That annoying noise you hear? It’s me lording this book over everyone else because I GOT AN ARC!!! Thank you to one of my favorite favorite favorite authors for sending me this Advanced Copy!

Baaz written by Anuja Chauhan (the greatest Indian author, in my opinion) was the story of Ishaan and Tehmina set in 1970’s wartime India and it has been the highlight of my year so far. Class 12 is a horrible horrible time for anyone and so this truly saved my summer as exams and college applications begin to loom overhead like a terrifying guillotine.

This book as usual doesn’t fail to disappoint. One of the best things about an Anuja Chahuan book is that despite it being a romance (toe-curling and squeal-inducingly adorable romance at that) there is a story aside from the couple. There is a purpose behind each characters besides love and romance and that is what sets her aside. The romance is fantastic but aside from that, her books always have a bigger plot and a story to tell. With The Zoya Factor I learnt about cricket and a love for my own mass of wriggly curls, with Battle I learnt about political campaigning in India better than any CBSE education and now with Baaz I learn the conflict that wartime brings to soldiers and pacifists and a whole lot about the Indian Army. Every book is a story as well as a romance. Chetan Bhagat might want to take some tips from Ms. Chauhan…

In my opinion Baaz is the best book Anuja Chauhan has written, in terms of language, thus far. The writing is artful and deliciously Indian and I felt myself getting steeped in the 70’s as I read through the story. From the Air Force Training Grounds to the scene on the Howrah Express and of course the glamorous incidents at Calcutta’s Sarhind Club. Every thing was researched to the tee and I got to build up each location in my mind in colorful detail, from Chakkahera to the towns in East Pakistan where Shaanu crash lands. The story flows so effortlessly despite jumping through years in time where Shaanu and Tehmina meet again and again before they are inevitably intertwined in each other’s life.

I think I especially liked the conflict introduced regarding the complexities of the victors of war. In a book where Army Officers, those who risk their lives everyday and are put to the test ever so often in a war stricken world, it is so refreshing to see a debate regarding the fact that there is no true victor of war. Everyone loses something, whether they are fighting or simply caught in the fire between politics and the men they dictate to march to the frontline. It’s a poignant point, subtly made and yet doesn’t get caught up and lost with everything else that is happening in the story.

I adored the characters. Tehmina flaunting her views and her sexual appeal to get by in life without being ashamed of both things. She was a breath of fresh air. I loved the trio of army officers we get to encounter in the novel. Shaanu is my favorite of course, I loved that he was kind, it’s so different in a romance book these days (mostly you find toxic players who the girl is setting out to change). I loved that any changes Tehmina tried to make with Shaanu were only regarding his views on the brutality of war. Maddy and Raka introduced the right amount of humour. Kainaaz and Ardisher and Chinman and loud lascivious Harry Rose, were all fantastic additions to flesh out the book and make the world we were viewing holistic and three dimensional.

The romance was as always fantastic, perfect chemistry, but what’s new in an Anuja Chauhan novel? I would squeal and giggle and would be heartbroken, but in the end I can say this will probably be a book I turn to every year, as I do with the rest of her books. This is a five star read and I urge anyone and everyone who likes the written word to go out and buy a copy right this second!