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No Time For Goodbyes
2012, Bangalore. Sixteen-year-old Tamanna finds an old Polaroid photograph in the attic and stumbles into her mothers past.
It is 1982. Tamanna finds herself in her grandmothers house where her mom seems to be younger than she is. She also meets her grandmother, aunts and Manoj, her mothers charming neighbour. Manojs granddad is a scientist working on time-travel but he seems pretty clueless about getting Tamanna back to the present. Even as Manoj helps Tamanna sort out the mess that shes in, they fall hopelessly in love. How will the impossible attraction ever work if Tamanna has to return?
A delicious romance, No Time for Goodbyes is tender, irresistible and unforgettable all at once.
It is 1982. Tamanna finds herself in her grandmothers house where her mom seems to be younger than she is. She also meets her grandmother, aunts and Manoj, her mothers charming neighbour. Manojs granddad is a scientist working on time-travel but he seems pretty clueless about getting Tamanna back to the present. Even as Manoj helps Tamanna sort out the mess that shes in, they fall hopelessly in love. How will the impossible attraction ever work if Tamanna has to return?
A delicious romance, No Time for Goodbyes is tender, irresistible and unforgettable all at once.
212 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2014
1 person is currently reading
73 people want to read
About the author
Andaleeb Wajid
77 books208 followersAndaleeb Wajid is the author of more than 35 novels. She writes romance, young adult, horror and speculative fiction.
For more details, check her website.
For more details, check her website.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
February 21, 2019
The first book in a three-part series, No Time for Goodbyes, is set in Bangalore and has a sixteen year old protagonist, Tamanna. When Tamanna discovers a Polaroid photo in her attic, she suddenly find herself transported to the past - exactly thirty years ago.
Now, time travel is an intriguing concept and I was definitely interested, especially because Tamanna ends up in a time and place when he mother was a teenager. Here, she gets to know her family better. She spends time with her mother and comes to understand her past. Unfortunately, this takes a backseat when she meets their neighbour Manoj, and falls in love with him.
So far, so good. I liked that the time travel bit was not intensely sci-fi. I am really more interested in the social interactions aspect of it. Sadly, while some obvious differences such as more greenery in the city was explored, the author failed to bring out a proper sense of the 1980s. It was culturally depicted as not much different than 2012, but there's a huge difference between these two dates in reality.
Despite this, the first half of the book was eminently readable as Tamanna interacts with her mother's family and tries to find a way to get back. However, the romance takes centrestage in the latter half of the book. This is where I began to get bored. The story has immense potential but to finally focus it on an unconvincing romance was a big letdown.
I was also quite unconvinced by the highly progressive Bangalore families which seemed to take all this teenage dating in their stride and not freak out at a romance in 1982! That's just a ridiculous assumption. I also didn't like the end, which left unresolved several issues. I don't think I'll be buying the next books.
Now, time travel is an intriguing concept and I was definitely interested, especially because Tamanna ends up in a time and place when he mother was a teenager. Here, she gets to know her family better. She spends time with her mother and comes to understand her past. Unfortunately, this takes a backseat when she meets their neighbour Manoj, and falls in love with him.
So far, so good. I liked that the time travel bit was not intensely sci-fi. I am really more interested in the social interactions aspect of it. Sadly, while some obvious differences such as more greenery in the city was explored, the author failed to bring out a proper sense of the 1980s. It was culturally depicted as not much different than 2012, but there's a huge difference between these two dates in reality.
Despite this, the first half of the book was eminently readable as Tamanna interacts with her mother's family and tries to find a way to get back. However, the romance takes centrestage in the latter half of the book. This is where I began to get bored. The story has immense potential but to finally focus it on an unconvincing romance was a big letdown.
I was also quite unconvinced by the highly progressive Bangalore families which seemed to take all this teenage dating in their stride and not freak out at a romance in 1982! That's just a ridiculous assumption. I also didn't like the end, which left unresolved several issues. I don't think I'll be buying the next books.
May 26, 2014
Tamanna, a typical teenager, goes up to her ‘attic’ looking for some peace and quiet to read her Harry Potter. A polaroid photograph falls out of somewhere, she picks it up. And the next minute she finds herself in her grandmother’s house. Only, she isn’t her grandmother yet. And her own mother and aunts are teenagers. And it is 1982. And with Tamanna, you also take that trip to those good old days of a cleaner, greener Bangalore.When busfares were paid with ten paisa coins and movie tickets cost ten rupees. But also a Bangalore where there is no Death by Chocolate icecream or Christmas sales in malls.
In an impossible world where Tamanna is actually older than her mother, she finds herself caught between a feeling of being lost and a feeling of being home.And to make things even more impossible, she falls in love with Manoj, the dishy neighbor. Manoj’s grandfather is the one who actually brougnt her to 1982 through one of his experimental time travel cameras.But this unassuming old man, who is not the typical timetravel mad scientest, has no clue as to how to send her back.
And so, while he works on his experiments with the camera, tying to figure out a way to send her thirty years into the future again,Tamanna sits back and enjoys 1982. She introduces her aunt to Harry Potter, tries to explain her cellphone that doesn’t work and gives out spoliers to the cricket world cup that India is going to win the next year.
But once back in 2012, a world where there is no trace of Manoj, she starts trying every trick possible to go back thirty years again. She succeeds. And then…
Written so differently from her previous books, this book is refreshingly light after the recent serious More than Just Biriyani.
Easy and fast paced, this is a book that you can pick up for one crazy Freaky Friday like ride
In an impossible world where Tamanna is actually older than her mother, she finds herself caught between a feeling of being lost and a feeling of being home.And to make things even more impossible, she falls in love with Manoj, the dishy neighbor. Manoj’s grandfather is the one who actually brougnt her to 1982 through one of his experimental time travel cameras.But this unassuming old man, who is not the typical timetravel mad scientest, has no clue as to how to send her back.
And so, while he works on his experiments with the camera, tying to figure out a way to send her thirty years into the future again,Tamanna sits back and enjoys 1982. She introduces her aunt to Harry Potter, tries to explain her cellphone that doesn’t work and gives out spoliers to the cricket world cup that India is going to win the next year.
But once back in 2012, a world where there is no trace of Manoj, she starts trying every trick possible to go back thirty years again. She succeeds. And then…
Written so differently from her previous books, this book is refreshingly light after the recent serious More than Just Biriyani.
Easy and fast paced, this is a book that you can pick up for one crazy Freaky Friday like ride
December 1, 2014
Here's the thing -- I'm not much into the romance genre. However, I picked this one up because I liked the Back-To-the-Future premise and was pleasantly surprised. Here's what happens: Tamanna gets whisked 30 years into the past and accidentally ends up falling for the same boy that her mum seems to have a crush on. But, hold on, it's really not what it sounds like! It's a very entertaining read. I especially loved the description of 1980s Bangalore and the narrator's sense of humour.
Have ordered the next two books of this series!
Have ordered the next two books of this series!
May 1, 2022
Find my reviews at Feminist Quill
Synopsis: When Tamanna finds an old Polaroid of her mother and aunts as teenagers, she doesn’t expect to be sucked into it – and into the year 1972. Pretending to be an Australian exchange student, she lives in her grandmother’s house for a week, getting to know all of them… as well as handsome next-door neighbour Manoj.
As she falls in love with a simpler time involving less technology and more greenery (and with Manoj), Tamanna finds herself torn between two worlds that she cannot bridge.
Would you like your mother if you had met her when you were her age? That seemed to be the fundamental question that No Time For Goodbyes places before the reader. And it was an intriguing question indeed, as Tamanna tried to fit in with her aunts and tried not to behave too familiarly with her decidedly unfriendly mother, Suma.
Unfortunately, the handsome Manoj steals the scene from this adorable premise far too soon, and we’re then embroiled in time-travelling love triangles that just aren’t as interesting.
No Time For Goodbyes espouses a particular nostalgia for a time of no cellphones and lesser connectivity – an everpresent lament from a certain type of person who feels that people simply don’t pay attention anymore because of their cellphones. I find this entire train of thought incredibly reductive – we’re far more connected than we have any right to be today, and people have historically always found reasons not to pay attention to each other, cellphones or cellphones.
I was also a little blindsided by the cliffhanger type of ending that left almost everything unresolved – I had had no idea there was going to be a sequel.
However, all of that being said, the quaint portrayal of these characters and the original premise were sufficient to keep me hooked all the way to the end. Here’s looking forward to the sequel!
Synopsis: When Tamanna finds an old Polaroid of her mother and aunts as teenagers, she doesn’t expect to be sucked into it – and into the year 1972. Pretending to be an Australian exchange student, she lives in her grandmother’s house for a week, getting to know all of them… as well as handsome next-door neighbour Manoj.
As she falls in love with a simpler time involving less technology and more greenery (and with Manoj), Tamanna finds herself torn between two worlds that she cannot bridge.
Would you like your mother if you had met her when you were her age? That seemed to be the fundamental question that No Time For Goodbyes places before the reader. And it was an intriguing question indeed, as Tamanna tried to fit in with her aunts and tried not to behave too familiarly with her decidedly unfriendly mother, Suma.
Unfortunately, the handsome Manoj steals the scene from this adorable premise far too soon, and we’re then embroiled in time-travelling love triangles that just aren’t as interesting.
No Time For Goodbyes espouses a particular nostalgia for a time of no cellphones and lesser connectivity – an everpresent lament from a certain type of person who feels that people simply don’t pay attention anymore because of their cellphones. I find this entire train of thought incredibly reductive – we’re far more connected than we have any right to be today, and people have historically always found reasons not to pay attention to each other, cellphones or cellphones.
I was also a little blindsided by the cliffhanger type of ending that left almost everything unresolved – I had had no idea there was going to be a sequel.
However, all of that being said, the quaint portrayal of these characters and the original premise were sufficient to keep me hooked all the way to the end. Here’s looking forward to the sequel!
May 24, 2021
The Book takes you in the life of a 17 year old Tamanna who is uptight, always has her nose in a book and can't tolerate the mess her sister makes in her room. Cut to 1982. Tamanna is now in her Ajjis house and right before her stands her mother when she was 15. Thats where she meets Manoj and sparks are flying but will Tamanna be able to return to 2012? The book has the answer to this and so much more. The comparisons in the timeline and how the city had changed through Tamanna's eyes truly gives a new perspective on the phrase "looking back". The author does a good job of showing the concept of being relatable and what happens when a daughter enters a world of her mother's past where she is not a mother. The story brings forward the humour of characters and the way the world has changed for every character Tamanna meets in 1982. This one is a great Young Adult that represents the indian YA genre and the eccentricities that we often read by foreign authors in their world. The narrative is very descriptive and notices the smallest of things that make this a humorous and fresh read for the young. The author also deals with themes of how a girl has lived in the 1980s and how one lives in 2012. The story captures young love and the excitement of being understood and the complexity of finding love in the most unexpected way. This journey of Tamanna has just started has there is more to the story in the next book. Gift this one to your teenage friends and if you want to enjoy a light read,pick this one up.
September 8, 2021
I liked the premise of the book but found the content quite childish. Ironically, I am way past being excited over the complications (and not complexities) that are added in the story. It is a stereotypical adolescent romance story with a slightly (clichéd and) modern twist with an intentional inconclusive conclusion which could be worked upon a little more to prevent it from coming across as an abrupt ending.
October 20, 2021
A super sweet innocent read, would have enjoyed it even more as a teen. Enjoyed the descriptions of 1980's central-ish Bangalore(a happy co-incidence that I picked it up recently:)). A bit scrappily written, but the situations and the way people are described make you smile. You also reminisce with the author as she describes the contrasts between times, and her relationship with her 'mom' is funny.
January 17, 2024
The way this captured the Bangalore of my adolescence and my mom’s youth was breathtaking, painting a picture of exactly what it’s like to be 16 in Bangalore in the first few pages that had me oddly emotional. A fun intergenerational story that multiple generations of Bangaloreans (and Bangalorean diaspora kids) can enjoy! Stupid time travel Bangalore outlander book 🙄
October 14, 2017
A quick read, but I'm not at all happy with the ending.
December 31, 2017
A fun time travel YA set in Bangalore, India. (Be warned that it ends on a cliffhanger though.)
January 23, 2022
2.65 stars?
I have so many questions but also, I don’t have any questions? This is such an absurd book… but I’m glad it exists.
I have so many questions but also, I don’t have any questions? This is such an absurd book… but I’m glad it exists.
August 8, 2024
Oh, I started loving this sweet time-travel romance story as the book progressed! I thought the climax would end with a bang, but it was just bland. Guess I should read the 2nd book to know more.
August 23, 2025
Fast-paced and easy to read, but nothing memorable. Well… so-so YA fiction, I guess. ⭐⭐⭐
December 29, 2014
Thank you Bloomsbury India for sending me a copy of this book for review!
The Time Machine meets A Cinderella Story in this quick light read by Andaleeb Wajid. No Time For Goodbyes is the first book in the Tamanna trilogy wherein a boring winter morning turns into a much horrifying trip to the past. Tamanna only wanted something fruitful to occupy her time but she’d never have assumed that picking up a Polaroid of her mother would land her in the exact scenario in 1982. With absolutely no clue as to how she went back in time, Tamanna winds up in her grandmother’s (Ajji) house with a suitable lie backing up her sudden appearance. It’s no fun to realize that her mother – Suma and her two aunts are teenage girls (just like her) and not as welcoming as she’d hoped. Amidst the tension that likely ensues, she finds reprieve in the company of the simple minded Manoj, who is their neighbor’s son. But soon attractions grow, where in the future there ought to be none.
Manoj’s granddad is the one who invented the time travelling camera, courtesy of which Tamanna ends up in this muddle, unable to contact anyone for the lack of mobile phone service in the 80s. It is up to him to use whatever technique possible in sending her back to the future – something that seems more and more difficult as the days pass. And as she spends more time with the girls, Manoj and her Ajji, the conflict is between whether she truly wants to go back or not.
It was the third book in the trilogy that drew my attention towards this series and so I gave the first one a try and sad to say, didn’t like it much. The plot is really simply and sweet – had a lot of potential but this was one of those books where the protagonist and I didn’t share the same wavelength. Many a times I felt I couldn’t connect to her thinking and consequential actions. Towards the end, her nature is even more questionable. The author’s writing style is very easy to get into and that was a plus point. For a time travel book, I found this one to be not as gripping as expected. And evidently I took over 4 days to finish this 200 paged book. Manoj is a straightforward, caring guy without whose support Tamanna wouldn't have lasted a day in 1982. His and Ajji’s character were portrayed very realistically. She’s a guiding figure in the book and reminded me a lot of my grandmother. The 1982 depiction of Bangalore brings about a peaceful image and I could relate to their trips around the city as I myself live in Bangalore. I found Tamanna’s mother to be rather infuriating as a teenager – what with all the unnecessary bitterness. Some of the exchanges between Tamanna and Manoj lacked conviction and on the whole, this was an okay read. I am hoping that the second book will be better.
The Time Machine meets A Cinderella Story in this quick light read by Andaleeb Wajid. No Time For Goodbyes is the first book in the Tamanna trilogy wherein a boring winter morning turns into a much horrifying trip to the past. Tamanna only wanted something fruitful to occupy her time but she’d never have assumed that picking up a Polaroid of her mother would land her in the exact scenario in 1982. With absolutely no clue as to how she went back in time, Tamanna winds up in her grandmother’s (Ajji) house with a suitable lie backing up her sudden appearance. It’s no fun to realize that her mother – Suma and her two aunts are teenage girls (just like her) and not as welcoming as she’d hoped. Amidst the tension that likely ensues, she finds reprieve in the company of the simple minded Manoj, who is their neighbor’s son. But soon attractions grow, where in the future there ought to be none.
Manoj’s granddad is the one who invented the time travelling camera, courtesy of which Tamanna ends up in this muddle, unable to contact anyone for the lack of mobile phone service in the 80s. It is up to him to use whatever technique possible in sending her back to the future – something that seems more and more difficult as the days pass. And as she spends more time with the girls, Manoj and her Ajji, the conflict is between whether she truly wants to go back or not.
It was the third book in the trilogy that drew my attention towards this series and so I gave the first one a try and sad to say, didn’t like it much. The plot is really simply and sweet – had a lot of potential but this was one of those books where the protagonist and I didn’t share the same wavelength. Many a times I felt I couldn’t connect to her thinking and consequential actions. Towards the end, her nature is even more questionable. The author’s writing style is very easy to get into and that was a plus point. For a time travel book, I found this one to be not as gripping as expected. And evidently I took over 4 days to finish this 200 paged book. Manoj is a straightforward, caring guy without whose support Tamanna wouldn't have lasted a day in 1982. His and Ajji’s character were portrayed very realistically. She’s a guiding figure in the book and reminded me a lot of my grandmother. The 1982 depiction of Bangalore brings about a peaceful image and I could relate to their trips around the city as I myself live in Bangalore. I found Tamanna’s mother to be rather infuriating as a teenager – what with all the unnecessary bitterness. Some of the exchanges between Tamanna and Manoj lacked conviction and on the whole, this was an okay read. I am hoping that the second book will be better.
January 8, 2015
The first of the "Tamanna trilogy", this book is the start of the romance of two youngsters (??) made possible by Time travel.
Tamanna finds herself accidentally pushed into the past by 30 years where she meets her teenage mom and her family. She falls for Manoj, her mom's neighbour in the past and gets into a dilemma between returning to the present to be with her family or remaining in the past to fulfil her lovelife.
What does she choose to do or does she have a choice at all?
Read a complete review on PlusMinus'n'More
Tamanna finds herself accidentally pushed into the past by 30 years where she meets her teenage mom and her family. She falls for Manoj, her mom's neighbour in the past and gets into a dilemma between returning to the present to be with her family or remaining in the past to fulfil her lovelife.
What does she choose to do or does she have a choice at all?
Read a complete review on PlusMinus'n'More
April 9, 2015
I started this book last night...till chapter 6 and continue since morning ... its a story of time travel...
Tamanna a 16 year old girl suddenly went to past through a polaroid photograph. .
30 years back.
and such circumstances occur that she fall on love with a guy 18 years old..then.
and their is very nice narration by the writer... and after many do's n don't's ..
she came back to present and then to meet him she tries to go back to past for answers.. and lastly when she is agn in past.. the way to go back to present (the polaroid camera) got stolen. she finally give up to be in with her love then...leaving everything to destiny
Tamanna a 16 year old girl suddenly went to past through a polaroid photograph. .
30 years back.
and such circumstances occur that she fall on love with a guy 18 years old..then.
and their is very nice narration by the writer... and after many do's n don't's ..
she came back to present and then to meet him she tries to go back to past for answers.. and lastly when she is agn in past.. the way to go back to present (the polaroid camera) got stolen. she finally give up to be in with her love then...leaving everything to destiny
April 21, 2014
No Time for Goodbyes, By Andaleeb Wajid is time travel book. I enjoyed reading the book right from the beginning. As Andaleeb true to her style, the book is gripping-page turner.
The story revolves around a 16-year-old girl, Tamanna who time travels back to 1980s in Bangalore. The description of old and new Bangalore is comprehensive, as we hear a lot from our parents.
I am looking forward for the second book from The Tamanna Trilogy.
Cheers! :)
The story revolves around a 16-year-old girl, Tamanna who time travels back to 1980s in Bangalore. The description of old and new Bangalore is comprehensive, as we hear a lot from our parents.
I am looking forward for the second book from The Tamanna Trilogy.
Cheers! :)
August 16, 2014
I like the idea that this is time travel, but I'm a little disappointed that the sci=fi aspect is hardly there, and it's just basically a tale of forbidden romance. What happened to saving the world, ya'all? But I shouldn't blame the writer for it, this was advertised as romance. I guess I was just expecting more from the time travel genre.
January 22, 2022
Lovely book!
June 18, 2014
Interesting fiction. Dealing with time travelling of modern age.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews