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.

I LOVED THIS BOOK. I might be biased since I’m a teacher and my mother has been looking for mans that’s an engineer for me. I can only hope this is how it turns out for me. Over all the characters are loveable. The story line is cute I always love a good fake engagement trope.

Such a sweet romance about two people who are in very different positions in life and in their relationships with their families but have the same core feeling of not being enough for other people. Meghna and Karthik's chemistry is electric and has you on the edge of your seat from the beginning. I think this is a really good debut novel and I'm excited to see what Kumar writes in the future. I think my favorite part was that we can see our characters growing into the happiest versions of themselves with each other, especially in regards to their careers and higher education. I love that Kumar portrayed contentment in those areas as a possibility, I feel like so often in books that people are shown to either be ecstatic or dismal about their careers and that in between grey space is real and acceptable. My only critique of the book was the perspective, I think this would have been so much more power written in split first person between Meghna and Karthik. Beyond that I just wish there was less miscommunication! We see them almost reach their joint realization so many times but be deterred by the strangest, smallest thing at the last second.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballentine for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

When her secret crush becomes engaged to another, teacher Meghna agrees to a fake engagement with engineer Karthik to appease their parents. While their undeniable chemistry deepens, their uncertainty threatens their growing connection.

This adorable and heartfelt novel goes beyond the romantic relationship to explore how the couple allow their own insecurities and the the weight of parental expectations to keep them from pursuing their dreams. The opening was a little slow for me (I like fast-paced novels), but apart from that, it was a thoroughly enjoyable and well-written debut.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

This was well-written and engaging, but I couldn't fully read it coz of the triggers.. I skimmed the middle and skipped to the end, but I'd say if you're okay with/aware of the triggers, it should be okay!

TWs (incomplete list since I skimmed some of the book) - FMC who is being led on by her ex for a huge portion of time on page and off page (before the story started), sexual harassment and misogyny (off page)

-- got an advanced copy from Netgalley

This book was SO SWEET. There is truly nothing I love more than a fake dating situation. it had all of the things that makes for the perfect rom-com : the fake engagement, the fact Meghna wants a love marriage and Karthik is totally against marriage, the fact that she’s the best man in her ex’s wedding and he is a total douche canoe, when they started casually looking for job opportunities in each others sanity!!! when they ran to the other in their times of need!!!

Meghna and Karthik were perfect. Well, not at first!! Their banter and the way they didn’t fully understand each other, and really struggled to communicate made everything so good. It was a challenge for both of them and that really worked in their favor! They both clearly were developing feelings but since Karthik was so against marriage from the start, neither of them actually knew what to do with their feelings. So when they finally sorted things out, the reward was worth the wait!

I also loved the emotional journey Karthik was on. He desperately wanted to NOT become like his father, he was so scared that it was inevitable. But finding Meghna and finding someone he might actually care for really changed his outlook. And he was able to finally talk to his mom about a lot of things that helped him change his ways of thinking. It was so sweet to see the end result for him.

I love a sweet sweet debut novel like this one!! I can’t wait for it to be out in the world for everyone to read!

Thank you so much to Random House Publishing - Ballantine and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Oh my gravy! This was sweet, romantic, cozy, and had quips of humor throughout. When I began reading this, I was thinking it might turn out more like Maid of Honor with Patrick Dempsey. That would have ruined the delight of a read this was. The writing was excellent, the character development on pointe, and the plot was great!

I thought this book was absolutely adorable. It was a nice, sweet, read.

I was happy that the “villain” got what was coming to them in the book in the most fantastic female empowerment way. I wish everything like that worked out in the same way for anyone else in a similar situation. I enjoyed the issues addressed by both characters however I feel like a lot of supporting character drama was brought in then quickly swept away. I am not sure what purpose most of it served to the story overall.

While the ending was very predictable, I still think it was done very well and in a unique style. I recommend this book if you need a light, quick, read for escapism.

Say You'll Be Mine by Naina Kumar is a cute and realistic debut novel.
The story was cute and charming. It’s funny, wholesome and so much fun!! Naina Kumar delivered that and so much more!!
The characters are real, flawed and I truly enjoyed being in their company.
They are such down to earth characters that I loved them immediately.
The author describes the setting of this book so perfectly that I felt like I was there in the story.
I had a blast with this book. A lighthearted, funny, and sweet read that will leave you smiling nonstop.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House, Ballantine & Dell for the opportunity to read this ahead of its publication date in return for my honest review.

If you are looking for an uplifting and joyful book, this debut novel hits the mark. Meghna is a teacher and aspiring playwright, somewhat of a disappointment to her mother, an engineer. Meghna has a long term crush on her former boyfriend when she finds out he is getting married. Karthik is a mechanical engineer in NYC, agreeing to let his mother try to arrange a marriage for him to get her off his back. He meets Meghna in Dallas at an arranged meeting, but sparks don’t necessarily fly. The two decide to fake an engagement to satisfy Karthik’s mother, and to make Meghna’s ex jealous. There are many laughs, a lot of sexy scenes, and some serious discussions of family issues. Highly recommend this most enjoyable novel, and I look forward to more from this author.

** I received an advance copy of this book for review.**

Say You’ll Be Mine is like movie theater popcorn; light and fun, and you just can’t stop!

Tropes/microtropes:
-fake engagement
-“let’s do PDA so everyone thinks this is real”
-only one bed
-everyone thinks they’re a disappointment to their parents
-“I don’t believe in marriage because my parents’ marriage is in shambles”
-SUNSCREEN APPLICATION

Meghna’s best friend (and ex) is getting married and asks her to be best man. Karthik never wanted to get married but that’s all his parents want. He’s up for a promotion and needs to seem more committed. When their parents set them up, the pair agree to be fake engaged to get their parents off their backs and give her a date to the wedding.

The more they pretend, the more real it gets, but will they overcome their differences and end up together?

__________

I really enjoyed Say You’ll Be Mine. I think this is a great book for fans of light romcoms. My two favorite things are Meghna’s funny shirt obsession and her parents’ story.

Thanks to Netgalley, Ballantine, and the author for the ARC!

This book spoke to me in so many ways. I love the look into both Meghna and Karthik's lives and what has kept them from forming lasting relationships and self esteem issues. That combined with family issues, Meghna's obsession with her male best friend, and the need for them to get married to appease their families due to their culture, you get a fascinating look at how pressures can lead you to do thing you might normally not do.

Overall, Meghna was a bit much at times and the miscommunication was annoying at times, but overall, the chemistry that Meghna and Karthik had even just as friends was amazing. This is a fantastic book and I highly recommend it.

Such a cute debut story from Naina Kumar. While I did enjoy many many things about this story- like the genuine connection between our two main characters and the plethora of tropes that I love- the miscommunication absolutely drove me insane. Admittedly, the miscommunication trope is my least favorite. However, there were many aspects of the story that helped me overlook the absolute nonsense of two very capable adults not being able to have a conversations. I would recommend this book and I look forward to seeing what Naina releases next!

I think this was such a cute story line! The chemistry between the two leads was undeniable. I am not a fan of smutty romance but there was little of that and I appreciate it (only had to skip a few pages)! Very much so enemies to lovers to enemies again to lovers to enemies and finally to the most in love lovers! ❤️‍🔥✨

This was a great debut romance from Naina Kumar! Fake dating, meddling families, and a bit of a miscommunication trope - this hit all the marks for a solid romance novel. I enjoyed both Karthik and Meghna's character growth and while it takes some time to realize how good they are together (slow burn and push and pull is real in this book), Kumar really nails the pining and creating tension between the two.

LOVED this charming romance between two characters who have matchmaking parents so they decide on a fake engagement. But rather than just having the whole book about how they are secretly hot for each other, Say You'll Be Mine has them work through the issues that are keeping them from falling in love.

This is how you write realistic, flawed characters in a romance while not making the story non-romantic and completely depressing. Meghna is a happy and giving person who has to learn to stand up for and believe in herself and Karthik has commitment issues (for good reason) and has to learn to risk being hurt and take a chance on love.

The perfect romance to put a smile on your face this holiday season! 100% recommend!