#abreakinlove #romancebook

Whenever I choose a romance book (and I find myself returning to my first love: romance), despite the blurb, the more practical thought that swims around my head is, will they make it despite their love? Or will they, like many others, perish before they reach the goal?

‘A Break In Love’ by author, Rrashima Verma, attempts to deal with this question, is love enough to make a marriage last? Set in Gurgaon (Gurugram), a couple, Karan and Lisa, married for the last five years, find themselves fighting and arguing over trivial matters. The bone of contention besides others is their different personalities – Karan is a stick in the mud whereas Lisa is a whimsical fashion designer.

Their faltering relationship is further compounded by Karan’s very-Punjabi-ish, interfering mother and her counterpart, Lisa’s all-women-should-be-treated-equally lawyer mother. When Karan, to make up for the loss in their love life, plans a holiday in Bali, Lisa is over the moon.

The book deals with the after-effects of the said holiday getting cancelled. Will taking a break from their marriage, heal it? Does absence truly make the heart fonder? Can a young couple stay connected with the familial pressures imposed on them? Can Karan and Lisa, after five years of holy matrimony, replenish the spark, or is the separation a harbinger of things to come?

The lead characters, Karan and Lisa are written well, and their insecurities and frustrations are brought out well by the author. The side characters like the BFFs of the couple, their parents, and even their live-in help, are a hoot and provide comical relief, especially Karan’s mother.

Written with a healthy dose of situational humour, ‘A Break In Love’, a debut novel by Rrashima narrates their story well. Spanning across Gurgaon and sunny Goa, it is a delightful story of what happens in the ‘happily-ever-after’ part of a love story. A quote on love goes something like this: ‘True love isn’t found. It is buil’ This book proves it.

My verdict: If you are fond of quick-read romances, this book will provide you with good company. Go for it.