The story is written from the point of view of the heroine Kairavi (Kay), 25, a travel writer, who craves a love that is as strong and inspiring as that of her parents. But all her relationships seem to implode, one after the other, the latest being the one with Ricky, an aspiring model. Ricky, though short on brain cells, is ‘scorching hot’. But he turns out to be an MCP, a clingy, whiny one who objects to her wearing skirts or shorts. Her BFF cum flat-mate Baani wangles a trip for both of them from their boss Ed, to cover the Sunburn Fest and the wine culture in Goa. Ed and Kay have had a short affair when they worked together on a travel story on the beaches of Mauritius, but have moved on since. Baani is in a steady relationship with Kapil Jain and has decided to give up her job and move to Goa where he works, in order to get married to him. Kay doesn’t approve of her decision. No man is worth it, and definitely not Kapil, who she thinks is selfish and a spoilsport. He is no fun, focused as he is on saving for the future.

The story opens with a groggy Kay waking up in a hospital in Goa, swathed in bandages, with a broken clavicle, a dislocated shoulder and Baani telling her that she had fallen off the balcony. Kay remembers snatches of the events that led up to this sad scene. Ricky of the slick, gelled hair had turned up in Goa with a hotter, prettier girl than Kay, and tried to make her jealous. Kay had downed more pegs of vodka, flirted with a sexy siren, smoked a joint or two, got a tattoo that said ‘Done with Men’ and… fallen off the balcony.

She wakes up from a drugged sleep to see four faces of the hot Dr Vivian D’Mello floating around her. He’s a handsome, Mills & Boon romance kind of hot doctor who tells her smugly that kids should go easy on alcohol. She immediately dubs him Dr Crabby. Later in the night she is hungry, bawling, and conjuring up serial killers prowling the corridors when the dashing Vivian comes to the rescue. She begins to dream again of love, till his girlfriend with the porcelain skin turns up.

And so the story goes on, with interesting elements turning up every few pages. We have a snooty Thought Bubble which keeps making bad situations worse; and some crazy lingerie that looks like the face of a furry, black animal. The language is sparkling and a sense of humour bubbles through the pages of the book.

What doesn’t work for me ― there’s not much in the way of conflict to make the relationship between Dr Vivian and Kay absorbing. The events leading to the climax seem rather predictable.

But overall, Done with Men is engaging. It’s a light-hearted read that renews your belief in happily-ever-afters.