As I held the book in my hands, oddly enough, it started pouring
down. What more than rain, cup of coffee and the break of dawn to elevate the experience
of reading a romance? That was exactly what happened to me while reading
Without You. And I must say, it’s a chunk of time well spent.
So, what is my genuine take on this book? Read on to find
out.
Without You
Author: Preethi Venugopala
Genre: Romance
Publishers: Write India publishers
Paperback, 208 Pages
Rating: 4/5
Ananya Shankar is a twenty year old cat-eyed tomboy pursuing
engineering. She loves painting, reading and the scenic beauty of Sreepuram,
where her Ammamma lives. Like every time, she is so excited to visit her gran
this time and have a laidback vacation. But destiny meddled in the form of Dr.
Arjun Rajashekhar, a cardiologist who sweeps her off her feet. And there’s no
looking back after the surprising confession by the Suave doctor himself.
Whirlwind romance, expectations, separation, forlornness,
depression, longing, friendship, betrayal, being protected over by family and unlikely
angels is what follows in this roller coaster ride of love and emotions.
Though the plot is simple and gets predictable at times, it
was Preethi’s narration that came above it all. Her flowy-style, beautiful
portrayal of emotions, usage of imagery, everything about her writing makes you
love ‘Without You and every word in it’ even more. You see, read, and feel the
story through Ananya’s eyes. It makes you laugh, cry and relate to her. And As
for Arjun, he will have you at hello. He reminded me a bit of Fitzwilliam
Darcy, which I suspect was on the mind of Preethi while creating this dreamy
Cancer man in love. The characters of Anu’s friends and cousins are a smooth
fit in the story and are easily likeable. When I first saw Colonel R.S. Nair
talking to Anu, I hope his character would be something more than a mere onlooker;
and it turned out to be true. His secret was something unexpected but I love
how he guarded Anu, from time to time.
‘Without You’ made me nostalgic and took me land of all my
favourite characters and books in some or the other way. Preethi talks about reincarnations
and celestial connections to explain the concepts of love at first sights and
soulmates, which worked out because, she made it look believable. It reminded
me back to the days when I obsessed over Coelho’s Brida for a while. Another
thing I absolutely loved was how she began every chapter with a quote to set
the mood for what we were about to read. It worked!
There are very few things that I didn’t like in the story.
However, they are so puny compared to the beauty of Preethi’s words and
narration. The narration flowed smoothly but there are print errors at a couple
of places that distracted me for a bit. At some points, I find Arjun’s way of
addressing too sappy but Preethi made up for it with his charisma and undying
love for Ananya. I wished there would be some bickering between them during the
reconciliation, but that didn’t happen. Anyway, it made me happy that they
overlooked anger for love.
Preethi did a better job as a debutante than many writers we
see today. Love flows in her words. Ananya made me laugh and cry with her,
Arjun made me swoon over him and Sreepuram made me yearn to go back to my
Ammamma’s place which is a picturesque village nestled on a river bank. Only if
I could get someone like Arjun there.
Over all, it is a perfect pick this monsoon if you are a lover of Romance.
Cuddle up to your couch with a cup of coffee and escape into the world of Ananya. You will not be disappointed!
Official Goodreads Page: Without You - Goodreads
Get your copy at - Amazon
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