AN ENTERTAINING PASSEGGIATA ON A ROM-COM ESPLANADE

Book Review: Let’s Have Coffee by Parul A. Mittal

Rom-com and Chick lit is a genre that is entertaining in verve, has a tangy zest and is very much liked and widely read owing to the contemporary storylines that strike a chord with readers. The author Parul A. Mittal comes up with such a book “Let’s have coffee” which is a contemporary novel about the way relationships are changing in the current times and how millennials are following their heart in traversing their relationships, and responding to notions of love in their free spirited manner.
The front cover of the book is appealing, and shows an ensemble of hands caressing, coffee with a latte art heart, pink flowers and a lipstick sealed paper. The blurb at the back cover is well written and presents the piquant and unconventional storyline of the book, and readers will surely pick up a copy to delve more into this zesty and entertaining tale. However, one doesn’t quite understand the significance of the title “Let’s have coffee” to the story initially; and even after reading the book, it seems that the title only signifies the importance of cafes and coffee to modern love stories, and the elegant warmth of this wonderfully written love story.
The storyline follows Meha, who is working as an assistant wedding planner at an ex-boyfriend’s wedding, where she encounters the handsome wedding photographer Samir. Conceited and a flirt, Samir reveals that the bride to be happens to be his ex. They both feel an inexplicable connect owing to meeting coincidentally at their ex’s wedding. But Meha finds out that Samir is using their relationship only as an experiential material for his novel, and she closes this love chapter and leads him to believe that he means nothing to her. What will happen next? Will Meha and Samir reconcile? Will she find the foreverwala love in a world where relationships can be as brief as the messages we send each other and where we are spoilt for choices just like the screensaver on our phone? This is what forms the storyline.
The character formation is good, with Meha being a delightful character and the other characters also being explored in depth. The narrative, though it delves into a somewhat different tale of lovers meeting and falling in love through “The Ex connection”, is clichéd at places. However, the story is well researched and a lot of detailing and information about wedding planning has been provided. The writing style is good with usage of exquisite words and there are many good dialogues.
This is an engrossing tale that will keep the readers hooked with a blend of witty charm, a narrative that is both light-hearted and intense at places, a highly likeable, courageous and mature protagonist, and dazzling writing. Readers should definitely go for this bitter-sweet coffee and revel in this book’s romantic walks, though this somewhat different story would have been better without some of the clichéd rom-com cookies to go with.