Saturday, 2 December 2023

All the Love You Deserve-Preeti Shenoy

Book: All the Love You Deserve
Author: Preeti Shenoy
Publisher: Westland Books

What would you give up to get what you want?

Puja and Arush, separated by five thousand miles are steadfastly committed to each other. They believe they can make it work —until time zones and life get in the way. Meanwhile Sujit, trapped between his troubled past and turbulent present, desperately wants to break free, but does not know how to. He hopes to make things right with Puja --- but will she ever forgive him? Even as the three of them grapple with life in the post-pandemic world, each must discover their calling, manage family, relationships and their own unruly emotions. But then, no one said adulting was easy. This is the story of three young people from starkly different backgrounds with intertwined fates, fighting for what they value most. What will they have to give up to get what they want?

The pandemic was a point in time which changed a lot of our lives also impacted our way of looking at the world. Bringing the characters from When Love Came Calling back into the story, but post-pandemic was an interesting aspect of the story because when we met them in the first book, they were young, living in a world which was unstoppable, until it stopped and forced us to relook at our life. Preeti tells us the story of what happens after the grand gestures and life moves ahead. She explores the idea of perceptions and how their actions make a place in our minds. Each of our three protagonists challenge the perceptions they have of each other. Taking people from three distinct backgrounds, she also explores the cultural, financial and ideological divide and weaves a wonderful story through it. The interactions between Puja and Sujith were interesting, especially the way it is written and presented from both their perspectives. The very first moment they meet was perfectly presented. Another interesting moment was when Puja starts her job. I think that was an important message that the author presents in the book about the difference between perception and reality, and how it can hit hard when we are not ready for it. Sujit’s perseverance in pursuing what he wants was another interesting aspect that excited me as a reader. Arush’s story this time took an interesting turn and his story presents a question to the reader which he himself ponders, which points to a cultural shift in times that Preeti explores and as we see the chapter where the paths of Arush, Puja, Naomi & Jenna cross, the question almost stands out like a milestone on that crossroad.

Moving from the messaging to the storytelling, I have always admired Preeti’s storytelling and it is almost like a comfort read which tells you story of its people (not just characters, mind you!) with simplicity yet complexity and each page lets you have fun with the book. The story moves organically and you become involved with the plot and each moment in the story becomes your own. The climax of the story was well written, and I might differ from the other readers, but that scene where the all come together was something out of a movie and really was a turning moment in the plot.

ATLYD is primarily a character driven story and the actions of our characters drive the plot forward. Right from Puja, Arush and Sujit to Benny and Sashi, the characters are an integral part of the storytelling. Each character gets time to develop and while we have met the trio before, this time there is a visible change in their emotions and the way they react to life. Another interesting was that Preeti uses the Pandemic as a character and how it changed the lives of the people in the story.

Overall, All the Love You Deserve is a wonderful story of love, life and second chances that deserves all the love it can get. For anyone looking to read a story that inspires, this is a definite recommendation. The book scores a 4.94/5 for me.

Get a copy of the book on Amazon India or your nearest bookstore!

P.S. Check out my review of "When Love Came Calling".

The book also has some wonderful songs included in the plot. Check them out here!

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