Book Review: A Date with the Bollywood Star

Name of the Book: A Date with A Bollywood Star
Author: Riya Lakhani
Published April 1st 2013 by Mills & Boon

In bollywood words, I would call this book "Filmy". Rani is a journalist and a big fan of Omar Khan, a bolloywood superstar. Rani gets a chance to interview this sexy superstar who is known as a bit of a casanova. Rani watches his movies till late in the night and ends up being late for the scheduled interview and hurting her ankle as she stumbled. Omar is handsome, smart and a true gentleman off-screen. Rani falls for him instantly and he also displays a kind of liking for her. The article is published next day and Rani's liking is clearly evident in her writing. Her parents behave protectively, being a typical Indian parents and question her on her relationship with Omar. Omar is too flattered by her article and offers her to ghost-write her auto-biography. She agrees to do the same but this would need her to move-in to Omar's mansion and understand him better. A series of revelations about Omar's personal life keep you gripped to the novel, the on and off feelings of Rani bind you with her emotional dilemma and a semi-passionate love making scene confuses you.
Omar puts all his money into some film production and feels devastated when Rani provides him strength and alternatives. Rani goes to her place for her Mom's birthday, when Omar realizes her misses her and cannot live without her. A lot of drama in the end, when he sends endless flowers and comes on an elephant to propose her. The parents agree and it leads to a happy ending.
The charecters are real but it is difficult to relate with the story. Omar is too good to be a Bollywood legend, Rani drinks too much tea, almost in every 2 pages. Everything is hunky dory with a happy ending.

It was too bollywood-ish for me... but a good read though. My 3 stars to the book.

Book Review: The Soldier's Sweetheart

Name of the Book: The Soldier's Sweetheart
Author: Soraya Lane
Published January 2nd 2013 by Harlequin

The book is a sweet romance, but I rather found it too simplistic. The protagonist, Nate Coulhan, a soldier who has just returned home after serving on the Special forces team, is emotionaly disturbed owing to the horrific memories of his friend on the Special Forces team. He is attracted towards Sarah (the female protagonist), his childhood sweetheart, whom he had broken up with because he wanted to join the army. Post breakup Sarah married his best friend, and broken up with him too. Despite Nate is a soldier, he doesnt seem to be strong or masculine in the novel. He is disturbed by some memory, but when you are done with reading 3/4th of the book and you come to know what that memory was, you feel pity for Nate's chareterization. Even normal people deal with much larger situations, this is kindo f . Sarah's charector is lovely, many women will identify with her, but she seems to be in love with the idea of companionship, not with Nate in particular.
The novel is a good read, though I belive it could have been better.

My Rating **/5