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Tuesday, February 17, 2015

The Accidental Fiancee by Zeenat Mahal: A Review



BOOK TITLE: The Accidental Fiancée
ISBN: 9781927826690
AUTHOR: Zeenat Mahal
GENRE: Fiction / Romance/ Short Story.
NUMBER OF PAGES: 20
FORMAT: Digital / ePub
SERIES / STANDALONE: Standalone
REVIEW BY: Dhivya Balaji
HOW I GOT THIS BOOK: The author contacted me via goodreads and sent me a review copy. Thank you, Zeenat!
SUMMARY:
          ‘…Tell me why exactly you want that ring on your finger so badly that you’ll even succumb, pitifully I may add, to your arch enemy?’

          ‘Bad boy’ Akbar and ‘firebrand’ Khayyam were rivals and enemies back in college, while studying architecture. While he laughed at her feminist sentiments and views on preservation, she denounced him as a commercial sellout with no originality or talent. Humiliated in front of his admiring hangers-on, Akbar will not pass up the chance to get his revenge when fate presents Khayyam as his unlikely fiancée.
          Read this delightful story to discover what happens to these wildly different personalities when they reluctantly exchange rings.
REVIEW:
          How long should my review be for a single short story of 20 pages? How best to phrase the review to reveal the simple elegance of the story and the writing without revealing too much of the story itself? How am I actually going to bring out the pluses and minuses of the story in a few short words, much like the author has brought out the features of her characters?
          The Accidental Fiancee is a good read. In trademark Zeenat style, the story is about two people who are at loggerheads, and are accidentally brought together by fate. The reluctance of the main characters, the oblivious attempts of others around the lead characters and the well written story with in depth character development make this story a treat to read.
          Zeenat has managed to give a decent and understandable character sketch with enough details to form an impression but with enough details hidden to create just the right amount of enigma and excitement. The basis of the story is simple enough but the magic lies in the development of the plain story line.
          On the lee side, if you skim across one paragraph almost near the end of the story, you will miss the whole plot line. Read every line fully, for the surprise reason behind firebrand Khayyam’s subdued manner is revealed in a veiled manner.
WHAT I LIKED: The plot line and the character development.
WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER: The way the reason is revealed could have had a bit more credibility.
VERDICT: Go for it. It is short, sweet, romantic, and ends well!
RATING: 4/5
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
          Zeenat Mahal (@zeemahal) is an avid reader and has been writing for as long as she can remember. She has an MPhil in English literature from Government College Lahore and an MFA in creative writing from Kingston University, London. She won a BBC short story competition in 2001 and has been a regular contributor to newspapers.
          ‘Haveli’ and 'The Contract' are Zeenat’s first two published novellas. Her next novel. She Loves Me, He Loves Me Not, is due for release on 14th February, 2015.

She can be contacted on
EDITIONS AVAILABLE: Digital.
PRICE: Rs. 49 for Kindle Edition.
BOOK LINKS:

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