Man of Her Match-Sakshama Puri Dhariwal

Book: Man of Her Match
Author: Sakshama Puri Dhariwal
Publisher: Penguin India

What if you had a chance to rekindle an old romance?

Kicked off the team for a series of misdemeanours, Indian cricket’s bad boy Vikram Walia finally has a chance at redemption. The only problem: it involves collaborating with his childhood best friend turned sworn enemy, Nidhi Marwah. Once a tomboy, now a gorgeous, self-assured marketing professional, Nidhi must put aside her personal dislike of Vikram and leverage his unparalleled fame and poster-boy good looks for her latest campaign. But the ensuing battle of sardonic jibes and veiled slurs only heightens their blazing chemistry. Soon memories of their past fill their present, pulling them back to that fateful day when a heartless act destroyed their friendship. Can Vikram and Nidhi put their stormy history behind them? Will their partnership have a second innings?

The book is a wonderfully written romance that explores the story of how 2 people, who fell in love as kids, get a chance to rekindle the romance when their paths cross again. What worked for me in the story was the fact that the plot is kept simple and no unnecessary details have been added to create complications in the lives of our protagonists. The premise is well executed and you see the sparks of attraction between Nidhi and Vikram throughout the story. I liked how the past is revealed slowly and each reveal unravels a specific piece of the past. The scenes between Nidhi and Vikram are well-written and were quite enjoyable. I liked that the tension between Nidhi and her father is explored as a part of the plot right till the very end. The climax is well executed, and I loved how she presented the entire scene.

The characters are well crafted and their character arcs are nicely executed. I liked the way the development of Nidhi’s character happens throughout the story. He relationship with her friends, father and Vikram highlighted some very different shades of her that made the story interesting to read. Vikram’s character as a famous cricketer madly in love comes across beautifully and I loved how his story has been shown, and the fact that what is written in the press could be far from the truth.

Overall, this is a heartwarming romance that is highly recommended. The book scores a 4.63/5 for me.

Grab a copy of the book on Amazon India.