I have been invested in reading romantic novels for long. I have read and enjoyed the works by Austen, Bronte and Hardy as well as read and evaluated the works by Graham Greene and modern Indian authors like Bhagat and Singh and many others. So, you can see that I have travelled a long way down, from the ages of Victorian romance to the complications of our times. My journey, for the time being, has halted at this book by Malini Amaladoss – Retrace Love. While the title is enticing enough to raise the bars of curiosity in any reader’s mind and heart, I will try to evaluate the work objectively without any bias loaded with my content.

Retrace Love is the debut novel by Malini Amaladoss, a US-based engineer who has recently found her interest in writing fiction. And she is damn serious about it as she has already announced the title for her upcoming work – You Complete Me. Malini Amaladoss presents the world of her imagination in a very impressive way and the readers will surely be excited along with the progress of her plot. The novel has limited characters and a very straightforward story without much to unfold in a weird way. Everything is fair and square with a few secrets that unfold themselves in intervals. Tina and Meghna are two best friends and this is their story.

The novel, Retrace Love, has a very valuable message that one can get as one continues reading it to the last page. You will notice that the novelist has kept the meat of the story to be told in the nostalgia – Tina remembers her past and it includes the past of Ray, Meghna and also Neil. Neil is the husband of Meghna. Their courtship eventually ends in a marriage which is happy until the day Meghna finds out that Neil has an illicit sexual relationship with another woman. Their marriage ends. Ray and Tina are wonderful persons and their relationship is very strong, healthy, romantic and destined for formal closure in terms of marriage. However, because of a communication gap, confusions and chaos, this relationship also ends. Meghna and Tina also separate. The four who were close to each other fall apart… and the novel opens in a future where no one talks to one another (or, at least it seems so).

Written in a simple language, Retrace Love, has moments of delight and moments of pain. At times, the readers might overdrive their sentiments and may want to convey their frustrations with the characters vehemently. There are two more characters who are important in the novel – a woman and a kid. You should know about them as you read the work yourself because it may act as a spoiler.

I find the novel well-written and more than enough to keep the readers indulged. It is not a happening novel where many things keep happening one after another and it might test the patience of the readers, at times. However, it develops wonderfully and the novel has been coupled with a wonderful conclusion that will send out a very important message to the readers. The romantic fiction that Malini has come up with has a very foresighted message, a unique style and a very simplistic narrative. So, go ahead and enjoy your read!

Click here to buy the novel – Amazon India

Review by Ashish for Egoistic Readers