DNF @44%

I'm really struggling with just how into his ex this guy is. I knew he was going in, but I didn't expect it to last quite so long. Instead, at almost halfway through the book our two main characters still barely know one another and he has fat-shamed her to her face while trying to use her to get his ex back.

Thank you netgalley for the free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ Digital for an e-ARC of this novel in exchange for a review. This novel was released on Oct. 21, 2022.

DNF at 35%
I really tried to love this book, I did but it was so boring for me I don’t know why it just did.
I got the book for an honest review and this is me giving it. I might give this book another shot since I’ve renewed it, and might change my mind but this is what I felt.
I don’t feel like there was any tension or a plot to keep my ADHD brain in the book.
Like I said for now 1/5 ⭐️ but will definitely try to give it another shot.

brown stories are always IT for me. third person always takes me out of the story a little bit but this was done so well <3

Niro is a photographer who’s lost the joy of taking photos. Burned by a bad break-up, she’s in desperate need of inspiration.

Vimal is determined to win back his ex-girlfriend. When he hears she’s bringing her new boyfriend on a group holiday, he impulsively declares that he’s bringing a plus one too.

Their mutual friends have the perfect solution: Niro can pretend to be Vimal’s new girlfriend and join the holiday. Imagine the incredible photographs she could take in the Swiss alps…

She’s not thinking about love. He’s thinking about someone else. Can they fake a picture-perfect relationship – or will real feelings get in the way?

thank you to netgalley for providing me with an arc! (very cool to be able to say that)

it was really lovely to read a romance book with South Asian representation! However, I found the book to be a little less trope-y than I had hoped for it to be and while the characters did feel developed and unique, I was not particularly endeared to them. Overall, this was a sweet romance that touched on issues of fatphobia, racism and workplace bullying and was generally a good time though not as exciting as I had hoped.

This is a nice quick and easy read which is absolutely adorable. I loved both Niro and Vimal and all their quirks. Niro was my favourite though. We love a plus size queen finding her confidence and showing she deserves love.

The scene setting is beautifully done and I felt like I was there with them. I loved that there was zero chemistry between Niro and Vimal to start with and we get to witness the feelings develop into friendship first and then more. My heart actually broke every time Niro overheard people talking about her behind her back but especially the scene with her Aunties.

There are some great characters and excellent villains. I think Felicity the influencer was my favourite. I was ready for her to be the stereotypical vain Instagrammer that authors love to chuck in but she was so much more and I want her as a friend.

I would say it’s a fairly predictable romance but it’s an enjoyable read and I will be checking out more from this author This book covers heavy topics like racism, colourism and fat phobia but it’s written so well.

I received a copy of the ebook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I throughly enjoyed this novel. In fact, it’s one of the few lately that has held my attention throughout the entire story. While I could see a few things coming, I never felt like rushing though it. I would definitely recommend it to friends.

👩🏾 Plus size FMC
📸 Love of photography
♥️ Fake dating
❤️‍🩹 Getting over an ex
👫🏾 Forced proximity
🛏 One bed
🇱🇰 Expression of Sri Lankan culture

This story was a cute rom-com about two people who are healing from pain and finding some of that in each other through a fake dating situation. What made this book stand out was the way that the author delved into heavier topics that are entirely relatable, such as racism, fatphobia, work place bullying, insecurities. I also appreciated that the characters weren't stereotypical and that the author included such rich examples of Sri Lankan culture.
While I found some parts of this story repetitive, I think it was a lovely read overall.

I just reviewed Picture Perfect by Jeevani Charika. #PicturePerfect #NetGalley

This wonderful fake relationship romcom was even better than I expected. The main characters were complex and nuanced and really really likable. The set up for the main premise was quite believable for a fake relationship trope. While the book addresses colorism, body shaming, and racism very realistically through the story, do wish there was a more satisfying consequences for the not very nice characters in the book.

A solid 4 stars. Definitely recommend.

3.25/5

Picture Perfect is an adorabile romcom written by Jeevany Charika, which I've enjoyed. It follows Nico and Vimal, first a photographer who has lost inspiration since a terrible break-up, and second an employee who is going on this Christmas holiday with some work colleagues, which includes her ex and her new boyfriend. So, they decide to make a deal: Nico and Vimal are going to fake'date on this holiday, where Nico will help Vimal into getting his girl back and Nico will have the opportunity to have new subjects and find again that inspiration.

While it took me a while to read, I really enjoyed this one with a good pacing that never felt too slow or otherwise fast. Both characters were likeable and with deep and I could see their chemistry. I also loved how, despite being a lighthearted book, it dealt with more serious topics such as racism, workplace harassment and insecurities. I also loved how it changed some clichè roles and stereotypes, like the ex being very nice and supportive instead of a villain and an influencer portrayed as a positive figure instead of a naive one. While I think that sometimes there was too repetition of thoughts and other writing flaws that will only improve woth experience, I still recommend this one

Thank you Netgalley and HQ Digital for sending me ARC of this book.

I really enjoyed reading Picture Perfect, it was such a cute and heart-warming book. Very easy read. And it has one of my favourite trope, fake dating.

If you want something quick and easy, I definitely recommend reading this book.

A great exploration into another part of the world Jeevani described in her previous book. I love exploring characters we have only seen hints of before. This look into modern families with a heritage from Sri Lanka was informative and easy to recognise from conversations with colleagues and friends. A lovely story with intrigue and a hint of the Winter Holiday season. A lovely read, thoroughly recommended

Picture Perfect by Jeevani Charika features Niro, a photographer who doesn't like marzipan and has lost the inspiration for photography, and Vimal, who works at an investment bank, hates Nutella and is in love with his ex. When Vimal is invited to a group holiday in Switzerland where his ex is going to bring her new boyfriend, he declares on a whim that he is bringing his girlfriend too. Aunties, cousins and a few drinks lead to a plan involving fake dating with a mutually beneficial arrangement. He wants to make his ex jealous and she wants to take great photographs for a competition. What follows was an average experience for me. I loved hoe atmospheric it was, the beautiful descriptions of nature and snow and Swiss Alps, friendship between the main characters and everything about photography. I really liked how proper the ending was. A lot of times it feels rushed, but that was not the case here. I really liked the writing. So I will definitely pick up whatever the author comes up with next. Unfortunately the romance part didn't work for me. Especially the transition from 'he has feelings for his ex' to 'he has feelings for her'. Overall it was a decent book which you can pick during the winter vacation as it is set around New Year.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the review copy.

This one was very predictable, but still cute. A nice book to curl up with on a cozy Fall day. If you like cozy fake dating tropes this one is for you!

Niro ends up on holiday with Vimal which should help them both. She gets photos for a competition she wants to enter and he gets to save face in front of the ex he wants to win back. But will this change once the spend time and get to know each other?

The premise was promising but the book turned out to be a huge disappointment. This was mainly due to the writing which was flat; it lacked depth, emotion and maturity.

When it came to the characters, I really liked Niro but I had issues when it came to Vimal. He was clearly a pushover and spineless -why else would he have accepted Lucien's invitation? Up until three-quarters into the book, he was still pining for his ex. There was zero chemistry between Niro and Vimal.

This was such a warm hug of a book. Genuinely loved Niro and Vimal as characters, I felt like I could have kept reading about them for ages. Seeing their love story develop here was lovely, especially since it was done with a lighter touch than most. A properly cozy, satisfying romcom.

"He knew the world was beautiful. He saw it in maths and in patterns. This was the first time he’d seen it in a view. As he trudged up the path, he thought back to Niro’s smile. It was the first time he’d seen it in Niro, too."

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this Arc!!

I LOVED this book. Desi representation and fake dating?? Just my thing. I loved Niro and Vimal so much, they were absolutely precious.

Vimal was so sweet and endearing, I loved watching him realise the person he was in love with was Niro. I also loved how he started becoming more confident and less tense when he spent time with Niro. We got to see him just enjoy the little things and moments when usually he was always stressed and wound up tight. His character development from being needed to be reminded to pretend to be in a relationship with Niro to watching him do little things for Niro just because he thought he should, made my heart explode. When he wanted to take a photo for her so she didn't miss out on the sunset!!! MY HEART!!!! I love Niro so much, I think I loved her character so much because she was relatable. I loved watching her fall in love with her art again and when she did what she thought was right for Vimal even though it hurt her, I wanted to cry for her.

Both these characters were so special and I absolutely loved how the author touched upon so many important topics in this book. Watching the characters struggle and finding someone who understood and supported them made my heart warm. The slowburn was excruciating but absolutely worth it !!

Sweet book! It was hard for me to get into at first but by the end I was hooked and invested in the characters. Overall good book, I'm happy I was able to read it!

This was my second book from Jeevani Charika and I think I enjoyed it even more! You can find my review for Playing for Love further down my feed. The books are linked through its characters but you can absolutely read them separately.

Picture Perfect includes one of my favourite tropes - fake dating. It follows Niro and Vimal as they go on a holiday together as a 'couple' with the aim of getting Vimal's ex girlfriend back with him.

While it's a trope that's been done so very many times, Charika puts her own spin in it and it wasn't too cliché. I loved Niro and Vimal as a couple and I enjoyed their Sri Lankan roots. The inclusion of their Aunties was a highlight for me!

There is also an element of 'chalk and cheese' in Niro and Vimal. Niro is creative and expressive (with some insecurities) and Vimal is very straight thinking, favouring maths and code. They balanced each other so well and the various references to romcoms added to the feel that this book isn't taking itself too seriously.

This would make a lovely festive read as it's set between Christmas and New Year. It's just delightful and I would recommend if you're after a nice easy but engaging romance novel with unique characters.