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You Never Know
There will be times when you feel you have the best relationship, ever . . There will be times when it will be the worst that has happened to you There will be times when you know you are getting into something horrible, something that will not stop till it destroys you, And yet . . . You are pulled so inextricably, unstoppably . . . She was my true love, I knew that. So despite being married and having children, I still went ahead with our affair. I hid it from my wife and colleagues. I told lies so I could be with her-it was that amazing! But I couldn't hide from the dark truth she was keeping. It pulled me into a vortex of danger so deep that I lost all I had. It happened to me and if you think it won't happen to you think again.
240 pages, Paperback
Published September 18, 2017
8 people are currently reading
168 people want to read
About the author
Akash Verma
7 books51 followersAkash Verma is the co-founder of a fashion start-up centred around Indian designs, www.chokore.com, and a national bestselling Indian author.
Akash has more than twenty five years of experience in the FMCG sector and media, at senior levels with companies such as Coca-Cola, Red FM, Big FM and the Times of India. His work has taken him across the country, and he finds this experience very relevant while giving shape to his stories.
Akash has authored five books till now, and he has been covered by Indian media in publications such as the Times of India, the Hindustan Times, the Pioneer and Financial World.
Akash lives with his family in Gurgaon, India. His parents are eminent and award-winning Hindi writers.
Akash has more than twenty five years of experience in the FMCG sector and media, at senior levels with companies such as Coca-Cola, Red FM, Big FM and the Times of India. His work has taken him across the country, and he finds this experience very relevant while giving shape to his stories.
Akash has authored five books till now, and he has been covered by Indian media in publications such as the Times of India, the Hindustan Times, the Pioneer and Financial World.
Akash lives with his family in Gurgaon, India. His parents are eminent and award-winning Hindi writers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 152 reviews
October 23, 2017
The primary character in this story are Dhruv, Shalini, Anuradha & Sid. Dhruv is doing well at an advertising agency and is appointed the centre head for Delhi as well. Shalini is his wife who has a busy professional career as a psychiatrist as well, and they have two young kids. Anuradha is new to the company - is bright and outgoing. Dhruv is instantly attracted to her and she soon falls for him as well. The implications to Dhruv's married life is to follow, as also some issues from Anuradha's previous affair with Sid. And we see the entry of corrupt politicians and marital troubles all hitting Dhruv.
The book assembles a very predictable cocktail of lust, corruption and some mystery. The treatment of attraction at first sight is a little silly, and the characters needed more depth. I suppose the author also hopes this will be made into a Bollywood movie, as this combination is so typical. While the story is weak, the book has some positives as well - it moves quickly and is a good one to relax with, the Mojo campaign build-up has some good material though the treatment is simplistic, and the characters of Dhruv and Anuradha are likeable.
You might consider reading this book if you want a quick read, and are willing to leave assessment of the story aside.
I received this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
The book assembles a very predictable cocktail of lust, corruption and some mystery. The treatment of attraction at first sight is a little silly, and the characters needed more depth. I suppose the author also hopes this will be made into a Bollywood movie, as this combination is so typical. While the story is weak, the book has some positives as well - it moves quickly and is a good one to relax with, the Mojo campaign build-up has some good material though the treatment is simplistic, and the characters of Dhruv and Anuradha are likeable.
You might consider reading this book if you want a quick read, and are willing to leave assessment of the story aside.
I received this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
October 10, 2017
The story revolves around Dhruv, his wife; Shalini and his love interest; Anuradha. Dhruv was a happy man until she first entered into his office and then to his life. Despite being married with kids, he was dragged into her. She knows his marital status and they still went ahead with their affair. He lived two lives simultaneously and kept the other one clandestine from everyone’s eye.
The dark secrets of her life came chasing them both and caught them unaware. It pulled him into a vortex so deep that he lost all he had. Will he get them freed from the claws of destruction?
The story and the suspense element linger through the end hooks you and leave you guessing. It is not the best of romantic suspense story but definitely one of its kind and entertaining. The story is subtle; not over the board. It is a good one time read. The pace of the story is good. Grab it for a light read. Engrossing read.
https://thereviewauthor.com/
The dark secrets of her life came chasing them both and caught them unaware. It pulled him into a vortex so deep that he lost all he had. Will he get them freed from the claws of destruction?
The story and the suspense element linger through the end hooks you and leave you guessing. It is not the best of romantic suspense story but definitely one of its kind and entertaining. The story is subtle; not over the board. It is a good one time read. The pace of the story is good. Grab it for a light read. Engrossing read.
https://thereviewauthor.com/
October 5, 2018
You can read all my review on Blog - Books Teacup and Reviews
You Never Know was a psychological thriller based in India, a story with sensual rose covered love story but covered with thorny hidden secrets that drags peaceful clean domestic life of successful advertising head into ripple of murky water of extramarital affair. It was about illicit affair, love, secrets, betrayal, extortion, plot and scheming of nasty minds.
First of all I just loved that cover– the color and look at that font! It was simply beautiful.
Writing was good. Author wove story line around the advertising industry creatively with a great deal of corporate talk for which I was at loss. As the blurb promised, from the very beginning there was a feeling of something wrong or disastrous going to happen and I knew this love story was going to ruin characters’ life.
It started with Dhruv going to find mobile phone of his lover, Anuradha’s dead ex- Sid, as it contains something that can jeopardizes Anuradha’s life and future and along with her his as well. Why, what he has at stake and what’s in that mobile made me curious to read more which took readers back to past at the beginning of their illicit love affair.
This was character driven story that had unlikable, creative and developed characters. Story was narrated from three perspectives Dhruv, Anuradha and Sid, each telling their feelings, life and how it was connected with the other. As Dhruv said ‘we two are one of the kind’ was exactly my thought about him and Anuradha.
Dhruv was a married man and father of two, at the top of his career and had perfect life but first sight of Anuradha, his colleague shakes the foundation of his perfect life. He looked decent, not someone who had occasional flings or not even flirtatious but the connection he felt with Anuradha defied all the laws. He loved his wife and children but his attraction to Anuradha made him break all the boundaries. I didn’t like the way he got lost in Anuradha’s love but I also liked his love for his family and the way he felt guilt for what he did which saved him at most crucial time.
Anuradha was drowned in her not-so-happy love life and still suffering from life without her dead- ex lover Sid. She was smart, attractive and lonely lady who craved for presence of someone whom she can love. She had dark secrets, secrets about Sid that she hasn’t shared with anyone. After reading chapters on Sid I could see Anuradha’s naivety and mistakes so often. She might be giving bad signals from the very start but I felt bad for what Sid did to her in name of love and his hunger for money. I was just shocked she went to this far after so much he has taken from her. I didn’t like her possessiveness and unpractical obsession with Dhruv while I liked her morals and principles which saved her in past.
Sid– I hated this guy. Hate might be very lenient word for this character. He was downright nasty and selfish person who only cared about money and his dreams. He didn’t have respect for his family, friends and love. He was shortcut taking, manipulative man who can stoop low enough to sell his mother. I’m sorry but I don’t have good words for this character and he met his deserved end in the book. Author had taken a realistic approach in creating this character. Sadly this type of people really exist in this world, one might have heard stories like his in newspapers and medias.
I liked the way story took turns. Vengeance, extortion, fierce love, betrayal, secrets kept the anxiety and suspense in book at constant level that kept me turning the pages till the end. It gave those creepy feeling you get while reading psychological thriller.
I could guess the end early but was not sure the about the exact turn. It was written satisfactorily and I liked character’s decision at the end.
why 3 stars-
First thing, this book could do without first chapter which was like preface. It gave away too much, a little after climax scene and I could guess lot from that first chapter which ruined half the thrill. For those who have read loads of books in this genre can easily guess the story right away.
Second, Dhruv and Anuradha’s connection was simply implausible. It seemed silly they felt such strong and instant connection at first sight. One can feel the attraction because of outer appearance but the soulmate kind of connection at first sight was hard to digest for me. They were going too fast and too deep in relationship in just few weeks!
Third, I couldn’t buy the heaps of mistakes these two smart people were making in the story. It was hard to digest their naivety. And the language, derogatory, disrespectful remark on women! No chance of appreciation on that.
Overall, it was nice, interesting, engaging psychological thriller but was a bit predictable and implausible. One can try this book, if story piques your interest.
*** Note: I won this copy during Goodreads giveaways. ***
You Never Know was a psychological thriller based in India, a story with sensual rose covered love story but covered with thorny hidden secrets that drags peaceful clean domestic life of successful advertising head into ripple of murky water of extramarital affair. It was about illicit affair, love, secrets, betrayal, extortion, plot and scheming of nasty minds.
First of all I just loved that cover– the color and look at that font! It was simply beautiful.
Writing was good. Author wove story line around the advertising industry creatively with a great deal of corporate talk for which I was at loss. As the blurb promised, from the very beginning there was a feeling of something wrong or disastrous going to happen and I knew this love story was going to ruin characters’ life.
It started with Dhruv going to find mobile phone of his lover, Anuradha’s dead ex- Sid, as it contains something that can jeopardizes Anuradha’s life and future and along with her his as well. Why, what he has at stake and what’s in that mobile made me curious to read more which took readers back to past at the beginning of their illicit love affair.
This was character driven story that had unlikable, creative and developed characters. Story was narrated from three perspectives Dhruv, Anuradha and Sid, each telling their feelings, life and how it was connected with the other. As Dhruv said ‘we two are one of the kind’ was exactly my thought about him and Anuradha.
Dhruv was a married man and father of two, at the top of his career and had perfect life but first sight of Anuradha, his colleague shakes the foundation of his perfect life. He looked decent, not someone who had occasional flings or not even flirtatious but the connection he felt with Anuradha defied all the laws. He loved his wife and children but his attraction to Anuradha made him break all the boundaries. I didn’t like the way he got lost in Anuradha’s love but I also liked his love for his family and the way he felt guilt for what he did which saved him at most crucial time.
Anuradha was drowned in her not-so-happy love life and still suffering from life without her dead- ex lover Sid. She was smart, attractive and lonely lady who craved for presence of someone whom she can love. She had dark secrets, secrets about Sid that she hasn’t shared with anyone. After reading chapters on Sid I could see Anuradha’s naivety and mistakes so often. She might be giving bad signals from the very start but I felt bad for what Sid did to her in name of love and his hunger for money. I was just shocked she went to this far after so much he has taken from her. I didn’t like her possessiveness and unpractical obsession with Dhruv while I liked her morals and principles which saved her in past.
Sid– I hated this guy. Hate might be very lenient word for this character. He was downright nasty and selfish person who only cared about money and his dreams. He didn’t have respect for his family, friends and love. He was shortcut taking, manipulative man who can stoop low enough to sell his mother. I’m sorry but I don’t have good words for this character and he met his deserved end in the book. Author had taken a realistic approach in creating this character. Sadly this type of people really exist in this world, one might have heard stories like his in newspapers and medias.
I liked the way story took turns. Vengeance, extortion, fierce love, betrayal, secrets kept the anxiety and suspense in book at constant level that kept me turning the pages till the end. It gave those creepy feeling you get while reading psychological thriller.
I could guess the end early but was not sure the about the exact turn. It was written satisfactorily and I liked character’s decision at the end.
why 3 stars-
First thing, this book could do without first chapter which was like preface. It gave away too much, a little after climax scene and I could guess lot from that first chapter which ruined half the thrill. For those who have read loads of books in this genre can easily guess the story right away.
Second, Dhruv and Anuradha’s connection was simply implausible. It seemed silly they felt such strong and instant connection at first sight. One can feel the attraction because of outer appearance but the soulmate kind of connection at first sight was hard to digest for me. They were going too fast and too deep in relationship in just few weeks!
Third, I couldn’t buy the heaps of mistakes these two smart people were making in the story. It was hard to digest their naivety. And the language, derogatory, disrespectful remark on women! No chance of appreciation on that.
Overall, it was nice, interesting, engaging psychological thriller but was a bit predictable and implausible. One can try this book, if story piques your interest.
*** Note: I won this copy during Goodreads giveaways. ***
October 8, 2017
Dhruv, a marketing professional, falls in love with one of his colleagues. What’s different about this love story is that he is married to Shalini and has two kids. On the other hand, Dhruv’s girlfriend Anuradha has just escaped a troubled relationship and carries her own secrets and emotional baggage. Dhruv feels a strange connection towards Anuradha, a connection strong enough for him to cheat on his wife and lie to his kids. All’s good in Paradise until one day people from Anuradha’s past threaten to destroy their perfect lives. They have only one demand- a certain evidence, that has the capacity destroy a very powerful person. Will Dhruv risk everything for the (new found) love of his life?
Disclaimer: Rant Ahead.
There’s only one thing I like about this book- fancy editing.
The novel claims to be a psychological thriller. However, the definition of a ‘psychological’ thriller here seems to be a cheating husband and a lying mistress. The book is deceiving is all forms. Let’s start with the title: ‘You Never Know: Sometimes Love can Drag you through Hell’. I honestly expected this to be some out-of-the-world psychological thriller, with secrets, treachery, and betrayal. There were secrets, but not strong enough to carry the weight of the title or the cover.
The plot itself is full of loopholes. It’s your average ‘been-there-read-that’ romance. The characters are superficial and poorly written, especially the female characters. There’s a constant turmoil in my mind whether I like them or not. Mostly not. I judged this book so bad. Most of the main characters are super-annoying people, who can’t keep their feelings and emotions in check. There’s absolutely no logic whatsoever. (Now, please don’t say ‘all is fair in love and war’).
You know what’s worse- the example this book sets. Dhruv cheats on his wife, who is an amazing wife btw. There’s absolutely no reason for him to cheat. He makes love to both these women (enjoying both the worlds) and then he makes this ‘one’ statement about another character – ‘ I wanted to see how low a man can stoop to fulfill the calling of his dick’. This blew my mind. The characters claim to be in love, but at the time of owning that up, they came up with these bizarre conclusions and facts. (Trying to avoid spoilers here.)
The book has failed to deliver the promises it made (I mean look at the title, cover, and blurb). It is a disappointment at so many levels. There’s a book I reviewed recently called ‘Messed Up! But all for love’ and I criticized it on the basis of plot and editing. I found that book to be better after reading this one.
Read more @https://ecstaticyetchaotic.wordpress....
Disclaimer: Rant Ahead.
There’s only one thing I like about this book- fancy editing.
The novel claims to be a psychological thriller. However, the definition of a ‘psychological’ thriller here seems to be a cheating husband and a lying mistress. The book is deceiving is all forms. Let’s start with the title: ‘You Never Know: Sometimes Love can Drag you through Hell’. I honestly expected this to be some out-of-the-world psychological thriller, with secrets, treachery, and betrayal. There were secrets, but not strong enough to carry the weight of the title or the cover.
The plot itself is full of loopholes. It’s your average ‘been-there-read-that’ romance. The characters are superficial and poorly written, especially the female characters. There’s a constant turmoil in my mind whether I like them or not. Mostly not. I judged this book so bad. Most of the main characters are super-annoying people, who can’t keep their feelings and emotions in check. There’s absolutely no logic whatsoever. (Now, please don’t say ‘all is fair in love and war’).
You know what’s worse- the example this book sets. Dhruv cheats on his wife, who is an amazing wife btw. There’s absolutely no reason for him to cheat. He makes love to both these women (enjoying both the worlds) and then he makes this ‘one’ statement about another character – ‘ I wanted to see how low a man can stoop to fulfill the calling of his dick’. This blew my mind. The characters claim to be in love, but at the time of owning that up, they came up with these bizarre conclusions and facts. (Trying to avoid spoilers here.)
The book has failed to deliver the promises it made (I mean look at the title, cover, and blurb). It is a disappointment at so many levels. There’s a book I reviewed recently called ‘Messed Up! But all for love’ and I criticized it on the basis of plot and editing. I found that book to be better after reading this one.
Read more @https://ecstaticyetchaotic.wordpress....
October 15, 2017
The best thing about this book is its cover.
When I first read the synoposis of this book, I thought I'll enjoy it since I do enjoy reading about things that are unethical in real life. Turns out that no, I can't accept adultery, even in fiction. I couldn't take in the fact that despite having such a good wife, a man has an affair with another woman. Even if I eliminate my judgement on moral grounds, I really don't think I enjoyed reading this book.
Majority of the scenes in this books are really mundane and related to normal office life. I didn't see a point why all of that was written since it didn't do much to contribute towards the plot. Moreover, the love story that happens between Dhruv and Anuradha is not natural at all. It is so abrupt that one can't understand the connection between them at all.
Majority of the characters are so hateable. As the story progresses, the characters become worse with no hint of humanity in them. I couldn't help but be disgusted by them.
See, I totally agree that books with evil characters can be great reads. But this one just wasn't that kind of book at all.
There was a suspense element, which many readers would enjoy. But I made a very accurate guess of how the story would end, so there was no surprise element for me at all.
I still think people who like romance and suspense might enjoy this book.
I'm giving additional 1.5 stars for the very good-looking cover.
My rating: 2.5/5 ⭐️
When I first read the synoposis of this book, I thought I'll enjoy it since I do enjoy reading about things that are unethical in real life. Turns out that no, I can't accept adultery, even in fiction. I couldn't take in the fact that despite having such a good wife, a man has an affair with another woman. Even if I eliminate my judgement on moral grounds, I really don't think I enjoyed reading this book.
Majority of the scenes in this books are really mundane and related to normal office life. I didn't see a point why all of that was written since it didn't do much to contribute towards the plot. Moreover, the love story that happens between Dhruv and Anuradha is not natural at all. It is so abrupt that one can't understand the connection between them at all.
Majority of the characters are so hateable. As the story progresses, the characters become worse with no hint of humanity in them. I couldn't help but be disgusted by them.
See, I totally agree that books with evil characters can be great reads. But this one just wasn't that kind of book at all.
There was a suspense element, which many readers would enjoy. But I made a very accurate guess of how the story would end, so there was no surprise element for me at all.
I still think people who like romance and suspense might enjoy this book.
I'm giving additional 1.5 stars for the very good-looking cover.
My rating: 2.5/5 ⭐️
October 27, 2017
Decent one time read.
EDIT:
Adding the review now, now that I have the time and MTNL is not ruining my life anymore. :p
I'll start with what I liked:
1. The names of the characters - Believe it or not but a name adds a lot of depth to any character. The characters of this story have been named keeping in mind their age, status, social background. I have seen a lot of new authors experimenting with all sort of weird names. I personally am not fond of that. A character should be believable, their story relatable. The characters in this particular story do just that. Not to give any spoilers, but 'Wake Up, Sid!' was quite a masterstroke. There is, however, hardly any building-up of any character.
2. Minute details - The author has done a wonderful job of keeping the minute details in place. He has added explanations wherever necessary, sometimes subtly, sometimes overtly. The advertisement background, the deadlines, every nuance has been played with beautifully.
I finished the book in one sitting. the story is such that you can do it justice only if you read it in one go. The suspense will build only then. I suggest you pick it up when you have 3-4 hours. The language is fluid and easy to comprehend. No unnecessary jargon has been thrown in arbitrarily.
However, it is NOT a psychological thriller.
Also, don't expect to be mind-blown.
EDIT:
Adding the review now, now that I have the time and MTNL is not ruining my life anymore. :p
I'll start with what I liked:
1. The names of the characters - Believe it or not but a name adds a lot of depth to any character. The characters of this story have been named keeping in mind their age, status, social background. I have seen a lot of new authors experimenting with all sort of weird names. I personally am not fond of that. A character should be believable, their story relatable. The characters in this particular story do just that. Not to give any spoilers, but 'Wake Up, Sid!' was quite a masterstroke. There is, however, hardly any building-up of any character.
2. Minute details - The author has done a wonderful job of keeping the minute details in place. He has added explanations wherever necessary, sometimes subtly, sometimes overtly. The advertisement background, the deadlines, every nuance has been played with beautifully.
I finished the book in one sitting. the story is such that you can do it justice only if you read it in one go. The suspense will build only then. I suggest you pick it up when you have 3-4 hours. The language is fluid and easy to comprehend. No unnecessary jargon has been thrown in arbitrarily.
However, it is NOT a psychological thriller.
Also, don't expect to be mind-blown.
September 25, 2017
You never know is written by Akash Verma is a love triangle or in other words, we can say the extramarital affair story. Love is never amiss, but sometimes it shows you hell in life. The story begins with Dhruv, branch head of C&M company. His wife is a psychiatrist who owns a private clinic.
Dhruv is happy with his wife and children, but something is going to take place in his life. Something that brings happiness and later disaster in his spirit. Due to his laborious work and commitment, he gets promoted as a branch head of Delhi branch. In between Anuradha comes to join the company and due to her creativity and dedication they brought their first project among all others company. This incident brings close to both love birds Dhruv and Anuradha. She is beautiful and charming that anyone can lose in her beauty. Gradually feeling arose inside the heart of Dhruv towards her. Destiny brings them closer and soon they dropped most of the time together. For this moment He often lies to his wife Shalini.
Anuradha knows very well that this type of relationship can't last forever, but she already lost her love Sidharth in the past, which make emptiness in her spirit. On the other hand Dhruv is falling in her beauty. What will be the consequence arise when things get beyond their control. Sometimes loves drag for you to the gate of hell and you merely walk in that direction without any hesitation and worries. When you realize all this there is nothing that you can do it undone.
The story narration is good and it holds the reader's attention throughout the story. I have completed the book in a single go, as it has beautifully described all things in proper place and time. The deep editing has done with this book, which enhance the beauty of the story. The language is simple and some point Author tries to put a poetic touch to the story. After a long while I got a book which can hold me to complete the book.
Cover design: - 4/5
Plot: - 4.5/5
Blurb: - 4/5
Narration: - 4/5
Title: - 3/5
Overall: - 4/5
Dhruv is happy with his wife and children, but something is going to take place in his life. Something that brings happiness and later disaster in his spirit. Due to his laborious work and commitment, he gets promoted as a branch head of Delhi branch. In between Anuradha comes to join the company and due to her creativity and dedication they brought their first project among all others company. This incident brings close to both love birds Dhruv and Anuradha. She is beautiful and charming that anyone can lose in her beauty. Gradually feeling arose inside the heart of Dhruv towards her. Destiny brings them closer and soon they dropped most of the time together. For this moment He often lies to his wife Shalini.
Anuradha knows very well that this type of relationship can't last forever, but she already lost her love Sidharth in the past, which make emptiness in her spirit. On the other hand Dhruv is falling in her beauty. What will be the consequence arise when things get beyond their control. Sometimes loves drag for you to the gate of hell and you merely walk in that direction without any hesitation and worries. When you realize all this there is nothing that you can do it undone.
The story narration is good and it holds the reader's attention throughout the story. I have completed the book in a single go, as it has beautifully described all things in proper place and time. The deep editing has done with this book, which enhance the beauty of the story. The language is simple and some point Author tries to put a poetic touch to the story. After a long while I got a book which can hold me to complete the book.
Cover design: - 4/5
Plot: - 4.5/5
Blurb: - 4/5
Narration: - 4/5
Title: - 3/5
Overall: - 4/5
September 25, 2017
Cover- 4.5 Stars
Title- 5 Stars
Blurb- 4.5 Stars
Narration: 5 Stars
Plot- 4.5 Stars
Characters: 5 Stars
Writing and Presentation- 4.5 Stars
Overall Rating- 5 Stars
BLURB
There will be times when you feel you have the best relationship, ever . . .
There will be times when it will be the worst that has happened to you
There will be times when you know you are getting into something
horrible, something that will not stop till it destroys you,
And yet . . .
You are pulled so inextricably, unstoppably . . .
She was my true love, I knew that. So despite being married and having children, I still went ahead with our affair. I hid it from my wife and colleagues. I told lies so I could be with her-it was that amazing! But I couldn't hide from the dark truth she was keeping. It pulled me into a vortex of danger so deep that I lost all I had. It happened to me and if you think it won't happen to you-think again.
REVIEW
The cover is beautifully designed and engineered to perfection.
The title is eye-catching as well.
The plot of the novel revolves around Dhruv and Anuradha. Dhruv is already married but still has feeling for Anuradha. The story-line is quite realistic..as one can relate with it. The author has done a great job keeping the suspense part intact throughout the story. The Story is based in Dehradun and nearby places, which takes the story to another level as Dehradun is near to my heart.
The author has written the story so well that I didn't wanted the story to end.
Hats off to the amazing work done.
Title- 5 Stars
Blurb- 4.5 Stars
Narration: 5 Stars
Plot- 4.5 Stars
Characters: 5 Stars
Writing and Presentation- 4.5 Stars
Overall Rating- 5 Stars
BLURB
There will be times when you feel you have the best relationship, ever . . .
There will be times when it will be the worst that has happened to you
There will be times when you know you are getting into something
horrible, something that will not stop till it destroys you,
And yet . . .
You are pulled so inextricably, unstoppably . . .
She was my true love, I knew that. So despite being married and having children, I still went ahead with our affair. I hid it from my wife and colleagues. I told lies so I could be with her-it was that amazing! But I couldn't hide from the dark truth she was keeping. It pulled me into a vortex of danger so deep that I lost all I had. It happened to me and if you think it won't happen to you-think again.
REVIEW
The cover is beautifully designed and engineered to perfection.
The title is eye-catching as well.
The plot of the novel revolves around Dhruv and Anuradha. Dhruv is already married but still has feeling for Anuradha. The story-line is quite realistic..as one can relate with it. The author has done a great job keeping the suspense part intact throughout the story. The Story is based in Dehradun and nearby places, which takes the story to another level as Dehradun is near to my heart.
The author has written the story so well that I didn't wanted the story to end.
Hats off to the amazing work done.
October 21, 2017
The story you never know revolves around the protagonist Dhruv Saxena, head of C&M, an advertising company. He is a married man with two kids Siya and Kabir. His wife Shalini is a pscyhiatrist and runs her clinic. Dhruv meets Anuradha and falls in love with her without knowing the deadly consequences he will have to face later. Not only his personal life gets disturbed due to his extra marital affair but the dark secrets of Anuradha, shocks his entire life completely. Do read the book to know what happens next. After reading this book, I can say that sometimes love can drag you through hell so better think before falling in love or any relationship :D
This romantic thriller is fast- paced and a quick read. I read this book in one go.The language is simple and easy to understand. The cover is attractive. The title of the book is apt. If you're looking for good romantic thriller, then I would recommend this to all readers for an interesting read.
This romantic thriller is fast- paced and a quick read. I read this book in one go.The language is simple and easy to understand. The cover is attractive. The title of the book is apt. If you're looking for good romantic thriller, then I would recommend this to all readers for an interesting read.
September 25, 2017
At first I would like to congratulate the author for this book.
After a long time I read this type of romantic thriller.
The book starts with a good description of nature and atmosphere. But later the atmosphere changes.
With every changing plot the book seems more interesting. The main positive thing about the book is its narration and characterization.
The and turns can make the readers engage.
The book truly said that we all wear masks and we all have some untold stories.
The author described the whole story in a very witful manner. And the ending part is really awesome. And the book has a strong message too.
The language is simple with good narration.
The cover is pretty and attractive.
After a long time I read this type of romantic thriller.
The book starts with a good description of nature and atmosphere. But later the atmosphere changes.
With every changing plot the book seems more interesting. The main positive thing about the book is its narration and characterization.
The and turns can make the readers engage.
The book truly said that we all wear masks and we all have some untold stories.
The author described the whole story in a very witful manner. And the ending part is really awesome. And the book has a strong message too.
The language is simple with good narration.
The cover is pretty and attractive.
March 3, 2019
Rating : 2.5/5 (Goodreads should start 0.5 star facility as well)
Decent! Too much time is spent on building the affair, but since the writing is lucid, the reading happens pretty fast. Didn't like the usage of word 'no', appended at the end of the sentence, which is actually used colloquially. Also the plot doesn't offer much surprises. The pre-climax gives the entire end and it exactly happens the way you would have thought. Yes, the way first person chapters are written, that works for sure as you know different perspectives. A few one liners are really good. Overall, it's a book you read, but it won't stay with you after it's ended.
Decent! Too much time is spent on building the affair, but since the writing is lucid, the reading happens pretty fast. Didn't like the usage of word 'no', appended at the end of the sentence, which is actually used colloquially. Also the plot doesn't offer much surprises. The pre-climax gives the entire end and it exactly happens the way you would have thought. Yes, the way first person chapters are written, that works for sure as you know different perspectives. A few one liners are really good. Overall, it's a book you read, but it won't stay with you after it's ended.
October 5, 2017
“You Never Know” is the 4th book (after “It Happened That Night”, “Three Times Loser”, “A broken man”) of Akash Verma that I finished reading today. At first, I want to thank Mr. Arpan Ghosh for letting me know about this book and for providing me a copy of the book in exchange of an honest review. Thanks to Akash Sir for writing this book and sharing a good story with us. I enjoyed reading the book indeed.
The design of the front cover of the book is tremendous to look at and it’s Awesome actually (Kudos to the effort by Meena Rajasekaran). The reddish touch and the side view of the face of a Woman is so much complementing according to the design, is what made the cover eye catching one! It is justifying the content of the book quite aptly. This is the 19th book I have in my collection that is published in the banner of ‘Penguin Random House India’ (Penguin Metro Reads).
The title of the book “You Never Know” (along with the subtitle ‘Sometimes love can drag you through hell…’) is quite attention seeking I must say (because if someone read ‘You never know’ written on the top of the book, then it’s human tendency to go through the book to explore what’s there to know actually). It is enough thought provoking to make a reader curious about the book and it is justifying the substance of the story well, so I can say that the title is appropriate for the book.
The language of the book is lucid and simple, thus make it easier to comprehend for the readers. The narration of the book is quite plain with maintaining a simple flow till it reached the climax. I won’t say that the narration of the story provides many twists and turns, but above all what matters is maintaining a compact grip of the story to keep the reader’s attention intact till the last, and this book is successful from that aspect. Though I would like to mention two things here- First, there are quite a few places I noticed where, the situation was evidently stretched at some point (personally while reading a love story or any genre other than ‘Thriller’, if a story running in a simple flow along with repeated points to emphasize, then it will lack the interest of the reader even for a little). Secondly, (it’s my personal opinion) there are quite frequent and excessive uses of “F” words in the entire book. I won’t say that this is too bad or something, but not every reader is easy go with this language (at least it was a bit uncomfortable for me), so these two things can surely be worked on with.
The theme of the book is- Romance, Love, (‘Extra marital affair’ to be specific), family love & relationship.
The characterization of the book is really very good and to the point I must say. The protagonist of the story (Dhruv) is well developed as per the need of the content; not only this one, but the other minor or less major (comparatively) characters are also portrayed aptly by the author. All of the characters are justified to their roles till the very end. Let’s have a look at some of the characters of the story- Dhruv, Shalini, Kabir, Siya, Anuradha, Siddharth / Sid, Vikas Khanna, Rachna Bhatia, Mudit, Srini, Neha, Hemant.
The story goes like this- Dhruv Saxena was working in a company (‘C & M’) and he was well established as an Advertising Professional. Starting from the journey to establish himself as a Branch Head of the company took a lot of struggle, dedication and hard work also. As every profession has to face competition to exist and grow in the industry, same happened with ‘C & M’ too, but as I mentioned earlier, Dhruv and his entire team was working very hard and overcoming all the odds. Things were going on the right track and was going well in Dhruv’s life (both personal & professional) until he crossed paths with Anuradha. Let me clear one thing first here that, Dhruv had his own lovely family (Wife- Shalini, Son- Kabir & Daughter- Siya) to take care of. While working on a project, he met Anuradha who was his colleague and was working on the same project. She was a person who can be called “Beauty with Brain”. Because of her talent and efforts, the company was growing and achieving success smoothly and it was of course a good sign; but things remained not so simple some time later. Though Dhruv was loyal and committed to his family, but he was gradually losing his control over his feeling towards Anuradha. Dhruv got to know about the fact that Anuradha had a boyfriend (Sid) before who committed suicide. This fact shocked him though, but he didn’t bother much about this at first. Being in the same office, it was not possible for Dhruv to keep his attention away from Anuradha, and with frequent interaction they came closer to each other. There came a point where situation made them do such things what Dhruv had no idea about. I won’t say that was intentional at first Dhruv gave in front of the situation and both of them made love to each other. Yes, Dhruv started having relationship (extra marital affair) with Anuradha even knowing the possible consequences of continuing this relationship. On the other hand, things were getting complicated in Dhruv’s house because of this and that was breaking the peace of his family too at times. Dhruv was realizing this relationship is going to cost him a lot as he started walking on a path which has only a dead end and he was not in the state to return. What happened after that? Will the relationship between Anuradha and Dhruv get a shape in future? What happened to Dhruv’s own family? Is it possible for anyone to continue this kind of relationship while maintaining both the edges? Who was Sid and why did he commit suicide if he loved Anuradha? Was there something that was kept hidden under the cover? If yes, then what can it be? What was the reason that Anuradha was not willing to discuss about Sid in details? What is awaiting Dhruv & Anuradha in future? To get all these answers, all you need to do is grab a copy of this book and go through the whole story by your own.
Author Akash Verma has penned down the story beautifully and maturely to be specific. The plot has been crafted very well and moreover, the story is quite well developed to leave a long lasting impact on the readers mind. The details about the work process of the Advertisement world are shown and discussed very well. The mental struggle of Dhruv to keep balance between both of them (Anuradha & his family), the dilemma was evidently tearing Dhruv apart at last, his love for Anuradha, Dhruv’s family love, the nature of Sid, the hidden face of Sid, the momentary helplessness of Anuradha at a point, finally the revelation ultimate twist at the last to make the ending a really interesting one..everything and even the littlest effort of Akash Sir is showing colors in the story. It is said that, when you love someone blindly, logic goes in vein. Sometimes our heart (in love) made us attempt to do such things which we won’t ever even think of doing while being in a normal state, and when we realize the reality of the depth of the situation, sometimes it’s too late to return. No matter from where the feelings are growing towards someone (be it lust or desire or anything to get attracted), but if feelings are strong enough then it can conquer anything or get over any odds- all these have been shown here in the book and it has some other things in store for the readers. So, what are you waiting for? Let’s dive in the world of Love and know what you never know… Thanks to the author Akash Verma and all the best for his future endeavors.
My Rating (overall)- 4/5.
The design of the front cover of the book is tremendous to look at and it’s Awesome actually (Kudos to the effort by Meena Rajasekaran). The reddish touch and the side view of the face of a Woman is so much complementing according to the design, is what made the cover eye catching one! It is justifying the content of the book quite aptly. This is the 19th book I have in my collection that is published in the banner of ‘Penguin Random House India’ (Penguin Metro Reads).
The title of the book “You Never Know” (along with the subtitle ‘Sometimes love can drag you through hell…’) is quite attention seeking I must say (because if someone read ‘You never know’ written on the top of the book, then it’s human tendency to go through the book to explore what’s there to know actually). It is enough thought provoking to make a reader curious about the book and it is justifying the substance of the story well, so I can say that the title is appropriate for the book.
The language of the book is lucid and simple, thus make it easier to comprehend for the readers. The narration of the book is quite plain with maintaining a simple flow till it reached the climax. I won’t say that the narration of the story provides many twists and turns, but above all what matters is maintaining a compact grip of the story to keep the reader’s attention intact till the last, and this book is successful from that aspect. Though I would like to mention two things here- First, there are quite a few places I noticed where, the situation was evidently stretched at some point (personally while reading a love story or any genre other than ‘Thriller’, if a story running in a simple flow along with repeated points to emphasize, then it will lack the interest of the reader even for a little). Secondly, (it’s my personal opinion) there are quite frequent and excessive uses of “F” words in the entire book. I won’t say that this is too bad or something, but not every reader is easy go with this language (at least it was a bit uncomfortable for me), so these two things can surely be worked on with.
The theme of the book is- Romance, Love, (‘Extra marital affair’ to be specific), family love & relationship.
The characterization of the book is really very good and to the point I must say. The protagonist of the story (Dhruv) is well developed as per the need of the content; not only this one, but the other minor or less major (comparatively) characters are also portrayed aptly by the author. All of the characters are justified to their roles till the very end. Let’s have a look at some of the characters of the story- Dhruv, Shalini, Kabir, Siya, Anuradha, Siddharth / Sid, Vikas Khanna, Rachna Bhatia, Mudit, Srini, Neha, Hemant.
The story goes like this- Dhruv Saxena was working in a company (‘C & M’) and he was well established as an Advertising Professional. Starting from the journey to establish himself as a Branch Head of the company took a lot of struggle, dedication and hard work also. As every profession has to face competition to exist and grow in the industry, same happened with ‘C & M’ too, but as I mentioned earlier, Dhruv and his entire team was working very hard and overcoming all the odds. Things were going on the right track and was going well in Dhruv’s life (both personal & professional) until he crossed paths with Anuradha. Let me clear one thing first here that, Dhruv had his own lovely family (Wife- Shalini, Son- Kabir & Daughter- Siya) to take care of. While working on a project, he met Anuradha who was his colleague and was working on the same project. She was a person who can be called “Beauty with Brain”. Because of her talent and efforts, the company was growing and achieving success smoothly and it was of course a good sign; but things remained not so simple some time later. Though Dhruv was loyal and committed to his family, but he was gradually losing his control over his feeling towards Anuradha. Dhruv got to know about the fact that Anuradha had a boyfriend (Sid) before who committed suicide. This fact shocked him though, but he didn’t bother much about this at first. Being in the same office, it was not possible for Dhruv to keep his attention away from Anuradha, and with frequent interaction they came closer to each other. There came a point where situation made them do such things what Dhruv had no idea about. I won’t say that was intentional at first Dhruv gave in front of the situation and both of them made love to each other. Yes, Dhruv started having relationship (extra marital affair) with Anuradha even knowing the possible consequences of continuing this relationship. On the other hand, things were getting complicated in Dhruv’s house because of this and that was breaking the peace of his family too at times. Dhruv was realizing this relationship is going to cost him a lot as he started walking on a path which has only a dead end and he was not in the state to return. What happened after that? Will the relationship between Anuradha and Dhruv get a shape in future? What happened to Dhruv’s own family? Is it possible for anyone to continue this kind of relationship while maintaining both the edges? Who was Sid and why did he commit suicide if he loved Anuradha? Was there something that was kept hidden under the cover? If yes, then what can it be? What was the reason that Anuradha was not willing to discuss about Sid in details? What is awaiting Dhruv & Anuradha in future? To get all these answers, all you need to do is grab a copy of this book and go through the whole story by your own.
Author Akash Verma has penned down the story beautifully and maturely to be specific. The plot has been crafted very well and moreover, the story is quite well developed to leave a long lasting impact on the readers mind. The details about the work process of the Advertisement world are shown and discussed very well. The mental struggle of Dhruv to keep balance between both of them (Anuradha & his family), the dilemma was evidently tearing Dhruv apart at last, his love for Anuradha, Dhruv’s family love, the nature of Sid, the hidden face of Sid, the momentary helplessness of Anuradha at a point, finally the revelation ultimate twist at the last to make the ending a really interesting one..everything and even the littlest effort of Akash Sir is showing colors in the story. It is said that, when you love someone blindly, logic goes in vein. Sometimes our heart (in love) made us attempt to do such things which we won’t ever even think of doing while being in a normal state, and when we realize the reality of the depth of the situation, sometimes it’s too late to return. No matter from where the feelings are growing towards someone (be it lust or desire or anything to get attracted), but if feelings are strong enough then it can conquer anything or get over any odds- all these have been shown here in the book and it has some other things in store for the readers. So, what are you waiting for? Let’s dive in the world of Love and know what you never know… Thanks to the author Akash Verma and all the best for his future endeavors.
My Rating (overall)- 4/5.
October 2, 2017
You Never Know…Sometimes love can drag you through hell. I read aloud this book title, look at the bright red book cover depicting blood, and feel a chill run down my spine. This is going to be an exciting thriller, I think. And I couldn’t be more right! This unputdownable book is sure a thriller. The characters are entangled in a love triangle, which take such a dangerous turn midway that it tests the love and their life choices in an extreme manner.
Taking a minute to talk about the author, Akash Verma is an entrepreneur and co-founder of two Internet start-ups in fashion and food sectors. Prior to this, he has worked in organizations like Coca-Cola, Big FM and Red FM. He has travelled across the country for work and he uses this experience in his novels. His other works include novels like It Happened That Night, A Broken Man and Three Times Loser. You Never Know is my first novel by Akash Verma, but after this read, my Amazon wishlist is surely going to include more of his works!
Going straight to the gist of the book, the story is based in the backdrop of a bustling Gurgaon city. One of the main character of the story Dhruv Saxena is a happy man, married to a beautiful and smart psychiatrist Shalini and they have the perfect kids, Kabir and Sia. Dhruv cannot be more successful at work. He is a favorite at C&M, the advertising company that he works for, and is promoted to the coveted post of Delhi branch head. He has a new car and a posh apartment and he just couldn’t ask for more.
And then Anuradha, a beautiful and smart woman, walks into his office one fine day as the new creative head for C&M. She brings with her a wave of familiarity and beauty and sweeps Dhruv off his feet. He tries to stay away from Anuradha but she impresses him even more by doing an amazing work for a difficult client and saving the company. Dhruv wants to spend all his time with the magical woman and continues to get attracted to her. As much as he knows how wrong it is for a married man to feel this way for another woman, he absolutely cannot control himself. It seems to him like it is meant to be.
Anuradha begins reciprocating the same, she feels a similar pull towards Dhruv, even though she knows that Dhruv had a happy family of his own. Before either of them can realize, Dhruv and Anuradha are part of the evil territory called extra-marital affair. Dhruv begins lying to Shalini to spend more time with Anuradha. Day by day, his family starts growing apart, Anuradha being the reason for it. But Dhruv has never been so happy before and he cannot stay away from this woman.
But how long can this be smooth and stable? A wave of unpredictable circumstances hit these happy people’s life, and it is surprisingly not from Dhruv’s family. Anuradha has a not-so-happy past with her ex-boyfriend Sid. Sid had an unfortunate life full of debts he couldn’t pay and the dangerous creditors behind him. He committed suicide in Lal Tibba, Dehradun. The creditors, Hemant bhaiya and his gang, now turned towards Dhruv and Anuradha, with the aim of disrupting their lives till they find that one secret that Sid had before he died, a secret that could blow the gang’s life. And to get that from Dhruv, they can go to any extent.
The story takes such a very interesting twist and Dhruv is faced with dangerous people who could harm him and his family. How does Dhruv, the hero of the story, save everyone and puts back the pieces of his and his family’s life? What is the story behind Sid’s suicide and how is Anuradha related to it? You need to read this book to find out.
I couldn’t keep my eyes open last night but I could not put down the book till I finished it. My favorite character in the book is Dhruv. He started off as a character I couldn’t relate to, with his action of extra-marital affair and cheating on his wife. But somewhere through the book, I realized that he genuinely loved Anuradha and he had taken the decision to spend time with her because he strongly felt like it. Anuradha’s character is strongly built too and she is the wind-keeper of the story.
If I could change something in the book, I would describe the characters in more details in the beginning of the story. Also, I would add more to the part where Shalini suspects Dhruv’s unusual behavior and Dhruv feels guiltier for what he is doing. I loved the ending, thumbs-up on that!
I would recommend the book for those who want a light but interesting read over a weekend or holiday.
Taking a minute to talk about the author, Akash Verma is an entrepreneur and co-founder of two Internet start-ups in fashion and food sectors. Prior to this, he has worked in organizations like Coca-Cola, Big FM and Red FM. He has travelled across the country for work and he uses this experience in his novels. His other works include novels like It Happened That Night, A Broken Man and Three Times Loser. You Never Know is my first novel by Akash Verma, but after this read, my Amazon wishlist is surely going to include more of his works!
Going straight to the gist of the book, the story is based in the backdrop of a bustling Gurgaon city. One of the main character of the story Dhruv Saxena is a happy man, married to a beautiful and smart psychiatrist Shalini and they have the perfect kids, Kabir and Sia. Dhruv cannot be more successful at work. He is a favorite at C&M, the advertising company that he works for, and is promoted to the coveted post of Delhi branch head. He has a new car and a posh apartment and he just couldn’t ask for more.
And then Anuradha, a beautiful and smart woman, walks into his office one fine day as the new creative head for C&M. She brings with her a wave of familiarity and beauty and sweeps Dhruv off his feet. He tries to stay away from Anuradha but she impresses him even more by doing an amazing work for a difficult client and saving the company. Dhruv wants to spend all his time with the magical woman and continues to get attracted to her. As much as he knows how wrong it is for a married man to feel this way for another woman, he absolutely cannot control himself. It seems to him like it is meant to be.
Anuradha begins reciprocating the same, she feels a similar pull towards Dhruv, even though she knows that Dhruv had a happy family of his own. Before either of them can realize, Dhruv and Anuradha are part of the evil territory called extra-marital affair. Dhruv begins lying to Shalini to spend more time with Anuradha. Day by day, his family starts growing apart, Anuradha being the reason for it. But Dhruv has never been so happy before and he cannot stay away from this woman.
But how long can this be smooth and stable? A wave of unpredictable circumstances hit these happy people’s life, and it is surprisingly not from Dhruv’s family. Anuradha has a not-so-happy past with her ex-boyfriend Sid. Sid had an unfortunate life full of debts he couldn’t pay and the dangerous creditors behind him. He committed suicide in Lal Tibba, Dehradun. The creditors, Hemant bhaiya and his gang, now turned towards Dhruv and Anuradha, with the aim of disrupting their lives till they find that one secret that Sid had before he died, a secret that could blow the gang’s life. And to get that from Dhruv, they can go to any extent.
The story takes such a very interesting twist and Dhruv is faced with dangerous people who could harm him and his family. How does Dhruv, the hero of the story, save everyone and puts back the pieces of his and his family’s life? What is the story behind Sid’s suicide and how is Anuradha related to it? You need to read this book to find out.
I couldn’t keep my eyes open last night but I could not put down the book till I finished it. My favorite character in the book is Dhruv. He started off as a character I couldn’t relate to, with his action of extra-marital affair and cheating on his wife. But somewhere through the book, I realized that he genuinely loved Anuradha and he had taken the decision to spend time with her because he strongly felt like it. Anuradha’s character is strongly built too and she is the wind-keeper of the story.
If I could change something in the book, I would describe the characters in more details in the beginning of the story. Also, I would add more to the part where Shalini suspects Dhruv’s unusual behavior and Dhruv feels guiltier for what he is doing. I loved the ending, thumbs-up on that!
I would recommend the book for those who want a light but interesting read over a weekend or holiday.
June 10, 2020
What makes a good thriller? Is it an impeccable storyline, an adventurous reading experience or is it the blatant unfurling of not-so-pleasant facts?
When I picked this book published by Penguin India, I was immediately drawn to the title. “You never know”--- what is it that I do not know? Do I not know the murderer (if there is one in the book) or do I not know the climax? Or is it that the whole story is so mystified with blurry concepts that I can’t grasp it at all?
Turns out there are a lot of mysteries lurking in the story. I turned the last page of it and I was heavy with scepticism about human affairs---love, lust and greed. The characters seemed so real, aren’t they the ones which we see all around us? They are the ones whom we purposefully choose to ignore, so as to keep safe our self-constructed wall of perception of human values.
The book opens up quite abruptly, and we find the protagonist Dhruv groping about a crime scene, to retrieve the phone of the person who had succumbed to his suicide attempt. The story then takes quick flashback, as it familiarises us with the life of Dhruv and Anuradha, the lead characters. We see the two stealthily getting involved in a serious intimate relationship, despite Dhruv having his wife and kids back at home. Sid, the person who had committed suicide, was Anuradha’s engaged fiancé. This extra-marital affair persists, and soon Dhruv finds himself as a part of a huge conspiracy, that had initiated from Sid and Anuradha’s past commitments. This involvement with Anuradha provides Dhruv with extreme pleasure and solace, but he’s also in a dilemma as it starts to invade his familial life, threatening to harm his stature as a responsible husband and a father. But Sid’s suicide is somewhat hazy with unproved evidences and incomplete alibis, and Dhruv wants to explore further. His discoveries completely shake the foundation of trust he had built around himself….is he at risk?
The book kind of had a very simple plot, which is rare among thrillers. The chapters switched between perspectives of Sid, Dhruv and Anuradha and this multiple accounts of the same event from different viewpoints escalated the story quite fantastically. The storytelling part was very natural and always kept the reader’s attention. But given the seriousness of the issues that the book draws its inspiration from, a little more depth should have been there to the overall character development. The characters were instinct-driven and unpredictable, and I liked their vulnerability that the author was desperately stressing upon. Nevertheless, the overall course of the story could have been much more gripping. The climax was unprecedented….yet, I got no feeling of accomplishment when I finished the book. I presume I’ll have to preserve that feeling for other great books out there.
Disclaimer: This review is in lieu of a review copy.
Orginally published on my blog: https://deepansbookshelf.blogspot.com...
When I picked this book published by Penguin India, I was immediately drawn to the title. “You never know”--- what is it that I do not know? Do I not know the murderer (if there is one in the book) or do I not know the climax? Or is it that the whole story is so mystified with blurry concepts that I can’t grasp it at all?
Turns out there are a lot of mysteries lurking in the story. I turned the last page of it and I was heavy with scepticism about human affairs---love, lust and greed. The characters seemed so real, aren’t they the ones which we see all around us? They are the ones whom we purposefully choose to ignore, so as to keep safe our self-constructed wall of perception of human values.
The book opens up quite abruptly, and we find the protagonist Dhruv groping about a crime scene, to retrieve the phone of the person who had succumbed to his suicide attempt. The story then takes quick flashback, as it familiarises us with the life of Dhruv and Anuradha, the lead characters. We see the two stealthily getting involved in a serious intimate relationship, despite Dhruv having his wife and kids back at home. Sid, the person who had committed suicide, was Anuradha’s engaged fiancé. This extra-marital affair persists, and soon Dhruv finds himself as a part of a huge conspiracy, that had initiated from Sid and Anuradha’s past commitments. This involvement with Anuradha provides Dhruv with extreme pleasure and solace, but he’s also in a dilemma as it starts to invade his familial life, threatening to harm his stature as a responsible husband and a father. But Sid’s suicide is somewhat hazy with unproved evidences and incomplete alibis, and Dhruv wants to explore further. His discoveries completely shake the foundation of trust he had built around himself….is he at risk?
The book kind of had a very simple plot, which is rare among thrillers. The chapters switched between perspectives of Sid, Dhruv and Anuradha and this multiple accounts of the same event from different viewpoints escalated the story quite fantastically. The storytelling part was very natural and always kept the reader’s attention. But given the seriousness of the issues that the book draws its inspiration from, a little more depth should have been there to the overall character development. The characters were instinct-driven and unpredictable, and I liked their vulnerability that the author was desperately stressing upon. Nevertheless, the overall course of the story could have been much more gripping. The climax was unprecedented….yet, I got no feeling of accomplishment when I finished the book. I presume I’ll have to preserve that feeling for other great books out there.
Disclaimer: This review is in lieu of a review copy.
Orginally published on my blog: https://deepansbookshelf.blogspot.com...
October 9, 2017
Dhruv is having an affair with his new employee Anuradha despite being a married man with two kids. As if their situation wasn’t complicated enough, Anuradha’s past resurfaces to create problems for both of them.
I was skeptical to read a book that had infidelity in it but I still went ahead as I was interested to see how it would play out. I definitely wasn’t expecting what I got.
The book starts with a thrilling scene. However, what is revealed in the beginning only comes into the book more than halfway through. Also, we hear Dhruv talking to himself and referring to the ‘pebbles’ in his brain speaking to him. I found this very very stupid.
We are then taken to the time when Dhruv meets Anuradha for the first time. Everything happens very fast and they are suddenly declaring their love for each other. We don’t get to see how both of them actually grew to care for each other. The book had all the cliche things that bad romance novels do, from instant-love to awkward intimate scenes. The book did radiate a dark vibe from it like thrillers usually do. It shifts between different timelines. One thing I enjoyed was the Gurgaon setting.
I did not like the writing of this book at all. It was well edited but even then I couldn’t deal with the writing style. There was no flow and the characters’ inner dialogue was very badly delivered.
Almost all the characters in this book are terrible people. Anuradha doesn’t feel any remorse in having an affair with a married man. Dhruv has a loving wife and kids and he wrecks that in his desire for Anuradha. I couldn’t understand their love for each other as it was very sudden. I couldn’t root for them at all. We also read the story from Sid’s perspective who is Anuradha’s ex. He is an even worse human being and I didn’t see why Anuradha loved him.
The thriller aspect of this book was not totally bad and that is why I’ve given it two stars. It did hold my attention towards the end. I’m glad that the book was short and wasn’t unnecessarily stretched out. I also liked how the book ended.
Overall, this book was not enjoyable for me. It had no meaning and it didn’t entertain me either. It may appeal to some readers who are looking for a quick and dramatic read.
For more reviews, visit my blog- https://travellingthroughwords.wordpr...
I was skeptical to read a book that had infidelity in it but I still went ahead as I was interested to see how it would play out. I definitely wasn’t expecting what I got.
The book starts with a thrilling scene. However, what is revealed in the beginning only comes into the book more than halfway through. Also, we hear Dhruv talking to himself and referring to the ‘pebbles’ in his brain speaking to him. I found this very very stupid.
We are then taken to the time when Dhruv meets Anuradha for the first time. Everything happens very fast and they are suddenly declaring their love for each other. We don’t get to see how both of them actually grew to care for each other. The book had all the cliche things that bad romance novels do, from instant-love to awkward intimate scenes. The book did radiate a dark vibe from it like thrillers usually do. It shifts between different timelines. One thing I enjoyed was the Gurgaon setting.
I did not like the writing of this book at all. It was well edited but even then I couldn’t deal with the writing style. There was no flow and the characters’ inner dialogue was very badly delivered.
Almost all the characters in this book are terrible people. Anuradha doesn’t feel any remorse in having an affair with a married man. Dhruv has a loving wife and kids and he wrecks that in his desire for Anuradha. I couldn’t understand their love for each other as it was very sudden. I couldn’t root for them at all. We also read the story from Sid’s perspective who is Anuradha’s ex. He is an even worse human being and I didn’t see why Anuradha loved him.
The thriller aspect of this book was not totally bad and that is why I’ve given it two stars. It did hold my attention towards the end. I’m glad that the book was short and wasn’t unnecessarily stretched out. I also liked how the book ended.
Overall, this book was not enjoyable for me. It had no meaning and it didn’t entertain me either. It may appeal to some readers who are looking for a quick and dramatic read.
For more reviews, visit my blog- https://travellingthroughwords.wordpr...
October 9, 2017
Dhruv Saxena is the branch head of the advertising agency C&M. A family man with a psychiatrist wife and two kids, Dhruv falls in love with a newly appointed subordinate in his office, Anuradha. Dhruv and Anuradha fall for each other at first sight.
Even though Dhruv loves his family, he carries on with his affair with Anuradha, hiding it both from his family and his colleagues. Their relationship even turns into a sexual one. Dhruv thinks that he and Anuradha are soulmates and they can continue their relationship for as long as they can.
But Anuradha has secrets. She had an ex boyfriend named Sid who committed suicide under mysterious circumstances. This boyfriend of hers was troubled himself and had dangerous enemies. Soon Dhruv finds himself in the middle of a whirlpool of dark past and secrets that even drags in his family. Anuradha's life is in danger as well as his life. Will Dhruv be able to come out of this mess and save Anuradha and himself? Will this mess push his family away from him? Read this book to find out more.
This is author Akash Verma's 4th book. According to me, it was pretty fast. He does not indulge in detailed descriptions of the surroundings or long quotes about love or life, which makes his book fast paced. His writing is to the point.
There are 2 drawbacks in this book that I found. First, all of his characters says 'no' after a question ends (example this, 'Naah... I don't. But you did say that, no?'). The second drawback is that it's supposed to be a psychological thriller, but after finishing the book I found some loopholes which goofed up my logic. As a reader, finding loopholes after you finish a book pretty much messes your mind (won't give out the loopholes for obvious reasons, spoilers).
I have already mentioned that this book is a fast paced thriller. After the 1st 50 or so pages the book picks up pace and did not let me stop until and unless I finished it. Though the ending was easy to figure out, the book did not disappoint me. It has those moments where you are intently reading the book and you forget about the surroundings and your heart beat quickens because something bad is going to happen to the characters. I finished this book in a day, so I guess you can realise how engrossing this book can be.
I received a copy from Writersmelon in exchange for an honest and unbiased review of this book.
Even though Dhruv loves his family, he carries on with his affair with Anuradha, hiding it both from his family and his colleagues. Their relationship even turns into a sexual one. Dhruv thinks that he and Anuradha are soulmates and they can continue their relationship for as long as they can.
But Anuradha has secrets. She had an ex boyfriend named Sid who committed suicide under mysterious circumstances. This boyfriend of hers was troubled himself and had dangerous enemies. Soon Dhruv finds himself in the middle of a whirlpool of dark past and secrets that even drags in his family. Anuradha's life is in danger as well as his life. Will Dhruv be able to come out of this mess and save Anuradha and himself? Will this mess push his family away from him? Read this book to find out more.
This is author Akash Verma's 4th book. According to me, it was pretty fast. He does not indulge in detailed descriptions of the surroundings or long quotes about love or life, which makes his book fast paced. His writing is to the point.
There are 2 drawbacks in this book that I found. First, all of his characters says 'no' after a question ends (example this, 'Naah... I don't. But you did say that, no?'). The second drawback is that it's supposed to be a psychological thriller, but after finishing the book I found some loopholes which goofed up my logic. As a reader, finding loopholes after you finish a book pretty much messes your mind (won't give out the loopholes for obvious reasons, spoilers).
I have already mentioned that this book is a fast paced thriller. After the 1st 50 or so pages the book picks up pace and did not let me stop until and unless I finished it. Though the ending was easy to figure out, the book did not disappoint me. It has those moments where you are intently reading the book and you forget about the surroundings and your heart beat quickens because something bad is going to happen to the characters. I finished this book in a day, so I guess you can realise how engrossing this book can be.
I received a copy from Writersmelon in exchange for an honest and unbiased review of this book.
October 17, 2017
Love is a conditionless feeling. We cannot predict when our heart goes for someone. The uncontrollable attraction tof someone will force us to forget the norms of the society and pursue our love. After innocent, deep, immaculate and platonic love story in 'Broken Man', Akash Verma is back with a tale which is to be placed on the other end of the pole.
Dhruv a content family man with a secured job, successful and beautiful wife and two adorable kids, gets swept from the world on seeing Anuradha. Anuradha in turn is fighting the demons of her past. Once in love, they forget everything that ties them to the materialistic world. Dhruv finds one reason or other to come back home late and spend time with Anuradha. The basic plot has the telltale formula of the stories that portray extramarital affairs. The relation that is purely based on craving for flesh.
The plot takes a U-turn when Anuradha's past snowballs in Dhruv's life keeping his family in a flimsy platter. Determined to find the truth and end the games, Dhruv sets out to the place where all drama started.
Akash Verma has succeeded in giving a signature touch to the book eventhough the plot is a far cry from his previous book. The suspense element has been kept under wraps till the end. Barring a few glitches the book is an entertainer. The story as such is not a brainracker. The whole tale is simple yet systematically set. The climax is a breezer for a wife inside me but for a reader the climax was cold and without much expected drama or action.
Overall the book is an easy read.
This review is in return of a free book from Writersmelon
Dhruv a content family man with a secured job, successful and beautiful wife and two adorable kids, gets swept from the world on seeing Anuradha. Anuradha in turn is fighting the demons of her past. Once in love, they forget everything that ties them to the materialistic world. Dhruv finds one reason or other to come back home late and spend time with Anuradha. The basic plot has the telltale formula of the stories that portray extramarital affairs. The relation that is purely based on craving for flesh.
The plot takes a U-turn when Anuradha's past snowballs in Dhruv's life keeping his family in a flimsy platter. Determined to find the truth and end the games, Dhruv sets out to the place where all drama started.
Akash Verma has succeeded in giving a signature touch to the book eventhough the plot is a far cry from his previous book. The suspense element has been kept under wraps till the end. Barring a few glitches the book is an entertainer. The story as such is not a brainracker. The whole tale is simple yet systematically set. The climax is a breezer for a wife inside me but for a reader the climax was cold and without much expected drama or action.
Overall the book is an easy read.
This review is in return of a free book from Writersmelon
December 16, 2017
You never know
You never know by Akash Verma is a romantic thriller novel that revolves around the life of Dhruv, his wife Shalini and his extra-marital affair with Anuradha. Despite being married to Shalini he falls in love with Anuradha but at that time he didn't know he is going to get himself into trouble.
After reading the blurb I was excited to read this book as I wanted to know what will happen to the love triangle but there was nothing in the book which I expected. The story was totally different and interesting. Though I didn't like the characters having an extra-marital affair. The book starts with a thrilling scene which was enough to give chills.
The book has some scenes which are common in every romance novel and I love them every time I read. The protagonist has to face many obstacles when the past of his girlfriend comes face to face with him. What happens in the story? I won't reveal because it will spoil the fun. Read the book to know what will happen to this love triangle?
The best thing I like about this novel was its bold cover. It is in red shades and is enough to attract readers. I liked the tagline on the front which says
"Sometimes love can drag you through hell"
Which is very appropriate according to the story. The title "You never know" also goes with the theme of the story. The book has suspense, romance, thrill, drama, almost all the elements which are necessary for a novel to become interesting read.
You never know by Akash Verma is a romantic thriller novel that revolves around the life of Dhruv, his wife Shalini and his extra-marital affair with Anuradha. Despite being married to Shalini he falls in love with Anuradha but at that time he didn't know he is going to get himself into trouble.
After reading the blurb I was excited to read this book as I wanted to know what will happen to the love triangle but there was nothing in the book which I expected. The story was totally different and interesting. Though I didn't like the characters having an extra-marital affair. The book starts with a thrilling scene which was enough to give chills.
The book has some scenes which are common in every romance novel and I love them every time I read. The protagonist has to face many obstacles when the past of his girlfriend comes face to face with him. What happens in the story? I won't reveal because it will spoil the fun. Read the book to know what will happen to this love triangle?
The best thing I like about this novel was its bold cover. It is in red shades and is enough to attract readers. I liked the tagline on the front which says
"Sometimes love can drag you through hell"
Which is very appropriate according to the story. The title "You never know" also goes with the theme of the story. The book has suspense, romance, thrill, drama, almost all the elements which are necessary for a novel to become interesting read.
October 6, 2017
'And if you think it won't happen to you - think again. '
You never know by Akash Verma is a romantic thriller that revolves around the life of the protagonist Dhruv his wife shalini and his love anuradha. Despite being married, he develops feeling for anuradha which leaves him stuck in a tornado. Will he continue with his marriage or will he accept anuradha ? What will happen to this love triangle ?
Grab this love story to know what happens next .
The bold red cover is enough to attract any reader towards it . Also the title is very apt and goes very well with the story . Moreover the line ' Sometimes love can drag you through hell' is completely justified once you are done with the book . The blurb is so enticing that you cannot resist reading the book.
The book is fast paced and the language is lucid. The element of suspense will make the reader hook to the story till the end. The characterisation is done very well. The narration is also good. The one after the other events will hook you to the book till the end.
The plot could have been little better . Though there were elements of suspense but the end was too predictable. Overall if you are looking for a light read , then you can pick this book.
Rating -
3.5/5
You never know by Akash Verma is a romantic thriller that revolves around the life of the protagonist Dhruv his wife shalini and his love anuradha. Despite being married, he develops feeling for anuradha which leaves him stuck in a tornado. Will he continue with his marriage or will he accept anuradha ? What will happen to this love triangle ?
Grab this love story to know what happens next .
The bold red cover is enough to attract any reader towards it . Also the title is very apt and goes very well with the story . Moreover the line ' Sometimes love can drag you through hell' is completely justified once you are done with the book . The blurb is so enticing that you cannot resist reading the book.
The book is fast paced and the language is lucid. The element of suspense will make the reader hook to the story till the end. The characterisation is done very well. The narration is also good. The one after the other events will hook you to the book till the end.
The plot could have been little better . Though there were elements of suspense but the end was too predictable. Overall if you are looking for a light read , then you can pick this book.
Rating -
3.5/5
October 9, 2017
Cover is appealing damm attractive and title apt for it perfectly. Blurb is something that will give you urge to buy the book and read till end. Story is very engaging. Plots are well written. Characters are been portrayed. And characters are justified. Yes very true "sometimes love can drag you throught hell" this is what Dhruv protagonist of You Never Know experienced.. This is a story of Dhruv. He was married to Shalini and have two babies. But as it is saying if you have everything but missing love you drag your self in it. Shalini is a busy working woman running her own clinic she is a dr. Dhruv get attracted towards Anuradha and slowly it becomes a extramarital affair of boss and employee. She pleases him and he became addicted to her during all this (affair) he was quite cut to his family because of his time which he have started to give to anuradha. But love is not easy and that to extramarital affair. He was threatened but some goans who were related to anuradha and his ex-bf sid.
Anuradha was in love with Sid but as per news he was dead and it was spread that he had suicide. But the real reason was something else which Dhruv found out. To know whole story grab you copies guys this is a super suspense thriller book you won't regret investing money on this.
Anuradha was in love with Sid but as per news he was dead and it was spread that he had suicide. But the real reason was something else which Dhruv found out. To know whole story grab you copies guys this is a super suspense thriller book you won't regret investing money on this.
October 17, 2017
You Never Know manages to be a light read. You can give it a go if you have a couple of hours. Did I like the book? I thought it was ok’ish. What I couldn’t tolerate was that many a time the characters were contrary to themselves. Anuradha has been to shown to be a go-getter with a brilliant mind, yet she manages to be stupid enough in her affairs. Dhruv is someone who is content and happy, but love makes him too much of a fool. Yes, he says he loves Anuradha, but he doesn’t love her enough to let go of his family. That just negates his declaration, doesn’t it? Dhruv’s wife, Shalini is a psychiatrist, and she doesn’t manage to figure out signs of her husband’s infidelity.
There is a plot, and it is a good one – one worth a read. But the book could have been better. You Never Know has got an intriguing plot, romance and a mystery. But it does lack something. I think that it's missing the essential cohesive fibre. Nonetheless, You Never Know is worth a onetime read.
For the full review, visit Frost At Midnite.
There is a plot, and it is a good one – one worth a read. But the book could have been better. You Never Know has got an intriguing plot, romance and a mystery. But it does lack something. I think that it's missing the essential cohesive fibre. Nonetheless, You Never Know is worth a onetime read.
For the full review, visit Frost At Midnite.
September 22, 2017
when you come across such good romantic-thriller book, you just build up a lot of expectations, coming that from an author like Akash Verma you just can't delay in reading his book. i have read his previous two books and his storytelling skills is just amazing. coming back on this book, the blurb gives u a crux about what the story is going to be. since the time i picked the book up i just stepped into the shoes of each and every character when they narrated their parts. The story is gripping enough and you shall not be able to leave the book till the time you finish it off. till the very end it becomes really tough for the reader to predict the ending, the ones liners used in between the story are exceptionally good. The editing is just mere perfect, i couldn't find one single mistake in the entire story. Hardly you come across such books which are just perfect in their literal sense, from cover to blurb to the story writing and infact the editing, for me this book just stood on my expectations on all the grounds. pick this book up and enjoy over a cup of coffee.
RATING : 4.5/5
RATING : 4.5/5
October 16, 2017
You never know: sometimes love can drag you through hell by Akash verma is a Romantic thriller which involves 3 protagonist Dhruv his wife shalini and the girl whom he loves anuradha. It is a kind of love triangle story but Dhruv is married to shalini and he is in love with anuradha.
The story moves and so as the attraction of Dhruv towards anuradha without knowing its consequences that where is he leading towards? where this love will take him? To find this out you will have to read the novel I am not going to leak any suspense or twist here.
The cover, title and blurb will make you go for it and for sure you can give it a read if you love romantic thrillers. The narration is smooth and fast paced with proper language and editing. It could have been a little more unpredictable but it is better then the author's previous works.
Ratings:
Title:5/5
Cover:5/5
Blurb:4/5
Story:3/5
Language:4/5
Narration:4/5
Overall I will rate it 4/5 stars.
Verdict: A story so intense that you can't put it down.
The story moves and so as the attraction of Dhruv towards anuradha without knowing its consequences that where is he leading towards? where this love will take him? To find this out you will have to read the novel I am not going to leak any suspense or twist here.
The cover, title and blurb will make you go for it and for sure you can give it a read if you love romantic thrillers. The narration is smooth and fast paced with proper language and editing. It could have been a little more unpredictable but it is better then the author's previous works.
Ratings:
Title:5/5
Cover:5/5
Blurb:4/5
Story:3/5
Language:4/5
Narration:4/5
Overall I will rate it 4/5 stars.
Verdict: A story so intense that you can't put it down.
October 31, 2017
Dhruv is the protagonist of the story who works at a company named C&M, his wife Shalini is a psychiatrist & they have 2 kids- Kabir & Siya. As their life was going smoothly Dhruv gets a good news that he is soon to be promoted. Just before the news broke out a new employee Anuradha joins the company in the creative team & unintentionally Dhruv starts to fancy her which is puzzles him from the start. But as the extra marital affair starts, Dhruv obviously had to do lie a lot to hide it. But Anuradha has deep dark past regarding his ex-boyfriend Sid which puts Dhruv & his family in jeopardy. Get the book to know how sometimes love can force you to hell.
Read the full review on Just Another Bookaholic
Read the full review on Just Another Bookaholic
November 13, 2017
You Never Know is the story of an extra marital affair with a twist set in the advertising sector. In India today, powerful men especially in indian intelligence and security agencies are openly involved in extra marital affairs , trading sex for power and money, getting their girlfriends senior government jobs with fake resumes as reward for their sex services. So this book based on a extra marital affair is interesting as it is narrated from the view point of the three main protagonists . It also shows how men will ruthlessly exploit women who love them to further their career and become rich, ignoring the emotions of the woman. Indian men are very good at manipulating, cheating, exploiting women, and rarely respect them. Worth reading for insight on extra marital affairs, indian men and indian politics.
October 5, 2017
Dhruv Saxena has a perfect life. He is happily married with two kids and is the Delhi branch head of the advertising agency C&M. When Anuradha joins C&M as the new creative head, seeing her, Dhruv felt a strange connection and couldn't stop himself to fall for her. He even started lying to his wife in order to be with Anuradha. But Anuradha is keeping a secret and it can put Dhruv's life in danger. Will Dhruv be able to get out of it?
For the full review click the link below.
http://abhisiktab.blogspot.in/2017/10...
For the full review click the link below.
http://abhisiktab.blogspot.in/2017/10...
October 2, 2017
The plot is designed well narrative and interactive. Though Sid's part of story is lil extended, it's worth reading. A suspense thriller story with good writing style full of moments it is. How love can drag you to hell is what the story is all about. it holds readers attention throughout. The language is simple and the author has narrated proper events at proper timings. Adding some song lines to the story had given a special touch.
If you love thriller romance, this book is for you.
If you love thriller romance, this book is for you.
October 29, 2017
‘You Never Know’ can be considered as a quick read that has an invigorating plot with efficacious characterization. I wish all the best to the author for success of his new book.
Read full review here-
https://dhruvdc.wordpress.com/2017/10...
Read full review here-
https://dhruvdc.wordpress.com/2017/10...
October 22, 2020
Reading books back to back by the same author sometimes can be an excellent or worst experience. It also depends on the sequence in which you pick up the books. I am just done reading Akash Verma’s “You Never Know” whereas I had completed one of his other books 2 days back itself. This 216-pages book is published by Penguin and hence I had little more expectations than usual. And I am glad that I really loved the story and so much that I woke up till 2 AM last night after a hectic day at office just because I couldn’t keep the book aside. And luckily, this book was far better than the book of Verma I read before this.
“You Never Know” is a romantic thriller and I must say it completely does justice to the genre. I liked how the author keeps the balance of everything – the family life, the extra-marital affair, the thrilling part, the sexual scenes, the professional discussion etc. that each of them is put in the right amount in the book. I must also applaud the editing team as well for this. In 216 pages, writing a story with 3 prominent characters and able to do justice to all of them along with the thrilling aspect of the story is done very crisply and up-to-the-mark. Not even once did I feel that any sentence has been framed out of the context.
The narration can’t be called fast-paced but it’s at a pace where you feel convenient but still, there’s a feeling that you are on a roller-coaster ride. Author has used 3 people who speak in their own voices- the protagonist, Dhruv, his extra-marital girlfriend- Anuradha and her ex-bf, Sid. It is so very well done that you relate to all of them and can feel the genuineness and darkness in each of them. You don’t know if what they are doing or what they did was actually wrong or the societal morality makes one feels so. I also liked the romance part of the book where Dhruv and Anuradha simultaneously displays their emotions from man and woman point of view considering that one of them is already married. This dilemma is very well played by the author throughout the book.
The way author plays with timelines and brings some old characters back into the tale is done so seamlessly that you don’t feel that you are moving back and forth with the timeline. I liked how author just didn’t mention few things from a high-level point of view but went deeper into it. For e.g. the marketing team’s job where they have to give a demo to crack a client, the pressure one feels after being promoted, the curiosity for the 1st task given in a new job irrespective of your previous experiences, the guilt when one is in extra-marital affair, the toughness of building a start-up in India where you have to get funds from others, the parent’s view regarding their child who unlike their peer are questing to be an entrepreneur than a corporate employee etc. Many such factors are beautifully discussed and handled.
Now talking about the drawbacks of the book- Well, to be frank, the last book of Akash that I completed 2 days back was been rated 3.25* by me which disappointed me as I have earlier rated him as high as 4.5*. But this time he has again delivered well up to his best capabilities hence there isn’t much that I have to say. I only have to make an observation that when author moved back to the timeline he mentioned the year whereas when in the next chapter, he again comes to the current time, it isn’t mentioned which I think should be mentioned. Though it’s self-explanatory after reading but still. Again, I feel that the thrilling part needs to be little more tough with great twists and turns which is again missing though I still believe that the book is a great page-turner where you want to know what happens next and as well as in the end.
Overall, this is a very well-written book and it can be read by anyone- beginners or people deeply into reading. I give this book an excellent 4.5* out of 5. Though this book is complete in its own sense but the sequel of the same is about to release in early 2021 for which I am equally excited to know what more happens with these characters. Well done, Akash!
Thanks.
WRITING BUDDHA
“You Never Know” is a romantic thriller and I must say it completely does justice to the genre. I liked how the author keeps the balance of everything – the family life, the extra-marital affair, the thrilling part, the sexual scenes, the professional discussion etc. that each of them is put in the right amount in the book. I must also applaud the editing team as well for this. In 216 pages, writing a story with 3 prominent characters and able to do justice to all of them along with the thrilling aspect of the story is done very crisply and up-to-the-mark. Not even once did I feel that any sentence has been framed out of the context.
The narration can’t be called fast-paced but it’s at a pace where you feel convenient but still, there’s a feeling that you are on a roller-coaster ride. Author has used 3 people who speak in their own voices- the protagonist, Dhruv, his extra-marital girlfriend- Anuradha and her ex-bf, Sid. It is so very well done that you relate to all of them and can feel the genuineness and darkness in each of them. You don’t know if what they are doing or what they did was actually wrong or the societal morality makes one feels so. I also liked the romance part of the book where Dhruv and Anuradha simultaneously displays their emotions from man and woman point of view considering that one of them is already married. This dilemma is very well played by the author throughout the book.
The way author plays with timelines and brings some old characters back into the tale is done so seamlessly that you don’t feel that you are moving back and forth with the timeline. I liked how author just didn’t mention few things from a high-level point of view but went deeper into it. For e.g. the marketing team’s job where they have to give a demo to crack a client, the pressure one feels after being promoted, the curiosity for the 1st task given in a new job irrespective of your previous experiences, the guilt when one is in extra-marital affair, the toughness of building a start-up in India where you have to get funds from others, the parent’s view regarding their child who unlike their peer are questing to be an entrepreneur than a corporate employee etc. Many such factors are beautifully discussed and handled.
Now talking about the drawbacks of the book- Well, to be frank, the last book of Akash that I completed 2 days back was been rated 3.25* by me which disappointed me as I have earlier rated him as high as 4.5*. But this time he has again delivered well up to his best capabilities hence there isn’t much that I have to say. I only have to make an observation that when author moved back to the timeline he mentioned the year whereas when in the next chapter, he again comes to the current time, it isn’t mentioned which I think should be mentioned. Though it’s self-explanatory after reading but still. Again, I feel that the thrilling part needs to be little more tough with great twists and turns which is again missing though I still believe that the book is a great page-turner where you want to know what happens next and as well as in the end.
Overall, this is a very well-written book and it can be read by anyone- beginners or people deeply into reading. I give this book an excellent 4.5* out of 5. Though this book is complete in its own sense but the sequel of the same is about to release in early 2021 for which I am equally excited to know what more happens with these characters. Well done, Akash!
Thanks.
WRITING BUDDHA
February 18, 2021
Thoroughly enjoyed reading this book in one go... A fantastic written addictive page Turner... I am just waiting to start the sequel 'Only the good die young' which I am happy I bought alongside...
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