It Happens for a Reason

by Preeti Shenoy, Meetu Chilana (Reading)

When Vipasha, Vee to friends, 18 and single, makes the decision to have her baby, she does more than give up her promising modelling career. She ends up cutting ties with her family and with Ankush, the man she thought she was in love with.

Fast-forward 16 years, and she now has two unusual careers: she runs a dog-boarding facility and is a gym instructor. Aryan thinks she is the coolest mom in the world and hopes she will one day find her Prince Charming - exactly what her best friend, Suchi, has in mind for her. But Vee secretly has a thing for Saurabh, the quirky vet.

Then, out of the blue, Ankush comes back into their life. But can a decision that was taken at 18 - more in the throes of lust than love - be the basis of a lifelong relationship? Is there a future for Ankush and Vee?

Vee, Aryan and Ankush are in for the ride of their lives. No seatbelts, full speed and a very bumpy road ahead.

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

MP3 CD

First published November 24, 2014

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

[Avanthika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some incidents happen to you when you expect them the least. Most of the times you don't even realize how important they are. They're strong-enough to twist and turn your life up-side down. Certainly they happen for a reason :)
Like a phone call from the person you love after which you realize nothing can go back to what it was before.

Vipasha, Vee to friends, who had a rotten childhood, raises her 15 year old kid Aryan, in secluded part of Banglore, earning bread & butter through her dog-sitting initiative Paw-Factor and by working as part-time Gym instructor.
With her friends Suchi & Manav backing her up, everytime she collects the broken pieces of herself to add sense for her exsistence.
All goes well until Aryan had the urge to meet the person with whom he shares his genetic traits.

It is certainly not one of those light-reads where after reading you move on to the next. This books leaves you filled with emotions, making you think about the transitions that you've been through in your life. The bond that Vee shares with Aryan is impeccable.
The narration is from Vee's point of view, and her lifestyle is greatly justified. Afterall, it is Preeti Shenoy ! Whatelse do you expect ? ;)
I loved Aryan. Most of the time, I was confused about who actually did the parenting thing among the two (Vee & Aryan). ^_^
Never be afraid to face your fate. Never run away from it. Ankush was Vee's prince charming whom she met in an ice-cream parlor. He gave her a career. He gave her a child. And he managed to run-away. But when he faces the hard-hitting fate, reality dawns on him. :)
Vipasha will stick to my mind for months. Bold, independent and strong-willed, she throws away the magnificent future that is in front of her in exchange for dog-sitting job, just because she did not want to lose that "thing" that was growing inside her.
Seriously a gripping read, few unwanted characters here & there with predictable twists, yet it was an amazing experience reading it. Go for it if you're trying hard in your life to make amends for your deeds :)

[Shyam Sundar · Rating 5 out of 5]

i got this book a couple of weeks ago to my hands ! yet i waited ! so that i can start a new fresh year with Preeti shenoy :) Preeti was always my favorite . i would suggest her books if my friends asks me to recommend a book . thanks Avanthika for gifting me an autographed copy :)

It happens for a reason - I should say the book exceeded my expectations.

Plot
The Story is about Vipasha , who manages to get pregnant in her early twenties . out of all odds , she delivers her baby ,dropping out from college & with no idea o how to proceed further . of course with growing a child without its father . she becomes an entrepreneur by starting a dog care . some sudden incidents make her life upside down . will she ever cope up ?

Things I loved
1.The female leads(as every book of her's has) - Importance for their characters are given perfectly.
2.the Co-relating portrayal of characters , which one can relate to their own lives .
3.The way she expressed her love towards dogs :')
4.The Bond Vee had towards Aryan,Ankush,Suchi,Manav,her dad,Saurab was brilliantly potrayed.
5.Though it started with a slow pace, it glued me up soon
6.The shows clean perspective of what life is

My heart beat started to race up towards the climax , after hearing about Aryan . I started to pray for him .i bet you , u'll end up with tears when you close this book .

Preeti is undeniably the best writer in this genre ! the way she talks about love & relationship is darn excellent .

This book will definitely help you to get of any odd circumstances & makes your will power stronger .

[Renuka · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am big fan of Preeti Shenoy, Good read, Its a page turner. The way story is moved Its awesome. Only thing which is I didn't like most that is ending, it is more predictable & could have been better.

For me it worth read 4.75*

[Versha · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

This was a good read.
After reading Preeti’s previous book I was not sure of liking this one, but it turned out to be her best till date. The story was well crafted, the main and side characters were believable also it was nice to see even the side characters were given equal importance and most of all I liked the narration which was to the point without any dragging.
The story revolves around Vipasha who took drastic step at a tender age of eighteen of becoming a single mother when all her friends were still enjoying their life. Which led to many complications later, that she had to face single handedly. Though her best friends did back her up when needed but in the end it was she who had to handle the situation on her own. Good that eventually it ended on a right note. As the title says everything happens for a reason which surly does in the end.
What I like about this book is that it has a positive feel to it which makes you happy after finishing it.

[Bookish Devil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not many Books make me cry :'(

This book is just flawless. There was nothing bad that I could crib about.
From the start till the end, It was just perfect. Genuine Emotions !
Preeti Shenoy is truely a master in Storytelling. Got me hooked from the first page till the very last. A book about Love,Separation,heart breaks, Longing,Passion and Attachments.

This book un-undoubtedly surpassed my expectations. :)
It's a good book which is worth recommending to friends to read.

Deserves 4 star <3 . Perfect !

[Geevika Bhatia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating 3.5***
Preeti Shenoy, the only Indian author whom I follow and wait for her upcoming books. Honestly, I was disappointed with her last book - TOUCH. But with It Happens for a Reason, Preeti is back and I am so glad.
The story is simple, an easy read yet well written, gripping, close to the ground realities and all these are Preeti's writing traits. She never writes out of the world love stories or something that cannot happen in the real life. She explores the relationships so beautifully be it courtship, friendship, marriage, parents and child relationship or a relationship with your pet. What I like the most is how she portrays a woman (mostly the protagonist) in her books, full of love and emotions but strong, independent and determined.
I too strongly believe that everything happens for a reason. With this book Preeti proves the point. After reading the blurb of this book, I was sure who would be Vee's prince charming as it is Preeti's book and you will expect the most practical and sensible ending. This time, I was wrong, not because the end was illogical, I just did not think of the other side. However, Preeti did the justice and explained things so nicely that every piece fell into place and it seemed that there could be no other better ending to this. (I wish I could say it straight but don't want to spoil it for readers who have not yet read it)
I loved the friendship between Suchi and Vee, and just adored the connection between Vee and Ankush, how comfortable they were in their conversations and in each others company even when they met after 16 years. When there is a connect, the time does not matter.
Favorite Lines: "There are some truths you should never say. No matter how much it bothers you, no matter how much you want to blurt it out, no matter how important you think it is to say it, it is best buried, suppressed, killed. Saying the truth out loud will only cause pain so lacerating, so wounding that it will be impossible to heal."

P.S: It is a suggestion to Preeti, the use of word 'darn' is too much in your books and sometimes it is annoying. Just a feedback as a reader :)

[Anmol Rawat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a big fan of Preeti Shenoy. Undoubtedly, undeniably and irrevocably, she is one of the finest authors of India and probably the best when it comes to writing about relationships. I have read three books by her so far and have admired her for each one of them, my favorite being The One You Cannot Have.

Read my Detailed Review Here

It happens for a reason might not be her best work but still, it's worth reading. The concept is mature and the whole journey that has been portrayed through the character's point of view is realistic and believable. That is what she does. She weaves characters that are not from a fantasy world where everything is peppy and corny but from the real life where things are unexpected and not always happy.

[Deepa Balaji · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have read Preethi Shenoy's earlier books and this was the worst book I have read of her, I was unable to connect to any of the characters.. where in this world can a mother be so rude as Vee's mom.. and the justification for her behavior was unbearable

[Abhilash Ruhela · Rating 4 out of 5]

If there's one writer who have always impressed me with his/her writing each time he/she had released his/her work- It's Preeti Shenoy apart from Ravi Subramanian. Not even once did I rate any of her book below 4 stars. In fact, her last book "The One You Cannot Have" got 4.9* rating from me. That's almost perfect. This time, it took me long enough to read her latest book because of internship and college issues. But I finished reading "It Happens For A Reason" few hours ago and since then I am only thinking about its characters and emotional journey through which the book took me. I had plans of sleeping around 12 AM last night but her book made me wake till 4.30 AM. That's the power of Preeti Shenoy's writing and her stories. You just keep getting deep into it and find yourself in a meditative state after a point of time where you are concentrating only on the words written by the writer. With every breathe, you feel the emotion and feelings of protagonist and every other character attached with him/her.

IHFAR is a story about a girl who ends up getting pregnant before marriage while her modelling career is at zenith. She takes the decision of giving birth to her child while the boy, Ankush rejects her decision and even her parents decide to send her away from Mumbai. She is fine with all the rejection as the only thing that she wants is her baby. She names him Aryan. From here on wards, Preeti tells us about how she takes care of a 15 year old boy and how she struggles to earn whatever little bit she does. Also her past is been discussed as the emotional turmoil that disturbs Vipasha every day. Suchi is always there with her as moral support since childhood. What happens when one day Ankush returns back in her life? What happens when her parents who dejected her also contacts her? What happens when Aryan comes to know about his father? To find this answer, you will have to experience this roller-coaster ride yourself.

Preeti Shenoy once again writes in very fluid English which is surely going to impress the class that thinks Indian authors are only ruining the language and literature. From the point the book starts, the emotions that the protagonist Vipasha expresses makes you feel for her. There are few great scenes in the book which I don't think any other writer could have written it so well. The incident that takes place with the dogs, the love-making scene between Vipasha and Ankush, the final hospital moment when she gives birth to Aryan, the hug scene between the father and son and many more... I loved the equation between Vipasha and Suchi the most. I also liked how the author connects the story with a real incident where 24 children drowned in water in Himachal Pradesh. The last 20-30 pages are so emotional that I found myself controlling my tears every minute.

I give this book 4.25*. I want to give it 4.5* or more but because I feel Preeti Shenoy has just repeated herself again and not done something very new. I have already read a story from her where a mother is a single parent to her child and struggles to earn for him. I have already read in another book how a married lady gets back to her teen love/husband. I wished if a new base could have been used for this one but I'm still more than impressed. This book is a soul in itself. And if you haven't read Preeti Shenoy still, you will rate this book no less than 4.75*. Just do read this book. I felt so much love and respect for my mother after reading it. All thanks to Preeti mam for making me get into the shoes of all the women in my life and think about how they think of life. Only you can do this. EACH AND EVERY TIME. RESPECT!

Thanks.

ABHILASH RUHELA - VEERU!!!

[Shantala · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally Published on www.shanayatales.com

This is the second Preeti Shenoy book that I have read after ‘The One You Cannot Have’, and while both these stories are very different from each other, my overall experience remains the same. This one too started out as total page turner, and this one too has a rushed and unsatisfactory concluding sequence.

‘It Happens for a Reason’ is a cross between romance, drama and everyday fiction. The plot revolves around Vipasha (Vee) , a girl who gets pregnant at the age of 18, and decides to keep the child, in-spite of being at the peak of her modelling career, and the opposition from her family and even the father of her child.

The story opens with Vee giving birth to her child, jumps to present day (15 years later) for some time, and then goes into flashback, which I feel was a little stretched out. But then I am the kind who doesn’t like an extremely detailed backstory when I know how things have turned out. That is just me.

Once we are done with the flashback, the story takes a leap forward again to present day, where Vee is a single mom to her son, and has got not one, but 2 unusual jobs. She owns and runs Paw-Factor, a dog boarding facility from her house, and also works as a part time gym instructor.

All is well in her world until the day there is an unexpected tragedy at Paw-Factor. And while she is just getting things back under control, Ankush, the father of her child, and the love of her life arrives back on the scene. Read More

[Raghav Agarwal · Rating 2 out of 5]

A Potentially Good Book Made Unbearable by the Writing Style

I have got nothing against Ms. Shenoy except complaints about the style of her writing. The writing style employed in this book is forgivable only if it is an Author's first book, but not if the book is written by an experienced author listed by Forbes as one of the most influential Indian women. The style is, to put it in one word, tacky. The book's premise is interesting and certainly catches the reader's attention but it all goes downhill after the prologue. I do not want to raise fingers on the hard work put in by the author, but it certainly seemed like the book had been written in a hurry and completed in 2-3 days.The narration is an endless ramble, the book lacks intelligent dialogue altogether, and the vocabulary and quality of writing are mediocre at best. I think Ms. Shenoy forgot that she was writing a novel and not an essay. A novel should have dialogue- that is the first requirement. The book contains an average of 1 or 2 dialogues per page, and the author hastily sums up all other information in passing as if she was narrating a story to a friend hastily because she had to catch a train as soon as it got over.

[Preethi Venugopala · Rating 4 out of 5]

Preeti Shenoy has not disappointed me till date, the reason why I buy every book of hers that comes out. My favourite among her books is still 'The secret wish list' and this book would come a close second along with ' The one you cannot have'. There is always a takeaway message in her books and in this there are multiple messages. The title itself is one among the many messages that this book convey.
I can't understand why I waited this long to read it. I had this with me since December 2014 and I had attended the book release function also.
But as the author herself says, everything happens for a reason.
The book kept me hooked from page one and I finished it in less than four hours, without skipping a single page or paragraph. The characters are well etched, the story moves at a constant pace and the ending suited me perfectly.
Her female characters are always strong but impulsive. Vee is no different. Ankush, Aryan, Saurabh, Manav, Suchi, Jamu Kaka and even the canines who appear in the pages feel life like.

Recommended for all those who love a good story.

[Muthuanand · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant!

Dogs do make the world a better place. Whatever you give a dog, you get back exponentially, multiplied to the power of infinity. Dogs have that much love to give.

If only the same could be said of humans.

[Prateeksha Malik · Rating 4 out of 5]

While going through my friends library, I noticed this book by Preeti shenoy.
Intrigued by the fact that she's a fellow Indian, I decided to give it a read.
I kept an open mind about her writing style and the entire story.

"It happens for a reason", is a book revolves around the protagonist - Vipasha, Vee to her friends, whose life is near perfect, from a distance. Vipasha has filthy rich parents, but what they lack in as parents is that they try to cover up everything with riches.

Vipasha, a young, beautiful girl falls in love with a boy, Ankush, while vacationing at her best friend's home in Kerala.

Preeti shenoy describes the scenery marvellously, and I felt like I was right there watching the story unfold right in front of me.

On returning to Mumbai after her vacation, Ankush and Vee spend time together, and bond.
Little did she know that ONE mistake could change her life forever.
Thriving in the modelling industry. Vee started living life on her terms.
After doing the deed with Ankush, Vee finds out she's pregnant.

Vee takes the harsh decision of leaving her city, her home, her parents. She cut ties with her parents, shuns ankush away and decided to have the baby on her own.
She heads to Kodai, where she studied and graduated from high school.

Fast forward to 15 years, Vee is a single mom, working two jobs.
She's the proud owner of a dog boarding facility called "Paw Factor". She runs it from home.
Her second job is a day job, where she's a personal trainer at a gym.

All seems well until one evening tragedy strikes at the otherwise peaceful Paw Factor.
Humiliation, distrust and embarrassment follow the sudden turn of events.

Things start settling down after a massive downfall, and then another surprise takes place.
Ankush, the love of her life and the father of her child, comes back into the scene.

The rest of the story revolves around how Vee tries to deny her feelings, and faces a conflict in her mind.
She resolves those feelings, and realizes she needs to confess her feelings.

And basically, they end up together, they have a magical wedding, and vee doesn't have to worry about a thing in life. Everything's taken care of.

To be honest, I finished the book in a couple of hours. I was glued.
I feel it's a pretty well written book.
And, although mistakes were made from both sides, at the end of the day, true love conquered.
It's definitely worth reading, in my opinion. Atleast once.

If you're compassionate about the welfare of animals, you definitely feel for the animals in the book.
If you're from the South, it'll remind you of home.
And if you've lost true love, this may even give you hope!

[Mani Khanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plot:

The story unfolds when Vipasha, Vee to friends, was lying on the hospital bed in labor pain. Becomes single a mother at 19, Vee is a happy go lucky teenager who doesn’t known what she want in life. To give birth to her child, she leaves her career in modeling when it’s at peak and become a part of the world where she lives happily with her son. After a leap of fifteen years, she has turned into an owner of a dog boarding facility and a gym instructor. With a wonderful bond that she shares with her son, she is happy in own little world. Her life start changing when a miss-hap at Paw factor, her dog boarding facility and the return of Ankush (her son’s father) turns her life upside down. Read this tale of a teenage-model turned teenage mother who wishes to tell the world that “It Happens for a reason”



My opinion:

With simple narration and easy language, the story kept me engaged and curious till the very ending. Be it the bond between a mother and a son, a teenage relationship, the bond between dogs and humans or the friendship, the author has given utmost importance to each and every character and incidences involved in her story.

With this story, the author was successful in giving her readers’ a message, that whatever happens in life happens for a reason. All we need to do is, accept it, learn from it, forget it and move on. Because life it too short to hold grudges against each other. You never know what you take as negative might actually turns out to be much better that what you have dreamt of.

Though more than half of the story was clear from its blurb itself, I still enjoyed reading it to known the way Preety ends it. The character of Ankush was not well justified and I believe she could have given some time in detailing his part. The ending was way too predictive but the narration will hook its readers till the very end. After reading “The Secret Wish List” and “Life is what you make it” from her, I truly have expected a lot more than her, though I am not disappointed either.


In short and simple words, this is a roller coaster ride of love, teen-age relationships and a mother-son bond releasing a strong message that we should not keeping grudges in our heat against anyone because “It Happens for a reason”.


Overall Rating:
Book Cover: 3/5
Language and Literature: 3/5
Character Justification: 4/5
Final Rating: 3.25/5

[Meghant Parmar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Life's not easy for people as it seems to be. Vipasha a.k.a Vee decides to be on the helm and drive herself away from the knick-knacks and create a befitting journey out of shambles. But it never is that easy when there's no support on offer and you only have a couple of people besides you. But she is determined and gritty and once it all is in motion there's no looking back. So how Vipasha will construct life for herself? Will she ever be able to be get back on track? And how the past will play a part in her life to shape her present and future? That's what the story is all about.

One needs to be a careful observer to delve deep into and pin point the glum and the cheer behind the true facades of the human faces. The author digs deep and harder and creates an emotionally stable yet unstable story of relationships. It picks out on smallest of the nuances and presents them in the most caressing manner. The personal touch to each of the characters, their sense of judgement and their respective roles in the lives becomes heart wrenching. A different side to the story has been lent a voice too. It's minimal yet effective. The book's USP is it's take on single parent-ship and the animal love which one generally tends to forget in life.

The only downside of the book is a bit more was needed out of the other protagonist Ankush which I feel was amiss as his part was subdued for a very lengthy stretch in the story.


All in all the book teaches you not a thing or two but a lot about how relationships have to be handled and how it all turns out to be an effort made to survive life's jolts. The book works on the intricate delicacies with ease and churns out the best out of the everyday life. It's not a thing that is very common but it's not there to be ignored either. A lovely story with the best of the messages for everyone's who a friend to someone, a spouse to a person or any other relationship which is of an utmost importance in your life.

[Kartik Mawa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is a waste of time. A really average story, average thinking of a writer who might have just finished writing it in a hurry. The characterisation is fine but the rest is sub-par. How easily are past issues resolved is quite disturbing.
Vipasha decides to raise a baby on her own after she realizes that she's pregnant. Her boyfriend leaves her, thinking it's a mistake. I'm okay with that. It's good that she decides to be on her own. The strong, independent lady struggles for fifteen years, later to succumb to the feelings that she had for her love without much fight. The guy who left her for fifteen years doesn't deserve to be forgiven that easily for his act.
The first part of the book, the "story of the dogs", although good, seemed useless in the context of the entire story. The story had to take off from there but it went south. I have to say, i know what happened in the story but the reason is just so silly. "It happens only for a reason" that i stumble upon and read such a dull book.

[Akshata · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yet another book which truly engrosses you and works its charm in making you put everything down and read read read. Its captivating right from the start and you cannot help but applaud Vipasha as she single handedly brings up her son, runs her business and manages a life for herself. As the story moves into flashback, you find yourself smiling, crying, shaking your head, applauding and simply wanting to know more.
Like all of the other books by Preeti Shenoy, this one is engaging and deals with myraid emotions- first love, heartbreak, pregnancy, being a single parent, and after so many years coming face to face with the father of your child.
While I loved every bit- I wasn't very happy with the climax. It felt like a typical Bollywood flick. I would never have expected this kind of a drama, and the cliched end to a book which was so full of promise and by an author who is always giving us goals in writing better.

[Arti Honrao · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are some truths you should never say. No matter how much it bothers you, no matter how much you want to blurt it out, no matter how important you think it is to say it, it is best buried, suppressed, killed. Saying the truth out loud will only cause pain so lacerating, so wounding that it will be impossible to heal.
- Preeti Shenoy in 'It happens for a Reason'
(And that's why I love reading her books.. simplest of stories, even the predictable ones - but she puts in lines like the above one and strikes a chord with the reader)

The only reason I am giving it a 3 star is because -
I have read all the books written by Preeti Shenoy so far and each time I have had increasing expectations from her and her books have been up to the mark except this one.
So, may be, it is about me more than her book.

[Karthick Udaiy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Preeti Shenoy ‘s Sixth Book ” It Happens For a Reason “. Extremely excited about to hear. i ordered on amazon and also luckily i got signed copy from her. First of all title heard to be very catchy. i completely read this book cover to cover Author’s Story Narration is incredible and also each every character is rolled out in the story impeccable well. first 100 pages takes you like dull but after that Roller Coaster ride! you can’t down the book as well and story moves with twists and unexpected turns. Story’s comprehensive the friendship,love, romance.Really i impressed lot about author describing the characters i give 5/5 to this. overall i feel worthful to read this book. surely i recommend to everyone and Must Read book.

For More : https://imkarthickudaiy.wordpress.com/

[Nita · Rating 1 out of 5]

One of the most important aspects of a book is its ability (or the author's ability, rather) to make us care about its characters. Like them, loathe them, relate to them, anything. The reader has to have the desire to go on, just to know what happens to the character. This book absolutely failed at that.

Perhaps I should list some more of this horrible book's shortcomings ( the unbearably mediocre prose, the choppy style, blah blah blah), but I'm seriously not in the mood. Just whatever. I don't even recommend this book for pure light hearted fun.

[Pratibha Jain · Rating 3 out of 5]

Preeti Shenoy is one of my favorite authors, but this book did not turn out to be like I thought it would. I did not like the protagonist, I thought she was so confused. And same goes for other characters.
If you want to read something by the author, go for The one you cannot have. I believe, it's her best work.

[Vijayata Bagri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed reading the book and was totally hooked to it. The story is very real and reaffirms the fact that things indeed happen for a reason and we only realize it later when we can connect the dots!

[Shiksha Sehgal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book!!' Loved reading it!!! Great story!

[Shrinidhi Venkat · Rating 5 out of 5]

It happens for a reason! felt wonderful for Vee .. she's a strong lady :) ..

[Tobin Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

A simple read about a girl and how she managed to raise her kid alone. With nothing new to offer, Preeti Shenoy delivers a passive read for the readers.

[Amarjit Mohanta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Preeti Shenoy's "It Happens for a Reason" is a book that truly resonated with me. I found myself drawn into the life of Vipasha, or "Vee," from the very first pages. Her decision to become a single mother at just eighteen, cutting ties with her family and the love of her life, Ankush, felt incredibly brave and heartbreaking all at once. It immediately made me want to know how she would navigate such a difficult path.
The story jumps sixteen years into the future, and I was so impressed with the person Vee had become. She's built a life on her own terms, running a dog-boarding facility and working as a gym instructor. I loved the dynamic between her and her son, Aryan, who is portrayed as a mature and compassionate young man. The bond they share felt so genuine and was, for me, the true heart of the book. I also enjoyed the witty banter and unwavering support from her best friend, Suchi, who is determined to help Vee find love again.
Things get really interesting when Ankush, the father of her son, suddenly reappears. This is where I found myself turning the pages faster, wondering if a past love could be rekindled after so much time and so many changes.
Shenoy's writing style is simple and easy to follow, which I appreciated. It made the book a quick and enjoyable read. I felt a deep connection to the characters, especially Vee, and I was fully invested in her emotional journey. The book touches on themes of love, sacrifice, friendship, and the idea that every event in life, good or bad, serves a purpose. It's a message that really stuck with me.
I will say, there were a few minor points that didn't work as well for me. The transition between the two halves of the novel felt a bit abrupt at times, and I thought some of the side characters' storylines, like the vet Saurabh, could have been more fleshed out. The ending also felt a little rushed, leaving me with a few lingering questions.
Despite these small issues, I would definitely recommend "It Happens for a Reason" to anyone who enjoys a contemporary Indian romance. It's a powerful story about a woman's resilience and her ability to create a beautiful life despite the odds. It left me with a feeling of hope and a belief in second chances, which is why it's a book that will stay with me for a while.

[Shreya Chaudhary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A simple read and yet so much things to learn. It happens for a reason is a beautiful love story by preety shenoy. This was the first book i read by preety shenoy and i am already a fan. Man! She has written soo smoothly. All dog lovers should read this book..though this is not about dogs or animals, yet she has shown a big amount of love toward dogs and how important dogs were to her. This book taught me how mistakes we make as teens are no big deal but how we deal with them afterwards are important. Character of vee is very inspirational and cool. She has shown that everything happens for a reason..every step you take every decision you make happens for a reason. She shows that raising a child is not a job but the most pleasing thing in the world. Vee is independent, beautiful, strong minded, can overcome obstacles, takes risks and A dog lover! This is a story every girl should read once. Thanks to my friends who have been forcing me for a long time to read this book. I am sooo looking forward for another read of preety shenoy.

[Kirti Changlani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only some books have had the power to make me cry. This was one of those. Maybe it's because of my personal emotional turmoil that somewhat resonated with the story and exploded. Nevertheless, the book has slightly a problematic protagonist... There were some ideas that were unnecessarily pushed down readers' throat which I didn't like. Still the biggest highlight of the book is it's animal-related issue highlighted with utmost reality which makes me have a soft corner for this. Also, Preeti Shenoy is undoubtedly one amongst a finest storyteller when it comes to portrayal of Indian Relationships. This book is suitable for a one time read if you are a voracious reader.

[Rami Abi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommend this book! If you think you’ve got problems in life that seem unsolvable, remember that everything happens for a reason! Did a rich girl expect she would one day be broke, with a baby in tow and working as a single mother? Did she expect 16 years later her baby’s father would walk back into their life eager to meet his son? Did she expect her only boy, to be swept away in the floods of the River Beas on a school trip? The answer, my dear readers, is NO. We can’t plan everything in life. We can only hope for the best, prepare for the worst but always, always maintain a positive outlook on life! A motivating read for anyone and everyone 😃