A Monsoon Lament: A Mumbai Romance

Four entirely different people live in four separate flats of an apartment complex, The Palm Oasis Residences, in Mumbai.  Although much varied than one another in their lifestyles, fears, and hopes, these four people were the same in one aspect: each one of them was equally lost. For instance, Asavari, the housewife — a victim in a loveless marriage — appeared worlds apart from Ravin, the lone painter — living in the past. At the outset, these two characters had nothing in common, yet deep within, they were quite similar. Both Sharat, an entrepreneur, and Evana, a fashion model, establish the age long words of wisdom of never judging a book by its cover.

LOVE BEHIND ENEMY LINES

Love Behind Enemy Lines by Jeanette Anderson is a forbidden romance tale of Palestinian Jannah al-Jarbouni and Israeli, Efron Oved. From the moment their eyes met, both Efron and Jannah had felt an irresistible attraction toward each other. Their union, albeit risky, was full of passion and undeniable urgency. Their romance came to an abrupt halt when an airstrike killed Jannah’s family. Yet, this was not the only tragedy that tore her heart; the evidence found at the spot framed Efron as the reason for this airstrike. With this knowledge, Jannah knew there was no hope for Jannah-Efron love story. Unbeknownst to her, an evil lurking in her distant family was the root cause of not only her agony but also the culprit murdering innocents in the name of justice.

The Kiss List

Written in romance sub-genre of Young Adult, The Kiss List by Sara Jo Cluff moves around a High School student, Camille Collins and her favorite activity: kissing. She enjoyed kissing her boyfriend Dylan so much so that it became her ultimate pastime. However, Dylan wanted more from her. Since Camille wasn’t ready for the next step, Dylan decided to break up. Camille didn’t mind the dumping part; what she did mind was the rumor that Dylan spread about her being a bad kisser. To discredit the rumor, she came up with a perfect solution: a Kiss List.

Chasing Kat

Throughout high school and college, Kat had eyes only for Bax. He, on the other hand, did not wish to ruin their friendship that he treasured more than anything else. So, instead of acting on his intense feelings for Kat, he continued jumping from one relationship to the other. Every time she saw him with another girl, her heart shattered into a thousand pieces. A few heartbreaks later, she disappeared from his life.

The Voice of Reason

When Amy married a high school dropout, Josh, she happily left her parents’ immense wealth and their pretentious lifestyle. With her husband and their son, Caleb, she had built her own little paradise. Nevertheless, as it is with all good things, her blessings came to an end, when Josh began hallucinating. In no time, his episodes escalated from him mumbling to people no-one else could see to getting into a life-threatening situation.

Boundaries by Jessica Aiken-Hall

Valerie’s reluctance to bond with people suited perfectly for her job as a Deceased Patient Coordinator in Lawrenceville Regional Hospital’s social services department. So, when her boss told her to start a weekly trauma support group, she despised the idea. Still struggling with her past, she did not feel qualified to run such a group. Yet, this trauma group brought an elevated sense of justice inside of her, so much so that the professional boundaries blurred after each meeting.

Shadow of Athena

Shadow of Athena by Elena Douglas is an engaging historic fiction that revolves around a baffling custom. To appease the goddess, two girls were sent to Athena’s temple at Troy every year. For this duration, these maidens lived in servitude in the temple. Ultimately, they returned to Lokris with the vow of sanctity for the rest of their lives.

It’s not just a Photo

As soon as the British announce the partition of India, blood flowed on the streets like water. It seemed as if the devil had unleashed his minions who were hellbent on enveloping the entire nation in its brutal grip. People, consumed in insatiable rage, murdered one another like beasts. The incessant banging on their door felt like nonstop punches to Akriti’s head.

Once Upon a Time in India

“How long would you be gone for?” Akriti’s voice was shaking. The last thing she wanted was to break down in front of Parth. She had heard her father rebuking her mother numerous times for weakening his resolve by crying in front of him. It was the same story almost every other day. Subsequently, she had vowed never to let her man see her tears. Even though they hadn’t said the words, it was an unspoken agreement that they belonged together. But now, he was leaving India with his family, for God knew how long. To avoid meeting his gaze, she focused on removing invisible lint off her dupatta.

No More Terrible Dates by Kate O’Keeffe

Twenty-five-year-old Darcy Evans had a lot of things working in her favor. She had two best friends: Sophie and Erin. She was a personal assistant to a celebrity. Although her boss, Larissa Monroe, had some crazy viewpoints, Darcy knew how to manipulate her. Despite the positives, one aspect of her life always knocked her out: her dating life. To say that she had a bad dating record would be the understatement of the year. Therefore, her friends came up with “The No More Bad Dates Pact.”