Can We Be Strangers Again? A Must-Read for Every Broken Heart in 2026

Have you ever picked up a book, read a few chapters, and suddenly felt like the author was reading your personal diary? Can We Be Strangers Again? does exactly that. Written by Shrijeet Shandilya, this book has already become a National Bestseller, and I completely understand why. It is an emotional novella that captures heartbreak, unspoken goodbyes, and the confusing space between friendship and love in a way that feels painfully honest.

This is not just another love story. It is a story about loss. And maybe that is exactly why it hits so hard.

This is not a simple love story but a loss story. And perhaps that is why it seems even more impactful.

Let us get to know this quiet, heartbreaking story a little more closely.

Overview: Can We Be Strangers Again?

• Title: Can We Be Strangers Again?
• Author: Shrijeet Shandilya
• Publisher: Penguine Ebury Press
• Genre: New Adult Fiction/Contemporary Romance
• Pages: 232
• Language: English

About The Author

Shrijeet Shandilya completed his undergraduate studies at Christ University. He is currently pursuing his MBA from the Goa Institute of Management. I love his writing style because it stays remarkably simple but forces you to think deeply. His stories connect deeply with young Indian readers who have lived through friendship, heartbreak, and the slow process of healing during their college years.

To Know more about Shrijeet Shandilya , Click here

Story Summary: Can We Be Strangers Again?

The story of Can We Be Strangers Again? revolves around Dev, Tanishka and Avantika, three close friends who are always together. Like most tight friendships, everything feels perfect in the beginning. They laugh together, share secrets, joke around, and dream about the future as one unit.

However, as the story moves forward, Dev and Tanishka slowly fall in love. The transition starts beautifully with cute, simple moments. But as their feelings grow stronger, so does the tension around them. Jealousy creeps in. Insecurity follows. Confusion takes over. These heavy emotions slowly start tearing their beautiful friendship apart.

Then one day something happens which changes everything for Dev. His heart breaks. He pulls away emotionally and starts questioning where things went wrong between them.

Will Dev ever be able to forgive Tanishka? Can two people who once knew everything about each other actually become strangers again? Or were they always something more than just friends, even before they realized it?

This is not your typical love story with a clean beginning and a happy ending. It is the story of a relationship that almost reaches completion, only to break apart somewhere in the middle.

Also Read: Honest In-depth Review of Chetan Bhagat’s Latest Novel ’12 Years My Messed-Up Love Story. Click Here

Why This Book Touches The Heart

I found several aspects of this book deeply moving. Here is why the story connects so well with modern readers.

1. Pandemic Era Setting Which Everyone Will Remember

The author sets the story during the peak COVID-19 pandemic era. He perfectly captures the weird reality of starting college through a laptop screen. The Zoom classes, the awkward online friendships, and those late-night phone calls that felt both comforting and lonely at the same time, all of it comes alive in these pages. If you attended college during 2020 or 2021, you will relate to these scenes instantly.

2. Real Emotions Without Fake Drama

There are no dramatic twists or shocking reveals in this book. What you get instead are real, raw emotions, the kind we have all felt at some point. There is no villain here, just confused young people trying to figure things out, making the same mistakes many of us have made in our own lives.

3.Painfully Relatable Situations

Have you ever lost someone who once meant everything to you? That strange, in between space where a relationship has technically ended, but the feelings for that person are still very much alive? The author captures that exact pain with a level of honesty that is hard to find elsewhere. Most of us have experienced this exact silent suffering at some point in our lives.

4. A Small Book With a Big Impact

At under 230 pages, this is a compact read. You can easily finish this book in a single weekend. However, every single chapter carries emotional weight. By the time you finish it, it feels less like reading a novel and more like reading someone’s diary during their toughest heartbreak.

Also Read: Alison Espach’s Bestseller novel The Wedding People Review. Click Here

Main Characters in the Can We Be Strangers Again?

Let us look at the three main characters of this rollercoaster emotional story.

Dev – Narrator of The Story

Dev tells the story. He is a deeply caring and sensitive boy. His feelings for Tanishka feel genuine and honest throughout the story. Even as his heart breaks, his confusion and pain feel easy to connect with as a reader.

Tanishka – The Lover Turned Stranger

Tanishka is loving, but also a bit impulsive. She remains confused about her own emotions throughout the story. The author doesn’t paint her as a villain. She is just a normal human being trying to figure out what she actually wants from life and love.

Avantika – The Silent Witness

Avantika doesn’t talk much, but she notices everything. She acts as the anchor in the group. When things fall apart, she steps up and helps Dev accept his harsh reality, exactly like a true best friend should.

Also Read: Honest in-depth review of Dan Brown’s latest novel “The Secret of Secrets”. Click Here to Read

Key Themes & Takeaways

Love Versus Friendship

When two best friends start falling for each other, everything around them begins to change, sometimes for the better and sometimes in painful ways. Dev and Tanishka’s story shows how difficult it is to understand the difference between friendship and love.

The Pain of Betrayal Without Closure

There is no big fight, no dramatic breakup scene. Just a slow drifting apart. A message that just remained on the ‘seen‘ . A birthday quietly forgotten. These small, quiet moments end up hurting far more than any loud confrontation ever could.

Grief Over What Could Have Been

Dev doesn’t just miss Tanishka. He misses the happy, carefree version of himself that existed when he was with her. The book beautifully shows how, when a relationship ends, we often lose a part of ourselves along with it.

Learning to stay alone again

I love how the author handles the healing process. Healing in this story does not come with any big emotional breakthrough scene. It shows up in small ways instead, like going back to studies, attending a class without crying, or managing a small smile at one of Avantika’s jokes, even while still hurting inside.

Strong Points of the Book

• The emotions feel completely real. As you read, you feel Dev’s confusion and heartbreak almost like it is happening to you.

• It is short, but the impact stays with you. You can finish this book in a single day, but essence of the story stays with you for a long time. It touches your heart.

• The settings and language feel authentic: College life, social media chats among friends, their inner thoughts and ideas all written in a way that feels very authentic for today’s generation.

Also Read: Honest In-depth review of Prashant Paras’s ‘THE CURSE OF LETTING GO’. Click Here to Read

The Slightly Weak Points

• The secondary characters could have used more depth. Avantika and Tanishka sometimes feel more like background figures supporting Dev’s pain rather than fully developed characters of their own.

• The plot moves quite slowly. If you prefer fast-paced, action-heavy stories, you might get bored.

• Some emotional scenes feel a bit melodramatic which may not land well with every reader.

My Personal Recommendation

Should you read this book ? Let me break it down for you.

You Will Love This Book If :

-You enjoy character-driven, emotional stories like Normal People or It Ends With Us.

-You have experienced a heartbreak that you never really talked about with anyone.

-You prefer books that are short in length but heavy on emotional impact.

You Should Skip This Book If:

-You only read fast-paced thrillers or action-heavy plots.

-You prefer stories with perfectly happy, clearly resolved endings.

-You enjoy complex plots with multiple storylines running together

Where Can You Read It Online

The Kindle version of Can We Be Strangers Again? is available for instant download on Amazon.Click below to start reading it in just minutes:

👉 Download on Kindle from Amazon

Final Verdict

Can We Be Strangers Again? Is not a typical romantic novel. It is a little too emotional, a little too sad, and honestly, a little too real. Nothing gets neatly resolved by the end, but it stays with you and makes you think.

If you have ever loved someone with your whole heart who eventually became a total stranger, this book will speak directly to your soul, or you have lost a friendship which has just disappeared in silence, then this story will speak to your heart.

My Final Rating: 3.8 out of 5 stars

It has a few flaws regarding character depth, but but a beautifully honest one when it comes to emotions.

Share Your Experience

Have you read Can We Be Strangers Again? Did any part of Dev’s story feel like your own? Is there someone who has become a stranger to you that you wish you could send one last message to?

Let us talk about it in the comments, or share this post with a friend who really needs to read this one.

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Nirmal Thakuria

Hi, I’m an exam aspirant who has successfully cleared SSC and other government exams, and I’m currently preparing for the UPSC.
I love writing and creating content for fellow aspirants. Through StudyBlink, I share study hacks, book reviews, and exam strategies to help you stay motivated and succeed in your journey.