Can Shaan and Ruhi face their biggest fears and unite together?
Shaan and Ruhi Ahuja, very much in love Indian newlyweds, discover each other in Simi K. Rao’s Now and Forever—the sassy and sexy sequel to Inconvenient Relations. After getting the scare of their lives while traveling in the Grand Canyon, Shaan and Ruhi go back home to one dilemma after another. Shaan’s job is in jeopardy, and one of Ruhi’s closest friends, Sunshine, needs her. How will Shaan and Ruhi handle life’s hurdles, while still trying to get to know each other as husband and wife? Will they be able to forsake all others and consolidate their relationship?
Book Links:
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absolutely true. At least it is for me. For example, how often have you come
across someone who’s gorgeous to look at but then they start talking and you
realize they aren’t so hot at all. You almost wish they hadn’t opened their
mouths. The opposite also holds true.
character that makes or breaks a person. The same goes for a good novel too.
What I’m getting at is character development. I may get drawn to a book by its
attractive cover and plot summary but if the characters are insipid, if they
don’t talk to me or get under my skin my interest quickly dissipates and I will
usually dump the book.
characters in my books have several dimensions (they aren’t necessarily
schizophrenic), with subtleties that are revealed slowly or kept hidden like
many people we all know and acquaint ourselves with. I cannot write my
characters unless I know them or I am them. Often I also live and dream
them. They are my friends; I talk to them. I ask them how they feel then jot
down what they say.
interesting characters. Please note that it is vital to read Book 1 to enjoy
Book 2 because essentially this story is a study of a relationship and its
various phases.
couple—
chile dulce (sweet chili pepper) as her spouse Shaan likes to call her, starts
of like any young woman from a cherished background, with dreams of building a
future with her one-in-a-million husband who has been carefully picked for her
by her parents. But her hopes are challenged right from page one. She is
coerced into taking on a role that is quite alien to her or maybe had been held
back and didn’t have the chance to manifest thus far. It isn’t uncommon for
certain personality traits to reveal themselves only under times of duress.
Instead of bowing down and mutely accepting what destiny has doled out to her, Ruhi
chooses to stand up to it. She shows her husband the mirror by turning the
tables on him. She disguises her vulnerability in a bold and brazen avatar. She
is a novice hence perhaps rash in her ways and often undiplomatic in her
conversation yet she is also coy and secretive. All in all, she is a clever and
maddening bundle of fun and mischief who adroitly twists her willing hubby
around her little finger and exhibits no qualms about it. She loves him with a
passion and won’t stop at anything to get him what is rightfully his. She is a
woman to be reckoned with.
gorgeous nerd who falls for the wrong woman and ends up paying for it dearly.
He quashes the dreams of his new bride by announcing on their wedding night
that he loves another and then surprise, surprise finds himself in a pickle.
Shaan is a sensitive man with an arrogant streak who is devoted to his wife and
his job. He is at once a jealous lover and a possessive husband. He falls for
his wife at the outset and doesn’t recognize it or is kept from acknowledging
it by his ego and maybe his insecurity. Regardless she drags his feelings out
in the open after a cat and mouse game and they have a grand time until life
tests him again. But then he has his trump card at his side.
I cannot conclude
without talking about Sunshine, who happens to be my favorite character
in the books. A frail septuagenarian, she is the catalyst in Ruhi and Shaan’s
bonding. But don’t be deceived, this little old lady has a verve for life that
is rare even among those a quarter her age. Enough said, I need to leave
something for my books. Happy reading!
About the Author:
Simi K. Rao was born and grew up in India before relocating to the U.S., where she has lived for several years. The inspiration for her books, and other projects, comes from her own experience with cross-cultural traditions, lifestyles and familial relationships, as well as stories and anecdotes collected from friends, family and acquaintances.
Rao enjoys exploring the dynamics of contemporary American culture blended with Indian customs and heritage to reflect the challenges and opportunities many Indian-American women face in real life.
Much of Rao’s down time is devoted to creative pursuits, including writing fiction, poetry and photography. She is an avid traveler and has visited many locations around the world.
A practicing physician, Rao lives in the United States with her family.
Contact the Author:
Website * Blog * Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads
Other Books in the Series:
Shaan Ahuja found himself bowing to tradition and agreeing to an arranged marriage to the beautiful Ruhi Sharma. He went through the motions but had no intention of carrying through on his vows. His last foray into matters of the heart with an American girl had left him scarred and unwilling to try again. Thoroughly disillusioned and disgruntled he wasted no time in making his intentions clear to Ruhi on their wedding night. But, he was completely unprepared for what his new wife had in mind.
This multi-cultural contemporary romance story of an arranged marriage is a beautiful blending of showing the Indian and American cultures. Readers will learn more about the Indian heritage and the romance that happens behind closed doors in an Indian relationship in Simi K. Rao’s Inconvenient Relations. This coming of age story about true love explores multi-cultural issues.
Giveaway:
1) A $10 Amazon gift card
2) A kindle copy each of Inconvenient relations and Now and Forever.
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