A tale of strong friendship, loyalty and courage coupled with inside jokes, leg-pulling and late-night gossip sessions make Love is Never Easy an engaging and compelling read. It’s a story of three friends; Nina, Aisha and Rhea who have sworn to have each other’s back till eternity whilst struggling to keep up with the difficulties in their own lives.
The novel is about childhood friends who meet after years in Goa to attend their school’s centenary year. A lot has happened since they last met; Nina is married and is now heading the marketing department of her firm, Aisha is regarded as one of the top architects and Rhea with her passion of dance has opened her own dancing school. Like most friends who haven’t seen each other in a long time, they’re all pretty excited. But amidst their excitement, each one is trying to cope up with troubles in their life. Nina, for once, is struggling with her marriage, Aisha is caught up in an affair and is pregnant and Rhea is about to come out to her parents and her two friends. Will this meeting break the Wolf Pack (as they call themselves) or make their bond even stronger? And even if everything goes down well, Nina has been smacked hard with another obstacle. Will she overcome it like she always does or will she give in?
I enjoyed reading Love is Never easy more so because I could picture myself having a gala time with my friends and laughing and dancing the night away. Donna’s writing style is simple, fast-paced and is able to hold the readers’ attention. However, there are a few cliché moments in the book that seem a little over the top. The ending was predictable for me and I really wanted to read more about Rhea and Aisha as these two characters lost their charm towards the end.
All in all, the book showcases the power and strength of women who despite all the odds emerge victorious. Women are and have always been capable of handling every setback life throws at them and they do it very graciously. The story is as much about self-discovery as it is about friendship. The characters experience some life-changing events and through introspection and soul searching finally discover themselves and embrace who they really are.
If you’re looking for a book that you could finish in one sitting and be satisfied, then Love is Never Easy by Donna Dias Manuel would be a good pick.
Blurb:
Nina’s perfect professional life takes a toll on her marriage. Aisha is pregnant with her secret lover’s child. Rhea is trying to come out to her family. In the midst of all this, life throws yet another curve ball at Nina. Will the three friends overcome their troubles?
Publisher: Juggernaut
Pages: 364
Format: e-book
Rating: 3.9/5
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