Jai and Anusha have such a crackling chemistry and such passion that it jumps off the pages of the book. Trust me my Kindle saw a bit of sparking 😉 Vibha has written about their banter; fights and romance so well that it all flows effortlessly! The story unfolds at a steady pace with a lot of sparks flying from the first introduction of characters. Great language too, keeping with the characters and place.
The story itself is has a lot of emotion flying high. The activist, feisty, fiery, warm and so emotional Anusha finds her with Jai who is the quintessential romance hero. Tall, handsome, rich and privileged he is instantly attracted to the girl who answers back to him. She is the girl next door but her zeal sets her apart.
The clashes and the tiffs make for a steady page turner. They are both trying to find a common ground for themselves as protests and clashes happen around the heritage building – Rasa Vihar. They both have much at stake and falling in love was the last thing on their mind.
I found that Vibha made the story so fun to read, the conversations of two willful people made me feel so happy. Yes, happy is what a romance should make the reader feel and the book is a fresh, friendly read. I especially his calls at her office landline, they were so cute, reminding me of college times and the ‘blank calls’ we made and got too! Alas, the cell phones have ruined that secret admiration tactic!!
The one point which I found odd was Anusha gifting a pack of cigars to Jai’s grandfather. Very strange for a lady to give cigars and more so if she is a social worker – those are expensive smokes! I also found Dolly Aunty very endearing and the hints that the author left about her and grandpa made me think of an happily ever after for her too.
This book has a solid story with a lot of twists to the tale. The conservation of the building, the double faced friends, the challenge from colleagues and confusion in love all add to make it a page turner. It is the first book I have read by Vibha and I can see the potential in her writing.
The interaction and romance when Jai and Anusha meet in Singapore was heady and sweet. Just like young love, it was mercurial and needed a bit of real life for them to realize the importance of love.
The book is a romance lover’s delight and I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Activist and the Capitalist.
(I received a copy of this book from the author in return of an honest review.)
Book Blurb
“I’m not drunk – just a litt-le high.”
On a magical moonlit night, Jai and Anusha meet and fall in love.
When they meet again however, they discover that Jai is the crass capitalist developing Rasa Vihar, the heritage building that Anusha and her NGO are fighting to protect.
Inevitably they clash, with neither willing to concede to the other.
The problem is that although publicly they are enemies, in private, they are wildly attracted to each other – but when secrets and betrayals enter the equation – things really begin to get out of control.
Will the Activist and the Capitalist ever be able to find common ground?
.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vibha Batra is an advertising consultant, author, poet, lyricist, and columnist. Her published books include: Sweet Sixteen (Yeah, Right!), Seventeen and Done (You Bet!), Eighteen and Wiser (Not quite!)—a young adult trilogy published by Penguin—Ishaavaasya Upanishad, a translation of her grandfather, Shri Vishnu Kant Shastri’s book published by Rupa Publications, a poetry collection titled Tongue-in-cheek and a collection of short stories titled A Twist of Lime. She has also contributed short stories (Indian Voices, Happy Birthday to Me, Urban Shots Love Collection, Down the Road, City of Gods, Vanilla Desires, 9.69 seconds, Chicken Soup) and poems (Dance of the Peacock, Suvarnarekha, 20-20) to several national and international anthologies and written for various magazines.
Comments
Pingback: #GlitterAndGloss Love, Life and Lessons @vibhybatra -
Pingback: Authors Answer’s by Vibha Batra #GlitterAndGloss | Eloquent Articulation