Two girls with something to gain. Hani wants to prove to her friends that she really is bisexual by dating a girl, and Ishu wants to become Head Girl. They decide to start fake dating, with an extremely elaborate plan in order to make both of those things happen.

However things can't be as easy as that and they start to come up against friends, family, and situations that want to pull them apart, plus then there is the addition of real feelings potentially making things even more complicated.

This book was fun and I enjoyed that we were able to see this story from both Hani and Ishu's point of view. It was sweet in the way that high school romances are and I did enjoy this book. It took me a bit to fall in love with the characters but throughout the course of the book I started to enjoy them more.

Give me anything fake dating. It's seriously one of my favorite tropes. So when I first heard about Hani & Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating I was hooked. I loved Jaigirdar's first book, The Henna Wars, and was just over the moon, no over the galaxy excited for the next. Hani & Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating is a story about calling out our friends, about even realizing that some behavior isn't acceptable. It's hard to realize that people we've known forever, that we hear their voices in our head, but are actually hurting us. To put a name to that gut feeling in our stomach, to that moment of hurt. This element of friendship, and toxic friendships, is one of my favorite elements of Hani & Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating!

Hani & Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating is a win on so many levels. It discusses feeling like our identity marks us as being 'too much', the struggles of our immigrant parents, and the ways we can feel like we aren't enough. Emotional from start to finish, there's not only romance, discussions about friendships, but also conversations about family and expectations. I instantly loved Ishu, the ways she feels guarded and a bit prickly, but felt so relatable. But I also fell in love with Hani, the ways she feels "too" much and the ways she is able to give a voice to that feeling of their lives, and cultures, which don't register to others.

This book was seriously delightful! Sweet, tender, emotionally poignant, and so much fun to read. All the food described sounded amazing, and reading a sapphic rom com about two queer brown girls (one of whom is Muslim) was truly healing!

Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating is the fake dating love story I desperately needed right now! It was cute and funny and just utterly perfect. Hani and Ishu are the only two Bengali girls at their very Catholic, very white, Irish all-girls school. They concoct a fake dating scheme to prove to Hani’s crappy friends that she is truly bisexual and help Ishu get voted Head Girl. Things quickly get messy as they do in fake dating, and the girls have to figure out what their real goals were.

This was a very quick read and will be a fun re-read. The characters were all beautifully flawed and complicated. Both girls have loving relationships with their parents, even though Ishu’s parents are set in their ways and a bit rigid on their expectations for their daughters. Ishu’s relationship with her “perfect” older sister was written in a way that felt very true to a competitive sibling dynamic.

Thank you to NetGalley for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this one was cute. It took me a minute to figure out that it was taking place in the UK with the language and slang, which kind of threw me off because I didn't know what some of the words meant.

Ahh what a cute sophomore novel that Jaigirdar that has written once again! Interwoven into those happy/light moments though are important serious topics that Jaigirdar excels at doing especially if you’ve read the Henna wars too!
such as talking about culture, toxic friendships, religion/sexuality stereotypes.. and many more!

Jaigirdar writes some of the most real/well written characters and I love how they are not perfect, they have flaws just like we all do in real life.. and as I’ve said before characters make up a lot of what I love about a book for me and so when the author just delivers and gives us such real and amazing characters I’m like yess!!


I’ve just got to add! The friends (if you can call them that) Hani has.. I was just shouting at the pages like she could hear me and was like STOP HANI THEY DONT DESERVE YOU!! Ooo they made me angry!! If you have read/when you read you will know!!


You know I’m a sucker for a fake dating trope and hate to love so when I hear that phrase to describe a book or will be a trope in a book.. I’m there, I’m ready and the books already been bought 😂 the romance between Hani and Ishu Just was the cutest.. yes they had that push and pull throughout the relationship but of course we are not here for relationships to be plain sailing as not very realistic then hehe!

Like I said after The Henna wars I can’t wait to read what Jaigirdar writes next and now I’m saying it again!! I’m ready for more and more stories Adiba.

This is just the cute contemporary book you absolutely need to read! Adiba Jaigirdar has successfully written yet another cute sapphic story with the Desi representation that we all need.

The relationship between Hani and Ishu themselves was effortless. It never seemed forced, and their character arcs complimented each other beautifully. Both of them are hilarious and their conversations really flesh out their personalities, Despite being near polar opposites, they fit together wonderfully.

Hani and Ishu also go through their own independent struggles that I think a lot of Desi kids can relate to. Craving parental approval, dealing with long time friends being bigots, complicated sibling relations, the difficulties of immigrating West etc.

The subplot involving Ishu and her sister Nik was so heartwarming, and seeing Hani stand up to her bigoted best friends was empowering.

I cannot recommend this book enough!

I'll be honest, I don't know what I expected from this book. It was my first time reading a Desi centered contemporary novel. To say the least, it was not bad, but I was often confused at times with the book. Despite the fact that the Ebook format was horrible, which is not the author's fault, I felt that also added to why I did not understand what was happening at times.

However, I will say that is was a stressful, yet cute book. The dynamics with Hani's white friends really bothered me, especially with the way it ended up for them. I did appreciate the fact, though, that it was true to real life in the case of Aisling. When I say this, I mean the way she faced no repercussions for their actions while their counterparts who may be people of color, face the most consequences despite not being at fault.

Something I found weird, was Ishu saying she did not believe in God. It is to my knowledge, many Indians in fact are religious, mainly Hindu? I say this, being one, that it was strange that Ishu would question it, but it was not clear as to whether or not her house was devoted to a certain faith. Also, I did not expect that much cursing from this book and one character, Ishu, doing all of it.

Towards the end, we see Hani have a conversation with her mother. Upon reading it, I became slightly chocked up. It made me think of my own relationship with my mother, and how we, in someway, all may face the same things in life.

Thank you to NetGalley, Adiba Jaigirdar, and Page Street Publishing for an Ebook Arc of this book.

This book is so cute. It's all the sapphic, innocent fake dating you need in your life, with well written characters, Indian & Bangeli culture, and the "I hate everyone but you" trope but done well.

The romance in this book is written phenomenally. It's cute right from the start, from the moment they decide to try to strike a deal, all the way to the end. These are definitely characters you can see falling for each other, without it being a perfect and unrealistic mirror of each other. I love how the core part of their relationship is about being genuinely comfortable with and supportive of each other. They both have these people who they give power to and compartmentalize their own wants and identity for, and it's so nice seeing how they help each other deal with that and see what they deserve.

They're also incredibly cute together in general, and I love the friendship that they create even before actual romance comes into the mix. Their conversations are really funny, and make both of them even more likable. Their texts were one of my favorite parts of the entire book. And, in the few times miscommunication comes up- as it does in fake dating stories- it gets cleared up painlessly and fairly quickly, which is such a relief. Their relationship is so nice to watch without any of the stress that can come with these types of relationships.

However, the romantic one isn't the only important relationship in this book. I love Ishu's growing relationship with her sister. As two characters who were pitted against each other most of their lives, whether intentionally or not, it's fantastic to get see them figure out how to be sisters again, and the way her sister lends Ishu the support she needs. Jaigirdar is great at writing good sister relationships, but I feel like this one in particular really excels and brings a great layer to this story.

There are certain aspects I wish were pushed a little further instead of remaining more subtle, such as the growing romance itself which seems to jump over some milestones and go right from slight attraction to a crush, and Hani standing up for herself, which was dealt with well but I would have liked to see pushed further for catharsis, but all in all it's a great book.
I can definitely see myself revisiting it as a comfort read down the line, and will be recommending it a lot when it comes out!

Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating is cute, wholesome book that stole the heart of a desi sapphic such as me from the beginning.

When Hani comes out as bisexual to her friends, they dismiss her identity as she has only ever gone out with boys and so she lies and says that she has been dating a girl, namely Ishu. Following this as the two girls spend time together to make their fake relationship look real, we discover how while the two are polar opposites, they fit together really well! Hani is kind, sweet, friendly and outgoing while Ishu is more reserved, stubborn and a little mean at times. They also come from very different families - while Hani has a ever present and accepting family, Ishu isn't close with hers and is afraid of coming out to them.

As they spend time together, and slowly fall in love, they bring out each other's best and encourage the other to stand up for themselves. It was easy to empathise with both the characters and root for them, and while I loved Ishu more because I had so much in common with her, Hani is no less of a sweetheart who carved a place in my heart to keep for herself.

The biphobia and racial and islamic microagressions and willing ignorance of Hani's friends to try and adjust to her needs, or even listen to what she was saying, infuriated me to no end, and I loved how it was dealt with in the book. It also made to show why Hani and Ishu are so perfect together - because they accommodate the other's needs and respect the other person.

I also loved the depiction of Hani's relationship with Islam and how she connected with it. Many books do not deal with how one's relationship with their religion is different due to changes in the times and mindsets but this book tackled that and talked of how Hani loved being a Muslim and I really enjoyed reading about her journey!

If you're looking for a cute sapphic book that will cheer you up, you're at the right place! I highly recommend this book because it's so cute and wholesome and does not shy away from talking about some important topics.

This one has been a book I had been anticipating for a while, so when I got given an ARC I was so excited (thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with a copy).

I expected this to be a ridiculously cute sapphic romance and it was, but it was also much more. In complete honesty, when I first picked it up it didn't engage me straight away and I had to keep forcing myself to pick it back up, which for me wasn't a good sign, and I so wanted to love it. But one day I just sat myself down with it and read it for a good chunk of time, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

Hani and Ishu's guide to fake dating is a story about two young girls who need something, Hani needs a relationship to prove to her friends that she isn't just pretending to be bisexual, and Ishu needs to be head girl. The way to get this for both of them? To date of course. I am a sucker for the fake dating trope (Thanks Lara Jean and Bryson Keller), and so I lapped up every second of their fake relationship. And while it was cute, awkward, funny and all of those things that this trope brings, it also brought with it conversations on sexuality, religion, racism, family and spoke about them honestly. Each girl has complexities. Each girl has to find herself. I watched them grow and accept themselves in this book, and more than accept themselves but embrace themselves.

I also HATED Aisling and Dee. What toxic trash those two were.

It was a great experience reading in the voice of someone who isn't my own, as I have no idea what it would be like to navigate the world in their shoes.

Although I did thoroughly enjoy this book, and would recommend it to people who wanted a cute grumpy/happy slowburn romance, it wasn't a new favourite. I will definitely still keep an eye out for any further releases from this author though!

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy. I don't know why I started or even finished reading this book. It doesn't seem realistic to me that Bengali families will be so accepting of their children being bisexual, let alone Muslim families. The story is set in Ireland, and I'm not sure if immigrant Benaglis or Muslims in Ireland are so different from the U.S., or if the author just wants it to be this way. It seems in this book "not becoming a doctor" is a bigger faux-pas than any form of queerness. I thought it was a book about fake dating, but of course the girls wind up falling for each other. There are some nice themes about true friendship, making decisions based on one's own happiness, and family. However, due to the profanity and unrealistic representation of Muslims, I wouldn't recommend this book.

Always a fan of fake dating plots, I couldn't pass up this title. Hani and Ishu are the only Bengali girls at their Irish private school, but they couldn't be more different. When Hani's friends say she can't be bi because she's never dated a girl, she lies and says she's dating Ishu.
This is a perfect execution of the fake dating trope, but it's so much more. It shows the diversity within the Bengali community, addresses family tension, and the difficulty of leaving behind unsupportive friends.

Another absolute stunner from Adiba in this heart-warming, funny yet moving story that so many young people will be able to relate to!!

Hani and Ishu are such wonderful characters. I adored this book. It brought me back to high school and I fell in to these characters lives and fake relationship. It was also interesting to read about how they balanced their family culture with the society around them.

This was a very sweet, immersively-written YA novel, with well-developed characters throughout. My only issue isn't really an issue at all--this book wasn't a completely chill, cozy read--I just wanted something more purely rom-com than what it is. Primarily, one of the main character's toxic white friends (who is biphobic AND Islamophobic, among other things) made the book more dramatic and realistic and less escapist than I was looking for. This is a me issue, not at all the book's.

I loved this book so much. Just as much as Henna Wars.
I immediately messaged the store buyer & requested we buy it and I'll handsell it at the store.
I love the two leads. I feel like Hani would have seen how aweful her "friends" are earlier on, but that's okay.
Thank you.

Sweet romance with two Bengali-Irish girls who aren't even friends, though they know each other from the Bengali community. They agree to fake that they are dating in order to each accomplish different goals. Not surprisingly they begin to have real feelings for each other but don't believe that the other one does. Sweet and fun. For grades 8 & up.

I LOVE THIS STORY !
It’s, with no hésitation, one of my favorite this year !
First, I loved The Henna Wars by Abiba Jaigirdar, and I was impatient to discover her new story. For me this story is better. The writing is even more smoother and easy to read even if english isn’t your native language, like me.
Then, I fell in love with Ishu and Hani. I love them so much ! Both are differents but make me feel close to them. For Ishu, it was how she want to makes her parents proud of her who talk to me so much. And the words of her sister, Nik, about the fact to make her own choices, for her and not for her parents, it’s something I would like to heard some years ago. Before to have troubles because of that.
For Hani, even I dislike her friends, I understand her so much too. It’s not always easy to run away a toxic relationship, even more when this relation is one of the most important things in our life. I cry for her when I read how Aisling was horrible about her bisexuality. It was so hard to read it as a queer woman. And, I really like to discover how she lives her religion, how it’s important for her.

This novel is so good and I really can’t wait to buy the book, I already preordered it but I was so impatient to have the possibility to talk about this book with my friends and my costumers

*Big thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this eArc!*

AHHHHH THIS WAS SO CUTE. I literally loved every second of this book, it was a pleasure to read.

If you want a fast paced, fake dating little contemporary read to keep you company – this is the one. It was so well written and honest – it made me laugh while also having engaging and important conversations about culture, religion, sexuality and relationships (both familial and friendships). Our two main characters were so loveable and you can’t help but root for them individually and as a couple. At some points they were a complete disaster but I loved them so it’s fine.

I read this so quickly, it was un-put-downable. It did a great job of portraying characters as not just being their cultural/religious/sexuality stereotypes but as their own person. I feel like this book is going to help so many young readers. It’s the kind of romance I wish I had been exposed to growing up – Hani and Ishu were just so lovely.

I can’t even articulate how happy this one made me, and how well it dealt with several key topics throughout. A book I’ll recommend forever and ever.

My only criticism and main reason it wasn’t a full five star is that some of the descriptions were repetitive and I would’ve liked a slower build up at the start of the book. A tiny annoyance but I couldn’t read the words ‘coconut shampoo’ any more I am sorry.

Also shoutout to the fact that this book had content warnings at the start. I love seeing that!