Say You’ll Be Mine by Naina Kumar is an absolute delight!

This adorable rom-com has such a strong voice, immediately after I opened the book I was drawn in to Meghna and Karthik’s world. Each character was well developed, after finishing this book I feel like I’m saying goodbye to good friends.

Say You’ll Be Mine is so heartfelt I laughed and cried along with the characters.

Meghna and Karthik were such real characters dealing with relevant problems and situations. I couldn’t get enough. They are in the running for my favorite couple of 2024! Karthik was swoon worthy!

Say You’ll Be Mine was full of fun tropes: Fake dating and only one bed (multiple times!!).

What a wonderful debut! I look forward to reading whatever Nania Kumar does next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Dell for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️️
🌶️

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆:
- Fake Engagement
- He Falls First
- Slow Burn
- Dual POV

I’m blown away that Say You’ll Be Mine is a debut. Naina has created a sweet and fun strangers to friends to lovers story that is filled with mutual pining, banter, tension and a dash of spice.

Meghna and Karthik have undeniable chemistry and what started off as a mutually beneficial agreement, slowly built into a very sweet and loving relationship. If I’m being honest, a slow burn is always my favorite and this book is a perfect example of why it works so well.

The cherry on top of this great read was being able to learn more about Indian culture and family dynamics.

Make sure to pick this one up on January 16!

I need this book to come out ASAP so I can’t recommend to my friends. Especially my brown friends that love romance. I know seeing them selves represented like this would be great. I plot really had me. I love that I grew to know the characters and everytime I thought it was over, Karthik messed up up in a way that was understandable and not horribly annoying. I truly loved reading this. Honestly for a debut book, this is pretty good. So like am I getting a second book about best friend falling for the brother or what? Because the way this was written made it seem like there is a lot more to tell and I would not mind reading their journey.

Read this if you like:
•debut novels
•fake engagement
•only one bed
•slow burns

This book was fantastic. The tension and friendship was so sweet. The way Karthik was always rooting for her to stand up to her ex too was chefs kiss.

Thank you Ballentine for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this one. It was a fun spin on the fake dating with the arranged marriage aspect thrown in.

Read this for:
- Fake dating
- Grumpy/sunshine
- Only one bed
- Wedding related
- Indian culture

Meghna Raman is tired of disappointing her parents with her career and is over her lackluster dating life. She agrees to an arranged meeting by her parents to meet Karthik Murthy. Immediately Kathrik makes it known he wants nothing to do with marriage. But then Kathrik realizes he could get his Mom off his back, and stop his commitment of a year of meetings if he just happens to be engaged.

Meghna decides it would be great to do something her parents would love as well as have a date for for ex's wedding where she's the best man and still has feelings for him. They team up for a fake engagement. The only problem is that they start to get to know one another and Meghna is able to get under the hard grumpy shell of Kathrik.

Kathrik comes from a very challenging toxic family history, and Meghna is starting to shift everything he thought he desired in life because he can't stop wanting to be around her. It was sweet and tender to see how Kathrik slowly opens up and becomes vulnerable with Meghna. I loved the way Kathrik championed Meghna and believed in her so much that she took action to do things she always wanted to do.

This one really had you in your feels once you saw both of them falling for each other. I look forward to seeing what Naina comes out with next!

Thank you Dell/Random House and NetGalley for providing the Joyful Chaos Book Club with ARCs in exchange for our honest reviews.

This was a really sweet romance and absolutely perfect for people who like a heavy build-up. There were so many moments where I wanted to scream at the main characters to just confess their feelings already but the payoff in this book is really worth it. I like a romance where the love story also adds to the character's sense of self and growth rather than just two people coming together and "Say You'll Be Mine" delivers on that front too. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the advance copy!

This was such a sweet story. This was unique in that the characters are of Indian descent (Hindi and Tamil) and the author shows the slightly different perspective that comes with that. Love is universal but the arranged marriage subplot and the pressure of being the child of an immigrant added to the story.

Karthik and Meghna were frustrating at times while they fought their attraction to each other but I love a good fake engagement plot and this book delivered. The only thing I didn’t love was the subplot with Seth and Julie and how that story unraveled. It actually made me sad to imagine marrying a man who I knew was a liar just to save face. But maybe it was a more realistic take on the story. I’m sure crazier things have happened with minor celebrities trying to keep up appearances.

Overall, very impressive debut novel.

I rated this book 3 stars because it's time I finally admit that I just don't care about the fake dating trope in contemporary romances. The stakes always seem so very low to me. It's a trope better suited to historical romances but as is the case with this book, the whole idea seems so absurd and unnecessary. I think fans of the fake dating trope will love this but it's just not for me.

In this particular book, Meghna and Karthik have been set up by their respective mothers. This is very on par for the South Asian community so I was really excited for this book based on the representation. When their first meeting is not the stuff of true love, Karthik proposes - or rather fake proposes. He needs his mom off his back and also I guess to prove something to his dad and Meghna, who has been pining for her long time best friend, needs a date to his wedding. Two birds, one stone. As is the case with this trope, a fake engagement quickly turns to real feelings even though Karthik has made it abundantly clear that he has no intention to ever marry.

A lot of the issues with Meghna and Karthik hinge on their poor communications. Add in a toxic best friend, a really toxic parental relationship, allegations of sexual harassment (by a minor character), and Meghna's brother hooking up with her other best friend who also happens to be engaged to someone else, there's a lot going on in this book. And because there's so much extra stuff, the development of the actual relationship between Meghna and Karthik sort of gets lost in the shuffle.

One thing that this author did really well though is the micro aggressions - like Meghna's toxic friend being unable to pronounce her whole name and insisting on shortening it to Meg. Little things like that are a good clue that Seth is every bit the asshole that Karthik has already pegged him to be. It takes Meghna a little longer to come to this realization which is a source of frustration both for Karthik and for me, as a reader.

All in all, the book works for fans of this trope, unfortunately, I'm just not a fan of this trope.

Content Notes: toxic friendship, toxic father relationship, allegations of sexual harassment, cheating between minor characters

Let me start by saying I absolutely LOVED this book and couldn't put it down! The characters are so likable. Meghna fell in love with her bff Seth in college and was devastated when he broke up with her after graduation; now he’s getting married and has asked her to be his best man. So she agrees to let her mom set her up with a potential husband. Karthik has no interest in EVER getting married, but he’s agreed to let his mother take him on a year’s worth of meetings if it means she’ll stop asking after that. Together, they come up with a plan: They’ll pretend to be engaged, ie: go to work parties and wedding events together, and it’s a win-win for both of them. But from the start, Meghna finds Karthik insulting and robotic. Quickly they each realize their fake engagement is leading to some very real feelings. I’m looking forward to whatever Kumar releases next!!
Thanks to NetGalley and Dell for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

This was a very sweet debut! I appreciated the diversity and learning more about the Indian culture. The characters were likeable and I rooted for them. Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

This was such a great charming and unique contemporary romance book! I loved that it represented the Indian culture too. This had so many tropes in it: fake engagement, one bed, friends-to-lovers, close proximity, miscommunication, slow burn romance and dual POV. Even with all of this going on, it all works well in the book. I was even entertained by the side characters romance plot. I am not a fan of the miscommunication in this book but I was rooting for them to just be real adults and talk about their feelings. Also, I did not like how Seth treated Meghna. It was such a toxic relationship that I hoped she would see earlier in the book. Everything he did and said drove me insane! Overall this is a great debut novel and hope to read more about the other characters, maybe Anika and Samir will get their own book.

Thank you to NetGalley for the complimentary ebook in exchange for a honest review.

If Meghna and Karthik are not quite a match made in heaven, I nonetheless enjoyed their arranged (fake) engagement-to-real love very much.

Meghna is stocked and horrified to learn her longtime best friend and writing partner Seth is engaged to be married, so she agrees to let her mom set her up with a potential husband. Karthik has no interest in ever getting married, but he’s agreed to let his mother take him on a year’s worth of rishti meetings if it means she’ll stop asking after that. They strike a deal: They’ll pretend to be engaged, going to work parties and Seth’s wedding events together, and it’s a win-win for them both. But if they don’t get off to the best start – Karthik is insulting and robotic – they soon realize their fake engagement is leading to some very real feelings.

Tropes abound in [book:Say You’ll Be Mine] – secretly carrying a torch for the best friend, refusing real relationships because of one’s parents’ screwed up marriage, fake dating to get pushy parents to let up, grumpy-sunshine – and it makes for a fun read. I wasn’t totally sold on Meghna and Karthik as a pair: I found myself wondering, they are this bad at communicating that they both repeatedly miss the signs that the other has developed real feelings, how can that possibly be the foundation of a solid lifelong partnership? I could also spot the reason for Meghna’s change of heart around Seth coming from a mile away – it’s a shame she can’t see it too, until Karthik practically hits her over the head with it. I would have liked to see a little more “self” in Meghna’s self-actualization.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 💫 3.5 stars rounded up for entertaining ammas and musical theatre references.

<i>Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Dell for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.</i>

Thank you to NetGalley & Random House for an early copy.

3.5 rounded up to 4. I really enjoyed this debut novel and think it had tons of potential to be a 5 star read. Unfortunately the miscommunication trope was present throughout the book, starting from the first few chapters. It would have been a lot more enjoyable if the characters weren’t just assuming incorrect things about the other and had simple conversations to talk out their fears and thoughts. Also found the characters hard to relate to and unlikable for the first 65% of the book, much of which could have been avoided if they just talked. This is part of why I don’t love 3rd person in romance because it’s even harder to connect to and learn about the characters.

An absolutely stellar debut! I was pulled into the story from the very beginning-- I love a fake dating trope and the circumstances surrounding the main characters made for a very fun read. I especially enjoyed the way Meghna and Karthik's relationship evolved over the course of the novel, it was such a sweet story! Can't wait to see what Kumar does next!

Say You'll be Mine is humorous, riddled in chemistry and a slow-burn toward a happily ever after.

This debut novel features one who is looking for a partner, and the other whose forbidden his heart from love. To get their parents off the marriage train, Meghan and Karthik fake an engagement. As they slowly learn about each other, these love interests realize they have more in common than they realized. Can Karthik change his perspective on to welcome what the heart desires?

Kumar opens the eyes of the reader to Indian culture and family expectations. It was truly educational and incorporated in the story well. This romcom is an absolute delight!

Thank you Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Dell for the complimentary copy.

This book was a lot of fun to read. The description detailed it as a “trip back to the heyday of swoonie romantic comedies from the nineties” and that genuinely sums this up well! This book had a lot of what I like to see in romance novels - multidimensional characters, real life problems (even if exaggerated a smidge) and character growth. I found myself rooting for the characters throughout the novel both main and secondary. There were several loose ends tied up in the epilogue that kept this from turning into a “we saved each other with our love” type of romance (one I despise). I am not south Asian myself but did not find this as a barrier in reading this novel. All in all I cannot wait to see what this author brings forth in the future!

4.5/5 stars

Meghna Raman and Karthik Murthy have very different views on love and marriage, but agree to a fake engagement meant to be mutually beneficial.

Meghna fell in love with her friend Seth in college and was left devastated when he broke up with her after graduation; now he’s getting married and has asked her to be his “best man.” Karthik promised his mother to meet potential brides for a year but after meeting Meghna he felt an attraction he cannot deny. He proposes a fake engagement and Meghna, who dreads the idea of planning Seth’s wedding while glaringly single, agrees to it. Karthik is very clear from the very beginning that he is not going to marry anyone, ever; after years of witnessing his father’s coldness and indifference toward his mother he is convinced that marriage is not for him.

Meghna and Karthik’s forced proximity allows them to slowly get to know one another on a deeper level. Karthik finds Meghna beautiful, and smart, and full of joy; he believes she deserves the type of man he could never be and he always seems to say the wrong thing to her. Karthik is scared of becoming like his father and does not want to risk hurting Meghna - which of course inevitably leads to hurt feelings.

Meghna finds Karthik extremely attractive, but too serious, and blunt to the point of rudeness. She also has always believed that, even though things didn't work out with him, Seth is still a friend who only has her best interest in mind. However, Meghna, who wants to move past Seth, find love, and one day marry, soon starts to realize that she may be very wrong about both men.

Karthik is in awe of Meghna, he is protective, he believes in her talent, defends her passion to her parents, and can see through Seth’s narcissism. He is also awkward, inadvertently says the wrong thing to Meghna all the time, and too stubborn to see that his chance at happiness is right in front of him.

Meghna and Karthik face many challenges, but watching them fall in love and find their happy ending was truly delightful.

Say You’ll Be Mine was a superbly charming debut novel and I cannot wait to read more from Naina Kumar.

4/5. Releases 1/16/24.

Vibes: fake dating but with good reasons, heroes with daddy issues, and justice against "that guy who's soooo nice and great and he won't make a move but I love him" guy

After finding out her longtime friend and crush (well, maybe more than a crush) Seth is engaged, Meghna decides to move on. I mean, she's going to be his best man--it's time. Although she doesn't hit it off with the grumpy Karthik, she is willing to take advantage when he agrees to be her fake fiance. She looks fully moved on from Seth, and he gets to shake his mom off his back. There isn't any drawback, right? Right?

This is a light-but-not-too-light contemporary, with a winning main couple and an emotional authenticity that was both engaging and... gentle? For want of a better word? Will please both the fake dating lovers and the haters (me).

Quick Takes:

--I have a real soft spot for a book where the heroine realizes that the guy she thought was THE shit, who never really made the kind of move she wanted but took advantage of her attention (keeping her on the hook, essentially) is... not the shit. This is one of those books, and it has the added nuance of Seth having zero real respect for Meghna's background and culture. It's not just that he doesn't really know her--it's that he doesn't even want to make the effort to get to know her on the most basic level.

That said, Meghna never comes off as pathetic during the story, which is honestly a credit to the way Naina Kumar writes and handles the story. She's vulnerable, yes. She's in denial, yes. But she's not pitiful. (This is also because Meghna is kind of a classic endearing romcom heroine--Say You'll Be Mine does read an actual romcom, which definitely can't be said of a lot of romcom books at the moment.)

--Karthik is a lot pricklier... and I imagine that some people may find that frustrating. But two things to consider: firstly, his prickliness makes it more satisfying when he gradually melts with Meghna and becomes emotionally connected to her. Secondly, his reasons ring true. At least, for me they do.

Karthik fundamentally does not want to emulate his parents' troubled marriage. He'd rather hold himself at arm's length, staying closed off to love, than risk recreating what they have (we love to read about men with daddy issues). As a someone from a ~broken home~ he really came off as authentic and relatable to me. He's not not overly angsty, he's really not an asshole. But he has walls, and they're deeply rooted in his childhood.

And I mean--again, I think it's incredibly important for that block to be there. This is overall a sweet, soft book, but Karthik's inner turmoil (and of course Meghna's relationship or lack there of with Seth) keeps it from being without stakes.

Ultimately, I want to stress--this is a really sweet romance. You feel that sense of knowing and comfort slowly rise for these two, until the extent to which they value each other is really clear. It's very comforting and kind of cozy, which works for this time of year especially.

The Sex:

The sex is sorta quiet here--just one more euphemistic scene towards the end, preceded by another kinda low heat over the pants action moment. (Which I did like a lot.) However, it does remain quite romantic, if not super steamy.

I really enjoyed this gentle yet entertaining romcom, and I especially liked Naina's writing style. She has a strong voice, and I definitely want to see more from her.

Thanks to Netgalley and Dell for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I haven't read a romance with Indian characters in a long time, and was glad to have come across this one.
I loved the setting and the main plot. We read about fake-dating or marriage of convenience a lot, but fake engagement in an arranged-marriage setting? That was a different take on the tropes. However, 20% through, the novelty started wearing off, and I was very close to dnf'ing. Karthik seemed so much like a robot, there was nothing interesting about him. I get the stoic personality, but for me this works when the character shows a stoic front, but displays some kind of emotion in certain settings. This went on for a while until he actually started to emote. Which was when things got more interesting to me. Which then kept me reading :)
This book also suffers from a lot of telling vs showing. I skimmed through most of these as it dragged a lot.
Two things that I really liked: the ending (swoon), and the mention of delicious, delicious food. Gave me some cravings honestly.
Overall I'd say that this is a good debut. Not sure if this writing style is my jam, but I'm glad that I persevered and read all of it.

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Genre: Indian Contemporary Romance
Setting: Texas, New Yor
Format: 📖
Release Date: January 16, 2024
Length: 336 pages

Say You’ll Be Mine is Naina Kumar debut novel and a cute enjoyable contemporary romance centered around two young Indian adults and how their family’s meddling and matchmaking will lead both Meghna and Karthik from fake dating to a fake engagement and how a lack of communication will have consequences and misunderstandings.

Karthik Murthy is not a happy guy and can be a tad cranky. He has promised his mom for the next year to go on matchmaking meeting, he is now in Texas on his eighth meeting in a month. But unlike the seven previous women he has meet .. this woman Meghna is stunning. But that is not going to change his mind – marriage is not for him; he has watched his parent marriage slowly collapse, he just has to survive the year.

Meghna Raman is a schoolteacher, not something her parents wanted her to be. She has been put into several awkward situations. One being, Seth, her college boyfriend and best friend has asked “Meg” to be his best “man”. Talk about an uncomfortable situation, Meghna is still in love with Seth. Watching him marry someone else and being his best man will be heartbreaking for Meghna.

Karthik and Meghna find themselves in need of a fake relationship for totally different reasons .. Meghna needs a date for a wedding and Karthik is tired of chasing around the country with his mom to matchmaking meet ups. Although I enjoy both protagonists, I really did not feel they had the greatest chemistry. One of the main reasons for the 3 ½ star rating is an issue I have with the treatment of women as door mats; this happens too often in novels. Naina Kumar does this with Meghna’s character, Seth to treat her like a door mat for far too long into the story.

I did feel Naina Kumar has great potential and look forward to her next novel.

Thank you, Naina Kumar, Dell Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This novel is due to be released on January 16, 2024.