I received an advanced reader copy (ARC) of this book from Jacaranda Books, so I owe them a big thank you! I requested a copy of this book after reading the synopsis which sounded right up my alley. A woman named Amby is fed up with her corporate life at a bank and decides to pursue writing full time. Sound familiar? If you’ve read any of my past blogs about my decision to leave my corporate life to go back to school in pursuit of my degree in writing, then you understand why this resonated with me. I had to read this book!
I liked this book right away. It is told in a light, humorous voice and is reminiscent of romantic comedies. In fact, the main character, Amby, is a huge fan of Nora Ephron’s work (think films like When Harry Met Sally, You’ve Got Mail, and Sleepless in Seattle). She strives to be a writer like Ms. Ephron, turning out funny, romantic stories told in a light, relatable manner. While working as a tweet writer for a major Indian celebrity, she sees an ad for a writing retreat in Greece and views it as the perfect opportunity to spring her plan to be an Ephron-esque writer into action.
While at the retreat, Amby meets fellow wanna-be writer Mini, who is already a successful children’s writer but longs to write the next Fifty Shades of Grey, as well as Bobby, who has found success in the advertising world but longs to be a travel writer instead. The three become fast friends and spend the retreat together, getting to know one another, enjoying romantic interests, and planning their future successes as writers.
While there were no real twists or surprises, I was still entertained by this story. I found it to be a light, funny, enjoyable read that would be ideal for beach or poolside reading this summer. Anyone who has ever wanted to leave “real life” behind and pursue their dreams will likely relate to, and enjoy, this latest novel from Indu Balachandran.
The Writers’ Retreat releases on September 12, 2017!
One of my favorite quotes from the book:
“I, the incurable romantic, began to feel I would find a boy someday to only love me for my inner beauty. Now that actually seemed quite gross, despite every gushing Miss Universe contender claiming that that’s what was most important in a woman. Inner Beauty? As in wonderful-looking X-rays?” – The Writers’ Retreat
Kait's Bookshelf