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I first came across Gayathri Prabhu sometime last year when I read her memoir If I Had to Tell It Again. Not only was it wonderfully written but it carried an honesty that comes by very rarely. Many months later, I spotted her other book, this time a novella thanks to my dear friend @divyashankar553 ❤️. I knew I had to read it immediately after having tasted her writing before. The two of her books couldn't be any different, one being a memoir and the other a novella. Love in Seven Easy Steps is a moving story of two lovers who meet by the salty Goan beach after exchanging few emails. There's attraction, love and longing between the two as they traverse through the years. When they meet again after a decade, there's uncertainty about recognising the love that they once had. Will they find it again?

Written in prose poetry format, Gayathri speaks of love in a soothing manner like the safe space it is meant to be. What I loved about this book is how she has cleverly divided the novella into chapters, each exploring love through the seven colours of the rainbow, the seven swaras of music, the seven days of the week and planets. The love between the two evolve and follows a natural course through these chapters. Gayathri's writing feels like a soothing balm being applied on a wounded heart, like letting out a long sigh after a busy day at work and like the calming lull of a boat in the sea. There's a lot to enjoy in this book, be it her graceful writing or her ability to charm the readers through her wittiness. If you love poetry and are constantly seeking for something that soothes you, Love in Seven Easy Steps is for you.

Thank you so much for gifting the copy @magicmongrelpublishers