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Monday, 23 May 2016

Let The Game Begin! Reviewed by Aditi Srivastava

10:25 | Posted by letusreview | | Edit Post

Let The Game Begin! By Sandeep Sharma

Year Published : 2013

Publisher : Inspire India Publishers

Pages : 170

Format : Paperback

Book Synopsis

Two kingdoms, Chaturanga and Sarprakt, separated by a mystic mountain range are at war with each other since ages. Chaturanga, ruled by King Viratha, is soon bestowed with a dynamic heir, and the whole kingdom is drowned in rituals and festivity. On the other side, Sarprakt is executing a cruel conspiracy. King Viratha, crippled by the conspiracy, urges the mysterious man of the mountain to devise a method to recreate the conspiracy and that gave birth to 'The Game of Chess'.
****
Serial killings shock the nation as the police are rendered clueless. The killer leaves behind a trail of chess pieces with a strange message. Random people are murdered. Connoisseurs of different fields - History, Chess and the Security forces - have united as the next intended victim is the most powerful person of the country. How is Chess involved in the whole scenario? How will they find a man who died 4000 years ago? Can a person defy the laws of nature? Does history really repeat itself? Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

My Review

Let The Game Begin, a story which dwells into history of Chataranga, the kingdom ; the place from where the chess originated , a curse and hatched plot which became sole reason for the pages which are added in the books of history we read and the destruction of the other kingdom . Story of a lovable father who losses his only son and reason for his existence , but he returned . He returned to take the revenge . A story which tells us our previous birth sanskar follows us in our following births and the karma will make you pay for your wrong dos .

Being the second novel of Sandeep Sharma , the book was totally commendable . The book left me content and surprised by the way it was penned down . The cover and the title was just amazing . Both the things so relates to the book . Job choice!

I always hated history but after reading the book I am inclined towards to know about my own country more . I want to know, read and learn the glorious past of India where the kings ruled, the battle they fought and the history they created for us. Prof.Dinesh Gandhi , a historian or better call ‘ The Historian’ man who was itself an encyclopedia of the history , the most loved and respected professor . His knowledge about his subject was above the par that he served the nation . Dinesh , was most inspiring character ; the man who coined the whole story due his research on the history of Chataranga and solved the most of the mystery of the story . The second I enjoyed the man who turn the table , Vyaapi ; the immortal , who traveled from the past to the present twentieth century . Vyaapi , who defeated the death and knows the future , who knows the reason why the thing happened .

The book had so many enjoyable portions but I would love to highlight that left me spell bounded , first the opening murders , the boy who defeated the world champion which his indifferent move . The other one was the chase which continued till the end . And the book was worth page turner because I truly enjoyed the thriller portion and the way the history part was penned keeping track with the story line .

The overall book was amazing and thriller driven . I was not astray in any page while reading the book . The presentation was perfect . The language was very eye pleasing and readable . The book was so good that I completed it in one sitting and it wasn’t guessing but I felt I correctly recognized the hidden character .

I would love to rate this wonderful blend of history and present 4/5 . Great Job Author!!

Reviewed by Aditi Srivastava

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Friday, 20 May 2016

The Hidden Gems – An Anthology Book Review

07:28 | Posted by letusreview | | Edit Post

The Hidden Gems – An Anthology

Year Published : 2015

Publisher : Notion Press

Pages : 170

Format : Paperback

Authors : Various

Book Synopsis

This book is a tribute to all the real heroes out there.

The book brings you the sagas of those unsung heroes who had done courageous deeds for society but never received the due credit.

It takes you on the voyage of seventeen untold and unheard of stories of real heroes in the big picture called Life. They were the ones who gave many people a reason to live. They were the saviours, the warriors and the fighters; they were The Hidden Gems.

This book is not just an amalgamation of fiction and non-fiction. It is a reality; it is the chronicles of real men.

Are you a Hidden Gem? If yes, then this book is dedicated to you. If not, then its a must read.

My Review

The Hidden gems is an anthology in which fifteen short stories are entrench in a book by various words preachers . Who will you a call hidden gem ? What it could be ? Well actually hidden gem are great nestled people around us who might do normal course of work but they are special because they do things which one will find ‘ REGULAR ‘ but for them , that thing will be of great value . Continuing to work what you love , thing which not only give you happiness but you’re spreading happiness around .

Similarly , the book contain different stories which we see around but we never tried to know the reason or we didn’t see how the people are different from us . Each story reflects different shades of human personality , how they react according to the situation and how one can stay stable in any situation . In short , book is guide how we can see the hidden gems around us , may be it’s our mother or our teacher or may be we ourselves ?

Book Cover –

The book was the most fascinating part of the book , no other cover would justify the title and the content within . Good Choice !!!

Language -

The language penned by the authors were simple and catchy . There were many segments where I was carried away by the narration of the stories . Truly Flabbergasted . Good Work Authors !!!

Most Influential Stories –

1. Aunty by Anirban Nanda - Aunty , story about a virago female who worked in a school with full dedication but was forced to leave because of rich class people ( teacher ) who fabricated the situation . The story was very eye pleasing . The story reflects dedication which one have towards it’s work , struggle of a poor woman and a daunting woman who tired to stand against the evils around us , yet it also depicts how we ignore them .

2. Vows Conveyed by Hardik – Vows Conveyed, a poem which a solider son wrote to his mother. The son did return to her mother but wrapped in tricolor sheet. Beautifully written!!! . It makes my eye moist!!

3.Asha , The Braveheart by Shreyan Laha - Story by Shreyan was the most heart warming story . A story about a girl , who narrates her own story of struggle for survival and how an army man helped her . Humanity exists beyond the duty . The best part I loved about this story was it’s narration . Author has kept the language simple but his narration pour the magic in the story . Awesome story read so far . Great Job !!!

Negative Punches –

Every story was unique in it’s own way but they could have been written more carefully and with more hard work . A little bit editing was needed , I felt somewhere while going through stories .

Overall Rating –

I would like to rate this packet of gems 3/5 . A good read book . I would love to read more from the contributing authors .

Reviewed by – Aditi Srivastava

0 comments

Wednesday, 11 May 2016

Honour for a Ransom Reviewed by Aditi Srivastava

08:05 | Posted by letusreview | | Edit Post

Honour for a Ransom by Rajnish Gambhir

Year Published : 2015

Publisher : Leadstart Publishing House

Pages : 370

Format : Paperback

Book Synopsis

"April 13th, 1978...

Kartar Singh, an upper caste agriculturist, guns down his newly married daughter Simran and her lower caste husband, for the sake of 'upholding family honour'.His ex-lover, Sarah Jefferson (a British psychologist) visits him in jail to discover that Kartar has been a victim of ruthless manipulation at the hands of his politician father, Dilawar Singh, who is known to unconditionally despise the lower caste.

Vowing justice for Kartar, Sarah embarks on an intriguing mission, venturing to turn the tables against the unscrupulous Dilawar, who by now is a powerful minister in the Punjab cabinet.

Curiously delving into his boyhood days, she is astonished to learn that young Dilawar was in fact an 'affable-boy-next-door' who too had a love life, having lost his heart to a beautiful girl in Lahore...

What then caused this drastic transformation in his attitude and personality?

With the time fast running out, can Sarah succeed in nailing Dilawar as the chief culprit for the honour killings? Will she be able to reunite with Kartar - the only man she ever loved?

A heartrending love story - Honour for a Ransom unfolds through the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, horrifying hazards of partition, romantic strolls by the Thames, and the unbending complexities of the rigid caste system."

My Review

Rajnish Gambhir , Honour for a Ransom is a story which revolves around a heart wrecking , journey of love and confession , a story about how a gullible heart changes completely after a merciless incident that occurred in his/her past life and how the old customs laid down in our society drastically effects our lives.This is a story of a ruthless grandfather,a priceless granddaughter , virago who falls in the trap of caste system and a melancholy father whose ink bleeds his pain and umbrage for loosing the shinning star of his life.

So let’s begin with the title of the story which was catchy and compelled me to dig into this book which left me content and thrilled . The cover picture of the book was absolutely perfect , I couldn’t ponder of any other picture.Moreover, I discovered something magical when I completed the book and flipped back to see the cover ‘ dedication ‘ the word popped in my mind.Another part which I loved,was the presentation of the chapters.Intriguing !!! Apart from all these things,I enjoyed the way the author had written the book.Eye pleasing work Sir !!!

Characters which touched my heart –

Dilawar Singh - Dilawar Singh being the hard nutshell of the story, he’s very real if we look around.Ruthless , arrogant & a powerful man,yet a soft heart resides in him.The best part I loved about this very character is that,it' s so real,I could actually see a person like him-so real.Most gripping character!!

Kartar Singh – Kartar Singh a loner in love.Later his daughter filled those void shades of his life.A literature lover but forced to keep his feelings inside his sleeves.A son who loved his mother beyond any limits and who followed his father's instructions like anything and a father who loved his daughter the most in the world but he soon,let his smile fade away.The best part I enjoyed about Kartar is ‘ acceptance ‘ which we seek in so many men.

Portions which touched my heart -

There were many moments or better say scenes,that I loved but my favorite portion was when the two lost souls met in the cell,in spite for being apart for more than two decades.The other one,when we learn from other's lives,that even,in the worst of situations,how we can seek the joy of life by simply accepting the things they are. Personally learned few lessons from the book !!!!

The book was a complete package of emotions,hatred,self denial and acceptance.The book wasn’t guessing at all.Each segment was perfectly written and portrayed and the most eye popping was the ending chapters.Perfect !!!

Book is totally about after effects of honour killing.I would sincerely recommend this book to be read by everyone . It’s crispy !!!

My Rating- For perfect story and fascinating narration,I would love to rate this book 4.5/5.Waiting to read more from you Sir !!!

Reviewed by – Aditi Srivastava

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Friday, 29 April 2016

18 Via Teen " Be Yourself " Reviewed by Aditi Srivastava

09:03 | Posted by letusreview | | Edit Post

18 Via Teen

“Be yourself” Reviewed by Aditi Srivastava

Year Published: 2016

Publisher: Dream House Publication

Pages : 114

Format : Paperback

Book Synopsis

'18 Via Teen- Be yourself' the name says it all. It enumerates the various phases of a teen and the hopes, aspirations, apprehensions, ambiguity, insecurity, dilemma, restlessness and sensitiveness, associated with each phase. Each story vividly depicts the psychological aspects of a teenage girl/boy and how the intuition helps her/his to overcome the hurdles one after another, which in teen makes her/his matured.

My Review

18 via Teen “ Be Yourself “ by Shreyasi Rhittika Phukon , is a book which deals with that phase of life which is not untouched by anyone of us i.e. TEEN . Teen , which means age which will make us experience the forthcoming vicissitudes of life but all we got to have equipoise on our mind and the intonation in the surroundings . The book is about teen and it will be a ride which will take us to the our teenage and yeah ! those who are teen yet they will their reflection too .

When I picked the book I didn’t know the Author’s words are so magical that I actually see myself in some of the stories . I was abash !! Let’s begin with the introductory note that the Author write to us about teen , it was impeccable mam ! She has beautifully penned her thoughts and which isn’t a fiction . Each story was different from the other and yes the stories were part of us . You will feel it like me !!

Stories that touched my heart –

1.The Different Barks – Story which reflects hidden tale of girl’s heart , how a girl face when she’s out and how worse she could feel herself shedding apart due to eve teasing . Apart from it , it will tell you how actually our parents reacts due to our sudden change in our behavior . Being the opening story , it is very interesting and eye opening . A Good Start . !

2. Thanks for Nothing - Child first teacher is their parents but what if our parents neglect us and only gets involved in their personnel issues . Yet another story which I truly loved and enjoyed . The story was gripping but it couldn’t better if any other title would be given to this story .

3. Full Stop – Full stop is story about when a transfer effect teen mind . A teen leave behind everything and is asked to accept the surrounding but what he/she needed the most ? Support . Yes . Dear Author , a much thanks for writing this story , if felt that you just pooped into my heart and pen down my own tale . Nostalgia.

4. Teenage Crush – While I was reading this story , “ Fifteen “ song by Taylor Swift was constantly humming in my mind . First crush , first heartbreak but it’s not the ending . Lyrical story !!

5. Speak Dad Speak - A soft story about when a child loss his mother and how beautifully and in a gusty way his father played both the roles . Strongly recommended to those parents who have suffered loss of their better half . Trust me it’s a guide story for you .

6. Justice Doesn’t Mean Satisfaction – When we say tit for tat it’s not always justified , every action has equal and opposite reaction but the damaged can be minimized . A story about a sister whose wrath and revenge which turned her life turmoil but still she wasn’t satisfied .

Negative Punch-

In the entire book I only found one negative point in the story “ I returned for you “ how a dead person can return ? This story could have been written with more twits to justified the title and which can be acceptable in reality otherwise the whole book was fantastic .

18 via Teen is on the teenage but I personally recommend you all to read it once , twice and thrice . The book is not less a guide for a teen , parent and teacher . You will surely take down notes at the end of the day . Good Job Miss. Author .

I would like to rate this book 4/5 . A must read book . !!!!

Reviewed by Aditi Srivastava

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Thursday, 21 April 2016

Yama Reviewed by Aditi Srivastava

08:00 | Posted by letusreview | | Edit Post

Yama Reviewed by Aditi Srivastava

Story Name: Yama
Written by: Kelvin Missal
Published by: Half Baked Beans
Genre: Suspense/thriller

Blurb

What will you do if you have 24 hours to save someone?

A violent saint…

A man who claims he is Yama is punishing sinners by killing them according to the twenty eights hells prescribed in Bhagvat Gita. Who is he? What does he want? Is he a vigilante or a psychopath?

A delusional hero…

Iravan Rajpoot, an Ex-Black Cat Commando with a dark past is receiving letters with names and time limits. It’s no sooner that he learns these people will die within that time frame. He needs to do everything, risk everyone to save them.

An ambitious reporter…

Swati Kaushik, a widow and a woman who can do anything for success must team up with Iravan to stop the god of death and justice.

Will Iravan Rajpoot be able to find Yama while balancing out his personal life? Will Yama be able to fulfill in spreading his twisted message to everyone?

With twist and turns in every short chapter, Yama grabs the reader and plunges them in the heart of human consciousness.(less)

My Review

Yama is a story of an every ordinary people who find themselves sick of our ruthless system , who wants to punish the slur of the society but all their agitation and wrath remained within themselves but here in this story you would meet a man emerging as a light , a ray of hope and tries to bring change . This is a journey of wailing cry of man which turned himself into Yama the God of Justice , a commander Iravan Rajpoot who swirl between his pasts and presents keeping pace in his life and a reporter Swati Kaushik who struggled for her own existence and one day Yama knocks the door .

When I picked the book I wasn’t sure I would turn out to be a book which will make you dig inside your heart , trust me , your sins will flash once before your eye. When I read the epilogue the level of curiosity doubled inside me and I wasn’t able to take off my eyes from the book . Someway or the other I felt the Author has really researched a lot , I really appreciate this efforts for choosing a genre which we hardly mention in our daily lives more than that his hard work reflects in this book . Hat’s off sir .

From the book , the two persons really had left positive impression on my mind . Iravan Rajpoot and the Yama . Iravan Rajpoot , an dedicated army commander , a caring husband , a good father and a man with perspicuous mind who went on chasing the Yama and discovered himself. He was most gripping character of the story . The second one , Yama , the god of justice ; the man around which the story revolve . Yama , is my favorite because I learned about different mythologies , their nadir , the sins and the punishments and the best of all is the character building of Yama by the author .

Overall the story and presentation was out of the box , the book wasn’t guessing at all . The book consist of threads which are connected to each other and at the end all threads were tied together . But yes , the book require three to four settings to be completed , the reader must have patience before opening it but the book will keep you hooked .

The incidents from the book was lively , I could observe the characters from the real life but my favorite part was , the depiction of hell made my Yama , all sins are categorized and each sin have it’s own way of punishment and Iravan way of working with each clue that Yama had provided and the Yama himself . It was really fascinating !!!

Apart from all , the book could have been proved much better if the chapters were less and the author could have summed up the few plots into one . The large sum of chapter is a drawback which I found and unnecessarily stretched portions . I hope Author would work on it in his next novel and won’t take negative punches as a criticism.

Readers , if you’re really fond of reading thriller I would definitely recommend you this book . The book is actually a gripping one in spite of the portion I mentioned above . The book is really a pack of hard work and research and a strong story . A must read book though one time .

I rate this book for perfect narration , characters and the story 3.5/5 . Dear Author I am looking forward to read more thriller work of yours .

Reviewed by Aditi Srivastava

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Sunday, 17 April 2016

Love and other enchantments Reviewed by Aditi Srivastava

05:59 | Posted by letusreview | | Edit Post

The Fictitious Five

LOVE and other enchantments

Year Published: 2016

Publisher: Blue Rose Publishers

Pages: 186

Format: Paperback

Blurb

Drag, it can, from the splendours of dawn to the gloomy even-fall; sooner or later, but, it touches us all - LOVE.. indeed. "Love and Other Enchantments" is a collection of fifteen heart-rending love stories wherein each will reveal a new facet of love and will arouse a new set of emotions and even newer perceptions of relationship, sacrifice, devotion, depression, hurt, lust and madness. Lose yourself in a whirlwind of emotions, only to be rescued by that thing called love. The Fictitious Five is a group of five writers, Maliny Mohan Ishan Dafaria Tanima Kedar Anuj Kumar Akash Deep Gupta All united by their unabating passion for writing. They believe in the power of words and aspire to keep weaving them to create delightful stories that touch the hearts of the readers. Contact them at www.facebook.com/Love-and-Other-Enchantments

My Review

Love and other enchantments is a book coined by various fantastic authors ;TanimaKedar , IshanDafaria , Akash Deep Gupta , MalinyMohan and Anuj Kumar. The authors has beautifully penned down their each story and all reflects different shades of love ; the stories will take you high as well as low ; the stories will let you know love can happen anytime , it didn’t inform you by knocking and even let you encounter with the harsh veracity about lives .

TanimaKedar : Falling in love and loosing it forever , struggle not always will make you win the battle of love and when the obsession leads to self destruction ; all these feelings are perfectly reflected by the author in her stories – Till Death DoUs Part, Together Forever and The Dairy . Each story was heart warming and the endings will leave you ponder into a land of love .The author stories were right start for the book .

IshanDafaria:‘Pain demands to be felt ‘the quote from of my favorite author John Green, flashed into my mind as soon as I complete reading the stories – Closure , Different Things and Hatred , Crime and Love ; until you feel pain and agony in love then you have not known the love completely , its another side of a coin . The stories are about when love become lacerating wound and it tends to last forever , you’ll look for answers but again you will find the same question is thrown back to you again . When you least needed the love it will vanish into the thin air , when you wanted other to know they will simply walk out of your life and when you only have to leave your love of life for their own goodness sake. The best part about the stories were endings and the way they were delivered .

Akash Deep Gupta : Tales penned by author were not less than any magical spells and mystery , each one were written in a lyrical way which keeps me hooked in all three stories more over the author holds an accent while scribbling the poems ; they actually touched my hearts .

The Poem , a story of a geek who falls for a beauty with brain , the story is more like a conundrum which gets solved at the end , the ending is something which awestruck me . Charm of Those Eyes , a story of an army man who develops feelings for a girl who is full of mystery and end up being loner in search of those twinkling eyes . It reminds that we human sometimes need someone around us .The Lake of Love , what will happen when you both love each other completely but yet you wish to be part of each other in other world , it’s a story about love , compassion , death and wait . A must read story of the book .

Maliny Mohan- Author has represents emblematic view in all stories , the style of writing was something catchy and eye soothing for me . A mature piece .

At the Bus Stop ,love will make you feel content and that’s all one desire in life , a few good words and it can make your heart bloom . At the bus stop is a story about ‘ being loved even little means a lot ‘ . The Revival , story about friendship and love , but the protagonist realized it when she looses everything , never feel chugged when you know its already present . He Loves Me Not ,a simple story where one shelved to get over with love and when needed the most its gone .

Anuj Kumar–The author attempted to present different view about love but this part could have been done better I strongly feel .

So Mad in Love , a story which reflects the current scenario where a devotee who is a strong believer of Almighty but then she found herself under spell bounded of a imposter , people believe these people are actually sent by God but in reality it’s a big myth . Its not Soothing Everytime ,a story of a guy who is obsessed of being loved , when rejected turned out a psychopath , the story was quiet unreal because who a criminal can stay out of reach of cops . Known Unknow ,story about a boy who was madly in love but looses it love when his love of life realizes . Yet another my favorite story .

The overall the book was good and each segments were perfectly written . I rate this book 3.5/5 , the book is recommended to those who enjoy reading love stories .

Reviewed by : Aditi Srivastava

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Sunday, 3 April 2016

The Justified Sin reviewed by Aditi Srivastava

05:56 | Posted by letusreview | | Edit Post

The Justified Sin by Harpreet Makkar

Year Published :2013

Publisher:Petals Publishers

Pages :200

Format :Paperback

Book Synopsis

What do you call it when three beautiful women come in your life , but you are still single ? What if they all , at some point , tried to entice you , but you still feel like committing suicide because of loneliness ? What do you call it when you made no mistake , but still , you feel guilty as sin ?

Jay had a common life until Saloni ,Pranchi , and Varshha came in his life and changed everything . At times , he avoided the love that knocked at his door , but when he actually needed it , the same love knocked him .

He betrayed … He got betrayed ..

He rejected … He got Rejected ..

From being shot , by Prachi’s father to getting intimate with Varsha under the influence of alcohol , his life was spicy as those masala Bollywood movies …

He was getting used to his life , until , one night , he decides to jump off a building and end everything …

Will there be love , or will it end ?

Find out what happens when love has to pay its price .

My Review

The Justified Sin is a story which revolves around a boy name ,Jaydeep . Jay fall in love but feared to accept his feelings and tag it as ‘ love ‘ . A story about an ordinary boy who somehow walked towards the dead ends and started living a life of regression , despondency , mistakes who he called and thought ‘ sin ‘ . When Jay hopes for the best he faces the worst . It is a story which will make you to wander into his world and which will compel you to do the calculations of wanting to know more about him and his life .

The author ,HarpreetMakkar has done a great job from choosing up the most appropriate title to the catchy book cover to the story line . But my take , I truly believed the story justified it’s title . Hence , it kept me hook till the last . The urge of knowing the sin made by the protagonist was the trademark of the book . Not only the story but the characters were also good .

From the book , the three characters left the impression on my mind and I loved them the most . Jay , the Punjabi guy ; brought up in an affluent family still very down to earth. He reflects all the emotions which one boy have and go through . Jay somewhere changed my perception regarding boys but still somewhere I felt disappointed by his acts like being baffled when he knows he could have made the situation a better one . The second one ,Saloni ; she is not a girl whom you should fall once but daily . Mark my word ‘ daily ‘ . She was a strong character gripping the entire thread , as a best friend , as a person you will always count on . Lastly , Jay’s father ; indeed a true gentleman and a good father .

The overall story was good but it got disdain in the initial pages but still it hooked me till the last . It let me do a lot of mental wok from the beginning to the ending . You will be flummoxed but the climax will be flabbergasted .

If you ask me personally the most beautiful part of the story , I would tell you the relationship shared between Jay and his father . It was a lyrical , these two were so synchronized ; that I felt the author has portrayed his bonding with his father into this lovely tale . I feel connected to this very part .

The rhythm of the book was simple as well as the language was simple and readable . As I flipped the pages the book send me positive vibes , the love of family , love of friends and feeling of being together with that very friend and yes it made me believe in love again . Love will simple follow you , you just have to listen to your heart .

In spite of all , I felt there were few sections which could have been worked out in a more better way . Author have kept it in his mind to make the book understandable but still he could have tried more crispy language .

If you think you’re so just unlucky to have your loved one in our life , I would recommend this book to you ; the lost faith can be regained . Girls , if you think all boys are same , then read this book ; trust me some boys do feel and live in a life of guilt .

I rate this book a 3.5 out of 5 . I am thankful to know about the importance of everything in our life .

Reviewed by – AditiSrivastava

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Let The Game Begin! Reviewed by Aditi Srivastava

The Hidden Gems – An Anthology Book Review

Honour for a Ransom Reviewed by Aditi Srivastava

18 Via Teen " Be Yourself " Reviewed by Aditi Srivastava

Yama Reviewed by Aditi Srivastava

Blurb

Love and other enchantments Reviewed by Aditi Srivastava

The Justified Sin reviewed by Aditi Srivastava