In the Shadows of Love by Awais Khan - #bookreview #blogtour

 It's not mine...

That was all he could think of on the way to the hospital. There was an important meeting taking place when the call arrived, but he'd abandoned everything and rushed to his car.

***

A life hiding her heartbreak. A message that will change her world.

To strangers that pass her on the streets of Lahore, Mona Ahmed lives a life to be envied. Married to wealthy businessman Bilal, with happily married children and living in a vast home with staff to attend to her every desire, she seems to want for nothing.

But behind the gilded exterior lies a past of secrets and heartbreak. While they may have weathered the storm of Mona’s infidelity, with Bilal embracing the child born out of that secret love affair, their marriage remains shaky.

While Mona’s heart is broken with memories of her lost soulmate, she hides her pain behind becoming the perfect wife, hosting glamorous, high-profile gatherings for the rest of Lahore’s high society, keeping up appearances for fear of inviting gossip.

Each day has the same slow, regular rhythm… until the first message arrives, and everything in Mona’s life changes in an instant. Will the secrets of Mona’s past threaten her future, her marriage and even her life?

An utterly captivating, thought-provoking and heartbreaking read that fans of Christy Lefteri and Nadia Hashimi won’t be able to put down.

***

This book only released yesterday so I was enormously excited to receive an early readers copy.

It is a fantastic book, and I have read the whole book over a couple of days. In fact, I went straight from reading another of Mr. Khan's books, No Honour, (review coming soon) straight to reading this. I think it would be fair to say that I am now a huge fan, and I cannot wait to read more of his work.

The main character, Mona appears to have everything she could desire. A grand lifestyle in Lahore, Pakistan, a fruitful career, a husband and successful grown up children, as well as a younger son, who both she and her husband dote on. However, Mona has a closely guarded secret, and its revelation would destroy everything that she has. I wouldn't say that I found her a particularly likeable character, however I did find myself rooting for her every step of the way.

I was completely gripped by the plot. It is dramatic and fast paced and definitely had me reading beyond my bedtime. It was difficult to put down as alongside the potential revelation of Mona's secret, there are gangs, kidnappings and high class prostitution. Not to mention a very vindictive school mum who I could not but help hope got her comeuppance.

I have not read many books set in Pakistan, but this brilliant book has made me want to read more. I highly recommend this one and am confident that you will enjoy it every bit as much as I did.

ISBN: 978 1804368107

Publisher: Canelo Hera

Formats:  e-book, audio and paperback

No. of Pages:  304 (paperback)

About the Author:

Awais Khan was born in Lahore, Pakistan. He is a graduate of The University of Western Ontario and Durham University and studied Creative Writing at Faber Academy. In his free time, he likes to read all types of fiction, especially historical fiction and psychological thrillers.

(author photo courtesy of A for Authors Agency)

(ARC and media courtesy of Love Book Tours)

(all opinions are my own)