Couple kissing at night in the city
Romance authors know how to turn on the taps of love, regret, a bit of steam and some swanky narrative segues. This genre can serve up books that are page turners, no matter your general reading preference, and former journalist Nivashni Nair Sukdhev’s latest, It’s Complicated, is not different.
This time around, a woman leaves behind the glamour of a modelling career for small town KZN, a place called Rally. But fresh air and a slower pace do not mean a clean slate.
Kaavi Archary is rebuilding her life, volunteering, making friends and trying to quiet the noise of her past. Then her estranged husband, Neel, arrives with divorce papers in hand and a different agenda in mind.
He says he wants closure, but his heart has other ideas. Old chemistry, family truths and unfinished conversations soon blur the line between ending a marriage and restarting one.
This is the fourth romance novel from the former journalist, adding to a growing list that began when she pivoted from journalism to fiction in 2022.
Before that, she penned the memoir What’s on My Mind? Making Babies, charting her journey through infertility, and also wrote Pillow Talk.
What do people really want from love today, beyond the usual Valentine’s clichés?
They want the thrill of falling in love, but they also crave the kind of love where they’re truly seen.
They want a relationship that lets them be themselves, where they can be fully free, and where romance comes effortlessly, where being swept off their feet doesn’t feel forced, it just happens naturally by doing the most ordinary things.
Describe your ideal Valentine’s date scene.
When he invited her over for a home-cooked Valentine’s Day meal, she hadn’t imagined a full-blown braai. Yet there she was, stepping onto the patio in a too-formal, too-red dress, red heels clicking against the tiles, facing a man in cargo shorts and a T-shirt, holding braai tongs like he was a chef at a five-star restaurant.
He looked up as she walked toward him. Really looked. And in that moment, with the smoke curling lazily around him and the meat sizzling, she saw it. Devotion. Desire. Admiration. Love. His eyes actually sparkled, ridiculous as that sounded. She smiled.
Because maybe, in all of her thirty-two years, this Valentine’s Day date would be the best date she’d ever had.
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Are romance novels more than just escapism?
Romance has always been a genre that explores far more than it’s given credit for. Beneath the surface, these stories tackle real human experiences, which is why they resonate so deeply. They enable us to examine themes such as emotional labour, power dynamics, desire, and vulnerability.
It’s never just a “boy meets girl, they fall in love, happy ending” story. There’s depth, complexity, and insight into how people connect and navigate relationships.
Is there a right way to do romance on Valentine’s Day?
There’s no right way to fall in love, be in love, or be loved. Every couple is different, and what works for one might not work for another. Society can try to tell us how romance should look or how intimacy should happen, but it’s personal.
What are readers looking for in sensual or steamy scenes?
Perhaps connection, exploring their own sensuality.
Which Valentine’s cliché would you cut from your stories?
The idea that a heroine has to be spoiled with expensive gifts or extravagant experiences. Being spoiled and loved on Valentine’s Day isn’t about money. It’s about feeling cherished, appreciated and genuinely seen.
Do romance novels influence how people see relationships and intimacy?
I think readers often re-evaluate their own relationships when they read romance stories that show authentic human connections. On intimacy, it might help them explore their own sensuality, but from my experience, what comes up most is empowerment.
People who’ve read my books often tell me the story made them stand up for themselves, whether in a romantic relationship or with family. So, yes, they do take the lessons to heart.
Has your writing on romance changed with modern views on sensuality?
I don’t write explicit love scenes, but in all my books, the connections and any acts between the characters have always been between consenting adults. That hasn’t changed, and it’s the way I continue to write.
Has “naughty” romance changed over the years?
Naughty and romance have always been there, especially in books. The only thing that has changed is that now people are openly saying that they read it, openly talk about it, and openly appreciate it. So I don’t think that it has changed at all.
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