This is a very engaging book, though it wasn't as much of a romance as I would have liked. I understand the choice to have a single POV, but there are long stretches of the book in which the male main character is not around, because the family drama is at the forefront. That drama is interesting, but it left me with a hazier impression of Nadim than I wanted. I also understand the choice to close the door on sex, but it left me wanting more of them together in some intimate way (that did not involve head lice!!!!). The food is described extraordinarily lovingly, and there are recipes at the back of the book, which I love as a detail. It's a romance that investigates the complications that arise when family is very involved in one's life.

As alluded to, the one thing that almost threw me out of this book was a head lice subplot. It was a way to bring Reena and Nadim together but I just wish it would have been anything else. There is also a subplot with Reena's sister and it can be uncomfortable to read if people who are sort of toxically virtuous and judgmental about food bother you.

3.5, rounded up. The plot is a little far-fetched, and the physical intimacy is not descriptive (which some may see as a plus), but I still loved the characters--Reena is sarcastic, smart, and funny while also able to admit her flaws, and Nadim adores her while also retaining his own personality and values. I also appreciated the South Asian representation and Heron's outlining mental health stigmas in communities of color.

Bonus: there are a couple of delicious-looking recipes in the back--I can't wait to try them!

This book should come with a warning label stating you should not read it without plenty of snacks, specifically bread 😋 Seriously I’ve never snacked more while reading and that’s saying something because all I do is snack 🤣 There is much more to this than just food though, this was an adorable, inclusive romance that I couldn’t get enough of!

Reena meets her new neighbor Nadim and there’s an instant mutual attraction and then she finds out he’s her father new employee AND the latest in a line of setups orchestrated by her meddling parents. Then there’s the cooking competition she wants to enter but she needs a fiancé and Nadim quickly agrees to a fake arrangement. Oh and she also decided to keep this all a secret from her nosy family. Did I mention they’re champion meddlers? What could go wrong?!

This focused on family, friendship, a love of food and Muslim culture, what’s not to love? There was humor, a sweet romance and wonderful secondary characters that I adored almost as much as I enjoyed Reena and Nadir. Such a feel good, comfort read that will leave you feeling happy and cozy.

3.75 stars Thanks to NetGalley and Forever for the complimentary arc.

Accidentally Engaged by Farah Heron is an enjoyable romance that is guaranteed to make you hungry! Reena Manji is a financial analyst who loves baking and cooking. Reena's parents have found her yet another potential Good Muslim Husband. Their pick, Nadim, ends up moving across the hall from Reena and the sparks immediately fly between these two. However neither one is particularly keen on the idea of an arranged marriage. However when Reena gets an opportunity to participate in Food TV type web competition she enlists Nadim to act as her fiancé for the purposes of the competition.

Overall I really enjoyed this romance. I loved the characters, the food descriptions and the humor of the book. What didn't work quite so well for me is that I felt like the book was a little long and a bit redundant in parts. I really wanted more about the competition and less internal dialogue by Reena.

This was such a fun read. I loved both the characters and the story line. There so many great laugh out loud moments and it was hard to put this book down.

BBBRERRRREEEAAADDDD.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. You put food in a romance and I’m all in. Can’t pass it up. Add in a hot, sweet hero and an honest, funny heroine - I’m hooked!

Nadim and Reena had an instant connection and the two were obviously NOT going to be together because Reena’s parents were planning an arranged marriage for the two of them...

🥖 I loved the foodie stuff and Food Channel competition videos! I was HUNGRY reading this and you could tell Heron has a passion for baking!
🍞Nadim. Oh what a dreamy guy! If I am going to be forced into an arranged marriage, I would like it to be with him. When he babysat and made all the sourdough starters I truly fell in love 😍
🥐The discussions about mental health. I am so grateful romance books are opening up to the discussion!!
🥯The couple’s lighthearted connection. I couldn’t help but smile 😊

My only issue was that the conflict felt dramatic and a tad confusing. But overall a really fun book that I definitely recommend!!

Talk about a carb overload without even eating that delicious piece of sourdough! This story is sweet, sexy, gossipy, romantic, and hilarious! Lots of laugh out loud moments and the Indian food and bread! Had me searching for some sourdough starters by the end of the first chapter.

Reena is a cooking goddess with some crazy meddling parents and sister issues. She has just received the news that her job has been eliminated so she is hanging at her apartment trying to figure out what to do next. She eyes her hot neighbor across the hall. He has a British accent and is fit and funny -YUM! Oh Yeah -- he also turns out to be the guy his father has arranged for her marriage.

Nadim is super adorable and a great listener with a few quirky “fetishes.” He seems to be enthralled with Reena from their first meet cute. They start a friendship while competing for a Food TV competition. The first date/submission for the contest shows off their natural chemistry. After a night of chatting and drinking, she starts to cook for him and they fake record an episode for the show. While drunk they must have hit the submit button without knowing until they find out they actually make the show. Now they must fake that engagement because it is couples only contestants!

As they get to know each other we are treated to some fabulous Indian cultural experiences thru Reena’s foodie delicacies and the family dynamic. Reena’s family is a hoot! Sister is begging for input on her new recipe book, Mom is a secret card shark groupie and Dad wants Reena to “get to know” Nadim so it can advance his business interests. The only flaw in this story is that I really wanted more Nadim!

There are also some amazing supporting characters that would be great for spin off books. Her bisexual cousin Marley and good friend Shayne with his Food TV producer boyfriend Anderson would both be fun stories. I enjoyed Farah’s first novel, The Chai Factor where we got to meet Amira, Reena’s best friend and her hot guy Duncan. (You do not need to have read that book to get into this story – it is just always fun to get that character’s backstory to connect more to this one.)

Accidentally Engaged is an endearing story about two people pushed together by their parents, but eventually find their own way together. Farah Heron’s storytelling and character development is phenomenal, and I am eagerly anticipating her next installment.

Oh my gosh!!

This was absolutely sweet, sassy, and funny!

I loved this! What a unique, fresh, and flirty tale that takes you into the life of Reena Manji. Reena is a hardworking young woman of Indian heritage who will do whatever it takes to change her life including faking an engagement to a man that her parents want her to marry.

This was so light but pure fun!! The characters are so kind, lively, and flirty. This was such a unique rom com that had the touch of food, culture, and hot chemistry! What a fabulous romance full of yummy food, chemistry, and amazing characters.

4/5 stars

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Forever Publishing for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Pub date: 3/2/21
Published to GR: 2/28/21

THIS WAS GREAT! What a great and fun read, especially after reading so many serious books. This story left me wanting more and feeling apart of the characters lives.

This book captured me from page one!

I fell for Reena and Nadim from their first meet-cute and only fell deeper as this adorable cute pair fight against their attraction as they find themselves pretending to be engaged!

Reena refuses to accept the almost too perfect Nadim and because her parents have arranged this union- she will not give them the satisfaction… even if he is extremely attractive, attentive and into food and bread as much as she is! Just because she refuses to marry him, that doesn’t mean they can’t be friends, and fake-engaged tamales for a food competition… As they film their contest entries, the chemistry is a delicious as the food they make and soon they decide that they can be a not -getting-married couple and let their attraction come to fruition! Like any good meal left out too long, this relationship starts to spoil when secrets from their and their families pasts finally come to the service. Can they salvage this relationship enough to finish the completion? Or will they have to give up and start from scratch without each other?

This book had so many captivating elements, the family dynamics between Reena, her sister and her parents, the friendships that are close at hand and ones separated by a distance, the attraction between Reena and Nadim and lastly the effusive inclusion of baking bread and cooking. I loved how seamlessly author Farah Heron has put together a story that really showed her character Indian culture permeates all facets of her life and decisions.

This was fun and delicious read that made me hungry for more! This book has it all and I can not recommend it more highly!

Accidentally Engaged by Farah Heron is scheduled to release March 3rd, 2021.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Forever Grand Central Publishing. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#AccidentallyEngaged #FarahHeron #NetGalley #pinkcowlandreads

When a Muslim Baker and her parent's choice for a "Good Muslim Husband" meet there are instant sparks, but she doesn't want to give her parent's the satisfaction of having a good choice for her. But then a couple's cooking competition finds its way to her and she convinces him to pretend to be her fiance, but will they want to be something more?

This book is very sweet and filled with lots of cute scenes. The sourdough started scenes will be very familiar to many people who started bread journey's in the past year and I did love both Reena and Nadim.

Read this book if you like: sourdough bread, beer, the great british baking show, or smiling.

Reena and Nadim have a super cute relationship that started with their love of food. They had many obstacles to overcome, including Reena’s family. There are so many subplots but I love how it all ties together. The drama and gossip made me laugh so much because some of it was so unexpected!!

I really really wanted to like this book because it’s about a family/female protagonist living in Toronto from East Africa and of Indian descent and it’s not often to see South-Asian/African/Muslim characters in romance novels. The novel is about Reena, who lives in a building her father owns, and meets her neighbour Nadim one day and finds out that he is someone her family approves of and someone who works with her father, and therefore someone she feels is off limits to her. They get along extremely well though, and the book is about their relationship, and a FoodNetwork competition they enter together.

On the bright side, it was lovely to both see South Asian/East Africa culture depicted in stories and the relationship between the two sisters in this book and their attempt to figure out their relationship. For those reasons I finished the book.

On the not bright side, this book has too much going on though and it felt hard to care/hold onto all the threads going on in this book. I think the intention was to create a picture of a family that makes no sense, but in doing that, the book dragged on. Nothing was really fully developed, it felt confusing why the characters were making such a big deal of things, and the secrets felt irrelevant and pointless.

I also think the author was really trying to make a point that the characters drink in a way that felt like as a reader I was being hit over the head with this fact. I’m fine with Muslim characters drinking in novels but this book it felt like alcohol was mentioned in a heavy handed way.

Thank you @netgalley for this book!

I LOVE a fake romance and Accidentally Engaged does not disappoint. Reena and Nadeem feel perfectly made for each other, but not in a fake way. It didn't feel like a story, but it felt like falling in as a friend in this love story. There is so much love of family and relationship building here and the book is genuinely pleasant all the way through. I am SURE I will pick this up again and again!

5/5 Stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Before I read this, I read a review saying that I should be prepared to be hungry and crave baked goods. Oh. Boy. I was literally craving bread the entire time I was reading this book! My next project is definitely going to be to learning how to bake bread!

Reena navigates her relationship with her family and tries to get her life back on track, when she meets her new neighbor a Captain America body with a British accent, Nadim. Low and behold her new neighbor is to be her betrothed! Accidentally Engaged follows a budding romance between two unlikely partners. Nadim was hired to work for Reena’s father, but also to become here future hubby. Although Reena is completely opposed to this idea, her run ins with Nadim and her partnership with him for a cooking competition, makes her rethink her decisions. A fun and light read but there are important conversations that Farah Heron brings forth within light hearted situations while also tackling the hypocrisies that often plague South Asian families. Reading a book by a Canadian author often reminds me of home, and Heron’s mentions of Toronto and Canadian places and things was a cherry on top.

First of all, I want to thank NetGalley and Forever Romance for my ARC of Accidentally Engaged by Farah Heron.

Publishing Date: March 2, 2021.

Accidentally Engaged is a closed-door arranged marriage attempt diverse romance book that surprise surprise because a fake dating trope. The best part about this book is that it is packed with so much tasty bread and home food that you can basically smell it coming off the pages.

I always love reading about different cultures, so that aspect of the book was fascinating to me. If you are expecting a light rom-com you will be a little shocked about the heavy topics that are discussed throughout this book.

There was a ton packed into this book and at some points, the conflict was a little much for me, but in the end, it made it all very interesting and a quick read.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes a fake dating trope or wants a closed-door option to The Dating Plan.

This was a cute story! I seem to really like books that incorporate some family aspect or arranged marriages, and this one did not disappoint. I think the ending felt a bit rushed, I know that its good that the problem gets resolved quickly and all, but I would have liked to see more of a longer ending, and maybe that had to do with all the stories going on at once and trying to rush to resolve them. Otherwise, a good rom com that will be an easy read with enjoyable characters.

Ok, this book is absolutely adorable. Delicious food, family shenanigans, drunk cooking show audition videos, fake engagement, sourdough-relate antic – it’s got it all. One of my favorite things about the fake-relationship trope is when authors use it to explore how and why the characters keep secrets, and it was done masterfully. When I started this book, I hadn’t realized that Reena’s best friend is the main character from The Chai Factor, which I haven’t read, but this worked fine for me as a standalone.

Reena hates her career in finance but at least it’s better than working for the family real estate company. Her true passion is baking, and she’s got her eye on a pricey new baking class. Nadim doesn’t know that much about cooking, but he loves eating food, and the tempting smells coming from his neighbor’s apartment certainly make him interested in meeting her – until he runs into her in the hallway and realizes her dad is his boss and their families are trying to set them up. Reena swears that isn’t going to happen, but after a rough day and a long night at the neighborhood bar – and a drunk cooking video – they’re suddenly part of a cooking competition and pretending to be engaged. They’re both keeping more secrets than just that, though, and their families’ meddling may have ended any chance of a friendship – or a relationship – before it’s started.

“The Reena she let people see enjoyed drinks at the bar, fresh bread at home, and no drama. Who’d want the real Reena—the neurotic mess with maladaptive coping skills? Who couldn’t manage to keep a job she hated? With a family who never, ever let her be free. None of the other twelve guys had been interested in sticking around once her true self began to emerge.”


Reena felt so real. I could easily imagine grabbing a drink with her at the Sparrow and kvetching about our families and jobs. She’s not great at handling uncomfortable situations head on. Her default is to “deflect and distract” and hope the other person forgets what they were talking about. Nowhere is that more obvious than her complicated relationship with her family, especially with her sister Saira. While she works hard at presenting the facade of being a functioning adult, she actually struggles a lot with her job and lives for the moments she can spent baking. Learning to bake bread was one of her coping mechanisms for getting through her depressive episodes, and it’s something she both loves and excels at. Since the book is solely from Reena’s POV, Nadim is a bit more of a cipher. He admits readily to Reena that he’s very malleable and changes to fit in with the people he’s around. What exactly that means in his past, though, is something he’s closemouthed about, but Reena can’t complain as she’s certainly not wiling to share all her warts, either. While Reena doesn’t initially think too highly of him, through their cooking videos and other interactions (the sourdough babysitting!) he reveals that he’s secretly a complete cinnamon roll.

“Twelve boyfriends?” he asked, smiling. “Is it too unlucky to try for a thirteenth? Am I doomed to fail?”
She shook her head. “Thirteen is a baker’s dozen. The extra one always tastes the sweetest.”


I liked their journey from strangers to friends to lovers. Reena’s adamant from the beginning that she won’t marry Nadim, but, gradually, she’s willing to be friends and then maybe even date him. I loved how comfortable they were with each others – the cooking videos were so sweet and steamy at the same time – and I also loved how both of them were so afraid of being vulnerable with the other for fear of losing their relationship. They’re absolutely wonderful together, but their secrets keep them from committing fully. On top of that, Reena doesn’t think she can trust a relationship with someone who works for her dad, for good reason.

Reena’s dad – and the rest of her family – is overbearing but ultimately loving (if in a very certain way). I like that Reena’s dynamics with her family – which she somewhat jokingly describes as toxic at the start of the book – progress, but aren’t completely fixed by the end of the book. Her relationship with her family – and all the secrets they’re keeping from each other – mirror her relationship with Nadim. Sure, everything looks great from the outside, but Reena, at least, spends most of her time internally worrying about being found out or guilt-ridden about all the secrets. Part of that goes back to her “distract and deflect” habit, and the worst is with her sister Saira. Even when she works up the courage to confront her, it doesn’t go exactly the way she planned – or the way most authors would write it – and I love how ambivalent she felt about doing something so outside her comfort zone. Their progress towards a more healthy relationship is slow and involves, well, a lot of health food.

“I need someone to feed Brian while I’m away.”
“You have a pet? And his name is Brian?”
“No, Brian’s not a pet…He’s my…he’s a sourdough. Well, one of them.”
“He’s a what?”
She sighed. “He’s a sourdough starter.”


This book made me so hungry – the puri, the dal, the bhajias, not to mention all the delicious bread! One of the things I really loved was that Reena refused to do fusion food for the cooking show. She’s going to make dishes she grew up eating, not try to dumb things down and make something fake just for TV – which is hilarious when you consider they’re faking their relationship for TV. It’s clear how much Reena loves cooking and how it’s a reflection of her culture and family for her. She even jokes that one of the reasons she keeps attending family dinners is for her mom’s puri.

Overall, I loved the food, the complex family relationships, and most of all, Reena. I will definitely be picking up The Chai Factor and anything else this author writes!

I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Dreamy sigh. I loved Accidentally Engaged so much and am sad to be finished. Reena has been let go from her job. She’s finding comfort in her favorite hobby - baking delicious bread. She’s intrigued when she meets her hot new neighbor Nadim - until she learns he is working with her dad and her parents want to arrange their marriage. No way - she doesn’t want any part of her parents’ meddling.

But when Reena learns of a cooking competition with a top prize of tuition to cooking school and the only catch is that it is couples competing...maybe she and Nadim could just pretend to be engaged. And surely her parents will never see the videos on FoodTV.

I loved so much about this book - first and foremost Nadim and Reena and their amazing chemistry. I loved all the ways we saw Reena interacting with her family and especially her relationship with her sister. I loved learning about the East African Indian Muslim Canadian culture and as the author wrote in her acknowledgements reading “a romance between two people finding their place in culture, and falling in love through their love of home cooking”.

I highly highly recommend going out right now to buy some fresh bread and this book and settle in for an amazing evening.

Thank you to Forever and Netgalley for the advance reading copy.

A fake relationship romcom that intertwines POC culture in an authentic, organic fashion? Someone must have been reading my dream journal.

There is a lot to like about Accidentally Engaged, but it's the infusion of the main characters' cultural roots that's the real standout to me. Though I myself am neither Indian nor East African, Heron's writing manages to portray Reema and Nadim's world in a manner that connected to me. Reading about their food, their customs, their lives felt like I was reading about my own home.

I've read a number of books that center around POC where the attempts to celebrate aspects of their culture seemed to be doled out in heavy-handed servings, to the point where the admiration felt superficial. Here, more restraint is shown in the usage of food descriptors, but the characters' love for their cuisine shines brighter. The details don't pander to an imagined clueless audience - the book simply offers its flavors and trusts the reader to taste them as intended. The book's depiction of Reema and Nadim's worlds as a whole is treated with the same implicit confidence, and the reading experience is better off for it.

Unfortunately, I can't say that the plot itself connects with me in the same way, and it especially lost me in the last act. While the book's employed tropes appeal to me, in the end, the actual plot just simply isn't my preferred type of storyline. This could certainly not be the case for other readers.

There isn't much else for me to criticize about this book, since the basis for my lowered enjoyability is such a subjective one. I admittedly noticed a good amount of spelling and grammar issues, but there's no reason to be critical about such details in an advance copy. Overall, the quality of Heron's writing is solid, and the way that the book manages to convey and celebrate the characters' worlds deserves to be commended. Despite being personally underwhelmed by the plot, I'd definitely be open to reading more from the author in the future.

My thanks to NetGalley and Forever for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.