Tara: The Dream Chaser by Nelofar Currimbhoy
My take on the book:
Tara is born into Rajput royalty but is denied love and warmth by both her parents — a neglectful father and a controlling mother; the expectations and duties of royal family add up to this burden. Tara grows up yearning for genuine love and freedom as her life always felt like a cage. As she further feels trapped in a non-existent marriage with Vikram, she runs away to Mumbai with an intention to begin a fresh life.
In Mumbai Tara hides her identity and meets two contrasting personalities — Kabir a Bengali-French photographer who sees the real Tara beneath her fake exterior, Vivan Mehta the charismatic Bollywood dude who represents all things glamor. When confronted with these two options, Tara is forced to choose between healing love of Kabir and thrilling passion of Vivan. How will this journey help Tara find herself forms the rest of the story.
The story follows the life of a modern day princess who tries to break free from the golden cage that is a part of royal families. The story begins with Tara’s desire for freedom, love and her own individual identity. The narration gains pace once Tara meets Kabir and Vivan.
The relatability of Tara’s character is the USP, her journey of healing and self-discovery will keep the reader engaged. The resilience of the protoganist is well portrayed by the author which is major highlight of the story. However, the romance feels rushed and should have been developed in a slow fashion to make it more enjoyable to the reader. Also, the supporting characters should have got more mileage and better character arc.
Overall, the novel makes for a quick read for fans of contemporary romances and women’s fiction as Tara’s journey of self-discovery is impressive.
My rating:
4/5.