Christine Rose is a do-gooder, going above and beyond her call of duty as a recruiter to help people get jobs and keep them. Within a week, she witnesses two men attempting suicide: one shoots himself anyway and is in coma in the hospital.
The other, Adam Basil, agrees to get off the bridge he is about to jump from if she promises to make him fall in love with life again. He gives her time till his birthday, which is two weeks away. This is one deadline she can’t afford to miss, as Adam says that he will end his life if he’s not convinced.
Different yet similar
Being a firm believer in the power of self-help books, Christine literally tries out every trick in the book to help Adam rediscover his joie de vivre. The two of them plan escapades to help Adam woo his girlfriend Maria back. This includes Adam dressing up as Waldo from Where’s Waldo? , Christine wading into an ice-cold lake to get a lily pad and the two of them baking a terrible cake together. The comical results that ensue are well portrayed, bringing out the mutual attraction between Adam and Christine.
Christine finds herself falling for the stunningly handsome Adam, as he battles his demons in the form of a terminally ill and overbearing father who wants him to take over the family business. She is dealing with her bitter soon-to-be-ex husband Barry, who seems out to turn everyone in her life against her.
In a way, the story is about how different people handle situations in life and how they cope with love, loss and relationships. The protagonists and the people in their lives are defined very distinctly. It is quite refreshing to read chick lit/romance that takes the time to build stories that explain why the characters react the way they do, making them seem more human.
Reel to real
The author also takes a dig at some of the ridiculous advice in self-help books. This makes it highly entertaining. Her style of writing is simple and makes her characters endearing to the readers – one can’t help but fall a little in love with Adam! For a person who does not read much of the genre, this book might seem a bit contrived. But go ahead, read it for the way the characters are fleshed out and the study of human nature in spite of a clichéd ending.
Title: How to Fall in Love
Author: Cecelia Ahern
Publisher: Harper-Collins
Price: Rs. 350
