π²ππππππ:
She shattered my soul with the very first smile she gave me. I wanted her, craved her, yearned for her…
She wanted nothing to do with me, but I was an adamant bastard through and freaking through…
π¨ππππ:
He pulled at my being with the very first wink he gave me. I desired him, ached for him, broke entirely for him.
He didn’t live up to his promise, keeping me waiting…praying…hoping…dreaming…
Warning From The Author ( taken from Goodreads )
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OnΒ a kind note:
This is my opinion. My opinions are not facts. This review is also a pro-consumer. This means IΒ΄m offering my opinion via review to guide and possibly help indecisive readers.
Me stumbling upon `Those Chance Encounters by author Pearl Khatri was a chance encounter. It was one of those accidental bump-ins I believe others would appreciate more.
ItΒ΄s romantic. ItΒ΄s cute. It has humor. ItΒ΄s revealing. ItΒ΄s supposed to be great on a level IΒ΄m not acquainted with yet.
Much to my dismay, `Those Chance Encounters` didnΒ΄t meet my reading standards. Not by a long shot. IΒ΄m actually disappointed.
Before I dive into a more detailed explanation of my thoughts IΒ΄d like to point out what drove me to read this book in the first place.
The Cover & The Synopsis
ThereΒ΄s no denying how cute the cover image is.Β And although a little slim, I found the synopsis interesting. I figured IΒ΄d be getting loads of story with the little description provided.
So, whatΒ΄s keeping me from adoring this book? Let me put it this way…
The whole problem with this story wasnΒ΄t the story itself. `Those Chance Encounters` had the ability to be a great story. But it was the lack of structure in all areas that prevented this from being a great read.
This is probably the most chaotic story IΒ΄ve ever read. The author included topics such as body image issues, bullying and lack of self-awareness and all I was able to see was how respectful and at the same time dismissive these topics were handled. How am I, as a reader, supposed to feel empathy when IΒ΄m hardly given the chance to develop feelings?
There were moments when I had the feeling the author made the story up. But then again, this story felt likeΒ a strong case of βThe protagonist is the authorΒ΄s self- insertβ and that the whole book was based on personal experiences. ThereΒ΄s nothing against using one or the other. But for a reader to feel both is a little confusing and doesnΒ΄t work in the bookΒ΄s or authorΒ΄s favor.
Which leads me to my next point:
Β The writing. I discovered IΒ΄m not a fan of the authorΒ΄s writing.
Wordy. Excessive. Uncontrolled. My reading flow was constantly interrupted by the overuse of words I havenΒ΄t seen or heard of in two decades, which, I might add, is exhausting. Usually, this can be a breath of fresh air while reading but in this case, I was confused and irritated.
As for the characters- I tried. When the characters are 2-D youΒ΄ll find it hard to have a connection with them. I need to be convinced by actions instead of words in order to develop a bond with fictional people. I would like to relate. IΒ΄d rather not sit here and ask myself how this character made my top 3 list of most unliked characters. I didnΒ΄t feel anything for Amara or Kenneth. I wasnΒ΄t able to warm up to them due to the indecisive character portrayal.Β Β LetΒ΄s not forget the kinks and quirks- Yeah, no. IΒ΄d rather forget them as they added nothing valuable to each character or the story.
With that being said- I think I wonΒ΄t check out another book from this author.
While IΒ΄m pretty sure this book will find fans, it wasnΒ΄t strong enough to win me over.
Would I recommend this book? To the people who value my opinion- No.
Would I reread this book? No.
The Cover – 5 Stars:Β Β Hands down- ItΒ΄s a beauty.
The Story – 2 Stars:Β Β Trite and, at times, confusing
The Characters – 1 Star:Β ItΒ΄s a no from me.
My emotional state after finishing this read – IΒ΄m not happy.