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Sreepuram Series #3
His Sunshine Girl
Can two damaged souls heal each other?
Shalini is dusky and has faced body shaming throughout her life because of it. She has gone through a lot in her life, including a failed marriage and divorce, and is at a crossroad when the story begins.
She arrives in Sreepuram as the live-in literary assistant to Arundhati Mukundan, an eminent author.
Dr.Vishal, Arundhati’s grandson, and a paediatrician, has seen love and loss at close quarters.
When they meet in Sreepuram, it is a reunion of two childhood friends who were once inseparable.
Will their friendship help them heal?
Isn't friendship turning into love the most beautiful thing on earth?
Would fate allow that to happen or would it play its devious role again?
This is a standalone sequel to the best seller ‘Without You’. You can read this even if you haven’t read ‘Without You.’
This story picks up from where ‘Without You’ ended.
Look out for some of your favourite characters from ‘Without You’ taking on significant roles in this story.
Shalini is dusky and has faced body shaming throughout her life because of it. She has gone through a lot in her life, including a failed marriage and divorce, and is at a crossroad when the story begins.
She arrives in Sreepuram as the live-in literary assistant to Arundhati Mukundan, an eminent author.
Dr.Vishal, Arundhati’s grandson, and a paediatrician, has seen love and loss at close quarters.
When they meet in Sreepuram, it is a reunion of two childhood friends who were once inseparable.
Will their friendship help them heal?
Isn't friendship turning into love the most beautiful thing on earth?
Would fate allow that to happen or would it play its devious role again?
This is a standalone sequel to the best seller ‘Without You’. You can read this even if you haven’t read ‘Without You.’
This story picks up from where ‘Without You’ ended.
Look out for some of your favourite characters from ‘Without You’ taking on significant roles in this story.
- GenresRomance
197 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 1, 2018
49 people are currently reading
50 people want to read
About the author
Preethi Venugopala
34 books155 followersPreethi Venugopala is a Civil Engineer by profession and an avid writer, blogger, artist by passion.
She always liked stories. When alone, she would create stories in her mind but never thought about penning them down until a break from her regular job as a Civil Engineer prompted her to take up blogging.
Flash fictions written for various prompts, and winning story writing competitions led to publications of short stories in various anthologies. Several of her short stories are published on Juggernaut books platform.
She debuted as a novelist with 'Without You', which became the #1 bestseller in its category on Amazon.1 many times since its release. She has added 9 more bestsellers to her kitty. Á Royal Affair', 'His Sunshine Girl', 'The Princess and the Superstar', 'Remember When', 'The Lost Princess', 'Falling for Cinderella', 'My Warmest Sorrow', "The Girl at the Wedding', and her latest 'Love and Longing in Firefly season'.
She currently lives in Bangalore with her husband and son. When not penning down the stories of the voices in her head, she can be found curled up on a couch with her favourite book.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
March 21, 2018
This is a lovely story - it addresses self-esteem issues related to the colour of one's skin - and I really appreciate Vishal for being 'colour' blind. He is quite adorable!
Three things I absolutely loved about this book - its stunning, vibrant cover; the simplicity of the prose; the shocking twist at the end that actually made me sniffle with the poignancy of it all. Read it for yourself to find out!
Three things I absolutely loved about this book - its stunning, vibrant cover; the simplicity of the prose; the shocking twist at the end that actually made me sniffle with the poignancy of it all. Read it for yourself to find out!
March 17, 2018
Preethi Venugopala has written an entertaining romance which touches on the themes of love, friendship and self-esteem issues. The plot keeps you engaged and turning the pages to find out what happens next. An enjoyable read.
March 5, 2018
To be honest, I had mixed feelings about this book. This was the first book I picked up in this series and I bought it in Amazon because I thought the blurb was interesting. I soon realized that this was a part of a series when I read the Author's note. I gave it four stars because it surprised me in the last few chapters by being suspenseful where I was expecting only a romantic fare. Kudos to the author, I have started picking up more Indian books and was glad with the prose style of this one.
Things I did like
- The above mentioned suspense angle and the brilliant red herring in the middle chapters. The milieu being Kerala, which I am very fond of was an additional plus
- Meaty story for a book that is less than 200 pages. I finished it off in a day since I was constantly pushed and pulled into the storyline
- The camaraderie between the siblings and cousins and the family set up was interesting. The leading man was kind and generous and loving
Things I didn't like
- Body shaming is an unfortunate rite of passage for almost every woman in India, she's too fat, too thin, too fair, too dark and what nots but I struggled to relate to Shalini as much as I wanted to because although I understand the agony of being bullied and vulnerable due to her past, she was too quick to believe what was thrown at her. I would have loved the empowerment to not have been kind of an Epiphany but a gradual progress of confidence.
- I don't generally like angst-y romance which involves two people clearly in love but are not together because of some misunderstandings, or assumptions - this book briefly veered into that territory and I did not care for those parts much
But the book is one of the better ones I've read this year and I hope she continues the Sreepuram series, there were so many characters who were interesting in this one!
Things I did like
- The above mentioned suspense angle and the brilliant red herring in the middle chapters. The milieu being Kerala, which I am very fond of was an additional plus
- Meaty story for a book that is less than 200 pages. I finished it off in a day since I was constantly pushed and pulled into the storyline
- The camaraderie between the siblings and cousins and the family set up was interesting. The leading man was kind and generous and loving
Things I didn't like
- Body shaming is an unfortunate rite of passage for almost every woman in India, she's too fat, too thin, too fair, too dark and what nots but I struggled to relate to Shalini as much as I wanted to because although I understand the agony of being bullied and vulnerable due to her past, she was too quick to believe what was thrown at her. I would have loved the empowerment to not have been kind of an Epiphany but a gradual progress of confidence.
- I don't generally like angst-y romance which involves two people clearly in love but are not together because of some misunderstandings, or assumptions - this book briefly veered into that territory and I did not care for those parts much
But the book is one of the better ones I've read this year and I hope she continues the Sreepuram series, there were so many characters who were interesting in this one!
December 11, 2019
A sweet love story, well told in a gentle narrative style! I liked the characters and their intricate relationship with their families. There is sorrow and loss, deep friendship and also personal growth in the main protagonists. It was good to see Shalini transformed into a strong, confident woman to find true love and meaning in life.
February 19, 2020
Can we read the sequel without reading the prequel, some times yes, sometimes no.
Can we read this book without reading the prequel, Yes!
Trust me, I came to know that the book has a prequel when I am almost reading the climax of this book. Then I thought of looking into cover again and found out that this is a sequel.
This is a story about beautiful persons in and out. At starting while Vishal entered into the picture I thought why we Indians will think routinely. When we will think out of box and describe the scenes differently. But, later I didn't get a chance to think much about as I am very indulged in the story. I feel like reading a native story. Though it's based on Kerala, I can relate the story as it happened in Andhra. Racism and bullying are faced by almost everyone in one or another form. In this type of generations, its good to feel that there is not one person who supports what believe without looking through lenses such as fair, rich are dominant properties. His whole family is fabulous. Coming to the main character Shalin as know as Shalu, clever, hardworking, and multitalented(I think I used fewer adjectives here) girl, lossed her confidence just because of bullying, people who judges for everything. Through the book, I wish there are many persons like Shalini and all of them will get confidence so that they can achieve whatever they want.
P. S. I envy the relationship those cousins shared and how they are supportive in thick and thin.
P.P.S : Don't think this book is all about lectures, this is a pure romance novel. Few romantic scenes are depicted nicely. One of my favorite moments is when Shalini says that she loves Vishal and so on.
My favorite quotes:
have come to understand that our thoughts are powerful. They, in a way, define us, our life. Our thoughts become our truth. And believe me, we attract into our lives all our life experiences,”
Tell yourself that whatever happens, you will be there for yourself. Trust me, at the end of the day your happiness depends only on yourself
Our young men are so prejudiced against dusky girls. It is the after effect of the colonial rule, I say. The white men left us, but dumped their prejudice against the darker skin on us, to be followed and practiced. I don’t know why we Indians, all various shades of brown, are obsessed with the fair skin. Is beauty just skin deep?
Grief has a mind of its own and often works at its own pace. Don’t fight it. Give it time.
We often hide our fears and our vulnerabilities, because it’s easier that way.
“Two damaged souls healing each other is love.” It planted the seed of a story inside me and 'His Sunshine Girl' was born.
Now I hope I will get my hands on the book Sreepuram series 1 in the near future.
Can we read this book without reading the prequel, Yes!
Trust me, I came to know that the book has a prequel when I am almost reading the climax of this book. Then I thought of looking into cover again and found out that this is a sequel.
This is a story about beautiful persons in and out. At starting while Vishal entered into the picture I thought why we Indians will think routinely. When we will think out of box and describe the scenes differently. But, later I didn't get a chance to think much about as I am very indulged in the story. I feel like reading a native story. Though it's based on Kerala, I can relate the story as it happened in Andhra. Racism and bullying are faced by almost everyone in one or another form. In this type of generations, its good to feel that there is not one person who supports what believe without looking through lenses such as fair, rich are dominant properties. His whole family is fabulous. Coming to the main character Shalin as know as Shalu, clever, hardworking, and multitalented(I think I used fewer adjectives here) girl, lossed her confidence just because of bullying, people who judges for everything. Through the book, I wish there are many persons like Shalini and all of them will get confidence so that they can achieve whatever they want.
P. S. I envy the relationship those cousins shared and how they are supportive in thick and thin.
P.P.S : Don't think this book is all about lectures, this is a pure romance novel. Few romantic scenes are depicted nicely. One of my favorite moments is when Shalini says that she loves Vishal and so on.
My favorite quotes:
have come to understand that our thoughts are powerful. They, in a way, define us, our life. Our thoughts become our truth. And believe me, we attract into our lives all our life experiences,”
Tell yourself that whatever happens, you will be there for yourself. Trust me, at the end of the day your happiness depends only on yourself
Our young men are so prejudiced against dusky girls. It is the after effect of the colonial rule, I say. The white men left us, but dumped their prejudice against the darker skin on us, to be followed and practiced. I don’t know why we Indians, all various shades of brown, are obsessed with the fair skin. Is beauty just skin deep?
Grief has a mind of its own and often works at its own pace. Don’t fight it. Give it time.
We often hide our fears and our vulnerabilities, because it’s easier that way.
“Two damaged souls healing each other is love.” It planted the seed of a story inside me and 'His Sunshine Girl' was born.
Now I hope I will get my hands on the book Sreepuram series 1 in the near future.
February 18, 2018
I have always liked the story play by Preethi Venugopala, there is always something extra apart from the regular romance. Author doesn't disappoint in this too. The suspense and conflict increases as our two protagonists come together and the novel ends with a fitting conclusion.
A page turner.
A page turner.
August 25, 2018
Engrossingly sweet love story
A very well written love story which makes an engrossing read. One gets so much involved in the narration that it makes one feel living the moments with the protagonist. It is unputdownable and makes a wonderful breezy read. The climax is also well written with mystery and Mystic thrown in. Enjoyed the read an look forward to the next by the author. Well done Ms Preethi. 👍👍👍👍👍
A very well written love story which makes an engrossing read. One gets so much involved in the narration that it makes one feel living the moments with the protagonist. It is unputdownable and makes a wonderful breezy read. The climax is also well written with mystery and Mystic thrown in. Enjoyed the read an look forward to the next by the author. Well done Ms Preethi. 👍👍👍👍👍
April 15, 2018
The vividly colored, pretty cover image had me intrigued for a while. I'm glad I finally got my hands on this heart touching love story set in a beautifully described location. At the end of the book, I was left with a huge smile on my face and a strong urge to pack my bags and vacation in Kerala!
August 4, 2020
A sequel to the first book, this story has well developed characters and has ingredients like love, jealousy, and friendship.
February 3, 2018
I had read ‘Without You’ and loved it. So, when ‘His Sunshine Girl’ was released, I bought it as soon as I saw it online.
This story speaks about the dark sides of discrimination based on skin color, friendship, relationships, love, and loss. The characters are well etched, and the story flows smoothly.
The author also takes the reader back to Sreepuram and gives some fresh glimpses of God’s own country, Kerala.
A must read if you love well-written romances.
This story speaks about the dark sides of discrimination based on skin color, friendship, relationships, love, and loss. The characters are well etched, and the story flows smoothly.
The author also takes the reader back to Sreepuram and gives some fresh glimpses of God’s own country, Kerala.
A must read if you love well-written romances.
February 23, 2018
Simplistic yet intense.
Thoughtfully crafted emotions that seem so realistic. It was the first literary piece from the author for me. Must say looking forward to more. Good work.
Thoughtfully crafted emotions that seem so realistic. It was the first literary piece from the author for me. Must say looking forward to more. Good work.
February 24, 2018
Sweet story with unexpected twists...
March 4, 2018
I had read "Without you"previously and I loved re-encountering Shaline and Vishal in their adult life. I enjoyed the book and I like the way Preethi Venugopala keeps us turning the pages. A must read
March 25, 2021
A beautiful and heartwarming book that deals with the issue of skin colour. Preethi has done a great job tackling this sensitive issue. Loved the hero who didnt place value on skin colour.
January 12, 2021
His Sunshine Girl is a novel written by Preethi Venugopala and is the second book in the Sreepuram series. The book is available on Kindle Unlimited.
Shalini, a dark complexioned lady has been divorced because of her colour. Her in-laws have left her bereft of self confidence. In order to let her recover, her grandmother sends her to her friend, the great author Arundhati Mukundan.
Vishal is a doctor by profession and has experienced the slip of the love of his life from his hands at close quarters. He is the grandson of Arundhati Mukundan and has returned to India to flee away from the memories that are haunting him.
Both Shalini and Vishal have been two peas in a pod since their childhood and after years coming across each other when they are broken heals them in a way. But sparks fly and they are drawn to each other when each one is dealing with their own demons. How do they overcome each other’s inhibitions and bring sunshine in each other’s lives is for you to find out.
The easy banter between the protagonists is the highlight of the book. The inferiority complex of a dusky girl and the way the society treats such people is penned very well. You will also be introduced to the protagonists from the other books of the series. The story flows very well and has left a mark on me. It has effectively brought out the fact that your qualities are important than how you look i.e. outward appearances are always deceptive. This is so far my favourite book from the author.
I would recommend everyone to read it. I am sure once you start reading it, you will automatically get sucked in their world.
Read my reviews by clicking on the following link
https://mintiblog.wordpress.com/2021/...
Shalini, a dark complexioned lady has been divorced because of her colour. Her in-laws have left her bereft of self confidence. In order to let her recover, her grandmother sends her to her friend, the great author Arundhati Mukundan.
Vishal is a doctor by profession and has experienced the slip of the love of his life from his hands at close quarters. He is the grandson of Arundhati Mukundan and has returned to India to flee away from the memories that are haunting him.
Both Shalini and Vishal have been two peas in a pod since their childhood and after years coming across each other when they are broken heals them in a way. But sparks fly and they are drawn to each other when each one is dealing with their own demons. How do they overcome each other’s inhibitions and bring sunshine in each other’s lives is for you to find out.
The easy banter between the protagonists is the highlight of the book. The inferiority complex of a dusky girl and the way the society treats such people is penned very well. You will also be introduced to the protagonists from the other books of the series. The story flows very well and has left a mark on me. It has effectively brought out the fact that your qualities are important than how you look i.e. outward appearances are always deceptive. This is so far my favourite book from the author.
I would recommend everyone to read it. I am sure once you start reading it, you will automatically get sucked in their world.
Read my reviews by clicking on the following link
https://mintiblog.wordpress.com/2021/...
August 26, 2018
Heart warming read
A sweet and endearing story that beautifully highlights the bond of love and support in a family as well as a couple.
Body shaming of the dark skinned is a very common practice sometimes accepted too. The trauma and embarrassment of the ones at the receiving end is unimaginable.
This story is how a loving family uplifts an old family friend's daughter and instills the confidence in her to believe in her own strength and find love in her childhood friend. There are some thrilling plots and nail biting moments too. All in all a well rounded and entertaining read.
A sweet and endearing story that beautifully highlights the bond of love and support in a family as well as a couple.
Body shaming of the dark skinned is a very common practice sometimes accepted too. The trauma and embarrassment of the ones at the receiving end is unimaginable.
This story is how a loving family uplifts an old family friend's daughter and instills the confidence in her to believe in her own strength and find love in her childhood friend. There are some thrilling plots and nail biting moments too. All in all a well rounded and entertaining read.
December 12, 2018
Another blockbuster novel
This is the fourth book of Preethi I've read and it's also as awesome as the previous three. Felt like I was watching a movie. Thoroughly enjoyed and was spellbound. Too good Preethi. Your narration was beyond praise. It's very easy to imagine and relate to the characters as one of us. Keep it up and eagerly waiting fir more sequels. Hope you make a movie out of each thrilling story which has a unique twist of its own.
This is the fourth book of Preethi I've read and it's also as awesome as the previous three. Felt like I was watching a movie. Thoroughly enjoyed and was spellbound. Too good Preethi. Your narration was beyond praise. It's very easy to imagine and relate to the characters as one of us. Keep it up and eagerly waiting fir more sequels. Hope you make a movie out of each thrilling story which has a unique twist of its own.
Read
October 18, 2020Beautiful story
A story that tells you that your insecurities about yourself doesn't matter, you are beautiful in your own way and if today there's no one to love you or you have lost all your hope in life god will send his Angels to make you believe that there's someone better waiting for you. Like shalini found vishal! Surely we all will find someone who would give us love we never thought of!!brilliantly written.. kudos to the author😊
A story that tells you that your insecurities about yourself doesn't matter, you are beautiful in your own way and if today there's no one to love you or you have lost all your hope in life god will send his Angels to make you believe that there's someone better waiting for you. Like shalini found vishal! Surely we all will find someone who would give us love we never thought of!!brilliantly written.. kudos to the author😊
July 28, 2020
Another tale of love from sreepuram series.
Story revolves around a dusky beauty shalini who feels very infererior because of her dark colour (Beingi dark is always sin as per our society ) and pain she had in her life... almost 80% of books fills with romance and another 20% fills with thriller which i felt unwanted to this novel...
Story revolves around a dusky beauty shalini who feels very infererior because of her dark colour (Beingi dark is always sin as per our society ) and pain she had in her life... almost 80% of books fills with romance and another 20% fills with thriller which i felt unwanted to this novel...
September 6, 2019
Glad that I read it
She was a new author for me, so was little hesitant. So glad that her book didn't let me down. Well written. Enjoyed the story with Indian setting. All the best for more such wonderful books.
PS = Was worth loosing sleep to complete it
She was a new author for me, so was little hesitant. So glad that her book didn't let me down. Well written. Enjoyed the story with Indian setting. All the best for more such wonderful books.
PS = Was worth loosing sleep to complete it
July 11, 2018
Sunshine
The title summarizes the story of the novel. I couldn't keep the book down. I was praying for shall with ammamma. Hats off.
The title summarizes the story of the novel. I couldn't keep the book down. I was praying for shall with ammamma. Hats off.
September 12, 2018
Beautiful and inspiring
Must read.A love story wrapped in faith and belief. Enjoyed reading every bit of it. Good things happen to good people ultimately :)
Must read.A love story wrapped in faith and belief. Enjoyed reading every bit of it. Good things happen to good people ultimately :)
December 7, 2018
Wonderful book
I loved this book
More please.
Will read more by this author
Will read without you next.
Great book by a great author
I loved this book
More please.
Will read more by this author
Will read without you next.
Great book by a great author
April 18, 2019
Wonderful.... Shalini's characterisation is so loving and close to heart....Vishal's is so courageous and trustworthy....Preethi is simply brilliant....
January 29, 2024
4.5
I have been wanting to read this book since quite sometime now and i am glad i did.
This is a brief review.
1.The guy Vishal is very very likable .
2.Shalini is honestly very real character in aa sense she perfectly represents a victim of a abusive marriage and how it could affect a person's belief and self esteem.
3.I love the letter he wrote to Karen-its so sad but so hopeful.
4.The tension in between them was so intense and i kinda felt that wrapped too soon. There should have been more.
5.The complete turn that the plot takes at the end was kinda unexpected. This part i won't complain about but didn't enjoy it either.
I have been wanting to read this book since quite sometime now and i am glad i did.
This is a brief review.
1.The guy Vishal is very very likable .
2.Shalini is honestly very real character in aa sense she perfectly represents a victim of a abusive marriage and how it could affect a person's belief and self esteem.
3.I love the letter he wrote to Karen-its so sad but so hopeful.
4.The tension in between them was so intense and i kinda felt that wrapped too soon. There should have been more.
5.The complete turn that the plot takes at the end was kinda unexpected. This part i won't complain about but didn't enjoy it either.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 7, 2018
I love the positivity in this romance. A must read for any one who believes in love.
Want to read
June 22, 2018interesting
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews