Once Upon a Scandal (Il Cuore Book 2)-Shilpa Suraj

Book: Once Upon a Scandal (Il Cuore Book 2)
Author: Shilpa Suraj
Publisher: Self Published

Do you believe that love-hate relationships work?

Once Upon a Scandal (Il Cuore Book 2) is the story of Aakash Thakkar and Kanak Shourie. Aakash knows his path. Family, duty, responsibility, tradition. His path does not lead to madness, chaos, wild passionate steamy nights, and her. Or so he tells himself. Kanak lives for the present. Friends, fun, work, life. Her present does not include the weight of other people's judgement, stuffy societal mores, discovering desire with uptight businessmen, and him. She refuses to believe otherwise. What happens when the one you hate is the only one you want? What happens when you try to right a wrong but end up in something that feels more right than anything ever has? Can Aakash and Kanak bury a lifetime of distrust and forge a life together? Or will the reasons that had them battling each other for years bury their tentative new beginning?

The book’s plot has an interesting start and the idea of two people who despise each other falling in love is quite imaginative. Shilpa tells the story in a pacy manner and the plot keeps the interest up through out the story as the relationship has ups and downs and both of them keep questioning the sanity of the idea of them being in a long-term relationship. Another interesting part of the story are the wonderful and witty comebacks that form a part of the banter between our protagonists. They make the storytelling even better because you start relating with Aakash and Kanak, and the visuals help you paint a picture of the story. The tension in the book adds to the charm of the story, keeping you hooked till the last page. One thing that I didn’t like about the book is that the transitions between the characters in some parts of the story could have been better, and secondly while we get the sense that the Thakkars are influential, a bit more on the background could have helped a little more. The climax is interesting, and while it may appeal to people with a romantic bent of mind, it is wonderfully executed.

Coming to the characters, I liked the way Shilpa has structured the ones in this story. Kanak’s character as a feisty young businesswoman, who is stuck between a rock and a hard place is wonderfully created. Her presence in the story is headlined by her comebacks and sarcastic replies, and specially in the way when she is agitated. Her interactions with Aakash and the others are quite a fun read. Aakash’s character as a deeply conflicted person is also a great fit into the plot and keeps the plot balanced and drives it forward.

Overall, this is a wonderful book and I would definitely recommend you to read if you like a whirlwind romance with a liberal dose of steam. The book scores a 4.25/5 for me.

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I was provided a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.