As Amazon Affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases
12 Years: My Messed-up Love Story by Chetan Bhagat is relatable, featuring common struggles, everyday dilemmas of Gen Z, and reflects a mirror of a conservative society that still exists, motivating readers to start again, even when the past still burns. Read the full summary and review in the article below
Author: Chetan Bhagat
Cover
Plot
Narration
Characters
Release Date 1 October 2025
Pages 424
Book Review: 12 Years: My Messed-up Love Story by Chetan Bhagat
12 Years: My Messed-up Love Story by Chetan Bhagat is a modern-day romance novel that is all about love, romance, heartbreak, separation, divorce, and all the drama that keeps the reader hooked from the start of the book.
A person should always stand for their love and wishes instead of following societal norms, purposelessly, is the main highlight of the story. I think this is something significant and a need of the time that every generation needs to understand.
The author Chetan Bhagat has wonderfully crafted the male and female protagonists of the story.
Saket Khurana is a 33-year-old male protagonist, who just got divorced, losing eighty per cent of his wealth in alimony. He left the US to try his luck and find peace in stand-up comedy. He is a smart, intelligent, caring, and funny man who any girl could crave for. But when it comes to love and relationships, he always receives setbacks. First, his wife, Raashi, cheated on him, and then Payal got married to Parimal.
Payal Jain is a 21-year-old, beautiful, intelligent and caring girl who is working in Blackwater. She belongs to a conservative Jain family where drinking and boyfriends are a big no-no for a good girl. Unfortunately, she loves drinking, and falls in love with Saket, who is a 33-year-old Punjabi and a divorcee.
I love the character of Mudit, who is Saket’s best friend. I felt jealous of Saket for having such a nice best friend. Friendship between Saket and Mudit is heartwarming and difficult to find in a competitive world. Both respect, love, help and give space to each other. The way Mudit stands with Saket in his bad times is something that helps him to rise again.
The chemistry between Payal and Saket is amazing, and their love is pure despite a 12-year age gap.
The beautiful red-yellow cover and title completely match the plot of the story. The book is written in simple English with a few Hindi words. The story flows smoothly at a good pace, migrating between Dubai and Mumbai. The author had very well described both cities. Different twists and turns every now and then kept me hooked with the story till the end.
I love every bit of the story and enjoyed it like all of Chetan Bhagat’s books. The story is very relevant to current problems that young working professionals face in their personal and professional lives.
The story reflects social media toxicity, age gap relationships, freedom, flaws, mental health, societal and parental pressure. Beneath every joke there is reality, loneliness and heartbreak. In one book, Chetan Bhagat has addressed multiple issues that are creating trouble in relationships and society.
Crisp narration and cinematographic writing style make this book unputdownable for readers who enjoy reading for fun and entertainment. If you love reading age-gap contemporary romance novels, then I highly recommend you 12 Years: My Messed-up Love Story by Chetan Bhagat.
Also Read: The Dead Know Nothing by Kishore Ram
Book Summary: 12 Years: My Messed-up Love Story by Chetan Bhagat
Saket Khurana, a 33-year-old struggling stand-up comedian who just got divorced, meets 21-year-old Payal Jain. Payal cracked Stanford and is working with Blackwater. They first met each other during one of Saket’s stand-up shows in the Crayon Club.
Saket immediately felt the pull towards Payal, but brushed it off. His best friend, Mudit, motivated him to start dating again. He somehow tried to connect with Payal. Things began falling back in place, and within a few days, Payal started spending five days of a week in Saket’s apartment.
Everything was good until Payal’s parents fixed her marriage with Parimal Jain. Both of them fought hard, but ultimately Payal’s parents won. Payal married Parimal Jain, breaking Saket’s heart forever.
Did Payal and Saket have any future together?
Why did Payal never fight hard for Saket?
Is Payal happy with Parimal?
To know more, read 12 Years: My Messed-up Love Story by Chetan Bhagat
This review is powered by Blogchatter Book Review Program.