Book Review: All Aboard by Kiran Manral

                 

Author: Kiran Manral

Published by: Penguin Books India

On the jacket: When Rhea Khanna is dumped by her boyfriend of four years just days before her marriage, the only thing she wants to do is to get out of the city to clear her head. The opportunity presents itself immediately when her aunt, a retired school headmistress, invites her aboard a Mediterranean cruise. As Rhea struggles to cope with her grief of being dumped at the altar, she finds herself getting attracted to the seemingly involved Kamal Shahani – the infuriatingly attractive ex-student of her aunt and a hot shot entrepreneur. To add to the confusion, Sonia, Kamal’s very attractive ex-girlfriend boards the ship in a bid to win him back.

Will Rhea heal her broken heart, or will she end up even more shattered than she was when she got on this cruise?

Review: I have read one of Kiran's books and upon reading All Aboard, the first thing that I noticed is the simpler tone of the vocabulary as well as English, as compared to her previous books. I feel it as a welcome move for majority of the readers. But having said that, there is not a shadow of having a tone down when it comes to the story and romance. It is perfect to put it in a simple way.

If you are like me who has always dreamt of going on a cruise, but for some reasons the journey has still not materialized, then All Aboard will be an exciting read - For it gives you an in-depth view of the cruise liner, the locations, which made me feel as if I am visualizing it on a wide screen and the sort of characters that you would probably bump into. So a round of applause for the research the author has done for a romance novel is commendable.

Now coming to the plot, the plot is pretty simple. Two strangers bump across each other, with a blow hot blow cold vibes between them and finally they realize they are made for each other. But, the thing is the witty narration, the superb character of Rina Massi, the vulnerable Rhea, simple and straight forward Kamal and the self doubts and misconceptions that is actually keeping the plot exciting to read. 

Overall: All Aboard is a simple read that will touch the right chord with readers with its good plot and apt story telling.

PS: I had only received a signed copy of the book by the author and the review of the book is my own.