Secret Diary of an Incurable Romantic

by Chitrangada Mukherjee

11 pm: Heart’s pounding, hands shaking. Have these knots in my stomach. But drinking isn’t an option. Maa is sleeping with me. Baba in Lalitaji’s room. And she on the sofa.
Want to step into the toilet, take one swig, and then go directly to sleep. How the hell will Maa know? I mean she’s sleeping like a log. No, no, shouldn’t. What if she wakes up? She’s a light sleeper, after all.
11.30 pm: No wine. Or vodka. Terrible, terrible night. When will they go back to Kolkata and let me be?
11.32 pm: Chhi . . .Chhi . . . How selfish am I? My parents, one with a heart condition, spent thousands on flight tickets and landed in Chennai. Why? Because they wanted to spend time with their widowed daughter. And what does the daughter want? To sneak into the toilet and take one good swig of wine. Shame on her!
Okay, now I’m being over-dramatic.
Meet Madhubala Ray a thirty-year-old brand-spanking-new widow in Chennai.
She lives with her seventy-year-old mostly-silent MIL—whose name she can’t remember, teaches Social Science to bratty teenagers, and suddenly has a life filled with unpredictable men, catty colleagues, a bisexual best friend, and . . . heart-wrenching memories of her late husband.
How does she deal with all of that?
By baring it all, in her diary. Join this oddball-widow who always keeps it real as she gives an honest account of a young North Indian working woman in Chennai, who tries to survive a tragedy through wine and vodka, her quirky sense of humour, and refuses to give up on love. Despite its oddities. The question is: does she survive and find love, again?

Secret Diary of an Incurable Romantic is a story that is brutally honest, funny, romantic and liberating. It’s a slice of life, you wouldn’t want to miss.

Genres: Fiction

280 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2018

About the author

Chitrangada Mukherjee is a bestselling author of romance and suspense. Her debut novel, Secret Diary of an Incurable Romantic, has been optioned for screen, and her indie books have crossed 4 million page reads on Amazon. Her suspense novel, Three Men & a Strange Murder, has been named the best culturally representative book on Tripura.
She also writes as Roop De, creator of the popular Wedding Tales Series. An educator, editor, content specialist, and dancer—her heart lies in sneaking into a corner with a good thriller or sitting next to her daughter in silence.

Connect:

facebook/meta - writeandeditchitrangada

instagram - chitrangadaitis

Reviews

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the most unexpected best reads of the year!
With a story of a woman in her mid life recorded in her diary for a whole year, this book just takes you along giggling and making all kinds of faces (include embarrassing, anger, sadness, madness, uncertainty, sympathy, shock and what not!)

Well, life goes on for Madhubala Ray after having lost her husband taking one day at a time.

Sometimes it gets weird, sometimes it gets bizarre!

⚪️Talks about the uncertainties of life, how life is as it is

⚪️The character is real, her trying her best yet in the worse ways to cope each day


I really appreciate how the author makes the character so likeable in such circumstances!
She is just the normal you and me👍
Her break from being a responsible teacher stretches on while she tries to get back to being normal..but can she get to be?
⚪️Yes, the cover is totally relevant.
Madhubala (there's a funny story behind her name as well!) resorts to wine, vodka and something alcoholic when it gets too much to carry on


Life becomes more complicated with affairs, her crazy best friend(the weirdest character that you find cringy yet being the salt & sugar in the life of the main character)

Life goes even crazier beyond that when it comes to her job managing with her weird colleagues, the 'boss' as well as her 'well wishing' 'friendly' colleagues


The best part though is her relationship with her mother-in-law 'Lalita Pawar'

This book has all the right characters with the right situations with the right amount of life crises (so damn relatable lines and issues!) with the right relationships.

The book would have been so mundane but the way it has been written made all the difference!


Kudos to the author for such a perfect entertaining read.


🤗 I got all the 'feels' aka different emotions while reading this book

[Manpreet Kaur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liked the book. Written in form of a diary, it's just an account of a year in the life of a widow... coping up with her loss in unconventional yet understandable ways. She drinks. She's in for some weird choices when It comes to men... it's all unpredictable. Haphazard. Yet, so warm and feel-good sort of book... of course, keeping aside the time when u get mad at some characters. It was a nice read.

[Ritika Chhabra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Follow Just A Girl High On Books for more reviews.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

April 3, 2019
Wednesday

I start reading Secret Diary of an Incurable Romantic (Um...and a closet alcoholic) by Chitrangada Mukherjee. I find out that the book fits its title in a very nice way - it really is in a diary format. I love books that are written this way; they have a kind of humor that other books lack. It is really fun to read them.

I continue reading the book and realize that I quite like the writing style of the novel. The idea behind it is rather upsetting - a woman has just lost her husband. She is a grieving widow who is trying to build her life back together but failing to do so. Hence, she ends up wallowing out her sorrows in alcohol. (Something a lot many people can relate to, can't they? Wallowing out their sorrows in alcohol, I mean?)

April 4, 2019
Thursday: 11 A.M.

I continue reading the book. I'm really enjoying it. It is breaking my heart at more than one incidents but I cannot get myself to stop. Madhu is making me laugh so damn hard that I am unable to believe she is a widow trying to pull her life back together. It has only been a few months since Pyaare passed away in an accident. Will she be able to pull herself up?

April 4, 2019
Thursday : 9 P.M.

What's up with her new boyfriend? Why does he have to be so darn pathetic and cruel? I can't believe he is doing whatever he is doing and then getting angry at her for not telling him about Pinto. This book is so damn honest. I can't believe I haven't been able to read it in the past.

April 5, 2019
Friday

Finished. Yep, just like that, the book is done. It sucks seeing how Madhu led her life but then, everything ended on a good note, right? Or did they? Now that her MIL is absent, how will she survive all alone? Oh, this is scary but I loved the book. I guess my fear for her is evidence enough.

In fact, I quite enjoyed reading it. Her story really upset me and it broke my heart but Mukherjee's novel touched me in the way only Cecelia Ahern's P.S. I Love You had done in the past. So yes, it is an amazing book and I would love to lay my hands on more of Mukherjee's works in the future!

[Ronak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Secret Diary of an Incurable Romantic (4.8/5)
📒
.
Firstly there is different kind of love for the books which are written in diary form. This book is one of them. Each new day start with new chapter.
📒
Madhu Ray, a woman in her 30s who lost her loving husband recently. Living in Chennai she has her 70 year old Mother in Law to look after.
📒
She is teacher by profession. To make her life more complicated she falls in love with her 4 years younger colleague in school, Daksh. There is one more guy, Agasthya a good-looking smart businessman, And the last but the most interesting character in this book her best friend Pintu. 
📒
This book was so funny, hilarious it was interesting, gripping and I wanted to finish it in a single shot, but couldn’t because of work. I'll highly recommend this book to everyone readers plus non-readers. This is not a love story
📒
The ending was pleasant and surely not the one I was expecting because there was a twist in the story which I would say is revolutionary even in this 21st century. I got all the emotional while reading this book. Everyone can easily Connect to the characters.
📒
This book teaches us if you don't have anything to live for think twice you will definitely find a way. I must the this book is one the favorite read of 2018. Kudos to Author.
.
.
.
Secret Diary of an Incurable Romantic (4.8/5)
📒
.
Firstly there is different kind of love for the books which are written in diary form. This book is one of them. Each new day start with new chapter.
📒
Madhu Ray, a woman in her 30s who lost her loving husband recently. Living in Chennai she has her 70 year old Mother in Law to look after.
📒
She is teacher by profession. To make her life more complicated she falls in love with her 4 years younger colleague in school, Daksh. There is one more guy, Agasthya a good-looking smart businessman, And the last but the most interesting character in this book her best friend Pintu. 
📒
This book was so funny, hilarious it was interesting, gripping and I wanted to finish it in a single shot, but couldn’t because of work. I'll highly recommend this book to everyone readers plus non-readers. This is not a love story
📒
The ending was pleasant and surely not the one I was expecting because there was a twist in the story which I would say is revolutionary even in this 21st century. I got all the emotional while reading this book. Everyone can easily Connect to the characters.
📒
This book teaches us if you don't have anything to live for think twice you will definitely find a way. I must the this book is one the favorite read of 2018. Kudos to Author

[Nikita (thebookelf_) · Rating 4 out of 5]

• BOOK REVIEW •
Secret Diary of an Incurable Romantic: (Um . . . and a closet alcoholic) - By Chitrangada Mukherjee
.
.
The story is a successful marriage between various emotions like – humor, heartbreak, desire, love etc. The narration is quiet powerful with dynamic and realistic characters. The story is quiet relevant and is well woven keeping in mind modern times.
.
.
The book revolves around a recent widow in her mid-30s, Madhubala Ray, based out of Chennai who lives with her mother-in-law - Lalita. Long story short – her life is a wreck which she pens down in her daily journal – the story is written in same format.
.
.
A teacher by profession, Madhubala finds solace in alcohol. She has to deal with annoying teenage students and peers at work, a best friend - Pintu and a love life with no direction - characters include Daksh, whom she meets at school, and Agasthaya, a businessman in his 40s.
.
.
Thus, as easy as it sounds, she gets addicted to alcohol to escape the reality, something no one is aware of.
.
.
As a young widow, she lives each day with the hope of finding love again while she grieves the memory of her lost husband.
.
.
To my surprise I enjoyed this book a lot. The way the author has penned downed intricate emotions and moments with such simplicity is applaud worthy. The highlight was the ending which gave a very modernistic touch to the story. Whether it’s pulling the strings of the heart or making you laugh, the book is a refreshing and light read, something to be enjoyed with a glass of wine for sure ;)
.
.
4/5 🌟

[Aryan Sarath · Rating 4 out of 5]

The protagonist of the story Madhubala Ray, a widow has to go through the so called journey of Life where she comes across various characters who in one way or the other leaves their influence in her life.



While she lived with her Mother-In-Law and was employed in a school as a teacher, she gets attracted to her colleague Daksh. Though they both liked each other, Daksh could not promise a life time commitment to her due to other obligations. She had a good friend Pintu who also at some point in time was responsible for occurrence of an incident. The difficulties faced by her has been vividly described by the author in a simple to understand language.



Then there was this Agasthya, a smart businessman who was in his forties who comes in the life of Madhu. The story literally opens up the avenue of various possible combinations/scenarios that a widowed girl has to go through. The essence of this has been captured in a subtle way by the author in this book.



The ending was pleasant and surely not the one I was expecting because there was a twist in the story which I would say is revolutionary even in this 21st century. The references made by the author with regards to the area, food, culture of Chennai makes it a pleasant read for anyone who lives or has lived in Chennai. This book does not have any violence or thrill or crime but still,it would keep you captivated from the beginning till the end.



The story begins on Jan 1,2016 and ends on Dec 12,2016(Coincidentally it is the Birth date of Super Star Rajnikanth)

[Ghanshyam Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded off to 4 stars
I always try to write my reviews without giving spoilers so that everyone can read it, but this book makes it very hard to write one
I will still try

1. The language of the book is pretty solid but a lot of times, the author puts dialogues which are random and the explanation to it is given only after a few sentences. It's done to maintain suspense and freshness in a text but this has been overdone in this book

2. For the first 60 pages, the book shows the mundane routine of our protagonist. This is a very short book and so it becomes a downside. I was also only able to see the wit of the protagonist after 60 pages, before that, her wit appears as bitterness

3. I had seen the book's promo video on Amazon and I was promised a very unexpected ending. The book totally failed in giving me one.

3. On the other hand. In the last 2 pages the author plays with the emotions of the readers quite masterfully by putting ques for the reader to frame the reader's mind to a certain view point and then 2 sentences later, putting a completely opposite que
It kept me guessing till the last word about the conclusion of the book

But for all that, I want this book to succeed, it is a very different kind of book in the genre

[SAMVEDNA · Rating 4 out of 5]

Madhubala Ray, unpredictability defining her present, lurking behind the modesty of time, turning what's indefinite into the lonesome monotone of longing. Finding herself surrounded by what could have been and what is, there she is- Madhubala, who has recently lost her husband. In search for normalcy, she finds solace in the bottles of alcohol she keeps hidden in her closet. Invariably reaching out to them, marking them into every occasion. Her life is inked with the spirit of love, marching her forward into another love-life with a colleague, only to be deceived by the tides of time. The way she deals with it is really inspirational.
The characterization is intelligently executed, providing an apt balance between those needed to take the story forward and those who just get lost with the flowing alcohol. And, in everything she keeps her sense of humour alive; although short-lived at times, but powerful enough to arouse those thoughts in your mind that will keep you glued to the narration.
The narration is diluted at times with the induction of modernity in it, which could've been avoided, still doing justice to her story. But, having said that the book is brilliantly executed. The question, whether she finds love again, shall be answered as you walk with her in this journey.


[Solitude and books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Madhubala Ray, a woman in her 30s who lost her loving husband recently. Living in Chennai she has her 70 year old Mother in Law to look after. .
.

Her life is a mess and no doubt her heart is too .
Bratty teenagers in her teaching job , her bisexual bestie added with unpredictable men and catty colleagues she feels messed up enough to have got in to alcohol addiction. But Sshh ! You cannot tell that to any one even if you feel guilty because it helps to deal with depressive thoughts and mind blocking sadness.Amidst of heart breaking memories of her late husband and still hopeful to be lovable again she jotts down her thoughts in this diary daily. .
.

In a hilarious way of narration Author has touched upon ever so complex ways of human heart and life capturing it into smooth words in this story which is written in Diary presentation making it an enjoyable , funny and light read.It is heart wrenching at times and is easily relatable with the nicely developed characters. .
.

I being a Bengali myself could related to various events even better.

If you are looking for a cozy, funny yet a serious and enjoyable read , Go for this book . .

[Ajay · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all this is not a love story. This is the story of a 30 yr old woman,Madhu whose husband died recently in an accident. She is a teacher by profession. Fell in love with her colleague, Daksh. This is really an interesting story and one should read it once.

[Sohinee Reads & Reviews (Bookarlo) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read The Full Review on My Blog: https://poesyinchrysalis.wordpress.co...


It is not often that I have the opportunity to read something upbeat, mirthful and diverting. Grappling for ‘Secret Diary of an Incurable Romantic’ is a decision that I am proud of. The book is what the title tells it is. The novel resembles an epistolary format of writing, except that it is a compilation of diary entries and not letters.

There is really not much to discuss about the book since it is unambiguous in its construction. The prose is lucid, direct and easily accessible. For a reader, there are only very few possibilities to read between the lines. For most of the novel, the authorial voice is definite. In a way, it surely does constrain the reader’s ability to interpret differently.

‘Secret Diary of an Incurable Romantic’ follows Madhubala on her journey as a young widow succeeding the years after the demise of her husband. During these years, she befriends alcohol and occasional dalliances are definitely up her radar. Before you go on and act as an adjudicator, let us not forget that a woman has needs just like a man does. That being said, different people have different coping mechanisms against their sorrows. To say the least, it is not improper to want to be happy.

Living with her mother-in-law sure does put a limit on Madhu’s alcohol consumption. Though a closet alcoholic, she does find it difficult to control her urges but she certainly doesn’t want to alert her mother-in-law. This first person account of Madhu is not supposed to be depressing or saddening. It is quite the opposite— uplifting and spirited. There are numerous other characters depending on the scenes but at the heart of the novel, it is about Madhu’s life and her chance at finding love once again. Mukherjee did justice with her protagonist. Madhubala turned out to be a well-rounded character in every possible way.

Mukherjee has used wit and humour thoroughly throughout the novel. It was chucklesome ride for me. From the setting to the narration to the scenes, the humour ranges from self-deprecating to irony to hyperbolic and everything in-between. It is a very modern novel in the fact that it favours modern families, circumstances and real-life characters.

As I have mentioned earlier, this is a very simplistic novel so there is little to no surprising elements. Though there are dialogues and scene shifts, the novel unfortunately only enfolds the quotidian life of Madhu. Chitrangada did manage to fill the pages with her sense of humour but I cannot deny that I was left hoping and craving for something more interesting to happen in the book.


This book is a very light read despite the themes it deals with. Packed with humour and comic elements, ‘Secret Diary of an Incurable Romantic’ is a refreshing book to read.

Recommended to everyone out there.

Rating: 3.5 (rounded off to 4)

For more reviews and bookish posts, follow my blog at www.poesyinchrysalis.wordpress.com. For review enquiries and collaborations, write to me at query.sohinee@gmail.com

[Booxoul · Rating 4 out of 5]

am a very happy person after reading Secret Diary of an Incurable Romantic by Chitrangada Mukherjee. I enjoyed it so much because it was so funny, it was interesting, gripping and I wanted to finish it in a single shot, but couldn’t because of work.

This book is in a Diary form, each new day starts with a chapter. The story deals with a 30 years old woman Madhu AKA Madhubala and an utterly romantic woman, who recently lost her husband of one year in an accident. And to evade her pain, she drowns herself in Wine and Vodka, and that she does with a finesse.

“It’s been a month. Of hiding. Avoiding. Despairing… With intermittent suicidal tendencies…”

She lives with her Mother-in-Law, whose name however much she tries she could not remember. Madhubala is an Independent woman, who teaches Social Studies in a school.

To make her life more complicated than it is, she falls in love with her 4 years younger colleague in school, Daksh. Only to realize it later that he is already engaged to be married. But Madhu being the quirky and funny girl takes it all in her stride.

This book is deadly. You have to read it in some secluded place so you can laugh without being hampered. This woman is a hoot, let me tell you. She’s hilariously and completely outrageous.

The book ‘Secret Diary of an Incurable Romantic by Chitrangada Mukherjee’ has a whimsical narration. The book is a funny, daft one, with enough winning charm to stop you from hating yourself for laughing at its many jokes. Very fluff and breezy read, which we all need to lighten our mood from time to time.

The author really did a good job of carving the characters, her school colleagues, the parents, and my favorite Lalitaji. Though I really disliked a few characters close to the protagonist’s life.

I really loved the way Madhu describes the characters, hilarious!!!

I practically sighed with exasperation over her choices of men. And also disliked the extremely modern take on some parts of the story.

I was a bit disappointed with the ending, but it wasn’t anything major. I just had a different vision of how the story might have ended. But otherwise, I thought it was hilarious. All in all, this is a highly recommended, tickle your funny bone kind of book.

My Rating: 4.5/5 stars

[N · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Secret Diary of an Incurable Romantic" by Chitrangada Mukherjee was about a 30 years old impulsive, idiosyncratic widow woman Madhubala, and the account of her life after losing her husband which she put down in her Diary.
The first impression of this book is always its cover & blurb which does an excellent job of the enticing reader. The cover image, Font on it as well as colour combination is really appealing.

The book is written in the 3rd form of narration. But as it is diary format, we mainly see the pov of the protagonist.

The best part of the book is its diverse characters.protagonist of this book Madhubala a quirky woman, who after losing her husband tried to find some solace in different guys like Daksh, pintu, Agasthy at the different point in time. They all were an outlet to release her suppressed emotions, from her day to day personal experiences, memories of her late husband everything which was contained in her journal.
Other substantial characters like her opinionated mother in law Lalita Ji, her childhood friend pintu, a funny, caring bi-sexual guy. Daksh, a friend with benefits, others colleagues from her school served their role in the story.
The book contained lots of sexual euphemisms and some non-descriptive sex scenes. but The way the whole story was being narrated by the author, I never felt like I'd skipped a page. I mean it didn't spoil the romantic factors.
The setting of the book in Chennai lends it a refreshing flavour.
The writing style is witty, filled with humour. The language of the book and the narrative are beautiful, engrossing& brilliantly paced. The author really knows just how to balance character development with real depth and proper setting, without getting so bogged down in the description that the reader begins to skim.

The book has all the entertainment quotient. This book is not a profound literature but it's a worth reading for a nice relaxing fun time. I absolutely loved the author's sense of humour, the way the author made the entire story worthwhile.

What I didn't like, is ending, although the main character does have her happy ending, I felt that ended up being a bit less developed.

So in summary: an odd, bold book yet I seemed even if, at a times, I wondered...what the hell is this? 😂

Fun, meaningful, quirky, charming feel-good novel .if you like a romantic comedy, this book is for you .if you believe in the power of love, this book is for you. actually, I don't care who you are, ....nothing is more important than love in our life right?

My Rating: 4.75/5

[Chitra Iyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Secret Diary of an Incurable Romantic by Chitrangada Mukherjee is a long-awaited book. Why? Because I have read the author’s previous book, Wants and Desires, and was blown over by it! I remember thinking how there are many authors who deserve so much attention and applause but are, somehow, shadowed.

I guess that’s where we book bloggers/reviewers come to play. I am trying my best to try spread the word and share my thoughts with book lovers across the globe about undiscovered gems, that are these authors.

That’s enough gyaan for today, I guess! So, without any further ramblings, let me get on with the review.



Summary

Madhubala is a recently widowed woman who is struggling to find her way back to normalcy. She lives in Chennai and works as a school teacher. Her only consolation are her bottles of alcohol she hides in her closet.

There is her mom-in-law who lives with her, hardly ever mutters a word. Then there’s Pintu who is an old friend – always there for her but has his own affairs to deal with. Then there’s this hot Bio teacher at school, Daksh, whom she takes an instant attraction to. Amidst these people and all the emotions rising and falling, Madhu holds on to her life with the help of some alcohol and romances.

What I Liked

Okay, I really liked the book! It is a story of a woman who has recently lost her husband and someone who is totally messed up. But it isn’t a sad story at all.

Read the rest of my review here:
https://bookvue.wordpress.com/2018/11...

[Vidhya Thakkar · Rating 3 out of 5]

When the mind is in fear, the head must be held high.

Secret Diary of an Incurable Romantic by Chitrangada Mukherjee is a story of Madhubala and Lalitaji. Lalitaji who lost her son, and Madhubala who lost her Husband at a very young age, deal with the ups and downs in life. Will their life be normal again? 

Firstly, I liked how the story the story started. The plot of the story is good, full of twists and turns. The narration of the story is crisp and engaging keeping reader Hooked. The theme of love, desire, loss, friendship sets well with the beautiful backdrop of Chennai.

The characters that the author made are strong and interesting. Each character had their own, vital role. I did not like Madhubala's character. Rather I loved Lalitaji's character the most. The twist in her life surprised me. The pace of the story slow. Too many details made it a bit boring. The flow of the story is Okay.

The language used by the author is simple and easy. The writing style of the author is Lucid. The sequence of the events was pleasant. I liked the cover and the title of the book

Overall, it's a good story but could have been much better.

[Ruchi Patel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is in form of a diary of our protagonist Madhubala Ray, she lives in Chennai with her mother in law Lalita. She is in her mid thirties, works as a teacher in a school and a recent window, So as my favourite and very first quote of book that is

“That which does not kill us...leaves us to cope through unhealthy ways and a quirky sense of humour.”

She became an addict of alcohol as a coping mechanism. There are other characters also such as Pintu, Daksh, Agasthya, etc.

Read the book to unfold its plot.


When I saw the cover, I thought this might be another romantic novel. But as a surprise this has unique plot.

Nice writing style. I couldn’t put it down.
And especially I loved that it’s written in a diary form.

Holds your attention till the end.
And gives you the taste of emotions and social realities. We can relate characters of the book with many people surrounding us.

Overall nice and different read. I enjoyed a lot.

[Rahul Chatterjee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though I am not into Chick Lit genre, I got this book gifted by the author Chitrangada Mukherjee herself. So.. after the first read of this genre I must express my sincere thoughts about the book - Secret diary of an incurable romantic.

Madhubala Roy lived her life through turbulences unapologetically. I think this is the essence of a true liberated woman's life and of the book too. You may love her or hate her, you may feel irritated by her acts, but she moves on in life in her own way. I congratulate the author for presenting us our very own Indian version of Bridget Jones ! I find the book highly influenced by Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones Diary in construct too. It's a diary written by a singleton pouring over all her feeling while knowing her weaknesses and longing. While tracing the life of senior couples’ characters in Madhu's eyes - this also remind me of Bridget’s parents marital conflicts. Obviously the milieu here is Indian.

Language is free flowing which made the read engaging. While a new city is unfolding around Madhubala the writer makes the reader to be her companion delightfully. Her humour is fascinating most, often sarcastic. But what is her search for!?Is it a settled life? Or love? As the last entry of the Diary ends with a proposal, here arose this question. She declared herself incurable romantic. Does romance mean lust only ! Her ardour escapades, even with her childhood friend, hints that. Leave my old world opinion about love and lust, even psychologist say lust is an unstable phase different from Love. While love is not sharing bed only, it's about companionship. I think her journey of love begin at the end of the book where she is about to have a real love, just like her ex husband, for whom her heart wrenches.. always!

[Meghasi Bhatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story is about Madhu (Madhubala), whose husband has died recently after only a year of marriage. Madhu now lives with her elderly mother-in-law and teaches Social Science in a school.
The story is witty, hilarious, extremely interesting and poignant at the same time. Though Madhu misses her husband intensely, she is still portrayed as a woman with normal needs and desires. She takes solace in alcohol and a fling with a colleague.
Madhu’s workplace, i.e. the school, is extremely well depicted with interesting descriptions of the staffroom, her bitchy colleagues, the pushy parents and the demanding principal.
I also loved the characters of Madhu’s parents and her mother-in-law Lalitaji as well as her best friend Pintu.
On the whole, the story is extremely modern and accurately shows the dynamics of relationships today. Will there be a happy ending for Madhu? The reader needs to read the story to find out.
I highly recommend ‘Secret Diary of an Incurable Romantic’ to readers as a real page-turner of a novel!

[Nathan Swift · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tbh I really like this book its written in the form of a Diary with all the dates included
Character are very realistic
And the writing process was just so brilliant
A smooth read.
The cover of the book is Gorgeous
As well the title
Language is really easy and understandable
Interesting plot🌟
It's a worth reading
And the end could have been better but that could be neglected
Author portray everything so beautifully🌟

Would recommend to everyone
Give it a Try

[Priyanka · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a nice, light read. I felt it had traces of the author's own life experiences. But I feel Chitrangada Mukherjee is a talented author and should write more. Also, she should focus on publicizing her books more. We await new mystery resolution by Sub-Inspector Juhi.

[Sankalpita (bookGeeks India) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Watch my detailed book review here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDO9O...

Read the review on my blog - https://www.bookgeeks.in/secret-diary...

[Anuradha Mohankumar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished reading this amazing, amazing book. It has the right dose of funny, sadness, confusion and what not. After a long time I found a book that made me crack up. The writing is simple and beautiful. The book is about Madhubala and a year in her life, the year she lost her husband and was left alone with her mother-in-law and a whole lot of confusing thoughts. A sure shot page turner I loved this book so very much. I am actually sad that it is over now. I wish the writer had added 100 more pages to it.

[Arsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Writing style of the author is the best thing about the book. As it is written in the form of a diary. It's quick paced. Enjoyed reading it. Characters are fun (except a couple). Mostly witty and Humourous.
But I think it could have been extended a bit more. As the ending seems to come too soon.
Anyway, it's a feel good read.

[Tarun Sen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Name - Secret Diary Of An Incurable Romantic.
Writer - Chitrangada Mukherjee
Pages - 280
Genre - Fiction

Blurb -:11 pm: Heart’s pounding, hands shaking. Have these knots in my stomach. But drinking isn’t an option. Maa is sleeping with me. Baba in Lalitaji’s room. And she on the sofa. Want to step into the toilet, take one swig, and then go directly to sleep. How the hell will Maa know? I mean she’s sleeping like a log. No, no, shouldn’t. What if she wakes up? She’s a light sleeper, after all. 11.30 pm: No wine. Or vodka. Terrible, terrible night. When will they go back to Kolkata and let me be? 11.32 pm: Chhi . . .Chhi . . . How selfish am I? My parents, one with a heart condition, spent thousands on flight tickets and landed in Chennai. Why? Because they wanted to spend time with their widowed daughter. And what does the daughter want? To sneak into the toilet and take one good swig of wine. Shame on her! Okay, now I’m being over-dramatic. Meet Madhubala Ray a thirty-year-old brand-spanking-new widow in Chennai. She lives with her seventy-year-old mostly-silent MIL—whose name she can’t remember, teaches Social Science to bratty teenagers, and suddenly has a life filled with unpredictable men, catty colleagues, a bisexual best friend, and . . . heart-wrenching memories of her late husband. How does she deal with all of that? By baring it all, in her diary. Join this oddball-widow who always keeps it real as she gives an honest account of a young North Indian working woman in Chennai, who tries to survive a tragedy through wine and vodka, her quirky sense of humour, and refuses to give up on love. Despite its oddities. The question is: does she survive and find love, again? Secret Diary of an Incurable Romantic is a story that is brutally honest, funny, romantic and liberating. It’s a slice of life you wouldn’t want to miss.

Summary -: The story revolves around the complicated life of Madhubala Roy who's in her 30s and lost her husband. She lives in Chennai with her Mother in law 'Lalita Pawar'. She's a teacher by profession and teaches Social Studies at school. She found in herself in a complicated situation where she start loving her school colleague 'Daksh' who was 4 year younger than her, but later she found out that he's already engaged.

Things I Liked About the book -:
1. The Best Thing About this book is this that it's written in a Diary format & I Love reading these kind of books. Before this I've read 'The diary of a young girl'. This is a funny and crinzy substitute of it.
2. The relationship b/w Madhu & her Mother in law. While read the book I totally fall in love with their relationship.
3. The book is totally different than what the title Suggest, it's not a romantic book. It's a book full of fun, sweet and sour life experience, and sometimes It'll make you happy and at another moment I'll make you sad. You'll found yourself connect with the Madhu throughout the book
4. The characters of the book,' Madhu, Daksh, Agastha & her friend Pinto are written & described very well.

Things I didn't like about the book -:
To be honest there was nothing that I didn't like. This book is surely my one of the best read of 2019 so far.

My Rating - 4.5 🌟
I'll recommend This to each and everyone who's reading this review.
Happy reading :-)

[Ayushi Pradhan · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is something about books which are written in a diary format. And there is something a lot about this book. On each new day, each chapter feels like as if I'm observing the characters in book secretly without their knowledge.
Summery:
Madhubala Ray, the woman book talks about or lives rather is in her 30s who lost her husband in an accident recently. To get over this pain, she handovers herself to alcohol, wine to be precise. She lives in Chennai with her mother in law who actually looks after her and watches drama on TV rest of the day. Madhu is a teacher by profession, who falls in love with a 4 years younger colleague, Daksh. It is seen later that he is already engaged to be married. Madhu's childhood friend, Pintu is a funny, loving and caring bi-sexual guy who has added a tincture of entertainment in the book. There is one more character Agasthya, who is a smart and rich business man. How the story takes turn, that's quite interesting and unexpected too.
Review:
The first impression of any book is its cover. Here, the cover is vibrant and lively. The font and picture justifies each other. Red color is appealing which signifies love, romance and wine of course. The text message conversation has made the language more interesting and adds a modern touch. Diction is simple and correct words have been used at correct places. I could feel it again and again that the story is plotted around Chennai city and it was refreshing. What I loved most about the book is completely diversed characters.
Madhu, this woman is hilarious. She is bold and beautiful. I would say she is pro in protagonist. On one hand she seeks solace in other men but on the other, she gets lost in beautiful memories of her late husband with them. Not to forget I was surprised by her choices of men. I personally loved the beautiful detailing writer has provided about each saree and outfit of Madhu. There had been instances when I had slept imagining myself to be Madhu and pondering over what could I had done if I were her?
If you're judging the book to be just another romantic story because of the word romantic in the title, then wait. The book has been written in accordance to the modern life. You will read incidents like a bi-sexual guy dating a teenager, mother in law cooking her daughter in law, a widow woman who is a closet alcoholic and finding herself in bits and pieces of her life but not giving up. I want to hug the writer for reflecting these stereotypes in her book as they are not supposed to be overlooked.
When you read a book, you have a vision of how the story will end. So, I was just expecting a little more better ending than the whole.
Chitrangada Mukherjee, you've earned a fan by your writing style which is witty, humorous, griping and different. Mind if I call you queen of wit?
How often you find such diversed stories? If you want to read something funny in free time, then this book is for you. If you want to read something meaningful during bed time, then this book is for you. If you believe in never giving up and finding life every now and then, then this book is for you. This book is for everyone who believes in love.

[Sumith Chowdhury · Rating 3 out of 5]

The secret diary of an incurable romantic

One word to describe this book would be 'hilarious.' Taking in account from start till the end, the book is roller-coaster ride of emotions, laughter, joy, fun, sadness & many other aspects which accompany each other to make it a good jovial read.
Man, I can vouch for one thing which will compell a reader to pick this book up & finish it during the weekend. And trust me, it will stay with you for a long time. Because the book supposedly takes away all your pain & makes you laugh with compassion, as a lady diabolically narrates her life - the instances, incidents where she gets involved accidentally & sometimes involuntarily based on situations & circumstances.

The book talks about a lady Madhubala from Kolkata who works in chennai, after her husband passed away in an unfortunate unforeseen accident while he was returning from bangalore. The story accounts the journey of her struggle with job, worklife, family, her mother-in-law, the men in her life who influence her or perhaps charm/seduce, also her extent of alcohol addiction. As she's often confused between her love life, sex life & family life as well. The usual phase any young girl or woman these days experience in this modern world aka society of ours.

Another aspect I would like to mention which touched my heart was the sheer use of profane languages & abuse & witty innumerable innuendos (double or triple meaning jokes as you call it). It's not that easy for a writer to use such language, & at the same time make it look decent & also give a nice charming touch to it. The brave attempt of the author with her sheer curiosity makes it even more worthwhile to read.
Though I wouldn't recommend young readers, especially women to pick this book up if you come from a restrictive mindset or narrow-mindedness. But if you're a broadminded person/reader who loves to explore versatile content of every genre, who doesn't mind to accept such things & embrace them with maturity. Then this book is totally a delectable delightful read for you. One that will make you laugh your wits off as it takes you across the journey of a woman as he describes her life via alcohol, sense of humour, men & sex!

Yes, you heard it right. The book has lots of sex or sexual content which is for mature readers. But as I mentioned earlier. If you're understandable enough to accept it. Then this is going to be an amazing read for you.
Language is simple, good & pleasant to read. Narration is good. A good book to read during weekends. Worth recommending to all the readers!

[Puja]

The book, as its blurb describes it, is the story of a thirty-year-old 'brand-spanking-new' widow, Madhubala Ray who lives in Chennai with her seventy-year-old Mother in Law.
Written as diary entries by the protagonist, the novel begins with her, wallowing in her husband’s loss. As she bares it all in her diary, you are introduced to her Tupperware-selling neighbour, an interesting bisexual best friend, her colleagues from work and some of her students whom she teaches Social Science.

As she seeks solace in wine and vodka, she’s drawn towards a colleague, a relationship that has been described in a detached, faraway manner. The author Chitrangada Mukherjee has spent quite a bit of time, and quite successfully I’d say, in creating a visual imagery of the protagonist’s surroundings.

If you are expecting a lone suffering lady swathed in white showing any overt signs of depression, you’d be disappointed. Instead there is an honest portrayal of a lady who has practical issues to worry about- like how to pay the rent and whether or not to hire an auto. Survival is high on her priority list. Can you really blame her for that?

The memories of a dead husband who’d loved her and who she had loved, are portrayed quite realistically. As she deals with the men in her life (there are three, including the BFF), you find yourself rooting for her instead of judging her and almost exhorting her to make the right choice. The protagonist’s parents have been described with a tenderness that one feels for one’s parents. Despite their foibles and follies, they are loved and looked up to.

The author has done quite some work on the details as she describes Chennai through the eyes of an outsider, a Bengali widow who doesn’t even know the language.
The book is a very realistic and honest portrayal of her struggles and has its funny bits. It’s a light read and the pages are easy to turn. Towards the end, however, I felt that in an effort to tie the loose ends, there was a rush to set things right, especially the MIL who till then was silently cruising along, in the narrative. As everything suddenly falls in place, you still want to know whether or not she goes with your 'choice'.

That felt a little jarring and I was let down. I was kind of hoping that the quirky odd ball widow would continue her unapologetic streak but I was denied that pleasure.
Overall, I’d say this book can be a good companion in these rains, for those who want to snuggle in their favourite chair with a cup of steaming coffee and a book that doesn’t weigh one down.

I would rate it 3.5* out of 5

[Chresann Dsouza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Are you looking out for a really fresh, innovative, light and entertaining read?

Are you too done with the noral Romance Genre books, but still like a touch of it in any genre ?

If yes, then this post is exclusively for you!


LANGUAGE: ENGLISH
GENRE: WOMEN'S FICTION
LENGTH: 278
PUBLISHER: FINGERPRINT PUBLISHERS
PUBLISHED: 2018

SUMMARY: This story revolves around the life of Madhubala Roy, a 30yr old widow who has lost her husband a few months ago.
Its a story about her life journey, the challenges that she encounters in her personal life, the language problems that she faces, being a north Indian in chennai & so on.

What going on in her life, what are the challenges that she faces, will she ever be able to overcome them ?



Pick up this book, to find out the answers to all these questions, presented & power packed in the most hilarious way possible!

OVERVIEW / MY OPINION:

I had the most wonderful time reading this book, its such a rare genre! Secondly reading a book that's written in the form of a diary, is always a pleasure!

This is the kind of story thats gonna stick with me for a fairly long time.

The writing style was good, the narration was very good, it kept me gripped till the end! The storyline was beautiful, unique and captivating. The language used was easy going and lucid.  The cover and the title are appropriately chosen.  The characters were very well developed, especially the character of Madhubala Roy.

The hilarious punches and the unexpected twists & turns made it a really effervescent read!

A lot of the conversation in the books is in the form of messages, which makes it a really good read .

I liked how the everyday small things are given a chance to express themselves in a hilarious way!

The only drawback of it is that the story takes a slow pace in the between, at times the narration is a bit dragged.

Overall, this was a very pleasant, entertaining and a light read!
Definitely recommended!!

MY RATING: 4.5/5

[Rutuja Ramteke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Name: Secret Diary of An Incurable Romantic
Author: Chitrangada Mukherjee
Genre: Fictional drama
Publisher: Fp Publishers
.
Introduction: 11 pm: Heart’s pounding, hands shaking. Have these knots in my stomach. But drinking isn’t an option. Maa is sleeping with me. Baba in Lalitaji’s room. And she on the sofa. Want to step into the toilet, take one swig, and then go directly to sleep. How the hell will Maa know? By baring it all, in her diary. Join this oddball-widow who always keeps it real as she gives an honest account of a young North Indian working woman in Chennai, who tries to survive a tragedy through wine and vodka, her quirky sense of humour, and refuses to give up on love. Despite its oddities. So it talks about her- everything!
.
My Opinion: The story and the whole book revolves around the character Madhubala, I love the way how the author has portrayed the character Madhu- she made me laugh throughout the book, though it's not only funny but involves alot of emotional circumstances at times. The book basically talks about an independent women who is strong throughout the day & doesn't wish to give up on love but at the end of the day she finds herself very alone & tries to cure her pains with the help of alcohol. I loved the cover it does go with the storyline and I highly recommend this book to everyone! I loved the book's name- it's so unique!
.
Pros: After very long time, I got to read something which I was longing to read since long. The book beautifully portrays many more character other than Madhu and I loved how Madhu describes them- It was too funny. The book has drama, comedy, humour, emotions and overall many confessions of a women. I loved the narration because it's the reason I could complete it the day I picked it up. Language was supply and smooth.
Cons: The ending for me was not that desirable.
.
Rating: 4.25🌟

[Puja Ankitha Ivaturi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 📖: SECRET DIARY OF AN INCURABLE ROMANTIC by @chitrangadaitis .
Genre 🖊: Fiction (Romance)
.
Rating: 4.5/5 🌟 .
.
Behind the review 👈: The story is all about a woman named Madhubala Ray, who is in her thirties. She is a working woman in Chennai, lives with her ignorant Mother-in- law- whose name she can’t remember, teaches SS to the students of the school. However, her life turns when her husband gets into an accident and can’t fight over to live. She tries to survive through wine and vodka and refuses to give up on love. By days, her life takes a turn suddenly when unpredictable men enter her story, she liberated herself from all the odds trying to find love in a person again, at last finds that the man, her colleague Daksh, who revealed later ’already as taken.’
.
This story is all about the journey of Madhubala Ray, her grief, loneliness, emotions, and needs. It’s much a desk story one would love to read.
.
.
Review ✍️:
.
. ✔️ When I picked this book, I thought of ‘how can a diary depicts a story briefly without losingg it's pace. I’m totally astounded to see how interesting it is, to look into a life which is full of twist and turns. .
✔️ You will feel the captive ness a diary of someone can get you into. You feel as if you’re reading someone’s personal diary secretly. Awesome feeling though 😜.
.
✔️ Language is simple and clean.
.
✔️ Page turner. With the turning paper, the interest in you to know more about the story raises.
.
✔️ One more reason to read this book: The author did a fantastic job in depicting the character Madhubala. She did justice to every character she portrayed in this story.
.
.
👉Do, buy this book in the Amazon or Flipkart and join the journey of Madhubala.
. 👉 Find out whether she survive and find love, again or not.
Kudos 👏 @chitrangadaitis