You’re Stuck with Me for Life | Venuka Goyal | Book Review

PLOT: 2.5/5
CHARACTERS: 3/5
WRITING STYLE: 3.5/5
CLIMAX: 3/5
ENTERTAINMENT: 3.5/5 

My aim has always been modest; I wanted to transform the arranged marriage into a love match.

–       Marcelle Ferron

My musings

It’s been a while since I last picked up an Indian romance. Gayatri Chandrasekharan’s Bangalored and Durjoy Datta’s Wish I Could Tell You are two books that immediately come to my mind when asked for Indian romance recommendations. Over the years, I have also read and enjoyed some other romances that I have recommended to my readers. You can check these out in this video – Top 16 Indian Romance Recommendations.

So, it was with eager anticipation that I picked up Venuka Goyal’s You’re Stuck with Me for Life, a book that narrates a charming story of a young not-so-in-love couple. Read on to know more about the book and my review of it.

What to expect?

Expect a cozy comfortable read that will appeal to young urban couples especially those with an arranged marriage. Expect a beginner-friendly read that can be picked up by non-readers as well. Expect a romance read cum family drama. Expect a medium-paced read that is just under 200 pages.

Who can read?

The writing is breezy and uncomplicated. The characters are relatable, and the language is unapologetically simple. Keeping these in mind, the book can be easily picked up by beginner-level readers.

The story as it goes

Neeti and Ronit are two people leading two completely different lives. Their tastes, desires, hobbies, dreams, aspirations, and ambitions are all different.

What do they have in common, you ask? Well, absolutely nothing!

And yet they decide to tie the knot. Not because they want to, but because given their inexplicable circumstances, they have to reach a compromise.

Neeti wants to get away from her mentally challenged mother and is happy to settle with anyone as long as they permit her to work as a teacher and drive a car. In return, she is happy to take care of the family, manage the household, and serve her in-laws to the best of her abilities.

Ronit, on the other hand, is in love with an ambitious girl who doesn’t want to give up her life and career in Mumbai to take responsibility as a docile and diligent daughter-in-law. After losing the love of his life, Ronit has also lost all interest in marriage. But ever since his father refused to get his bypass surgery done until he agrees to a marriage, all Ronit wants is a daughter-in-law for his mother and father. Not a wife, not someone to love, but just a daughter-in-law to give in to his parent’s demands.

Having been tested in love, he knows he cannot have both – a wife of his dreams and an ideal daughter-in-law for his parents.

Thus, for both Ronit and Neeti – love doesn’t matter. As far as they both are concerned, it is a marriage of convenience.

But while they are busy planning a relationship of convenience, life has other plans for them. This is the story of Ronit and Neeti’s arranged marriage.

The plot and the writing

The plot is pretty straightforward and the timeline is linear.

It is the writing that matters

What draws you to the writing is the simplicity that the author incorporates into the narrative. The story is told from both Rohit and Neeti’s points of view. While most authors focus on the extraordinary part of ordinary people’s lives. Venuka focuses on the mundane. The banality of daily life, the uninspiring hustle of ordinary Indians, the things that aren’t conventionally classified as entertaining, and yet the very things that constitute a major part of our existence.

As you slowly and steadily immerse yourself in the ordinary lives of these characters, they become much more relatable. You also find just how big a role, small egos, misunderstandings, and the simple lack of communication, play in an ordinary marriage.

What could have been better?

I didn’t expect the story to be lit-fic material nor was I in the mood for one. I was looking for a simple read and that’s exactly what I got from You’re Stuck With Me for Life.

However, there are certain areas where the book could have done better. More than the writing part, it was the overall appeal in terms of the physical attributes that bothered me the most. The cover is lackluster and doesn’t excite the reader. It is uninspiring and fails to communicate. With so many options available in graphic designing, the cover could have been much more interesting.

The interesting settings

The book would prove to be a treat for anyone familiar with Indore. At every junction and every turn, you find Indore bursting out of the story. For me, that’s always an added bonus. If you are giving me an Indian story, give me one that talks of India. Whether it is cultural, geographical, or culinary flavors, infuse them into the story and make it truly local. You’re Stuck with Me for Life does just that. Even when the action shifts to Ranthambore, the story packs enough punch to bring forth the local vibe of the area.

In the end

You’re Stuck with Me for Life is a sweet little story of an arranged marriage couple who find love when they are least expecting it to. A cozy and comfortable read, it’s an innocent romance set in Indore, featuring relatable characters and a decent dose of family drama.

Pick the book if

  • You enjoy easy comfortable romances.
  • You are looking for a romance that is not too cheesy or over the top.
  • You like the idea of love sneaking up on an arranged marriage couple.
  • You enjoy simple stories about relatable Indian middle-class characters.
  • You enjoy feel-good romances.

Skip the book if

  • You are a voracious consumer of romantic literature.
  • You are looking for an emotional wreck of a book.

Can’t wait to read it? Buy your copy of You’re Stuck with Me for Life using the link below.

Amazon

1 thought on “You’re Stuck with Me for Life | Venuka Goyal | Book Review”

  1. While one always expects a love story that involves a love marriage this book has taken a whole different approach, this blog really got me intrigued about the book, beautiful review.

    Reply

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