The Second Coming - Book Review

Title: The Second Coming 

Author: Shubha Menon

Publisher: Harper Collins India

ISBN: 978-93-5136-370-5

Number of Pages: 202

Price: 250 [INR]

Genre: Humor

The Blurb:

Mini plans fairy-tale weddings, but she knows there are no fairy-tale marriages. The initial magic of her own marriage with Shyam has vanished, leaving behind a hunger that she tries to assuage with chocolates. She fantasizes about a 'dream lover', but she is over the hill, overweight and unconfident. The chances of tumbling into a passionate intrigue with a gorgeous man are bleak, she thinks. Or are they?

For, not so far away, in Mumbai, the glamour capital, the scion of an erstwhile royal family has decided to wed a Bollywood starlet, and Mini is soon on her way to plan this 'no-budget' wedding with the enticing Rustom - head of the city office, handsome, sophisticated, and every bit the ladies' man. It doesn't take Mini long to decide that if Rustom is a skirt-chaser, she is going to shape up and get into the kind of skirts he likes to chase.

Is Rustom the 'dream lover' she has been hunting for, or is Sicko Shyam going to drag her back to the dregs of their marriage? Either way, the Second Coming promises to be steamy and full of trouble and hilarity - not always at her expense.

My Review:

Characters:

       Meet Mrinalini aka Mini, who is in her early forties. A wedding planner with exceptional ideas, M&B romance novel lover, chocolate addict, avid dreamer waiting for Dream Lover (DL) and a plump and unhappy wife - that is Mini Mathur for you.

       Meet Rustom, the person with looks of a Greek God. Soulmates' Mumbai branch head, this Parsi has no lack of girls who drool over him. Skirt chaser, women's man, smooth talker and flirt are the kind of the word that can be associated with Rustom.

Plot:

       Mini Mathur who is a star employee of 'Soulmates' who plan dream weddings is definitely not happy with her personal life. Forty something, she is on the verge of early menopause and there is still that dream of meeting her 'Dream Lover' that remains unfulfilled. An unattentive husband is definitely an added minus. It is during this time that she gets an offer to fly to Mumbai to plan a 'no-budget' wedding. Determined to have fun before menopause kicks in, Mini lands up in Mumbai, anticipating some excitement. And she is more than successful in finding it. What happens next is a totally hilarious read.

Things I Liked:

• The author has balanced the humor and the emotional trauma of Mini well.
• The humor inserted at regular intervals makes sure that the reader never gets bored of the story.
• The story was well articulated and makes a very fine debut.
• I liked the ending (no I am not giving away anything here) I liked the fact that the author has done justice to the characters here.
• The Charger incident was my favorite which got me rolling with laughter.

Things I Disliked:

• There were times when I felt the pace was a bit slow.      

Verdict:

       A light and humorous read that is sure to get you laughing. Do give it a read.

My Rating:

Until the next review,

Keep Reading :)

Love,

Starry Eyed Reader :)