The One You Cannot Have, by Preeti Shenoy

Some authors leave a mark on your reading. Though the stories aren’t absolutely amazing, they still have those drops of brilliance that linger after the read; something that makes you eager to pick up the next novel of that author and read it. One such author, in my opinion, is Preeti Shenoy.

The One You Cannot have is a love story. The story mainly follows Aman, Anjali, Shruti and Rishabh. There are other characters too, each with their own importance but I feel it is these four who make the tale. Like the title says, it’s a story about the one person each cannot have. And the storyline I feel does that justice. Aman and Shruti were once inseparable, but when the latter left suddenly, the former, to recover, goes abroad. So what will happen when Aman returns to India years after? There are two girls in his life… Anjali, who is in love with him, and Shruti, who he has a hard time letting go of, even though she is already married. Throw in characters like the flirting friend Mark, and the husband Rishabh, and you know you’re in for a quick, yet enjoyable read.

What makes this book worth reading? It’s the characters. To me, they feel real. The way they react seems real, like hiding an old suitcase or jumping at the chance of finding love again. Or even the way they accept certain things. The book also has some subtle humor. The narration is simple, yet has the pace to keep the reader hooked. The alternating character narration helps to get into the skin of the character too.

What doesn’t work? The ending is predictable. I suppose the genre is one that doesn’t necessitate unpredictability, but still, I’d have liked a little suspense. Another thing I didn’t like was that once the story of the main characters is completed, the book ends with an epilogue. Some things end suddenly with that epilogue, and some aren’t ended at all. In a series, that’s kind of acceptable, but not in a standalone book.

The book is one that will take hardly a few hours to finish, and it is a one-time read. But like I said earlier, it was an enjoyable read. And would pick up her next book when it releases as well.

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Book: The One You Cannot Have
Author: Preeti Shenoy
ISBN: 978-93-83260-68-3
Publisher: Westland Books

The Secret Wishlist - Preeti Shenoy

The Secret Wishlist - Preeti Shenoy 

Genre - Fiction

Price - Rs.175/- 

Pages - 256 

Publishers - Westland

Publishing Year - 2012

ISBN - 978-93-82618-18-8

Author - Preeti Shenoy is a bestselling author and artist.She has several academic qualifications, but believes life is the biggest teacher. She is an avid blogger, poet, nature lover and yoga buff. She loves playing basketball, travelling and spending time with her family and her dog. Preeti Shenoy is currently based in Bangalore, India. To know more about her go to preetishenoy.com.

Previous books: 34 candies and bubblegums, Life is what you make it, Tea for two and a piece of cake.

Synopsis - Does true love really exist or is it just a cliche? Can a single kiss really change your life? 

At sixteen, Diksha like any girl her age, finds her life revolving around school, boys and endless hours of fun with her best friend. But one day, all that changes. 

What starts as an innocent crush explodes into something far beyond her control. Eighteen years later, she finds herself at the crossroads of life. Urged by a twist of events, a wish list is born. But can a wish list help her piece back her life together? Will she succumb to the tangled mess of an extramarital relationship? Once again, Preeti Shenoy brings an extraordinary story that tugs at the heartstrings, with insight and wisdom, as she explores the delicate matters of the heart. 

The Secret Wish List is a captivating, engrossing, racy tale about following your heart, chasing your dreams and the meaning of friendship. 

Behind the book: Live life, don't just survive. Live it for yourself in your way. 

Me thinks: Preeti's novel have always had the same presence as she herself have. Just like her bright smiling face her books brings energy and happiness around. Her book might not create a magical web around you but would surely make you realize the presence of magic in your own daily life. Through all her previous books Preeti has made a spot as a beautiful story teller who weaves the realities and fiction in a way that it's hard to tell a difference, her closer to reality characters which she defines so well that it will make you smile and think "that's so like me or that's so like some person that you know", She deals with the matter of hearts with utmost tenderness and leaves you thinking and believing for something better, She reflects the true spirit of life through her writing and she did not fail to do so in this book either. 

The story beautifully weaves around a sweet love story, A life-long punishment, A to-die-for friendship, the importance relationships and their warmness in life, the beauty of motherhood and also the mystified journey of a woman to get our of her long accepted cocoon, towards a life she wants to live, towards the love she wants to feel.

In "The Secret Wishlist", Diksha as the protagonist is introduced as a typical indian girl trapped in the clutches of a loveless marriage which seems like a very typical Indian household story, The story slowly unfolds as the reason of her present being comes into light and leads to the phase where an encounter with mortality of human life because of her closest cousin Vibha's husband's death makes her realize the futility of her own life and when she finally dwell upon her "secret wishes" in life. 

It was one such moment where the God is willing to give from both his hands and say Amen to every wish made, when Diksha makes her "secret wishlist" and after that night, life never becomes the same for her. 

"The secret wishlist" would surely make you dip in the ocean of thoughts, will carry you swiftly to the beauty of maldives and the ugliness of a loveless relationship. It'll make you flinch and will make you smile and most of all it will make you think about YOUR secret desires.

For me, the best novel is one which takes me to a place I have never been to and makes me search my heart for thoughts i never did and "the secret wishlist" dint disappoint me even a bit. 

It's plain, simple and a lovely getaway for a beautiful weekend morning in the balcony with a warm cup of coffee.

Krsta recommends this book to anyone who admires life, love,friends, happiness & dreams and anyone who is yet to spread his wings. 

"In the ocean of our life, we all have those bottled up wishes floating all the while, all we gotta do is to pick it up, bring out our secret wishes our and live them, Because life is too long to have 'what ifs' and 'regrets' and too short to live, love and be happy" 

Concluding Note: This book made me think and discover a lot. In the book all that was needed was to make a step, to make a wish because 'you never know which falling star might hear your wish', maybe it's just a matter of a step ahead to have a life we want to have.

P.S. The empty wishlist on the last page of the book is one awesome thing because you'd surely need one after reading the book, I am already writing my own list. ;) 

Ratings: 4.5/5 

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MSM Speaks: A VERRRRRRYYY HAPPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYBODY!! I am in love with the new ALOP Avatar!! Good work Guys!! *Wipes away a lone tear* I've missed this place - like seriously! And I'll disappear more often 'cause I've to study. So, well well! I am here with my trademark Review [comments are a must for encouraging me, pretty please everyone????] of a book that came along at the right time! 

Stewie is SO excited!

Ahem, so Krsta who happens to be an adorable friend of mine, really wanted me to read The Secret Wishlist! And seeing the number of books I read *Cough* None *Cough*, I seized the chance happily. This is a second Preeti Shenoy work that I have read, first being Tea for Two and A Piece of Cake, which was an emotional ride for me. I was skeptical at first, but then I dived right in. Books teach you to be non judgmental, don't they?

The story is of Diksha (I will call her D), a 34 years old woman, dissatisfied and hurt by her husband's indifference, who treats her like a paid slave. D, who had been pushed into this life of subservience and solitude, by her parents when she was 19 - has her own reasons to submit to this life. She was "caught" by her brother Rohan and best friend Tanu, while she was about to have a moment with her senior and brother's friend Ankit, when she was 16! Preeti has really captured the narrow thinking of parents who sometimes, pay more heed to society than their own children and this is what ruined D's teenage. Now, after almost 15 years, D still battles with the past and has not really known love that she rightly deserves. 

A tragic mishap with her cousin Vibha, makes D take a new look at her own life. With her little son Abhay (who is barely 9 and really adorable!!!) for support and Vibha to push her, our lady D enrolls in a dance studio where the uber hot Gaurav teaches Salsa (and later becomes her very good friend). Rekindling the romance she had with dance, D starts loving little things of her life, except her husband. She also discovers a mother in her Mother-in-Law who supports Diksha in her endeavors. And when D thought things were finally going her way, her husband drags her out before everyone and humiliates her publicly. Preeti also takes on the issue of marital rape which is the harsh reality of our society. Going through so much humiliation from her husband and estranged family, Diksha finally takes a stand in her life, fulfilling her dreams on her Secret Wishlist. 

A feel-good read and much fast paced than her previous book. Though, I personally adore Preeti's work, I felt that at some places in the book, she could have left out certain details and emphasized on the issues that really flouted Diksha's existence as a woman. However, if you need a quick fix of Sunshine in the bottle, do pick this one up! My rating: 4/5!

Tea For Two & A Piece Of Cake - Preeti Shenoy

Title - Tea for two and a piece of cake
Author - Preeti Shenoy
Publisher - Random house India
ISBN - 978-81-8400-279-9
Genre - Fiction
Pages - 265

Preeti Shenoy is one of my favourite writers for a simple fact that her writing has no tantrums. It's simple and to the point which makes her books interesting. The first book I read of hers was "Life is what you make it" which I've reviewed here. The interesting thing about her books is the title. "Life is what you make it" inspired me in a way and hence I decided to pick up her latest book "Tea for two and a piece of cake".

Nisha, a simple, 26 year old girl who is very content with the way her life is going. Her job is everything for her. But, suddenly unexpected things happen and she falls for a guy. The guy is a richie -rich and she loves him to the core. But, the book begins with when Samir, her husband, dumps her abruptly. She being abandoned by her husband, Samir, breaks in her a way, but she is a wise woman and never lets anyone hurt her self respect. 

In her quest of life, with her two children, an old friend of her comes back as a breath of fresh air.  Akash, Nisha's ex-colleague and a very good friend tries to fix her life. There are a few more characters in the book which are well defined and have affected, taught Nisha a few harsh realities of life. 

It took me less than 5 hours to finish this one. Yes, its fast paced and hence I said, Preeti Shenoy's writings has no tantrums. It will keep you hooked till the end and would definitely supply you a few things to ponder on.

Tea for Two and a piece of cake By Preeti Shenoy

Image Source: www.preetishenoy.com

TEA FOR TWO AND A PIECE OF CAKE: Fiction

AUTHOR: Preeti Shenoy

BEST SELLER(S): 34 BUBBLEGUMS AND CANDIES and LIFE IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT. TEA FOR TWO AND A PIECE OF CAKE is her third published book.

SYNOPSIS:

What if life threw you a magnificent opportunity, only to knock you down later and laugh at you? Would you fight back or let it pass?

Nisha's life is far from perfect. At twenty - six, she is plump, plain looking, and without a boyfriend. A chance date and a bizarre twists of events lead her to the altar with suave Samir Sharma, only to be abandoned eight years later. As she struggles to stand on her own feet, Akash, a younger guy, enters her life.  Can Nisha find love a second time?

TEA FOR TWO AND A PIECE OF CAKE is an unusual, a heart warming, and gripping love-story between two people who have so much to lose by getting into a relationship with each other, yet so much to gain.

EXCERPT: I am bathing our seven-month old baby boy when my husband calls to tell me that our marriage of eight years is over. I rush out of the bathroom, wrap the baby in a towel and am cradling the phone in my ear, with one hand on the baby to prevent him from rolling over the bed, and go crashing to the floor. My hands are still wet, and I wipe them hurriedly as I pick up the phone. When my husband tells me in a calm voice that it is over and he is leaving me, I fail to comprehend.

Then my heart starts beating at what feels like a thousand beats a minute. No, it starts pounding and all I can hear is his steely calm voice saying, 'Hello_____ you there?'

MSM Speaks: I had a feeling with this book that it will make me cry. And it did. The story is about Nisha, who was left motherless at 5, with her father steeling his heart to eliminate chances of any grief that he would feel. Nisha was neglected and was more of a loner, as she grew up. She started working in a travel agency, where one day, Fate smiled and threw an opportunity of lifetime before her. Nisha grabbed the chance but fell hard on her face, losing the job and reputation. Then Samir comes in with a magic wand and hands over  to her, the keys to a magical kingdom, which Nisha would not even have dreamed of, to be hers.

After the sudden death of her father, she moves into this magical kingdom as Mrs. Sharma. That's when life becomes worse than what it used to be. Samir leaves Nisha after eight years of marriage for another woman, leaving her with two small children. Broken and shattered beyond repair, Nisha begins a new life, alone with her kids in her old house. Akash, her office colleague and a friend of long time, helps her fill the void that had left a gaping hole in her heart. But what about society, her children, her need to spill out things unspoken and love? Could she afford to take the risk.

Preeti Shenoy with her words, warmed my heart like any thing with her tale. I was riding on a roller coaster of emotions with the protagonist. Her naivety was sometimes annoying and at some places, I thought the author had unnecessarily dragged the story, prolonging the depressing mood. The entry of Akash is blissful and uplifts the mood. The book towards the end gushes forward, making me feel that the author wanted to finish it as soon as possible. Overall, I liked the story and would pick it up again, when I would feel like life  is pulling me down too much. Quite an inspiring work, I'd say!

My rating: 4/5 (Few lengthy bits could have been done away with)
TEA FOR TWO AND A PIECE OF CAKE@ Random House Publishers India Pvt. Ltd. (c) 2012
ISBN 978-81-8400-279-9
flipkart price: 94/- INR

Life Is What You Make It -- Preeti Shenoy

LIFE IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT

AUTHOR : PREETI SHENOY

Genre: Fiction, romance

ISBN 9789380349305

No of pages: 209

Publisher: Srishti Publishers & Distributors (2011)

Price: Rs. 65 ( on flipkart.com)

Blurb says: Ankita Sharma has the world at her feet. She is young, good looking, smart and has tonnes of friends and boys swooning over her. College life is what every youngster dreams of and she also manages to get into a premier management school for her MBA . Six months later, she is a patient in a mental hospital. How did Ankita get here? What were the events that led to this? Will she ever get back her life again?

Excerpt: "How many guys will you trap with your wily charms, you stupid little tramp?" My mother almost spat out. Her words cut deep, scooping out my deepest feelings of apprehension and exposing it threadbare.

Aishwarya speaks: "Life is what you make it", first I saw this book on flipkart when i searched for some other novels for my project. As the title says, life is what you make it. It is an inspiring story in which how a girl ascends back to her success ladder. Ankita Sharma, stabbed by her own fate, sinks deep to the sea of troubles. Later she becomes a psychic person and is torn into pieces. Her determination brings her back to life. The author succeeds in imprinting Ankita's emotions and feelings in reader's mind. 

Ankita's feeling of love swings back and forth and in between Abhi, her boyfriend commits suicide due to her negligence. This incident later has a profound influence on her actions. This is a story of a girl who fights with her own life and makes it her own. Story plot is basically set across in two cities Bombay and Cochin. Preeti Shenoy has captured the nuances of late 80's and early 90's. The book starts with a poem of W.E Henley and it also contains a beautiful poem written by the protagonist during the initial phase of depression.  The language is simple and  I would recommend this book especially for its vividness except some monotonous descriptions. The author is intended to pass a message even through its title: Life is What you make it.

My Rating: 4/5

Price: Rs. 100