Thank you to Netgalley, Laila Raif, and Orion Dash for an e-arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

From Fake to Forever is Laila Raif’s debut novel. I knew I had to request this book just based on the title and cover.

Pros:
* There is great diversity throughout the characters in this book.
* Told through Dual POVs
* Fake dating trope

Just based on the pros this should have been an easily enjoyable book for me but the cons outweigh the pros for me personally.

Cons
* formatting is bad. I don’t know if this is just for the arc but it was so hard to focus.
* Writing wasn’t for me. Things just felt so choppy.
* Unclear transitions between dual POVs, sometimes you didn’t even know who you were reading about.

I just have to say this cover is absolutely stunning! Very much here for that!

I love dual-POV novels. I love being able to get into the heads of the characters and understanding their motivations etc. I will say that I think that the changes of POV without any indication was a bit distracting. Love love the character of Jiya. She's the best! I wasn't fully invested in Ibrahim as much though.

This is a great first novel debut. I think that a little tidying up and this book would be *chef's kiss*

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I wanted to like this book— it has a cute trope, a diverse cast, and adorable cover art. Unfortunately, I just could barely read it. I would be willing to give it another shot when the published version comes out if the formatting was “normalized,” but in its current state it is completely unreadable for a neurodivergent reader like me. I am unsure if this was a stylistic choice or poor editing, but unfortunately I do not see this book doing well if the formatting is not fixed.

I have to say, I have very mixed feelings about this book. The second half of it was amazing, the plot enjoyable and the characters as well as relationships between them interesting and well developed. Some of them are just asking for books about them alone- Reshma and Zafar’s relationships for example. The ending was beautiful and I loved it so much, even though I think Jiya should be careful with Ibrahim’s… impulsiveness, let’s call it that.

What bothers me is the first half of the book. As much as I liked the parts where main characters interacted with their families, I think the time they spent together which was actually described, not only mentioned was very limited and made me question when the hell did they fell in love. I think that part could have been a bit longer.

Lastly, the way the dual POVs are written makes it hard to understand who speaks when, which makes it harder to read. This needs a bit more editing.

Overall, I think the book was quite enjoyable and I would definitely love to read more books written by this author.

PS I need a whole book dedicated just to Ibrahim’s grandma. She was the best😂

I requested this book because I liked the description (and loved the cover). I was really excited to read it but unfortunately it was a bit of a letdown. I wanted to love this book, I really did, but while it wasn’t an awful book, unfortunately nothing stood out to me; not the plot, not the characters and even the romance was a bit lacklustre, which was a shame. I was close to DNFing the book on a multiple occasions.

I love dual POV; I think most books are better because of it but the way way this book changed POVs without a single warning was frustrating and confusing at times; it made me stop countless times and go back to understand what was going on and whose POV it was, which obviously isn’t great. I hope this is fixed before the book comes out, as it makes it hard to enjoy the story.

While I didn’t love this book, I reckon some of the side characters’ storylines have some potential and will keep an eye out for their stories.

This was a great debut novel by Ms. Rafi. Fake relationships are always a fun trope and each author has their own way of evolving the relationship from fake to real and this was a fun and light-hearted take on it. Jiya and Ibrahim both enter into a fake relationship to avoid arranged marriages, but it doesn't take long for the real sparks to fly. Both Ibrahim and Jiya were great characters and I enjoyed watching their relationship blossom and grow. These two were so wonderful together and just had the sweetest most amazing chemistry. The only drawback for me was knowing whose POV I was reading. It wasn't always clear, and that made it a little difficult to follow. But other than that, I found this to be a really entertaining and enjoyable story and am glad I had the opportunity to read it. I'm hoping to read Reshma and Zafar's story in an upcoming novel!
I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

This was a cute rom-com that had all the makings of a wonderful and light read. I enjoyed this book more than I expected I would and am glad to have read it. I liked that I was able to connect to the characters on a cultural level, as it brought so much more depth to the story. I'm looking forward to reading more by Laila Rafi.

The publisher kindly provided ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to Netgalley, Orion Dash and Laila Rafi for the Arc!

This book sounded like everything I love in a good old, romance. The fake dating, the diversity and culture, and the feelings that were not supposed to develop but eventually did. Unfortunately, the book didn't live up to my expectations. I'm not sure if it was the unedited parts of the book, the mysterious of who was actually talking (it's dual POV but gets so confusing trying to figure out who's POV it is) and the fact that Ibrahim was not the romance hero I wanted, he actually kind of pissed me off at times. Also, the fact that the characters have very much Muslim names but their religion is barely mentioned was weird. The plot was fine, it was cliche and cute and Jiya really was such a cool character and I loved Ibrahim's brothers, especially Haroon, but the book definitely fell short for me.

I enjoyed the family dynamics but it was hard to follow who's point of view it was until basically halfway through the chapter. Overall I enjoyed this book, but ideally it would be easier to read/process

I really tried to read this book but I could not even finish it. I made it to chapter four but if I were borrowing or buying this book, I would not have made it past chapter one. The formatting is terrible, which I can assume will be fixed before publication. It needs major revisions since some words don't even have space between them. The dialogue is awful. It is difficult to tell who is speaking since it can go on for several sentences without having anyone's name. People are named by their first and last names too often and is not realistic. The first chapter with many of the brothers introduced, but then they all have nicknames and call each other different names or nicknames gets confusing. Jiya, is even referred to as J as a nickname, and her name is short enough! all of this aside, this is so misogynistic! The first chapter saying that Jiya was unnoticeable but was wearing light makeup that wasn't caked on, then mentioning her behind, then her sparking and curious eyes when she was a waitress waiting to take an order. Oh, and lets not forget her swinging ponytail he wanted to run his hands through. Cut to the next chapter talking about her applying her makeup and putting her hair in her normal ponytail. I get the culture difference and that was fine, but Ibby seemed like a total ass. Jiya seemed nice but so much was about how she was the girl next door and not noticeable at first, but smart because she was doing an online MBA, which was only mentioned way too often. Then she say she went on a rant that was too long and it was three sentences about how she was getting an MBA since she was asked about it. This needs some serious rewrites if it ever gets published. The first chapter was a waste of time and it did not get any better by trying to read more.

This was such an adorable rom-com! I loved the complicated family dynamics explored throughout this novel, as well as the power that friendship has in creating successful self love! I feel like the true development came in the characters' ability to see past their own self-doubts, which was really inspiring to read about.

This book was absolutely perfect. As soon as I found out both characters were South Asian I knew I had to tune in. The situations of both Ibrahim and Jiya were very relatable to me which made me adore this book even more. I loved their development and the addition of family members into their love story. The bond between the brothers intrigued me and I hope to read some books about them one day!

When I read its premise, From Fake to Forever seemed like exactly the type of book I would enjoy. I'm a sucker for the fake dating trope so I was really looking forward to this, but unfortunately, I was left completely disappointed. While overall the writing style was fine and I loved the dialogues, there were places throughout I could not distinguish which character was speaking. The chapters were from the perspectives of both Jiya and Ibrahim, but there was no way you could tell who was who till you were halfway through the chapter. This only made for a stilted reading experience. Honestly, reading this felt like I was reading an unedited draft; it needs another round of editing, at least to distinguish character voices.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC.

I read it in one sitting because the trope is OMG, which I enjoy. I also like how it depicts a South Asian family with similar culture and traditions to mine, as well as how parents choose partners for their children. I felt a connection with Jiya, whose family believes that women do not need to be educated because they will marry and become housewives. Ibrahim's family is no better, especially his father, who always looks down on others.

But what I like best is the setting in London; although the story of Jiya and Ibrahim is predictable, I really enjoyed it; how Jiya and Ibrahim finally agreed to fake dating, then had to face many difficulties when facing their respective families, which made my chest pound and worry that things didn't go well. I liked Ibrahim and his brother's relationship because they always help each other when one of them has a problem. I sometimes get annoyed with Ibrahim for considering not marrying, but I admire Jiya for never giving up on her dreams; I find her character to be very endearing.

Despite being too fast-paced at first, I was confused about who was speaking, and the author introduced too many characters, such as Ibrahim's brothers, but halfway through, I began to get used to the author's writing style.

When I originally started this book, I was worried that it was going to be cliche and predictable. I am happy to say that after the first few chapters, my mind was changed. I quickly got through this book and couldn’t wait to find out what happened next. I would recommend this book, it is a great twist on the fake dating troupe.

This book follows Jiya and Ibrahim, who are both feeling pressured into arranged marriages by their traditional parents. Jiya dreams of finishing her MBA and working abroad, while Ibrahim refuses to follow the same path to an arranged marriage as his older brother. Both decide to team up to avoid constantly being introduced to prospective partners. The pair originally enjoys their newfound freedom, but they quickly start to have stronger feelings than camaraderie in their partnership. The pair must decide whether their plans for the future can include the very thing they were both trying to avoid.

Overall, good read. This book was pretty quick to get through, so it was perfect for a weekend read. I also liked that the author brought some light to arranged marriage practices in South Asia. She also outlined some of the struggles of parents trying to raise children to practice South Asian traditions while also balancing a life in a different country with different ideals. I’m hoping the author continues to expand this book into a series by writing the stories of some of the other characters within the book. I would be really interested to pick up more books from this author.

Thanks NetGalley for allowing me an advanced copy of this book. I really enjoyed it!

Good book! I really enjoyed some scenes in this romcom. Although it was kind of something you could predict, it's a book bound to give you warmth. I love the romance. Thanks Netgalley!

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoy a fake dating trope but this was extra predictable. Still fun to read but its similar to a lot of the other fake date tropes out there.

I really enjoyed this glimpse into the family dynamics of two Pakistani immigrant families in London as the parents try to impose what they feel is the best path on their children who rebel against the push for them to each marry someone whom their parents approve of. Jiya has to fight the lowered expectations that her parents have for a daughter. She’s been working hard to get her MBA and find an interesting job, but her parents keep surprising her with some prospective spouse. Ibrahim has similar problems with his very dictatorial father insisting he get married. So Jiya and Ibrahim decide to fake a relationship to hold off their interfering parents. Of course, you know what is going to happen. While following the usual tropes for a pretend relationship novel, the description of the culture of these immigrant families in Britain is what really drew me in. Both of them come from close families whose parents care deeply about the welfare of their children. While I certainly wouldn’t want parents who were so interfering, I could still empathize with the feelings that lay underneath these relationships.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

This is really good! Fake dating is a trope that I always enjoy, so I knew I had to get a copy of this one. The reason behind their fake dating seems reasonable, and the conflict in the story also felt realistic. It has some grand gestures that are reminiscent of my favorite rom-com movies, which I enjoyed. Sometimes, the format of the dialogue was a little confusing, and I couldn’t tell who was speaking, and I thought that the ending felt a little sudden and was surprised to find no epilogue, but overall, I really enjoyed this!

The Good:

You know who I love in this book? Harry! Can we just have Harry? He’s funny, loyal, amazing, and a total dork. He’s got me wrapped around his finger.

I love Jiya and how she stood her ground and did what she set out to do, kudos. I love it. The groveling after the third act conflict was amazingly executed. As someone who’s not a big fan of these kinds of grand gestures and it’s predictable outcomes, I’m impressed with how it played out in this story. It honestly made me smile.

The Bad:
Ibrahim definitely needed to grovel more. Payment must be made!
Also, I feel like it’s full of British idioms that I had to constantly research. Now, I feel like I need to further immerse myself with more idioms so I started looking up flights to London and whether I should get a hotel in Heathrow area or Notting Hill. It’s bad because it’s going to set me back a few thousand dollars and I’m not prepared for it. That’s uncalled for.

The Ugly:
The POV kept switching within each chapter and it wasn’t clearly labeled. I don’t know who’s talking now! So, each chapter, this book would send me to a haunted house because I’m over here wondering, “who said that?” “Who are you?” “Tap on the walls 2 times if you’re Jiya!”
It seriously gave me a mental whiplash..
Also, I feel like some of the fonts & spacings were off, so it could use more editing.

This book reads like it’s setting itself up to uncover Zaf’s insecurities and his relationship with his wife. I’m definitely here for it.

I want to be immersed in this world.
Whenever that happens, I know that I’m in for a good book hangover. I kind of wanted an Epilogue but I trust that this would be a series and that’s why I’m not in total panic mode.