By Bhaavna Arora
Review By Ila Garg
Love Bi the Way, a novel by Bhaavna Arora, is published by Penguin Random House India Private Limited. The cover shows a woman’s partly bare back with a hand of a woman and a hand of a man embracing her, claiming her– quite an apt cover for the plot of Love Bi the Way. You will agree with me more as you go on reading this book that deals with bisexuality.
Bhaavna Arora is the bestselling author of the Deliberate Sinner and Mistress of Honour. Before her foray into writing, she was heading a business school as a director; she also trains students and professionals on leadership. She holds two management degrees and a Ph.D. in Leadership from Pittsford University. A fourth-generation army kid, Bhaavna is a true patriot. She enjoys reading, travelling, swimming, horse riding and playing sports and has a fancy for big bikes and cars.
Love Bi the Way is her third book.
The blurb reads as, “Rihana is a painter who is trying to find inspiration in love. Zara is a businesswoman trying to make a niche for her company in a male-dominated world. Rihana is fire, Zara is ice; Rihana is openly sensual, while Zara is more cautious with her heart—they are opposites that attract. They are different people bound together by their house— ‘Cupid’—and their pet golden retriever, Tiger.
As both of them navigate their fulfilling careers and try to leave behind troubled pasts, they find solace in each other. But Tiger’s not the only male in their lives. Rihana finds herself a string of sexy men, while Zara emerges out of her shell and meets an actual prince who sweeps her off her feet. But can these relationships last? And what road will they take when love happens bi the way?”
So, I will start by telling you all that why I started with this book on the day when I received it. The cover and concept are so interesting that you won’t be able to resist yourself from reading this quickly. It seemed a substantial read since the beginning. I was glad to read the blurb that managed to make the book look promising. And as I turned pages after pages, I was amazed at the unconventional portrayal that the author rendered to the characters and the plot. So finally, Indian authors are coming out of their shells and talking about the things that are still considered a taboo in some parts of India!
The story revolves around Rihana and Zara. It talks about how they first met, how well they jelled together, what went on in their lives, how they deal with the troublesome situations. The author has drawn a visible contrast in their personalities – Rihana is a bubbly crazy person while Zara is the quiet one. Rihana is depicted much more prominently though compared to Zara, as she is the main protagonist. Cupid and Tiger will surely catch your attention; both these characters are beautifully sketched.
The plot seems quite realistic and successfully portray deep and intricate emotions that we all have to deal with in the journey of desires and pursuit of love. The language is simple, lucid and easy to comprehend. Nowhere will a reader feel any disconnect. It’s so well-written that once you pick up, you cannot keep it down without finishing it off. It took me a couple of hours to complete the book. I found it quite engaging. The subject is tackled beautifully by the skillful author. One liners in the book are appealing.
Further, this 248-page book is a light read and overall a compelling book. It brings to light the importance of choices in one’s life. How Rihana and Zara clicked despite being so different, how they ensured success in their careers, how society looked at them when they finally realised their true feelings for each other, how their past kept haunting them are some of the many reasons why you will keep turning the pages to find out what happens in Love Bi the Way.
The book is highly recommended. Offbeat and bold, Love Bi the Way is a book that you can’t give a miss to! Two girls in love with each other is still talked about in hushed voices even by the modern crowd, let alone the narrow-minded folk.
Ratings: 4.2/5
love it!
ReplyDeleteThank you :)
Deleteloved the cover and your review, of course..
ReplyDelete