Avani is studying law and she works part time at a bookstore. She loves reading romance novels and always has her nose buried in one. Then, one day, a man walks into the bookstore. He seems like a character straight from one of her favorite love stories. Aman is hot and the CEO of a successful company. He is also smitten by Avani and says and does just the right things. The two go on a few dates but when Aman wants to take things further, Avani feels things are too good to be true and shuts him off, despite every bone in her body telling her to be with Aman.

‘Too Good To Be True’ is a simple love story of Avani and Aman. It will remind you of the many Bollywood or even Hollywood rom coms that you have watched. There’s nothing new here but it still makes you happy while reading it. You know what’s happening and where things are headed but you can’t help smiling through it all. The writing is also simple and, if you are an avid reader, you can finish the book in a few days. But there are some lines and paragraphs that are so beautiful that you might want to reread them and that makes you stay with the book a bit longer than necessary. 

I read the book because I watched an interview where the author, Prajakta Koli, was talking about her writing process. She says several ideas came to her during the lockdown and she started working on a couple with friends, putting a writer’s room together. The third idea was so simple that she didn’t feel the need for a writer’s room. Instead, she wanted to see what she could do with it on her own. Two years later, she started working on excerpts of the story. It was never supposed to be a book. She was, at best, working on a script for an eight-part series that she could sell. When she showed her work to her team, they said it could be a book and things took a different turn from then on. 

Many of you might have already been familiar with the name Prajakta Koli much before the book came out. She has been making content on YouTube for over a decade now. She goes by mostlysane. She has also worked in some Bollywood movies. Her recent work, Single Papa, a six part series on Netflix, was so hugely popular that it has already been signed for another season. I follow her on Instagram and her posts are sometimes my daily dose of entertainment and other times, just the inspiration I need to get going. I bought her book because I wanted it on my bookshelf–as a reminder to be passionate about work and tell stories that you believe in. 

I’m not a big fan of the romance genre. I have read the likes of Emily Henry, Ali Hazelwood, and Casey McQuiston because their books have been all the rage online, especially on TikTok, but I don’t naturally gravitate towards rom coms. Truth be told, I think I read Too Good To Be True for Prajakta Koli. I find her humble, honest, and charming. And I loved hearing her talk about her favorite books and writing on the podcast ‘Kitabi Cabins’. I wanted to read what she had come up with as well as be a little inspired to write. The book might not have made it to that one shelf where I keep my favorites and it might have been a little too cliche but it’s a cozy read that comes from a good place. I will give it five out five stars because it’s a lovingly written love story. I’m also giving points to the author for wanting to tell a story badly enough to write an entire book without being fazed by what critics might say about it.

Fiction

Too Good to be True

Prajakta Koli

Published: 2024

Publisher: Harper Fiction

Pages: 307, Paperback