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You Can't Fight A Royal Attraction

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Playing with fire. Who says it isn't fun?

The last thing Rihaan needs in his life is to play host to a woman who drives him crazy! Saira is gorgeous, yes, but she’s also wildly infuriating. Yet every time she comes within an inch of him he finds his normally iron-clad control slipping further and further away…

Wanting to protect herself from more heartbreak, Saira knows she should keep her distance from Rihaan —but there’s something about him she just can’t seem to resist… Little does she know that Rihaan is hiding a secret! When it comes to light will it tear them apart —or raise their passion to new, more majestic heights?

192 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

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57 people want to read

About the author

Ruchi Vasudeva

3 books31 followers
I'm a doctor by profession, a teacher by vocation and an author by destiny. The writing bug has long resided in me and a contest held by Harlequin for Indian authors gave me a golden opportunity to have my dream realized. I debuted in August '13 with my book 'Bollywood Fiancé For A Day'. I write romantic fiction with conflicted characters who come into their own in their quest of reaching out for love. I love to write about spirited heroines getting hurtled out of their daily life as soon as they cross paths with their rather challenging heroes.

I keep busy juggling writing with my medical job and family life with my doctor husband and two wiser-than-thou teens. When not bent double over the laptop, I might be found with my nose in books or munching nachos at the movies or glued to the telecast of Team India or Chennai Super Kings in action. Sometimes I drag myself for walks and surprisingly discover they are rather good for brewing story ideas!

My links:
Blog :http://ruchivasudeva.wordpress.com/

Website : http://ruchivasudeva.weebly.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Ruchi_Vasudeva

Facebook Author Page : https://www.facebook.com/RuchiVasudeva

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
Profile Image for Aditi.
920 reviews1,452 followers
February 8, 2015
“Mysteries of attraction could not always be explained through logic. Sometimes the fractures in two separate souls became the very hinges that held them together.”
----Lisa Kleypas, an American award-winning author

This quote holds seriously true for Ruchi Vasudeva's new book, You Can't Fight A Royal Attraction . Don't go with the name, but this is a story that depicts how two imperfect souls fall for each other passionately, and how their flaws are the only thing that pull them towards each other like magnet.

Synopsis:
Playing with fire. Who says it isn't fun?
The last thing Rihaan needs in his life is to play host to a woman who drives him crazy! Saira is gorgeous, yes, but she’s also wildly infuriating. Yet every time she comes within an inch of him he finds his normally iron-clad control slipping further and further away…
Wanting to protect herself from more heartbreak, Saira knows she should keep her distance from Rihaan —but there’s something about him she just can’t seem to resist… Little does she know that Rihaan is hiding a secret! When it comes to light will it tear them apart —or raise their passion to new, more majestic heights?


The story begins with saira and ends up with Rihaan! Saira is the crazy bitchy man-snatcher, who stole her own sister's finance at the age of 20. Saira married an imperfect man and her flaws in her marital household made her take the tough decision to leave her husband forever. And eventually Saira changes, she grows a lot, and is calm and composed in her own world. Rihaan, is the royal prince, who can't bear to stand in front of Saira because of their inevitable attractive pull, but Rihaan is also not a perfect guy, he too has a lot of issues and secrets to fight with, begining with his legacy to royal crown. This is a perfect story of two imperfect souls!

I never read the first book of this sequel, so I have no idea how Saira used to behave in that previous book, but the author gave us enough glimpse to have an outline on her past demeanor. In this book, the author focused how a hard marriage changes Saira's outlook and her soul forever. Moreover, the author's narration was perfect, just like unfolding some beautiful fairytale, but where we can't predict it's climax. Saira's character development is done nicely by the author, she projected her quite strikingly thus making us believe with the issues she is facing in her marriage.

Rihaan's character is also nicely crafted out, but I won't say he is the extraordinary guy, instead the author portrayed him with lot of flaws and scars which he held like a guard, without a thought that his secrets might ruin the budding relationship with Saira.

Now comes the backdrop which is vividly painted by the author, very Indian and authentic with the Rajasthani flavor. The author gives you a ride inside a royal palace, how things work there, etc, yeah, you'll get a Khoobsurat kinda feel! (a Bollywood movie!)

The chemistry is hot and the heat can be felt from the pages of the book. The author unfolded their chemistry quite compassionately thus keeping us gripped with the ups and downs in her growing relationship! So in a nutshell, read it for it's setting, and fast pace and this book is bound to make you feel happy!

Verdict: For me, this book was a perfect break from the all those heavy novels that I've been reading lately.

Courtesy: Thanks to the author for the review copy!
Profile Image for  Priya.
51 reviews
August 17, 2018
Tiresome writing style, not fully developed character of Saira, scenes abruptly ending and new ones starting, even POV begins and ends abruptly giving the impression it's head hopping. I didn't get Rihaan's reason to offer Saira shelter at his place when he doesn't even like her. Really? The biggest issue I had -- no emotions and absence of attraction between the characters. What kind of Romance novel doesn't have these two main ingredients?
Profile Image for Adite.
Author 10 books345 followers
September 2, 2018
I had read an earlier version of this book and enjoyed it. So when the author re-released the book with a brilliant new cover, I had to revisit it. The second reading was just as enjoyable. Love how the author makes the reader feel empathy for a less than lovable heroine.
Profile Image for Ruchi Singh.
Author 47 books124 followers
September 2, 2014
When I read Ruchi’s debut book, 'Bollywood Fiance for a day', somehwere I read the next one was about Saira, I thought, how a villain (fiance-snatcher) can be depicted as a heroine? But Ruchi Vasudeva has pulled it off. And oh… so effortlessly and naturally. She made me forgive Saira and fall in love with the character. Saira’s situation authentically resonates the Indian joint family’s scenario, with a husband who couldn’t take a stand of his own.

The first half is fantastic where Vishakha and Zaheer also make an appearance and Saira is trying to find her own identity and niche, aptly supported by Rihaan. I find her a mature person, trying not to take things for granted. The chemistry between the two, Saira and Rihaan, is passionate and sizzling, a hallmark of author's style. The second half takes us to Rihaan’s part of the world, which is equally fascinating. The setting of Rajastani culture and the description of palace, holi festival, ethnic dresses made the story vividly colorful. The twist in Rihaan’s back story, where he is forced to leave his legacy and home, comes as a pleasant surprise.

Being a Mills&Boons, where romance is an expected factor, the author has focused on the genuine insecuritites and conflicts between the two characters, bringing the resolution to a satisfying end. Highly recommended read.
Profile Image for Maria.
Author 2 books32 followers
January 28, 2014
I’ll say this for Ruchi Vasudeva. She really knows how to surprise a reader. I read part one of her Lucknow Sehgal sisters series, BOLLYWOOD FIANCE FOR A DAY and watched aghast as Saira snatched away her sister Vishakha’s fiancé. I really had no idea what Saira’s story could be like. What was left for her to do after marrying her sister’s former fiancé? But I had to think again. Life is strange with it’s twists and turns as every one of us sometimes learns, in fiction as in fact. The pampered younger daughter in the story, Saira has to learn to grow, change and mature.

The story of Saira’s journey is no less fascinating than Vishakha’s. Ruchi paints an uncannily accurate portrait of a marriage which destroys the soul. This is a writer of insight. As in the case of the previous novel (never mind the sensational title) this book is not just a work of quality romantic fiction. It is, in my humble opinion, a quality work of Indian fiction. Period.

I also enjoyed Rihaan’s story of growing out of his heritage and claiming his self-forged destiny.


For lovers of Indian fiction and romance fiction. Don’t miss out on this one.
Profile Image for Reet Singh.
Author 13 books90 followers
January 13, 2014
After 'Bollywood Fiance for a day', it was going to take some convincing to make us believe in Saira- the fiance snatcher! Amazingly, Ruchi Vasudeva pulled it off. She managed to make Saira human and lovable! Hats off, Ruchi. The other thing I enjoyed was how the two, Saira and Rihaan, were frank and open with each other. Despite it, there was so much conflict, all cleverly built in, and then finally cleverly resolved. The sentence structure was a bit awkward in places, otherwise this is a five-star read!
Profile Image for Rubina.
Author 18 books86 followers
June 18, 2017
What is with these Indian Mills and Boon titles? :) They are a story by itself. Sorry Harlequin India but recently I has a heavy dose of 'Anthem' by Ayn Rand and just came to realise how the title of a book should be intriguing enough not to tell the whole story but just tantalise the readers enough to pick up the book. Having said that, I will as usual contradict myself. For it was the word 'Royal' which excited me and I clicked on my Kindle to enjoy this Royal journey.

Dear Readers,

When I got this book for review, I was super duper excited for the simple reason that I don't get Harlequin romance written by Indian authors in the US. (Grapevine News: it's coming soon!!!!)

YCFRA introduced me to Rihaan (the Oomph) and Saira ( the Aaha) of this story. The beginning of the story itself promised to be different. Not only is Saira different from the shy, needy girl, with the urgent need to be rescued by a macho man. Nor is she a feisty woman fighting, trying to rectify a quirkiness in our macho young man. She is introduced as a drunk, spoilt lady who does not care what the world thinks of her. I was hooked -lock, stock and barrel. Never been introduced to a Mills & Boon by a drunk heroine before.

She is Saira. Drunk, a Divorcee and has a Damn the world attitude kind of a girl. She is actually an offshoot of Ms. Vasudeva’s previous novel, ‘Bollywood Fiancé For A Day’ where she was an engagement breaker. The grey shade of her character was in itself a new dimension to this character. Well, none of us are perfect are we? So why not enjoy it when you meet a heroine who has character flaws and a spunk to admit it?

Enters Rihaan - her knight in shining armour. Not to save her from the world but to save the world from her. Believing her to be one who had no qualms in breaking her sister’s previous engagement and marrying the man her sister, Vishakha was supposed to marry. Rihaan, a writer and a man with a hidden past, is all set not to like this lady, But naughty, naughty thoughts creep in his mind whenever he comes near her.

They are thrown together because of Rihaan’s need to protect his friend’s family life, which he thought was getting disturbed due to the presence of Saira. Here is my first peeve with this story. The culture depicted here is a little bit beyond my understanding. I concede totally to the fact that maybe it is my lack of knowledge but there is a contradiction shown here where conservativeness clashes with the modern outlook of the story.

But that has done nothing to hamper the royal attraction they have for each other. Royal? How can a writer or a divorcee, drunk woman have a royal tag? Well, here comes the twist in the story. While both Rihaan and Saira fight this attraction…(Ms. Vasudeva, the shampoo scene is hilarious and I think most of the writers can relate to it.) enters Rihaan’s past in the form of a lovely, sexy woman. (Nopie.. me not telling you her name. And tch.. I have not forgotten the name.. me being mysterious, Babes…:) )
Sexy woman brings out a big secret of Rihaan’s life. ( I really wish my DH had this kind of a secret ) Rihaan is a true Blue Blood Prince! Wow!!! But……………(of course, there is a but….)

…..But he is disinherited by his father - The King!Why? Nah. I’m not telling. Hint: Read the book :) But yes, the mysterious sexy woman is responsible in some ways and how does she affect the life of the two lovebirds makes YCFRA an interesting tale no doubt.

The Rajasthani culture has been brought out very beautifully in this book. Ruchi Vasudeva has been an aptitude for filling the pages with vivid colors - the bandhini prints and the various cultural nuances of Rajasthan added to the beautiful dimension to this novel.

The way she has woven the social issue inside the story, has touched my heart. To jampack sweet romance and pass a message is a really appreciable quality.

Would I recommend this book : Definitely

This book has some beautiful moments. I loved that Saira has a shade of grey. I also loved the way a certain social issue of abuse was brought out and I LOVED the way Saira was depicted as a woman questioning the societies way of thinking regarding the action taken against the abuse. Kudos, Ruchi Vasudeva for bringing this social message across in a light romantic novel.
Profile Image for Shantala.
335 reviews77 followers
September 18, 2018
4.5 stars

I read the author's debut Bollywood Fiance For A Day before this one, and it was there that I "met" Saira, the female lead of this book. In that story, she was the seemingly ruthless, unapologetic fiance-snatcher. A.K.A. the Villain(ess) of the story, who caused the protagonist a lot of heartache.

So you can imagine my surprise when I found out that she was the heroine of this book. But then I was also curious. Very curious in-fact, to see how the author will turn this around enough for the readers to not only like Saira but also root for her. Because it's kinda critical, especially in a romance, as it's difficult to be invested in the story, if one doesn't care about the protagonist.

But I have to say that the author managed this seemingly onerous task almost effortlessly. Or so it seemed anyway. Because not only did I find it easy to like and root for Saira, I think I could also finally understand why she did what she did, and was able to even empathize with her.

Now don't get me wrong, I still could not agree with her choices, but I could accept them. Because at the end of the day, none of us are perfect. We are all flawed creatures, learning from our mistakes. In that respect, Saira could easily be any one of us.

And that's the one thing I really like about this author's books. Even though she writes romances, her characters are not the Mr. and Miss. Perfect (far from it in-fact) who usually feature in such stories. They are real, relatable (sometimes terribly flawed) people dealing with realistic insecurities and struggles. Which is why their stories have an element of realism that I like to read in romances. It somehow makes the fantasy more believable, without ever taking away the fairy-tale aspect either.

And Saira & Rihaan's story was no exception. It was written in author's trademark style that I really enjoy.

It was a story of two extremely different individuals who fell hopelessly in love with each other, and fought their way to each other battling personal insecurities as well as societal norms, and most of it without ever being sure of the other person's feelings. Which meant there was also a fair amount of romantic angst. But that only made the HEA that much sweeter.

All in All: A sweet, charming, sizzling love story that will gladden your heart. Highly recommended to fans of this genre!

- Shantala @ Shanaya Tales

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review. The opinions, as always, are completely mine.
Profile Image for Angela Peixoto.
856 reviews20 followers
October 1, 2018
After reading Ruchi Vasudeva’s first book I was very curious to read the follow up to it and Saira’s story. I was not disappointed. A great story with a lot of tiffs and love with a touch of royalty. All the ingredients to make the story a very interesting one.
Profile Image for Inderpreet Uppal.
Author 3 books77 followers
June 25, 2015

A book that has a hint of royalty in it makes me go weak in the knees, add to that a brooding, handsome and thoughtful guy. I am totally hooked! The author has written a well fleshed out romance while tying all the loose ends. That I read this book first made me root for the girl who had been wronged and suffered yet strived to stand up for herself. She even refused rihaan’s olive branch and choose to work for her dream and follow her heart even if it broke her heart. I have yet to read the first book “Bollywood Fiancé For A Day” (It is next on my TBR List) and I find it hard to believe that this Saira is the same girl who broke her sister’s marriage. But here she comes out as the vulnerable little sister who desperately needs to stand on her own.



I found their romance quite realistic and rooted. The book kept me hooked and the surprise of Rihaan’s royal connection was superbly written by the author. I have stayed in Jodhpur and found the descriptions, color and festivities of Rajasthan described perfectly by the author. It was a wonderful, fast read with a steady doze of twists and obstacles in the path of true love. Marring a few instances of inadequate editing and I was surprised by them considering this is a harlequin release and I had a paperback the book was a breeze. Since the story was so strong that I could overlook them I can only hope the other book is equally great.

Rihaan is a guy with his own secret to keep apart from being a brooding writer, not the kind of guy Saira wanted to go out with. They start with fights and threats and end up being each other’s support system. Both have the common love for Saira’s sister and that common thread binds them. Saira is recovering from her divorce and trying to stay away from prying ‘high society’ galas. His ‘writing cave’ is the perfect place for her to regroup and plan what to do ahead. Their chemistry is a delight to read and the climax was just not what I expected; in typical romance style – and I loved it!!

I am surprised time and again by the sheer amount of talented writers and wonderful books available. Ruchi too has penned an unputdownable book. Grab it for a royal weekend.

4 stars. * * * *

(I received a copy of this book in the #TornadoGiveaway for #TheBookClub . This is my unbiased review.)
Profile Image for Uttiya Roy.
65 reviews2 followers
January 23, 2014
This is a very new beginning for romance in India. For the past few years I refrained from reading romance from Indian authors because very frankly I felt they had become the same product. It was the same story told over and over again, the same kind of characters.
Mills and Boons are not innovators by nature, they seem to be comfortable to stick to certain aspects of the romantic genre.
I was very happy that this book dared to be different. In fact this and one other book I read might be your best chance of getting into M&B if you had hated the books before.
I won't lie, this is not a great book, and yet, it is something you will enjoy. That matters a lot. Rihaan and Saira are not extraordinary characters but, for the story they work well.
The plot is great and I found it really good that the author travels to uncharted territories.
This might be the only commercial Indian story I have read where the characters have personal vulnerabities and rise above that to get a beautiful story.
Why didn't a rate it higher then?
Because this particular author, I am very sure she can top this

Since, goodreads doesn't give me the option - 3.5/5
Profile Image for Priti.
92 reviews13 followers
December 20, 2014
This book is a sequel to “Bollywood Fiance for a Day’. The earlier book was the story of Zaheer and Vishakha and this one is the story of Rihaan and Vishakha’s little sister Saira. The same girl who stole away her sister’s fiancee. But a lot has happened since then, beautiful and chirpy girl who was always full of masti has turned into a very mature person.

She has given up on life, and feels that no one can love her. Rihaan makes her happy, makes her feel the most important person in world and is ready to do anything to make her feel safe and protected. But Rihaan has the secrets of his own, on one hand he is helping Saira fight the demons of her past but he himself is keeping his pain hidden away from everyone.

It’s a beautiful love story, full of passion and love. The Marwari touch gives you a great feeling; after reading about all the Italian Villas and Greek bad boys, this book gives you a refreshing feeling and a dose of your own prince and kingdoms.

Profile Image for Meghant Parmar.
Author 3 books52 followers
January 22, 2014
A Mills & Boons with all the drama and romance you want to read or haven't experienced it in real. A convincing story line and a wonderful narration which marks the complete book.

It's high on emotions and the detailed romantic encounters makes it very interesting at times for the readers.

The first half is a power packed performer whereas the second half lacks punch but nonetheless the story doesn't deters from it's path.

It's not an exceptional romantic tale but has the touch of newness in it.
Profile Image for Santosh Panda.
Author 4 books4 followers
February 27, 2014
Unlike the other Indian writers, the writing of this book is brilliantly done. The Author has beautifully narrated the story which would take you into the world of Rihaan and Saira.

Saira broke her sister’s engagement because she fell in love with the groom. She was only twenty then. But her decision proved to be a disaster. Her marriage didn’t go well and finally she had to divorce the man. She came back to the place where she belonged but being a different Saira. Toread in detail, check my blog at: http://sany-speaks4.blogspot.in/2014/...
Profile Image for Niti Dave.
14 reviews5 followers
December 27, 2013
"You can't fight a Royal Attraction"....seriously it is true, i can't fight with attraction i have for this story, can't complete it in one sitting, it was my bad luck, but it was truly amazing and royal.
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