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Monsoon Wedding Fever (2012)

by Shoma Narayanan(Favorite Author)

2.69 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

0263893170 (ISBN13: 9780263893175)

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Mills & Boon

review 1: Oh my God! I both hated and loved the book at the same time!The reason I hated is because it wasn't like the usual mills and boon novels and loved it because it defied the conventional m&b novels.Before I dive into the contents of the book, I'd really like to share my opinion of the cover. The cover reflects brightness,, colour contrast, vibrancy and the shades of a wedding There's this young Indian couple,gazing in each other's eyes dressed in intricate Indian apparels. Down below there are ornamented cushions and garlands flaunted by sunlight streaming in through the open corridors. So beautiful! so true to the title!Now going back to the story- it was like an ordinary reunion tale but the flavor of the monsoon season adds to the charm of the story. Shoma Narayanan has w... moreittingly combined the Bengali and the Punjabi styles of marriage ceremonies giving the International market a taste of North as well as East India.The hero, Dhruv was totally delicious! He didn't depict the traditional Harlequin heroes(m&b heroes- ruthless,dangerous, commanding and dark) except his looks and money. He was affectionate and sweet to Riya from the very beginning. My favourite scene was where he tenderly bathed Riya's feet with water. Thats so compassionate! For some reasons, he reminded me so much of Stavros Drakos from Maisey Yates' 'At his majesty's request'. How can you not fall for this guy?Riya shared all the traditional traits of a m&b heroine but she really got on my nerves at times. It was evident from the first few pages of the book that the couple still had feelings for themselves yet the author simply dragged the book at parts. A few twists and unwanted situations could have prevented it from being tedious.But above all I liked the story because the ending was exceptionally gorgeous. This author has wisely used the monsoon season and a colourful wedding as a backdrop making you yearn for more. The side characters were also fun especially Gaurav and Chutki. I hope that Narayanan also writes this intrigueing Chutki's story one day because she deserves way lot more than a milkman's son and quarreling parents. lol!Good job from first time author Shoma Narayanan! Finally, you will like the characters so much that you will end up falling in love with the book.
review 2: As a reader of romance fiction who lives in India, I had to read this. Shoma Narayanan was one of the winners of Mills and Boon India's contest to find new Indian writers in 2010. Her novel, Monsoon Wedding Fever got an international release and is now nominated for a major romance fiction award.Harlequin Mills and Boon are known for their 'formula' romance novels. Feelgood romantic fiction which has a happy ending. There's usually the main characters meeting in the first chapter, the conflict, the misunderstandings, the black moment and finally, the moment of commitment. Romance fiction is read by women the world over for its tranquillizing effect. A good romance novelist knows how to give her reader a good time, how to make her laugh, cry and sigh in one book. Contrary to popular illusion, you can't just whip up a romance novel. The challenge for the author is how to make the positive ending credible. A whole generation of bad romance novels put the genre into the area of ridicule. But some of the very best authors I have ever enjoyed reading are writers of romance fiction. Many romance novelists write other genres too, often under different names. In today's world, romance fiction is as popular as ever. HM&B have a range of novels of various 'heat' levels, to please the most fastidious of readers who don't want to see what happens in the bedroom to the most voyeuristic who want blow by blow descriptions every thrill and tremor. Well, Shomaji's novel fits into the former category rather than the latter. It's a 'sweet' romance. Yes, the protagonists make love before they're even committed, but the readers are spared the details. Dhruv and Riya, the couple, are modern Indians, working in Mumbai, both from traditional families and deal with everyday issues, as young professionals do everywhere in the world. Riya struggles to help her parents financially and keep her head above water in the working world. The Mumbai floods don't help and leave Riya stranded in her office, unable to find a way out. But Dhruv, the hero comes to her rescue driving a mean motorcycle. The story certainly gladdens the heart.It's a reunion story - the pair fell in love at college, but Dhruv had walked away, feeling cynical about love and romance. His parents' unhappy love marriage had jaundiced his views. Riya and Dhruv are reunited when they meet at his cousin's wedding. The sparks fly again and Dhruv is ready to admit that he made a mistake by leaving Riya before. But will Riya take him back? A simple, down to earth girl, she is not going to let Dhruv charm her back with his money. He's going to have to prove himself now. Which is only right and proper.I found the novel hugely enjoyable. I don't know Mumbai life, but I loved the Indian atmosphere, the believable characters, especially the fact that the hero was a modern young professional man rather than some fantasy prince or a playboy. The story felt very real, not a fantasy type story. I loved the fact that Hindi words appeared every so often. Over all, a very creditable romance novel, as good as any I've read. less

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