Not Safe For Work-Radhika Agrawal

Book: Not Safe For Work
Author: Radhika Agrawal
Publisher: HarperCollins India

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

What is your take on workplace romances?

Deadlines, drama and a dash of forbidden romance - who knew corporate chaos could be so steamy? A senior graphic designer at decor brand Jharokha, Kavya Mehra has battled burnout, sky-high rent and a commute from hell for three-and-a half years to earn her place in Mumbai. Life is finally beginning to look up. Then Neil Desai walks in. Her new intern. Her insufferable, handsome, privileged, man-child of an intern, with a cushy life built on his father's money and influence. And Neil finds out something about Kavya that she desperately needs him to keep to himself. It's a tiny white lie, sure, but in a city where thousands are waiting to grab her job, even the smallest slip-up can unravel everything. When teamwork and late-night brainstorming sessions throw them together, their sharp-tongued fights start to feel suspiciously like foreplay, and they find themselves navigating professional minefields, a rapidly brewing office scandal and an attraction that was never part of the job description.

Not Safe For Work is a book that takes up multiple tropes in romance writing, in an Indian setup and delivers a story that is gripping and steamy at the same time. Radhika’s writing keeps you hooked into Neil and Kavya’s life as they navigate the daily grind of corporate at the same time barely tolerating each other. Radhika has painted the contrast between the lives of the two protagonists quite nicely. The privileged intern and the up-and-coming boss was a wonderful recipe for disaster that Radhika cooks up and it delivers on all counts of steaminess, craziness and mushiness. What I loved about the book was that Radhika takes up the day-to-day aspects of a corporate life and writes the story around it. There are no instances which seem out of place in an office setup. The backstories of Kavya and Neil are equally fun and I loved how Radhika takes her time to bring them out in the story at just the right time to bring a fresh perspective into the story. The emails between Kavya and Neil are genuinely fun to read and I laughed out at some of the puns that she has utilized. The gradual change to flirting was easy, natural and almost felt perfect at times.

Coming to the characters, Kavya’s character as a seasoned corporate professional, determined to make it to the big leagues is very well written. Her aspirations and frustrations are very well captured and come out through her various interactions throughout the book. Neil as the quintessential SoBo resident is also very well penned. I loved how we first see Neil, and specially from Kavya’s perspective who would have never thought this would be the way an Intern would “lounge” in the office.

While Kavya and Neil are the primary characters, Radhika pays homage to Mumbai in this book, and there are elements in the story that would not have been possible in any other city in my opinion. Mumbai Locals and their crowds, Marine Drive and the calmness at night, and the clincher-monsoon that makes you think of your office as a second home. The climax is well written and as we talk about Mumbai, I don’t believe that we could have had this ending in any of the cities in the world.

Not Safe For Work is a book I would recommend to anyone who loves a steamy romance, a book that romanticizes Mumbai and a reader in search for a book that makes workplace romance feel natural. The book scores a 4.88/5 for me.

Grab a copy of the book on Amazon India or a Bookstore Near you!

I caught up with Radhika during the Delhi Launch! Check out our conversation!

Days With My Red Flag Girlfriend-Kajol Aikat

Book: Days With My Red Flag Girlfriend
Author: Kajol Aikat
Publisher: Penguin India

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

What if you had one chance to turn things around in your life?

Loving someone is easy. But keeping them forever? That’s tough. Vikrant Vayu is just another middle-class guy navigating college life in Delhi till one drunken night, when a dare from his friends changes everything. The challenge is to slide into the DMs of Tara Neer, the college’s reigning Instagram queen with an aesthetic feed and a vibe that screams ‘out of league’. He’s not expecting anything. But Tara, intrigued by his charm and wit, starts chatting with him. What follows is an unexpected friendship that grows into something real. From cozy campus walks to viral couple reels and late-night chai dates, Vikrant and Tara fall in love. For a while, it feels perfect. So perfect, they decide to get engaged. Families meet. Rings are discussed. Future feels real. But love in the age of Instagram comes with receipts. And insecurities don’t disappear just because you say, ‘I trust you.’ Enter the red flags, the toxic patterns and online drama. And when those red flags start waving too loud, you’re forced to ask the question no couple wants to answer: Are we fighting for love—or just fighting? Days With My Red-Flag Girlfriend is a raw, unfiltered story about modern love—the kind that’s messy, real and impossible to forget.

The book explores the story of Vikrant and Tara, a love story set in the modern times, in the age of Instagram and social media. Starting as a friendship, Vikrant and Tara’s story feels unconventional. Aikat’s storytelling is gripping and keeps you hooked into the story. What I loved about the book was the fact that there is no sugar coating or rose-tinted perspective into the idea of love. The book presents a love that is imperfect, has layers of jealousy and pain. Another good aspect of the book was the fact that the author does not show anything as right or wrong. There are actions which both of our characters take, and then realise the consequences. The idea of actions and consequences is a thread that runs across the book. The author also presents the impact of jealousy on the people in love, and how a small spark can engulf two people madly in love. While there are good aspects in the book, what did not work for me was the one-sided POV while telling the story. I would have loved a few chapters if they would have been told from Tara’s perspective as we don’t get to see her idea of the relationship and how she sees Vikrant. Having a second perspective would have reinforced the idea of love and relationships a bit deeper. Secondly, the first half of the book is much more engaging and detailed however the second half seems to be rushed with a lot of things happening at once. Another thing that I did not like was the physical abuse and the later actions of Vikrant.

Coming to the characters, Kajol has created the characters of Vikrant and Tara quite nicely. I liked the way he presents the positive and negative aspects of the protagonists in the story. The author does not shy away from presenting the insecurities and the flaws in the characters through the events of the story.

Overall, a book that is well written and presents a side of love that is honest. The book scores a 4.06/5 for me.

Grab a copy of the book on Amazon India or a bookstore near you.

Toddy to Tequila: The Story of Alcohol in India-Sandhya Mulchandani

Book: Toddy to Tequila: The Story of Alcohol in India
Author: Sandhya Mulchandani
Publisher: Juggernaut

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

Have you explored the history of Alcohol in India?

Alcohol in India has never been just a drink; it has also been a ritual, a taboo, a temptation and a tool of power. Toddy to Tequila uncovers the deeper story, of how alcohol evolved alongside India itself. From Vedic altars and tribal stills to Mughal durbars, colonial taverns and today’s sleek distilleries, alcohol has been worshipped and banned, taxed and outlawed, served in earthen pots and showcased in jewelled goblets. It has served as sacred libation, social glue, political weapon and economic engine, reflecting the shifting currents of faith, class and authority. Tracing millennia of myth, medicine, empire and society, this book dismantles persistent notions about Indians and drinking, revealing instead a patchwork of traditions unique to the subcontinent. At its core are the people who brewed, celebrated, condemned and controlled alcohol: gods and ascetics, kings and soldiers, women distillers and reformers. India’s history of alcohol is ultimately a history of India itself.

Toddy to Tequila is a very well researched book that brings to light the entire journey of how Alcohol was treated and understood by the Indian people and culture. Through mythological stories and historical references, Sandhya explains how it evolved over the years from being the “Drink of the Gods” to something that should be prohibited. What I loved about the book is that each chapter is distinct and presents a different aspect of alcohol to us. Another aspect I really loved was that the book is structured in a linear fashion, so you start with Soma and Sura, and right down to the modern blends that we see. One fact that I learnt was about Varuni-the Goddess of wine, intoxication and divine liquor, and I think that says quite a bit about the research that would have gone into writing the book. Then there are quotes and sayings about drinking during the time of the Mughals and Alexander that highlight how intoxication was an important part of the culture of the time. In the last chapter, the author explores the representation of alcohol in Indian cinema, and how the Indian alcohol market is growing. The writing is quite gripping and even though it is a non-fiction book, the author makes it feel as if you are reading a story and keeps you hooked in the pages. The extracts from the references are interesting to read and understand the verbatim context of the scenario she is presenting in the book.

Overall, the book is a good reference for someone looking to understand the timeline and interpretation of it across the ages-from the gods to the modern humans. The book scores a 4.81/5 for me.

Grab a copy of the book on Amazon India or a bookstore near you.

P.S. The review does not promote consumption of Alcohol in any manner. The review is strictly for the contents of the book.

Wedding on the Maharaja Express-Prakhar Vishwani

Book: Wedding on the Maharaja Express
Author: Prakhar Vishwani
Publisher: Penguin India

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

What if you could get married on the most luxurious train in India?

Vir has spent his life quietly loving Vani. Now, against all odds, he’s about to marry her on the opulent Maharaja Express―a moving palace for their week-long nuptials as they travel across India. But Vani doesn’t love him yet, so Vir makes a deal: if he can win her heart before the train reaches its final stop, the wedding goes ahead. If not, he walks away. As the Maharaja Express keeps moving, the dreamy destination wedding soon becomes a runaway train for family drama. Exes show up uninvited. Blackmail, ego clashes over regressive traditions and betrayals disrupt the celebrations. Then, after one explosive night, a guest is found dead. With the train derailed and no one allowed to leave, every passenger becomes a suspect. On the Maharaja Express, love is a gamble, and someone is willing to kill to win.

The premise of “Wedding on the Maharaja Express” is interesting. You put together 2 families in close quarters; sparks are sure to fly. Prakhar sets the tone of the story quite nicely and pulls you into the chaos almost immediately. The writing is gripping and fast paced, and at no point do you feel that the plot is dropping or lagging. The idea of a fairy tale wedding turning into a crime scene is well executed. What I loved about the book was the romance between Vani and Vir. Another aspect that is nicely captured are the family dynamics which are a part of any Indian family, and how that becomes a part of the entire storyline. What did not work for me in the book was the second half of the book, specially where the entire crime angle unfolds. The writing is quite hurried and as a reader you are confused as to what really happened. Prakhar unravels too many threads at once and you are left scratching your head trying to understand the reasons behind the murder and the entire investigative process, or rather the lack of it. Coming to the characters, while we see some bit of background on Vir and Vani, there is not a lot of background on the other characters. There are fleeting references to the life of a few characters, but that does not do justice to information required for a whodunnit.

Overall, I think the plot had good promise to be a wonderful story with a balance of a well written romance and a whodunnit, something I have been wanting to read for a long time. The book scores a 3.81/5 for me.

Grab your copy of the book from a bookstore near you or on Amazon India.