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Il Cuore #1
Once Upon a Mistake
There are no second chances, only missed ones...
Five years ago, an accident changed Maya's life forever. From an engaged, MBA graduate with her entire life in front of her, she'd ended up dumped, bedridden, and in enough debt to drown her and her family.
Five years ago, Yash had been looking forward to marrying the woman of his dreams. Then his father died, he lost his job and his fiancee dumped him over a text.
Neither have forgiven each other and neither has forgotten the other. When their paths cross at Il Couer, a vineyard owned by common friends, sparks fly, past hurts are stoked and present dreams are destroyed.
And that is just the beginning. As their lives get entangled, both professionally and personally, they find themselves fighting familial disapproval, professional jealousy, and a mutual attraction that threatens to burn them down.
Can Maya and Yash ever unravel their tangled past? And will the truth of their past define or destroy them? Can you build a future on a posioned past? They're about to find out...
Five years ago, an accident changed Maya's life forever. From an engaged, MBA graduate with her entire life in front of her, she'd ended up dumped, bedridden, and in enough debt to drown her and her family.
Five years ago, Yash had been looking forward to marrying the woman of his dreams. Then his father died, he lost his job and his fiancee dumped him over a text.
Neither have forgiven each other and neither has forgotten the other. When their paths cross at Il Couer, a vineyard owned by common friends, sparks fly, past hurts are stoked and present dreams are destroyed.
And that is just the beginning. As their lives get entangled, both professionally and personally, they find themselves fighting familial disapproval, professional jealousy, and a mutual attraction that threatens to burn them down.
Can Maya and Yash ever unravel their tangled past? And will the truth of their past define or destroy them? Can you build a future on a posioned past? They're about to find out...
Kindle Edition
Published December 1, 2022
31 people are currently reading
88 people want to read
About the author
Shilpa Suraj
39 books118 followersShilpa Suraj wears many hats - corporate drone, homemaker, mother to a fabulous toddler and author.
An avid reader with an overactive imagination, Shilpa has weaved stories in her head since she was a child. Her previous stints at Google, in an ad agency and as an entrepreneur provide colour to her present day stories, both fiction and non-fiction.
An avid reader with an overactive imagination, Shilpa has weaved stories in her head since she was a child. Her previous stints at Google, in an ad agency and as an entrepreneur provide colour to her present day stories, both fiction and non-fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
May 30, 2022
Read the complete Book Review on Njkinny's Blog
Shilpa Suraj’s romance books are always entertaining and she has become an author I adore and highly recommend. So, when I heard of her latest romance novel I jumped to read it. And I am so glad I did too. This book is absolutely stunning and a total package!
Author Shilpa Suraj is getting better and better with each book, and her storytelling is a highlight of her books. Here too, her simple, engaging, and vivid narration easily transported me the bookish world. So, I was sucked in and felt a part of the story all through. Everything felt real and reading this book was such an immersive experience. So, I adored every second spent reading this emotional, angsty, and sizzling romance.
Yash and Maya are my new favourite couple.
"Tell me why,” she whispered.
"Why did you put the things you valued the most on the line for me?”
"Because nothing holds more value for me than you. Nothing.”
All in all, if you are looking for an entertaining, emotional, and engrossing story that is relatable and memorable then your search ends here. Go read Once Upon a Mistake by Shilpa Suraj!
I can’t stop raving about it. This book is worthy of all the stars and so, 5 out of 5 super shiny stars to it from me. And Njkinny Recommends this must read romance book about forgiveness, love, and second chances to all readers above the age of eighteen.
May 28, 2022
Full review on my blog:
https://blog.medhaapps.com/2022/05/bo...
Maya got dumped by her fiancé while in her hospital bed, after a gruesome accident, which left her with a permanent limp in one leg that resulted in an even worse heartbreak. While struggling to pay back the loans her family took for her grand marriage, she also tries to rebuild her life and career.
Yash got dumped by his fiancé through a text message, whom he started off knowing through an arranged setup but with whom he fell in love, head-over-heels. As he recuperates from a lifetime low of losing his father, his job in the US, Yash works extremely hard to build a dream career, this time from scratch.
As Yash and Maya’s paths cross when they attend a memorial meet of a common friend in Il Cuore, memories from five years back are revived and sparks fly instantly. As they meet again and again, professionally this time, will they be able to give their relationship one more chance or will the past threaten to never let them forget it, forms the rest of the story.
Second chance romances come with the inherent curiosity of how the story is going end and how the protagonists are going to sort their differences. For that to work, a strong reason for their separation, strong characters and an undercurrent of tension and passion form the key. Once Upon a mistake scores big on all these fronts and has more to offer.
Yash, as in Maya’s words, scores with his quiet sexiness as a perfect contrast to Maya’s uninhibited extroverted energy. As with other books from Shilpa, Yash scores big when compared to Maya, as he is perfect in all aspects while Maya fumbles at places with her hasty decisions and conclusions. I liked how the author depicts the aftereffects of one tragic accident, which can change the lives of those involved.
I loved how Maya’s character is depicted to be strong, confident despite the permanent disability she acquires post the accident. The author makes that aspect a part of her life in all important situations in the story, as Maya struggles with her injured leg but never lets that hamper her life or career. Maya’s warm relationships with her friends also scores high.
But the surprise for the reader is the upcoming story of Kanak and Aakash in the next part in this series, which is totally unexpected by the way their characters hated each other at the beginning of this story. The raw humor and one liner by Maya’s friends in Il Cuore are on point, the conversations between the protagonists will make the reader want to read them repeatedly. The story is equally likeable when it is about the fun between the friends or when it deals with serious professional equations between Yash and Maya.
Pick this one if you are looking for a romantic story with lovely protagonists and second chance romance interests you.
https://blog.medhaapps.com/2022/05/bo...
Maya got dumped by her fiancé while in her hospital bed, after a gruesome accident, which left her with a permanent limp in one leg that resulted in an even worse heartbreak. While struggling to pay back the loans her family took for her grand marriage, she also tries to rebuild her life and career.
Yash got dumped by his fiancé through a text message, whom he started off knowing through an arranged setup but with whom he fell in love, head-over-heels. As he recuperates from a lifetime low of losing his father, his job in the US, Yash works extremely hard to build a dream career, this time from scratch.
As Yash and Maya’s paths cross when they attend a memorial meet of a common friend in Il Cuore, memories from five years back are revived and sparks fly instantly. As they meet again and again, professionally this time, will they be able to give their relationship one more chance or will the past threaten to never let them forget it, forms the rest of the story.
Second chance romances come with the inherent curiosity of how the story is going end and how the protagonists are going to sort their differences. For that to work, a strong reason for their separation, strong characters and an undercurrent of tension and passion form the key. Once Upon a mistake scores big on all these fronts and has more to offer.
Yash, as in Maya’s words, scores with his quiet sexiness as a perfect contrast to Maya’s uninhibited extroverted energy. As with other books from Shilpa, Yash scores big when compared to Maya, as he is perfect in all aspects while Maya fumbles at places with her hasty decisions and conclusions. I liked how the author depicts the aftereffects of one tragic accident, which can change the lives of those involved.
I loved how Maya’s character is depicted to be strong, confident despite the permanent disability she acquires post the accident. The author makes that aspect a part of her life in all important situations in the story, as Maya struggles with her injured leg but never lets that hamper her life or career. Maya’s warm relationships with her friends also scores high.
But the surprise for the reader is the upcoming story of Kanak and Aakash in the next part in this series, which is totally unexpected by the way their characters hated each other at the beginning of this story. The raw humor and one liner by Maya’s friends in Il Cuore are on point, the conversations between the protagonists will make the reader want to read them repeatedly. The story is equally likeable when it is about the fun between the friends or when it deals with serious professional equations between Yash and Maya.
Pick this one if you are looking for a romantic story with lovely protagonists and second chance romance interests you.
May 19, 2022
There are no second chances, only missed ones...
Once Upon A Mistake - Il Cuore Book 1 by Shilpa Suraj
Have you ever read a second chance story? I am sure the answer is yes. But have you read a second chance missed story ???? I'm certain the answer is no, so here comes a second chance story which is a hell lot more complicated and difficult. Where the chances are almost nil but the faith is 100 percent.
The story is about misunderstandings, betrayal, longing, shattered love and hurdles of difficult phases.
A beautiful faithful day turned into a disaster for Maya and her friends who met with an accident which changed their life. Especially Maya's as she ended up dumped, limped, bedridden, and in enough debt to drown her and her family.
In the parallel world Yash lost his father, lost his job and the fiancee dumped him over a text.
Life was crazy and difficult for both of them, neither they met again nor they have forgiven each other, until their path crossed after 5 long years at Il Cuore a vineyard owned by a friend.
With so much hate, doubts, misunderstanding and bitterness the sparked fly and the past got exposed like a nuclear blast.
Will they be able to survive this phase??? Will the truth of the past misunderstanding bring the lost passion back??? Is it possible to ignore a poisonous past to start afresh???
Again one of the best from the author, I loved the way she has scripted the emotions, and feelings of missed second chance, also Yash is a very beautifully crafted protagonist, clam, composed and love to die for character.
Now the second in the series will be more interesting too as it will be like enemies to lovers 😜. Let's see how they come up☺️
Highly recommended 👍
Once Upon A Mistake - Il Cuore Book 1 by Shilpa Suraj
Have you ever read a second chance story? I am sure the answer is yes. But have you read a second chance missed story ???? I'm certain the answer is no, so here comes a second chance story which is a hell lot more complicated and difficult. Where the chances are almost nil but the faith is 100 percent.
The story is about misunderstandings, betrayal, longing, shattered love and hurdles of difficult phases.
A beautiful faithful day turned into a disaster for Maya and her friends who met with an accident which changed their life. Especially Maya's as she ended up dumped, limped, bedridden, and in enough debt to drown her and her family.
In the parallel world Yash lost his father, lost his job and the fiancee dumped him over a text.
Life was crazy and difficult for both of them, neither they met again nor they have forgiven each other, until their path crossed after 5 long years at Il Cuore a vineyard owned by a friend.
With so much hate, doubts, misunderstanding and bitterness the sparked fly and the past got exposed like a nuclear blast.
Will they be able to survive this phase??? Will the truth of the past misunderstanding bring the lost passion back??? Is it possible to ignore a poisonous past to start afresh???
Again one of the best from the author, I loved the way she has scripted the emotions, and feelings of missed second chance, also Yash is a very beautifully crafted protagonist, clam, composed and love to die for character.
Now the second in the series will be more interesting too as it will be like enemies to lovers 😜. Let's see how they come up☺️
Highly recommended 👍
August 7, 2022
I love the way Shilpa presents her characters.... not everyone is perfect but each one is perfect in their own way... and perfect in the eyes of their loved ones
Maya is left with a limp and a broken engagement after an accident, in which she loses her friend too... she is in debt, she's struggling and she's trying to rebuild her life once again
Yash, her ex fiance, on the other hand is equally devastated that the love of his life Maya, turned out to be a gold digger
Not realizing that both of them were misled to believe the worst about the other, they kind of hate each other.... But Vikram's Memorial Service brings them together once again and there is an instant connect, a pull that they try hard to avoid but cannot
Shilpa Suraj's sense of humor is so good, it makes her books even more exciting and a fun read and this book proves it once again
Excited to read the next book released in this series, 'Once upon a scandal' -the firebrand Kanak and the Suave and Sexy Aakash
And mayb there will be a book on Karam and Shikha, Aayushi and Pranav and Ved will find someone too ... This sure is an exciting series that I look forward to
Maya is left with a limp and a broken engagement after an accident, in which she loses her friend too... she is in debt, she's struggling and she's trying to rebuild her life once again
Yash, her ex fiance, on the other hand is equally devastated that the love of his life Maya, turned out to be a gold digger
Not realizing that both of them were misled to believe the worst about the other, they kind of hate each other.... But Vikram's Memorial Service brings them together once again and there is an instant connect, a pull that they try hard to avoid but cannot
Shilpa Suraj's sense of humor is so good, it makes her books even more exciting and a fun read and this book proves it once again
Excited to read the next book released in this series, 'Once upon a scandal' -the firebrand Kanak and the Suave and Sexy Aakash
And mayb there will be a book on Karam and Shikha, Aayushi and Pranav and Ved will find someone too ... This sure is an exciting series that I look forward to
July 1, 2022
Not at all a mistake reading this one . Enjoyed every bit of it
The story is about Maya and her friends Ved , Kanak , Karam who lose their best friend Vikram on their MBA graduation party to a car accident. 5 years later They are invited to a memorial meet by Vikram's sister . But Vikram's brother is not happy with the same as He thinks Vikram's friends killed him.
At the memorial meet Maya meets Yash her ex fiancee. Maya feels Yash ended the engagement because of the accident which also hurt maya's leg. Yash feels that maya ended the engagement because he was unemployed.
Will Maya and Yash find TRUE love ?
Will the friends overcome the guilt of losing their best friend?
This story had me laughing from the beginning. The banter between the protagonists and the supporting characters is amazing. I loved the touch of melodrama in some scenes. The loss of a best friend shown is painful. It's a simple yet entertaining read.
The story is about Maya and her friends Ved , Kanak , Karam who lose their best friend Vikram on their MBA graduation party to a car accident. 5 years later They are invited to a memorial meet by Vikram's sister . But Vikram's brother is not happy with the same as He thinks Vikram's friends killed him.
At the memorial meet Maya meets Yash her ex fiancee. Maya feels Yash ended the engagement because of the accident which also hurt maya's leg. Yash feels that maya ended the engagement because he was unemployed.
Will Maya and Yash find TRUE love ?
Will the friends overcome the guilt of losing their best friend?
This story had me laughing from the beginning. The banter between the protagonists and the supporting characters is amazing. I loved the touch of melodrama in some scenes. The loss of a best friend shown is painful. It's a simple yet entertaining read.
May 23, 2022
Fantastic read.
Loved it. A perfect blend of feelings. An edgy second chance romance that makes you laugh and cry at the same time. As usual, Shilpa has done the terrific job of writing a beautiful story with lively characters and outstandingly real protagonist. I loved yash and Maya. Don't miss out the fun of not reading this one.
Loved it. A perfect blend of feelings. An edgy second chance romance that makes you laugh and cry at the same time. As usual, Shilpa has done the terrific job of writing a beautiful story with lively characters and outstandingly real protagonist. I loved yash and Maya. Don't miss out the fun of not reading this one.
May 21, 2022
Love it!
Sigh... Shilpa, you've done it again. Superb, uber awesome squishy warm in the gut Feely romance! :) Books 2 and 3, you are eagerly awaited.
Sigh... Shilpa, you've done it again. Superb, uber awesome squishy warm in the gut Feely romance! :) Books 2 and 3, you are eagerly awaited.
January 18, 2023
Once Upon A Mistake by Shilpa Suraj is the first part of the Il Cuore series. This is the story of Maya and Yash, and how their life changed completely after an accident, five years ago. Maya being engaged, broke down completely after the accident, was dumped, injured, and drowned in debt. On the other hand, Yash, who was looking forward to a bright future, was devastated when he lost his job and was dumped over a text. What will happen when their paths get entangled again, on both professional and personal fronts, with the whereabouts and deep-rooted effects of the accident? To know more about it, read the book.
This was my first read of 2023, and I could not have asked for a better start than this. Shilpa Suraj found such a deep balance between character development and story progression, that you will fall in love with her writing, as I did! The ease in the writing, the threads left so that they can either get more complex or could be resolved with time, making the reader completely involved with the story.
Shilpa Suraj portrayed her characters sensationally, giving them layers and exploring the complexity throughout the story. Even the supporting characters are so well penned, that you want to know more of them take it for example, Karam, the bold, sensational, and heart throbbing guy, or Shikha, the royal, less talking, carrying mystery with herself, or Ved, the soft-spoken, carrying the guilt of past, fighting with himself at each step, making us more intrigued about him or the ever fighting Kanak and Akash, each character is written in such a way that the reader can ask for more of them. And I'm intrigued to read the next parts of the series.
It was a perfect book to remind me why I love reading romance as a genre so much, why it's my comfort genre and why I want to read it more. This is a perfect book for romance readers as well as someone who is looking forward to getting into this genre, whoever you are, just read this book! A book I'll highly recommend.
It was provided a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
This was my first read of 2023, and I could not have asked for a better start than this. Shilpa Suraj found such a deep balance between character development and story progression, that you will fall in love with her writing, as I did! The ease in the writing, the threads left so that they can either get more complex or could be resolved with time, making the reader completely involved with the story.
Shilpa Suraj portrayed her characters sensationally, giving them layers and exploring the complexity throughout the story. Even the supporting characters are so well penned, that you want to know more of them take it for example, Karam, the bold, sensational, and heart throbbing guy, or Shikha, the royal, less talking, carrying mystery with herself, or Ved, the soft-spoken, carrying the guilt of past, fighting with himself at each step, making us more intrigued about him or the ever fighting Kanak and Akash, each character is written in such a way that the reader can ask for more of them. And I'm intrigued to read the next parts of the series.
It was a perfect book to remind me why I love reading romance as a genre so much, why it's my comfort genre and why I want to read it more. This is a perfect book for romance readers as well as someone who is looking forward to getting into this genre, whoever you are, just read this book! A book I'll highly recommend.
It was provided a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
June 2, 2022
Interesting
Such a heart warming story. The friendship, the tragedy, their reunion, their bond, the crude jokes, interfering mothers. Maya and Yash's misunderstandings, their realisation and finally accepting their love for each other, all this is what the book is about. Worth the time. Waiting for Aakash and Kanak's book. Shilpa Suraj's books are engaging and entertaining as always..
Such a heart warming story. The friendship, the tragedy, their reunion, their bond, the crude jokes, interfering mothers. Maya and Yash's misunderstandings, their realisation and finally accepting their love for each other, all this is what the book is about. Worth the time. Waiting for Aakash and Kanak's book. Shilpa Suraj's books are engaging and entertaining as always..
September 12, 2024
3.45 stars. I actually enjoyed it a lot. The storyline was different and good, the characters were very nice, overall it was a really good book. I liked the main characters and their dynamic. I would’ve given it 4 or 5 stars but I really wanted to see their relationship develop more. I feel like some part of their relationship was missing. It was just old feelings resurfacing but we never witnessed those ones the first time. I actually liked Maya & Karam, especially maya’s quirky side.
May 19, 2022
A beautiful heart warming read
Shilap as always come up with a story full of heart, humour and honesty❤❤..A wonderful read..Eagerly waiting for the remaining 3 parts..By now we already know the rest of the pairings..
Shilap as always come up with a story full of heart, humour and honesty❤❤..A wonderful read..Eagerly waiting for the remaining 3 parts..By now we already know the rest of the pairings..
May 27, 2022
Another great book by a talented author Shilpa Suraj. Can't wait for her next book.
July 14, 2022
Loved it.
A captivating story that gives pleasure of reading, characters well developed & portrayed, looking forward for other books in the series.
A captivating story that gives pleasure of reading, characters well developed & portrayed, looking forward for other books in the series.
July 18, 2022
Another great book by the talented Shilpa Suraj. Hard to put it down once you start it
February 13, 2025
Too much Ado about absolutely nothing. Yash could've called Maya and found out about her reason for breaking off the engagement period. The ridiculous misunderstanding was too dumb for comprehension.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews