I love fake dating because there really is like 1% fake from right away but the rest is just the slowest burn and we all know it. The characters, naive characters, think they can just fake it, well I have news for you. You'll have feelings. It'll happen. It's inevitable.
I loved this book. It showed us different ways to be out. And all the pros and cons, mostly cons in one of the character's case, of being out and surrounded by people. Some so called friends will invalidate and diminish how you feel, others will be supportive. Maybe you will want to be out to everyone and that's valid, and maybe you'll want to decide who knows and that's valid too. I loved how we could see from the different POVs how some comments and reactions change depending on who was the one seeing it and the one experiencing it. It was a really nice and very important story and also super cute. Don't fool yourself about fake love, nothing fake, all feels.

This was a really fun, fresh take on the fake-dating trope—full of hijinks, humor, and heart! I loved getting to see a classic romance trope from a fresh voice.

Such a sweet read! I like that this isn't a typical US-centric read as so many of the YA titles we see seem to be. This sapphic tale will have you cheering for our protagonists from the first page all the way to the end. Great for fans of Becky Albertalli and the like.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me an advanced copy of this book to read and review.

This was such a sweet and entertaining YA to read. While it is a light read, it also tackles many important social issues. The characters have personalities that makes it easy to connect with. I’d definitely recommend if you love ya contemporary

Although a minor point for some, I love that this tale of two queer girls of South Asian descent take place in Ireland (and not New Jersey, for example). It seems as though many stories, even when they feature QTBIPOC, continue to be U.S.-centric. Additionally, I appreciate the depiction of the diversity within/among South Asian cultures: important to remember and at the same time, just *is*, if that makes any sense. Plot-wise, the fake dating trope may be a little bit tired, but Jaigirdar's snappy prose made HANI and ISHU quite an enjoyable read.

Rounding up from 3.25 stars.

Jaigirdar writes such sweet romances! We need more of these sapphic stories with well-developed characters and explorations of family and cultural identity. I liked the development of the relationship between Hani and Ishu as well as their own individual storylines. Both felt like different characters with unique voices, which I know some authors struggle to portray. It was hard to read about the homophobia and biphobia, but I think it was handled well. I will recommend this to my teens who crave contemporary romances.

An extremely cute book. The more I read it, the more I loved it. You'll cheer for Hani and Ishu from the first page to the last!

Adorable and sweet, this is the perfect middle or high school romance novel combining so many classic teen rom-com tropes but in a brand new setting with desperately needed diversity.

This was a fun read, though I was underwhelmed by the ending - it felt like there were too many loose ends still. I did, however, love the exploration of what makes a friendship and what we owe our families and to ourselves, and the pacing and voice were great.

Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating was one of the best LGBTQ+ books I read in 2021. The relationships with their families made me happy and sad at the same time, and made the entire story hit that much harder.

A fake dating story that satisfies all your needs if you enjoy this trope.
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There are tough discussions about assimilation and toxic friendships. There is an equal balance of light and cheerful romance that warms your heart.
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Hani and Ishu are both lovely characters that are dealing with the pressure of parents’ ideas and morals.
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This also fits the bright bubbly character that falls for the grump!

I had my doubts about a sapphic YA fake dating novel… but this was actually really well done. Even though it still felt young (characters are 16 and 17, I believe), it didn’t make it hard to listen to as an adult. All the issues were actually believable, and it dealt with a lot of big topics (racism, biphobia, family trauma) in a very nice and realistic way. I highly recommend for both younger and older readers.

This book was absolutely delightful. I'm so happy it exists. I imagine it'll mean a lot to all queer girls of color, and especially young queer muslim girls.

This was a cute middle school enemies to "lovers" trope that I enjoyed. Culture is important for these girls and it shows how that plays a part in their sexuality journey.

Absolutely loved this book! This is truly the perfect recipe for a love story and the queer rep was incredible. Jaigirdar is firmly establishing herself to be a must-have voice in YA.

Another skilful and heartwarming read from Jaigiradar, whose protagnonists have depth, nuance and charm in spades. A compelling read, with an admirable lightness of touch.

This is a classic fake dating romance between two girls who weren’t exactly enemies before, but definitely fit into the “opposites attract” category. I liked how distinct their personalities were and how they end up complementing each other (but not before clashing first). While their romance is the focus of the plot, it’s Jaigirdar’s depiction of being a Bengali teen in a very white high school that caught my attention the most. Both Humaira and Ishita deal with everyday racism and microaggressions, but they deal with them in very different ways. Ishita seems to tune them out, or prefers not to consciously think about them. Humaira reacts with anger and frustration at the system. The school administration demonstrates blatant (racially biased) favoritism that made me angry just to read about, but that’s accepted as a fact of life.

One small note is that I appreciated that this book starts with content warnings, which I hope is becoming a more common practice. Overall, I thought this was even stronger than The Henna Wars. Both main character feel three-dimensional and fully-realized, and it was entertaining to see how they tried to adapt to each other and work together. If you’re a fan of fake dating or F/F YA, definitely give this one a try.
Thanks to NetGalley and Page Street Publishing for the ARC.

This trope-filled fake-dating teen romance featuring two queer Bengali girls is an excellent follow-up to Jaigirdar's debut novel, THE HENNA WARS. The teen characters are funny, well-developed, and authentically teen. With important, teen-centered dialogue about culture, religion, and identity alongside the swooniest rom-com moments, readers will find so much to love about this book.

My first reaction to this book is Hani's friends are absolute jerks. My second reaction was "a win for the sapphics!"

This was a cute contemporary and I loved seeing supportive parents in a queer YA book. While I thought it was cute, I didn't think it did anything totally groundbreaking or exciting. It was just a nice, cute novel about women loving women. And honestly, you love to see it.