Member Reviews
I really enjoyed this young/new adult novel with parallel love stories. As a former college student in the early 70s, I could relate to how much times have changed. I also enjoyed the way that the story revolved around the letters they discovered. It seems like I'm among the few people who appreciates the importance of saving personal correspondence. This may have been the first book I've read from Nisha Sharma, but it probably won't be my last. Thanks to NetGalley, Skyscape and the author for a copy to read and review.
This book was a quick read but I really did enjoy it!
It’s in a college setting and we get to follow two different storylines: one is a pair of students who are starting to figure out their life and what really matters to them, and a couple from the past who is struggling with the same issue.
We don’t get a clear ending by the end of the book for the couple from past, and while that upset me at first, it leaves it off as a sort of fairytale ending. It leaves the reader feeling hope for their happily ever after rather than an ending we wished never happened. As far as the MC couple goes, they had some trouble getting there, but they did get their happy ending after fighting and seeing what truly mattered to them.
Ravi and Jessie had a slow build for their relationship, but it was romantic in their own way and I found myself giggling the entire time. Once Ravi realized he had feelings for her, he was so adorable when trying to figure things out. They weren’t picture perfect by any means, but it was so cute seeing these two stubborn students figure out their path.
It’s a YA, and it reads as such. I definitely recommend this for anyone though as it touches on some topics I feel would be easy for anyone to connect with.
The novel explores the themes of love, family, and the importance of communication through letters. I truly appreciate it's exploration of cultural identities and familial expectations. The interactions between characters are filled with warmth and humor. Nisha skillfully portrays her characters' emotions, making them relatable and authentic. I love Jessie and Ravi pair. The story switches from present to past, where in present Jessie and Ravi found letters in their haunted area of their colleges and decided to unravel the secrets. as their project work. In the process of getting to know more about it, Ravi and Jessie found themselves falling for each other, The use of letters to narrate past love story of Divya and Christian that adds depth to the characters' journeys, allowing readers to engage with their internal dilemmas and aspirations. I love that letter part the most! The pacing of the novel is well-crafted, with a balance of lighthearted moments and poignant reflections. Nisha's writing skill draws readers into the world she creates.
The Letters We Keep by Nisha Sharma is a heartfelt story that beautifully intertwines romance and family dynamics. The protagonist, grappling with her heritage and the expectations that come with it, discovers the power of love through a series of heartfelt letters. Sharma’s writing is both engaging and evocative, capturing the essence of personal growth and the importance of communication. This novel is a touching exploration of identity, connection, and the significance of the stories we share with those we love. A must-read for fans of contemporary romance!
"I love you more than I thought I'd ever love anyone in my life. But is love enough?"
The Letters We Keep is a book that combined love stories from different timeline—the tragic decades-old legend and the rocky new-age romcom—sets in the same college binded in a tale full of mystery and drama. The story follows Jessie Ahuja who's interested in the mystery and legends that surround Davidson Tower in her collehe. Her curiosity brought her an encounter with Ravi Kumar, son of a major tech company. Even when they come from different upbringing, together they tried to unravel what's behind the infamous Davidson Tower's myth.
Yo this book is a total banger, i can't seem to put it down. Jessie and Ravi had this mystery solving agenda while having their own romance is a huge yes. I love their never-ending bickering and rivaling even to the smallest thing in sight, their dynamic is so much fun to read. It also brought up some interracial relationship issue and its consequences, how it's hard to gain your equality in terms of position and education—specifically for Indians—due to some racism behaviour. Over all it's an eye-opening light romance read that you didn't you you'll ever need.
Thank you Netgalley and Skyscape for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!
The Letters We Keep was a cozy read as young adult book rather than adult. It was a cozy mystery that did resonate on a personal level with me.
I haven’t yet met a book by this author that I didn’t like this one was a bit different from her usual but still enjoyable. The pacing was a bit slow but it was still a cute story.
Thank you to NetGalley and Skyscape for an eArc of this book! It was published May 1st and is available on audible (with a subscription) and kindle unlimited!
This was my first Nisha Sharma book and it is NA (new adult) set in a college setting. There was one open door scene that could be easily skipped. It was enjoyable and I found myself eager for them to learn more about the letters. Felt light and fluffy at times and super cute.
The two characters were from different worlds: one rich and one poor, and one of them deals with family pressure to do life a certain way, while the other one is fully supported in whatever they want to do. (If these stereotypes are things you try to avoid, here is your warning now).
Overall I would recommend to someone who wants a fluffy book with a bit of a mystery element, FMC who has never been kissed, a predictable outcome for our main characters, and a MMC who may or may not be addicted to his vape
This isn't my favorite of hers, but any Nisha Sharma is a good time had by all! I would have liked a little more romance, but I understand that this story crosses genres a bit.
Congratulations to the author for her first YA story and a big fat thank you to her and the publisher for sending me an early copy of this book in exchange of my honest review.
A solid 3.5 ⭐️ for me
It's a YA college romance, so not my usual thing, but it was really cute.
A little slow paced and a tad repetitive sometimes, but the story with the letters and the parallels with the main characters' lives was very well written. So overall an enjoyable read.
Read if you like:
Golden retriever MMC
Black cat FMC
Forced proximity
Secrets to uncover
College romance
Social class differences
The first 20% was a bit tough, but I loved the middle.
Sex scenes totally threw me, though- it feels like YA until the wet panties and tented boxers make an appearance. I’m not against college kids having sex, obviously- it just felt disjointed. The main storyline, though, was solid.
Another delightful romance from Sharma. Jessie wants her first year of college to set the pace for her entire college career - she has no time for fun, but must work hard to keep her scholarship. But Ravi, an upperclassman, and younger son of a tech guru puts a wrench in those plans. When they battle for a study room at the library, they inadvertently stumble upon evidence about what caused the fire of Davidson Tower fifty years before. If you like romances where he falls first, they are brought together by a historical campus mystery, and there is an almost non-existent third act break-up then I would recommend this romance for you.
Romeo & Juliet inspiration, with a Romeo & Juliet frame story.
If you're a fan of R&J - and especially if you know and appreciate the brokenness of the characters - this is your book.
I really wanted more of the letters! The story from the past was so interesting to me, and it feels like there wasn't enough of them!
I have tried multiple times to pick up The Letters We Keep but it's just not working for me. I am temporarily setting it aside to pick up at a later date. I love the synopsis and as a Librarian I still really would like to read it. I own multiple copies at this point. And the cover is gorgeous.
Thank you to Netgalley and Skyscape for providing me with a review copy.
"Even if we break"
This was a cute YA romance that featured a relatively quick romance developing between Ravi and Jessie. Their fight over the room is cute and I enjoyed their banter and how Ravi was protective over her even when they didn't really know each other.
I wish that we had gotten more about the relationship between Christian and Divya - it was classic Bollywood and I think it would have been great to go into it a bit more.
Ravi and Jessie's story was cute with Ravi's determination to win over Jessie is cute and reminiscent of Rishi in Mismatched which is probably why I enjoyed this so much - I kept picturing Rishi/Rohit Saraf as Ravi.
Definitely a quick and easy read for a single sitting
Two college students try to unravel the real story behind the haunted legend of the library that claims a couple died in a fire. Did they die? Did they fake their deaths and run away? What happened?
They find a box of love letters, and recreate some of the dates the original couple wrote about, falling in love the same way.
It’s dual POV, and a short book. I was expecting it to be a bit more gripping and spooky, because of the dark and moody cover art. It was okay.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for my advanced digital copy!
Unfortunately, this one fell flat for me. It seemed like it was going to be such a cute romance, but I wasn't as invested in it as I had hoped I'd be. I didn't love the writing style; it felt like it was written for a younger audience than it was marketed for. Most of the story felt like it was driven by younger-YA emotions, but there were explicit scenes that didn't match that tone or voice. I didn't really connect with the characters, either, so it was difficult for me to root for them while reading. To me this read more like a first draft that needed to go through a round of developmental edits.
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Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of this title. This review contains my honest thoughts.
The blurb made this sound like such a cute romance, tied in with a really emotional story of two teens who disappeared many years ago which should have made this story stronger. But I felt that the story was poorly written, and it almost felt like the author didn't care too much about the lost lovers in the end.
There's an odd, almost juvenile feeling to the writing style of this, the immediate enemies meet cute where they fight over a study room, the way Ravi struggled with his peers felt like high school drama he should have left behind. So I was pretty thrown when we got to the pretty descriptive, open door sex scenes, I'm not gonna lie.
While we did finally get answers between all of Ravi and Jessi's annoying and unnecessary angst, I didn't find them satsfactory, especially as they were wedged into a few rushed last chapters. I didn't cheer them on as a couple, because I found them to be incredibly immature and I couldn't really see them as a couple in the future.
This was a very sweet boy - girl romance times two! The stories are played out in different timelines and the star crossed characters must make the decision to jump into the unknown or give up a possible forever love.
I liked both stories and enjoyed the writing style of the author. The extreme differences in the couples backgrounds seems a little easy for a main conflict. There really are issues to deal with when people have different backgrounds and it would have been interesting to have that played up a bit.
I also liked the secondary characters and was really hoping to know more about their relationship. Maybe a sequel?
Its a lighthearted read that's worth your time.
Enjoy!
The Letters We Keep is a fun, easy romance for those looking for a sweet read to get lost in. Personally, I just did not connect well with the story or the characters. I really wanted to love the book, but it fell short for me unfortunately.