Exploring Desire and Dilemmas: Book Review of Ain’t Right, Ain’t Wrong
- Harsh Agrawal
- 1 hour ago
- 3 min read
Ain’t Right, Ain’t Wrong
Author: Dhvani Shah
Genre: Romance
Published by Notion Press
Pages: 244
MRP: Rs. 325/-
Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3VnMS9Y
Whats It About
Freelance social media manager Advika lives a quiet, self-contained life in a cozy, old
apartment block in Ahmedabad—until a chaotic night of improvised “balcony parkour” lands her, quite literally, on the wall of a new neighbor, Arjun. Their meet-messy—half farce, half fate—sparks something neither of them expects. The catch shows up quickly: Arjun is engaged to Diya. From there, the book tracks the push-pull between what feels intoxicatingly right and what is, on paper, undeniably wrong.
Why it works
1) A rom-com entry that actually earns its ache.
The opening stretch is fizzy, cinematic, and funny—the wall-hanging fiasco; the flirty, DDLJ-style turn-back; the “use me for a bigger theft next time” quip—before the book pivots into thornier terrain. These scenes don’t just charm; they establish the chemistry and the moral hazard in the same breath.
2) A frank portrayal of female desire.
Shah’s introduction frames the project: women’s interior lives, fantasies, and contradictions
often go unspoken; this story intends to speak them. Advika’s voice is playful, self-teasing, but also unblinking about want, even when that want is inconvenient or “wrong.” The book lets herbe messy without shaming her, which feels rare and refreshing.
3) A persuasive sense of place.
Ahmedabad is rendered with affectionate specificity—semi-ancient buildings, swings in the
common ground, aunty networks, heat and honking—so personal history and neighborhood
ritual keep colliding with new temptation. That texture grounds the high-romance beats.
4) Dual currents of infatuation.
We briefly slip into Arjun’s head, where he argues with himself—“practical,” allergic to
fairytales—and still can’t shake the pull. That inner tussle adds complexity; this isn’t just
Advika’s fantasy projecting onto a blank slate.
Where it stumbles (for some readers)
Ethical gray is… gray.
The novel invites you to sit with discomfort. It doesn’t tidy everything with a moral lecture;
instead it explores how something can feel “right” from the inside while looking “wrong” on
paper. If you need characters to make immaculate choices, you may bristle. If you enjoy fiction that tests your empathy, this is catnip.
Standout moments & lines
The chaotic, hilarious meet-messy that flips into instant, inconvenient attraction. (“Not
every day that I see women hanging on building walls. You are kinda refreshing.”)
The DDLJ-coded glance-back, which smartly situates the book inside Indian
pop-romance grammar.
The breathless pre-date spiral before “First Kiss,” which captures the bodily panic of
wanting someone you maybe shouldn’t.
Ahmedabad’s tender, everyday world-building: Jains across the hall, card-playing
aunties, summer that never ends.
The vibe (playful, then reflective)
Across its arc, the book starts with rom-com snap and grows into a reflective monologue about identity—what kind of lover you think you are vs. who you become when chemistry detonates your plans. The title does thematic heavy lifting: this isn’t a tale of villains and saints; it’s about the blurry middle where people try (and fail) to keep clean lines. When Advika admits how “wrong” it is and still can’t shut off the wanting, the book asks you not to condone so much as understand.
Who will love it
Readers who enjoy messy, morally complicated romances with big feelings (think:
yearning turned up to eleven).
Anyone craving an Indian setting that’s textured and domestic rather than touristy.
Romance fans who want female desire written with candor, humor, and consequence.
Skip if you need
● Ultra-tidy moral lines, low angst, or minimal interiority.
● Crisp, minimalist prose with zero melodrama (this is lush, breathy, and earnest on
purpose).
Rating: 4/5 for me—imperfect in polish but emotionally bold, funny at the right moments, andultimately thoughtful about how “ain’t right” and “ain’t wrong” can coexist in one stubborn, human heart.
Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3VnMS9Y