About the Book
Say hi to Rumana. A freshly minted (baked?) chef who decides to trade her powersuit for chef’s whites to live her dream of owning a cafe. Cut to six months later and there is not too sweet, a gorgeous little cafe with a burgeoning clientele. This is home and heart and everything in between. But Rumana's Banker’s bliss is cut short when competition drives in not only right into her street but parks itself right next door! What the... Enter Daniyal—rock star chef, too good-looking, and annoyingly charming. With him around, Rumana flits between being putty in his hands—giving away a cherished recipe to him when he asks nicely!—and getting mad at herself for her actions. But battle lines get drawn when Daniyal decides to present her recipe to the world with his take on it. Attracted towards the wild-haired Rumana, whose sweet kisses are a complete contradiction to her angry personality, Daniyal has no idea what’s about to hit him. At Daniyal’s Desserts, he can’t get her out of his mind. At not too sweet, Romana is plotting sweet revenge. Will the two be able to strike a sweet deal?
About the Author
Andaleeb Wajid is a Bangalore-based writer who has published twenty novels till date. She likes to write about relationships, weddings, romance, food, and even haunted houses. Andaleeb’s popular novels include The Crunch Factor, More than Just Biryani, and House of Screams. Her novel When She Went Away, a Young Adult coming-of-age book was shortlisted for The Hindu Young World-Goodbooks Awards 2017.
I read a romance novel after a long time. I had my own reasons to do so. For starters I was bored of the same boring love stories. I realised the reader in me craved for variety and hence moved on from this genre. I did not realise what I was missing till I read this book. After reading A Sweet Deal, I realised how some things should be done just to feel good and bask in the magic of love. They need not have any rhyme or reason, no logic and absolutely no meaning. They might just leave you feeling 'Awww' for hours after you are done reading. It is like one of those impromptu shopping trips we plan when we are low. We just buy stuff randomly, not because we need it but because it somehow makes us feel good. This book is like that.
Pick it up to feel good and remind yourself how some of the best things in life are free.
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The story starts with Rumana, the main protagonist dropping her Kindle in the toilet. Jokes apart, I loved how both Rumana and Neharika are shown as book lovers who are constantly trying to prove what is better - paperbacks or Kindle! Ah! That was enough for me to fall in love with these characters. The next moment was when I read how they had quit their corporate careers to open a cafe. Now, isn't that a dream so many of us actually harbour but how many can dare to do so? So, a second brownie point to the author for this. In the first three pages, I was sold to this idea of A Sweet Deal by Andaleeb Wajid and wanted to know what happens next to these pretty ladies.
Interestingly, love isn't just an element in the story. It is the story.
Yes! This story is about loving your dreams, loving your self, your friends, family and most importantly loving life. It is about discovering your passion and finding your true calling. It is about soul mates and how you are lucky if you can find them for keeps in this lifetime.
Wajid picks up characters from real life along with their stories and weaves a little big of magic in them to create this sweet, straight from the heart story that is an instant pick me up. The plot might be cliche, a guy meets a girl. They begin on the wrong note but sparks are flying left right and centre for everyone to see. What happens next is anybody's guess. But, it is the treatment that makes the story different. And that is where Wajid scores tremendously. She makes this a classy tale of romance sprinkled with liberal doses of laughter to give us an enthralling read.
The characters are affable, relatable and heart-warming.
Though the story is about Rumana and Daniyal, the secondary characters are more than being mere props. They add to the narrative and bring in their own unique twist to the cute and bubbly story. They seem to be an extension of our friends and colleagues. In her words, Wajid has captured the chaos of Bengaluru also brilliantly well. The city known for its massive traffic jams and start-ups, is depicted as a hep location for the urban youth.
Recommended for all who enjoy a light and a feel-good read !