About the Book
Blurb
Sangita Sinclair was not always this successful & passionate lady, heading the NGO “Penn Urimai” for downtrodden, abused and homeless women….
When Sangita catches the eye of Gautam Sinclair she is a simple, homely girl; utterly unaware of her charms & capabilities. She has the devil’s own time in overcoming her inhibitions, hesitation, and her family’s orthodox and outdated rules before recognising her love for Gautam.
Will Gautam be able to solve Sangita’s Dilemma or will she be forever trapped in her past?
Sangita Sinclair was not always this successful & passionate lady, heading the NGO “Penn Urimai” for downtrodden, abused and homeless women….
When Sangita catches the eye of Gautam Sinclair she is a simple, homely girl; utterly unaware of her charms & capabilities. She has the devil’s own time in overcoming her inhibitions, hesitation, and her family’s orthodox and outdated rules before recognising her love for Gautam.
Will Gautam be able to solve Sangita’s Dilemma or will she be forever trapped in her past?
Meet Gautam
Gautam has an Indian mother and American father. Built like a giant, he has brown hair and brilliant blue eyes.
Gautam lives with his maternal grandparents in Besant Nagar, Madras. He used to run a business with his father in Washington DC. Giving up his high-flying career, he chooses to teach at Loyola College in Madras. Yeah, Gautam had fallen in love with the city in Tamil Nadu during his visits to his grandparents.
Despite his American upbringing, he’s comfortable living in the same house as his grandparents. And does he love teaching!
He’s attracted to Sangita at first sight and pursues her relentlessly.
Read The Madras Affair to find out if he’s able to get together with the love of his life.
Like what you see ? Get Your Book Here
amazon.com | amazon.in | amazon.uk | amazon.ca | amazon.au| Flipkart
Gautam has an Indian mother and American father. Built like a giant, he has brown hair and brilliant blue eyes.
Gautam lives with his maternal grandparents in Besant Nagar, Madras. He used to run a business with his father in Washington DC. Giving up his high-flying career, he chooses to teach at Loyola College in Madras. Yeah, Gautam had fallen in love with the city in Tamil Nadu during his visits to his grandparents.
Despite his American upbringing, he’s comfortable living in the same house as his grandparents. And does he love teaching!
He’s attracted to Sangita at first sight and pursues her relentlessly.
Read The Madras Affair to find out if he’s able to get together with the love of his life.
Like what you see ? Get Your Book Here
amazon.com | amazon.in | amazon.uk | amazon.ca | amazon.au| Flipkart
My Review
I am a huge fan of Sundari Venkatraman’s books like “The Runaway Bridegroom” and “Meghna”, so I was over the moon when she approached me with a beta-reading request for her latest romance novel “The Madras Affair”. And the book didn’t let me down at all, quite the contrary. I think it’s her best novel yet (though I have a tendency to say that after each of her new releases).
The story started with a glimpse of the present, where everything seemed so positive but with foreshadowing hints that I just knew something big had to be amiss. Sure enough, the next chapter was like a slap in the face.
I suffered alongside Sangita, and I could associate with her plight because the situation here in Sri Lanka is similar to the one in India, though not as severe and tragic. From that chapter on, the author had me hook, line, and sinker. She whisked me away in a maelstrom of emotions, portraying a deeply hurt heroine who had been pressed into a mould and made to obey, and felt like a caged bird to me. But she wasn’t as weak as she could have been, as the encounter with Gautam proved soon enough. And suddenly I had a different image while reading about her dilemma: a raw gem plucked from the depths of mud, with just a bit of sparkle to entice. The more I read about her – and the more she got involved with Gautam and his cajoling and admiration – the more of the gem shone through the rough shell, as if someone were polishing the stone. And once enough colours had broken through, Sangita bedazzled like the most beautiful of gemstones, showing her hidden strength, her awakened passion, and her potential.
Most of it was thanks to wonderful Gautam, a hero I have been dreaming about since. It wasn’t just his mix of India and America that is perfect, but also the way he never gives up. I loved the way he wooed Sangita, and the way he shaped her present and their future throughout the book. He too underwent a change, though much more subtle than Sangita’s immense transformation. I loved and hated the other characters with a passion.
As a beta reader, I look for inconsistencies in the plot, for superfluous scenes and for abrupt developments. I found none in this book. The flashbacks were neither too many nor too few and inserted in the right places.
I can highly recommend this novel to all those who love heroines that are anything but ordinary and refuse to be trampled upon. And to all who love reading about hunky heroes that are not ashamed to show emotions and know how to fight for what they want and what is right. The story is full of sizzle, thrill and insights into the human mind and heart. It’s thought-provoking, sensual and alive not just with the many authentic characters but also with the exotic setting of Madras, which the author clearly seems to love.
Rating: 5/5
The story started with a glimpse of the present, where everything seemed so positive but with foreshadowing hints that I just knew something big had to be amiss. Sure enough, the next chapter was like a slap in the face.
I suffered alongside Sangita, and I could associate with her plight because the situation here in Sri Lanka is similar to the one in India, though not as severe and tragic. From that chapter on, the author had me hook, line, and sinker. She whisked me away in a maelstrom of emotions, portraying a deeply hurt heroine who had been pressed into a mould and made to obey, and felt like a caged bird to me. But she wasn’t as weak as she could have been, as the encounter with Gautam proved soon enough. And suddenly I had a different image while reading about her dilemma: a raw gem plucked from the depths of mud, with just a bit of sparkle to entice. The more I read about her – and the more she got involved with Gautam and his cajoling and admiration – the more of the gem shone through the rough shell, as if someone were polishing the stone. And once enough colours had broken through, Sangita bedazzled like the most beautiful of gemstones, showing her hidden strength, her awakened passion, and her potential.
Most of it was thanks to wonderful Gautam, a hero I have been dreaming about since. It wasn’t just his mix of India and America that is perfect, but also the way he never gives up. I loved the way he wooed Sangita, and the way he shaped her present and their future throughout the book. He too underwent a change, though much more subtle than Sangita’s immense transformation. I loved and hated the other characters with a passion.
As a beta reader, I look for inconsistencies in the plot, for superfluous scenes and for abrupt developments. I found none in this book. The flashbacks were neither too many nor too few and inserted in the right places.
I can highly recommend this novel to all those who love heroines that are anything but ordinary and refuse to be trampled upon. And to all who love reading about hunky heroes that are not ashamed to show emotions and know how to fight for what they want and what is right. The story is full of sizzle, thrill and insights into the human mind and heart. It’s thought-provoking, sensual and alive not just with the many authentic characters but also with the exotic setting of Madras, which the author clearly seems to love.
Rating: 5/5
About the Author
Growing up on a heavy dose of fairy tales and comic books, Sundari fell in love with the ‘lived happily ever after’ syndrome. It was always about good triumphing over evil and a happy end.
Soon, into her teens, Sundari graduated to Mills & Boon romances. And that got her thinking – how about such breezy romances in Indian settings? Her imagination took flight and she always lived in a rosy cocoon of romance over the years.
Then came the writing – a true bolt out of the blue! Sundari had just quit her job as a school admin and was taking a break. She was saturated with reading books. That’s when she returned home one evening after her walk, took some sheets of paper and began writing. It was like watching a movie that was running in her head – all those years of visualising a perfect Indian romance had to be put into words. The dormant romantic storyteller in her finally found its calling and The Malhotra Bride was born. While she felt disheartened when publishing didn’t happen, it was her husband who encouraged her to keep writing.
In the meanwhile, she landed a job as copy editor with Mumbai Mirror. After working there for two years, she moved to the Network 18 Group and worked with two of their websites over the next six years, as content editor.
Despite her work schedule, she continued writing novels and short stories and had them published in her blogs. She also started blogging voraciously, writing on many different topics – travel, book reviews, film reviews, restaurant reviews, spirituality, alternative health and more.
Her first eBook Double Jeopardy – a romance novella – was published by Indireads and has been very well received by readers of romance.
In 2014, Sundari published The Malhotra Bride (2nd Edition); Meghna; The Runaway Bridegroom; Flaming Sun Collection 1: Happily Ever Afters From India (Box Set) and Matches Made In Heaven (a collection of romantic short stories) in form of ebooks.
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Soon, into her teens, Sundari graduated to Mills & Boon romances. And that got her thinking – how about such breezy romances in Indian settings? Her imagination took flight and she always lived in a rosy cocoon of romance over the years.
Then came the writing – a true bolt out of the blue! Sundari had just quit her job as a school admin and was taking a break. She was saturated with reading books. That’s when she returned home one evening after her walk, took some sheets of paper and began writing. It was like watching a movie that was running in her head – all those years of visualising a perfect Indian romance had to be put into words. The dormant romantic storyteller in her finally found its calling and The Malhotra Bride was born. While she felt disheartened when publishing didn’t happen, it was her husband who encouraged her to keep writing.
In the meanwhile, she landed a job as copy editor with Mumbai Mirror. After working there for two years, she moved to the Network 18 Group and worked with two of their websites over the next six years, as content editor.
Despite her work schedule, she continued writing novels and short stories and had them published in her blogs. She also started blogging voraciously, writing on many different topics – travel, book reviews, film reviews, restaurant reviews, spirituality, alternative health and more.
Her first eBook Double Jeopardy – a romance novella – was published by Indireads and has been very well received by readers of romance.
In 2014, Sundari published The Malhotra Bride (2nd Edition); Meghna; The Runaway Bridegroom; Flaming Sun Collection 1: Happily Ever Afters From India (Box Set) and Matches Made In Heaven (a collection of romantic short stories) in form of ebooks.
Stalk Her
Website Facebook Twitter Goodreads
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