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After All This Time
What if you find out it's the end of the road for you? Lavanya gets the shock of her life when she discovers that she's HIV positive. The revelation shakes her out of the monotony that her life has become. It's time for a change.
She finally dumps her loser boyfriend, quits her high-paying but extremely demanding job and goes back home to meet her family after nearly seven years.
At home she finds a bucket list and she knows it's a sign of what she needs to do. With her is an old neighbour and friend who's just broken off with his girlfriend. Sparks begin to fly! However, what she learns is that you need to really live before you begin to love!
She finally dumps her loser boyfriend, quits her high-paying but extremely demanding job and goes back home to meet her family after nearly seven years.
At home she finds a bucket list and she knows it's a sign of what she needs to do. With her is an old neighbour and friend who's just broken off with his girlfriend. Sparks begin to fly! However, what she learns is that you need to really live before you begin to love!
232 pages, Paperback
Published May 20, 2015
About the author
Nikita Singh
62 books1,149 followersNikita Singh is the bestselling author of eleven novels, including Letters to My Ex, Every Time It Rains and Like a Love Song. She is also the editor of the collections of short stories 25 Strokes of Kindness and The Turning Point.
After working in the book publishing industry in New Delhi for a few years, she got her MFA in Creative Writing (Fiction) at The New School in New York. Invested in the fight against climate change, she handles marketing for a solar energy company based in Brooklyn.
Nikita is a digital nomad, currently obsessed with travel, tea and thrillers. You can follow her adventures on Instagram and Twitter (@singh_nikita).
After working in the book publishing industry in New Delhi for a few years, she got her MFA in Creative Writing (Fiction) at The New School in New York. Invested in the fight against climate change, she handles marketing for a solar energy company based in Brooklyn.
Nikita is a digital nomad, currently obsessed with travel, tea and thrillers. You can follow her adventures on Instagram and Twitter (@singh_nikita).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
May 24, 2015
Lavanya Suryavanshi is well placed, ill treated and probably undermined for most of her professional life. But at the personal front things are about to change completely for her. Shourya Kapoor, a UCB graduate is on the verge of committing personal blunders after her gf ends up with her best friend. So how fate gets them together and what part of their lives entwine to make them one and let them be in their own zone? Will it be an easier journey for any of them or will destiny has come cruel plans? Will Lavanya be able to find love and Shourya his life and his smile? That's what the story is about.
Sensitive is word which comes to the mind when you broach up a deadly disease. It sucks life out of you slowly and painfully and rather leaves you at crossroads to decide whether to go ahead as if nothing happened or to end it there and then. This question implies to the story in a lot of ways as Lavanya grimaces through her painful journey. Broken relationships, awkward moments, rekindling of the past, emotions and from a dead soul to a lively person the book offers you nearly all the life's perspectives. A measured approach to life and it's surprises. A healthy step towards giving ray of hope to the hopeless. A matured grooming about the disease and a helpful shoulder to cry and rely on to. Such is the passion of the story.
The story fails on accomplishing the gigantic task of conquering the disease and it's repercussions. Positivity is good to a certain extent but then love and other off topics take away the tenderness of the story. Flying mentions don't surmise the magnitude of the suffering. The background approach to Lavanya's plight is not a gleaming effort. The characters other than Shourya & Lavanya have not been utilized up to their true potential. More depth was required in dealing with the entire circle of life.
All in all the book remains true to it's succinct idea of treating both the pained and hurt. It is largely successful yet marred with feeble attempts to let it rise out of the ashes and deliver a mind boggling story. It pleases to the eyes to see a soulful story to a broken melody being nurtured but at the same time it rather fails to lighten spark of glory and fear. A mixed affair in the end with lot of hopes. A great attempt.
Sensitive is word which comes to the mind when you broach up a deadly disease. It sucks life out of you slowly and painfully and rather leaves you at crossroads to decide whether to go ahead as if nothing happened or to end it there and then. This question implies to the story in a lot of ways as Lavanya grimaces through her painful journey. Broken relationships, awkward moments, rekindling of the past, emotions and from a dead soul to a lively person the book offers you nearly all the life's perspectives. A measured approach to life and it's surprises. A healthy step towards giving ray of hope to the hopeless. A matured grooming about the disease and a helpful shoulder to cry and rely on to. Such is the passion of the story.
The story fails on accomplishing the gigantic task of conquering the disease and it's repercussions. Positivity is good to a certain extent but then love and other off topics take away the tenderness of the story. Flying mentions don't surmise the magnitude of the suffering. The background approach to Lavanya's plight is not a gleaming effort. The characters other than Shourya & Lavanya have not been utilized up to their true potential. More depth was required in dealing with the entire circle of life.
All in all the book remains true to it's succinct idea of treating both the pained and hurt. It is largely successful yet marred with feeble attempts to let it rise out of the ashes and deliver a mind boggling story. It pleases to the eyes to see a soulful story to a broken melody being nurtured but at the same time it rather fails to lighten spark of glory and fear. A mixed affair in the end with lot of hopes. A great attempt.
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December 1, 2021I read it last year and I remember really loving this one
July 22, 2015
This is my first Nikita Singh novel and a reader’s comment that she has written something out of her comfort zone made me pick up her book. Though I started reading ‘After All This Time’ with a sense of foreboding, fortunately for me, it was a much pleasant experience and I finished reading it in a couple of days.
The story starts with Lavanya Suryavanshi (I love the last name) who discovers that she is HIV positive and in a bid to really live her last remaining days, she quits her stressful and demanding job in New York and returns back to her parents’ home in Delhi. Here she meets her old friend, Shourya Kapoor and together they embark on a journey to complete the tasks on Lavanya’s bucket list. They also try to mend their broken friendship and help each other to face their problems in life.
The book starts on a promising note and the author has kept the reason why Lavanya ran away from her home a secret that she reveals somewhere midway of the plot. I felt that the narration moved slowly when Lavanya and Shourya start their quest to complete the bucket list tasks with their bickering and then making-up. But the author picked up the plot again towards the end.
I was glad that there were not too many editing glitches and the narration moved smoothly. Overall a light, enjoyable, breezy read. It was definitely a good and deserved break for me from all the dark, sinister novels that I was feasting on. :)
Do give it a try if you are not averse to romance novels from Indian authors.
The story starts with Lavanya Suryavanshi (I love the last name) who discovers that she is HIV positive and in a bid to really live her last remaining days, she quits her stressful and demanding job in New York and returns back to her parents’ home in Delhi. Here she meets her old friend, Shourya Kapoor and together they embark on a journey to complete the tasks on Lavanya’s bucket list. They also try to mend their broken friendship and help each other to face their problems in life.
The book starts on a promising note and the author has kept the reason why Lavanya ran away from her home a secret that she reveals somewhere midway of the plot. I felt that the narration moved slowly when Lavanya and Shourya start their quest to complete the bucket list tasks with their bickering and then making-up. But the author picked up the plot again towards the end.
I was glad that there were not too many editing glitches and the narration moved smoothly. Overall a light, enjoyable, breezy read. It was definitely a good and deserved break for me from all the dark, sinister novels that I was feasting on. :)
Do give it a try if you are not averse to romance novels from Indian authors.
November 8, 2019
No book ever has made me cry like this one! I cried buckets man! This book is a masterpiece! What a wonderfully woven story and a beautifully blended father-daughter angle to it. Such aptly constructed sentences too striked a chord with me. I felt super drawn into thi. Nikita Singh is and will be my favorite writer! I love her!
June 2, 2015
Woooooo ! A Complete Emotion pack Book which led the reader on journey from Sorrows , worries , depression , happiness, friendship , betrayal , cheating and true love . Author has presented the story in a promising way . Every single line leaves the thread that the story is pen down by a Mature but young author which She is .
Begininng with Front Cover - Book has a beautifully done cover with Dark Bluish Colour on upper row and lightend as coming in the bottom with Author's name written on the bottom , then beneath it comes Praise from the Hindu and beneath is the Name " After All This Time " in yellow and an artistic view of a landscape portraying a Guy and a girl standing on the horizon staring at stars with their bike parked along . This artistic view had been taken from a prose inside the book .
Back Cover worked with same background colour over which is a short transcript about the inside story .
Coming to writting . Whole plot is written in third person and As i wrote above , Being a mature author , she'd put some difficult words too in order to ensure that reader not just enjoy but also get benefited in term of his/her vocabulary .
The story revolves around Shourya and Lavanya as main protagonist and started with lavanya , a harvard graduate , who was working in a company named PSM in Newyork under a ruthless boss Carter and events revolved in a manner that a day comes when she was diagnosed with HIV and with same erupts her anger over Mr. carter for exploiting her and Days later , she fly down to her hometown New Delhi .Shourya on otherside working as well as studying for further courses , passed out from UCB . He flied down to californis years ago with her girlfriend Deepti to pursue higher studies . In Delhi he tutored his gf for harvard and even left the chance to study at harvard because she wasn't able to make it to harvard . He satisfied himself with UCB , which was the only common college they were able to place and years later settling to US , he found out that her gf cheated on him and had a affair with his roomie . Few months later , he visited back to New Delhi for his Sister's wedding and its revealed that lavanya and Shourya were best friends since KG and they pick up relationship from where they left as best friends . Time pass and as the day of return of Shourya gets nearer , they felt they are nothing without each other .
With this sweet love story , Author also revealed a harsh relationship of a Daughter and a father . A daughter who hate her father for being in a extra-maritial affair with a teacher which cost her lot of embarassment in school years later which later soughted out as both Lavanya and her father settled to talk . This instance was put to let the reader know that People do mistake but if they are truly sorry for that , then they deserve another chance too .
Another interesting instance that author had put in the book is " Toughy " , lavanya's dog who lost one leg while fighting from dogs when he was of few days . Toughy was portrayed as cheerful and enjoying throughout the book and lavanya's love .
This book let the reader believe that everything happens for a reason and even bad things too happen for a reason which ultimately is for our own good in future . We usually ignore the people who truly care for us and run for those who are good in pretending things . So SHOULD NOT LET TRUE PEOPLE SLIP YOUR HAND
In short its a Emotion pack book . Must Read and
" ... wondered if there was anything better than being married to her best friend "
Begininng with Front Cover - Book has a beautifully done cover with Dark Bluish Colour on upper row and lightend as coming in the bottom with Author's name written on the bottom , then beneath it comes Praise from the Hindu and beneath is the Name " After All This Time " in yellow and an artistic view of a landscape portraying a Guy and a girl standing on the horizon staring at stars with their bike parked along . This artistic view had been taken from a prose inside the book .
Back Cover worked with same background colour over which is a short transcript about the inside story .
Coming to writting . Whole plot is written in third person and As i wrote above , Being a mature author , she'd put some difficult words too in order to ensure that reader not just enjoy but also get benefited in term of his/her vocabulary .
The story revolves around Shourya and Lavanya as main protagonist and started with lavanya , a harvard graduate , who was working in a company named PSM in Newyork under a ruthless boss Carter and events revolved in a manner that a day comes when she was diagnosed with HIV and with same erupts her anger over Mr. carter for exploiting her and Days later , she fly down to her hometown New Delhi .Shourya on otherside working as well as studying for further courses , passed out from UCB . He flied down to californis years ago with her girlfriend Deepti to pursue higher studies . In Delhi he tutored his gf for harvard and even left the chance to study at harvard because she wasn't able to make it to harvard . He satisfied himself with UCB , which was the only common college they were able to place and years later settling to US , he found out that her gf cheated on him and had a affair with his roomie . Few months later , he visited back to New Delhi for his Sister's wedding and its revealed that lavanya and Shourya were best friends since KG and they pick up relationship from where they left as best friends . Time pass and as the day of return of Shourya gets nearer , they felt they are nothing without each other .
With this sweet love story , Author also revealed a harsh relationship of a Daughter and a father . A daughter who hate her father for being in a extra-maritial affair with a teacher which cost her lot of embarassment in school years later which later soughted out as both Lavanya and her father settled to talk . This instance was put to let the reader know that People do mistake but if they are truly sorry for that , then they deserve another chance too .
Another interesting instance that author had put in the book is " Toughy " , lavanya's dog who lost one leg while fighting from dogs when he was of few days . Toughy was portrayed as cheerful and enjoying throughout the book and lavanya's love .
This book let the reader believe that everything happens for a reason and even bad things too happen for a reason which ultimately is for our own good in future . We usually ignore the people who truly care for us and run for those who are good in pretending things . So SHOULD NOT LET TRUE PEOPLE SLIP YOUR HAND
In short its a Emotion pack book . Must Read and
" ... wondered if there was anything better than being married to her best friend "
September 29, 2015
Lavanya has spent her entire life chasing after her goals. She works at a Law firm in NY and has a busy life until an HIV positive ticket from her doctor crushes her dreams. Shaurya left everything he had for the love of his life, Deepti, only to be betrayed by her in the worst of ways. Lavanya and Shaurya decide to come back to India, to their roots, and are fortunate enough to find each other. Will they spend the rest of their lives hankering after what they have left behind or could have had in life had they taken better decisions? Or will they find solace and love in each others company? The story is well-told. Overall a quick read.
March 13, 2022
I do enjoy love story so no word for any thing else.
June 5, 2018
Content Warning: Lavanya does not handle her illness well
I don't know if I like this book or not. Well okay, I like it and it got me emotional and I love Shourya and Lavanya, but ugh. It was kinda slow at first, picked up, then just kind of........meh. I don't know! I wanted to love it but it kinda fell short at the end.
I don't have HIV and I can't begin to imagine what it would be like for me to find out that I do have it. I don't know what I'd do, what my reaction would be, so I can't judge Lavanya on her actions, can't blame her reaction being to completely shut down instead of getting help. We aren't all built the same so we don't all have the same reactions to situations. I don't hate her for her reaction, it's natural for her.
What I do like about the book is that even though Lavanya's HIV status plays a part in the book, that's not all it's about, not all it focuses on. Lavanya has other problems too, like the secret she been hiding since she left home and the fact that her default setting is to run away from her problems rather than face them.
The books works through it all nicely, I think.
The other MC is Shourya Kapoor. I'm highkey into Shourya, ngl. He's a sweet guy and he's not the guy of nice guy who goes around telling girls he's a nice guy, he just is. Maybe he could work on his life choices, but he's a good person!
Shourya has his own share of dramas and a lot of them, mostly all of them, involve his cheating ex girlfriend. Deepti played my boy badly and I am angry! But at least he works his shit out in the end.
It's a happy ending though, so that's fine I guess. But overall I was kind underwhelmed by the end.
I don't know if I like this book or not. Well okay, I like it and it got me emotional and I love Shourya and Lavanya, but ugh. It was kinda slow at first, picked up, then just kind of........meh. I don't know! I wanted to love it but it kinda fell short at the end.
I don't have HIV and I can't begin to imagine what it would be like for me to find out that I do have it. I don't know what I'd do, what my reaction would be, so I can't judge Lavanya on her actions, can't blame her reaction being to completely shut down instead of getting help. We aren't all built the same so we don't all have the same reactions to situations. I don't hate her for her reaction, it's natural for her.
What I do like about the book is that even though Lavanya's HIV status plays a part in the book, that's not all it's about, not all it focuses on. Lavanya has other problems too, like the secret she been hiding since she left home and the fact that her default setting is to run away from her problems rather than face them.
The books works through it all nicely, I think.
The other MC is Shourya Kapoor. I'm highkey into Shourya, ngl. He's a sweet guy and he's not the guy of nice guy who goes around telling girls he's a nice guy, he just is. Maybe he could work on his life choices, but he's a good person!
Shourya has his own share of dramas and a lot of them, mostly all of them, involve his cheating ex girlfriend. Deepti played my boy badly and I am angry! But at least he works his shit out in the end.
It's a happy ending though, so that's fine I guess. But overall I was kind underwhelmed by the end.
June 9, 2015
This was the first book from the author i was reading. Ive heard of her and also watched her Ted talks, but reading her was the first time experience and i will tell only a single statement 'how i missed out such an exceptional storyteller'. According to me, if a person is not a good writer, but a good storyteller, its enough and yes she was just like that. As a writer, it was ok but as a storyteller she is exceptional. The story was completely out of box and different from the stories that goes around the market. This book really deserves to be rated a good one.
Secondly this book teaches that one should always face their problems in the infancy stage itself and emerge out of it. Yes, we in our daily lives revolve around the same issue again and again instead of facing them with courage.
Overall this book is a very simple read, very deep and emotional(obviously as it is written by a female author) and a wonderful story all over. The author got a new reader now, me :)
Secondly this book teaches that one should always face their problems in the infancy stage itself and emerge out of it. Yes, we in our daily lives revolve around the same issue again and again instead of facing them with courage.
Overall this book is a very simple read, very deep and emotional(obviously as it is written by a female author) and a wonderful story all over. The author got a new reader now, me :)
June 24, 2015
Well.. I got to agree with the fellow reviewers of this book.
Nikita Singh's writing has evolved over the time. From the start of the book till the very end, the writing was near flawless that it literally had me in a trance. When i compare this with her previous books, her writing seemed mature.
I finished it at one go.*Cheers to me*
Most of Nikita's books are woman-centric and
so there is quite a good depth in the main character.(Here,'Lavanya').
Her emotions were vividly expressed.The story was fresh and the narration was pucca as i said earlier. '
Overall, This book is a seven pointer :)
For all those who think/say Indian authors are shit when it comes to writing, Read Nikita Singh's books and then trying stating that again.
Story Telling is an art and She certainly is a master of it.
Nikita Singh's writing has evolved over the time. From the start of the book till the very end, the writing was near flawless that it literally had me in a trance. When i compare this with her previous books, her writing seemed mature.
I finished it at one go.*Cheers to me*
Most of Nikita's books are woman-centric and
so there is quite a good depth in the main character.(Here,'Lavanya').
Her emotions were vividly expressed.The story was fresh and the narration was pucca as i said earlier. '
Overall, This book is a seven pointer :)
For all those who think/say Indian authors are shit when it comes to writing, Read Nikita Singh's books and then trying stating that again.
Story Telling is an art and She certainly is a master of it.
September 14, 2016
Light read. Simple high school best friends fall in love..yet have their share of confusion and run away from it. Struggling thousand miles away from home with depressions and drug addiction after 7 long years , realization dawns upon her, lavanya returns back to her best frend shourya. The moments of realization and turmoil of lavanya, not to run away from her problems with anguish, rather to face it with a brave front and accept the tangibility of them...is portrayed very well. Teenage love and the pain of letting go of the loved one....is described very well. Deepthi's character is just of a slut and of the present trend of relations and loyalty in them.
June 15, 2015
Read Full Review Here
I thoroughly loved the book and I feel this is Nikita Singh at her finest (so far). It connects with you right at the beginning and then never leaves you. The characters connect with you emotionally and makes you feel for them. The twists and turn are natural and the climax is perfect. "The goddess of racy reads," says The Hindu and I can't agree more because you would not want to put it down before you finish it.
I thoroughly loved the book and I feel this is Nikita Singh at her finest (so far). It connects with you right at the beginning and then never leaves you. The characters connect with you emotionally and makes you feel for them. The twists and turn are natural and the climax is perfect. "The goddess of racy reads," says The Hindu and I can't agree more because you would not want to put it down before you finish it.
June 2, 2015
Boy, was it a waste of time. Normally, while reading a book, I can't even keep my cool. I keep cackling, whispering under my breath, fangirling or crying all over the freaking pages, but this time I didn't even smile once. I'm too numb to be disappointed or feel anything. I've read it in one-sitting but only because I wanted it to end so badly, God. I'm not a one-star person, but the epilogue was like the cherry on top. Take this away from me, please.
June 12, 2015
It's completely a three-star story for me. But the additional star I've given it is just because it was a work out of the comfort-zone of the author.
What I'm writing here now is my point of view...
I THINK THAT SUCH TYPE OF PLOTTING DIDN'T NEED 222 PAGES TO BE PENNED DOWN ANYWAY!
After all a good read, especially when you're stuck in that terrible traffic at NARMADA BRIDGE! ;)
What I'm writing here now is my point of view...
I THINK THAT SUCH TYPE OF PLOTTING DIDN'T NEED 222 PAGES TO BE PENNED DOWN ANYWAY!
After all a good read, especially when you're stuck in that terrible traffic at NARMADA BRIDGE! ;)
August 29, 2015
Ya ...it did tell about people's feelings.....but didn't like the
Part were they boot got married as they were childhood friend And shourya mentioned laavi as sis....worst book by Nikitha...no offence!!
Part were they boot got married as they were childhood friend And shourya mentioned laavi as sis....worst book by Nikitha...no offence!!
August 27, 2015
A Predictable plot slows down the interest in reading it...
May 24, 2017
Not so good, Not so bad..
August 29, 2020
I had a lot of expectations from Nikita Singh; I've heard of her work so much, so I thought I should give her a chance, but I'm not much happy with the words I'm going to write here.
After all this time is too predictable; main characters has their own troubles, yes, but they're too perfect. I don't know I didn't get that storytelling vibe from the novel. I've read a lot of books; they leaves a feeling behind them, but this book was a big turn off. I didn't find any connection with the story. I'm sorry to say that. The writing is okay, but the book is full of clique.
That's my point of view.
It's okay for one time read. Only for one time according to me.
After all this time is too predictable; main characters has their own troubles, yes, but they're too perfect. I don't know I didn't get that storytelling vibe from the novel. I've read a lot of books; they leaves a feeling behind them, but this book was a big turn off. I didn't find any connection with the story. I'm sorry to say that. The writing is okay, but the book is full of clique.
That's my point of view.
It's okay for one time read. Only for one time according to me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 1, 2026
What happens when the thing you're running from becomes the thing you're running to?
I think this question reflects something that happens in real life more often than we realise. Sometimes, when we run away from something bad, we somehow find ourselves running right back toward it. And strangely, even when we run away from something good—perhaps because we're afraid of it, not ready for it, or simply don't recognise its value—we can still end up finding our way back to it.
Maybe life has a strange way of bringing us back to the things we are meant to face, whether we were running from them or running toward them.
I think this question reflects something that happens in real life more often than we realise. Sometimes, when we run away from something bad, we somehow find ourselves running right back toward it. And strangely, even when we run away from something good—perhaps because we're afraid of it, not ready for it, or simply don't recognise its value—we can still end up finding our way back to it.
Maybe life has a strange way of bringing us back to the things we are meant to face, whether we were running from them or running toward them.
September 28, 2025
I really enjoyed how the book started and appreciated the way it weaved two stories in parallel before bringing the main characters together. The development of their relationship was very engaging and relatable. I felt the main twist was introduced early on, which was interesting, though at times the story seemed a bit more drawn out than necessary. While I loved the buildup and the detailed storytelling in the beginning, I personally felt the ending was slightly rushed compared to the rest of the book.
June 7, 2020
Nikita Singh after all this time is a book about positivity and sorrow. The main character is Lavanya. She is a young girl working at a big position in a good company, she is all about the modern-day frantic life until she is diagnosed with HIV positive. After all, this time is an amazing book by Nikita Singh. Checkout this article i found online about best Nikita Singh Books.https://dailybugle.in/nikita-singh-bo...
April 21, 2018
Not one of the best books of the author, however a pleasant read. The story has everything friendship, love, emotions, sorrows, few secrets revealed only mid way of reading it. As being read all her books, this is different but did not connect too well, may due to too much of things put up together unlike her other books. Overall a good read..!!!
January 27, 2022
The first 150 pages of so, took me about 3 hours. The rest of the book took me ab hour, I think. After I realised that this was one of those books written to be adapted into a bad screenplay, probably a B-grade puppy love movie, I could skip through significant chunks. By about 60% through the book, you could predict the ending!
February 1, 2026
ok ok not bad
these were the only words that came to my mind after reading this book
the story is good super dramatic, good story
writing could be better but i am surprised i like this maybe today i was in a mood to read smthg like this but never gonna read it again nor gonna recommend to someone i think
these were the only words that came to my mind after reading this book
the story is good super dramatic, good story
writing could be better but i am surprised i like this maybe today i was in a mood to read smthg like this but never gonna read it again nor gonna recommend to someone i think
October 21, 2021
Reviewing this book 6 years after Its release is almost taboo. But I just needed a break and this book was the closest I could find and I finished it in a few hours.
The storyline is almost predictable and I enjoyed being relatable in many situations.
The storyline is almost predictable and I enjoyed being relatable in many situations.
March 10, 2017
fantastic book
February 13, 2019
Waste of Time and Money
April 13, 2022
Simple and nice leisure read.
February 9, 2024
too much drama but loved it all. veryyy heartwarming.
May 21, 2024
A good book with a interesting plot line and a very gripping story that u really liked and enjoyed.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews