Cheryl's Book Nook

Review by Nancy Matchmaker, Matchmaker make me a match……” is not the song running thru Meena’s head when she runs into (literally!) her boss. She sprains her ankle, gets carried (by him) to his office where she spends the rest of the day on his couch resting. While she misses the whole thing he also carried her to his car and hauls her home. A very compassionate employer. What she didn’t miss is that he is 6’5” and she is five foot even if she stretches. He is HUGE for an Indian man and a bit intimidating. Meena, PR person for Prajay Nayak’s firm and the newest employee soon falls – and hard – for him. Her parents and aunts are trying weekly to set her up as she is past marrying age in their culture and is trying to be independent which is quite annoying to them. Meena turns down everyone or, after one date has found the man was not her type. This was happening before she met Prajay and now is worse. She tries, she really tries but they aren’t him. To make matters worse, ...

Soorya Giri is a smart, educated, young woman. Soorya Giri went to college and became a lawyer. Though Soorya Giri may seem like she has everything, there is one thing that she desires more…a husband. The Full Moon Bride is the latest novel from author, Shobhan Bantwal. If you like Indian culture and stories than you have to check this author out. I have been reading Mrs. Bantwal’s books for a while. Each one brings something different to the table but almost always Mrs. Bantwal sticks to her roots of being raised in India and adds her influence to her books and characters. The women in each book are strong and independent. This is not something you would probably typically associate with the women of this country but being strong does not always mean being loud. I must admit that the last book I did not care for but this book is a step in the right direction again as to why I like this author. After seeing how much trouble Soorya Giri went though to find a husband, she was almost bett...

Vinita Patil left Mumbai, India a long time ago. She is happily married now and has a daughter. They live in America. Vinita didn’t really leave India on good terms. So she could not imagine why someone would be sending her a letter from Mumbai. The letter says that Vinita’s son, Rohit has Myeloid leukemia and needs a donor. First it is a shock that Vinita’s son has Myeloid leukemia but the bigger surprise is that Vinita didn’t know that she had a son. Vinita had just finished dancing at the college gala. Back stage, Vinita hears a male voice. She turns and it is Somesh Kori. He is the guy that all the ladies want to date. Vinita and Som date. Vinita becomes pregnant. To both her family and Som’s disapproval. Som offers to pay Vinita to have an abortion. Vinita is stubborn and gives birth to a son, though her family tells Vinita that he was born stillborn. This letter tears Vinita and her husband apart. She never told her husband that she gave born to a child. Rohit believes that Vinit...

My review: Anjali Kapadia is twenty-seven. She is a widow. Anjali’s parents own an upscale sari boutique called 'Silk and Sapphires”. Anjali learns that the boutique is on the brink of bankruptcy. Before Anjali can come up with a plan, her Uncle Jeevan and his business partner, Rishi Shah arrives to bail out her parents but for a hefty price. At first Anjali can’t stand Rishi but the longer she is in his company, she starts to open up to him and he to her. Will Anjali find love again? Though, I liked The Forbidden Daughter better, I still thought The Sari Shop Widow was a good book. I liked that Mrs. Bantwal decided to do something different with this latest book and incorporated other characters as well as make the location in the United States vs. India. Not that this really made a difference for me but I thought the new location was refreshing. Anjali was sweet. Nice that she was a young widow vs. an old one. Rishi was debonair and handsome. I didn’t really feel the chemistry be...

I am happy to present my interview with Shobhan Bantwal. I read The Forbidden Daug hter and loved it. Here is a summary on The Forbidden Daughter When a young widow refuses to comply with her in-laws' dictate to abort her unborn child, will her rebellion turn out to be the greatest mistake of her life, or a blessing in disguise? This is the story of one mother’s valiant fight to protect her daughters in a society that often frowns on female children, and the only man who will help her in her battle when the stakes become impossibly high. THE FORBIDDEN DAUGHTER is woven around the hot-button social issue of vanishing girl children in contemporary India, where gender-based abortions and female infanticide continue to be practiced in some areas despite laws to ban the practices. Also some information about Mrs. Bantwal Shobhan Bantwal is the author of THE DOWRY BRIDE and THE FORBIDDEN DAUGHTER . Both novels are set in India and released by Kensington Publishing Corp. Shobhan’s s...

Isha and her husband, Nikhil Tilak live in India. They are pregnant with their second child. While at Isha's doctor's visit with her OB/GYN, Dr. Karnik; Isha and Nikhil learn they will be having a daughter. Isha and Nikhil are happy but Nikhal's parents are not. In fact they want Isha to have an abortion as a daughter can't carry the Tilak name for generations. Nikhal can't believe his parents would suggest a thing. Before anything can be done Nikhal is robbed and stabbed to death. Nikhil's parents are convinced that Isha's second child is a evil omen and caused the death of their son. Now Isha has to find a way to protect her two daughters. Isha will not have to do it alone. She has been reunited with an old friend in Dr. Harish Salvi, a pediatrician. Living in India, being a single mother of two won't be easy. It will take all Isha and Dr. Salvi have. Isha is a very caring and strong woman. She tries to instill in her daughters that they always can be ...