Review: A Half Baked Love Story by Anurag Garg & Gunjan Narang

Love stories, love stories & love stories. There are too many of them right now in the market to read. It's a trend which can never die. What I got in my hands right now is one more love story in this ever increasing list of love stories. It's called " A Half Baked Love Story". It's been written by authors Anurag Garg & Gunjan Narang. So is there anything special in this novel or is it really a half baked recipe for the readers? Let's check it out. 

Have you ever: Been a prey to love at first sight? Proposed your girl after boozing and fainted before knowing her answer? Went to your first date with an empty wallet? Got caught kissing your girl by none other than her father? Risked your IIT exam 'to meet her for the last time'?
Well, if this excites you enough, here is an enchanting read for you all, A Half-Baked Love Story!
The book unfolds a candid narration by a love struck, dumb struck and spellbound guy, Aarav, who confesses every last detail of his love story to his drunkard friends on a new year night. The tale of his first love Anamika. This story is a feel good love story of these two very different characters as they understand the Pangs and Pleasures of first love while battling with the situations that life has placed them in. The book takes a dig at our so called 'modern society' and peer pressure in one's life.
Just when life seems perfect, Love chooses its own routes. From the first glimpse to the last letter! What happens finally?

The cover page is decent. Its neither flashy nor glossy. It's simple. But what appeals on the cover the most is the title "A Half Baked Love Story". Some readers might even seriously consider it a cook book. It's not. The blurb in a first few lines leave an impression of a regular love story with a little bit of love,breakup and tempers soaring high but the last few lines hit the right chord. So are these last few lines enough to pull out a magical story out of the box? Let's check it out.

The story revolves around the protagonist Aarav who believes in multiple flings, is carefree, loads of attitude, some non sense friends and lots of booze and chicks fluttering around him all the time. He is a typical filthy rich guy who just doesn't cares about the opposite's sex sentiments and their feelings. He toys with the feelings of Radhika and in turn becomes more abusive and aggressive to the people around him. But there's one more side to him unknown to others, a past which has enough in it to make one's heart melt like wax. It goes down into memory lane and reveals a darker truth, a bitter truth of Aarav's life to whom he is the only witness and which altered him entirely. It;s not about Aarav entirely, a few other noticeable characters like a misfit bulky out of sort friend Karan, a caring Sunaina & the first and foremost love of Aarav i.e Anamika the cute little Bengali girl have made the plot really very interesting.

The authors have made a rush of a story in the first half with some college settings, make outs and typical college conversations. It just takes all the charm away from the readers. The pace is suitable but the story doesn't lives up to the expectation. But there's a twist to it when the entire plot shifts back into time. The second half i.e the past reflects the true potential of the story. It'll make you laugh, it'll make your heart doodle, it'll make you cry and in the end it'll silence you for sometime or rather a little bit more. The second half of the book is straight out of the heart of the authors. The whole purpose of the book gets summarized in it.

The book is only half baked in the first half where notable spacing errors are irritating for the eyes. These spacing errors are spread out in the book at many places. Poor editing. The narration is good in first half but the plot is dull. The entire soul of the book lies in Aarav's past i.e the second half of the story. It's more than enough to connect with the reader instantly. Few notable letters and imaginations and a poem towards the end are perfect in every sense.

It's a mix & match story where two cultures will collide and lots of ups and downs will happen and an unexpected ending which will take the reader's breath away. It'll make up for the first few dull chapters. Patience is an essential ingredient while reading this novel. It's a lover's delight and gut wrenching for few who still have some desires of love left in them from their past.

RATINGS:

4 OUT OF 5.