The Madras Affair - Book Review

Title: The Madras Affair 

Author: Sundari Venkataraman

Publisher: Readomania

ISBN: 978-8192997575

Number of Pages: 288

Price: 240 [INR]

Genre: Romance

The Blurb:

Sangita, head of Penn Urimai - an NGO for downtrodden, homeless and abused women - was not always this successful and confident... Born and brought up in the city of Madras and widowed at just twenty, Sangita builds an iron wall around herself till she meets Gautam who makes her aware of her sensuousness and charms. But Sangita not only has to fight her family's orthodox and outdated rules, but also her own inhibitions and hesitations before she can walk into the future with her blue-eyed lover. Will Gautam be able to solve Sangita's dilemma or will she be forever trapped in her past?

My Review:

Characters:

       Meet Sangita, a widow in her early twenties, who is trapped in the confines of an orthodox family. Sweet and shy, Sangita's world revolves around her son Sandeep. Unaware of her own beauty and charms, Sangita is bound to make the readers fall for her.

       Meet Gautam Sinclair, our blue eyed hero from America. Gautam is the handsome hunk, who falls head over heels in love with Sangita, right from the first sight. English lecturer, a perfect gentleman and romantic at heart, Gautam is going to set many hearts on fire with his oh-so-perfect mannerisms.

Plot:

       Sangita, head of Penn Urimai - an NGO for downtrodden, homeless and abused women, had a past; one that has taught her to stand up for herself and for million others who are victims of society's orthodox ways. But Sangita wasn't this brave always. There was a time when she had suffered all this silently... Until she met Gautam.

       Gautam comes is like a gust of fresh air in Sangita's life. For once, Sangita feels like rebelling against everyone. But shedding the baggage of past isn't that easy. While Sangita fights with her own dilemma, Gautam works his charm to win her heart over. The question is, how long will it take for Sangita to realize that she cannot live without Gautam? What will it take for her orthodox family to agree for this proposal? 

Things I Liked:

• Sundari has dealt with sensitive topics like marital rape and widow remarriage with elegance in this novel. I loved the way she described Sangita's dilemma, her mother's views which represents the orthodox society in general and Gautam's views. It was a perfect combination of realistic tale and romance.
• When the story started with a happy ending, I had my doubts as to whether it will be an engaging read with the ending already revealed. But I must say, Sundari has yet again succeeded in writing a page turner!
• The characterization deserves full points. The way Sundari has described every thing in detail, you can visualize the story unfold.
• I loved the sizzling chemistry between Sangita and Gautam. While I was happy with the way things turned out in the end, it took me a while to get over Gautam :P
• I loved the instant connection between Sandeep and Gautam. Reading about Sandeep's innocence and Gautam's love for him was like an extra cherry on top of the cake.
• Sundari's narration which is brilliant as always is definitely a huge plus point.       

Things I Disliked:

• Except for some typos and a few instances where the story turned slow, I don't remember anything that could be a turn off for the readers.       

Verdict:

       Sundari has managed writing yet another brilliant novel which I most definitely loved reading. The sparks that fly between Sangita and Gautam and their fights definitely add up in making this novel a page turner. Highly recommended for all the romance lovers.

My Rating: 4.5/5 Stars!

Until the next review,

Keep Reading :)

Love,

Swathi :)