Saved by Love

by Shilpa Suraj

They meet under impossible circumstances!

She is kidnapped by terrorists blackmailing her father, a Supreme Court Judge. He leads the team sent to rescue her.

Trekking to safety through Ladakh... They are in danger of falling in love. But, Lt. Col. Arjun Rathod knows that Naina Ahuja, engaged to politics' rising star, is not meant for him.

Forever changed by her trauma, Naina walks out of her controlling family and forges a new life.

And then, she meets Arjun again. But this time, he is engaged to someone else.

Can they save their love or is it too late?

Paperback

Published January 1, 2020

About the author

Shilpa Suraj wears many hats - corporate drone, homemaker, mother to a fabulous toddler and author.

An avid reader with an overactive imagination, Shilpa has weaved stories in her head since she was a child. Her previous stints at Google, in an ad agency and as an entrepreneur provide colour to her present day stories, both fiction and non-fiction.

Reviews

[Devika Fernando · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful read that I devoured within two days (didn’t have the time to read it in one sitting).

There’s a lot to love about this romantic suspense novel set in India. It starts with a bang, smack in the middle of a kidnapping in Ladakh that makes your heart ache for the heroine Naina. What follows is an adventurous hike through the mountains. It’s a roller-coaster-ride of action, emotion and interesting character development. The hero Arjun – intensely droolworthy, if I may say so – is part of the team that rescues Naina, the daughter of a wealthy, influential Supreme Court Chief Justice (and an outright jerk). Of course the two fall head over heels in love with each other. It seemed predictable, which the characters themselves acknowledge, and which is one reason why they don’t give in to their powerful feelings – the other reason being that Naina is to marry "Fatty", an ugly and brainless politician from the uppermost of the upper social strata. Of course their status in society stands in the way of love too.
The predictability stopped right there. The author managed to weave a tale with credible developments and unexpected twists, and with nicely fleshed out protagonists that you can’t help rooting for. I loved the way Naina dealt with her selfish tyrant of a father and with her backbone-less puppet of a mother. It was wonderful to see her change and grow.
I was really surprised at the way Suraj made Naina and Arjun meet again. It was simply brilliantly executed. Things got more and more complicated, and I found myself biting my nails at times because I wanted them to have their Happily Ever After so badly. They do get it, and in a wonderful way that once again combines hilarious and tragic moments and makes their strengths (and the author’s) stand out.
What added to the power of the book was the crisp writing style of the author. She stuck to simple but crafty language that fit the theme of the story well and made the novel thoroughly entertaining.
As if that isn’t enough to make a reader happy, we have secondary characters that are just perfect and play a crucial role too. Thanks for giving me Aryan, another hunk to drool over while Arjun is busy with his Naina…

[Shantala · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I read by this author, and I quite liked it.

It had everything I enjoy in a good romance - characters you can love and cheer for, good chemistry, some angst, and a heartwarming HEA.

There were a couple of character motivations that I could not understand, but honestly, I never really scrutinize character motives in a romance. I mean, unless it directly hampers the main plot, and in this one - it does not. Also, these are smaller/side characters that I am talking about, so it wasn't a big deal.

The romance was enjoyable, and in a (very) different setting than I am used to reading, which was refreshing.

- Shantala @ Shanaya Tales

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[Inderpreet Uppal · Rating 5 out of 5]

BANG ON! SAVED BY LOVE

The name says it all! Yes, they are rescued – literally and by love. The title is so apt, the characters are so apt, the story is so apt, the conflict, the setting of Ladakh every damn thing about the book begs you to keep reading!

I finished the book in a few hours and like many of the books that stay with the reader long after you finish them, it called me back to read a few of the beautiful, expressive and at times lyrical, heart-tugging passages again and again.

When you read the book you will realise that the author has not only made use of words very fluidly but also her sense of humour and sarcasm is impeccable.

I have read Shilpa’s previous book The Girl He Left Behind and I was very eager to read her new book. I was not disappointed; in fact, I was delighted! The descriptions had me cracking up at times and a book that tugs at your heart and makes you laugh is a winner in my opinion.

“Actually, she looked a bit like a mango but he figured that might not be the most politically correct thing to say.”

The fact that Naina has such a crappy childhood, I was amazed she was not totally screwed up! The little pixie is the perfect example of ‘good things come in small packages.’
Beautiful, kind, fair, gentle and a great sense of humour she endears herself to everyone from the first page; except the terrorists and her old man! Go figure!!

Arjun is a warrior, a soldier, an officer and a gentleman; all rolled into one. An army officer with a heart of gold and a hunk to boot. Trust me when I say that Shilpa wrote him perfectly as I get to see on a regular basis many such handsome hunks that do our nation proud and I am on a first-name basis with many of them. She totally nailed Arjun and he is a dream come true to end all visions!

Aryan is the younger brother who is so sweet and understanding and he totally deserves a love story of his own. I hope you are planning something Shilpa.

I did not want to put this in my review but I had to say it, so here it is – in spite of very little sex and the steamy titillation many novels are filled with SAVED BY LOVE is so classy and an engaging read. A very balanced novel! I sure as hell did not miss pages upon pages of mindless fondling and careless cavorting !! (It does not mean that the book lacks passion; it had a healthy dose in fact!)

A good book speaks for itself and SAVED BY LOVE is its own sweet reward. After reading the book I had a very peaceful and comfortable state of mind knowing that I would be growing old reading books filled with love written by Shilpa.

[Arti · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very well written and fast paced story. The characters are realistic and the scenes have been well described. My favourite character is Aryan, Arjun’s brother, who is understanding and does not feel scared to let Naina and Arjun know what he feels. Ethan’s protective side was something which the author has portrayed as being the right thing to do. There are certain situations in the book when I could not help myself from laughing out loud.

[Vishal · Rating 4 out of 5]

A complete page turner where an army officer meets, or put it mildly, saved the daughter of Supreme Court. The narration is fast-paced and keeps the reader engaged with the plot twists, making it a sheer winner with true Shilpa Suraj's trademark, her one-liners, making the candy floss you need during your weekend. A superb entertaining romance where the author brings the readers to Ladkah and romance, making it a hell of a love story. Smack bang!

[Angela Peixoto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shilpa Suraj did it again and wrote yet another thrilling love story that one reads with a mixture of anxiety, fear, sadness and right at the end with a well deserved HEA. A must read

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

https://www.njkinnysblog.com/2020/01/...

Saved by Love by Shilpa Suraj is her latest book that is yet another beautiful love story that has suspense, heartfelt emotional play and characters that stay with the readers throughout and then some.

The cover is catchy and attractive. The blurb is intriguing and creates an instant interest in the book.

The story looks predictable like the many other I-am-in-love-with-my-rescuer types but Shilpa gives the story her personal flavor and makes it a completely new experience for the readers. The story has more depth and much more to it than just romance. The dialogues are well crafted and the plot expertly conceived and executed.

The characters make you forget that they are not real. I loved Naina with her strength of character and her determination. She has been oppressed and ignored at home and always made to feel unloved by her parents but still she has not given up her freedom to gain their acceptance. She knows what she wants in life and is ready to fight for it. Lt. Col Arjun Rathore made my heart flutter with his serious and brooding personality. His strength and bravery and his kindness towards Naina endeared him to me. His sense of responsibility and his word of honor means everything to him and when these very ideals test his happiness, it is very interesting to see how he copes with it. The romance between these two is quiet, slow and heartfelt. Their dilemmas, difficulties and the challenges they face will make their love even more strong and I am sure will touch other readers' hearts too just like it did mine.

The other characters like the rescue team made me visualize the problems and dangers these brave men face while protecting their country from enemies. Naina's parents specially her father made me so angry with his ancient mindset and his arrogance. Her mother is a weak woman without a backbone who follows her husband even when he is wrong and has accepted her unhappy state of life, blaming her daughter for it which was entirely stupid and made me feel sorry for Naina. Arjun's family is a loving lot and worlds apart from the bitter and unhappy family of Naina. All the characters are so beautifully portrayed that the stay with you even after you have read the book.

Shilpa has grown as a writer which shows in her writing. The dialogues are more crisp, the characters have more depth and the story narration more engaging.

All in all, Saved by Love is a must read book that will no doubt keep you at the edge of your seat swiftly turning pages till the very end. Njkinny recommends to everyone, enjoy this sweet romance that touches the heart and leaves the reader with a smile on his face. This one is a poignant and suspenseful love story that spans danger, heartbreak and a sigh worthy happily-ever-after!
Super shiny 5 stars out of 5 to Saved by Love and I look forward to reading more from Shilpa in the future.

[Neha C · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not a hardcore romantics reader, but I stumbled upon this book as part of a giveaway and wanted to read it to balance out all the non-fiction (which is often heavy reading) that I was reading at the moment.
I was glad to receive an author-signed copy of Saved by Love. Of course, there were no demands for a review in exchange but here I am, reviewing this book because every author deserves a feedback for the hard work they put in.

I wanted to rank the book 3.5/5 as there were times when I wanted to know what happens next -- which means the had some substance to it. But there's no fractional option so I give it a 3.

Saved by Love started off as what I thought would turn out to be any other mushy romantic, typically happy-ever-after book but Shilpa Suraj threw in some surprises.
Naina and Arjun falling in love in unusual circumstances but not taking the leap because of the difference in their societal status, among other things, isn't a new plot from any angle.
Yet, the unexpected turn of events in Naina's life after she loses touch with Arjun, his re-entry into her life and their coming together makes for a nice story, enough to keep you wanting to turn pages.

There were some parts, however, that I found really odd and difficult to digest, including the author's language in some places.
Example 1: Naina ogling at her rescuer army man when she almost faced death moments ago. I simply couldn't imagine the scene, which is sad for a reader.
The "chiseled hot bod" descriptions were amateurish and cliched.
Example 2: Descriptions of emotions lack depth, and the author robs tense situations of intensity by using every possible synonym she could find for laughing.
Snorting, chuckling, giggling, and so on and so forth. Nearly every scene between Naina and Arjun had her react this way and I found that really foolish.
Example 3: Naina's father's stance in the end. Given his harsh personality that the reader was introduced to, the ending was a damp squib.

Overall, I feel the author could've portrayed emotions way better, and avoided repetitions. Her language, otherwise, is easy, flowing, and lives up to the pace of the book, which is somewhere between slow and racy. If you love young romance, you'll like the book.

[Kavita · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made a way into my heart through its cover which depicts two people together just beyond a wired fence and it so very well describes the story of Arjun and Naina.

Arjun and Naina meet in very difficult and challenging circumstances and are attracted to each other, also feel a lot of affection towards each other which they conveniently explain it away by crediting the circumstances but there is a metaphorical wired fence around them and what is it? Are they able to stay together and as the title says do they manage to be saved by Love.....read this amazing story to find out.

All the characters in the story right from the protagonists to the special ops team members to the family members all are so well characterised that I got a feeling that they are standing right in front of me. The characterisation is done in such a way that a few lines about them and the entire personality is revealed. Apart from the physical attributes, the essence and their background was easily understandable in few sentences.
The scenes of the hills, the beach and the entire journey by walk was very visual.
The internal conflict, the strength and their core essence came across very vividly.
What I loved the most is Naina, her vivaciousness, her ability to gain strength and learnings from her misadventures and her ability to stand up for herself.
I also absolutely adored Arjun's brother and his sensibility and the funny banter between the family in the very last part. I really hope I can read more about him in a future story. It would be such a pleasure to read his story.

The most important thing that I liked about this story is how both Arjun and Naina are so complete in their own way.

If you like to read romances, then definitely you should pick this one up. If you love to read stories that have strong characters especially strong female characters then you will love this one.

[Ruchi Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my, where do I start… don’t we all love a little action, some tingling thrill, along with hot passionate romance. A little distance from the loved one, tiny misunderstanding and then getting reunited by divine faith, or shall I say a practical, concerned brother.

‘Rescued By Love’ has all these elements and more. Naina meets handsome, tough, six-pack-abs-type Lt. Colonel Arjun, on the treacherous mountains of Laddakh, where she has been kidnapped by the terrorists. Macho Arjun and his team rescues, the petite Naina (love the name) and for four days, they walk to the nearest army base and love blossoms. But she has been promised to someone. Bound by moral code and honor, they sacrifice their love once and… again.

Will Naina survive her heart breaking not once, but twice? Will Arjun ever put her above his self-inflicted principles? Shilpa Suraj keeps throwing these fantastic twists throughout the fast-paced story, with exceptional word-weaving skill.

‘Rescued By Love’ is a dazzling, sensuous, romantic story, right from the terrors of Laddakh to festivities of Goa, which keeps the reader on the toes of their mind :-). The protagonists are charismatic yet rooted, beautiful yet relatable. The supporting characters are well etched, be it Arjun’s fiancée or his brother, Naina’s friends Ethan and Priya, even the army team members struck a chord with me.

Superb narration with, right balance of dialogues and prose, made Rescued By Love one of the most wonderful read.

Tender, passionate, action packed page turner. Highly recommended!

[Kavita · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Take :

Some authors define pain beautifully. The pain of love,longing and loving someone inspite of being one sided. This is one such story. I loved the way the story and the characters handle their emotions.

Naina comes from a affluent family which is dominated by her ruthless father for whom its always about himself. After being kidnapped by the terrorists and being rescued by Lt Col Arjun she starts her journey back home only to spend time with Arjun and fall in love with him.

Arjun rescues her from the terrorists and escorts her back along with his team and gets to know her in the process. She's soon to be engaged and married, a fact that makes Arjun distance himself inspite of falling for her. Assuming that the spoilt girl she is who would toe the line as per her parents wish he keeps his love to himself.

Cut to few years later when they meet again, this time Arjun getting engaged and she is the one arranging as she works in the hotel booked for the occasion . Surprised that he still has feelings for her and shocked that she has walked out on her family and working to support herself ,they both come face to face with each other.

Will Arjun be able to accept his feelings and propose her? Will Naina be able to get her love back or Will Arjun honor his parents wish? Read the book to find out.

Love forms the crux of the story alongside the pain they both go through. The narration is simple and crisp.

I would rate this 4/5 .

[Shraddha Gupta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Saved by Love by Shilpa Suraj is a book that made me fall in love with Arjun & Naina, the protagonists. I enjoyed reading the book and the story till the last page. I was so overwhelmed with emotions, that with every twist in the plot, my heart was beating fast for the awaiting adventure and excitement. The story was moving at the right pace to let the readers get acquainted with every character. The scenes narrated by the author seemed to be right in front of my eyes. I could imagine being in the story along with Arjun and Naina.
Some tit-bits from the story seemed typical Bollywood type scenes where logic doesn’t matter, but I think they were required to give momentum to the love-story. The emotions of fear, hatred, anger, and revenge played their part beautifully as the villains. Although, Saved by Love is a romantic fiction as there are many others out in this world, but the narrative that started with terrorism and Leh-borders gave it an altogether unique angle. Who could have imagined LOVE to take place in that side of the world where fear & torture rules it?
Will Arjun forget Naina & marry her fiancée? Check it out yourself because “Saved by Love” by Shilpa Suraj is an intriguing read that you won’t be able to keep down until you reach the end.

[Sameeksha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ever felt attracted to someone who helped you!?

The book felt like a sweet cute mysterious journey of finding and saving your love.
The journey which merely started as a mission to save daughter of Supreme Court judge's daughter felt like a simple sweet straightforward process. Although with the entangled obstacles turned into a story of freedom, ambition, and intriguing twist of events.

The book has a perfect combination of drama, love, romance, family relationships, and of all the powerful message of having the freedom to say and do things.

The writing style is lucid. The narration is beautiful although I would have liked more of travel elements in the first half. The character development is very well done. Right from the father, Arjun - the protagonists, the depth of each character's living and behaving style was explained on very little words. I loved Naina's character for her boldness. The storyline was good. The plot was really nice, it could have been even more amazing if it had more engaging elements.

Overall a beautiful, sweet, intriguing read.
Recommended to the ones who want to read a really calming and relaxing sweet story.

[Shashank · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, the book is a breezy read because while reading I found all those bookish attributes which are required to present in a book. The story is good along with a nice and progressive plot,I loved the characters because the explanation is too good.

Things I liked
Good plot
Interesting storyline
Easy dailect
Engaging story

In the starting I wasn't enjoying the book much but as soon as I drifted the book attracted me .

Overall a nice and light read and you can pick ii up!