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Nights In Pink Satin
What happens when a heartbroken newly-wed girl writes an erotic, sexually charged story based on a cougar she knows? Simran Dandekar, the pretty daughter of a rich construction magnate from Nagpur, marries Siddharth, the good-looking scion of the Mumbai-based Raichand family, only to find out that her marriage is nothing more than a financial transaction, her husband is still not over his last heartbreak, and that the high society Mumbai which she has married into is a cesspool of extramarital affairs and torrid sexual encounters! Not one to shy away from taking inspiration when and where she finds it, Simran soon writes a spectacular tale of love and lust, even as she struggles hard to find both in her married life. But things spiral out of control when the anonymously published risqué potboiler becomes an instant best-seller. Just as her relationship with her husband begins to bloom, the controversial ‘Nights in Pink Satin’ threatens to bring her down! Will Simran’s literary aspirations bring her rewards, or bring her into disaster zone? Join Simran in Nights in Pink Satin, a warm, colourful story set in Mumbai’s high society with entirely believable characters.
197 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 2015
7 people are currently reading
83 people want to read
About the author
Anita Shirodkar
8 books27 followersMy newest literary venture is a trilogy in the Indian mythological genre, titled Guardians of the Blue Lotus. Book one and two- Aryavir and Sitanshu- are published, and are available in Kindle and hard copy formats. The fictional, fantasy story set in the Old World takes readers into the loves, lives and wars of its denizens, and pays homage to India's magnificent mythological heritage and, at its heart, is a story about the eternal human journey.
I spent twenty years in advertising as an Art Director, looking for creative ways to sell everything from colas to candy and ice creams to face creams. I am now creative consultant to Tamarind, a Destination and Event Management Company, which gives me the opportunity to indulge my passion for travel. I have spent a lot of time travelling and absorbing all kinds of world cuisine, which led to a spate of food writing and a recipe book I ghost wrote for a nutritionist. I live partly in Mumbai and partly in Dubai, My interests include painting, photography, cooking, meditation, and spiritual pursuits.
I spent twenty years in advertising as an Art Director, looking for creative ways to sell everything from colas to candy and ice creams to face creams. I am now creative consultant to Tamarind, a Destination and Event Management Company, which gives me the opportunity to indulge my passion for travel. I have spent a lot of time travelling and absorbing all kinds of world cuisine, which led to a spate of food writing and a recipe book I ghost wrote for a nutritionist. I live partly in Mumbai and partly in Dubai, My interests include painting, photography, cooking, meditation, and spiritual pursuits.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
June 3, 2020
I was scrolling through Amazon for some good books when I came across this title. The description looked interesting, so I decided to read it. I thought it’ll be a breezy read, but it turned out so much better than I expected. This was a well-written and entertaining book.
Set in the high-society of Mumbai, this story is about a girl Simran who gets married to Siddharth in an arranged marriage. However, her dreams get shattered when she learns that her relationship might be nothing more than a transaction.
Taking inspiration from the stories of infidelities in her social circle, she writes a steamy romance novel about a woman she knows and publishes it anonymously. When her novel becomes a best-seller, she struggles to keep a secret while trying to build a relationship with her husband.
This book was a page-turner! The story is fun, and the pacing is just right. The thing that stands out in this book is how realistic the characters and scenarios are. The parents worried about the daughter’s marriage, the awkwardness of living with a stranger, a protest against a book that depicts women’s sexuality were all very realistic.
The protagonist Simran is a well-balanced character. I liked the fact that she was portrayed neither as a doormat nor as a rebel who challenges the system. She was just a regular woman falling in love and getting married but also wanting to work on her dreams.
Overall, this was a great story with a satisfying end.
Set in the high-society of Mumbai, this story is about a girl Simran who gets married to Siddharth in an arranged marriage. However, her dreams get shattered when she learns that her relationship might be nothing more than a transaction.
Taking inspiration from the stories of infidelities in her social circle, she writes a steamy romance novel about a woman she knows and publishes it anonymously. When her novel becomes a best-seller, she struggles to keep a secret while trying to build a relationship with her husband.
This book was a page-turner! The story is fun, and the pacing is just right. The thing that stands out in this book is how realistic the characters and scenarios are. The parents worried about the daughter’s marriage, the awkwardness of living with a stranger, a protest against a book that depicts women’s sexuality were all very realistic.
The protagonist Simran is a well-balanced character. I liked the fact that she was portrayed neither as a doormat nor as a rebel who challenges the system. She was just a regular woman falling in love and getting married but also wanting to work on her dreams.
Overall, this was a great story with a satisfying end.
July 25, 2015
Being an author myself, I seldom wish to kick myself for not coming up with the plot that I read as a reviewer. The same happened when I finished reading ‘Nights In Pink Satin’ by Anita Shirodkar. It’s a kind of book that holds the reader till the very end and leaves with an unexpected climax to let the reader wish for more books from the author.
Simran Dandekar happily gets married with Siddharth and soon some truth appears in front of her that shakes her for a bit. To escape the harsh reality she decides to pursue her dream of writing a novel but the mistake that she commits is that the story, she chose to write upon, is having a real character in it, a character that she observes in her own family and finally she publishes it anonymously. The book started to create wonders and became an instant best-seller and soon, Simran’s life started to face the consequences of it.
What I really loved about the book is its plot. It’s phenomenal and had great scope to write upon. Another thing that grabbed my attention was the writing style of the author. She never overhyped anything and tried to explain the situations in a very normal way. She has given a metro touch to the overall theme, brilliantly.
The book starts with various characters but the author successfully managed to handle all the chaos that could have been created by them. The middle portion of the book, scratches the life of the protagonist pretty well. Siddharth’s love life is also described with pretty decency without creating any overhyped story with it.
In the end the book does starts to lose grip with the reader but then instantly, with the climax, author leaves the reader wondering for a moment.
I also would like to appreciate the cover designer of the book. I loved it a lot.
The book surely deserves to be read for at least once.
Simran Dandekar happily gets married with Siddharth and soon some truth appears in front of her that shakes her for a bit. To escape the harsh reality she decides to pursue her dream of writing a novel but the mistake that she commits is that the story, she chose to write upon, is having a real character in it, a character that she observes in her own family and finally she publishes it anonymously. The book started to create wonders and became an instant best-seller and soon, Simran’s life started to face the consequences of it.
What I really loved about the book is its plot. It’s phenomenal and had great scope to write upon. Another thing that grabbed my attention was the writing style of the author. She never overhyped anything and tried to explain the situations in a very normal way. She has given a metro touch to the overall theme, brilliantly.
The book starts with various characters but the author successfully managed to handle all the chaos that could have been created by them. The middle portion of the book, scratches the life of the protagonist pretty well. Siddharth’s love life is also described with pretty decency without creating any overhyped story with it.
In the end the book does starts to lose grip with the reader but then instantly, with the climax, author leaves the reader wondering for a moment.
I also would like to appreciate the cover designer of the book. I loved it a lot.
The book surely deserves to be read for at least once.
May 5, 2022
what should I say- this book was a lot more than what I expected. it revolves around Simran, the daughter of a wealthy man who is married out of convenience into a rich household where she is not much accepted by both her in-laws and her husband.
She who found her solace in books turns out to write erotica inspired by a woman(who is her MIL's BFF BTW) who had an extramarital affair. Though Simran is proud of her work, she decides to publish the book under a pen name for the sake of the "dignity" of her family. Things between Simran and her husband start looking up and they fall in love until his ex returns to wreak havoc in their lives.
this book was everything I long for-romance, drama, a handsome hero, book talks, friendships, and women shattering the stigmas around the kin of art they are supposed to be producing.
She who found her solace in books turns out to write erotica inspired by a woman(who is her MIL's BFF BTW) who had an extramarital affair. Though Simran is proud of her work, she decides to publish the book under a pen name for the sake of the "dignity" of her family. Things between Simran and her husband start looking up and they fall in love until his ex returns to wreak havoc in their lives.
this book was everything I long for-romance, drama, a handsome hero, book talks, friendships, and women shattering the stigmas around the kin of art they are supposed to be producing.
May 13, 2015
It's always wonderful to read an author's 2nd book when you have read their debut novel just after it released. I remember my delighted mood after I completed reading Anita Shirodkar's debut work- "Secrets and Second Chances". I always love reading urban and metro based stories. And Anita surely excels in this. I am just done reading "Nights in Pink Satin", her 2nd book, which is released recently. Though she couldn't match the X-factor that her first book had but this book is no less. If that was 99/100, this one is not less than 98/100. I am amazed by the story that Anita have created. It's never easy to write when 2 plots are merged together to bring a story out in a regular flow.
When I read the synopsis, I was very skeptic if author would have been able to handle a story where the protagonist is writing a book based on the incidents happening around her but it's perfectly done and I am happy Anita didn't overdid it. Though it was quite evident that the whole climax would be based upon this particular book written by the protagonist, even that wasn't done in a filmy manner. Still, a movie can be made out of this book. Haha! That's ANITA SHIRODKAR for you.
Anita Shirodkar's writing style is standard and it's perfect for a story that's based in metro city like Mumbai. She definitely knows how to keep her readers hooked to the story and therefore she brings twists and turns at right time. Her quality of not giving a filmy version to the story whenever there's a twist makes her a special author. These days authors try to give a filmy element to everything since Indian pulp fiction are getting accepted by Bollywood to be adapted into a movie. Anita is definitely out of that league and that makes her book look more deserving to be given a filmy adaptation to it. Her characters are definitely churned out of many traits that people of very high society has. And she never underestimates any of her characters and give all of them an equal space and good treatment. For her, every character is protagonist.
The initial chapters are a treat to read. Definitely! The way Siddharth and Simran's family are discussed is one of the best parts of the book. Later on, how Simran reacts after knowing the truth after marriage is also dealt very nicely. The equation shown between Siddharth and Simran is what makes this book readable. Even when Siddharth's ex-gf returns back in his life after his marriage, there's nothing sort of extra-marital affair tone given to it. And still the confusion between the couple's married life is worth-reading. The way Simran's book thing is presented, it gives just a level-up treatment to the story.
You are scared for Simran as she doesn't let a single person know that she's the writer behind a book which is creating records and havoc everywhere around. The pre-climax when everything begins to settle down for Simran and suddenly revelation of a truth brings her under scrutiny in climax is the best Anita have done to this book. Also, Isha's mail described in climax tells a lot how author doesn't let any character get forgotten in between the bigger things happening in protagonists' life. I give this book 4* out of 5. And ANITA SHIRODKAR is in the list of my favorite authors now. Waiting for her next book which is already half-written. :-)
Thanks.
ABHILASH RUHELA - VEERU!!!
August 24, 2015
With a suggestive name and racy storyline I was eager to read Nights in Pink Satin and even though I did not find any ‘pink satin’ in the book, there was definitely a lot going on! The story is unique as it has another story within that keeps the momentum going. The repercussions of what Simran writes make most of the story and the subsequent confusion and confessions that follow. Add to that scheming friends and relatives who add fuel to fire!
Simran, the beautiful, talented, young and a bit naive is the hero of this book. She carries the book on her delicate shoulders. A devoted daughter who actually listens to her elders! Tania who is the ex girlfriend who doesn’t want to be an ex causes most of the worries along with Mr Raichand senior making a wreck out of the gentle Simran. Part her writing, part her hesitation to share her writing lands her into trouble.
In the glittering, false and totally phony uber rich society that she moves into and makes sense of it with her honesty, integrity and youthful innocence. She tries to keep her writing a secret and it all backfires but the fun is in the tale as it all unfolds. There were a few close calls, making it difficult to stop reading.
The surprise champion of the book was Siddarth Raichand, Simran’s husband who shone like a star after the initial drab moments when he too is trying to find his spot in all the financial fiascos! Half way through the book, I wanted to kick him! He was behaving typically like the selfish men we all abhor but what a comeback thus guy made! I found his character well written and executed. He is the link that connects all the missing pieces in the story.
The book gives a glimpse into the Page 3 glitterati and manages to keep the reader hooked. The story had its share of twists and turns but nothing too dramatic. No controversies, no scandals or anything to really give a peek into the decadent lifestyle of the rich and famous. I felt a bit disappointed there but then, this book was not the Page 3 newspaper ;)
I found the book a fast read, the events even though were a bit predictable because so much of the story was already in the blurb but still kept the interest going in spite of it being a very tame read. With the title of the book and the story line, I had expected a bit more fireworks, and some lust filled pages! Not that they take away anything from the book, in fact the racy discussions are so tastefully done they add to the story.
I found Karan Goenka and Aishni were two supporting characters that I really liked and enjoyed reading about. The best part of the book for me was the numerous characters and all of them well developed; little nuggets of information about them made them more believable & the story more enjoyable because of them.
Nights in Pink Satin is a story of a young girl finding her place and finding her calling. Anita has penned her with so much love that it flows through the book making your heart beat for Simran, shed a tear with her and smile with her. If you are looking for that perfect girl, look no further she is here –Simran in Nights in Pink Satin.
(I got a copy of the book from Fingerprint Publishing in exchange of my honest review)
June 24, 2015
Note : This review is live in my blog Book And Ink
A tale within a tale is an interesting concept when handled well. I’m sure it takes double the effort writing a story within a story. This writer, Anita, has done a pretty good job of it that it almost looks effortless. Simran Dandekar, our protagonist, marries Siddharth, our dashing hero, the scion of Mumbai’s elite class builder family – the Raichands. Turns out that her marriage is nothing but a financial transaction where her father had agreed to bail out the Raichands from their financial misery in exchange for this marriage. Things spin out of control when she publishes an erotic novel under a pseudonym based on a person (a cougar) she knows and who belongs to the crème de la crème of the Mumbai society. Just as Simran’s relationship with Siddharth improves her book lands her in enough trouble, threatening to nip the blooming relationship. What followed is the story of the reward that a literary aspiration doled out.
The story line was perfect, realistic and was projected well by Anita Shirodkar’s crisp and clean writing. The plot was sprinkled with enough twists and turns, keeping me hooked. The characterization was perfect with no conflicting traits. The sensible story line, neat writing and perfect characterization made the book a fast paced and enjoyable read. I managed to finish reading the book in 2 hours flat. The first few chapters though might give an impression that this is yet another story where a man with an emotional baggage unburdens it to move on with his wife only to fail when his ex-flame returns to his life. But the story is much more than that line of thinking.
Anita surely deserves to be applauded for not bringing in a Bollywood-ish twist even though the story line had a lot of scope to accommodate that sort of a twist. She demonstrates that there are better ways to keep a plot alive without adding that sort of a dramatic element. The other thing that personally gave me a huge sense of relief was the lack of ‘steamy’ and uncomfortably ‘intimate’ scenes though again the story again had a lot of scope for that to be incorporated. Putting in such scenes would have made the book just another romantic read with the usual fall in love – make love-break up – fall in love routine. Thankfully, Anita evinces that there is more to romance than erotic scenes!
MY SAY: An engaging, realistic and sensible read.
PLOT: 8/10
NARRATION: 9/10
CHARACTERISATION: 8/10
BOREDOM QUOTIENT: 1/10 (the lower the better)
OVERALL RATING: 9/10
A tale within a tale is an interesting concept when handled well. I’m sure it takes double the effort writing a story within a story. This writer, Anita, has done a pretty good job of it that it almost looks effortless. Simran Dandekar, our protagonist, marries Siddharth, our dashing hero, the scion of Mumbai’s elite class builder family – the Raichands. Turns out that her marriage is nothing but a financial transaction where her father had agreed to bail out the Raichands from their financial misery in exchange for this marriage. Things spin out of control when she publishes an erotic novel under a pseudonym based on a person (a cougar) she knows and who belongs to the crème de la crème of the Mumbai society. Just as Simran’s relationship with Siddharth improves her book lands her in enough trouble, threatening to nip the blooming relationship. What followed is the story of the reward that a literary aspiration doled out.
The story line was perfect, realistic and was projected well by Anita Shirodkar’s crisp and clean writing. The plot was sprinkled with enough twists and turns, keeping me hooked. The characterization was perfect with no conflicting traits. The sensible story line, neat writing and perfect characterization made the book a fast paced and enjoyable read. I managed to finish reading the book in 2 hours flat. The first few chapters though might give an impression that this is yet another story where a man with an emotional baggage unburdens it to move on with his wife only to fail when his ex-flame returns to his life. But the story is much more than that line of thinking.
Anita surely deserves to be applauded for not bringing in a Bollywood-ish twist even though the story line had a lot of scope to accommodate that sort of a twist. She demonstrates that there are better ways to keep a plot alive without adding that sort of a dramatic element. The other thing that personally gave me a huge sense of relief was the lack of ‘steamy’ and uncomfortably ‘intimate’ scenes though again the story again had a lot of scope for that to be incorporated. Putting in such scenes would have made the book just another romantic read with the usual fall in love – make love-break up – fall in love routine. Thankfully, Anita evinces that there is more to romance than erotic scenes!
MY SAY: An engaging, realistic and sensible read.
PLOT: 8/10
NARRATION: 9/10
CHARACTERISATION: 8/10
BOREDOM QUOTIENT: 1/10 (the lower the better)
OVERALL RATING: 9/10
September 29, 2020
I received a free copy of this book from the author.
Update September 2020:
I still love this one. Books like this are why I enjoy chick-lit (I'm still not completely sure I can call it chick-lit though, but I digress.) It is a light read full of drama without being over the top. It was a beautiful story-with as many healthy relationships as there were toxic ones. That just made everything infinitely more relatable. I just couldn't put it down.
First reading April 2016:
This book was pretty amazing. The characters are completely believable and are really easy to relate to. The storyline was particularly exceptional. This is the kind of story that keeps you hooked and doesn't let you put it down without finishing. The only thing that bothered me was that the ending felt a bit rushed. Everything just came out really fast and that was a bit hard to believe. But this book is an awesome read overall. I really liked it.
Update September 2020:
I still love this one. Books like this are why I enjoy chick-lit (I'm still not completely sure I can call it chick-lit though, but I digress.) It is a light read full of drama without being over the top. It was a beautiful story-with as many healthy relationships as there were toxic ones. That just made everything infinitely more relatable. I just couldn't put it down.
First reading April 2016:
This book was pretty amazing. The characters are completely believable and are really easy to relate to. The storyline was particularly exceptional. This is the kind of story that keeps you hooked and doesn't let you put it down without finishing. The only thing that bothered me was that the ending felt a bit rushed. Everything just came out really fast and that was a bit hard to believe. But this book is an awesome read overall. I really liked it.
July 7, 2015
The plot and the idea behind the book is novel and fresh. To start with, the book is written with an exceptional clarity of thoughts and in simple semantics. The author doesn't borrow upon anyone else and the story is fresh. To better rephrase it, the author tries to be the first herself rather than a second someone else.
The story is simple but unfortunately contrary to what the synopsis of the book promises, the characters are not easily or readily identifiable to a lot of readers. In addition to the same, the climax lets the reader down a bit.
On the plus side the characters are nicely etched. The second half of the book is more adhesive than the first part. The three stars are for a remarkable attempt.
The book IS a good-read that can be taken off the shelf and gotten lost into some time. It's definitely worth a read.
I wish the author all the best. God bless. :-)
The story is simple but unfortunately contrary to what the synopsis of the book promises, the characters are not easily or readily identifiable to a lot of readers. In addition to the same, the climax lets the reader down a bit.
On the plus side the characters are nicely etched. The second half of the book is more adhesive than the first part. The three stars are for a remarkable attempt.
The book IS a good-read that can be taken off the shelf and gotten lost into some time. It's definitely worth a read.
I wish the author all the best. God bless. :-)
May 7, 2015
Nights In Pink Satin is a great, fun, and quick read. Finished it in one sitting! The plot is engaging and the characters are both nuanced and relatable. Though the novel is light reading, it touches on interesting themes, such as Indian society's tendency to discourage its women from embracing their sexuality or pursuing their life's ambitions as they see fit. A witty and overall enjoyable follow-up to Shirodkar's first book, Secrets and Second Chances.
May 20, 2015
What a rollicking read! Fun, feisty and engaging, this is a book that cannot be labelled 'chick-lit' as it has something to say to readers of all genders and ages. Wonderfully written , providing insights into the lives of the rich, famous and infamous. But above all, a compelling tale about life, love and human foibles.
May 20, 2015
Fun and quick read
May 31, 2025
Okay so I don't know what I expected when I picked up this book, but I think I like it. The story honestly feels like it has been loosely inspired from an indian soap opera and I dont mean this in a derogatory way, it was entertaining. Because it was a very fast paced novel, it felt like certain elements of the story weren't developed enough, it just felt a little far fetched to me how simran and sid immediately fell in love considering the circumstances and his past. Simran's character was well developed but again there were other characters that just felt very flat. Also, the story line was quiet entertaining as I mentioned before but the writing felt dull.
Overall it was a fun reading experience but yeah there are certain things that could have been done in a better way.
Overall it was a fun reading experience but yeah there are certain things that could have been done in a better way.
October 4, 2017
A fast paced story with a strong storyline and characters. I got attracted to the plot which seemed very intriguing and interesting when I read the blurb of Amazon and I purchased the book and I am glad I did as definitely it was interesting and that's what held my interest till the end. This is the first book I read by this author and am looking forward to reading other books by her . I really liked her writing style. Have got her first book now after finishing this one and looking forward to reading it .
January 14, 2024
I read it in one go. I enjoyed it. The story gets you hooked. I loved the way the ending was handled.
June 6, 2025
It seemed like someone's pastime project.
May 23, 2015
I received this book in a giveaway.
The writing is good, the way in which author narrated the storyline was quite good but I felt the book a little short.
Much of the time it makes hype about the book that the main character, Simran, wrote leaving the actual plot of this very book shallow.
Yeah, of course a couple of last chapters were great to read but I wish that the author had created a stronger and well planned, intricate plot for the book.
The writing is good, the way in which author narrated the storyline was quite good but I felt the book a little short.
Much of the time it makes hype about the book that the main character, Simran, wrote leaving the actual plot of this very book shallow.
Yeah, of course a couple of last chapters were great to read but I wish that the author had created a stronger and well planned, intricate plot for the book.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews