[Book Review] Eye On You by Kanchana Banerjee

Genre: Action/Crime & Thriller

Publisher: Self-published

Length: 188 pages

Publication date: 29 August, 2021

Reading age: 18 years

Format: Kindle

Buy here: https://www.amazon.in/EYE-YOU-Kanchana-Banerjee-ebook/dp/B09DZ5H8RD/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&qid=1630984523&refinements=p_27%3AKanchana+Banerjee&s=books&sr=1-1

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Blurb

You’re seen, tracked, and followed everywhere you go. Every line & picture you post; someone is watching. All that information in the wrong hands is a recipe for disaster.

You have a smart door, a CCTV; everything is controlled via an app on your mobile phone. All they need to do is to hack into your phone. Anyone can get in, anyone can see you inside your home.

How safe are you inside your home?

Myra is a young, independent, single working woman living in Gurgaon. After a party in her home, she wakes up the following morning and discovers that she has been raped. But she was at home, surrounded by her friends.

Who could have done this to her? Was it one of her friends or a stranger?

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My Review of Eye On You

Eye on You is so much more than a standard crime novel. Yes, it has all the right elements to keep you on the edge of your seat. I bet you won’t be able to figure out who the perpetrator is. And when you do find out, you will be as astounded as I was. Maybe you’ll become a little paranoid, too, about your personal safety!

Beyond that, Eye On You is a study of current society and its attitudes towards women and crimes against women. It is a minute look into the lives of the well-heeled — into their cushy apartments, their wild parties, and their IDGAF outlook. It is also a study in the contrast between the lives of the upwardly mobile and the not-so-fortunate.

It was fascinating to see how the women in the novel faced the hatred of other people, no matter what their situation in life is. The self-made Myra is judged for her lifestyle choices that she funds with money that she earns. Whereas, Dipti (a policewoman) is mocked by her mother-in-law for failing to produce a child even though she is not at fault.

What really got my goat is the insinuation (by various characters in the book) that women invite rape because of their revealing clothing, their propensity to post about their personal lives on social media, or their liberated sexual lives. How long will people, both men and women, continue to propagate this nonsense?

You also get a chilling insight into the mind of a rapist. Why do they think you’re “asking for it?”

Eye On You is set in Gurgaon and the AQI of each day is a major talking point. I wasn’t aware that air pollution was such a huge problem there. People familiar with Gurgaon will identify with the various places mentioned.

One of the strong points of the book is its vivid descriptions of characters. The author has imbued each character with a distinct personality. The people come to life through their clothing, mannerisms, and quirks of speech.

I particularly enjoyed the use of Hinglish to make the dialogues more believable and natural. The Haryanvi dialect in Dipti’s speech added to the overall atmosphere of the story.

The take-home message of the book is that the Internet is a dangerous place with all kinds of shady characters lurking in dark corners. You never know who is watching you and how they will use the information that you put out online.

Hackers are getting more sophisticated by the day, helped along by the increasing adoption of “smart,” app-controlled, Web-linked gadgets. They have the power to not only steal all your money but also destroy your life by alienating you from society.

Eye On You is a pacy crime thriller that talks about the dangers of oversharing online, cybercrime, and the misogynist attitudes against women. It is a fascinating look into the inner workings of the human mind and how far one will resort to getting what one wants.

(I received an e-copy of the book from Blogchatter with a request for an honest, analytical review.)

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This review is powered by Blogchatter Book Review Program.

This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla and powered by Deyga.

[Book Review] The Maharaja’s Fake Fiancée by Alisha Kay

Front cover

My Review of The Maharaja’s Fake Fiancée

Alisha Kay has impressed me with her engrossing storytelling in her debut book, The Maharaja’s Fake Fiancée. It’s a steamy romance with a side of family drama and a generous dollop of feminism.

Although the story is not unique, Alisha’s style of telling it gives it fresh life. Somehow, I kept thinking of the Fawad Khan-Sonam Kapoor film Khoobsurat while reading the book. Maharaja Veer would certainly fit Fawad Khan’s character in the movie with his pride, painful history, and personality quirks.

Alisha turns on the steam in the first few pages and you know it’s going to be a wild ride of ebbing and rising emotions. It’s clear that Veer and Nivy have some sort of past, but what that is exactly is revealed much later. Alisha is adept at giving you all the feel with her descriptions of the encounters between these two.

The descriptions of the Devgarh Palace are enough to make you drool, especially if you’re into ancient artifacts the way I am. The rooms, the furniture, the grounds, the properties — I wanted to be right there in the story to experience it first-hand.

This royal-meets-commoner second-chance romance will make you go weak in the knees and turning the pages faster until you get the HEA you didn’t even know you’re craving for. There’s a pleasant twist towards the end where we learn more about “Maharaja” Veer and his various occupations.

Nivy Sharma, the childhood friend of Veer’s sister Jessie, and consequently known to him all his life, was somewhat of an enigma. How does someone who has successfully fought against the casting couch allow herself to be bullied by her overbearing mother? Perhaps successful people are more insecure than I thought. Success is probably fleeting and the rich and famous feel are desperate to keep it in hand.

How can a spicy romance be complete without some evil, heartless characters trying to ruin it all? Between Anika, her mother Sheela Devi, and Nivy’s mother, I couldn’t decide who was more despicable. Nivy’s mother was an especially terrible person but I know that there are many real-life people who would think nothing of putting down their daughters while tolerating every misdemeanor of their sons.

I welcomed the discourse around Nivy’s profession and Veer’s support of her choice to follow her passion. Books should show both sides of society–the misogynistic people putting down women for pretty much everything and the progressive people speaking up to change entrenched beliefs.

The Maharaja’s Fake Fiancée is a desi romance with modern settings and raunchy characters. It mashes together several popular romance fiction tropes — second chance, fake relationship, and friends to lovers–in an entertaining and oh-so-hot story that will have you swooning away.

This is Devgarh Royals Book 1 and I can’t wait to see who gets the spotlight in the next book. Perhaps it’s Jessie and her mysterious decision to marry an unsuitable man?

(I received a copy of the book from Blogchatter with a request for an honest review.)

You can buy a copy of the book on Amazon India. It’s also available on Kindle Unlimited.

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