Let Love Take Over – Book Review

Let Love Take Over – Book Review

Book: Let Love Take Over

Author: Tomson Robert

Reviewed By: Manas Mukul

Publisher: Srishti Publishers & Distributors (9 July 2021)

Pages: 184 (Paperback)

Price: 225 INR

ISBN-10: 9390441595

ISBN-13: 978-9390441594

Language: English

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

My rating: 3/5

Let Love Take Over by Tomson Robert uses learnings from mythological tales of ‘David and Goliath’ and more importantly ‘David and Bathsheba’ and applies them in contemporary life scenarios. The blurb says it is a riveting story of true love which overcomes all adversities and challenges the notion of a ‘hero’.

We have grown up listening to legends and tales of mythological heroes and characters. The job of sowing the seeds of good virtues and making us understand the hidden messages of these stories were usually done by grandparents. I would like to express gratitude towards ‘Writersmelon’ for considering me for this book review. This is my second time reviewing Tomson Robert as I had previously reviewed ‘Alumni of the year.’

About the Author

Tomson lives in Dubai and works as a Director at a top-tier Management Consulting firm. He has completed his MBA from Loyola College and is a professional Management Accountant. 

Storytelling has been his passion. He has penned three books – Let Love Take Over, Alumni of the Year and Stories of Work, Life and the Balance in Between. Tomson is married to Cini, and they have an adorable daughter, Lea.

My Review

The cover page of the book has a picture of a couple holding coffee mugs in an urban life setting with the title and author’s name on the lower half of the picture. The title suits fine when you read the book as the story mostly revolves around the lead character trying to win his love over. The back cover has a quote from the book and a small blurb along with a bio of the author. 

The story, like Alumni of the year, alternates between flashbacks and present time. Most of the story takes place in three places; Bangalore and Mumbai are the settings for the present while Kerala is used for flashbacks, from where the lead character is from. 

The protagonist of the story is Joshua who is troubled by a tragic past from his teenage years and which constantly acts as a reminder not to be a hero again. This line haunts him again and again throughout the book, ‘Next time you try to be a hero remember this, the guy with the black shirt shouted.’ Mayur, his inconsiderate boss, makes life hell for him and his colleagues. Susan, the love of his life, encounters a troublesome experience at her workplace for which he isn’t able to take a stand and that takes their marriage to a point of no return. 

Other important characters are his parents; his father like most of the middle-class fathers from the 80s and 90s, never lets him pursue his passion for writing and constantly nags him. His grandfather is the saviour for him. He is the one who listens to Joshua’s stories and complains and then provides solutions through the mythological stories and their learnings.

The most important message the author tries to give is one has to be selective in choosing your battles. Not all battles need to be fought but one has to stand by the ones we truly love. Another one which I liked was, every evil has some good in it and every good has some evil in it. It is up to us which one we nurture.

So, will he get over his toxic boss and job? Will he be able to save his marriage and let love take over? To find out the answers, grab a copy of the book. 

Some of the best lines

“These events are the ‘Goliaths’ in our lives. We need to fight them like David did, with faith and courage.”

“Some fires can be put out easily; some last for a lifetime and leave their traces behind.”

“God made man simple; man’s complex problems are of his own devising.”

“Silos are broken when there is a seamless collaboration which can only be established when people respect and trust each other.”

Hits

The author knows how to make a work contemporary by incorporating current happenings in his stories to make it more relatable to the present reader. In Alumni of the year he used the Kerala floods, in Let Love Take Over, he smartly uses the Covid-19 pandemic. 

The book is a fast read with only 176 reading pages and the simple vocabulary with lucid writing style aids in maintaining the pace. The author has showcased the frustration of office politics nicely and you begin to relate to that during the book.

Misses

There are some inconsistencies with the storytelling – School boys drinking and smoking and already telling each other to quit because they have been doing it for a long time, the hearing for a court case lasting for only a week where somebody was awarded a life sentence. These things could have been used better to heighten the drama.

A lot of corporate IT jargon has been used which will make it difficult for a non-IT reader to understand them. Joshua brags a lot about his storytelling abilities which makes you feel that the writer is trying hard to make us believe that point. 

Verdict

The book has its heart in the right place with the right stories used in it to drive home the message but I still found something amiss. It doesn’t stay with you after you finish the book, which in such kind of a message-driven book is important. 

Let Love Take Over by Tomson Robert is a light-breezy read which you can enjoy with a coffee over a weekend or it can be a perfect companion while you are on a train or similar journey. I am going with three stars for Tomson Robert’s third book – Let Love Take Over.  

Manas ‘Sameer’ Mukul

Drop your views about the review in the comments. If you want me to review any book for you do reach out at jokerophilia@gmail.com

You can find previous book reviews here.

My side of the bargain – an honest review – Find the Book here on Amazon and Goodreads.