Piece of Cake

by Swati Kaushal

Minal Sharma, MBA. Five foot ten twenty-nine-year-old with a hyperactive conscience and a ton of attitude. Minal wants it all-a successful career at International Foods, a lifestyle to match, and a 'totally cool' guy who'll buy her diamonds, bring her flowers, and laugh at her jokes. But given the unending record of her life's embarrassments, it's not going to be that simple. Especially when her mother has decided to take charge of the matrimonial front, and the choice Minal has to make is between a wild and sexy radio jockey and a brilliant but boring oncologist. And it doesn't help that her new colleague on a make-or-break 'Cakes' assignment is a nasty, grudge-bearing kid from her childhood who just might be out to sabotage her career.

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit, Romance, India

376 pages, Paperback

First published November 3, 2004

About the author

Swati Kaushal is the bestselling author of A Few Good Friends, Lethal Spice, Drop Dead, A Girl Like Me and Piece of Cake.

She was born in New Delhi, India, in a time before computers, cell phones, or social media. Despite these devastating privations, she has only happy memories of her childhood; of playing with her friends, of ice cream carts and orange bars, and of reading, reading, reading, to her heart’s content.

For college, she headed to Lady Shriram College in New Delhi where she earned a BA in Economics and an honorary doctorate in samosas, chai and galpal bonding.

During a two-year stint at The Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, Swati pursued her interests in marketing and mishti and masti and friends, graduating with a degree in marketing and a plan to revolutionize the world, one limited time offer at a time.

After six years of selling milk powder, dessert mixes and health beverages at Nestle, and a year of selling mobile phones at Nokia, Swati decided life was too short to not indulge her fantasy of writing something that required no budget approvals and had not a chance in hell of selling.

Et Voila, Piece Of Cake, which was a hoot to write, and became an instant bestseller and continues to provoke, confound, infuriate and entertain.

Swati’s second novel, A Girl Like Me, is a tribute to her awkward teenage years, chronicling through her heroine Ani Rai, the hardships, heartbreaks and redeeming friendships that are such a bittersweet rite of passage of teenage life.

Swati worked off the premise “who says a cop can’t be a girl?” to create Niki Marwah, the iconic heroine of her third and fourth novels, Drop Dead and Lethal Spice. Tough on crime but soft at heart, Niki pursues bad guys and romance with equal gusto, and was an instant hit with readers and critics, helping Swati get nominated for the Femina L’Oreal 2013 Women of Worth award.

A Few Good Friends, Swati’s latest book, is about the magical time that is college, and all the bittersweet ups and downs that come after, and the inevitable reckoning that is a 20-year reunion, so you should put aside all other plans, buy it immediately, and start reading it right now!

Reviews

[Pawan · Rating 4 out of 5]

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The “Piece of Cake” was another chicklit that I read and liked. It is not a great story or piece of literature but a great time pass reading. Once again, I was drawn towards this book looking for contemporary English writing and the synopsis of the book sounded very interesting and I was not disappointed and I went back to read another book from her as well.

The story is about hyperactive MBA girl Minal who wants everything in life. She wants a great career, a lifestyle to match and a cool guy as husband. The plot is about how she struggles in her career and the choices of suitors and how her marketing project fails for which she is forced to take a blame and then a demotion to small time sales job. Eventually, she turns back that job into a success and also finds out the real person behind her project failure.

There were parts in the book where I laughed but there were also parts that I wanted to skip over. But still it was an interesting book to read. I do not know how true it is but I read about corporate rivalry to get ahead on the marketing ideas and preempting launching of your competitor’s products. There were some interesting things about sales jobs and dealing with sales persons who go out on the road to make sales.

For me it is about reading the thoughts of people who are same age as mine and have the same sensibilities with some exaggerations. The book may not be accurate in its description or great in language but it is a good time pass.

[Athmika Bp · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I have been waiting for some good news from you on the matrimonial front, but it is beginning to take an unfortunate resemblance to our country's great freedom struggle" -Minal's mother

This piece of cake, I gobbled up in a day, relishing each crumb. The author has scripted this novel keeping the year in mind and you will love this one if you do the same. It is not a timeless piece, but a delicious one all the same!

Set in the early 2000s in Delhi, this is the story of a 29 year old too tall for her shoes girl, looking for love and a career that's going to take her places. The granddaughter of a freedom fighter, Minal's mother is appalled that her daughter has an MBA instead of a Master's degree in Human Services. Drowning in marriage proposals sent by her mother, Minal can barely stay afloat at work parallelly. But living the single life does have its perks and Minal soon finds herself pursued by a radio jockey who is one cool cat and a surgeon who would make the perfect husband. Is this the beginning of her happily ever after or the end of her happy present?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book with no anticipation of anything going wrong. It's just one of those books that you know will end happy. There's not a drab page in this book and definitely no shortage of boys for her to choose from. I spent most of my read wondering if she'd choose this perfect guy, that Greek God or will she shock us with a new one introduced in the end! I just wish there was a little less about her work and a lot more of her personal life and that would have been the perfect icing on this piece of cake.

This book has all ingredients for the making of an appetizing cake and will leave you full and happy!

[Dr Kashmira Gohil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading this book was exactly like it's title, a 'piece of cake'☺👍short, sweet and savoury in a simple language with not too much sugar😄witty with humour. I like this author's style. She's good in baking a story👍in which, A girl called Minal works in a international food company
dealing in Cookies, cake & breakfast bars. Her battle to succeed in a big bad corporate world & her similar struggle to find or rather 'choose' a right love, with her victory in the end as she knew what she wanted in her life. I enjoyed reading this small, simple story with intermittent cravings to eat cakes in between 😄😄. I even didn't want the book to end too soon, like a good cake 👍 03 stars⭐⭐⭐

[Smitha Vishwanath · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was a fun read. It tells the story of a 29 year old girl who is still unmarried and unsettled on the job. It's fast-paced. I enjoyed reading it during the lockdown. I would love to read other books by the author. Her style of writing is very similar to Sophie Kinsella of Confessions of a shopaholic.

[Almas · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was interesting - probably my younger self would have enjoyed it a lot more...

[Abel Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Time - 3h30m

[Amit Gupta · Rating 1 out of 5]

Minal sharma, MBA. Five foot ten. 29-year-old with a hyperactive conscience and a ton of attitude. Minal wants it all- a successful career at International Foods, a lifestyle to match and a 'totally' cool guy who'll buy her diamonds, bring her flowers and laugh at her jokes. But given the unending record of her life's embarrassment it's not going to be that simple. Especially when her mother's decided to take charge of the matrimonial front and the choice Minal has to make is between a wild and sexy radio jockey and a brilliant but boring oncologist. And it doesn't help that her new colleague on a make-or-break 'Cakes' assignment is a nasty, grudge-bearing kid from her childhood who just might be out to sabotage her career.

You know, the basic problem i find with these chic-lit (or stud-lit) novels in the Indian fiction these days is that there is too much of 'coolness' shoven down our throats without either being funny or sensical. The tone and build up in this book is OK, it does reach a high point but after that it just falls apart because there is very less happening and too much blabbering. It is painfully dull in parts and fails to engage the readers. And on top of that, it is just not entertaining enough to forget all its flaws and turn it into a time pass reading.

There are some serious loopholes in the narrative, explanations of which i have found extremely impossible to understand. How on this world will you explain Minal taking responsibility of a work-related disaster without even cross verifying the details with the Radio Jockey she is attracted to, who incidentally is doubted to be the reason behind the goof-up? Not only this, she takes a demotion and move into sales department in a rural region. Let me be frank, no one is a saint these days in the corporate world. I can still understand owning up to your mistake if you are the guilty party but when you are not sure yourself, how can you take THAT plunge? How can she not bother to talk to the RJ even once and clarify the misconception in her professional life? why she can't go around and talk to a person who lives 2 floors below her own flat, and so what if he is out of town for couple of days...it's your bloody career after all !!

It's even difficult to fathom all these corporate blunders from the author, who is an IIM graduate and have previously worked with Big MNC's. It's a pity because even though the boardroom scenes are well written, the narrative just falls apart when the professional and personal lives of the protagonist collide, mainly due to convenient ways of resolving conflicts.

How can you explain Minal not even showing an iota of interest in RJ's life even when she has dumped the oncologist and ultimately falls for a simpleton working in the same company (by the last chapter). And where the hell her mom disappears every time... after suggesting a man for her, it appears her sole motivation is limited to just come for half a chapter and propose a groom for marriage.I even found myself second guessing the dialogues before hand at certain sub plots, they are THAT predictable and superficial.

There is one genuinely funny chapter in which she deliberately sets fire alarm of her own flat on coming to know how a perspective groom sent by her mother is actually giving her marks on every "asset" of being a wife. Even the scene in the charity function, even though misplaced in the narrative is well written and oozes warmth and affection. The tone of the book is light but it never picks up and has a flat feel to it. At 364 pages, it is about 100 pages too long and leaves you exhausted by the time you reach end of it. And if you are a reader of my kind, who generally finishes a book in 1-2 sitting(s), you are doomed.

I am going with 1.5/5 for Swati Kaushal's debut novel, Piece of Cake. Read it if you are in the mood over going a mindless ruminations of a "successful" professional girl seeking companionship at the wrong side of the 20's. It's an exercise in excess, with some tight editing it could have been a better read than in it's current form. In the end, the feel good moments are few and far between in what is ultimately a slow, silly book. The sweetness in this cake is missing!

[Poonam · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is one of those much touted Indian 'chick lits'. It came recommended from many women and finally a dear friend gifted me this one. (As a rule, I never buy these books, but I DO read them - online, or borrowed from libraries.)

The book is funny in bits, but over-the-top moments that are designed to be be funny never actually make the cut. The tone and build up is okay, but book never reaches a high point. May be because it never has a clear male lead in sight. It flits from man to man, each inadequate as other in one sense or other.

But as other books in the genre, it is fast-paced, so you can finish it off quickly. Not because it is hugely entertaining or manages to raise your barometer of anticipation, but because it is mindless, ruminations of a professional girl seeking a like-minded companion.

P.S: One of the book blurb recommendations went as: Must for management trainees. Don't fall for it, it has usual humor about the love of managers with jargon. :P

[Vikas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is yet more of an Indian author and this was a good read. I had read it a long time ago so I don't remember much about the story except for the fact that the book was based in Gurgaon and Bhopal, two cities where I lived.

People who don't read generally ask me my reasons for reading. Simply put I just love reading and so to that end I have made it my motto to just Keep on Reading. I love to read everything except for Self Help books but even those once in a while. I read almost all the genre but YA, Fantasy, Biographies are the most. My favorite series is, of course, Harry Potter but then there are many more books that I just adore. I have bookcases filled with books which are waiting to be read so can't stay and spend more time in this review, so remember I loved reading this and love reading more, you should also read what you love and then just Keep on Reading.

[Shraddha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book. Most Indian authors who write in English tend to create stories about rural Indian characters. I was kind of bored reading such books but then I came across Piece of Cake and it gave me a pleasant jolt. An urban setting, believable characters, solid good plot and loads of humour make this book one of my favourites.

Right from page one, I could identify myself with the protaganist, Minal. The author is witty and I even laughed out loud at times. The book ends with a lovely twist as well. What more could you ask for from a chick-lit novel? :)

[Amruta Bhave · Rating 3 out of 5]

Piece of Cake is the first book written by Swati Kaushal, an MBA Graduate. It is a simple story about a modern girl, well-educated smart and independent, but single, who is confused about choosing between a sexy RJ who’s younger to her in age and a well settled celebrity neurologist, who doesn’t seem to be of this age. Not to forget the spin brought in by the literally cut-throat competition in the corporate world!

Entertaining, humourous, and contemporary, this novel surely makes for some good and light reading!

Rating: 3/5 Definitely Readable!

[Adithya Shyam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just finished reading this book. I realize why the girls at the counter snickered and the cashier gave me 60% discount. Even though I would appreciate the author's narrative skills as a first person, I am least impressed with the flow of the story line. Ending is so abrupt. Otherwise it's a good read for time pass and can be finished in a jiffy. Sometimes you may need a dictionary to get the hang of it. A good piece of contemporary English writing by an Indian author.

[Meghant Parmar · Rating 2 out of 5]

A pretty ordinary and an average looking story. I must say the English was top notch. It was smooth like a breezer but the storyline didnt seem to be the right one.


The mix of failed love and office didnt shuffle well. Nothing extraordinary happened in the entire novel and it failed to create a charm.


A lot more expected from this book.

Thumbs up for the details and the English. :)

[Pratyusha · Rating 4 out of 5]

All in all , it's a wonderful book to read while lazing out on a comfy couch and with a good coffee ; Rain is an amazing bonus to this , which I am lucky to get .. yay!

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[Anjali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful read, funny and light. You wont' put it back once started. Story of woman mgmt graduate in her first assignment at a food mnc and juggling with cliched 'get settled' syndrome. Written by IIM Cal grad,most of it seems real. Must read

[Ahtims · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was an okay read. All about an MBA graduate woman in her late 20's trying to carve a niche for herself professionally as well as personally. I read this book while having food and could finish it off in 10 days or so.

[Ketki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing outstanding but the writing is much better than other Indian fictional authors I've read.
The storyline is typically a corporate fight mixed with the protagonist's own personal issues with relationships.
The other characters are well etched out and this book makes a good chick lit read.

[Annalise · Rating 2 out of 5]

A few "lost in translation" moments, but otherwise, a nice, light bit of fluff.

[Aakanksha Singh · Rating 4 out of 5]

quite nice to read some Indian chick lit!

[Jaykumar B · Rating 3 out of 5]

a fluffy chick-lit with the Cooperate world and hints of glass ceiling all over the book... interesting and it would pave the way for the genre in the Indian sub-continent...

[Juhi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny, real and a wonderfully entertaining light read. A brilliant first novel!

[Shikha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not that great but still worth reading :)

[Lini · Rating 1 out of 5]

Its an okay read but once you put the book down nothing stays with you.

[Shanila Ahmed · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book talks about how young women are often deceived by men in the corporate world.

[Neha · Rating 2 out of 5]

would give it a 2.5
Not too good, not too bad. An easy sunday read

[Kanupriya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked it :)

[Naheed Hassan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great fun. Loved the too tall Minal and her escapades in the office and out.