Bollywood Fiance for a Day

by Ruchi Vasudeva

Studious Dr. Vishakha never dreamed that winning a date with Bollywood heartthrob Zaheer Saxena would land her in an unusual deal to benefit both of them. Zaheer wants to ward off unwanted attention from his leading lady and agrees to help her save her face. It's just like a business arrangement for Vishakha - except that she hadn't factored in the unwanted, yet extremely potent attraction this movie star would hold for her. But she has to keep in mind that make believe is his talent - before she begins to wish this were a dream that would come true...

Genres: Romance, India, Contemporary Romance, Fiction

170 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 2013

About the author

I'm a doctor by profession, a teacher by vocation and an author by destiny. The writing bug has long resided in me and a contest held by Harlequin for Indian authors gave me a golden opportunity to have my dream realized. I debuted in August '13 with my book 'Bollywood Fiancé For A Day'. I write romantic fiction with conflicted characters who come into their own in their quest of reaching out for love. I love to write about spirited heroines getting hurtled out of their daily life as soon as they cross paths with their rather challenging heroes.

I keep busy juggling writing with my medical job and family life with my doctor husband and two wiser-than-thou teens. When not bent double over the laptop, I might be found with my nose in books or munching nachos at the movies or glued to the telecast of Team India or Chennai Super Kings in action. Sometimes I drag myself for walks and surprisingly discover they are rather good for brewing story ideas!

My links:
Blog :http://ruchivasudeva.wordpress.com/

Website : http://ruchivasudeva.weebly.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Ruchi_Vasudeva

Facebook Author Page : https://www.facebook.com/RuchiVasudeva

Reviews

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can possibly restore your credibility after being jilted by your fiance for your more superficially attractive sister, so that your wedding goes ahead and your sister takes your place? If you’re an Indian girl, I mean? Well, getting engaged to a Bollywood hero on the morning of the sister’s wedding, I suppose. That’s one way to save face and put a stop to those feigned, compassionate glances, not to mention the inevitable, whispered comparisons.

Meet Vishakha. Dr. Vishakha Sehgal, I mean to say. Serious, academic, committed to her medical vocation, putting the welfare of her patients above her own. Heck, she puts everyone’s welfare above her own, but I digress. In her downtime, she’s a serious foodie, knowing all the best places to eat even if they’re off the beaten track. She loves to browse and buy her books in little, traditional bookshops, eschewing the more glamorous book retail chains. Who knew that her quicksilver mind had absorbed enough Bollywood trivia to secure a dream date with the dashing Zaheer Saxena, Bollywood action man and a contender for the label of a seriously talented actor?

Now meet Zaheer. If he’s a Bollywood action hero, we can take it that he has a killer body and superb physical stamina. Must be a walking, talking caricature, right? Who knew he had the insight to see into the soul of serious, studious, dutiful girl and see the attractive and passionate woman therein? Not to mention unleash that woman for all the world to see?

Of course Mills & Boon and Bollywood are synonymous with happy endings, aren’t they? So our ‘happy ever after’ (HEA) is guaranteed? Well, think again. Ruchi Vasudeva, the author, will make you work for your HEA. In the meantime, you get to read some pretty sparkling dialogue and get insight into how two people, ostensibly very different from each other to the point of impossibility, get to meet, find the common ground and find within each other that ‘other’ who completes the self. The soul mate.

As a piece of Indian fiction, I rate this very highly indeed. Forget the manufactured name and the M&B and Bollywood tags. It’s a story which deserves to be read by everyone who enjoys good writing. And ladies, I’m here to tell you that Zaheer ticks all the boxes where a hero is concerned. I loved his wit and warmth. He charmed me right off the page. Fall in love with him? Well, if I was a young and unattached slip of a girl? Hell, yeah. Dang it, I’m a middle aged mother of four and he set my heart a-fluttering.

Lucknowites should particularly enjoy this book. Vishakha is a Lucknow lass and when the couple indulges in a spot of ‘ganjing’ (that is, roaming through Lucknow’s main thoroughfare, Hazratganj, dominated by the spire of St. Joseph’s cathedral) and browses for books in the British Book Depot, you’ll feel you’re right beside them. I know I did.

If you want to read a romance with warmth and substance, with characters who practically walk off the page and talk to you, pick this one up.

And look out for more from Ruchi Vasudeva. If her debut is anything to go by, we have a lot more to hear from this talented author.

Because this book fulfills all that I expect from a romance novel, I’m giving it the full five stars.

I received a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

[Ramla Zareen Ahmad · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 STARS= Very Good= Enjoyable= I liked it very much...!

[Fiona Marsden · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read a few romances set in India or with an Indian hero or heroine. It's a fascinating country and after reading this I want to go watch a Bollywood movie, or at least Bride and Prejudice.

Visha is the heroine, a trained and dedicated doctor, prepared to go through with an arranged marriage to please her step-father. Unfortunately her groom preferred her step-sister so all Visha has left to look forward to is the prize she won buying her engagement dress. A date with Zaheer Saxena, Bollywood action hero and playboy.

Only he's late. Seems like nobody wants Visha and when he finally turns up for five minutes, her resentment boils over into some very sharp home truths.

Thus begins a most unlikely romance. Not that it was supposed to be one. When Zaheer realises that the answer to a little woman problem on his latest set could be resolved by a fiancee, he immediately thinks of Visha. Still hurting from the multiple hits to her pride, it seems like a suitable recompense and face saver at her sisters wedding.

Zaheer is adorable, taking everything Visha throws at him and showing an unexpectedly wise and tender side. It's great to see them getting to know each other and revealing their vulnerabilities.

Of course it's too good to last and things go pear shaped requiring much soul searching on both parts before they can reach their happy ever after.

This is a debut effort from an Indian author and I very much enjoyed the subtle differences in tone and story telling of what is a fairly standard HM&B trope. At times it was a little uneven but the engagement I felt with the hero and heroine kept me turning the pages and I fairly galloped through to the ending. Heat level is equivalent to Sweet/Cherish with some colourful prose and no bedroom scenes.
Virgin alert for those of us who like that kind of thing.

[Shabana Mukhtar]

Non-review Rant
A random pick - since I wanted to read desi. 

Plot
The story is about Vishakha - a doctor; and Zaheer Saxena - an actor, playboy, of course.

Review

Vishakha's fiance fancies her sister Saira and that leaves Vishakha heartbroken. To mend those wounds, she participates in a contest of some sort to win a date with Bollywood heartthrob Zaheer. Zaheer is late, Vishakha snaps at him and the journey begins.

Both have a 'situation' to deal with and a fake engagement seems a good way to handle it. But they fall for each other.

I like the chemistry between the couple, especially Zaheer. Vishakha was a bit annoying to me. The plot was okay and predictable. I had some trouble with the language. It was somewhere between simple and poetic, but... I don't know, but I have not read such dialogues and descriptions before. I was surprised many a times wondering, oh, is that an expression?

I blame it on me. I don't read enough, maybe.

A quick and nice read.

Shabana Mukhtar

[Njkinny (Njkinny's Blog) · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://njkinny.blogspot.in/2014/08/bo...


Bollywood Fiancé For A Day is a sweet romance between a rakish superstar and a normal girl as far apart from his blitzy life as possible. Brought together first by chance and then by their own design, both have a reason to need the other and while at first it is just a deal that benefits them both but soon their hearts are involved.
Can a Bollywood star and a normal girl from a humble home ever find their happily-ever-after?

The blurb of the book is interesting and caught my attention. The cover is average with scope of making it more appealing.

I have to admit that I love India based romances. They feel more real because they are based at places that I know or feel part of my home. This book came all the more alive for me because it had Lucknow, the city of Nawabs and my hometown as its setting. All my favorite places which hold lots of good memories were haunted by the protagonists and I absolutely loved seeing them visiting and loving those places. :)

The story is well conceived and executed. This is the first book which made me hate the hero initially and then fall hard for him later in the book! I hated Zaheer's act at the start of the story and even Vishakha irritated me there. One was too uptight and preaching type while Zaheer was too seemingly spoilt to appeal to me. But here lies the beauty of the story. Ruchi shows us that first impressions can be wrong which is the case with the protagonists. Their first impressions about each other and the readers' impressions of them are proved wrong as we go ahead in the story.

I loved Vishakha. She is strong, independent and all too good. She cares for the people she loves and so has often let them take her for granted. Her character development in terms of finally taking control of her life, her strength in letting people who treated her like a doormat know that she had voice and the return of her shattered confidence was a treat to read about. Zaheer is a man with a scarred past and his own journey of coming to terms with his grievances and freeing himself of their influence in the present made him very real and I felt empathetic towards him. Their journey of finding, acknowledging and finally accepting love will stay with you long after you have finished reading the book.

Ruchi has the flair for writing and she easily captures the readers' interest in the story. The dialogues, character development and the settings are handled with ease and beautifully make the story come alive in our heads.

While I loved everything about the book, I did feel that the second part of the story was a bit rushed. I would have loved to read more about Vishakha's Bollywood stint, enjoyed to see her sister suffer a bit for her selfishness, highly loved it if Vishakha's ex had been given a voice and made to suffer and more on Vishakha and Zaheer's final acceptance of each other.

All in all, Bollywood Fiancé For A Day is a feel good romance suited for a lazy holiday. 4 out of 5 to it and I recommend that you go read and enjoy this entertaining story! :)

[Kazen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The good:

- The entire plot didn't turn on a Big Misunderstanding. Both the hero and heroine act rationally... misguided at times, sure, and missing information, definitely, but you understand where they are coming from.

- It's wonderful to read a book set in modern day India, written by an Indian author. I was able to slip away into another world, and not one ruled by the limited glimpses tourists manage.

- While there are a bunch of Hindi words their meaning was always clear from context.

The neither good nor bad:

- I'm not used to Indian English, and the pacing of some of the banter threw me off. I felt much the same way when I first got into Regencies so I know it's me, not the author.

The not so good:

- You can tell this is a first novel. Some parts just felt odd, and while I can place some of the blame on my lack of knowledge there are sentences that just go clunk. For example:

"Not that there was anything easy about containing desire. The night he'd spent a quarter of in swimming away his restlessness, was proof of that."

- I didn't have a strong sense for how characters were moving through space as they talked. The basics were there - "I followed her inside" or "We walked along" - but huge chunks of conversation seemed to hang in the air, not rooted to anything. A few more phrases like "She leaned back in her chair" wouldn't have been amiss.

- Quotes were set off with apostrophes instead of quotation marks. They were correctly curved but still, eck. Unless this is another cultural thing I'm missing?

It's great that Mills and Boon/Harlequin is doing this Indian authors line - I'll be keeping an eye out for more titles in the future.

[Janhvi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bollywood Fiance For A Day seemed to look like a cute read and that is exactly how it turned out to be. In the typical Mills and Boon book charm it had everything a romance lover wishes to see in a book. I would consider this book as a few hours well spent.

Vishakha is a doctor. She spends hours working very hard and she has sacrificed a lot to get where she is. When she wins a date with the Bollywood playboy and heartthrob Zaheer she is more than happy to take a break from her life. Her fiance left her for her own sister a week before the wedding. I found Visha really sweet. She was a nice person.

Zaheer is warding off unwanted attention from Mia, his current director's wife. When he meets Vishakha they obviously start off on the wrong foot but he can't help but be fascinated by her. But Zaheer has no intentions of committing to anyone after seeing his parents' disastrous marriage. Zahher was a little hard to like in the beginning but soon he came into his own.

The romance between Visha and Zaheer was started off on a really unexpected note.What starts as getting each other out of problems soon becomes something they both depend on. Things which were never said before are confessed to each other. It was really sweet and mushy. Both Zaheer and Visha have their own issues too.

Bollywood Fiance for a Day is a short and sweet romantic read. It can easily be read over a span of a few hours. But, be warned, it has all the possible cliches there are to find in a typical romance novel. Yet, I really enjoyed it.

*Note: This book was provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review. We thank them.

[T · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ruchi Vasudeva’s debut novel, Bollywood Fiancé for a Day, is a story where glamour meets simplicity and the combination results in a heartwarming read which gets you hooked from the word, Go!

Vishakha is a young pediatrician, from a slightly conservative – and complicated – family, who has always done things that would make her family happy – including agreeing to marry her father’s friend’s son, Munish. However, when Munish jilts Vishakha a week before their wedding for her step-sister, Saira, the humiliation of the rejection cuts deep. Winning a dream date with the Bollywood heartthrob, Zaheer Saxena is the ultimate escape, or not! Being from different social circles, their (mis)interpretations of each other’s words and expressions can only lead to disaster. The turn of events lead to a pretend engagement beneficial to both.

All through the story, Ruchi makes you laugh and cry and weep for joy along with the characters. Zaheer, despite being the rakish superstar, is quite grounded in reality. With his effortless charm, he makes you fall in love with him quite easily. Vishakha, with the whole world's burden on her shoulders, has simple dreams and is quite vocal about what she wants. The language is simple and the dialogues are full of wit, humour and appropriate sarcasm. All in all, complete with a dose of drama and Indian traditions, a fun and heartwarming read. I'm already eager for more from Ruchi and glad that the wait won't be long as her next book comes out in December!

[Shantala · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This book is the author's debut, but I only read it now, after reading (and enjoying) several other books by her. And I don't usually do this, I typically start with the debut (by any author), and then read the following books, because as the author pens more books, the progressive ones usually keep getting better, and then I don't have to worry about an underwhelming read from an author I start liking.

That being said, in this case, it was a complete non-issue. Because this book actually turned out to be one of my favorites by the author so far. I loved the characters, the plot & especially the witty repartee between the protagonists, that was a lot of fun to read. Now admittedly I am a sucker for the pretend-relationship-turned-real trope, but the execution is important too, and the author has handled it very well.

It's a sweet, charming love story, that has everything one looks for in a romance, and will make for a perfect weekend read.

- Shantala @ Shanaya Tales

P.S. I am sure the publisher had their reasons to choose this particular title, but it's kinda misleading when it says 'For a Day', because neither the agreement, nor the arrangement was for a day. Not that it made any difference to my enjoyment of the book, in-fact to be honest I actually preferred the longer engagement. But I just wanted to mention it in case it factors in your decision making in any way.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review. The opinions, as always, are completely mine.

[SandyL · Rating 2 out of 5]

Vishakha is a doctor who is struggling because she was supposed to be getting married next week, but her sister announced that she was marrying Vishakha's fiance instead! Although it was an arranged marriage and she wasn't in love with the guy, Vishakha is still upset. Zaheer Saxena is a popular Bollywood actor. His people put on a contest for a date, Vishakha won and now he's 2 hours late! And when he finally shows up he only has a few minute to spend with her. Vishakha loses her temper and this intrigues Zaheer. The rest of the book involves the two of them constantly insulting each other, fighting, getting fake-engaged, breaking up and more insults, lack of communication and just overall unpleasantness. I am unfamiliar with Indian culture, so I don't know if some of the ways the two behaved were normal, but it was not enjoyable to read at all and the characters were all pretty unlikable. I would have DNF'd this book but I needed it for a challenge.

[Linda Fausnet · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is somewhat of a twist on the fake fiance trope in that it takes places in India. It is a Bollywood romance, which I found fascinating. There were some interesting tidbits about India traditions, particularly wedding ones. The hero, Zaheer, is a huge Bollywood start and the heroine, Vishkakha, is a no-nonsense doctor. When Vishkakha's sister steals her fiance, Zaheer helps her save face by showing up to the wedding as her fiance. This is a charming romance with some sensuality but nothing explicit. It was a fun read that teaches some cool things about Indian culture without being heavy-handed.

[Kashish · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think the book was phenomenal. Both the characters Vishakha and Zaheer had realistic development.
All the love stories are just the same but the characters involved and their lives is what makes a difference. In this novel, I was amazed to see how these strong characters eradicated each other's weaknesses to become a better version of themselves.
It is one of those novels you can't keep down until you've read the last word. It's worth a reading.

[Adhiti Aravind · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful and poignant

The emotional chemistry between the leads was done so beautifully. I loved Vishaka a lot. The premise is very interesting and despite being a simple story Ruchi manages to entice you with beautiful romantic moments that stays with you even after you finish the book. Definitely checking out more books by her.

[Preethi Venugopala · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining read.

[Aarti Raman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Rake’s Reformation

As an avid romance reader, you see a title like Ruchi Vasudeva’s “Bollywood Fiancé for A Day” and your brain goes, hmmm, how could this first-timer have given the oft-portrayed glamorous B-town a new twist? You also think, ok, maybe I should have read this before Vasudeva’s second novel “You Can’t Fight a Royal Attraction.” The writing style has obviously evolved by Book Two (kudos on that, by the way, Ruchi) but it was with a lot of curiosity that I sat down to read “Bollywood Fiancé for A Day.”
Take one simmering, snarky, bonafide heartthrob Zaheer Saxena (YUM name), mix him for a disastrous evening with an out of her-element Doctor Vishakha “Visha” Sehgal and watch sparks fly. The opening chapters could have been just out of my favorite rom-coms ‘Win a Date with Tad Hamilton’ starring the hunky Josh Duhamel in the titular role.
And well, it’s exactly what happens.
The small-town paeds doc wins a Dream Date with the Indian Die-Hard (deft touch, that) and he is unforgivably, obnoxiously late. Friction, friction abounds and the banter takes on a life of its own. Zaheer (talented bad boy with a softie heart) has an attack of conscience and wants to make amends for his boorish behavior and find his date of many shades.
Location change: Lucknow.
And here is where Vasudeva really comes into her own. Firstly just for not picking Delhi (I don’t have anything against the place, y’all). Be it describing the typical sangeet ceremony of the evil stepsister Saira, straight out of Cinderella (and the heroine of You Can’t Fight a Royal Attraction) with its OTT Punjabi charm. Or the quaint streets of Hazratganj where Visha and Zee have a first-class romantic date complete with ‘ganjing’ (lovely turn of phrase) Ruchi brings Lucknow to life.
As well as she delves into the complex psyche of her sworn-off-love TDH Zaheer and the just-jilted but determined to live life, sweet doctor.
The plot plays out like it should, from the time the sexy dude makes “an offer she can’t refuse”, to the inevitable growing up of the still-naïve Vishakha and, like all good M&B romances gives an HEA that is just right.
While the story may have benefitted from just a smidge more tightening what really stood out in “Bollywood Fiancé for a Day” is Ruchi’s dialogue, particularly the use of endearments. Chica and senorita (I can just imagine Zaheer drawling each syllable out) haven’t still found their way into Indian romances. Neither have Grand Romantic Gestures (he makes her dream come true, sigh!) just before the end.
And since I am a sucker for both, I cheered as Zee and Visha went about this business of falling in love.
Character-wise, Zaheer stands out more, probably because his conflict is a lot more internal and damaged Alpha Male does something to my insides. But I was really glad that Vasudeva did let the almost-dormant Vishakha finally take control of the situation and her man and grow a spine! Go Visha! The secondary characters too are well-rounded although I find it IMPOSSIBLE to believe that ugly stepsister Saira is the mature, poised and vulnerable young woman in Ruchi’s next. Kudos for bringing about that character growth arc, Ruchi.
“Bollywood Fiance For a Day”, as the name suggests is all about the Big Fat Indian Wedding and its aftermath. Vishakha’s doctor turn rings extremely true, since the author hangs out her medical shingle too. It is about the coming together of two flawed people and that is why it works. Although it may have been a bit passion-light, the simple innocence of the heroine makes it entirely believable.
Maybe Vasudeva will explore the physical side of romance as she continues on an excellently-begun (2 novels!) journey as a traditional M&B romance author. But, her website states that she is a writer of ‘tender, passionate romances’ and, you know what, in today’s bang for the buck world that is a much needed addition.
I recommend it, sweetly.
Xx
Aarti V Raman aka Writer Gal

VERDICT: Kitten pumps for a kitten-hearted story!

[Bookish Indulgenges with b00k r3vi3ws · Rating 3 out of 5]

http://www.b00kr3vi3ws.in/2014/01/Bol...

When Vishakha wins a date with Zaheer Saxena, the Bollywood Star, she takes this as a chance to let her hair down even though she isn’t that big a fan of Zaheer. Having been dumped by her fiancé for her step-sister, Vishakha was really low on confidence when she got this chance. But Zaheer arrives at the venue late and barely has 5 minutes with Vishakha. Furious to be let down again, she lashes out at Zaheer, earning herself a real date with him. Zaheer on the other hand is completely immersed in his work and is looking to bag more ‘meaningful’ roles. Having landed a lead role in a period movie, Zaheer has to be careful to avoid Mia, the director’s wife and his ex. As Zaheer and Vishakha keep rubbing each other the wrong way in their initial moments, they soon come up with a compromise that would benefit both of them. But with sparks flying and the chemistry between them sizzling, will their pretend engagement turn into something real or will it leave them both broken?

Vishakha is a strong character going through a rough patch in her life. Though she is not a 100 percent at the moment when the story starts, you get to see her spirit anyway. And I like that in the female characters – the grit to fight for herself and the courage to not let failures bring her down completely. On the other hand as we find out more about her life, we come to realize that she is independent, hardworking and someone with not so much of an ideal family background. Zaheer on the other hand comes from a dysfunctional family who has made a name in his industry purely on his talent. Based on his parents’ relationship, Zaheer is not interested in marriage or even a long term relationship. However, he is a very direct person and strong too. The plot is simple straightforward and very predictable like most M&B Romance. But the author has turned it around with her description of situations and the chemistry between her lead characters.

However, I have bone to pick with the storyline. The first half of the story including their meeting, striking up a deal and Vishakha’s sister’s wedding portion is well stretched out and at a proper pace. But the second half where Vishakha has to live up to her end of the deal in front of Mia and the conclusion of their story is bit rushed. I would have liked to read more about Vishakha’s stint in Bollywood and more interactions and dialogues between Vishakha and Mia. It felt like Vishakha got off easy while Zaheer did all the hard work.

Over all, this book is typical to the M&B India romance series – simple, clean and fun. It is also a quick and light read. Ideal for adding a little bit of sizzle to a lazy afternoon.

[Arti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vishakha Sehgal, 26, a paediatrician, lives with her mother, stepsister, Saira and stepfather in Lucknow. Her step father is very affectionate but does not want his children to have a love marriage and gets her engaged to his friend’s son, Munish. Her fiancé confesses a week before the wedding that he is in love with her sister, Saira and wants to marry her. The wedding is scheduled on the same day as her wedding. She is a very dedicated doctor and a very sensitive girl but keeps her feelings to herself and suffers in the process. On alternate afternoons, she volunteers to work at an orphanage, Sambhavana Anathalaya, and also plans her dream project for the children there.

While shopping for her engagement dress, she fills up a contest form and wins a date with a Bollywood star, Zaheer Saxena, the heartthrob of all her friends. As luck would have it, he turns up late for the date and she takes out all her anger on him and asks him to take her for a real date. She calls of the date midway and goes back to Lucknow. He follows her there and to her hospital and the orphanage. He finds out the cause of her troubles and proposes that she attends the wedding on a positive note introducing him as her fiancé and that would also help him ward off Mia Khan, his heroine.

Thus the story begins. He talks about his childhood and she about hers. There are certain moments in the story, where you feel you are a character in the story and the things are going on around you.

The term moral science has been metioned, it is so nostalgic because I don’t think schools use it anymore, they use value education. Her medical training also reflects in the book when she mentions Vishakha managing a case of diarrhea. The language used is very simple and a lot of commonly used terms have been used.

Read and enjoy, I shall not write more about it.

[Nikita Jhanglani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Total Bollywood Masala!!!

Bollywood Fiancé for a Day shows Ruchi’s passion for giving her words a life on pages clear and beautiful. The plot is fresh and intrigues you from page one. What is incredible is that she manages to hold your attention throughout the many twists and turns she has weaved into the plot. There were a couple of times when my impatience was on the verge of overtaking my ardent insistence on continuing to read. But just as soon, there’d be something that would make it difficult for me to put it down. So kudos to Ruchi on that!!!

Set in Mumbai and Lucknow, the book revolves around Zaheer Saxena, a drop-dead gorgeous Bollywood star, and Vishakha Sehgal, a shy and simple doctor. For Zaheer, life is about proving himself to the world and his father. For Vishakha, it is about doing everything that makes her parents happy. The story is about how both of them help each other fight their insecurities, while learning to battling their own, and come out not just as lovers but two individuals who are comfortable in their own space. While this happens to be the baseline of most romance novels, it is what the writer lends of herself that makes a story different from the rest. When you are done reading Ruchi’s debut, you know that it has come straight from her heart – unadulterated and pure.

For a romance novel, to work for its readers, it has to have a fine balance between reality and leap-of-faith. This one nails it well.

Readers, when they finish reading a book, most prominently take the character with them. Zaheer and Vishakha, I know, are going to stay with me forever.

[Doris · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Not the sort of story I usually read, but I did enjoy it. The author uses a well known and trusted trope and makes it her own. I particularly enjoyed the insight into the Indian Culture, and I loved the strong heroine. The verbal sparring between the hero and heroine made me laugh out loud at times, and whilst this was a sweet romance the sexual tension between them pretty much leaps off the page.

The thing that I didn't enjoy was the amount of purple prose in the sensual scenes, which I appreciate is my personal dislike, and to a certain extent to be expected in this line, but I felt the author's voice was stronger than having to resort to that. One scene in particular had me rolling my eyes a bit.

Having said all that, the actual story is fab, and I did read it all on one sitting because I wanted to see these two reach their HEA.

The emotions are real and raw, and exquisitely portrayed, and the conflict is strong and believable. If you like to read sweet romance with a strong hero and heroine, then you will love this book.

[Nana Prah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the intensity of Vashakha and Zaheer’s attraction. Ms. Vasudeva impressed me with her initial description their encounter from Zaheer’s perspective. Their magnetism held strong until I got to the last page.

In the beginning I wondered how the characters would end up together. How likely is it for an intelligent, foreigner-to-Bollywood woman with major family issues to get involved with a handsome, buff, adrenaline junkie, superstar? The author did a great job of meshing their worlds and making it seem possible.

I enjoyed the flavor of being in India, moving from a big city to a town, and the whole cultural experience when it came to weddings (they do like to celebrate). Yet at the same time I didn’t understand a lot of the Indian words the author used without further explanation, which took me out of the story wishing I knew what the word meant, but I got back into it quickly.

[ReadAlongWithSue recovering from a stroke★⋆. ࿐࿔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was gifted this book by the author for an honest review.

Its been years since I read a Mills & Boon type of book. If I judge it on that, I would say it lives exactly up to its standard.

I think a lot of reviewers have explained what the books story is about so I won't elaborate further. Its a good story, rounded out.

The fake fiance worked well, I found myself sometimes laughing. It was quite a joy to read in places. I know a small bit about arranged marriages from only the media, so based on my limited knowledge, I could feel more undercurrents surrounding this in the book.

Its a typical to Mills & Boon type of reads, boy meets girl, lots of ups and downs in coming together that sort of thing, and a happy ever after. I'm not being cynical when saying that as this is what this genre is, Romance. So it obviously follow.

Ruchi Vasudeva writes well, and tells a story very well. I will certainly be keeping my eye on her further books.

[Meghant Parmar · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story of two people whose chance meeting and then the future incidents of their lives makes it a journey of a lifetime for them.

The story has some interesting aspects to it such as narration and vocabulary. The exchanges between the protagonist are a sure shot entertainer for the readers. The first half has elements of wit and uncertainty which adds spice to the story.

The story lacks enthusiasm in the second half and fails to ignite the passion like the first half. It becomes predictable and repetitive with continuous focus on the exchanges. Also some other characters have been left out completely and could have been given more space in the story.

All in all it's a good story line pretty much relying on the narration and emotions but lacking in excitement towards the end.

[Hilly · Rating 1 out of 5]

1 star. dnf, due to a bad heroine, who acts childishly and is shallow and a compulsive liar from the outset.

The motivations the author tells me that the heroine has do not justify her petty behavior. When a character comes from a small or unpleasant mindset, there's no reason for me to go along on his/her journey. Bad companion for me, and bad-bet as a life-partner for any hero.

Absolutely DNF.

[Shonnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice Sunday journey

I really enjoyed this story. I felt like I knew the characters. I appreciate a alpha male and how he responded to the heroine. I will wish the step father angle could have been further explored or the hero's father. But nonetheless it was a great story.

[Angela Peixoto · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was lovely rereading this book. I had enjoyed it the first time around and it was very nice reliving Visha and Zaheer's story whilst they do some soul searching through the process of knowing each other. A book that keeps us hanging on until the very end to know the outcome of their reltionship.

[Sarita Rajiv · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read. I am looking forward to more of Ruchi's work.

[Reet Singh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clever and quick, the repartee between the protagonists. Ruchi managed to make the macho hero sensitive and caring! Well done!

[Niti Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome story...enjoy reading it...it really excites reader....and story is like dream of every girl for their Bollywood crush.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun romance