Review of LOVE COMES LATER by Mohanalakshmi Rajakumar

Love Comes Lat56

Author: Mohanalakshmi Rajakumar
Genre: Multicultural; Family Saga; Romance
Page Count 256
Book Summary
Hind is granted a temporary reprieve from her impending marriage to Abdulla, her cousin. Little does anyone suspect that the presence of Sangita, her Indian roommate, may shake a carefully constructed future. Torn between loyalties to Hind and a growing attraction to Abdulla, Sangita must choose between friendship and a burgeoning love.
A modern quest for the right to pursue love and happiness, even when it comes in an unconventional package, LOVE COMES LATER explores similarities between the South Asian and Arab cultures while exposing how cultural expectations affect both men and women. Identities are tested and boundaries questioned against the shifting backdrops of Doha, Qatar and London, England.
Review:
Although romance is not typically my genre, I enjoyed Love Comes Later. Set in Qatar and London, the 256 page book provides a look into the never easy path of love through eyes of a family living in the Arabian Gulf/Middle East. This book is enlightening and would be a good introduction for those unfamiliar with the area (most people?).

The summary above, provided by the author, is slightly misleading in that the book begins with a focus on Abdulla, a young widower and his little sister-in-law Luluwa (a terrific character in her own right and worthy of further development). Only later does the viewpoint shift to Hind.

A graduate of London School of Economics, and less bound by tradition than the rest of his family, Abdulla is an incurable workaholic. He is not interested in marrying again despite the pressure to fulfill familial obligations. However, he finally submits and becomes engaged to his cousin, Hind. She isn’t all that thrilled with the arrangement either and heads to London for a year of school. I can’t tell you more without spoilers.

The book is very cleanly written, and provides an entertaining peek into the lives and loves of this family.

The only downside that I found was the dizzying array of introductions in the prolog. By my count, fourteen people in the prolog and nine more in chapter one. In fact, I kept a written scorecard to remind me of who everyone was.

Despite that minor nit, and some cultural differences that a few people may find jarring, you will recognize many of these people in your own family.

Highly recommend.

Comments

  1. AnonymousOctober 8, 2012 at 1:35 PM

    Oh my gosh! I had to keep a written card to keep track of the characters! I also did a review as well. So weird.

    Thanks for sharing your views! I enjoyed it. Succinct too!

    ReplyDelete
  2. mohadohaOctober 8, 2012 at 1:45 PM

    Thanks HL for reviewing the book. I did do a family tree on my blog a few weeks after the book came out but you've reminded me others might find it useful as well. Would be something to consider to include in a future edition. Arab families are very large -- I even trimmed the amount of cousins and uncles as there would typically be up to 12 uncles and anywhere from 5-8 children each :).

    ReplyDelete
  3. Emlyn ChandOctober 9, 2012 at 5:13 AM

    Great review, HL! I don't often read romance either, but to me, Love Comes Later felt more like literary fiction, which is my favorite genre--and, no, it didn't disappoint. Thanks for joining us on this tour, and if you have a moment, please cross-post your awesome review to Amazon and GoodReads.

    Thanks,
    Em :-)

    ReplyDelete
  4. AishaOctober 11, 2012 at 9:45 PM

    Glad I came across your review. Hoping to read the book soon.

    aisha belisario

    ReplyDelete

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