Author– Simran Dhir

Pages-348

Genre– Contemporary fiction, romance

Best Intentions is a highly rated debut novel by Simran Dhir. I found out about this book from an article in the Hindustan Times. Looking at the synopsis and positive reviews, I picked the book for reading. I recently finished reading it, and here’s what I think about it.

What’s the Book About?

The story is about two families – the Mehras and the Grewals. Gayatri Mehra and Akshay Grewal don’t start off on good terms, yet due to multiple circumstantial meetings, they realise their dislike for each other has no longer any meaning left. The story is a family saga with the theme of politics and the complexity of relationships running in the background and sometimes coming to the forefront.

Highs of the Book

No matter what genre I am reading, I always look for moments that will spark magic, touch my heart and make me pause for a bit. This book also has those moments but they are very few. Early on, there is a chapter that ends with the main character looking at her favourite collection of romance novels and wondering about how such romances are impossible in real life. She takes assurance in the fact that though her life may be romance-free and dull, she can escape to her favourite world through books. This stood out for me and made me more excited to read further. There are also some beautiful moments between Gayatri and Akshay and even Gayatri and Vikram.

The politics part is expertly written and I, who doesn’t understand much about it, could grasp it without feeling confused and lost. That was quite commendable for me. Yet, there were certain facts that I didn’t follow and it was okay, it didn’t alter my understanding of the main story.

Lows of the Book

In the entire book, everyone is either drinking alcohol or smoking. For a non-drinker like me, the mention of too much use of intoxicating substances can be quite annoying and unsettling. I know the author is just showing the reality of elite society, but I thought it was an unnecessary addition.

The length of the book is just 348 pages but its size makes it a long read. It is well written and you have no difficulty imagining the scenes portrayed. But the big pages and slow pace of the story make following it quite an effort. After a few chapters, I stopped caring for the characters and their problems. And it does become depressing towards the end. While reading, I just wished the characters would find a solution to their mess soon and the book would end on a happy note.

My Ratings

3/5 Stars

Overall, this book is a good work of fiction but is a slow read. It oscillates between being engrossing and unexciting and at times a little depressing. But it touches and elaborates upon topics that make you think and even alter your way of looking at things. That is the biggest quality of this book and it deserves applause for that.

Buy the book here