Moonlit Matinee

About the Book

Welcome this ‘Season of Love’ with a never before effort by twelve resplendent writers to pen most fascinating love tales. Cheer the feeling of love with ‘Moonlit Matinee,’ coming up this Valentine. This is a unique concept which is a blend of Prose, Sonnet, Ballad and Poetry. It contains tales of Love, Emotions, Lust, Passion and Relationship. This is a perfect gift which you can give to your Valentine or you best friend.

Authors

The book has been contributed by the talented authors which include Ashish Sharma, Ayaan Basu, Harpreet Makkar, Harshita Shrivastava,

Ila Garg, Ishita Bhown, Nandini Garg, Pratham Devang, Pulkit Gupta, Rachna Seth, Siddhartha Yadav and Soniya Kundra Singh

Have a look at the trailer of this lovely collection here

Reviews

REVIEW OF EACH STORY

Story number 1.

BON VOYAGE 

A guy on a journey of a train meets her long forgotten social networking love, Khushi and then follows the journey of remorse.

It started pretty well but looked catchy but fall flat on expectations.

2.5/5

Story number 2.

EMPTINESS

A travelling crazy guy meets her love on a hill top of Manali. They both fell in love but there’s a past of the girl which keeps on haunting their relationship.

Nice and interesting story. Grips till the end.

3/5

Story number 3.

RASGULLA

A ‘Rasgulla’ changed her life forever. A dark tale revealing the male dominance over the society.

Ending is great and unexpected.

3.5/5

Story number 4.

WISH YOU WERE HERE

They fell in love but were not destined to be together.

Extra half rating for the song at the end.

3/5

Story number 5.

THE ROSEMARY LETTER

A divine love story of the followers of Bankey Bihari Ji in the poetic form. She danced and he played flute. Those letters were the only way for Meera to find Ashish, her secret admirer.

A very nice story with a nice representation.

4/5

Story number 6.

ALL I WANT IS YOU

She came in Abhimanyu’s life when he needed her the most. He is burdened by the responsibility of a nephew and that’s what is resisting him to fall in love with Devyani.

2.5/5

Story number 7.

THE LOVE STORY

She has left her past life and now is completing this family for a man who is waiting for her since 30 yrs.

Nothing New.

2.5/5

Story number 8.

THE GIFTS

She has faced the cruel world before she met Raj. Raj proposed her but before accepting the proposal; she forwarded the demand for two gifts, two unusual gifts.

Refreshing and innovative thought.

3.5/5

Story number 9.

BOLLYWOOD AFFAIR’S

Bollywood, where dreams gets fulfilled over our own dead souls. He met her in a party and afterwards her life changes in a positive manner.

Nice idea but needed something strong in the end.

3/5

Story number 10.

FLAVORED SMOKE

They met because of an accident and then destiny made them fall in love.

A sweet story with fabulous dialogues.

3.5/5

Story number 11.

LYRICS OF LAVISH RAIN

It’s a tale about a girl’s love with ‘Rain’. It’s real, it’s intense, and it’s lovable.

A very nice concept with a very nice presentation.

4.5/5

Story number 12.

CUPID’S ARROW, BULL’S EYE

Ashimita loves Naman and they got married. On their first night she realizes that the love was only from her side. Her life shatters and then on one day she wakes up in the bed with Mohit, Naman’s boss. Someone has cheated her but whom?

Story is gripping but writing is loose.

3/5

Story number 13.

EHSAAS-THE FEELINGS

They both were orphans and they fell in love. They miss someone who could guide them and bless them over the life’s path and this search takes them to the old age home.

I loved the story and the concept. Writing style is also very good.

4.5/5

Story number 14.

AN ODE TO RELATIONSHIP

A short poem dedicated to you & me.

3.5/5

Review by Read In Park

Welcome this ‘Season of Love’ with a never before effort by twelve resplendent writers to pen most fascinating love tales. Cheer the feeling of love with ‘Moonlit Matinee,’ coming up on this Valentine. This is a unique concept which is a blend of Prose, Sonnet, Ballad and Poetry. It contains tales of Love, Emotions, Lust, Passion and Relationship. This is a perfect gift which you can give to your Valentine or you best friend.

Book Review –

Moonlit Matinee is a collection of 14 short stories. Plus point of this book is that every story is different. Each story is more overwhelming than the last. Each story is written in more perfect way than the last one. 

Bon Voyage (Harshita Shrivastava) – I loved the way author has portrayed the story. It created magic. It’s an impressive story

Emptiness (Pulkit Gupta) – This story is about a guy, Rachit who is loves nature. This story catches your attention from the very starting. Narration skills are good.

Rasgulla (Abhishek Atul) – This story is about two lovers who are separated by a rasgulla and then after years they meet. This story keep switches between past and present and this is whole down side of the story as it confuses reader at times.

Wish You Were Here (Ila Garg) – This story is about Aakash and Vaani. This story leaves you with tears. Well written.

The Rosemarry Letters – This is first poem of the book and it’s written with heart as one could feel it. Overall good attempt.

All I want is you (Sonia Kundra) –This was an interesting read and you can easily relate yourself with it. So many characters but an impressive story. 

The Love Story (Harpreet Makkar) –This story was simple but couldn't create much magic as it sounds filmy from the line one to the last one. Honestly, I didn't like this story.

The Gifts (Ishita Bhown) – This story is one of the best story I read in this anthology. The feelings, narration, and characterization everything was perfect. 

Bollywood Affairs (Ayaan Basu) – I have read authors debut book and was expecting much from him. And he didn't disappoint me. The story showcase darker side of Bollywood. Narration added charms to the story. Must Read.

Flavored Smoke (Prantham Devang) – This story was written in very simple yet effective language. This was happy ending kind of story. This worth a read.

Lyrics of lavish rain (Rachna Seth) – this is one the the most beautiful poem of this anthology. You can imagine it in mind while reading it. Every prose is written to the perfection. 

Cupid’s arrow, Bull’s eyes (Siddhartha Yadav) – this is the story of passion, desire, love and revenge. But the ending disappointed me as it was flat. I was expecting something different to come. Overall a good attempt. 

Ehsaas – The feeling (Pulkit Gupta) – this story is about an orphan couple and how they want to complete their home. The story is good and an eye opener.

An ode to relationship (Nandini Garg) – This is sweet, romantic last poem of this anthology which added charm to this anthology before finishing the book.

Moonlit Matinee is an unique book. In past few months, I have seen the trend many authors are coming with short – story books. But every book doesn't strike chord with readers. But surely this is the book which connects wells and well written. Cover design is good. This book will leave you thinking once you are done reading it. I would like to rate this 3.5/5. Moonlit Matinee stands recommended by Read In Park!

Review by Meghant Parmar

An anthology comprising of 14 stories and with some experimentation giving it an edge over the others. The main feature of the book is love and romance and that has been utilized fully. The emotions are constant throughout and some stories invoke a lot of excitement. 

The drawback of the book is it's constant touch with the past which becomes a monotonous feature in many stories. The initial stories doesn't live up to the expectations whereas the latter half stories perform better when it comes to human emotions. 

Overall it's a good attempt and die hard romantics will love it. Seasoned readers have something new to look up to but the x-factor is still missing. 

A good read. :)

Review by Himani Gupta

Verdict: ☆☆☆☆A Perfect Blend of emotions, love and romance with Ballad and Sonnet the highlight of the book. A must read Anthology 

About the Author: This book is compiled by Pulkit Gupta... who is the Author of "life and Promises. It is edited by Harshita Shrivastava whose debut novel "One in a Million" got very good response.

About the Book: Welcome this Season of Love with a never before effort by twelve resplendent writers to pen most fascinating love tales. Cheer the feeling of love with Moonlit Matinee, coming up on this Valentine. This is a unique concept which is a blend of Prose, Sonnet, Ballad and Poetry. It contains tales of Love, Emotions, Lust, Passion and Relationship. This is a perfect gift which you can give to your Valentine or you best friend.

Review: Firstly, I appreciate the hard work done by Author Pulkit Gupta who attempted ballad and sonnet in his anthology. they were the highlights of the book. I really enjoyed reading it. The cover of the book is really attractive which clearly focus on love which is the theme of the book. The blurb of the book is also short and sweet highlighting the whole anthology. Now as a reviewer let me give you my feedback for the stories individually...

1. Bon Voyage by Harshita Srivastava: It is a story of love and sacrifice. when you lose a person you got to know the importance of him/ her which is beautifully shown in this story with full emotions. I really enjoyed the sweet moments between Akash and Kushi during their train journey.. overall a sweet read.
2. Emptiness by Pulkit Gupta: It is a very sweet romantic story between two strangers which met during a holiday. The sad story of Radhika really touched me emotionally and the way Rachit had shown his love for her even after listening to his story was beautiful.
3. Rasgulla By Abhishek: I really enjoyed reading this story specially the climax where Rasgulla word was used that was the funny element. The pain and barrier of caste between lovers is very common which creates pain in heart. The author had beautifully narrated the story. An enjoyable read.
4. Wish you were here by Ila Garg: A story of life and Death which will touch your heart. Akash love for Vani was soulful and very beautifully written.
5. The Rosemary Letters by Ashish Sharma: A story in the form of Ballad was the highlight of the book. Very beautifully written and it is one of my favorite. The love in the form of letters were really nicely written. A perfect blend of poetic and rhyming. Each and every phrase was perfectly narrated.
6. All I want is you by Sonia Kundra Singh: A beautiful love story between Army captain and the stranger and his kid. The end was really very funny and cute. It also contains some witty and humorous lines that will make you laugh. It is a chirpy sweet and enjoyable read.
7. The love story by Harpreet Makkar: It is a love story between two people who reunites at an old age due to family rules and regulations. There was nothing new in this story. A very simple narration. I like the ending.
8. The Gifts by Ishita Bhown: This is something unusual love story which will attract the attention of the readers. I really liked the gifts demanded by Jia from his lover Raj which were really different which will touch the heart of readers. The end will make you cry with happiness.
9. Bollywood affair by Ayan basu: Stardom and success is very difficult to achieve. One face so many difficulties in life. Farzin story will make you emotional which the reality of Bollywood life. A nice and simple story.
10. Flavoured Smoke by Pratham Devang: This is sweet and simple love story. Two lovers get separated by Faith and then again reunited by destiny. A positive story with emotions and romance.
11. Lyrics of lavish rain by Rachna Sheth: This is a beautiful story in the form of Sonnet: very beautifully written phrases full rhyming and emotional. I really enjoyed each and every part. The narration was free flow with passion. one cannot stay his/her eyes away without completing the sonnet.
12. Cupid,s arrow Bull's Eye by Siddharth Yadav: This story is really very emotional. it contains passion, Lust , revenge and sacrifice. The end was simple. Mohit's revenge in the form of lust was really shocking. But author had narrated very nicely and it is the reality.
13. Ehsaas-the feeling: Love and relationship is very beautifully narrated by the author. I really enjoyed reading the love between two orphanage and later their emotional touch for the old age home couple.I had tears while reading this story. Good job author
14. An ode to Relationship by Nandini Garg: A beautiful poem with perfect Rhyming. A perfect end to the anthology. It has written in a flowing manner which makes it an enjoyable read...

Overall a perfect mixture of emotions and Romance. The highlight of the anthology was ballad and sonnet which will touch the heart of the readers with his perfect narration. I also enjoyed reading some of the short stories. It is the worth reading Anthology with mixture of stories and poems. All the authors have wonderfully contributed in the book. All the best to all of them.

Review by Priyanka Batra Harjai

Moonlit Matinee is a collection of fourteen fascinating love stories. To those who are learning about this title for the very first time, this is an initiative from Mr. Pulkit Gupta – author of ‘Life and Promises’ and contributor at ‘You, Me and Zindagi.

He brought together young blood from different professions with a common trait of love for writing to compile this exclusive anthology. I term it to be an exclusive one because for the first time he has included a mention of Ballad and Sonnet – needless to say, beautiful forms of writing and expression. This was my first experience to enjoy these forms and was an exciting one! The fourteen stories are presented like fourteen flavors of the dish called – ‘Love’. Every single story is dipped in romance promising you different flavors such as passion, heartbreak, attraction, respect and much more. 

A highly recommended read for the ones who understand the language of love and who want to understand the language of love. An anthology, which is as ‘pious’ and as ‘eternal’ as the ‘LOVE’, itself

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