Love is not love that alters when it alteration finds.- William Shakespeare

Falling in Love is easy, committing to it forever is tough. For love seems like a beautiful fantasy but it is meaningless without losing the self-ego in the relationship and being there for each other’s cause. Easier said than done, Love as an emotion can be as difficult to understand and sometimes very easy to experience.

The above famous quotation has been dramatically used in the book by Esha Pandey- TrulyMadly Crazily in Love which we are going to review today!

Let’s begin.

• Book Title– Truly Madly Crazily in Love
• Author’s Name– Esha Pandey
• About the Author– Esha Pandey is an IPS officer who wears her heart on her sleeves when she holds the pen and makes the emotions flow on to the paper. She is a passionate author who has kept her love for writing alive in spite of handling the most demanding job of policing in her uniform. She made her debut as an author in the year 2015 with her book ‘I will meet you’, a collection of short stories. After completing her masters of international Relations and Masters of Philosophy in American Studies from Jawaharlal University (Delhi), she worked with the Times of India as a copyeditor. She successfully cracked the UPSC exam in the year 2010 and went on to join the prestigious IPS. She has won many accolades and appreciations with every release of her book, noteworthy out of all is the United Nations FPA Award for Excellence for the “Best Short Story”.
• I had the honor of conducting an exclusive interview with The Author and it has been one of the best moments of my book review series as well. ( Q & A below). I thank her for her patience and for giving me time to reply to each of my questions.
• Narration: The narration is very articulate and compendious in nature which makes the read a beautiful experience with clarity of storyline. The lucid way of explaining each character with details helps in visualizing the plot and adds to the charm of the book.
• Content: The novel revolves around Sue & Viv, yes the main characters of the book. Sukriti & Vaibhav start their journey as teenagers and traverse the path of life with ups and downs and take their readers along with them. The exciting twists and turns keep the readers engaged throughout. The vivid description of the places, settings, and locations is very realistic and one can visualize the scenes in Delhi as well as in London. The daily life nuances, the minute painting of the ambiances along with the real like conversations among the characters give it a unique appeal. When Sue passes on from one phase of womanhood to another; from a simple girl to becoming a rebellious soul who can take on any risk in life, from seeing dreams to experiencing reality, an emotional chord vibrates within the heart of the readers. Is it that easy to transform with the flow of life or does the inner core remain the same? Does Viv love enough actually? The description of the appearances of the protagonists also puts a fascinating landscape in front of you. There are many pages that bring forth the raging chemistry between love birds which can give its readers many swoon-worthy moments. Even the supporting characters have been given due attention. From the oxidized jewelry of Sue to the tube journey in the city of London, from the confusions that affect the thought processes in the minds of the characters to the conversations through emails, there is plenty that readers will adore!
• The book is available on Amazon and you can all have your own copy. So, why wait? Grab your copies soon!

I personally wish the Author all the very best and may she keep creating such masterpieces even in the future.
Q&A with the passionate Author who shines in her Uniform

Pic- Esha Pandey

Q-Please, tell us something about yourself.

I am an author and an IPS officer. I am the eldest of three girls and had very supportive parents who were both working and always pushed us to achieve more. I am married to my best friend, we have two kids together.
Q- Please tell us something about your writing journey.

I started writing stories in school. In college, I would narrate my stories to a group of girlfriends who always cheered me on. Finally, after getting posted in Lakshadweep my dream of becoming a published author was realized. My first book I Will Meet You There came out in Sept 2016.
Q-How do you manage to write after such a hectic work schedule?

I write in the mornings. By the end of the day, I am too tired to write romance 😉
Q-How do you manage the work-life balance and still devote time for your hobby/passion?

Q-Is there any genre that you focus on or want to write in the future?

Romance is what I enjoy writing the most. I did venture into Murder mysteries with my ‘Mohanbari Murders’ which did very well. So I hope to do better at that genre.
Q-What has been your inspiration to write the current book and your expectation from it?

My husband and I visited London and fell in love with the charismatic city. I wanted to share all that I saw with my readers. So I decided to write a novel which would have some part of the story based in the beautiful city of London. That’s how Sue and Viv came about.
Q-How do you ideate upon the characters, the story plot, and locations that you narrate in the book?

See I derive my characters and their quirks from the environment that I live in. Those who know me can see glimpses of me in my characters. I guess I still have a long way to become totally impersonal in writing.
Q-Who do you think are your target audience and what can readers expect from your book?

I write to feel happy. The kind of work I do is stressful, so writing is my escape from the big bad world. I like to write about women with agency, who are strong and romantic. No clichés… So readers can expect happiness and lots of Shero-Shayari in my books.
Q-Please share your favorite part of the book or an excerpt that has touched your heart.

My favorite part of the book is Sue and Viv’s time in London. I loved writing that portion of the book. It filled my heart with hope and happiness.
Q-What motivates you to write & How do you envision your writing journey in the future?

I want to be able to write one novel every year. It’s difficult with my job, but I hope I will have some committed readers who will wait for my books to come. I love reading readers’ comments, their love motivates me to write.
Q- Any message that you want to give to your readers.

I hope you like ‘Truly Madly Crazily in Love’, dear readers. Do give it a chance. I am sure the story will speak to you.
Q-I would request you to spare a few words to young girls who dream to be like you. Any advice from your side.

Well, any little girl who dreams to be anything in this world has the power to become what she wants. Hard work, commitment, and not losing sight of the goal are fundamental in achieving anything. If you want to be an IPS, studies are very important. Don’t take grades lightly. Study every day and keep yourself aware of your surroundings. If you want to be a writer, write every day. Start sending your stories to local newspapers or start with school magazines. Read a lot. I started reading early in life. If you can dream it, you can achieve it.

Contact Information:

Instagram – @eshapandey27
Twitter –@PandeyEsha
FaceBook- @EshaPandeyAuthor