The Tea Rose

 "It is hope, not despair, that undoes us all"

The Tea Rose - Cliché-ridden, full of implausible co-incidences and popcorn-worthy twists that keep you on edge through & through. Some books are destined to be turned into a movie. The Tea Rose is definitely one of those. The whole time I was reading this book, I kept wondering how is it that it's not a movie yet! And the fact that it's the first of a trilogy and there are two more of its kind definitely makes for a lucrative cheap thrill. Perhaps one day somebody would make a movie based on this book.

This is a story of two childhood sweethearts - Joe & Fiona - brutally separated by the sudden & unfortunate turn of events in their lives. While Joe ends up getting tricked into marrying a pampered, rich dame, Fiona moves continents after losing not just the love of her life but her entire family to a merciless bane. (I had to make it rhyme somehow!) 

Our hero grapples with nothing but hard-luck after the tragic break-up, immerses himself into his work and becomes a big-wig in the industry through grit and a broken yet stoic heart. Our prima donna, on the other hand, strikes gold one after the other through sheer luck, though not without some hardships. She moves to NYC, runs into honest-to-God, kind-hearted people who become her friends for life, charms a much-older billionaire who had never realised what love was until he met our damsel in distress and even succeeds in starting her own business that turns her into a famous business tycoon herself one day! 

But Fiona has unfinished business in the dark alleys of London she escaped from. One that doesn't skip her mind even for a minute. One that seeks her as much as she seeks it. Would she be able to accomplish what she set out to do? Would Joe & Fiona ever be able to cross each other's paths once again? That's for the readers to find out!

For now, it's time for some unsolicited opinion on the book. I'm not a fan of thrillers, let alone such blockbuster-worthy cliff-hangers. I also realised I'm a sadist who seeks pleasure in the misery of the protagonists. So I was fine with this book till the time our love-birds were neck-deep in agony & hopeless despair. But the moment luck started favouring them, I was completely turned off. And after a point, I lost all hopes of ever seeing the desolate faces of my protagonists. Whatever hardships they faced later didn't make the cut for me. On top of that the climax of the book depicts a scene that I've seen countless number of times in old Hindi movies! So it just felt like I was going through the script of an excruciatingly-long & slow Hindi movie. 

Needless to say, you're looking at one unimpressed reader. For going through this slow ordeal, I'd give this book two stars. Two, just because some of the cliff-hangers in the book were actually worth the wait. But that'd be it for me. Would I be reading the other two in the trilogy? A resounding no. 

With that, I move on to my next read called "The Rainbow Troops". This one was a gift from a dear friend whose choice in books I completely trust. So I'm excited for what awaits!

I'd be back with a review soon. Till then, happy reading y'all! :)

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