SherAli Tareen’s new book Perilous Intimacies is a work of deep scholarship on the debates around the possibilities of Hindu-Muslim friendship. However, the framing of the book and its arguments appear to be stilted, its sample studies are greatly limited, and there is a sleight of hand executed in its title and endorsements by the author/editors/publisher that needs to be highlighted to concede the limits and flaws of the book. The subtitle of the book ‘Debating Hindu-Muslim Friendship After Empire’ is the main culprit and source of (intentional?) ambiguity and confusion that led to a sense of betrayal of expectations for this reader.