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Midnight’s Star: A passionate contemporary friends to lovers romance (Shades of Night Book 1) by Shilpa Suraj

Pages: 160
Price: Rs.125 INR(Kindle Edition)
ASIN: B09444PQ6D
Buy here: https://amzn.to/3hJjCbl

My take on the book:

Avni Desai runs a modest café Teacup in Mumbai after completing her Hotel Management degree. Her partner in the café Bharat, also her boyfriend of five years took up the job of chef in a five-star hotel, leaving behind the burden of running the café to Avni while enjoying his share of profits from the joint venture. Avni who is already struggling emotionally after a tragic accident that caused death of her mother and left her father immobile relegated to a wheelchair, receives one more shock when her best friends inform that Bharat got engaged to someone else.

As Avni is left to grapple with uncertainty about the future of their partnership in the café, after her unwarranted break up with Bharat, Dev Arya, the current sensation in Indian literary world visits Teacup. Dev’s mother is busy setting up him with prospective brides whom Dev meets at Teacup but Dev being visually impaired is a deal-breaker for these girls. How will Avni handle her heartbreak and tricky partnership with Bharat and how is Dev’s life going to be entangled with hers forms the rest of the story. 

The author handles the sensitive topic of disability in a very impressive and sensible way with the male protagonist’s character being the right mix of strength and vulnerability. Dev’s character carries intrigue from the beginning till end with the layers revealed as the story progresses. Even the minute details of how Dev goes about his daily life are well woven into the story. 

When compared to Dev, Avni’s character pales a bit as her character sounds confused at places, though she is supposedly a strong young woman taking on personal and professional challenges. Also, I would have loved to read more of Dev’s life as a writer and Avni beyond her café, as the story feels quick and short. There are very few characters beyond Dev and Avni and of all, Avni’s father gets more footage and helps in the narration of the story. 

The story is entertaining and does not get sad or bogged down by the protagonists’ struggles. The initial portions have a subtle humor which add cheer in the middle of serious sequences, thus balancing the mood of the story. A sweet romance which is also about resilience and grit, pick this one for a breezy read. 

My rating:

4/5.

This review is part of the Blogchatter Book Review Program.

https://www.theblogchatter.com/book-review-program-from-blogchatter