When I am With You Book Review: Should You Read This Durjoy Datta’s Bestseller

Love stories, romantic books, and romance fiction: everything is easy to find, but the stories that carry depth, making you question love, trust, and family are much rarer. Durjoy Datta’s When I’m With You attempts to do more than just another romance novel lying unread on your shelf; it offers a full package of romance: emotional depth, relationship struggles, motherhood, parenting, ambitions, career, and whatnot. Personally, it cannot get any better. 

If you’re also looking for a heartwarming, light read, or you’re stuck in your reading slump, this is the perfect book to get you back on track. Here’s my When I am With You book review, analysing characters, themes, writing style, and more. 

Book Title	When I’m With You
Author	Durjoy Datta
Genre	Romantic Fiction
Language	English
Publishing Year	2022
Number of Pages	392
Price Range	INR 125 to INR 195
Format	Paperback
Total Reading Hours	25-27 hours
Target Audience	Young Adult Audience and Teenagers
Main Themes	Love, Healing, and Dysfunctional Families
Get Your Copy	Amazon
My Ratings	4.5/5

When I’m With You Blurb: A Quick Spoiler-Free Synopsis 

Love enters your life when you’re least expecting it to be, and it changes everything; maybe for the good, but also for the bad. But what happens when you find true love and break the rigid walls you build around yourself?

When I’m With You follows the story of Aishwarya, a 28-year-old entrepreneur who runs her startup venture dedicated to helping working women with reliable childcare solutions. Being independent and bold, she deeply desires single motherhood, rejecting the idea of fitting into the narrow box of traditional family structure and parenthood. 

However, fate takes a turn when she meets Dhiren, a cryptocurrency expert with a troubled past, who moves into the floor below her startup company and eventually begins working with her. While both come from dysfunctional families, they end up confronting what they dreaded the most- love, healing, and the possibility of a better tomorrow. Now, despite their dysfunctional families and troubles in the past, will they be able to find the courage to build a future together? 

Target Audience: Who Should Read When I’m With You and Who May Not Enjoy It

Loving, hating, or having opinions about books is subjective. Every reader has different preferences and expectations, which means a novel highly appreciated by one may not be liked by another. Keeping this in mind, here’s my opinion of who will love reading this and who may not enjoy this book. 

Readers Who Will Enjoy When I am With You Book  

• Fans of Durjoy Datta’s previous works. 
• Like contemporary romance fiction 
• Enjoys fast-paced storytelling and character development 
• Young-Adult Audience and Teenagers 

Readers Who May Not Like The Novel 

Although every book has plenty to offer, this novel may not appeal to the: 

• Readers who do not enjoy the romance genre. 
• Fans of Logic and Science Fiction Rather than Romantic Fiction
• Reader Who Like Slow Burn Romance

Themes in Durjoy Datta’s Novel “When I’m With You”

Datta is known for his excellent coverage of a wide variety of themes, incorporated beautifully into the romance stories. Two major themes that I liked reading were dysfunctional families and past traumas, and of course the love, healing, acceptance, and second chance.   

1. Dysfunctional Families and Past Traumas

The strongest people are the ones who grew up to be the kindest in the world despite having survived the hardest homes and dysfunctional families. Similar is the story of Aishwarya, who had a strained relationship with her mother, which eventually led her to hate the institution of marriage itself, and of Dhiren, who feels resentment towards his parents for taking away something he deeply desired. 

Consequently, their past shaped their future desire not to have a family, a father, or get married, and a deep desire to defy conventional societal norms. Aishwarya wanted to embrace single motherhood, a highly controversial idea in a typical Indian society. 

What I liked in the novel, apart from the bold and ambitious female character, is the idea that sometimes the chosen relationships- friends or a romantic partner become an immediate source of love, friendship, and support that biological families fail to offer. 

2. Importance of Acceptance and Second Chance 

Healing indeed begins with acceptance, and no matter how hard childhood has been, it is crucial to give yourself a second chance, a chance to become happy and to become a family that you lacked and deeply craved in childhood. Both the protagonist, Aishwarya, and Dhiren spent so many years avoiding the idea of love and family due to past traumas. 

However, when their lives intertwine, it becomes beautiful to see two individuals falling in love, despite trying hard to avoid it. They give each other a second chance and aim to build a healthier future together. 

Thoughts on Protagonists of the Novel When I’m With You 

1. Aishwarya 

Character Traits: Bold, Driven, Ambitious, Defies the Conventional Social Structure 

One thing I’ve also mentioned in my previous reviews is the ability of Durjoy Datta to craft bold, ambitious, unapologetic, and driven female characters in many of his novels. Aishwarya is one of them. She defies conventional societal norms by: 

• Planning to embrace single motherhood through IVF 
• Being an independent and driven owner of her start-up venture 
• Rejecting the idea of marriage 
• Being guarded, messy, and stubborn to make her future better. 
• Considering picking her partner only for genetics. 

Although later in the story, she will have a romantic interest, leading to a complete shattering of her guarded walls, it makes her even stronger as she can give herself a second chance at happiness and again chooses to live life on her own terms. 

2. Dhiren 

Character Traits: Mysterious, Tech-Savvy, and a Perfect Partner for Aishwarya, mirroring her ideas and notions. 

Dhiren was also a beautifully written character, who seemed mysterious with an enigmatic charm, perfect for romantic fiction. Like Aishwarya, Dhiren also comes from a dysfunctional family and the traumas associated with it. Moreover, losing a certain amount of money in crypto further pushed him into isolation, battling his struggles alone. What I liked about Dhiren was: 

• His shared idea of defying the rigid family structure as Aishwarya 
• Tech-savvy personality 
• His genuine fear of vulnerability and inability to show affection openly. 
• The emotional and personal growth, from a guarded individual to a partner capable of unmatched love and care. 

Dhiren’s evolution was also something beautiful to see throughout the novel. He perfectly balances and matches the ambitions and flaws of Aishwarya. 

Durjoy Datta’s Writing Style in the Novel When I’m With You 

Datta’s writing style is simple and honest, appealing to a young-adult audience, teenagers, and new readers. The novels are fast-paced, written in simple language, presenting strong character development and honest dialogues. 

1. Readability 

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Personally, Datta’s book feels engaging and is a page-turner for me because the language is simple to understand without much literary embellishment or vocab-heavy words, which made me fly through the pages. When I’m With You is written in the same straightforward style that keeps the reader immersed without searching for meaning that breaks the flow. The language makes it a light read for me, particularly on the days of my reading slump. 

2. Pacing 

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I feel the strongest suits of Durjoy Datta are writing fast-paced stories that keep the reader hooked. Like many of his novels, When I’m With You is a fast-paced story, allowing you to fly through the novel in one sitting. While the novel begins at a fast pace, it may feel exaggerated in between, but it quickly catches up, making it a worthwhile read. 

3. Character Development 

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Durjoy Datta’s character development in the novel “When I’m With You” is on point. The female character, Aishwarya, is strong and ambitious, unlike the typical female characters, who are only there to act as subordinate male counterparts. The male protagonist, Dhiren, is flawed, yet both of them developed beautifully towards the end. 

4. Dialogues 

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

One thing that impresses me about Datta’s writing is the use of daily conversations that do not seem forced or filmy. These are honest conversations, in everyday language; however, the use of slang can sometimes be overwhelming, but the dialogues feel natural and help the audience develop a bond with the characters. 

Overall Rating For Writing Style: 4.5/5

Books Similar To When I’m With You

When I’m With You is the novel that made me a fan of Durjoy Datta. If this novel resonates with you, then you must consider reading the following books as well, based on the same themes, but with a whole new story and a whole new emotional roller coaster ride. 

Books	Why You’ll Love Them
The Boy Who Loved	It is written in diary-entry format The characters are memorable Deals With Mental Health Issues, Societal Judgement, and Navigating Love in the Midst
A Touch of Eternity	Unconventional Themes of Reincarnation and Soul Transfer Scientific Fiction
Till The Last Breath	High-Intensity, Single-Location Novel Polar Opposite Characters  Set against the backdrop of a Hospital
The Girl of My Dreams	Romantic Thriller  Fast-Paced and a Page-Turner  Dark and Unconventional Themes

My Rating Breakdown 

Category	My Ratings
Plot	4/5
Characters	5/5
Romance	3/5
Writing Style	4.5/5
Pacing	5/5
Overall	4.5/5

Final Verdict: Is Reading When I’m With You Worth Your Time?

Yes, “When I’m With You” by Durjoy Datta is a must-read novel if you’re looking for a light-hearted read, full of contemporary romance and intriguing themes. Unlike typical romance novels, it lets you fly through various issues, including dysfunctional families, the importance of friendship, love, and a second chance. Hence, it’s a must-read if you enjoy: 

• Emotional and character-driven romance 
• Simple and easy-to-read contemporary fiction
• Relatable Characters 
• Intriguing Themes: Healing, Love, Second Chance, Dysfunctional Families

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)