Lovestruck

by Prasupta Roy

Kaatyaani works as an English teacher in a school. She enjoys her job as she finds it both challenging and rewarding. She dreams of excelling in this field and getting some recognition in her life. But, life takes a different turn when she marries Hemant. She now has only one wish-to become a mother.

For, she thinks a baby will fill the void in her life. But fate has different plans! Amidst the turmoil when life seems meaninglessshe meets Siddharth, a tall and handsome man in his mid-thirties. In him, she finds her ideal man, her soul mate. They come closer, fall in love and wish to spend life with each other. But Kaatyaani won’t leave Hemant. For, she thinks he will be shattered if she forsakes him.

Fate plays a game again when Hemant gets transferred to Bangalore. Her heart craves for Siddharth while her mind demands fidelity. In this tussle, between her heart and mind who will win-the heart or the mind?

Kindle Edition

Published June 13, 2018

Reviews

[Somnath Mazumdar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovestruck A debut novel by Prasupta Roy was a sheer delight . The crisp language was easy on the context while not damaging the flow of the story. I am an ardent fan of R K Laxman and Ruskin Bond for their easy to follow English without harming or spoiling the taste of the novel and got the same feel while reading the book. An unhappy wife of A careerist husband finds love in an unusual encounter and then looses her love for almost a decade before meeting again in a very unusual circumstances. Her emotiins and injured sentiments have been formed with so much sensivity that the reader will immediately relate and commiserate with the protagonist. The detailing , whether a street or a party , is very vivid and the reader just visualise the happenings.

A must read not only for the gripping story but also for beautifully portrayed characters in a soothing language.

I wish the author many many successful creative geniuses.

[Khyati Gautam · Rating 3 out of 5]

A romance fiction, Lovestruck, is a debut novel that forays into the life of a woman in a patriarchal society living under its choking beliefs. It has Kaatyaani in its center who leaves behind her ambitions when she marries Hemant. She finds her happiness in his love and tries to mold her life according to his whims. Her inability to conceive develops a crack in their relationship that becomes frail with each day. In the middle of her pervasive melancholy, Kaatyaani stumbles upon a stranger who brings a radiance on her dull visage. A woman who lost her mirth and excitement regains it basking in the love of this new face. When the happiness found its way to the mundane life of Kaatyaani, life takes an acute and unexpected turn to shatter her castle of dreams. Years roll by and she finds herself abandoned, devoid of love and lonely. Will love come back to her life?

The book has the women as its prime subject and the author attempts to cook a tasty story around her. There’s everything. Right from her sacrifices to her assumed sterility by her husband, his infidelity leading to her abandonment, her suppressed desires to enflame her life with love, her predicaments to deal with her heart. There are the barriers put in her way by the society, the lackluster life devoid of affection, her inability to see her parents, her immense efforts to save her husband of being guilty of his inability to father a child that makes her an ideal Indian woman suffering for a major portion of her life. Well, Kaatyaani has been projected as a poor woman who sees her dwindling relationship in the light of false hope. She puts blame onto herself despite being pure to keep his husband’s ego intact. Until the time her husband decides to move on, she is shown as that ideal perfect wife. Somehow, this aspect of Kaatyaani didn’t convince me at all. I found her character quite pale and feeble to stand for herself.

Love is the central theme of the plot that finds ample space and nice description throughout the narrative. The brewing love story of Kaatyaani and the stranger catches pace without his proper entry. I found it a bit too fast. The intense chemistry between them is illustrated very well without sacrificing the sanctity of love. I liked it. Love has been displayed in both of its forms – its highest peak of ecstatic bliss and the nadir of painful separation. To love and be loved is a true blessing which is being justified in the story.

The language and coherence of thoughts make the book appear good. The subject of sterility could have been dealt with in a more elaborate manner since it plagues our society badly. The pace of the narrative should have been more uniform. The flow of thoughts renders the narration effective. Overall, the book is a good choice for the ones who would like to pick a simple romance fiction for light reading.

[Ritika Chhabra · Rating 3 out of 5]

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

A word of caution before you continue further:
This review might sound rude to some. I am sorry if it offends anyone in any way, but these are my own thoughts about the book and everything related to it. I am not sorry for feeling the way I did about it, and I hope the viewer understands that.

Lovestruck by Prasupta Roy revolves around Katyaani. Ever since her marriage, she has lived a lifeless life, thanks to the ample amount of restrictions her husband has imposed upon her (thanks to his narrow-mindedness). She cannot do the things she love. She has to stay in solitude all throughout the day. The only person she ever meets is her husband—that too, during the night when he returns from his job. She has no friends, no one to contact to. She does not even have a proper sex-life!

Not only this, but her husband was a control-freak when it came to his wife. He believed women are supposed to have no opinion of their own. He tried her the way a sane human does not even treat a dog! And what was Katyaani's reaction to it all? She lives through all of this because she believes she loves Hemant (the husband).

To be honest, if I were in Katyaani's place, I would have probably gone insane by now and would have been planning on how to either run away from the house, or plan that man's murder. She didn't. Instead, she decided to succumb to that lifeless life. 

Then comes the discussion of the child. Katyaani and Hemant have been wanting to have a kid since the past six years but they have not gotten anywhere. One day, Katyaani suggests they go see a doctor. Hemant agrees, but once at the clinic, he decides he cannot do this. He believes he is only at the clinic because his wife has some problem and he is completely fine, so why should he have to wait for three hours to get his wife treated?

He shouts at her saying he has no time for her doctor. But that's not all! When they finally DO see the doctor and she suggests a list of tests for both of them, he shrieks at Katyaani saying how imbecile her doctor is for even suggesting that he could be impotent. I mean, what? And she bears through that! 

Katyaani is perfectly eligible to have a baby. The issue lies with her husband. That patriarch bastard who thinks there is nothing wrong with him and the fault is with the lady. I have no idea why do these men even marry! But what I do know is these men are just weak imbeciles who only want to feel better about themselves by suppressing others (in most cases, their wives).

Anyway, so that's where the story takes off. Katyaani begins to feel trapped and then meets some guy online who she starts liking. She loves him and he treats her like a queen but she cannot even be with him. I mean, talk of insensible plots!

Now let us talk about the thing that bothered me the most here. There was no sense of timeline (one minute they are in Pondicherry and the next minute, they're back at home. I mean, when?), a plot that seems to drag (the pace is so slow that the words seem forced) and a variety of senseless circumstances created by Katyaani herself just to create a nonsensical story! 

The character of our protagonist, Katyaani is a total mess! Like I said before, she loves one person but isn't ready to leave the other one. What sort of a woman does not take this much stand for herself? I get it, there are some who find it hard to believe that such good things can happen to them, or some who just fear their husbands/fathers too much to do anything about it, but here is a guy who is ready to make your life a better life! Half the time in the story, I wasn't sure what she cried so much about—her plight at how her husband treats her, her hurt because he didn't treat her right or her lack of sources to leave? 

Now the thing is, she was more than a messed up character and I cannot delve deeper and let you know of my thoughts because that would mean giving spoilers and I'm so against that. But get this: She cheats on her husband by sleeping with someone else and when that someone asks her to leave her husband and come with her, she says she can't because why exactly? Any guesses? Because she cannot CHEAT on him. I mean, what did you just do?

There were so many pathetic things in the book. The grammar wasn't right at places more than one and that irritates the hell out of me! 

But you know what's the best part? Katyaani got her punishment for NOT CHEATING on her husband soon when they shifted to Bangalore and her husband started to have an affair with his boss and asked her for a divorce. I mean, what up?

All in all, I could barely find a good thing about this plot. There was nothing in it upto the mark. Even the characters were two-dimensional (and if I may say so, delusional at times). So yes, I would definitely suggest it to you. A lot of things could have increased in this book. And for the next book, I would suggest the author to work more on her characters and story-line before jotting down a story. 

NOTE: As previously stated, this is my own point-of-view. I do not stand to be affected by anyone's views. If it offends you, I apologize. I was just being honest about my views to my viewers. 

[Harshita Gupta · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lovestruck is a recount of Kaatyaani’s life where she is unhappily married to Hemant and finds love outside her marriage in Siddharth. The story moves forward with a boring plot where Kaatyaani though very much love in Siddharth decides not to ditch her husband. Somehow, her husband was having an affair with his boss and choose to divorce her for another woman.
The only thing I learned about Kaatyaani that she loves crying more than anything else. She could be seen doing this in half of the book. Neither I liked her character nor felt good reading about her. And so was same with both of the male characters in the book.
The plot has been very badly turned up with nothing new in the story. Language is the weakest part of the book where it works as a restraint for further reading and furthermore, I hated the choice of words used by the author especially while describing her tempting feelings.
Before going to publication, the author should have worked more on the story and the language, the book may not have turned into disappointment as it is now.
Many times, while reading I felt to DNF this book but somehow read it. I’m really disappointed.

[Murali Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovestruck by Prasupta Roy wouldn't be of some romantic novel you hear or come across, rather I found it as a novel which speaks about the unspoken things.

Kaatyaani was an ambitious person who wants to succeed bigger in her teaching career but she kept all these aside when she married hemant. When her life is moving forward without any supports nor love she meets siddharth through Facebook but before they could take their relationship to next level Hemant got transferred to Bangalore from Chennai so kaatyanni lost all contacts with siddharth and In Bangalore too she and Hemant both lives without any happiness in their marriage life. Until, hemant broke the ice to kaatyanni about his plan to remarriage Monica his boss. After their divorce she moved back to Chennai but will she able to pursue her dreams and find the missing love from ever first? The answer is an upright finish to the novel.

Novel had a virtuous narration, author's control over the story was awesome and clearly stated the needful things only. Lucid language and simple vocabularies makes it a one sit read.

Overall, Lovestruck was replica of many unspoken Kaatyanni's in our society. The sacrifices of a normal housewife their untold emotions, shattered dreams, adjustments, misunderstandings, unsuccessful marriage, loss of freedom are echoed over the story.

[Ayushi Nair · Rating 3 out of 5]

Starting from the cover of the book is picture of a book with paperclips pinned. Cover is simple but can be better. The tittle of the book 'Love Struck' is apt according to the cover and it's gives the hint to reader's it's going to be a love story. 

"To love and to be loved back is so wonderful"

This is the story of  protagonist Kaatyaani.  Kaatyaani was an English teacher dreams to shine in her field ans getting some recognition in her life but the destiny had some other plan she got married with Hemant. She resigns the job because Hemant doesn't like it.  and now all wanted to be a mother. Kaatyaani is married to Hemant for six years now but they are unhappy as they cannot have a child. However Hemant refuses to get himself tested for infertility. Meanwhile she met Siddharth through Facebook site . Sharing her distress with Siddharth she feels pleasing and falls in love. To find out what happened next in Kaatyaani life read the book.

The book is bag of emotions, dreams, career, family, friends, freedom, happiness, joy, Indian family, broken heart, childless, human, scarifies, marriage, infertility, pregnancy and unwanted relationships

Language of the book is lucid and written in a simple way to comprehend for any kind of reader. The narration is simple and engaging. The characters in the story are commendable, but a more strength would have added more weight to the plot. The story is written fast paced and predictable sometimes. I did not liked the climax and Hemant back story felt in complete. I wouldn’t say it would be the same when you finish reading it. A few typographical errors here and there need to be rectified.

Overall Ratings 3/5 Stars

[Meghasi Bhatt · Rating 2 out of 5]

At the outset I would like to apologise for my negative comments on this book as it is not my intention to hurt anyone. But I am merely sharing my thoughts on this story.
The story is littered with various grammatical errors that made me cringe every time I came across them. But the worst grammatical error was “the Pandora’s box”. I do not mean to sound like the grammar police but I have always understood that the article “the” is never used before a proper noun. I was especially unhappy with these errors as the author is supposedly an English teacher.
Coming to the story, Kaatyaani lives in Chennai and is married to Hemant. She used to be a teacher but gave that up when she got married as Hemant didn’t want her “going for a job”.
Hemant comes across as an extremely unpleasant character in the story. Though they are unable to have a child, Hemant refuses to get himself tested for infertility.
Kaatyaani is living an extremely unhappy life when on impulse she accepts a stranger’s friend request on Facebook. She starts to chat with Siddharth, i.e. the stranger over Messenger. Slowly, they grow attached and start to meet. The inevitable happens and they fall in love.
Life takes a turn when Hemant gets a new job in Bangalore. Kaatyaani decides to end her relationship with Siddharth and stay married to Hemant. However, their marriage worsens until Hemant informs her that he is getting married next month!
This took me by surprise as I was not aware that polygamy is legal in India, i.e. can Hemant get married when he is still married to Kaatyaani? Hemant then sends her the divorce document as his fiancée wished that Kaatyaani signs the divorce papers before they marry. Kaatyaani has to simply sign in a few places and send the document back to Hemant and just like that, they are divorced!
After this speedy divorce, Kaatyaani moves back to Chennai and starts working in a school. She tries hard to contact Siddharth but cannot find him. This again sounds strange that she only tries his mobile number but not any kind of social media or e-mail, when it was through Facebook that she met him in the first place!
I will avoid revealing the ending of the book as someone might want to read it. This is merely my opinion on the story and of course a reader might actually enjoy it and have a contrary opinion. A little editing and some research on the Hindu Marriage Act and divorce laws would certainly have helped to make the story better!

[Hema · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is a story about afemale named Kaatyaani and her married life. She is married for a long time but is not a mother yet. Like most of the men her husband thinks it is all because of her. I was not entertained reading this book I was like why is the female protagonist the way she is, this irritated me a lot. Why can't women be shown stronger than what is shown. In 3/4th book she is not what I wanted to read. But the later part showed her as a strong character. The story is predictable somewhere ...
Rating :- 2.75 or 3🌟

[Mugdha Mahajan · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5

Like the title suggests, Lovestruck follows the complicated love story of the protagonist Katyani. Katyani and Hemant are married for 6 years now but are childless. They both urge to have a child but when the doctor asks Hemant to go for a test, he gets furious on hearing the doctor indirectly calling him impotent. Because of all this drama, they become distant and Hemant doesn't have time for her. She befriends a stranger named Siddharth on Facebook and they start chatting all day long. She would sneak behind her husband to meet Sidharth. When Katyani's husband goes on a business trip for a week, she calls Siddharth home and sleeps with him. When he asks her to leave her husband and come with him, she denies him telling that she doesn't want to a break the vows of her marriage and cheat her husband . ( Like Seriously? Girl you are already cheating on your husband). But when she shifts to Bangalore with her husband, her contact with Siddharth is broken and you'll find her sulking all the time ( She is such an irritating cry baby ). And when her husband tells her that he loves her boss and wants to marry her, she portrays him as a villain for cheating on her. She fills in the divorce papers and shifts back to her native place. She finds a letter from Siddharth and cries and cries till 3 years. She does meet him after 10 years and they are all lovey dovey again.

The plot is unnecessarily dragged and the protagonist is double faced. Like one side she says she doesn't want to cheat her husband but she is kissing and sleeping with Siddharth. Love demands loyality and so does a marriage. Commitment and Loyality are the utmost traits in a relationship. Yet Katyani lacked them. She is portrayed as a weak woman who cannot take her decisions. There were too many grammatical errors.Overall I really didn't like the book. This is merely my opinion on the story and of course a reader might actually enjoy it and have a contrary opinion.

[Riti Ghosh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Title : Lovestruck
Author : Prasupta Roy
Publisher : Half Baked Beans
Book Cover : Simple yet meaningful .

Plot : Kaatyani was an ambitious girl , she was pursuing her dream job of an English teacher but after getting married with Hemant she had to sacrifice her job for her family . Her marriage did not proved right , it's been six years of her marriage but was unable to conceive . Hemant's male ego was hurting in getting the tests done which the doctor had prescribed him . All he knew was to blame Kaatyani for the misfortunes of his life . Kaatyani was getting buried in the loneliness of her life .

Meanwhile she met Siddharth through a social networking site . Siddharth was a gentle,handsome and caring man .Sharing her distress with Siddharth she feels contented .Both developed a liking for each other . They decided to meet . Everything was going well until Hemant got his promotion and transferred to Bangalore . She lost every possible contact with Siddharth and the only happiness in her life thus vanished .

Hemant being frustrated from the turmoils of his life decided to devorce her .

Amidst these conditions , will she ever be able to meet Siddharth ?

P.S. In today's male dominating society , women suffer . Her wishes ,desires are never superior than of the male . SHE is considered as a symbol of sacrifice. It's a story of how a woman thrives for seeking love . Kudos to the wonderful debut of the Author .

. Story in my verses
In the seven vows , she felt to be chained .
Her happiness, her wishes , she can't claim.
Buried in this loneliness , lost in her helplessness ,
Caged in the four walls she feels restless .

She can't cast that weak smile for long ,
longing to change the tune of her hopeless song .
All her hopes forever shatter ,
Better for her to sign the devorce letter ,
When her wishes doesn't matter .

Love without understanding doesn't last ,
time to mend the present forgetting the past .

Even the slightest smile can make your day ,
Love once happen forever stays .
Never before she felt such ,
with that warmth and tender touch .
Getting a reason to survive ,
She found the love of her life .

The only promise they made is to love each other ,
Together they shared a happy life further ,
Meeting him she felt a tickling sensation ,
There is love , when there is no communication .

[Sanchari Das · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Love can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere and then stay with them forever till Eternity."

Soaked with huge emotional turmoils, the story "Lovestruck" by Prasupta Roy is sure to strike hard at the heart strings of the readers and transfer them to the divine land of love. With a skilfully constructed plot and a perfectly touching style of narration, the author beautifully brings out the theme that "Love is Eternal".

Marriage snatches away all that Kaatyaani had desired to achieve in life, leaving her with the only wish to become a mother. But error occurs when in six long years she isn't able to conceive. Stuck between male dominance and male ego, she struggles to get some fresh air to breathe. Amid her turmoils, Kaatyaani finds a tender relief when she meets Siddharth and fall in love with him. But at the same time she's unwilling to break her ties with Hemant. What will Kaatyaani choose-- her happiness or her husband's well-being? In the tussle between her heart and mind, who will win-- the heart or the mind?

The story of Kaatyaani isn't just her story, it's the story of many women who strive to find their existence in the male dominated society; it's the story of every girl who loses their own identity under the shrewd conspiracy of male ego. Kaatyaani is one of such girls whose own wishes are murdered in order to satisfy the desires of her husband. It's the story of the struggle of a woman who finds herself stuck between her happiness and her fidelity. It's the journey of a woman from sacrificing her love for others to loving herself more than anything else.

And no matter where this seemingly endless journey leads to, author Prasupta Roy makes sure that her readers ends her debut novel "Lovestruck" with a huge smile on their face and a great satisfaction in their heart.

[SCULPTOR Of EMOTIONS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blurb-

Kaatyaani works as an English teacher in a school. She enjoys her job as she finds it both challenging and rewarding. She dreams of excelling in this field and getting some recognition in her life. But, life takes a different turn when she marries Hemant. She now has only one wish-to become a mother. For, she thinks a baby will fill the void in her life. But fate has different plans! Amidst the turmoil when life seems meaningless she meets Siddharth, a tall and handsome man in his mid-thirties. In him, she finds her ideal man, her soul mate. They come closer, fall in love and wish to spend life with each other. But Kaatyaani won’t leave Hemant. For, she thinks he will be shattered if she forsakes him. Fate plays a game again when Hemant gets transferred to Bangalore. Her heart craves for Siddharth while her mind demands fidelity. In this tussle, between her heart and mind who will win-the heart or the mind?

Review-

I never experienced such twists and author has wonderfully narrated every scenario in this book with the different ways marriages fall apart. There might be many siilar kind of books but I would suggest this one as the best of all with an amazing plot. Lovestruck takes you on the journey of hearts which do not find limits when fallen in love and shows how dreams take your life on different level. 

Kaatyaani had dreams just like every other girl but sometime dreams are hard to be achieved and that's what brings various changes in our life. 

Usage of lucid language make it a good read. I didn't find the blurb much catchy and the simple cover page of the book is completely perfect s it goes with the content.

Overall ratings- 4.1/5

Narration- 4/5

Plot- 4.5/5

Characterization- 3.5/5

Title- 5/5

Cover- 5/5

Burb- 3/5

[Lavi Sirohi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book Cover is not much attractive. Cover could have been much better.

Story revolves around katyani a school teacher who wants to do something better in this profession.  Her dreams change when she marries Hemant. Now she wants to become a mother.

And then her life takes another turn when she meets shiddhart. They  fall in love & want to live life with each other. What happens next.. Read the book to know more.

Author should have write this book with some preparation. That could have make it much better.

Book language is simple and easy to understand. Narration was simple. There were many positives in book. Author unable to  deliver the message that she wants to give through this book. Sometimes story moves in slow motion. It seems publisher wants to save the pages & they want to finish the book in less pages.

Book is not that good but you can read it once though.

Overall I would give it 3/5 star.

[Divya Devarajan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book written by a dear friend, and so I took time to read it in leisure to enjoy the book in its maximum extend. Starting from the cover image, many things about this book is striking; especially for a debut novel. In the cover image itself you can see the clip arrangement pointing at the baseline of the story (a lady torn between two men/ two situations). Kaatyaani is the protagonist of the story and she is torn between two situations; one to make herself complete by giving birth to a child through her husband Hemanth (who never gives her any value), and other her deep and irresistible love towards Siddharth (who makes her feel as the most precious person).
The story is basically simple, but what makes it beautiful and unique is the way it is written and how well the feelings of each character is narrated. You will easily get into the flow of Prasupta's writing and language, and you'll feel the turmoil, the happiness, the excitement and heartbreak all along with the character. Especially for a debutant, the way the emotions are expressed through different changes in nature is absolutely beautiful and nothing was forced anywhere.
'Love is such that once you find it's true essence; it will stay with you even when not visible, it grows with you even when you won't nurture it and it never dies even when you do'. That's how the story about Kaatyaani is. Though she lets go of her love, it never fades and she attains completeness only through it.
A beautifully written story, amazing especially due to the language and ease. Kuddos to Prasupta for such beautiful debut as an author and wishing her all the very best in everything.

[Sourav Chatterjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

"There is Love, even when there is no communication. It melts when one embraces.

Fall in Love..."

The story really touched my heart. It's not a formal love story, it a story about a strong women, her sufferings, her hidden pain and her struggle. Sometime no matter how hard we try to keep a relationship, how hard we try, sometime some things or some people will break us into pieces, but that doesn't mean it's the ending, maybe it will a new beginning...

The author narrated the whole story with great care. Every details the pain of not having a child, the pain of being neglected, the pain of being alone , everything is well described.

The storytelling process is just awesome. It can really touch the readers heart and soul...!!

The character of Kaatyaani is really strong.

The language is clear .

The cover is really Creative.

[Enakshi J. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yet again, HBB disappoints with the font size and editing. Even the blurb has grammatical errors (‘for’ as a conjunction has been used incorrectly). The narration lacks strength. The desperate attempt to include intimate scenes seems futile because the characters are not relatable.

Overall, the redundant and weak storyline didn’t live up to my expectations.
Read the full review here: http://aliveshadow.com/category-bookr...

[Debashis Das · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVESTRUCK, a debut novel by super talented wordsmith Prasupta Roy is a must read. Literature is an Ocean. It has its tides, its storms, its calmness and its pearls too. Readers are like divers, who dive deep within to find a pearl for themselves. They do it every time with hope and aspiration but they seldom succeed. Sometimes we readers become lucky enough to find a glistening pearl from the Ocean of literature which shines with the colour of our soul, bears the essence of our lives. LOVESTRUCK is my pearl without any doubt. I have lived this story in some ways. I thank Prasupta for imagining such a beautiful story. It is full of emotions and love. She has done a marvelous job as the writer. Every word and each thought have found their perfect places and purpose in her writing. Indeed she has done justice to them. I loved the book so much and I suggest others to read this book as the story is capable enough to tickle the frailest components of their hearts. I congratulate her and wish her all success in her endeavor. I am waiting for the next story from her....Thank you.

[Ananya · Rating 1 out of 5]

Firstly I will warn you, that this review is going to hurt many people. But yes, that's my opinion and I won't apologise for it. Although I'm going to be gentle about the criticism, I can't guarantee the same through out.

I'll start with writing style first. In the beginning it seemed like Okay, but as the story progressed, I really felt the the writing could have been more engaging. May be It felt like this due to the pot jokes in plot. But still a good writing skill always covers up for most of the flaws, after all a book is just an emotional ride across the pages.

Coming to the plots, I appreciate the author for taking an unconventional romance plot. But as much as I want to appreciate more, it remains there only. Problems in marriage are common issues in india. And Topping it with the most important issue fertility and pregnancy makes it intriguing and promising.

Hemant and Katyayni have been married for six years now. And they are yet to be pregnant. They both long for a child and its effect is seen on their marriage. Katyayni used to be a teacher. She left her job after her marriage . As years passed by Hemant grew more and more chauvinist and Katyayni grew more and more resilient. During these period of abrasive marriage, Katyayni befriends some one on facebook. And I don't know how but she comes to rely upon him more than herself.

Now that's where this book left me in disgust . Marriage: Not working , walk out of it. Husband : not paying you attention, demand it and snatch your right. Couldn't get pregnant: Adopt some one. You still have your parents alive, you still could land a job you just need to walk away, with your head held high. Walk away from that imprisonment, romance with your supposed to be soul mate and live happily. End of the story.
But no, our protagonist here chose to have the best of both the worlds. She would sneak behind her husband to meet her lover, how apt is that. And here we blame the husband for not giving her time. When your husband is on a trip call your lover home and cheat on your husband , how proper is that! To top all these, when your lover asks you to end your marriage and come with him, you deny him out right, stating that you can't break the vows of your marriage, like really, you took the vow of polygamy ??

Then the after transfer period was another story. We are supposed to hate the husband for he took his affair with his boss seriously and demanded separation, like seriously! He is not the villain here. Atleast a lesser villian than Katyani , Even if he went behind her back, he came straight and demanded a separation. What were you doing Katyani? Why couldn't you have done the same?

Emotions and all, I understand. The need to be understood, the need to be cared I understand. But still, there is a thing called moral. How to understand infidelity? Love which urges you towards infidelity could never be right. Still, all along the novel there was not a single moment where you felt guilt ridden!? You are no better than Hemant himself. When one takes vows to honor her marriage she is bound to do it by all her body and soul.

There are many people in india who suffer from unhappy marriages. But that doesn't entitle them with the right of adultry or polygamy as a matter of fact. You are unhappy you simply work on it, or walk out of it. There is no middle road. I don't know why today's movies, serials, books even showcase infidelity as something excusable. Adultry is a crime. And Infidelity is immoral . I don't know why the people doing it are often victimized and sympathasized Ultimately to be excused.

Coming back to yet another plot hole, Katyani as previously described had some serious issues with her self dependablity and judgement. And she also lacked intelligence. How can some one forget to check on FB if she wishes to find someone, she met first there. They chatted through FB for days, must have exchanged the no there. Or simply could have again asked him. Or could have searched more. Stalked him. This is the era of technology. A little stalking could have saved her few valuable years and us some pages and time.

I personally believe, Love demands loyality and so does a marriage. commitment and Loyality are the utmost traits in a relationship. Yet Katyani Lacked them. She Was neither Loyal to the men in her life,nor to herself. May be She is one of the weakest protagonist I have come across in a while. And I seriously blame that on the author.

[Himadri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am struck with Lovestruck. Finished it 24 hours ago and it is still hovering in my heart. And it will do so forever. And why shouldn't it?

One of the finest novels I read in 2018 and in my reading career so far. It is a unique blend of the classic and the postmodern. The storyline is one of the finest I have ever come across and our beloved novelist Prasupta Roy does complete justice to it with her excellent mastery over language and diction. It's smooth as the Autobahn. You will get struck with Love but never with the ever-smooth and elegantly flowing language which is a distinct mark of the novelist's ever efficient handling of her literary pen. In simple words, it's a very original work. It holds in treasure for the readers- Love and only Love- the most sincere and serene psychic feeling in this world. The novel redefines Love. Canons have played with the idea of Love as synonymous to the unrequited and dead lover placing the object of Love on the high altar. Prasupta Roy is a modern classic. She defines love in terms of life and living with it. The altar still remains but you can reach it, worship it and make it your own. Here, it is Kaatyani and Siddharth, who live and love and instil the faith in the modern generation that love is life.

I constantly got reminded of Emily Bronte's Heathcliff-Catherine and Charlotte Bronte's Rochester-Jane pairs while going through this marvellous novel by Roy.

The great Chaucer writes- "Amor Vincit Omnia"
meaning- Love Conquers All..
I realised it while reading Lovestruck.
Read it..

Fall in Love...

[Harsha Babu · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is about kaatyaani. She was an English teacher before getting married to hemant who was an office worker. Hemant showing off his manly power on kaatyaani and forced her to live a life which made her suffocate every minute of her life. That was when Siddharth came to her life through a social networking site. Hemant always ignores her for not giving birth to a child even after years of their marriage and never considered katayani as a human. Whereas Siddharth was a relief for her. She gradually started falling for him. What will happen to their relation? Will she own up her feelings? Will kaatyaani and hemant have a happy married life ahead of is there some twist in the plot?
The writing style was fair. The story line was quite good. It expresses this men dominated society in its best way. The language was lucid. Overall I enjoyed the book. This is a good one to read and enjoy.

[Kamini Kusum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love is eternal, pure, blissful and not bound by any bars. The feeling is wonderful and the same I felt while reading this beautifully written book. This mature, sensible, gripping story is a breath of fresh air amidst the chick lit romace flooded in the market. Prasupta, I simply loved it and waiting for your next creation!

[Priyaranjan Mohan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, but endearing and sweet.Author Prasupta Roy has such an incredible ability to enchant readers with her stories and characters.The story of the book revolves around Kaatyaani an english teacher who leaves her job for family, Hemant (Kaatyaani's husband and Siddharth (Kaatyaani's facebook friend).The story was a quick read.The love story between Kaatyaani and Siddharth is well written.Narration is good.Title of the book is apt to the story. The story is a bit predictable.All in all it was a enjoyable read.

[Sidd Burth · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a universally known truth that married couples, after a reasonable period of honeymoon, long for the first child with intense desire. But if things don’t fall in place, life goes haywire. Childlessness is a female thing- something wrong with the wife and not the husband- is like a proverb in certain societies and our own India is not an exception. LOVESTRUCK once again proves that love is eternal and rest of all things of our life is fleetingly external. A married woman falls wildly in love outide her matrimonial vows, and then she goes through her share of moral conundrum. On the fringe of the story, observing the events with wide secretive eyes, there is someone who has perhaps made a vow to self to remain hidden until the world around does not take notice.
Here is a piece of Roy’s mastery on prose- “A sparrow chirped somewhere and with that others joined too—crows, mynahs and a cuckoo. Just like a musical concert regaling the ears with melodious songs. Far away in the east, the bright streaks of the sun was breaking into the sky, slowly filling the expanse with its brightness.”
She is a stunning woman, often found by the reader wiping her beautiful eyes with the “free end” of her saree- this evokes the portrait of no other than the heroine herself of this story, whose heart “lurches” forward so very often at the drop of her beloved’s hat that the reader would be obliged to check the floor every half an hour of reading this story. Sometimes overly sentimental Kaatyaani finds herself ‘amidst a sea of hopelessness and despair’, and at some other times, she is the dedicated teacher throwing glimses to us of our education system- the painful tasks they manage- preparing lesson plans, tabulation, report cards, PTM... She dares to say at one point- “But students remember only those teachers who have lived up to their expectations. As students, they also expect certain things from their teachers— they place us next to their parents. When you are kind and doing your job honestly, they love you a lot. They just seek your love and a smile on your lips, Kaatyaani. As, love begets love!”
This is so true. It’s the love for something that inspires learning, more and more acquisition of knowledge.
The other fine characters in LOVESTRUCK are Mrs. Sen, an Iyer couple, a flamboyant Ms Monica, sexy and sprightly, who loves to call his colleague’s wife Cat or Kat for no obvious reason. Then we meet a poignantly intelligent colleague called Lata who comes up with a bright idea and it changes the course of history of the most unsuspecting woman of her school. Then we see from a distance, a sincere gardener called Ramu and a punctual house-help called Sarla- both keep our heroine’s home running beautifully well.
Much of the actions of this story happen not as much in Bangalore as in Chennai. We visit Pondicherry too. Kaatyaani sets the scene and arranges the characters- a task author Prasupta Roy accomplishes with style through her characterization and often teary dialogue.
Here is another magic of womanly preoccupation with beauty that the author has painted well- “Walking into her room, she changed into a red georgette sari with a golden border on its either sides. She wore a golden sleeveless blouse with a deep cut at the back. Her hair was well combed but let loose with a parting in the centre. On her forehead in the centre she wore a bright red dot and her peach skin glowed under the soft light. She had matched her ear rings and bangles with her sari and put on the golden coloured heels she had bought from the Metro one month ago. As she scanned herself in the mirror, she felt satisfied with her look. She hadn’t looked so beautiful in months, she thought.” - Author Roy genuinely makes us see her gorgeous heroine behind the mirror of our imagination.
Kaatyaani seems to be always in-transit of thoughts. With a beautiful and sensuous ending, Prasupta Roy, the creator of LOVESTRUCK, plays a cleverer game than what is obvious. Her intelligently crafted language, romantically set scenes and simple storyline keep us glued to this final scene. There is no doubt, Roy is one of the rising stars of English fiction from southern India.

Sidd Burth
Author of THE POISON EARRINGS & THE GIRL IN THE GREENROOM
(http://amazon.com/author/siddburth)

[Meghna Roy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Note: This review contains many spoilers, so be careful before reading.

The story revolves around Kaatyaani and her husband Hemant, and of cause an Unknown Lover Siddharth whom she met in Facebook and blah blah blah...and the rest you can see it in the summary as i want to come on point rather then dragging about the story like this book itself, which kept dragging unnecessarily.
Point number one- 'No sense' situations, missing plots, kept dragging unnecessarily, as i have said before. i mean why? why do the protagonist have to run crying and lock herself in the bathroom or bedroom or which ever room she wants, but why to run? and that too crying? Is she crying because she is hurt or because she is guilty? I would say both, Why? i will let you know wait.
Point number two- I have never seen a protagonist to be so lame, or hopeless or showing to be true to her marriage but is not. In many books it has shown but to this extend? Never. You will see in every page this similar lines such as 'HEART ABOUT TO BREAK, OR HEART COMING ON THROAT, TEARS AND TEARS FOR EVEN A LITTLE THINGS' I mean seriously? why do the protagonist have to ache her heart for little things because she has been through a worst and it should not effect her. The Author has created this character as a total mess and confused women, and i hate this kind of women and not only me but many will.
Point number three- Now your wait is over because i'm going to say the answer to the question i mentioned on Point 1. So, Kaatyaani and Hemant is married for 6 years and have no child, they go to a doctor for a test and Hemant get angry saying he wont do the test as he thinks that the doctor is indirectly saying him as impotent(I think he knew it from start). After test Kaatyaani is fine but Hemant is not maybe as said doctor because he didn't do the test. (Fast Forward) Kaatyaani meets Siddharth on Facebook, and i'm surprised they also started meeting after a while and also kissed.
But still after all this she can't leave Hemant because she has taken vows with him, i'm like seriously? where were your vows lady when you met Siddharth and kissed him? and that's not all, Hemant went to a work tour, she called her lover, got intimate and when the lover said her to come with him her answer was 'I can't cheat Hemant' OH MY GOD, even after sleeping with him you can't leave your husband? You are a total cheat women. (More Fast Forward) Hemant had to shift to Bangalore, Kaatyaani heart again came on her throat as usual, they shifted, Siddharth dissapeared and her phone got destroyed, she don't remember her lover number and Bomb! her heart exploded. And guess what? she got to taste her own medicine because Hemant got in an affair with her boss and wanted a divorce. Her heart is so much weak and i thought she will have a heart attack but she didn't (Ahhh! this should have given the story a little more dragging, thank god). As usual she is crying. She came back to chennai started working in the school again, Got a letter from her lover that he loved her and as usual tears, tears, tears. I have heard Human body has 71% of water, and i think after crying so much she must have dehydrated because she had maybe only 10% water left in her body. She became principle and i thought that's it, but no, the lover had to return anyhow or else no happy ending. So, lovers united after 10 years and thank god its over. Wait! the story not my review.
The Author tried to narrate some erotic scenes but failed. The main thing is the story had a very good potential but just because of all this Extra drama, extra situations, extra heart coming on throat, extra tears etc etc, it made this story boring and not worth it. It was actually less romance and more tears and heart to throat journey that's it.

[Vibhati Yadav · Rating 2 out of 5]

PRODUCT DETAILS 



Title: Lovestruck

Author: Prasupta Roy

Format: Paperback

Book Length : 130 pages

Publisher: HALF BAKED BEANS (11 May 2018)

ASIN: B07D195X58







BLURB

Kaatyaani works as an English teacher in a school. She enjoys her job as she finds it both challenging and rewarding. She dreams of excelling in this field and getting some recognition in her life. But, life takes a different turn when she marries Hemant. She now has only one wish-to become a mother. For, she thinks a baby will fill the void in her life. But fate has different plans! Amidst the turmoil when life seems meaninglessshe meets Siddharth, a tall and handsome man in his mid-thirties. In him, she finds her ideal man, her soul mate. They come closer, fall in love and wish to spend life with each other. But Kaatyaani won’t leave Hemant. For, she thinks he will be shattered if she forsakes him. Fate plays a game again when Hemant gets transferred to Bangalore. Her heart craves for Siddharth while her mind demands fidelity. In this tussle, between her heart and mind who will win-the heart or the mind?



REVIEW

Cover - Love struck has a dead cover design and I did not find it relevant with the story or title.

Blurb - Blurb seem to be not promising and has an excessive detailing about the story, it is more like a summary rather than to be just a brief idea or blurb. It could have been less informative than this, which has already made a waste to read the entire book after reading the blurb part.

Narration -  Since this is a debut write up of a novel by the author, it did not stand well.

The story has too many twists and turns and a lot many stories and incidences occurring in Kaatyaani's life and people related to her who are offering the incidences to her. This book is a pure fictional part but seem to be the copy of taking contexts from International writings. 

This did not impress me,certainly but may be a wonderful masterpiece to some.

Language - The language is prominent and easy but there could have been a better presentation of words, differently.

Some parts in the descriptive story consisted of grammatical errors which can't be forbidden but can go for second editing process.



Reader's Word - 

It turned it into a boring book and took a lot of time to finish it. Lacked subtly in the story-line. Not an impressive debut but can be a better kick in the next writing. A better editing could be done by a professional editor with some experience before publishing and Author can work for a plot line which is subtle rather than complex multiple relational stories related to protagonist(s).



RATINGS

Cover - 1/5

Title - 1/5

Plot - 2/5

Narration - 2/5

Characters - 2/5

Pace - 1/5

Overall - 2/5

[Namrata Roy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The society we live in demands association and alliance as the pillars to sustain humanity. In a country where arrange marriages have predominantly ruled almost every class, alliance often fails to establish itself between the couple. From time immemorial, marriage has doomed upon the freedom of many young women making them the epitome of sacrifices. From leaving their surnames to cremating their dreams and unfulfilled wishes, a woman has to renounce every inch of her existence for the sake of her conjugal life even today in areas where the society is yet to embrace open mindedness.

Such is the story of Kaatyaani, a beautiful and selfless woman for whom marriage has turned out to be a formidable foe. Her husband, Hemant, a self-conscious man has ceased to acknowledged her or even respect her existence. Slowly as we unfold the story we come to know that they longed for a child but unfortunately Kaatyaani fails to conceive everytime. Considering Kaatyaani to be barren, Hemant disgusts her presence in his life and eventually shifts away from her. Tired of her dull and lifeless living, she starts accepting this as her unavoidable fate, until the day she comes across Siddharth. Will Siddharth bring back the long lost happiness in Kaatyaani's life? Will love be able to break all the shackles the society impose on women? Well, you need to read this beautifully crafted novel by Prasupta Roy to know what lies ahead.

Personally, I loved the way the author has addressed some of the unspoken norms of society. When a marital couple fails to give birth to a child, the women is automatically considered to be infertile without even scrutinizing the truth. Objection on wife's job and independence are placed as obligations in an arranged marriage system. These and many more such issues are beautifully portrayed in this book.

The cover and the blurb might be slightly deceiving, but once you start with the book you are bound to love it. The story is fast paced with quite a many time lapses. The characters are limited to avoid confusion and unnecessary side plots. The storyline has kept me intrigued throughout and left me wondering through the lines about what happens next. Honestly, I was afraid anticipating that an exposed clandestine affair might break me into tears, but to my utmost relief the story ends with a happy note.

Although it will be unwise for me to rate the book since a beautiful narration like this cannot be justified by ratings, yet ❤️❤️❤️❤️ out of 5!

Enjoy reading folks.

[Anuya Patil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: Lovestruck
Author: Prasputa Roy
Format: Paperback / Kindle Edition available too.
Length: 130 pages
Synopsis:
Kaatyaani works as an English teacher in a school. She enjoys her job as she finds it both challenging and rewarding. She dreams of excelling in this field and getting some recognition in her life. But, life takes a different turn when she marries Hemant. She now has only one wish-to become a mother. For, she thinks a baby will fill the void in her life. But fate has different plans! Amidst the turmoil when life seems meaningless she meets Siddharth, a tall and handsome man in his mid-thirties. In him, she finds her ideal man, her soul mate. They come closer, fall in love and wish to spend life with each other. But Kaatyaani won’t leave Hemant. For, she thinks he will be shattered if she forsakes him. Fate plays a game again when Hemant gets transferred to Bangalore. Her heart craves for Siddharth while her mind demands fidelity. In this tussle, between her heart and mind who will win-the heart or the mind?
Review:
The book has a very contemporary and a modern take on the kind of relations that have evolved with time. It talks about certain instances which are very normal but are still looked as a taboo in the society. the book also highlights the patriarchy in the Indian society. the readers will find a lot of similarities of the story with the book ‘The Private Life Of Mrs. Sharma’. The dilemma of Kaatyani, the female protagonist with relations to her personal relationships is beautifully penned by the author. The protagonist depicts the true Indian woman, her feelings, her sacrifices and her challenges she faces in a manner which is very relatable. You can see yourself, your mother your sister and every woman that you see closely in your life. In all aspects, the book turned out to be an engaging read. However there are some logical lapses that the readers may find in the course of the story which surely come out of love for the dear Kaatyani. At no places the story is unnecessarily dragged which works in favor of the book. however short the read is it plucks the right strings in the readers heart. The readers heart sadden when Kaatyani feels low or sad as when she has to do some sacrifices in her career front or choose the conventional mannerisms as opposed to what her heart says. However they rejoice when her life gives her what she wants. Overall the book makes a light and a mesmerizing read.
Rating:
3.5/5

[Sindhu Vinod · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovestruck is about Kaatyani’s life. She works as a school teacher. Life takes a major turn when she marries Hemant. It’s the usual story of “expecting a child’ after marriage. They decide to visit the expert. We see a long episode at the hospital involving a big wait now that is something at least that is depicted about the real world. Hemant is always grumpy and Kaatyani is a cry baby. We see a lot this happening in fact throughout the book. Then we see an affair blooming between Kaatyani and her new found social media friend( Siddarth alias Sid as she fondly calls) whom she decides to meet after a couple of message exchanges. She decides to meet him regularly during Hemant’s absence.

And it’s so unbelievable that she decides to bring him home when Hemant is away on a tour. Fortunately for her or unfortunate for Chennaiites the flood happens so she makes him stay with her for ten days and nobody in the apartment knew about it. And her husband only calls on the day before he is expected to come to check on her and inform about his arrival.

Hemant gets another offer and the story shifts to Bangaloru. We have yet another affair in the book and that is Hemant with another woman. I’m not revealing the details of who it is, since there might be people who would want to buy the book and read it. And they get a quick divorce like how we purchase a tatkal ticket.

Kaatyani moves back to Chennai and starts searching for Sid. Sadly she gets a letter written by him from one of her old neighbours. Who has carefully preserved it to be handed over. In the era of fast communication, I’m not sure why will someone wait for the person to arrive in person to handover the letter. And our lady here, just tries dialling his number and finally resorts to writing a letter to him since she couldn’t reach him over phone. Kaatyani wake up, he found you through social media.Why not you try the same. So, she waits for another 10-12 years for him to arrive back and then reunites. THE END.

First of all, the plot is very usual. I noticed a couple of grammatical errors which should have been avoided, given the fact the author is a teacher. Secondly, the book is not gripping to read continuously, but could have been improved given a usual plot. Some parts were of very little details say the divorce the between Hemant and Kaatyani. The choice of words could have been better. Overall I would give it a one time read.

[Rida Mohammadi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This beautiful piece written by PRASUPTA ROY has described the life of a married woman in India so beautifully.


1. Cover : Could have been better.

2. Blurb :

Honestly the blurb is poorly written. I liked the whole story but not the blurb. As soon as I read the blurb , I thought it's going to be another silly story. And I was contemplating not to read it. But the very first chapter itself captivated my undying attention.

I am glad I read this beautiful piece.

3. Plot/ Storyline :

Kaatyaani, a married woman, who does all the bidding of her husband, gives up her dreams, career, family, friends, freedom, happiness, wishes and joy just to make her husband happy, like most of Indian women do. This aspect has been described quiet well. Many would say she should fight for her rights, but I say it isn't that simple. I can understand how compelling it was for her to abide her husband's wishes.

The next part was about not having child even after six years of marriage, and how Hemanth her husband blame her of infertility, where as the author has clearly indicated that it's Hemanth who is infertile and Kaatyaani is healthy.

Which actually happens all the time. Our men are having bad attitudes and egos. How many women suffer from this problem daily. We have no idea, but we hear or see it all the time. Men leaving women thinking the infertility lies only in women.

Author has described beautifully the way marriages fall apart and how people fall out of love these days. And how is unfair on women to be blamed on sterility all the time.

The love story of Kaatyaani and Siddharth is beautiful and heart touching. Thier story create a hope in our hearts. The last line of the book is what took my heart away.


There is Love, even when there is no communication. It melts when one embraces.

Fall in Love......

Their story was magical and breath taking. The only thing which I didn't like is adultery. No matter what the circumstances are it cannot be justified.

Other than that the book is awesome. I would definitely recommend others to read it.

4. Writing :

Written well. There are some some grammatical errors but can be neglected. But the narration is good. It is easy to escape in to the world she creates.

5. Overall :

It's a good book. Short and sweet. Well portrayed with heart touching love story.

[Ankita Arora · Rating 3 out of 5]

My rating: 2.75/5

Lovestruck is the story of an arranged marriage turning sour due to complexities of life worsened by social stigma.

Kaatyaani and Hemant have been married for six years. She forgave her desires, her career, and her dreams after marrying Hemant. His male-dominated mindset couldn't allow her to work and have an independent identity. They wish to have a child but are unable to conceive naturally, to which Kaatyaani suggests consulting a doctor. Again, Hemant's narrow thinking restricts him from taking any tests of himself as he thinks there is nothing wrong with him, she is the one who cannot bear a child.
Amidst all this chaos in her life, Kaatyaani comes across Siddharth through social media. She experienced every feeling she expected from her marriage, but with Siddharth. He gave her the peace of mind she never had with her husband.
Soon comes a point when her marriage is on the rocks and she has no connection with Siddharth.

What will be the end of her relationship with these men? Will she do the right thing for herself?

Positives:
- The story starts on a very intriguing note. It seems it will lead to something very interesting.
- The main plot being simple, is very realistic. This happens in our society more often than not.
- Struggles of woman in an unhappy marriage with a guy like Hemant is shown very well!
- Character development of Siddharth stood out for me.

Negatives:
- Hemant's story ends loosely. One would expect a final put-down by Kaatyaani.
- Character development of Kaatyaani is very poor. After reading what all she has gone through, one would expect her to take a stand for herself. But it felt like Hemant won and she became the victim of a sour marriage, when it should have been the opposite. Her spirit should have been the winner.
- Although I could gather what the author is trying to tell with her story, the execution could've been much better. The way it came out, the protagonist is weaker and comes out more immoral than the antagonist.
- The writing starts off very strong. But towards the end errors are more noticeable.
- Few loose ends but they can be neglected.

Overall feel of the story is very realistic. The writer has great potential.