Review- Love and Lokpal by Pooja Wanpal

Goodreads Summary:

Shlok Kulkarni, an architect by day and an Assassin's creed junkie by night is being bombarded with eligible girls by his matchmaking mama. In a bid to escape her and maybe check out a few hot girls while he’s at it, Shlok flees to Delhi, where a massive protest for the Lokpal Bill has been building up.

Kaveri Gokhale has been searching for a cause her whole life. When the winds of the Lokpal blow through the country, she eagerly catches the next train to Delhi to witness history.

When Shlok runs into Kaveri at Jantar Mantar, the sparks are undeniable. As their relationship blossoms, Kaveri discovers a dark secret that leaves her devastated . . . and endangers the fate of billion others. Will Shlok and Kaveri’s love wither or will it withstand the uncertainties of the corrupt politics? Can love truly conquer all ideologies?

REVIEW:

*NOTE: We (The Readdicts) received a copy of Love and Lokpal from author Pooja Wanpal in exchange for an honest review. We thank Pooja for the book! 

Having graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree with Political Science as my majors, any story that has anything to do with politics automatically interests me and it's for this sheer interest that I decided to give Love and Lokpal a try when author Pooja Wanpal contacted us about her debut book. The book wasn't great or anything but then, it wasn't bad either- it was just good enough to keep me engaged. 
Love and Lokpal is set in my own city, Pune and the female protagonist, Kaveri is studying in her final year in my own college, Fergusson College and her majors is Political Science. That's a lot I have in common with her, but that's all I have in common with her. Kaveri was quite a kick ass MC and obviously she wasn't perfect. What I liked most about her was how real she seemed. 
In fact, because it was so easy for me to relate to the whole set up of Love and Lokpal, it seemed very real to me. It took me back to my college days and although I avoid doing it, I enjoyed going back there. I could obviously picture my city and my college really well and even though it sounds fun, sometimes as a reader, I want a book to take me to a place I haven't been. Nonetheless, like I said, it took me back to the carefree, invincible, fun and full of knowledge college days. 
Love and Lokpal has the Anti- Corruption or Lokpal Bill scenario or situation as it's backdrop. The whole story revolves around the huge Anna Hazare movement backed by a large mass demonstration that were and still are fighting against corruption. Kaveri and her college mates are asked to join the protests by a young politician, Tejasrao Patil who even sponsors various student trips to Delhi for the event. 

At the same time, an NGO worker Asha decides to go to Delhi to join in the movement and show her support with her colleagues, one of whom is the male protagonist and Kaveri's love interest, Shlok. He was a really good guy and I felt that he and Kaveri made for a cute couple. But the best was Shlok's relationship with his sister Prarthana- it was so silly and sweet. 
As a story, Love and Lokpal isn't anything different but it sure is quite good. I did find many editorials errors and the writing seemed a little rushed and confused to me. While both Kaveri's and Shlok's points of views are expressed, they aren't exactly alternating and some things were described in the past, while others in the present, which left me wondering what was going on. 
Overall, Love and Lokpal was a good and enjoyable read. Author Pooja Wanpal has written a realistic and cute story that handles an important issue well and that's easy to relate to. 

RATING: