Before I picked my boots and started visiting places in real, it was always books which took me to places far and near. I have always loved to travel and see the world through words and imagination. Yes, it is fun to be virtually transported to amazing places that may not be possible for everyone to visit. Well, only books give you that privilege to rejoice without expenses and tickets and live some romance too….
Lets get talking around the new book ‘All Aboard’ that takes you riding on the waves…
First you must hear about this sweet little coincidence. In my last travel post around Bgydoy in Oslo, I mentioned about a beautiful cruise liner, how I was dreamy to be there and why I could not take the cruise. Around the same day I got a new book in my post-box which not only promised to take me on a romantic ride but also on a Mediterranean cruise. What more could you ask for? Well, it is the third book from Kiran Manral. A cover page in beautiful blue, an attractive girl alongside a swimming pool and Metro reads, et al got my attention immediately. Next, I moved forward to the blurb which convincingly sounded romantic.
Story that keeps you engaged and going- All Aboard
Rhea Khanna is the protagonist. Our girl was about to get married but her beau runs off to Bali and sends a mail to end it all. While she sulks, the heartbroken young lady has a wonderful aunt in the form of Rina Maasi who takes her on a cruise to help her get over the gloominess. There she meets Kamal Shahani, the guy whose eyes follow her everywhere. The two people are not supposed to fall for each other because one has just been dumped and other has a girl friend who is still high on hopes of winning back her boyfriend.
As far as the cruise is considered, everyday is a new day on the ship and for readers it brings in lot of fun to learn about life and time on a cruise. As the ship, Aqua Princess moves from Naples to Venice to Cannes, story becomes spicier with the Colonel, Sonia and the drug peddler enacting their bits.
Personally, I enjoyed learning about the famous attractions of all the places where Rhea and her aunt booked their day tours.
Romance and love is in on-board
Rhea isn’t the most attractive girl but there is something about her character that makes the reader connect with her instantly. She isn’t the snobbish, rich girl who has all the boys dying for her but one who works hard to make both her ends meet. There are many a times when she acts foolish and clumsy but she is honest about her feelings. Kamal is the guy that every girl would want to have in her life but he doesn’t go overboard to woo the girl. He is smart, elegant and a silent observer whose actions speak more than his expressions. When the two meet on a cruise, romance sparks and love just happens for them.
Thumps up
To start off, the cover design is a winner. A simple story has been told interestingly. A cruise setup was indeed a great idea to add zing to a ‘girl meets a boy’ story. I quite liked the fashionable female characters of the story. Thank God, the protagonist isn’t the girl who only knows how to sulk. Rina Maasi is one character to read for. She speaks her head and decides for herself- one strong-headed woman she is! Dozes of humor keeps one entertained. The writing is lucid, descriptive, engaging. Book is well-edited and it makes for a breezy read. Makes perfect for on-flight or a beach read.
Thumps Down
If you love chic-lit, honestly it does not give you many reasons to complain. No twists and turns as such if you are expecting any. The blurb almost gives away the whole story and makes it quite predictable. Kamal’s girlfriend could have had a meatier role. She added no spice to the whole story.
The book was sent to me from the lovely people at the Penguin Random House publishing group. Thank you Kiran Manral for making it possible.
Happy Reading!!!
Reblogged this on Kiran Manral and commented:
A review of All Aboard on Manjulika Pramod’s blog.
Thanks for the kind words, Manjulika.
Seems like Better version of ” Dil dhadhakne do ” 🙂 ..Will Pick it up from bookshelf !
Seems like a good read! I’ll surely give it a try.
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Story doesn’t seem anything great, but that cover is awesome!