A big thank you to Rupa Publications for sending over a copy of this book!
The world is no stranger to medical rom-coms despite us having a rather rigid perspective when it comes to doctors. While over in America, Scrubs was and still is a classic, India had Sanjeevani and Dill Mill Gaye, with the former considered to be more popular. But we hardly have had any books that talked about the light-hearted shenanigans that go on in doctors’ lives.
Jas Kohli’s Lights! Scalpel! Romance! talks about Nipun and Nishtha, two resident doctors who join Nirog Hospital with the intention of making a difference. Nipun is a prankster while Nishtha is a grounded yet cheery woman who is dexterous in whatever she does. Their life under the chief, Dr. Ujjwal, their interaction with the other resident doctors, how they study for their MS exams, how they have fun while doing their job forms the entire story.
I enjoyed reading Lights! Scalpel! Romance! because of how devoid of negativity it was. Quite a few things happen, but they are resolved quickly without being too abrupt. The pranks, the romances, the medical procedures, the doctor’s way of thinking, mentorship, mentee life, dealing with the stress of being a doctor – everything is conveyed despite being lighthearted. And that’s what makes a book so interesting!
The biggest thing about this book that I liked was how it concentrates equally on the lives of the doctors inside and outside the hospital. I’ve always been in awe of doctors and the amount of grit that is required to become a doctor. So reading about them as people who are prone to cultivating hobbies and with the ability to stay afloat rather than going to pieces in a back room was a great read. The only other book (as far as I can remember) to make me feel this was The Queen of Hearts by Kimmery Martin.
Like so many other books, there were a couple of things that grated on my nerves in this one. The prose is good but not great. Many times, I felt that it was trying to be flowery and complicated, using big words, when smaller, easier words would have sufficed, made it into a better read, even. I also felt that there wasn’t much of a story to it, just a plateau that went on and on. It could have done with some drama to it to add a bit of a masala.
But all in all, Lights! Scalpel! Romance! is an enjoyable read that you can pick up and breeze through in a few hours tops. It’s a one-time read, but enjoyable. So that’s a plus.
Rating: 3/5 stars
Until next time, keep reading and add melodrama to your life. 🙂
The Melodramatic Bookworm 