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Meet Me in the Middle

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Anu is 30, a teacher, mother to a four-year-old and wife to a husband who worships the ground she walks on. She is surrounded by doting parents and loyal friends. Life is perfect ... until her husband develops a sudden desire for a life of luxury and forces Anu to move to the plush neighbourhood of Verdant Green.

The sudden jump from a middle-class life to a super-luxurious one that they can barely afford, lands Anu in one mess after another. Faced with everything from casual classism to extravagant yoga classes, she must now tackle this new life in her own inimitable style even as her marriage crumbles.

Funny and candid, Meet Me in the Middle is the story of aspirations and desires, and being careful about what you wish for.

292 pages, Paperback

Published September 25, 2021

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60 people want to read

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Vani Mahesh

5 books8 followers

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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
Profile Image for Reading_ Tamishly.
5,308 reviews3,475 followers
January 22, 2023
When reality bites bite you through a book, this is the one doing it.

If you’re an adult living your everyday adulting, this one describes the normal adulting so well.

Almost a satire, getting a bit edgy but comforting here and there, wanting to not like the characters yet not able to ignore them altogether this is one heck of a different read quite polar opposite to what I expected from the blurb. The plot is the same as is hinted there but my perception of the story is quite different.

This is one heck of a realistic plot with convincing Indian aunty characters who are quite interested in your family life, your age and your personal matters!

This is the story of Vani, a thirty year old, who has a perfect small family with a loving, hard working husband and an adorable four year old son. She’s quite content with her life until one day her husband suddenly decides to move and live a life of luxury he thinks they deserve.

Life goes pretty crazy with the sudden change of lifestyle, leaving behind her comfort zone and the people she’s used to.

I am amazed at how Vani’s character develops towards the second half and I am quite surprised with how the story ends with such a satisfying closure in the end.

Lovely satirical work. I am looking forward for more books by the author.
Profile Image for Samiksha A.
38 reviews
November 12, 2021
I would like to first thank the author for sending me a copy of this amazing read 🤧❤️

This was one book that I was very excited to read because of the very intriguing blurb

Now onto the review....

✅ What I liked about the book :

Confession Time : I am crazy for books with beautiful attractive covers. And another reason for me wanting to read the book.

Meet me in the middle is the type of book that will hook you in from the first chapter itself.

Shwetha is the type of best friend that everyone deserves in the world.

The sweet and unexpected bond between Pete, Pooja and Anu was very fun to read.

Both Sanju and Anu's parents were portrayed correctly and their behaviour can be found relatable in my own parents

The character arc for Padma aunty in the end was very sweet ❤️

The school system that

❎ What I didn't like about the book :

Talking about the main characters, Anu as well as Sanju can be a bit annoying.

They didn't communicate with each other well. Which might have solved half the fights they were having.

The ending felt a bit rushed. The solution that they reached would have been better discussed for at least a few more time.

Though reading Anu's POV felt nice. Multiple povs of the different characters for instance Sanju would have been noice.

Final Thoughts 💭 :

Book Rating : 4/5 (would definitely recommend this book)

Cover Rating : 5/5 (an attractive cover is a definite plus for me)
Profile Image for Harsh Tyagi.
938 reviews21 followers
February 18, 2022
Anu is a 30-year old teacher (kindergarten teacher with a low pay but high in perks due to being childhood friends with the principal) in Bangalore who has a loving husband (her childhood love), a loving 4 year old child, adoring parents and loyal friends. Her life is sort of perfect but one day her husband desires to move to the luxurious neighborhood of Verdant Green.

Now what bothers Anu is the sudden jump from a middle-class life to a super-luxurious one that they can barely afford. That's a drastic change into their lives and how this change takes a toll on Anu's life and her marriage makes it a super-interesting read. The book is well-written and the author has narrated it beautifully with the perfect addition of humour, although it's a long story and felt like dragging at times. Nevertheless the book is an entertainer. The characters are well-built and seem real and candid. The cover is a soothing shade of blue, I love it. A fun read to enjoy over the weekend.
Profile Image for Pavireads.
390 reviews4 followers
October 12, 2021
Dear author @writer.vani ❤️😀I truly enjoyed reading this book and devour it at one go. Such a delightful read😇. I was laughing out loud with the humor in this book.😀😂😂 I loved all the characters in this book Anu, Sanju, Shwetha, Sameer, vicky, Pete,pooja and moreover Padzilla 😂 beautifully portrayed. Family entertainment 👨‍👩‍👦 🤗 which would have happened in everyone's house and the story is powerful we can also take hints for our life. This book was quite different when compared to other books as the intensity I felt in this book was lacking in other genres. This book keeps the readers hooked with laughter.🤗 I could see the reflection of my life incidents in this book. The protagonist, Anu a mother and teacher feels what the kids are missing in this modern life. The sudden jump from middle class life to super luxurious life and how she tackled with calm and in her own style even when her marriage crumbles was beautiful written in this book. 🤗😀😀😍😍

Overall I would like to say is it's a must read book which will make you laugh more and there is no dull moment. I congratulate author @writer.vani for MEET ME IN THE MIDDLE📗 and expecting more from her. 👍😍

I would rate 5/5 😀
Profile Image for Prash.
65 reviews
October 12, 2021
"Warm , funny and with lots of family Drama "
-prash

The book is amazing and I like it very much it's worth to had 4 to 5 stars based on the reader ....
The books tells a lot thing about how a middle class person face problems when they move to luxury life .
The female lead character named "Anu " is one of my favourite character I love the way she handles things .
The tells a lot things about Bangalore and story is based in this city only .
Overall the book is recommended for everyone .......and it's deserve much more .
Prash
(reviewing_books_3010) instagram.
Profile Image for Akilesh  Sridharan.
278 reviews6 followers
December 8, 2021
Any story that is based out of Bangalore always raises curiosity in me to read. Thanks Vani mam for sending me this Kindle gift copy of your book for fair and honest book review.

This is an easy-breezy, light and witty story about our Kannada hudugi Anu, who is a 30-year-old mom to four-year-old Vicky and wife to a techie husband Sanju.

Anu too has her constant companions/childhood friends and punchbags who can punch anybody for her goodness in the form of Sameer and Shweta.

Anu has everything going right for her in her life — a teacher job that is low paying yet highly rewarding, a nice and doting parents and granny and a luckiest parents-in-law, a cute son and loving husband — until Sanju decides to move from modest Vijayanagara house to a posh gated community of Verdant Green in Hebbal.

Anu being brought up in the real Bangalore with a middle-class background hesitates to Sanju's plan of shifting to a luxurious lifestyle.

Anu doesn't want to leave the comfort of her parents' home, nearby school where her son enjoys going, and her besties who are just a call away to meet in their regular pubs for a hangout.

However, as Sanju has agreed during their marriage to live in Anu's father's property unlike no normal Indian guy does, she agrees to fulfil Sanju's dream of living in a big, beautiful and expensive place.

Once the family move to Verdant Green, Anu experiences shock after shock — from hiring a help to finding a new school for Vicky, everything available only at unmatchable price.

She finds difficult to fit in this nouveau riche lifestyle that her husband wants to live until she finds friends in teenage Pooja and oldie Pete.

But the trouble mounts upon her on a daily basis and doesn't stop to leave anytime soon as the apartment members object to her yoga classes in public area and her tennis lessons without proper identification cards.

In between she likes to play the role of the sole saviour of her near and dear ones and gets into even more unwanted trouble.

At last, Sanju can't tolerate the shenanigans of Anu and takes a drastic step only to have a twist with a happily-ever-after ending.

I would recommend this book for beginners because it's super hilarious and entertaining with some weird characters that are annoying and irritating yet likeable. A definite weekend read to time pass.

Thanks mam for the Kindle #gift copy in exchange for a fair and honest book review.
Profile Image for Laura.
1,255 reviews148 followers
December 16, 2021
Anu and Sanju are a happily married couple with a 4 year old boy Vicky who is thriving at his local school. Or so Anu thought. Sanju starts hinting that he doesn't think their apartment is big or clean enough. Where they live isn't classy enough and starts suggesting they look for a house.

Anu who is hilarious and seems like she would be really fun to go get a beer at Jakes with, just can't seem to keep out of trouble. But really she's just living her best life. One of  her many excursions results in her capitulating into moving but he selects a house that is basically a mansion that results in so many expenses that she doesn't want to burden him with that it made my eyes bulge. Like also can I have a maid, a cook and gardener? Instead of picking a modest home that was bigger than their apartment he leveled up to celebrity without the salary.

Anu who had an amazing community and was a well loved teacher at her previous home is now an outcast and somehow got on one woman's radar and she won't stop spreading lies about her. All the while she did make friends and had her old friends to rely on but it was just too much. And as you can guess you can't keep up a life you can't afford.

Marriage is not easy, two people who have similar but not always the same dreams or personalities. I know people can't stand the miscommunication trope but seriously it's a real life thing people just try to ignore things until they can't anymore or they bottle it up or assume. But marriage is also about compromise and not all give or all take. That balance isn't always easy to find with outside pressures.

I could not put this down and all the Aunty's that had so much advice and "beautiful" furniture to fill up the new house. Life would not be the same without all of them.

I love the title and how it plays into the book. My daughter has that song on repeat for at least 2 years.

Thank you @writer.vani for the gifted copy for my honest and voluntary review.
342 reviews3 followers
December 14, 2021
Who doesn't want to live in a house like a mansion?? House where each and every amenities are there. It's dream house for everyone but not for our protagonist Anu. Now let me tell you about her. Anu, thirty years old mother was bubbly, chatterbox and Over thinker. Her daily routine was doing job, yoga, party with her friends and staying with her parents on weekends. Her life mantra was to eat, drink and enjoy.

Her life was perfectly blessed with two best friends, understanding parents and in-laws, cute son,loveable husband and was enjoying her middle class life when her husband sanju decided to move to posh area of Banglore to enjoy luxurious life which he thinks they deserve.

Born and brought up in middle class family made difficult for her to adjust in new posh area where everything was unknown. Her job, her son's school and her routine gone for toss. Will she survive there?? Will she be able to convince her husband to leave that pose area?? Read this book to know more.

I love anu's character who was super funny and lazy. There isn't any dull moment in the story. Some funny moments will surely make you laugh aloud. Swetha was the friend whom everyone wants as a friend. I think sanju's character could have been written in more detailed.

The main thought behind the story of doing compromise for our loved ones was really thought provoking. As a woman, I think we all have to do more adjustment in family for the sake of keeping our family happy. Also, We shouldn't do anything just by getting influenced by someone else's life. Class difference was shown is an eye opening for the people who just want to show off to impress others.


I would suggest this book to beginners as it was easy read. Meet me in the middle is super engaging, funny and interesting story which will keep you hooked till the end.
Profile Image for Nishtha Bajpai.
143 reviews1 follower
October 30, 2021
Who would not enjoy living in a luxurious bungalow with stony front facade, a big lawn, a driveway that could fit four luxurious cars,French doors and large glass windows?

Anu was simple woman who lived in a local livelihood of Bengaluru. She had good friends, loving neighbors and not to forget Iyengar bakery nearby. She loved her middle class life.
But her husband's wish to shift to a luxurious environment changed her life upside down. She now had to adjust herself to this upgrade and confront the meanies.

A big house in a rich environment isn't enough, what about her househelp? Her job? Her kid's school? Everything had to be upgraded simultaneously.

I enjoyed reading the book right from the beginning, Anu's character is innocently hilarious. She never failed to entertain me, be it drowning or sleeping in a plate of Nachos. Anu is one of a kind.

I loved how the book ended with everything sorted and not with that cheesy Bollywood ending.

I enjoyed Vani Mahesh's writing easy yet good selection of words.

I wished to know more about Sanju's character, and his point of view. But I can't complain because the book made a great read.
Profile Image for Siddhant Agarwal.
566 reviews25 followers
November 20, 2021
The concept of the book is interesting as it focuses on the series of events that form a part of Anu’s life and how a series of events threaten to derail her life. The narrative focuses on the before and after the move to Verdant Green, and while the premise is interesting, the narration seems to drag on for longer than necessary in the first half of the book. There are moments on the book which are funny and make you smile, but the incidents seem to repeat after a while. The storytelling is good and keeps you turning the pages, but something to keep the reader hooked was missing from the story. The climax is well crafted, but the build up to the drama ends on a pretty flat note.

The book, however, stands on strong character descriptions. Anu’s character as a classic middle-class woman is well crafted and there are some witty one-liners that elevate her character. Sameer’s character is interesting in providing perspective to the actions of other characters and his advice is something that I would probably dish out. Sanju’s character was a bit underrepresented, and I would have loved to see his side of things in the story as well.
Profile Image for Krati Garg.
97 reviews21 followers
December 22, 2021
Anu, thirty years old, bubbly, chatterbox and an over-thinker was blessed with two best friends, understanding parents and in-laws, cute son, loveable husband. Born and brought up in a middle-class family she was accustomed to her way of living. But her seemingly perfect life goes for a toss when one day, her husband Sanju decides to move to a posh area in Bangalore to enjoy a luxurious life. From casual classism to extravagant yoga classes, she must now adapt this new life in her own inimitable style even as her marriage crumbles. Will she be able to survive this new way of living or will she succumb to the inevitable changes coming her way one after another?

With an easy and lucid language, the author has done a great job in writing a story about aspirations and dreams. There is no dull moment in the story. The character of Anu is funny and candid and it makes you laugh at several occasions. If you are a beginner at reading, this is a perfect book for you to read as it is super engaging, humorous and will keep you hooked till the end.
54 reviews1 follower
November 22, 2021
Meet Me In The Middle
~Vani Mahesh

First of all thank you @writer.vani for sending me such an amazing book and having trust in me.

This is a kind of book which everyone could connect with its character and this is the best part of the book.

I didn't want it to be finished so early , I was completely engrossed in it.

The sweetest character Shewta whom I want to friend with as she is portrayed in such a good manner.
I personally feel that the writer is an outstanding observer and she had portrayed each of her characters in a lucid manner and language with which everyone can connect. I think all of you out there want to read this type of fiction once, go and grab yours.
Coming to the cover , if to be very honest I was in love with it.

Ratings ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Cost -₹299/-
Pages-285

#booklove #life #patna #read #readandlove #lessons #lifelessons #friendship #family #bibliophile #bookworm #bookshelves
Profile Image for Aswathy.
185 reviews12 followers
October 28, 2021
The book 'Meet Me In The Middle' by Vani Mahesh is a lovely book which is a light and interesting read.

The plot of the book revolves around Anu, a 30 year old, who is extremely happy and content with her life. She has a perfect family and some amazing friends to rely on. Also, she is living her life to the fullest. But sooner, things start getting weird when her husband decides to change their lifestyle from a middle class one to a super luxurious one. The rest of the story deals with how Anu tries to cope up with this sudden change and how this decision affects her life.

The plot of this book was really intriguing and reading this book was indeed a fun experience for me. The author has wonderfully portrayed the dilemma of a woman who finds it difficult to adjust with new surroundings, neighbours and a different lifestyle all of a sudden. All the characters portrayed in the story were well developed and totally interesting. All those characters could be easily found in our society and that made the story even more interesting. The writing was really simple and lucid. I love the way the author has narrated the story in a fun and interesting way and there were so many funny instances in the story which made me laugh.

Overall it was a good read. I would recommend this book to those who are looking for a fun and refreshing read.
Profile Image for Meenal.
1,029 reviews27 followers
March 2, 2024
Sooper fun. Totes amaze.

Okay, sorry for that. I just felt like using those words.

Loved this absolute laughter riot. As a fellow orange sofa hater, I approve of everything in this book. And it's really tough to rate a book less than 5 stars when it has someone called Sameer.

Frivolity aside, I absolutely recommend it to chicklit fans.
Profile Image for booksaddict.akshi.
27 reviews
October 25, 2021
Delightful, interesting and fun read. This book is story of young couple hustling through life. Equilibrium of their marriage change when difference in aspirations come. Funny incidents make this story hilarious. Good read.
Profile Image for Supriya Tawde.
33 reviews1 follower
August 12, 2022
I loved the simplicity of Anu and how she loves simple things about life. Sanju seemed to me like a typical man who refuses to say sorry or talk about issues.There was though a little 'let's just get it over with' kind of unpredictable end. Easy and no nonsense kind of story.
1 review
January 2, 2026
It was an okay read. It tried to touch very important topic after marriage which is finances but didn’t fully explored it. There was so much that could have been done, topic was relatable but the treatment was not. It felt very underwhelming.
Profile Image for Kavya.
29 reviews1 follower
January 23, 2022
Not my usual genre, but 3 stars for the humour and the Bangalore eats references. Especially loved the way Masala Dose from Gandhi Nagar was oh so perfectly described!
Profile Image for Tanisha Saria.
64 reviews
October 14, 2025
Anu is 30, a teacher, mother to a four-year-old and wife to a husband who worships the ground she walks on. She is surrounded by doting parents and loyal friends. Life is perfect ... until her husband develops a sudden desire for a life of luxury and forces Anu to move to the plush neighbourhood of Verdant Green.

The sudden jump from a middle-class life to a super-luxurious one that they can barely afford, lands Anu in one mess after another. Faced with everything from casual classism to extravagant yoga classes, she must now tackle this new life in her own inimitable style even as her marriage crumbles.

Funny and candid, Meet Me in the Middle is the story of aspirations and desires, and being careful about what you wish for.
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