The Crunch Factor

by Andaleeb Wajid

Love comes in all tastes and spices! Twenty-six-year-old Aliya loves almost everything to do with food - eating it, styling it, photographing it. But while her career as a food photographer is on track, her personal life is entirely derailed. Determined to move out of her parents' home, she agrees to marry Kamaal, the hot owner of the trendy new restaurant in town. But why does she feel like she's waded into a bowl of bland khichri? Where's the papad, dammit? Where's the crunch factor? Then, on the day of her engagement, she finds out that the celebrated chef at Kamaal's restaurant is none other than Sameer, an old crush from her younger days. Aliya cannot believe that, even after a decade, he's still as hot as jalapeno poppers and as charming as cheesecake...and that she's as attracted to him now as she was all those years ago. What is Aliya to do now? Should she go ahead with the wedding and settle for a Milky Bar-like relationship with Kamaal or should she choose rocky road pie and explore her possibilities with Sameer?

Genres: India

252 pages, Paperback

Expected publication January 1, 2050

About the author

Andaleeb Wajid is the author of more than 35 novels. She writes romance, young adult, horror and speculative fiction.
For more details, check her website.

Reviews

[Aditi · Rating 2 out of 5]

“You don't love someone because they're perfect, you love them in spite of the fact that they're not.”

----Jodi Picoult


Andaleeb Wajid, an Indian author, has penned a mildly heart warming, Bollywood-ish and spicy contemporary romance called, The Crunch Factor packed with a finger-licking delicious love triangle between a female food photographer, whose parents ask her to marry a filthy, rich restaurant owner, but unfortunately her heart is torn apart between the choices and the duties towards her middle class family and the choices of her heart's desire that wants to be wooed by that very restaurant's hunky and handsome head chef. Will it all be roses for the food photographer? Or will it cost her a lot of challenges to walk on the right path which she actually deserves?


Synopsis:

Love comes in all tastes and spices!

Twenty-six-year-old Aliya loves almost everything to do with food – eating it, styling it, photographing it. But while her career as a food photographer is on track, her personal life is entirely derailed. Determined to move out of her parents’ house, she agrees to marry Kamaal, the hot owner of the trendy new restaurant in town. But why does she feel like she’s waded into a bowl of bland khichri? Where’s the papad, dammit? Where’s the crunch factor?

Then, on the day of her engagement, she finds out that the celebrated chef at Kamaal’s restaurant is none other than Sameer, an old crush from her younger days. Aliya cannot believe that, even a decade later, he’s still as hot as jalapeno poppers and as charming as cheesecake, and that she’s as attracted to him as she was all those years ago.

What is Aliya to do now? Should she go ahead with the wedding and settle for a Milky Bar-like relationship with Kamaal, or should she choose Rocky Road pie and explore her possibilities with Sameer?


Aliya, a freelance food photographer with a not-so-steady salary, is caught up in her parents' race to a posh lifestyle in Bangalore, where her family has just come out of the middle class image and is racing towards the Ambanislifestyle, by setting up the marriage of their elder daughter, Aliya, with a popular and posh restaurant owner, Kamaal, who is again, rich but not so handsome. Aliya reluctantly starts seeing Kamaal and much more of the reason for the parents' wishes to be accepted in the elite society of Bangalore. But Aliya's life is not a boring bland of chicken soup, instead her life is one hell of a spicy mix of schezwan chicken noodles, as Aliya can still feel the heat of her unfinished teenage affair with a boy named Sameer, who happens to be the head chef in Kamaal's restaurant. Both are delicious, but one is too bland and the other is too spicy for her taste, can Aliya come out of her dilemma before her life becomes a sad sappy Khichri of love drama?

Well sadly, this is the first and last time for me that I read any book by this author. This Bollywood-themed love story is boring, cliched and too sappy. There is no fun factor, or that charm that will let me fall in love with either the plot or with the characters. Instead, it made my stomach growl, which is a good sign apparently, as I don't have much of a big appetite, yet somehow while reading about the dishes, the story made me hungry for those lip-smacking delicacies being cooked up both in the life of Aliya as well as in the kitchen of Kamaal's restaurant.

The author's writing style is okayish and very much dramatic enough to bore the non-nonsense readers off their edges. The dialogues are very much mushy and corny to the core, I had to eye roll a lot of time, due to its level of cheesiness. Moreover, the narrative is predictable and very much bland just like Kamaal and Aliya's slow-burning and bland chemistry. The prose is cute but from a literary point of view, I felt like reading some Bolly romance flick's script, perfect with the cues for pretentious songs and dances.

The romance could have been much more layered, or the paramount thing from any and every romance novel is missing from this one, and that is, passion. If the author fails to stir any emotions in the hearts of the readers with his/her story line, then I believe, there is no pint of calling the book a love story. Sadly, this book failed to evoke any kind of emotions in my heart. Although I read romance novels, even the Mills & Boons type, yet somehow, this one simply did not fir the bill of being even a corny love story.

The characters are unique, diverse and fun to be around with. Especially, there is one supporting character, one typical Indian aunt, who is a food historian, whose witty remarks and her haughty flair will win the hearts of the readers. The main character, Aliya, is coming-of-age woman, but then again, her character lacked depth thoroughly. She felt more like a trouble puller towards herself, only to be rescued by a man. Not cool! Anyhow, moving on to the male characters, Oh my they incredibly matches the personality of a Bollywood movie's hero's charm, pathetic and pretentious.

In a nutshell, this book definitely is not my cup of tea, even though I gladly enjoy reading sappy and cheesy love stories, but somehow, there is no such factor in this book or in the story line of this one, that will slightly intrigue me.


Verdict: Not even suggesting this one to the romance book lovers.

Courtesy: Thanks to the publishers from Hachette India for giving me an opportunity to read and review this book.

[Bhaviya Koul · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Good quick read.

[Nikitha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a cracking read for me. In a country where arranged marriage still holds strong support,the book showed me the answer to what I have wanted to know for a long time. What would you do when your family depends on this marriage and gives you ultimatums? How difficult
can it be to defy them? Is there nothing else you can do,to salvage the situation? The ending though was not that surprising. But on the whole I truly enjoyed it. I definitely would recommend this book. The way Andaleeb ma'am had carried the story from the beginning till the end was itself a true beauty. I would totally love it if there would be a second instalment.

[S · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Fast paced , crunchy and a perfect blend of khatti methi story . A second chance love story both Aliya and Sameer's character complimented to each other so well their chemistry was just fabulous. Definitely left a sweet taste like a sinful chocolate brownie absolutely divine and delicious you are done with it but you still crave for more. This book was definitely one of those it left me craving for more. Thank you Andaleeb for this beautiful story.

[S · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Fast paced , crunchy and a perfect blend of khatti methi story . A second chance love story both Aliya and Sameer's character complimented to each other so well their chemistry was just fabulous. Definitely left a sweet taste like a sinful chocolate brownie absolutely divine and delicious you are done with it but you still crave for more. This book was definitely one of those it left me craving for more. Thank you Andaleeb for this beautiful story.

[Piyusha Vir · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining albeit predictable (but don't let that bother you), and thoroughly enjoyable. Easily the best-written Indian romance I've read.
I'm the newest fan of Wajid's writing and definitely plan to get her other books too.

[Shiny Ajit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome .its a delicious crunchy novel

[Sujata · Rating 3 out of 5]

'It's amazing how everyone thinks they are experts on food just because they have watched Masterchef Australia, or because they an Instagram account that has a few hundred followers,' he says annoyed.
'But you can't negate the power of social media,' I insist.

Ahem. I don't proclaim to be an expert on food but I have definitely learnt a lot about cooking food from MasterchefAu. But because I'm not much of a cook my opinions are sometimes savagely dismissed. Tell me where would we all be if writers dismissed reviewers because they can't write books!

The author Andaleeb Wajid makes a point here. Reviews can make or break an eatery or for that matter anything that's up for mass consumption. With the rise of eating out food culture due to disposable income people can afford to eat out regularly which is very different from our parents generation. Of course ghar ka khanna will always be special but Zomato has changed how we eat out without leaving the comfort of our homes, and share it with the world.

The crunch factor was missing in the book which would have made it crackling. I have always liked the casual writing style of the author and the characters' conversations never sound stilted (This would be great as a Bollywood film I kept thinking). The Crunch Factor reminded me a lot of the author's superior (IMO) A Sweet Deal which was about competing restaurant owners. I was disappointed that there wasn't much food or photography but it was a chilled out read nonetheless.

And a big thumbs up to the author for making her female characters real. In my book a clumsy heroine is always a good thing. In the world of perfect women in TV and books, Aliya, the flawed imperfect protagonist was relatable. Although she was far too flawed and sometimes I wanted to throw a bucket of water to wake her up or shake her senseless because she was making one stupid mistake after another. Well. "You can't always have your bonda and eat it too."

If anyone is interested, my thoughts on A Sweet Deal is there on my blog. https://eternaloxymoron.wordpress.com...

[Anamitra Debnath · Rating 2 out of 5]

Product Details

Paperback: 264 pages

Publisher: Hachette India (10 April 2017)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 9351950948

ISBN-13: 978-9351950943

Package Dimensions: 19.4 x 12.8 x 2 cm

What is this book all about?

Twenty-six-year-old Aliya loves almost everything to do with food – eating it, styling it, photographing it. But while her career as a food photographer is on track, her personal life is entirely derailed. Determined to move out of her parents’ house, she agrees to marry Kamaal, the hot owner of the trendy new restaurant in town. But why does she feel like she’s waded into a bowl of bland khichri? Where’s the papad, dammit? Where’s the crunch factor?

Then, on the day of her engagement, she finds out that the celebrated chef at Kamaal’s restaurant is none other than Sameer, an old crush from her younger days. Aliya cannot believe that, even a decade later, he’s still as hot as jalapeno poppers and as charming as cheesecake, and that she’s as attracted to him as she was all those years ago.

What is Aliya to do now? Should she go ahead with the wedding and settle for a Milky Bar-like relationship with Kamaal, or should she choose rocky road pie and explore her possibilities with Sameer?

Review.

The language is simple and understandable. The only thing which caught my attention was the different types of food mentioned in this book. The characters are exclusive where there is one supporting aunt and one typical Indian aunt who is a food historian whose amusing remarks and proud talent will win the heart of the readers.

What I did not like in this book?

The book just reminded me of a typical Bollywood story. There was nothing unique and interesting about this book. The main character Alya ran away with her childhood crush Sameer and like a typical Bollywood style Faria consoled Kamaal and is getting married to him.

My Verdict

The book did not appeal me much and it was a regular read. I will not recommend this book to the romance book lovers.

Rating: 2/5*

[Fatima · Rating 2 out of 5]

Aliya is a food photographer whose parents want to marry her off to a rich guy Kamaal who owns a restaurant. But the chef working at Kamaal’s restaurant is Aliya’s Ex- Boyfriend, who is still in love with her. Now Aliya has to decide, whether she wants to live a luxurious life or an adventurous life.
The cover of this novel is so beautiful and this is the main reason why I picked this novel. But I wish this could be as beautiful as the cover photo of the novel. I am really disappointed with the characters of the novel and everything happening in the story. I thought it would be this cute romantic story like, really a love story not a lust story. I couldn’t relate to Aliya or to any other character of the story. The main character of the story is portrayed so dumb. I haven’t read a story where a female character is shown so dumb and aimless. And I have my reasons.
1. No girl will ever say ‘YES’ to a guy just because of him, you get to meet your idol. You are not marrying an idol but a man who is just a showoff.
2. EX means past and once the person is out of your life, you don’t accept that person at once but it takes time to build the trust again. It is so dumb to portray that a girl will accept the person again who don’t even apologize for the past. Girls are not so easy.
I couldn’t feel a beat for this love story because all I could see was lust and nothing. I just turned pages in a hope that story will take twists and turns and it would be fun but it disappointed me.
The only character that I could connect to is the supporting character (Amina Aunty). She is lively, humble, despite being a cooking star. She is a woman who has accepted the modern era and has always avoided bitchy gossips and bighead parties.
It’s a chick lit, a light, and a quick read. I don't even want to recommend this novel.

[Aishwariya Laxmi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book by Andaleeb Wajid that I've read. The first was 'Blinkers Off', which I loved, too. 'The Crunch Factor' is a delicious love triangle. It deals with the innocence of teenage love, the more serious 'arranged marriage' concept, which sometimes leads to marriages of conveniences, and how a young girl struggles to make a choice to either follow her heart or to keep her parents happy.

It is a spicy hot story served up for us by Andaleeb who shows us how well she can keep us guessing when it comes to romantic tales that she weaves oh-so-effortlessly! I loved the twists and turns the plot took, keeping me wondering what on earth was going to happen. There were times I wanted to jump into the book and shake some of the characters into doing something so that their romantic lives would improve. On the whole, a delightful and satisfying read:)

[Arti · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book has been written in first person from Aliya’s point of view. The story is simple and the characters are realistic. Even the supporting characters had important roles to play. The scenes are well describe and the best part of the book, according to me was is the whatsapp messaging that goes on between the characters.
Overall, a nice book which can be read when you just want to read something.

[Kajree Gautom · Rating 2 out of 5]

A fun, quirky read and will make you smile, laugh and then hate the characters all at once. Haha.
Anyway, this book really did follow a typical Bollywood movie plot, but it was good nonetheless. I didn't really like the MC and felt she was way too confusing.
I cannot exactly say that I'll recommend this book to others. It's a one time read.
The ending, however, was disappointing.

[Pratik Agarwal · Rating 2 out of 5]

Finally completed the book. A good one I would say altogether, a thumbs up to the writer for her observation of human nature. The story is good and the protagonist is most intriguing and finally about the quality of the print is good but the cover page could have been better.

[N · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think Andalleb Wajid's books are great if you want a fun, breezy read that does not make you cringe. This isn't for you if you are looking for heavy literary stuff. But if you want a light-hearted fluffy book to occupy you, go for this one.

[Sujoy Ghosh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exceptional!!!

[Nymisha · Rating 1 out of 5]

1 star only because it was fast paced and set in Bangalore.

[Meenakshi Iyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crunchy enough to hook the reader till the end. Verbal tussels between Samir and Aliya one of the major highlights of the book.

[Raka Majumdar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book for being so easy, entertaining and pleasing. I was on a spree reading Andaleeb and this book does not disappoint! Pick this up for a breezy read.

[Venuka Goyal · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guess I expected more after reading the blurb about the book...
The girl seems to be too indecisive and I couldn't relate to her after a certain point.

[Rishita S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg such a cute love story!

[Kakoli · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

[Vaishali Aggarwal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this one when I was looking for Indian authors with delicious romantic comedies. I loved Aliya from the go and Sameer was, a perfect book boyfriend. The story had its share of spicy scenes, written very tastefully though, but very toe curling. I remember this book was the reason I tried a few more by various Indian authors. And i discovered a whole new world.

[Rahul Vishnoi · Rating 3 out of 5]

'So crunchy it is, even the papers crackled with glee'

Review of 'The crunch factor' '- The good and the bad in < 100 words.

Author- Andaleeb Wajid

The good-

1. Everything Mills and Boons should be banned in India and instead, young peeps should pick up Andaleeb's work. I refuse to call this a chic-lit. It has an interesting plot, proper sentences (how I pine for those in some authors' novels) and a decent vocab.

2. Andaleeb has her plot and pace on a tight leash. The novel is exactly the length it should be and doesn't encroach upon its own being.

The bad-

1. Some parts feel with a little less conflict. The tension could have been mounted a bit much.

2. Well, I was really waiting for that confrontation scene between the heroine and her ex-fiancé.

MY SUGGESTION- Go for 'the crunch factor' if you feel like having a break on ur weekend.

HAPPY READING