The One You Cannot Have

by Preeti Shenoy

How long does it take to heal a broken heart? Can you ever forget that one perfect relationship you had? Anjali knows who she wants—she wants Aman. Aman too knows who he wants—he wants Shruti. Shruti and Aman were once inseparable. Theirs was a love that would last forever and more. Then, out of the blue, Shruti left Aman. A devastated Aman moved abroad in the hope of forgetting Shruti and to heal. Shruti married Rishabh. Now Aman is back in India and looking for a fresh start. But he is still haunted by memories of his love. Can he ever break free from it? His head tells him to move on, to find love with Anjali, but his heart won’t listen. No matter what he does, Shruti’s shadow looms large. Can there be a ‘happily-ever-after’ for any of them? A straight-from-the-heart modern-day romance of unrequited love, of complicated relationships and about moving on when you realise that there will always be the one you cannot have.

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Indian Literature, Novels, Love Story, Contemporary, Romantic

270 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 18, 2013

About the author

Preeti Shenoy, one of India’s highest-selling authors with over a million books sold, has written seventeen bestselling titles. Known for her accessible style, she explores complex themes such as mental health, gender inequality, and socio-economic divides. Featured on Forbes’ list of influential Indian celebrities, Preeti has represented India at international literature festivals in Birmingham, Sharjah, and Abu Dhabi.

Her work has been featured in major media outlets, including BBC World, Cosmopolitan, The Hindu, and The Times of India. She has received prestigious accolades, such as the Popular Choice Fiction Award (2021) from the Times of India’s AutHer Awards and Amazon India’s Most Popular Self-Help Book of 2021. She was also honoured as Indian of the Year and received the Business Excellence Award from the New Delhi Institute of Management.

Beyond writing, Preeti is a sought-after motivational speaker, having delivered talks at organizations like Walmart, Infosys, ISRO, KPMG, and Accenture. A fitness enthusiast, artist, and traveller, she has had her short stories and poetry featured in Condé Nast and Verve. She also writes a monthly opinion column for The Indian Express and has previously contributed to The Financial Chronicle.

Connect with Preeti:

Website: www.preetishenoy.com

Email: ps@preetishenoy.com

Twitter/X: @Preetishenoy

Blog: blog.preetishenoy.com

Instagram: @Preeti.Shenoy | @Preetishenoyart

Facebook: preeti.io/fb

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/preetishenoyauthor

Reviews

[Preethi Venugopala · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely marvelous read….
Like always Preeti Shenoy has told an amazing tale of love in her own unique style… a master piece.
All the characters are endearing and the book had me hooked right from page one. To be precise I took only the loo breaks when it became absolutely necessary. I had given my son his favorite game and toys and then lured with chocolates to keep him busy. I wanted absolutely no distractions.
And to all those who are reading it….Keep going ..you get to read such good books once in a while. Full of good thoughts and so close to reality that I can relate to most of the characters and events. Some were of my friends and some seemed like glimpses from my own life.
And those who have not yet purchased it, go Grab one… It is worth your time and money. And as always it comes with a lesson you need to learn and can adopt to enrich your life. Read it to know…
I got a signed copy. The One that I am going to cherish..
Thank You Preeti Shenoy for a delightful read.

[Purba Chakraborty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been a great fan of Preeti Shenoy and have read all her books earlier which I absolutely loved. "The One You Cannot Have" is a total page turner. The characters of Aman, Shruti and Anjali are so real and relatable. Every reader is bound to connect themselves with either of them. There is a saying that "A sad thing of our life is when we meet someone who means the world to us unless we find out in the end that it was never meant to be and we have to just let it go." This exactly happens for Shruti and Aman, who had such a perfect relationship but were just not meant to be. Fate is too supreme a power and humans have no options but to surrender to it. However, 'let go' and 'move on' are terms which are easier said than done. Aman and Shruti tries hard to keep each other out of their system; Aman burying his neck deep in work and Shruti focusing on her 'happily married life'. Circumstances start changing when a writer, Anjali falls in love with Aman and differences start arising between Shruti and her husband. Finally when Aman closes the chapter of Shruti and gets serious about Anjali, Shruti makes an entry into his life again. The climax of the book is poignant, pragmatic, well-portrayed and is the best part of the book. What embellishes the book beautifully are the magazine articles of Tiara written by Anjali. Those articles are a bonus for the readers who are a fan of Preeti Shenoy's blogposts. This book is an excellent work of Preeti Shenoy and a must-read for anyone who has ever been in a relationship.

[Harry b nair · Rating 5 out of 5]

After a long time I came across something that is worth and has got a clear picture where the characters are into from start to end. First love, its failure and again longing for the same person even after being tied to a bond are all written in such a manner that the readers are easily able to understand the whole picture is true with giving justice to the mindset of all characters.Even if first love is a failure you could get someone with True love and life goes ahead but again the coin has got two sides sometimes it cannot be like so. The novel was like watching a movie and at last it has to be all is well. A must read for all those who understands love the strength of first love and who is still in those memories. Go for it

[Pri · Rating 1 out of 5]

I enjoyed Preeti Shenoy's life is what you make it and The Secret Wishlist. I was excited about reading this one after four years. Ugh, is the first thing that comes to mind. the premise is very commonplace in India and i expected to see the writer present us with something unique. I was very disappointed at how the characters were written. their dialogues so corny, the mentality so pedestrian. Aman writing in an email about how women should be to hold on to a man, unclingy and with a sense of humor. that its not all about sex. yeah ok, Aman, tell me about how you had a hard on cause dipika's kurti was wet and semi transparent.
I could not sympathize with the Aman character. for some reason, 4 women have been interested in this guy.
Anjali i liked in parts, but she was, in the end a ditsy broad who wanted to bag him.
Shruti, oh lord this girl, the most boring semi-protagonist i have ever read. I don't get her. she is either to listening or asha or that adani guy, not once was she persuaded by her own feelings. and that final face-to-face with Aman was cringe-worthy. So ridiculous. so she shows up and then her eyes linger on his semi-naked body. holy shit! what was that?
Rishabh was an interesting guy until he became a blubbering idiot who kept repeating "why dint you tell me?" which betrayed his initial character buildup of having an "always calm demeanor".
And Aman spewing off about how Rishabh will come around? is that one of your Bro-codes you have with every man aman? what if he is physically and verbally abusive? what then you schmuck!

I know this is not supposed to be a literary piece and its just a book for airport stalls. But it just pains me as book lover, that such a badly written book was published.

I made gagging noises everytime Aman spoke. what a terrible character.

Skip if you can!

[Geevika Bhatia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have read all of Preeti's books accept the first (34 Bubblegums and Candies) and I actually waited TOUCH's release. But it is, I would say - a disappointment as I need to make an effort to complete it.
Positives:
- Like 'Tea for two and a piece of cake' and 'The secret wish list' I found it close to reality (not as good as them though). I wonder, how she always picks up such real things and writes a fiction.
- As a change she narrated some part of this story from a guy's perspective (Aman) and yes, she did it nicely.
- It has a few short write ups written by Anjali (a character in this book) like How to get over your Ex, How to keep a guy hooked etc. that I guess can help a few people.

Negatives:
- It is a 270 pages book and is too repetitive. The word 'darn'(with few more like 'inseparable for 4 years') is Preeti's favorite in this book. Apart from that to give you a taste of the character's feelings, the same thing has been said in all the possible ways. If that was not enough, the same things were repeated after few pages as if the reader might have forgot what Author just said. First time for Preeti's book I skipped paragraphs here and there.
- Vikram's and Deepika's character was a waste and consumed a few pages.
- Same way, during promotions of this book Mark was portrayed as an important character, but again he was wasted.

So, 'Tea for two and a piece of cake' and 'The secret wish list' are still the best by Preeti Shenoy.

[Sheba Chatterjee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been a Preeti Shenoy fan and this piece definitely does not let me down and upholds my faith in the author. Excited and elated as I was, to recieve a signed copy from her, I finished this book in flat 2 days ( and in the holiday season, that too - tucked away in my quilt :-)).
"The one you cannot have", definitely shall go down with every soul which has it's heart somewhere still stuck like a cobweb(s) in the past.. This book offered me perspective and towards the end I am brought closer to the fact, that life definitely will look bright and sun shall shine through your life's hard tumultuous times. It is just a matter of acknowledging that there is someone made for you and you are getting closer to him ( or her) every minute knowingly or unknowingly.. Dispose off your baggage(s), embrace life, value your current relations, acknowledge people who give you time in this mad world and most importantly, fall in LOVE - because there always be that " one you cannot have". Cheers!

[Divya Nambiar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some things are just fated. They may not work out exactly like how you had wanted, but they are meant to happen so you learn to grow.
- Preeti Shenoy, The One You Cannot Have

'Relationships do come with hurt and disappointments. Even the best ones die out and all that remains is the embers that still burn.'

And that's what this book is all about. The embers that burn and somehow makes one feel that there is not going to be a happy ever-after if things don't go the way they once planned. And yet, with time, it might sound impossible, but then there does come a time when we find ourselves flowing with the waves of time.

In a brilliantly described and poignant tale of love, longing and emerging victoriously from the cobwebs that settle around us after an unexpected occurrence, the author has crafted the characters of Aman, Shruti, Anjali, Rishabh and all others very well to suit the modern mindsets of today.

There are some things in the book that I really found them to be worth mentioning. Some of them are as follows-

1. The Indian family's obsession of completing the family with kids soon after marriage has been dealt with in a comical yet gentle way. The pressures on a woman from all parts of a family after she gets married but is not ready to have a kid, is really well-described.

2. The differences between India and foreign countries (UK here)makes you smile, laugh and at times, even makes you question about the world we live in!

3. The author's love for Bengaluru (I love 'Bangalore' more)and the subtle placement of various places and people are commendable. Also the way in which 'saar' is used instead of 'sir' is enough to make one understand the change in pronunciation and utterance of various words the moment one moves around a bit in India ( Cheers to the variety, cheers to India! )

4. Aman's mother represents so many of today's parents who are so open with their children and are trying their best to be good friends to their children instead of the so-called strict ones! I simply adored her in the story.

5. Mr.Sanjeev Adani's presence as a great humanitarian that one encounters once in a while as one happens to walk on the path of life, is the perfect example of how we as humans can often go wrong when judging people. We often mistake smiles on various lips as eternal happiness when in reality we won't even have a hint of the devils they might be fighting inside them.

It is a book that you just can't place down unless and until you don't reach the last page of it. You can be rest assured that you will have the opportunity to savour some whirlwinds of the heart, the turmoils of the mind,the best decisions of the brain and above all, the perfect story that is always written in advance by destiny!

Preeti Shenoy, yet again, presents the reader with a story that is more than just that. It's a journey that will stay with the reader to remind that there definitely will be someone whom we cannot have, no matter how much we try... But you know what? It's just alright! Yes, that's what we will end up saying after we read the story. After all, can the ever-positive author guide her readers towards a sad end? :)

- Divya Nambiar

Other books by the author include - Life is What You Make It, Tea for two and a piece of cake, 34 Bubblegums and Candies, The Secret Wish List

[Divya Lavanya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finished it! In four hours! It's a short book, and a good read.

The main theme of the book is 'Everyone will always have the one you cannot have.' The author conveyed her point well. The book talks about acceptance of your past and moving on. The plot is a no-brainer. Anyone can guess it from the title. Aman, a north indian, and Shruthi, a south indian, are star-crossed lovers. After four years of togetherness, they believe that nothing is going to stop them from getting married. However, fate interferes in a cruel way and Shruti is married to a another guy, Rishabh, from her own community. Even after two years, Aman and Shruti struggle with the ghosts of their pasts. It affects Shruti's marital life and Aman finds it difficult to commit himself into another relationship. How they found acceptance of their past and moved on is the rest of the story.

The story moves at a brisk pace. The shifting of perspectives at the beginning of each chapter, a technique every author is employing these days, helped me understand them well.The characters of Shruti and Aman are excellently developed. Their love truly appeared magical. Until the last page, I hoped they would get together again, and once again the magic would happen. I particularly like Shruti's narration. I would often find myself skipping Anjali's part. It's not that her part was boring,but Shruti's was interesting.

Moving on, there are loose ends in the story. Like the story of Vikram and Dipika. What happened to them? And why did the author introduce the subplot in the story when she didn't want to give it a proper closure? Is Dipika's character introduced to show us how bitter marriages can become and how it would drive the women to extremes? The other complaint I have is that the author drilled into reader's mind that marriages become boring after some years. She should have shown atleast one happy couple. It's a pretty depressing thought.

I felt that the ending was abrupt. How did Shruti and Rishabh reconcile? I know she wrote an epilogue, but I felt it was insufficient since we invested so much time on them.

The major complaint I have is why are mothers always shown as pestering? About baby, marriage or otherwise? The author tried to show it as affection, but frankly it was repetitive.

Well, those are some of my thoughts. If you want to read a good story of acceptance and moving on, without worrying about the fate of other characters, then this is the book. I would have given it 4 stars if the story was a bit more well developed without loose ends.

Divya,
http://divyalavanya.blogspot.in

[Dipali · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very interesting story, explaining relationships, discovering some new bold aspects of friends, friendship and true love in today’s world while achieving dreams, own dreams...

The story is a heartening tale of how past relationships, when broken without a proper closure, can come back to haunt the present. Her strength, as always, is in portraying real, believable characters and events that can happen in anyone’s life. The characters in the book are as real as it gets. For example, when Aman engages in a one-night stand, just to exorcise the ghosts of his past relationship with Shruti, it is believable, because it is what most guys would do.

This is the story of Aman Mathur a young, good-looking man, successful in his career and after a brief stint in UK for 2 years; he’s all set to return to India. But an accidental relapse into his old memories sends him tumbling back to his past, to the wonderful 4 years of his life that he spent with Shruti, his heart throb. Shruti is the girl with whom he spent some wonderful moments, yet he could not have her. Without her, Aman had never envisaged his future.
But it was Shruti who had walked out of his life, leaving him shattered and heart-broken and just when he thought that he had moved on, the ghosts of his past return to haunt him.
Shruti, now married to Rishabh, is content and settled in her role of a married woman. But a day doesn’t pass in her life without the memories of her perfect relationship with Aman prowling her banal and mundane day-to-day life.

Anjali is an exuberant and vivacious girl, working as a columnist in women’s magazine and she’s charmed by Aman’s kind and intelligent demeanour. But she is also confused by his conflicting attitude when he doesn’t return her messages after their few wonderful dates. Aman on the other hand is guilty, because he enjoys Anjali’s company but he is not sure if he’s ready to plunge into a relationship when his heart still pines for ‘the one he cannot have.’
Will Aman finally get back with Shruti or will he rest the ghosts of his past relationship and move ahead by accepting Anjali’s love and warmth in his life. Read this touching and heart-warming tale of love, relationships, pain, healing and moving-on in life. Seems so real and of today’s world. I won’t say much about those chapters as I don’t want to spoil it for the readers but I just loved the way the book ended. It was a perfect climax for me. The climax was quite interesting with twists and turns to unfold the same you need to read this book.

Now my Positive viewpoints:
The concept of the story is really nice and absorbing. This is a good work done by the author for writing such an arresting work of fiction. The author does not deviate much from the plot. The narration is crisp and manages to hold onto the reader’s interest till the climax of the story. Overall, the book is highly recommended by me to all those who craves for romance mixed with fiction to pass their time on any given weekend. It will make you smile, laugh and cry. But most of all, it will infuse that romantic feeling that will make you fall in love with your loved ones all over again.

Some suggestive points:

Overall the book is good and very well expressed. I find a little disappointing that as other books had the similar kind of plot of past, failed relationships haunting the main protagonist’s present life. I was hoping to read something different in her next novel. I was wondering if she will discard her comfort zone and deliver another amazing and bestselling novel.

Final words:

Overall if asked I would say...this is a touching and impressive fast-read that manages to keep the readers engrossed from the start to the last page of the book by Author (Preeti Shenoy) … I would give 3.5 stars to this book.

[Avanthika · Rating 4 out of 5]

One reason why people cannot skip this book is because of the title. Am certain that all of us are having that one person whom we cannot have.

Sometimes in lyf, our success quotient, our social status, the number of friends we have & the way we make ourself perfect in all aspects will give us no meaning when we don't have that "special someone" supporting and admiring us by our side.
Preeti shenoy, the undisputed queen of analogies, brings us the tale of broken love, emotions, heartbreaks & ways to deal with it. It was 4 in the morning when I completed this book. I wept, laughed, pityed and fell in love(more practically) along with Aman,Shruti and Anjali for there was striking resemblance of many people whom I know.

Aman - successful man in his career, Shruti- A married woman with her past haunting her, Rishub - the guy who married Shruti & who's unable to digest the fact that his wife loved someother guy before him and finally Anjali - vivacious girl who works as a columnist in women's magazine are the people around whom the plot revolves. Anjali needs Aman & Aman needs Sruti. This plot is any normal man's story.. Separated couple's inseparable love. But then, once you know you cannot have that someone practically, what's the point in dreaming ? Thanks a ton to Preeti Shenoy for not breaking Rishab-Shruthi's marriage for it would have resulted in four heartbreaks and turmoil of confusions.

You can relate this novel to yourself and the people around you for the characters're much real. One major negative is that in all preeti shenoy's novels, married lyf turns out to be a boring thing right after the initial years of marriage. And one of the two walks outta marriage. This book also has resemblance of Preeti's previous "Life's what you make it" & "Secret Wishlist" where the main characters are haunted by the ghosts of the past. Still, this one is well-narrated, gripping and it has plenty of tips about relationship(s), dating and ways to cope up with a heart-break. One another readers-pulse-taming book from Preeti Shenoy \m/

[Meghant Parmar · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's not just another love story. Though love is the basic theme of the book but the way it handles the nuances of the relationships be it love or family or marital woes makes it a worthy book to read.

It gives a feel of a book which has been inspired from real life scenarios and volatile modern day relationships which happen around us all the time.

There's not a dull moment in the book as it runs high on all kind of emotions be it love, sorrow, joy or break up.

It's a perfect read with a very fluent and captivating narration.

[Aasif · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always great work by Preety Shenoy.
Keep it up mam.

[Divya Syamlal]

Nice ending😃😃

[Rashmi Binu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Its a good relatable read. Speaking to the experiences that someone growing up in Indian society has had, or is bound to have observed around them. Its a fast and easy read perfect for a contemplative travel reading itenary.

[Pankaj Giri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have known about Preeti Shenoy since a long, long time. Her book - "Life is what you make it" is a bestseller in most online sites. However, inexplicably I refrained from reading her until a week back. I was looking for a nice, mature read, so I thought about sampling the best book of Ms. Shenoy. This one seemed to have the best rating. Having read the likes of Ravinder Singh, Chetan Bhagat, Sudeep Nagarkar, and Durjoy Datta and not liking a few books by the acclaimed writers (although I Too Had a Love Story by Ravinder was quite emotional in the end, and Till the Last Breath by Durjoy was brilliant in every way), I wondered what Preeti had in store for me.

Nowadays, as soon as I flip through a few pages, I recognize the class of the author. Preeti Shenoy has class. Her writing is brilliant and lucid, better than the writers mentioned above. She does repeat words like 'heck' and 'darn' and the f word more often that you would like, but it's still alright and not overused. You will find simplicity but not in the juvenile kind of way you find in most Commercial Indian Authors' works. Frequently, you'll find stylishly constructed sentences, too. She is a writer worth emulating. Not just the language - the plot is also intriguing. The characters are well etched out and are still lingering in my mind. They are neither totally black nor white, which is always good. The descriptions of ambiance are also satisfactory. The emotions of the lead characters are expressed beautifully. Although it never moved me to tears, I could feel their emotions (their guilt, anger, shock, happiness etc.) throughout the book. The majority of the book is predictable, but still the story captures your attention till the very end. The mails exchanged between the characters are also wonderfully written. SMS Lingo is never used in the text messages that characters share which is commendable. There is a slight sprinkling of Hinglish (which I personally don't appreciate), but it's usage is minimal which is okay. Painful memories of the past are skillfully portrayed.

All in all, a wonderful, tightly-knit book. Kudos to Preeti Shenoy. 4.5 stars. I look forward to reading more of her stuff. She's a popular author. And it's not surprising. Cheers!

[Sumati Arora · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the secret wish list before this one, so this just sounded like a different ending to the same story. But considering that this was written before wish list, I think this one was better. Seemed more realistic, better thought over. The story line was pretty much the same for both, the girl separates from the guy she loves like crazy and gets married to a successful guy, gets miserable and then goes back to love of her life....its only the ending that's different.

Things which I found more realistic in this one was that the guy and the girl were given an equal share in the story, its not like the guy disappears and all of a sudden when she is in trouble he appears to save her. So that made the book more relate-able, also the that the guy doesn't go back to her instantly makes it a more sensible ending. The language used in the book is better as compared to the nowadays Indian writers. The characters are the kind of people we all know, the loving friends, a supportive mom, a perfect couple but with their issues behind the closed doors.

Well written overall....decent read!

[Thebookvamp · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gave four stars to the author one who made me read fiction, yes 3 years back i read "Life is what you make it" for the information that was the first fiction i read, before that i read only self help, non fiction, poets and Magazines. Her writing turns my interest to the new genre called fiction after that i started to explore, i all ways pre-order her books, cos their is no way i not gonna like that book. This book as never put me down either. Aman was who made me read more, to be open Shruthi puts me down, I dont feel any harshness in Rishabh's behavior he needs some time to got out of it, cos he is the one who got hurt, he really needs time. Their is no words to describe Anjali she is adorable. to Deepika...?.

I really enjoyed the book, I just swim with all the characters, It feels like I just lived the another life and came back. This what makes your work special Preeti Shenoy. Hats off... waiting for your another one.

[P · Rating 2 out of 5]

A book which can't even bring the feeling the title and the outline on the back cover brought. Honestly how can you love someone for a second to leave your whole family to come in search of them and the next moment, upon rejection throw the memories in garbage? And how can you use someone as a distraction from your broken heart and eventually tell them that you love them despite of still waiting for your ex? There was not love in any of the characters portrayed. And even those you think maybe it was love, the ending makes you question it.

Referring to a paulo coelho story, the author should know paulo coelho at least writes sensible stories but the story by itself couldn't hold that much facts. But here, there's no story but facts far and wide. Maybe could've written as a self help book, a serious disaapointment compared to "The Secret Wishlist"

[Yogesh Yadav · Rating 4 out of 5]

First thing first, I loved this book. The book is about someone who you feel perfect for you, but you can not have. All the main characters, Aman, Shruti & Anjali are developed quite well. Relationships are complex and this book gives a very realistic view on relationships. However this is not a love story. Another interesting view is that if someone whom you longed for life, but cannot have, will come back to you when you moved on, what will you do.
I love fast paced books and this is one of those.
This is the second book of Preeti Shenoy I read and now I feel that she is my favorite Indian writer.

[Vinay Leo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rated: 3.5 Stars | Review: http://goo.gl/VEKnxb

What works?

+ Pace and simple engaging alternating character narration
+ Characters feel real and relatable, as do their decisions
+ Subtle humor

What doesn’t?

- Predictability, though the genre doesn’t actually call for it
- The epilogue ending, which leaves some characters’ story incomplete

A one-time read for me, but an enjoyable one for sure. Thanks to my friend who let me borrow her copy to read this.

[Runjhun Jain · Rating 4 out of 5]

You cannot change few things..they are already decided by the unseen power. It's hard to move on after being in a very happy relationship but sometimes it's the best option we have. If you have ever seen a couple madly in love, you can actually visualise all the scenes in your mind. A nice book to read and enjoy. I like the narration style as it was different. I will give it four stars :)

[Bookish Jyo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't put down the book until I knew what would happen to Sruthi and Aman. Speaks volumes about the writing skills of the author. Each character is so well portrayed. It is a story of emotional acceptance. Loved it.

[Namratha Nammu]

The Secret Wish List

[Anjana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my third Preeti Shenoy book and was definitely a good read as the others. She has a special writing style that is simple and emotion filled, which is very much appealing to the reader in me. That too, after a non-fiction read, which requires complete attention, this book comes in as a welcome treat – a quick read. The best part of the Shenoy book is the Bangalore base, the places she refers to are so familiar to me (being in Bangalore for the past 5 years) instantly helping to connect with the book.

The book revolves around the life of four characters, their past entanglements and their present situations – a typical bollywood movie scenario. The striking characters are the two ladies Anjali and Sruthi. The author has managed to bring out two entirely diverging characters in them and yet the reader will like both equally, with sympathize with both equally and enjoy reading about both equally.

The characters of this Shenoy book are,

Anjali- The writer

A Successful writer, practical in her ways, and still single. She stays in Bangalore with her cousin and family near by. To me, I felt she is the heroine of the book. Though the author has given equal share to all four, this particular girl struck my interest. Mainly because, she is truly independent, has a self built career and home, and unlike the typical Indians she is neither an engineer nor a doctor. Also she has her own opinions about her partner, and wants to find him by herself. Having seen plenty of Indian girls and being one too, I felt more people need to be like Anjali, and more parents need to be like her parents (comment specific for above mentioned reasons only).

Aman – the sweet personality

Bought up by a single mother, career oriented and UK returned. He falls in love and later breaks up with Sruthi, and takes more than 2yrs to recover from it. He is pictured as this sweet personality, who is trying to get over Sruthi. He is the hero of the book.

Sruthi – The struggling wife

Having a successful career, trying to overcome her past love life, and equally trying to adjust to the present. Here the author has bought out the lives of many Indian girls, who marry out of their interest, who is forced to leave their choice due to caste and place of birth, and finally end up trying to please not just husband but also his family. Through Sruthi’s life Shenoy has also bought out the typical Indian parents and in-laws who never stop guiding, advising and judging their children, their spouse and family. She is the exact opposite of Anjali, but both are justifiable is their own ways.

Rishabh – The typical husband

He is pictured as a typical Indian husband.

The book is a light read, perfect for a good relax.

[Neha C · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was looking for a light read amidst all the heavy reading I've been doing. Having read and loved Preeti Shenoy's 'A Hundred Little Flames', I picked up The One You Cannot Have on Kindle. Perhaps also because I know the pain of knowing there's one you cannot have.
As expected, the book made for a breezy read and was one of my fastest readings because I liked the way the story took shape. One reason being the book structure, with alternating chapters focusing on the 3 key characters in the book.
No twists and nothing unexpected really because you know (spoiler 👉) Aman will eventually get over Shruti and choose Anjali.
Some episodes also seemed abrupt, unnecessary and incomplete, like the ones involving Dipika. I also wish Aman's moment of realisation that he loves Anjali was a bit more profound because somewhere a reader might be left wondering what triggered it. Was it the kiss? Or his mother? The reader is made to believe it's Mark but I'm not too sure it was.
Overall, a quick, simple yet a relatable read. Enough to encourage me to pick more Shenoy books.

[Asiyah Shafeeqa · Rating 5 out of 5]

No matter how much we try there is this supreme power of fate deciding whom we can and cannot have in our life. Bonds that we have (had) with certain people is like magic. Being stubborn to experience that magic forever may not always work. And its ok. Its okay not to have the one we want to have forever. Some say time will heal everything. I think that is crap because time heals only when we allow it to heal. We must do what we must to keep life running and not become stagnant. Life moves on and eventually sun will shine as we keep removing the cobwebs that block us.

[Bhavana Rohidekar · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are looking for a feel good read this book is a good one ! It talks about how hard it is to come out of a relationship that has left an impact on you. Sometimes circumstances can plan a huge role and change life plans all Together but it is most important to accept and move on else you will be stuck at one page without knowing what adventures lies ahead of you .. And yes it has a lot of Bangalore hotspots mentioned so I immediately connect with the book !

[Sreehari · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is something about Preethi Shenoy's love stories that makes her book unputdownable. Maybe it is the soul that she is able to encompass through the words of fallen couples. But my favourite Preeti Shenoy book will always be "A Hundred Little Flames". Coming to this book, the writing style is so damn flowing like a river that you won't bother to swim ashore until you reach the sea. The only negative about this novel will be the cliche climax with a sudden ending and you know what to expect right from the beginning itself.

[Neetu Thakur · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully written simple story with a very practical ending, it justifies the title. Prreti shenoy is a brilliant writer. After just reading few pages i was completely list in the book. Such simple writing skills that i have not come across. Just loved it.

[Bianca Denzil · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was an easy read book finished it within a week with busy schedule! And gotta say it got me hooked and I just wanted to finish the book!