#BookReview :: The House that BJ Built by Anuja Chauhan

I'll make my sisters squirm like well-salted earthworms. I won't sell. Even my jutti wont sell. And if I die na, then even my gosht won't sell! The late Binodini Thakur had been very clear that she would never agree to sell her hissa in her Bauji's big old house on Hailey Road. And her daughter Bonu, is determined to honor her mothers wishes.
But what to do about her four pushy aunts who are insisting she sell? One is bald and stingy, one is jobless and manless, one needs the money to 'save the nation' and one is stepmother to Bonus childhood crush-brilliant young Bollywood director Samar Vir Singh, who promised BJ upon his deathbed that he would get the house sold, divvy the money equally and end all the bickering within the family.
The first word baby Bonu ever spoke was 'Balls' and indeed, she is ballsy, bullshit-intolerant, brave and beautiful. But is she strong enough to weather emotional blackmail by the spadefull? Not to mention shady builders, wily politicians, spies, lies and the knee-buckling hotness of Samars intense eyes? Sharply observed and pulse-quickeningly romantic, this is Anuja Chauhan writing at her sparkling best! 

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I had borrowed ‘The Pricey Thakur Girls’ from a friend and had enjoyed the reading experience of it. So it was a no-brainer that I would pick this book up too. Only this time I delved into the book with some expectations.

The Thakur girls are back and this book is all about how the family wants to sell the house that BJ built. While the central plot deals with that, there are parallel storylines involving the central characters. On one hand we have Samar’s journey of making a film and on the other hand we have Bonu trying to keep her promise to her late mother. And then there is the blooming relationship between Satish and Eshwari. 

The many characters in the book play their roles to perfection. Some have grown over two books while some have been late bloomers.  The characterization plays an important role in shaping up the book. It is the character relationship and interactions, the family drama and politics that keeps the book entertaining and going. Since Bonita comes across as the stand out protagonist in this book, I have to say that I had a love-hate relationship with her and Samar in the book. I oscillated between loving and hating them as the book progressed and they absolutely drove me nuts. The easy flowing Hin-glish language and a narrative style that oozes humour keeps a reader hooked to the book. Romance, Drama and Comedy fill the pages of this book.

Like I said, having read ‘The Pricey Thakur Girls’, I picked up this book with certain expectations. While most of them were well met, this installment doesn’t really live up to the mark its predecessor made. Still, it is quite entertaining and a quick one-time read.

Review Copy received from Westland Publishers