The Madras Affair by Sundari Venkatraman | Book Review

This is the very first book by Sundari that I have read, but I have followed her blog for quite some time now, so I am familiar with her writing style. Which is why, going in I knew I could expect a well-crafted story and pretty clean, error free language, and I wasn’t disappointed at all.

The Madras Affair is a book that hits all the right notes, and gives you everything that you would expect from a romance, and then some. The characters are very real and relatable, the scenes are well written, and the love story itself stands out brightly.

The plot of the book revolves around sweet, innocent, yet fiery, Sangita and the very charming blue eyed Gautam.

Sangita is a widowed single mother to a five year old, who hails from an extremely orthodox South Indian family, and has to battle the old fashioned customs and traditions prevalent in the Indian society on a daily basis. Enter Gautam, her very own knight in shining armour, and she is filled with renewed hopes and dreams for the future. But things are not that simple for them. They have an uphill battle against society, and more importantly  Sangita’s own insecurities. Would their love survive the struggle or would it crumble under the strain? That is the premise of this book.

Also Read: Advice for Aspiring Authors from A Bestselling Author – Sundari Venkatraman

Sundari addresses a social issue in this book which is a very crucial component of the story, but at no point does it overpower the romance. She does not sit in judgement, nor does she objectively dissect the issue. Instead, Sundari gives us a peek into the hearts and minds of the people who deal with this social evil in their day to day life, and she does it in a very matter-of-fact way without sounding preachy. All the while managing to keep the readers completely smitten by a set of blue eyes. This is what makes the book stand out to me. No not the blue eyes (well.. 🙂 ) , but the author’s ability to handle the two predominant themes, and make it flow seamlessly as an integral part of the story.

Also, I really liked that Sundari took a very realistic and believable path while leading us to a Fairy-Tale ending. This book not only tells you that things will get better, but shows you how and leads you there. It is the kind of story which gives you hope and reaffirms that there is a lot of good in our world, second chances do exist, and love does conquer all.

Sundari has come up with a great concoction for a sizzling romance, and I am happy to say that it was pleasantly unputdownable.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who loves to read romance.

P.S. The Madras Affair has released today, the 26th of August which happens to be ‘Women’s Equality Day’ (Yes there is such a day, I got to know of it only recently 😛 ). Nonetheless, it is a very befitting day for the release of a book which primarily revolves around a woman fighting for equality against the orthodox segment of Indian society. 🙂 

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Amazon One Link: Paperback | Kindle 
Amazon India: Paperback | Kindle

This is the first Indian romance that I read which has such a strong social theme running parallel to the love story, and I quite liked the way it was incorporated in the plot. It makes you think about these issues in a very different light, because it catches you off guard and is more personal in a way. Of course I am contrasting this to seeing a similar story on the news, which I feel can get a little impersonal at times. Have you read books in this genre (or outside of it) that are based on social issues? Do you feel that reading such stories alters the lens with which you perceive the issue?

Disclaimer: This book was given to me by the author in exchange of an honest review.

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