Once Upon a Regret (Il Cuore Book 3)-Shilpa Suraj

Book: Once Upon a Regret (Il Cuore Book 3)
Author: Shilpa Suraj
Publisher: Self Published

Do you believe that love-hate relationships work?

Once Upon a Regret (Il Cuore Book 3) takes the story of Ved Kashyap and Aarushi Thakkar. Ved had spent his life making good choices; the right choices. And then he met Aayushi and realized that when it came to her, he had no choice at all. She burst into his life like a fireworks display at Diwali and managed to singe him like one too. Aayushi was the forgotten child, the invisible one, the one who didn’t make any waves but drifted along trying to keep the calm in the ocean of her life. Sandwiched between a responsible heir and an irresponsible brat, she’d grown up trying to be the balance between her brothers. And then she met Ved and she forgot why balance was needed. Death, grief, misunderstanding, and ego all collide to bring that cloak of invisibility back in Aayushi’s life. Tired of others making decisions for her, she makes one of her own. A catastrophic one… And now, they all have to live with its repercussions… Will working together on their dream project help Ved and Aayushi find their way back to each other? Or is this ‘good choice’ going to explode their lives again?

This book explores the story of Ved and Aayushi as they face their demons and try to figure out what they mean to each other. The book opens on an interesting note with Ved struggling with a character one would not have imagined would have become so important in the story. The plot of the story is gripping and the chemistry between Aayushi and Ved keep you hooked till the very end. The ups and downs that their relationship faces in this book makes it for a great read. I liked how there is a professional and a personal story that runs between the two, and how that intertwines to take their relationship to a different level of complexity. The concept of Ved’s NGO and how that relates to Aayushi’s past was quite imaginative. The climax is very well executed and I loved the manner in which it ends, especially the epilogue.

As always, Shilpa’s characters are very well sketched and I loved the way they are relatable. Ved’s character as a do-gooder who is struggling with his feelings towards Aayushi is wonderfully sketched. With the reactions moving towards extremes, it provides a good flavor to the story. Another interesting aspect of the character is how good he is with animals, and be it with Masha or Whiny, adds a wonderful layer to his story. His backstory, when unfolds, makes you realise the reason for his behavior. Aayushi’s character as a headstrong woman who knows what she wants with life is well balanced. I liked the manner in which she came to the farm with a plan in mind to find closure in her life. Throughout the story, her character is the one that balances Ved out and the role her backstory plays out in the end.

The book is a wonderful continuation of the series and 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.