Love mellows and tames down even a wild animal,isn’t it? If one still doubts this statement then it’s time to grab a copy of ‘That Same Old Love’ by MV Kasi. I so loved and was enamoured reading the story that I did not know how to go about writing this review! I received this book in its kindle format from the writer through TheBookClub in return for my honest opinion.
Old Romance- New Avatar
The blurb gives a glimpse into the world of Mahi :
“A former bad girl with a past…. Mahi had hit the rock-bottom. All she wanted to do now was to start over and lead an uncomplicated drama free life in her hometown, Hyderabad. But unfortunately, some people never forgive or forget, and hold on to their grudges for a very long time.
A former nerd who hates her and wants her gone… Samrat, a highly successful entrepreneur was Mahi’s former classmate and current neighbor. Mahi had effectively ruined his higher educational prospects with her false allegations. She along with her similarly mean friends had also made his sister Ananya’s life miserable during their college days. And to make matters even more complicated, Ananya is married to Mahi’s first love, Sidhu, whom Mahi had callously left behind to marry a person of her parent’s choice.
Watch the sparks fly…When Mahi and Samrat butt heads at every turn, they are caught up in a fierce, but unwanted attraction that leads them into an exciting wild fling with no strings attached. But what would happen when one of them is no longer happy with their arrangement, and begins to demand more, wanting everything… A humorous, heartwarming, sexy story of redemption, friendship and love”.
The characterisation of Mahi is rounded and she literally comes-of-age as the story progresses , so much so- that one starts to fall in love with this ‘peppy’ character.In the beginning, Mahi comes through as an arrogant person in her confrontations with Samrat and Ananya during her college days and rightly so – owing to the wonderful potrayal and descriptions of the ‘Old Mahi’. However, the turbulence in her post-college life literally makes her face realistic situations and Samrat’s offer makes her surrender completely ! I so loved the character of ‘Samrat’ – a proper Hyderabadi if I may say so! His ruggedness and nerdiest manners gets displayed in the way he behaves with Mahi and the way he conducts himself, yet he makes himself so vulnerable to the ‘Oomph’ displayed by Mahi!
Every character in the book contributes to the enrichment of the story.Be it Sidhu, Samrat’s mother or for that matter the group of Mahi’s friends.I fell in love with the girls gang, became nostalgic, cursed myself for not bunking my classes to create memories and actually called up my gang of ‘Terrific-5’ from my college days ! So, “Thank you Manya” for prompting me to reconnect with my gang while reading the book 🙂
Somehow I felt that Ananya’s characterisation has its flaws,however the writer cleverly covers it up by portraying her insecurities owing to Sidhu’s friendship with Mahi! I so wished there were descriptions about the city -being a ‘Hyderabadi’ myself,after all there are so many romantic stories and places in and around the city that could have been used as metaphors and symbols! Also, the book cover does not do justice to such a wonderful storyline!
The apathy surrounding women in this country, gender inequality, societal pressures and norms in the name of ‘Honour’ and ‘What will the society say?’ have all been pondered-upon in this book and weaved cleverly into the storyline, though it’s a Romantic Novel. Some of the decisions and steps taken by Mahi comes through as very brazen but then that’s ‘Mahi’ for you- a contemporary woman who is empowered by her inner strength and resolve,kind-hearted with the loved ones, humourous to the core and still can walk out of an abusive marriage by not enduring it in silence!
To know more about what happens in the life of Mahi and Samrat,do grab a copy of the book
I give this book a rating of 4 / 5
Click here for the ‘Spotlight’ on this book…Happy Reading!
Also check out: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child – Parts I & II (Special Rehearsal Edition)
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