctant Detective had only been chic lit and did not have the whodunnit element, maybe I would've liked its approach more. But since it wasn't and it didn't have that great a resolution, overall it was not-so-great.

You can read The Reluctant Detective at least once for the funny one-liners and relatable observations this book is filled with. Just lower your expectations and you are sure to be entertained by the true-to-life characters and situations! If the blurb at the back sounds fun enough, I will probably pick up Kiran Manral's next novel when it's out, hoping it contains more of what I liked about The Reluctant Detective.

read it or skip it?

SKIP IT if you're looking for a hardcore whodunnit, prefer crisp story telling and cannot tolerate the main character digressing every two seconds.

READ IT if you're looking for a light read with true-to-life characters and lines that make you smile knowingly and occasionally burst out laughing.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

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Spin by Catherine McKenzie

from goodreads

Katie Sandford has just gotten an interview at her favourite music magazine, The Line. It's the chance of a lifetime. So what does she do? Goes out to celebrate - and shows up still drunk at the interview. No surprise, she doesn't get the job, but the folks at The Line think she might be perfect for another assignment for their sister gossip rag. All Katie has to do is follow It Girl Amber Sheppard into rehab. If she can get the inside scoop (and complete the 30-day program without getting kicked out), they'll reconsider her for the job at The Line.

Katie takes the job. But things get complicated when real friendships develop, a cute celebrity handler named Henry gets involved, and Katie begins to realize she may be in rehab for a reason. Katie has to make a decision -- is publishing the article worth everything she has to lose?

cover

I love how aesthetically pleasing the cover is! The way the baby blues contrast with the girl's dark hair. It also really fits with what Spin is about. I'd love to own this book just for the cover!

review

Take a character who will fit in practically any chic lit book- someone who is thirty but acts like she's twenty, is kind of a mess, lies all the time and has an interview lined up for her dream job as a music reviewer at The Line! What happens when this girl, Katie Sandford, shows up drunk to the interview? And is later offered the job on the condition that she follows a celebrity -Amber Sheppard, child star gone wild- into rehab for a month and dishes the dirt on her for a gossip rag? Throw Katie into rehab and a path of redemption and you get an astonishingly fun, witty and poignant story with great characters and an unbelievable climax that has its heart in the right place!

Once I started reading Spin, I couldn't put it down. I loved the detail and the way the characters were written. Whether it's Katie, Amber, Henry or Conner- they were all characters who were fleshed out enough that I came to care about them. Whether it was Conner, Amber's hotshot ex boyfriend's fear of heights or Amber and Connor's geeky means of communication, these little character quirks added colour to the novel! I also loved the way the book dealt with the themes of family, friendship, honesty, toxic relationships and addiction.

The tone was light but the message was clear. The pace was also just right; there was never a dull moment. It was a truly heartwarming journey- one that flawed but lovable Katie was in desperate need of. Spin by Catherine McKenzie is a book you'll want to reread immediately. Peppered with real music, celebrity and romcom references, it's a fun, fresh and charming book that will stay with you for a long time!

quotes from Spin

"Christ. I'm thirty years old and clasping a foolscap note to my chest, worried I'll get caught after lights out with a man I barely know hidden under a bed. How the fuck did that happen?"

"Meghan Stewart. My high school rival. White-blonde and bouncy, she couldn't quite manage a full beer bong. Now she's married to my first imaginary husband, and I'm talking to him in a rehab garden. There's a lesson in that somewhere, I know, but I can't quite put my finger on it."

Publication date: 1st February, 2012
Publisher: HarperCollins
Source: NetGalley

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars