When learning about a new culture what is one thing you want to know?

For me it’s food. One thing I love about culturally diverse books is the introduction to new cuisine. It’s fun to live vicariously through the flavors and scents of a recipe that is being made or a meal that characters are bonding over. And this book had an abundance of food that made me salivate just by the name alone and oh dear loaf, all the bread one could dream of. Give me all the rye Brian’s, sourdough Bobs, and all their puppies from carefully maintained starters. I wished nothing more than to just be able to jump into these pages and eat all day.

The writing style of the author is charming. I couldn’t help but have a permanent grin reading Nadim and Reena’s interaction. There was a subtlety in growth between Nadim and Reena from friends-to-more that captivated me from their very first encounter. It was easy to get lost in their connection because together they felt authentic and the progression was organic. There’s an instant attraction and the magnetism towards the other is undeniable from the very beginning. From their meet cute in the hallway to bonding over making meals, they didn’t have a fight chance against what was developing. Though they have lighthearted and witty banter, they are also able to connect on a deep level.

Bonding over food was at the core of their connection which blossomed by sharing their love for food and their history behind each recipe. In a way this brought a more Intimate setting and opened dialogue to connect more than just sharing a meal. You can learn a lot about a culture by the way they use food. It brings families together for open conversation, or in this case avoidance of truths, it can spark memories that bring comfort, or start traditions that bring people closer together.

I felt this book went above and beyond a typical romcom. This is a book more about Reena and her journey discovering her way in life, her purpose, and doing her best at adulting. It was interesting to dive into Reenas culture and see the stark contrast between her parents ideals and how they clash with her modernistic attitude. It was intriguing to see how Reena's relationship with each member would develop as the story progressed.

Please have a full stomach while reading this. The mere mention of Reena's creations had me salivating. The story had complexities that both opened my eyes to Indian culture and a new appreciation for my own culture. Thank you to Forever Pub and NetGalley for this ARC and my stomach thanks you Farroh for this amazing food journey and the surprise at the end.

I think this is a situation where this particular story didn't work for me. The writing is good, the characters were solid. But the plot could have been solved if the heroine developed boundaries, and the main couple actually talked to one another. This didn't hit the spot for me but I will try others by this author.

A fun and engaging read romance fans can look forward to coming out March 2!
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SUMMARY: When Reena meets her handsome neighbor, there’s immediate chemistry. Nadim is handsome and charming—but he’s also the man her parents are pushing her to marry! Wanting to live her own life, Reena vows never to marry him, but a cooking competition—in which contestants must be coupled up—has Reena looking to Nadim for help. That’s when things really start heating up!
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There’s so much to love about this book! Nadim was such a charmer, and every interaction between the couple put a smile on my face. Even Nadim’s unusual interest in feet just added another aspect to his goofy personality.
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I loved the strong cooking theme throughout the book. It was interesting to learn more about Indian food through the characters, and I enjoyed sitting in as they strategized how to navigate each challenge of the competition.
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I also enjoyed hearing from a diverse voice in the genre. I feel like so often stories from writers with backgrounds similar to Heron are shared in the form of Very Important (read: depressing) Books. And while those books should certainly be read and enjoyed, it’s nice to see these same themes—family, honor and secrecy in the Muslim migrant community—play out in a lower stakes, approachable format.
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I’d definitely recommend it for fans of the genre and look forward to seeing other books from this author!

A review from a reader that doesn't usually read romances-

I read the first couple of chapters and it was almost too corny for me. I put it down for a while, but I'm glad I came back to finish it!

I loved the Indian/ East African, Muslim, and mental health representation! Mental health isn't take about enough in the black community, and also I feel like the whole romance genre could use more diverse characters. This delivered!

I was drawn back into this book by the family drama, and secrets. That made it way more interesting.

I also really appreciated how this book was focused on black people having normal life experiences. There are so many books out there about oppression, and while those stories are necessary, we also need joyful Black stories to show that Black people are more than the challenges they face.

One final note about the smut- If you're looking for a graphic, steamy, scene, this aint it. Instead the sex scenes are movie-like in the sense that they start with some hot making out, then jump to 2 try satisfied people the next morning. I didn't mind this, because it allowed more focus on the characters, and may appeal to a more conservative Muslim audience?

This book has a lot of different aspects that I enjoyed it discusses Indian culture, arranged marriages and baking/cooking. I highly recommend reading this if you need a distraction and enjoy a light read. It does discuss mental health depression but skims over it very lightly which was a little disappointing. The HEA is not what you expect. I rate this a 3.75.


*************************I received an ARC for my honest review from NetGalley.********************************

Reena Manji is in a rough spot - she dislikes her job in Finance, is decidedly single, and constantly has to deal with her meddling family. But things are about to get worse when she gets laid off AND finds out that her father has arranged a marriage for her to Nadim, one of his business associates who just so happens to live across the hall from Reena… AND be smoking hot. Despite Reena’s refusal to marry Nadim, they strike up a friendship (partially based on his admiration for her amazing bread baking skills!) and soon find themselves faking an engagement in order to enter a TV cooking contest for couples that could give Reena the opportunity to pursue her passion for food. Along the way, Reena grows closer to Nadim, uncovers her family’s secrets, and most importantly - learns what will truly make her happy.

I really loved the characters in this book. Reena was so relatable and likable, and I really enjoyed learning about her quirks and personality. Nadim was the perfect mysterious, dark and handsome hero for the book! Reena’s family will feel familiar to anyone that has a family full of big personalities and high expectations. Although lighthearted and fun, the book portrayed some challenges with mental illness in a realistic and appropriate way.

I honestly think that my favorite thing about this book was learning about Reena and Nadim’s shared East African Indian Muslim Canadian culture. I loved learning more about the Muslim religion and traditions, and I can’t even tell you how hungry I was reading descriptions of the many East African and Indian dishes in the book. Also, fair warning - you will be overcome by a strong urge to bake... or at least eat... a lot of bread by the time you finish reading!

I highly recommend Accidentally Engaged - I think it will end up being one of my favorite romances of the year! And now that I’ve discovered Farah Heron, I’ve already added her debut novel, The Chai Factor, to my TBR list!

I really enjoyed Farah's take on two people pinned under their parents and the pressure of their cultures and beliefs. Although I can't relate to the storyline, I have a feeling there are quite a few people who can. Reena and Nadim"s relationship was an obvious instant attraction, the "love to hate " type. I fell in love with every character at some point in time in the book. Farah made you angry at the characters until at some point you would learn to understand why these characters were the way they were and you grew to love them. This is not just a love story between two people it is a story about family dynamics and overcoming expectations and history, going forwards and growing TOGETHER. Absolutely loved it! Farah based the story in Toronto, Canada which as a Canadian it was refreshing to read.
Most certainly will follow this Author as she writes future novels!
Thank you Netgalley for my ARC

“I could barely breathe that night when I found you sitting outside my door barefoot with a bag of bread. You were prickly and so independent, but I finally felt like I belonged somewhere. You feel like home.”

What You’ll Find:
✔️Romantic Comedy
✔️Culture Enriched
✔️Fake Relationship
✔️Closed Door
✔️Singular POV

Reena’s love is baking. Bread especially. What she doesn’t love is her finance job and her parent’s meddling. And meddle again they have, with her new sexy neighbour Nadim, who they want Reena to marry. When they find themselves pretending to be engaged for a cooking contest, their fake relationship changes and things get physical. But if feelings aren’t involved it shouldn’t matter when secrets are exposed, right?

This was such an enjoyable story! Fun and flirty. This is closed door, but had sizzling chemistry and great humour. Though it tackles some serious topics as well. And I enjoyed that, how well rounded this story felt.

I adored both MC’s. Reena is a little lost in life but that doesn’t dampen her spunky personality. Or her love for cooking. Nadim is just so sweet. And sexy to be honest. Just goes with the flow. The two of them complimented each other so well. It was fun to watch their relationship take its time as they become friends first.

This story wasn’t without its drama and secrets. And for me, some of it was a bit much. But this story was still exactly what I needed! Definitely check this one out, but be sure to have snacks handy. It will make you very hungry!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for this advanced copy for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this one! Farah Heron put this story together beautifully with lots of neatly woven-in plot lines and unexpected intersections of characters. And it's a deep exploration of how Reena feels in her family, her career, and her life plan. The limited third-person POV works really well here, and as much as I would have wanted Nadim's POV, not showing it is a smart move so we're kept guessing not about his interest in Reena (because it's clear to me that he's into her, even if she isn't sure) but about his intentions and his backstory. The chemistry and banter between Reena and Nadim is fabulous. I do think the end was a bit rushed, but honestly, the book was such a delight that I don't really mind. 4.5 stars.

Do not read this while hungry because the food descriptions will have you wishing for all of the delicious food in the book and cursing that you don't have it in your house while you read!

In a week were I can't seem to read anything other than light, low stakes romance novels, this book was perfect.

While some of the plot points seemed overly dramatic and unrealistic, if you're willing to suspend disbelief while reading, this book is very enjoyable.

Reena is quirky but not overly so to the point where she is annoying and Nadim is almost too perfect for her.

I didn't love the message that you should forgive family for completely beyond the pale behavior just because "they're family" but was willing to overlook that for the sake of the adorable ending.

I especially enjoyed how in depth the details on Reena's bread baking were and loved the whole baking show plot line.

Oh my gosh this was so cute! But first, a warning; do not read this on an empty stomach! The story was funny and heartwarming and the Brian and Al part had me laughing out loud and texting my friends, because it was so hilarious and because I totally knew what Nadim was saying. I loved that except for the little hitch, because there always has to be a hitch, this was such a solid progression of dislike to friends to more.

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for providing me an arc via Netgalley.
Firstly, this cover is absolutely gorgeous!!
I loved everything about this book! The author was able to inovate the fake dating trope, the banter was excellent and the representation as well.
As a half canadian, I loved that this was set in Toronto, loved the mentions of canadian quirks and Tim Hortons!
The food descriptions are mouth watering, I was hungry the whole time so, if you're looking for a fun and delicious contemporary romance, I definitely recommend this!
I will also be reading the chai factor by the same author, I need more insight on Amira and Duncan's relationship!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishing team for sending me this ARC!

This was a cute read. As a romance reader, I enjoyed it! It's a 3-3.5 stars for me. As a Muslim reader, I was a little put-off.

Reena and Nadim had a connection right from the start and the way they both evolved from the beginning of the story to the end was enjoyable to read. Reena battles with being a first-gen child of an immigrant family in a way that is very relatable to anyone who has dealt with finding the balance between both sides of the culture they're raised in. She experienced a growth of character that allowed her to better accept herself, her identity, and most importantly her family and culture. I really loved her love of baking and cooking and how that came up in her relationships. I loved the idea behind the contest and it was fun to read!

Again, as a romance reader, this was a very sweet read with a nice build up between the couple and so much cuteness.

However, I think I was put-off a little bit because of how normalized all the things that Muslims don't do and isn't permissible in Islam that is very normalized in this book. The drinking, the dating, the pre-marital sex, the gambling. I understand of course, that not all Muslims have the same experiences or practice Islam in the same way but when you say Muslim couple/family and then depict everything that is the exact opposite of what Muslims and Muslim families do, it can cause a lot of misunderstanding. This is a romance novel and I know the author's goal isn't to teach people about Islam in it but there is some responsibility on the author to clarify what's permissible in their actions and what isn't. Islam is very clear-cut about what is permissible and what is not, there's no in-between on these things. I think authors should definitely be careful on topics like this to avoid any kind of confusion for non-Mulism readers.

Nonetheless, the book wrapped up nicely. I do think there were so many secrets that caused <i>such</i> drama and it made some parts feel a little dragged but overall, cute read!

Thanks to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

✓ Muslim/Indian Representation, ✓ Close Proximity (Neighbors), ✓ Fake Engagement, ✓ Bread. All the Bread. 🥖

If this book doesn't make you want to take up a hobby in bread making, I don't know what will.

We can meet the main character, Reena, who loves to bake bread. So much, in fact, that her hunky brown Captain America neighbor, Nadim, who she met just moments prior, informs her that he can smell it all the way in his apartment. Their connection is instant. But it's quickly soured; he not only works for her father, but their parents are pushing for them to be engaged! Of course this was the work of her meddling parents. But she doesn't want a marriage that's "facilitated" by her family; she wants something real. Real relationships aren't born out of meddling parents. After a confronting family dinner where her family tries to encourage her to get to know Nadim, she learns about her sister's new cookbook release. She's left to confront her own failures with her own ventures and her lackluster feelings toward her job. It is then she learns about the Home Cooking Showdown, a video cooking contest, and her friends try to convince her to sign up. The catch is that the show is looking for "home cooking", so she looks to Nadim, who's slowly becoming her friend, to be her fake fiance. But as they make videos for the contest, Reena is enjoying cooking with him. A little too much. Where is the line between fake and real?

I think that Reena and Nadim's chemistry is just through the roof. Nadim is sweet and charming from the beginning and he is just a lovable love interest. I loved how we got to watch their relationship progress through their "fake" relationship and with them cooking together. I love that they both share an interest in cooking. Their chemistry when cooking together is just WOW. The fact that he even started keeping his own sourdough starter (his name is Al, OK?) because he didn't want to waste Reena's and even tried to make his own bread? Adorable. Throughout the book is just those little instances that shows that he cares. Also he likes feet. Maybe a little too much? 👀

Reena is also a relatable character. She doesn't really love her job - I mean what millennial really does - and she has a meddling family. And bread. She likes bread. And even has her own bread starters (they have names!). She also wants to be free from her desi parents' wishes and live how she wants. I'm not privy to desi or Muslim culture, but their dynamics seemed very realistic and I learned a lot about Indian culture.

What I wasn't so hot for was the family drama and drama that cropped up at the end. A lot of that drama and family toxicity could've been solved with some communication, which did happen, but it took a bit to get there. I just don't like the plot device of some big secret getting revealed being the driving force trying to separate the main characters. It's overdone, in my opinion. And then we did the whole dance with the main character ignoring the love interest, not letting them explain and yelling at them, but then turning around a few days later wanting to talk. Can we stop with that? I do like that it got resolved in the end, and I felt that their bonds as a family were stronger after.

Overall, it was a cute read and I really liked the ending. It was very sweet after all the drama and tied up really nicely.

And I seriously want to try my own hand at baking bread now.

Great book! It was rom-com with adult issues interwoven. It was funny and refreshing. It wasn’t too cheesy.

Thank you to @readforever pub for a copy of this book. All I can say is don’t read this book while hungry, all I want to eat is fresh baked bread. I loved this story on Reena finding herself while figuring her relationship with Nadim. Their chemistry was hot and I adore the banter. The supporting cast of characters are a lot of fun too.

This is my second book by Farah Heron, and I am officially a fan. Between the relatable and badass feminist heroines, hot leading men, snappy dialogue, and yummy food descriptions, there is a lot to like. I loved being able to revisit the characters from The Chai Factor too. And I'm absolutely craving Indian food in a big way! This was a wonderful romance with the right amount of humor, angst, depth, and plot twists to keep things interesting. I'm excited for her next book, whether adult or young adult.

My thanks to NetGalley for making an eARC copy of this book available to me.

This book deserves the four stars for the food and cooking descriptions alone. (I'm hoping that Brian will get his own book and can't wait to see how the author comes up with the right romantic partner.) Lots of nice humorous scenes, although I didn't have any real laugh-out-loud moments. While I found some of the side characters a bit annoying, I'm pretty sure that is what the author had in mind. The progression of the relationship between the main characters was enjoyable to watch. I appreciate that the author didn't, in the end, try to make all of the familial relationships have a fairytale ending.

Something about Farah Heron's writing really works for me. The humor maybe?
Reena is smart and generous and all sorts of things, but she's also just... real. Her situation, stuck in a career field that she doesn't love, getting laid off once again and trying to avoid the pressure and judgment of family who (while well-intentioned) have no idea what she wants in life, is as frustrating as it is mundane. So often, we read about protagonists who have this overwhelming drive and a great career and all they're "missing" is a relationship. But Reena is just sort of floating along and that's really close to home, for me at least.
I loved the way Reena and Nadim came together, messy and complicated as it was. Reena's got a lot of life and family stuff to sort through, but the romance is central enough that I don't think it was overshadowed.
I was so happy to see Amira and Duncan again, too. :)

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher for review. A different version of this review will run at Shelf Awareness.

I absolutely loved Farah Heron’s debut The Chai Factor and could not wait to get my hands on this. While this is about Amira’s best friend Reena, it works just find as a standalone and we get some fun appearances from Amira and Duncan.

This proved to be such an enjoyable read! If I could boil down the premise, it’s this: Reena is tired of her meddling parents so she’s dating Nadim, her neighbor she’s pretending to be engaged to for a cooking contest and whom her parents want her to marry…but they’re not telling their parents. That is a whole lot of family drama right there. But on the other side of it is Nadim, a man who has come to Toronto for a second chance at life and who becomes the genuinely good guy he was all along. But because of parental meddling, which included encouraging Nadim and Reena to marry as part of a business deal, Reena can’t trust that Nadim is genuinely interested in her and so she’s able to rationalize their fake-but-real-but-secret relationship.

Reena and Nadim are perfect together and I loved watching them navigate their neighbors to friends to lovers relationship. But the real star of this story is the food. Not only does Reena bake bread constantly thanks to her sourdough starter (who has a name, thank you very much), she’s also an accomplished chef. She’s just been downsized at work when she learns about the FoodTV Home Cooking Showdown, which offers the prize of a scholarship to culinary school. Not only did Reena’s food sound amazing, she made cooking feel accessible and I’m all in favor of when that happens. This book made me extremely hungry while reading. Nadim can cook but he’s mostly there as Reena’s sidekick and he made a great sous chef. He also gave her a ceramic crock for her sourdough starter, which was such a sweet and unexpected gift. Nadim had all these little ways of really seeing Reena and they melted me every time.

Nadim is from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, as are Reena’s parents. At one point, he talks about being a triple-migrant (India, Tanzania, England, Canada) and what that experience is like. And then Reena reflects on being a double-migrant (India, Tanzania, Canada). I don’t think I’ve seen these particular terms used in romance before but it’s such a helpful framework when it comes to discussing immigration. I also liked the way religion was woven in, with Reena being described to Nadim as a “good Muslim girl” when she knows she’s not and so on. All of her family members have different relationships to Islam and I liked seeing this played out.

Several years ago, South African friends pointed out how Africa (a vast continent!) is often used to describe where someone is from, instead of their specific country, but this doesn’t tend to happen with other countries/continents. The same thing happened here. Nadim is often described as being “from Africa” or talking about how he’s going back to Africa, when really it should be that he’s from or returning to Tanzania. If Nadim was from Italy, it wouldn’t say he was thinking about going back to Europe. Heron herself is Indian Tanzanian Canadian so perhaps the editor/publisher thought readers could not grasp where Tanzania is, which sells everyone short. (And look, I'm saying this as a white American reader so take it with a grain of salt. That conversation with my friends really opened my eyes to the way this frequently happens in pop culture and the news.)

There is a whole lot of plot and it got overwhelming at different points. It might have been better to remove a couple of the conflicts and strengthen the ones that were already there. For instance, at one point Reena stops drinking alcohol and it wasn’t clear whether she was worried about dependency or if this was related to her past depression or if she was simply making a healthy choice while processing a painful situation. It could also be a pacing issue because of the sheer amount of secrets Reena’s family was keeping from one another. While I found Reena’s emotional arc to ultimately be satisfying, I do wish she had started dealing with things, at least one of the situations, earlier. Her trademark is to deflect and distance but she wasn’t called out on it soon enough for my liking and I really struggled with the way she put her head in the sand. This might be particular to me because plots with toxic family dynamics are not my favorite, especially when the characters aren’t going to cut ties. By the end, Reena’s family is in a better place but for much of the book, I didn’t understand why she would spend any time with her parents, much less go to weekly brunch.

Heron writes closed door books, while also exploring power dynamics (The Chai Factor) and fetishes. This has fade to black sex scenes but Nadim also has a foot fetish. I can’t say that his fetish was always treated with kindness and respect—Reena finds it hilarious, for instance. But she does let him massage her feet at various points. In any case, Reena and Nadim have chemistry for days and we may not know precisely what happened in bed but the book is not lesser for it.

Note: if you read The Chai Factor, you may remember that Reena’s sister’s disordered eating was a big concern. I was prepared for it to be here but instead Saira doesn’t even bring it up until perhaps halfway through and she’s received treatment and it does not appear to be a major concern anymore. Reena and Saira still have issues but it’s different from their conflict before.

Character notes: Reena is a 31 year old Indian Tanzanian Canadian Muslim woman working in finance with a passion for baking bread. Nadim is a 32 year old Indian Tanzanian man with a British accent, who is a property development project manager for Reena’s father. This is set in Toronto.

CW: heroine has a history of depression, toxic family dynamics, hero and heroine get head lice, perceived infidelity (but no cheating occurred), alcohol, past disordered eating (secondary character), medicinal marijuana (secondary character), anxiety (secondary character), heroine’s sister’s fiancé cheated on her with his cousin, heroine’s sister-in-law is pregnant with twins (off-page for most of the story but frequently referenced), ableist language