Review: Haunting Jasmine by Anjali Banerjee

Publisher: Berkley Trade
Pages: 304
Source: Publisher
Rating: 4/5



Synopsis:

Jasmine Mistry is recently divorced, and trying to tie up the loose ends of her marriage. She discovered her husband was having an affair and her whole, comfortable life came crumbling down. She is essentially lost and very bitter. When her aunt asks her to come and look after her bookstore while she returns to India for her health, Jasmine agrees. Perhaps, a month away will do her good. Shutter Island is very exclusive. When Jasmine arrives at the bookstore, she meets Connor Hunt. Immediately she is not impressed with his egotistical self. Life in the bookstore is very different from what Jasmine expected. She brushed off the rumors that it was haunted, but now books are rearranging themselves, dead authors are speaking to her and dust magically reappears. Connor is insisting that she go on a date with him, and her husband is trying to sell the Condo for much less than the market value. Jasmine’s life is out of control, and she must take the reins herself and figure out where she is headed.



Review:

I first want to address the magical realism in the story, I didn’t think that it would work for me but it really came together well. I enjoyed the storyline so much, that I accepted the paranormal aspects. It wasn’t over the top or scary, it added to the plot and left me questioning what was coming up. Jasmine begins to understand why her aunt insisted that she be the only one to look after the bookstore, and she surprisingly begins to enjoy her time there.

Initially, Jasmine is not a likable character but as the book progresses readers really begin to enjoy her development. Although she is not likable, readers will be empathetic. Jasmine is going through a divorce, and her sister surprises the family by announcing her engagement. Everyone is ecstatic and the wedding planning begins, Jasmine is forced to play along.

The relationship between Connor and Jasmine really had me questioning the circumstances, and I turned out to be right. I would have wanted it to turn out differently, but I can understand where Banerjee is coming from. In the end, I think it added to the storyline and I didn’t feel let down. I highly recommend this one; I read it quickly and didn’t want to put it down. Admittedly, the book does have some cheesy parts but overall it’s heartwarming and uplifting. If you are willing to accept the magical realism aspect, you really should try this one out. Keep in mind, this is not normally my type of book and I was quickly wrapped up in the storyline.