The Perfect Us Book Review: Durjoy Datta's Emotional Tale of Love and Marriage

Ever wondered what a happily-ever-after feels like? If you’re a romance reader but often come across the typical romance stories, which might turn out to be cheesy, then Durjoy Datta’s The Perfect Us will expose you to the romance that feels real, relatable, and practical. It reflects how the great grand romantic gestures lie not in big surprises but in the moments of affection and commitment to never leave one’s side during the turbulent times. 

Through the story of Deb and Avantika, Datta takes you on an emotional roller coaster ride, revealing deep personal realities and the silent battles of marital relationships. Yet, amidst all the pain and struggle, the novel represents unconditional love that stands its ground when everything falls apart.

Hold your breath and read an honest review of The Perfect Us book, exploring themes, characters, writing style, and more. 

A Quick Synopsis of The Perfect Us Book (Spoiler-Free) 

“The baby will be healthy, she’s ours”, that pretty much sums up what The Perfect Us is all about. The story revolves around Deb, navigating a challenging career transition from a corporate professional to an author and to a television scriptwriter,  and his wife, Avantika, a beautiful, rich, successful, and ambitious investment banker. College sweethearts with a relationship spanning a decade, they seem to have built a perfect life together, but underneath it bears the burden of past traumas and financial and personal shortcomings. 

The pair finally hits a crossroad, where Avantika, the breadwinner of the family, aspires to settle down and embark on the next step of their relationship: parenthood. But this aspiration does not align with Deb, who struggles to feel worthy and financially stable enough as Avantika. They hit rock bottom as they finally dream of starting a family and find themselves confronting a series of emotional and physical challenges, including infertility, miscarriages, and IVF treatments. They finally conceive, but fate had other plans, leaving it for the readers to find out. 

Interesting Fact Readers Must Know: 

The character of Deb is clearly inspired by the author Durjoy Datta’s own life journey- from a corporate professional to a bestselling author and eventually a television scriptwriter for daily soaps. 

Likewise, the character of Avantika closely mirrors Durjoy’s real-life wife, named Avantika, sharing her traits and personality.

Themes and Emotional Depth in Datta’s The Perfect Us Book  

The novel delves deeper into multiple sensitive and less talked-about topics, including the painful IVF treatments, miscarriage, and the physical and emotional toll that it takes on a couple trying hard to conceive. The author highlights how modern technologies of IVF treatments are not merely used to conceive, but also illustrate a hope among the parents. 

Datta talks about these themes with high emotional depth: 

S No.	Themes	Portrayal in The Perfect Us
1.	Infertility, IVF, and Miscarriage	A significant portion of the book relies heavily on the couple’s consistent efforts to have a baby. But as they are caught with a struggle to conceive, IVF treatment steps in to fuel their dreams. The story highlights the real-life struggles of many Indian couples, desperately holding onto the possibility of becoming parents.
2.	Parenthood	Datta could’ve presented parenthood as a natural progression in marriage, but what sets it apart is the focus on hope, uncertainty, and emotional resilience to bear a child.  Long before a child is born, it forms an attachment through shared dreams and hopes. Hence, every failed attempt to conceive and a miscarriage feels like a sense of personal loss for characters as well as the audience.
3.	Past Traumas and Estrangement from Own Parents	From my reading of The Perfect Us, I believe Avantika’s desire to become a mother and create a loving and secure home also came out as a result of her estrangement from her family.  Parenthood, for her, was a means of healing and belonging, and hence, a setback was not merely a loss of pregnancy, but also a shattering of a dream that promised love, belonging, and emotional completeness.

The Protagonists of The Perfect Us: Relatable

The best part about Datta’s character is the realistic portrayal with flaws similar to human beings. Rather than flat characters, he gives them real-life struggles and emotions. The characters of Deb and Avantika in The Perfect Us book are not idolized; they are presented shaping their marital relationship, career, and a desire to become parents, which comes with a series of complications. 

Through his characters, Datta celebrates love not for its perfection but for its capacity to endure, inspire growth, and elevate individuals despite life’s uncertainties. 

Here’s everything you need to know about the character in The Perfect Us book: 

1. Avantika 

Character Traits: Ambitious, Successful, Emotionally Vulnerable, Desiring a Stable Family and Parenthood.  

A highly ambitious, successful, and rich investment banker, Avantika’s life challenges offer a realistic portrayal of Indian society. Marrying her husband, Deb, against her family’s wishes, led to the complete estrangement from her parents. Completely devoid of their love, she has only Deb and his friends as her support system. Behind her strong corporate personality lies emotional baggage, past trauma, and a deep-rooted desire to embrace parenthood. 

What I appreciate most is the characterization of a strong, independent female protagonist who is the family’s sole breadwinner. One of the greatest strengths of the novel is the realism with which Avantika is written. What appears to be the natural next step in the marriage is soon turned into an exhausting journey, marked by infertility, IVF treatments, and a miscarriage, which was both emotionally and physically challenging. 

With her growing mood swings, hormonal and emotional changes, Avantika and Deb’s commitment towards each other helped them navigate the toughest times. 

2. Debashish (Deb)  

Character Traits: Insecure, Financially Struggling, Transforms into a Protective Father and Husband, Avantika’s Emotional Anchor 

Deb, a creative hopper, is an imperfect yet relatable protagonist, struggling financially while navigating his career. Although deeply devoted to his wife Avantika, his self-confidence hides behind the garb of deep-seated insecurities, an inferiority complex, and the responsibilities of adulthood. 

What I liked about this character is that, unlike many protagonists who are flawlessly handsome and rich, Deb is neither strikingly good-looking nor financially stable; he constantly doubts his self-worth compared to his highly successful wife. This offers a sense of realism of how masculinity in Indian society is often tied to being the primary breadwinner and earning more than one’s spouse. 

Caught up with his lack of self-esteem, he initially resists the idea of embracing parenthood, but as the narrative progresses, Deb transitions into a protective father and an emotional anchor for Avantika, struggling physically and mentally through painful IVF processes and miscarriages. 

Durjoy Datta’s Writing Style: The Perfect Us Book

For most readers, Datta’s writing style is what appeals the most. With a simple and conversational style, he touches upon the most sensitive topics, along with the contemporary romance in his novels. 

What impressed me the most about the writing style in this novel is: 

• Datta’s evolution from conventional romance to practical relationship problems 
• A love that is real and practical 
• Balanced moments of humor, depth, and emotions 
• A sense of lived experience that feels genuine rather than manufactured 
• Ordinary conversations, real arguments, and everyday struggles 

Final Verdict: Is The Perfect Us Worth Your Time?

Yes, The Perfect Us definitely deserves a place on your “to be read” list as soon as possible, because rather than relying on the typical college romance, which might be cheesy and impractical for the readers, The Perfect Us adequately captures the contemporary romance, with practical and real-life issues that often come hand in hand with marriage. 

This contemporary romance fiction is heartwarming, offering a more mature look at pregnancy, parenthood, and the emotional toll that comes with navigating a new chapter in a decade-long relationship. The novel centers on sensitive and heavy topics, and often unspoken challenges of miscarriages, past traumas, IVF, and the struggle to find a happily ever after. 

Readers Who Will Enjoy Reading the Perfect Us: 

• Fans of practical contemporary romance 
• Adults navigating parenthood and its complexities 
• Readers looking for emotionally resonant fiction 
• Character-driven narratives and a strong female protagonist 
• Fans of Datta’s conversational writing style 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)