A sweet and fun debut romance featuring a fake engagement. Meghna, a teacher and aspiring playwright, needs a plus-one for the wedding of the writing partner and friend she's been pining away for ever since they dated briefly in college. Karthik, a taciturn and somewhat awkward engineer, never wants to get married, but needs to find a way to satisfy his mother's matchmaking efforts. The two join forces in a fake engagement, but, as you can expect, sparks fly between them. I enjoyed both characters' POVs and thought their chemistry was well-written. Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, and Ballantine/Dell for a digital review copy.

Say You’ll Be Mine is such a charming fake dating romance! Meghna’s best friend just got engaged, and he’s asked her to be the best man, only he’s always been the one that got away; to help her through the wedding though is grumpy engineer Karthik, a man her parents set her up with. Karthik too, who has sworn off marriage, has gone through a slew of matchmaking attempts from her mom and Meghna is the perfect solution. Only the more protective they get over each other, the lines of their fake relationship start to blur. This debut romance is so endearing. As a grump/sunshine, Meghna and Karthik are both so easy to root for and vulnerable. Meghna is a joy; she’s so loving and kind and sweet, and Karthik is so gentle. They balance each other so perfectly and their growth together felt so organic. The dialogue is smart and it’s so easy to see their romance grow. The subplots are all so well developed and these characters all just make sense. I wish they had communicated more towards the third act conflict, but I liked the resolution still. Their chemistry is just so strong, and I adored Karthik’s mom and Meghna’s family. Meghna too is just such a beautiful character, and it’s such a sweet read!

SAY YOU'LL BE MINE is a fake-dating rom-com following Karthik and Meghna who are initially set up by their parents and decide to fake-date for both of their conveniences. From there begins the slow progression of their relationship, spanning from weddings to family scandals. I enjoyed this one, but it did feel unoriginal. It had a very linear plot with kind of basic character motivations--there's nothing necessarily wrong with that, but I felt like I had read the same thing time and time again. She's still in love with her college boyfriend who takes advantage of her; he has issues with his father's expectations and not wanting to become like him, etc. I did like some of the discussion regarding arranged marriages/marrying for love with Karthik and Meghna's parents. This was a fun and quick read, but it didn't stand-out to me.

This was such an intriguing and entertaining read. I really felt connected to all of the characters in the story.

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

What a downright charming and unique contemporary romance that has a great deal of emotional depth and Indian culture representation!! It's a friends to lovers, slow burn romance, fake engagement, one bed, close proximity, dual POV and is filled with pinning, banter, tension, chemistry and a little bit of spice!! Sadly, it does have tons of miscommunication that drives me insane. I just wish they would have talked like mature adults and been honest with each other about how they felt. However, the author has a way of creating relatable characters that you can't help but root for them. Did I mention that this is a debut novel?? Honestly, I am kind of amazed by that and look forward to reading more books by this author in the future!!🩷🩷🩷🩷

Meghna and Karthik decide to join forces to survive an ex's wedding and to escape matchmaking pressure from their Indian families. What is their plan? A fake engagement!! However, the more time they spend together they grow protective of one another's hearts and an undeniable chemistry takes shape. Will they let their insecurities and expectations ruin something that has become a lot more real than they hoped?

I loved the personal growth both characters went through and how they made each other stronger. In addition, I enjoyed learning more about the Indian culture and family expectations. The secondary characters were incredible and I really hope this becomes a series! Overall, it is a fun, sweet and delightful feel good rom-com that I do recommend!!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This novel was a quick and easy read for me! I enjoyed the writing style and the story immensely. It was a fun read and I enjoyed the South Asian representation! I absolutely would recommend this novel to anyone looking for a lovely rom-com.

Thank you to Naina Kumar, Net Galley and Random House for the opportunity to read this ARC!

This was a precious debut romcom by narina kumar, soliciting her as a new autho buy author for me. It was so adorable and positively stole my heart (wont be asking for it back). Her writing is so fresh and captivating, and she has a real knack for storytelling. The leads were absolutely bursting off the page with chemistry and charisma that you just can’t deny. I can totally see this as a movie adaption as well.

This was a stand out debut, dual POV, grumpy/sunshine fake engagement romance that sees two South Asians trying to please their match making parents. The only problem is that Karthik has no interest in getting married and Meghna very much wants to get married.

Unfortunately the man she loves is her childhood best friend who is about to get married himself and has asked her to be his best man. A fun My best friends' wedding remix that dragged a bit in places but was good overall on audio read by Soneela Nankani, one of my fav narrators.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!

Steam level: some open door scenes

Nice to meet you, Naina Kumar! What a beautifully written story full of heart and vulnerability. This novel weaves you through a fake engagement relationship, the complexities of old friendships and difficult family dynamics in an honest manner. So looking forward to reading whatever Kumar works on next!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishing teams for the ARC!

ARC Review @netgalley - 'Say You'll Be Mine' by Naina Kumar (1/16/24)

Read if you like -
+ fake engagement / dating
+ rom com vibes
+ grumpy x sunshine
+ one bed
+ slow burn / pining

This debut novel was so fun to read - cute, slow burn, fake engagement, with culture aspects weaved throughout. Meghna and Karthik both have strong growth in the story and help each other step out of their comfort zones and see their potential. It's clear that they are on each other's sides and I just really loved their story. I'll definitely be picking up whatever Naina publishes next!

This book releases on 1/16/24!
Thank you to Netgalley and the published for the e-arc :)

Say You’ll Be Mine is Naina Kumar’s debut novel. She takes a familiar story, the fake engagement for reasons, and through her characters makes it her own. As a romance reader, I am happy to read the same basic plot over and over again. I do want to read books with fleshed out characters and a strong author voice. Naina Kumar does that beautifully.

Meghna gets a shock when she’s invited to her college boyfriend Seth’s wedding. She hadn’t know he was serious about anyone even though, as good friends and writing partners, they talk frequently. She had hoped that Seth would realize that he was in love with her. Kumar does a fantastic job of making it clear that Seth is the worst and doesn’t deserve Meghna or his fiancee. Tired of being lonely, Meghna agrees to let her parents introduce her to some men who are also interested in marriage as an end goal. Her first introduction is Karthik, who tells her quite clearly that he is not interested in marriage or a relationship. So that’s a bust. Both leave assuming they’ll never see each other again.

After a tense family dinner, Karthik announces to his father that he plans to propose to Meghna. When he calls her, she’s surprised, but realizes having a date to Seth’s wedding, where she will be the Best Woman, would make the whole experience better for her. If anyone suspects she still has feelings for Seth, she can point to her fiancee, who is very handsome, an engineer, and totally real.

Kumar brings Meghna and Karthik together slowly, as is appropriate for two strangers who have agreed to pretend they are in a relationship. They travel to meet each other at various events and slowly become friends. There is an only one bed scene. Each of them have at least one “everything I thought was true is a lie” scene. Woven through the faking of an engagement, Meghna and Karthik are struggling with family relationships, and taking stock of where they are professionally. Naina Kumar makes all the disparate threads of their lives work in concert. The family struggles impact their professional goals and both feed into their willingness to crack themselves open for each other. The miscommunications and things unsaid feel organic.

I briefly met Naina Kumar at a book event with Helena Greer and Angelina M. Lopez in Houston and spurred by that, requested an arc from NetGalley. I’m so glad I did. This was a lovely read, and I’m looking forward to reading more of Naina Kumar’s books.

CW: Family stress, neglectful father, toxic friendship

I received this as an arc from Random House Publishing and NetGalley. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.

This book is amazing and the fact that this is a debut is MIND BLOWING. Meghna and Karthik are so cute together, despite their initial conflicts. Their romance, while starting as a farce to satisfy his parents and give her a date to her ex's wedding, develops so beautifully. Their arguments weren't caused by miscommunication (thank GOD) and honestly felt really adult. We get themes of toxic relationships and chasing your dreams all set against this whirlwind fake engagement. I absolutely got 90's romcom vibes from it - My Best Friend's Wedding for sure! You will have to wait until the end to get some steam, but it's well worth it.

I'd recommend this to fans of Sara Desai and Sajni Patel and anyone who's waiting for the resurgence of the romcom movie genre.

*Thank you to Dell and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review and to PRH Audio for the gifted ALC*

4.5 stars. I loved this book! I read the entire thing in one day because I was completely and utterly sucked in. Meghna and Karthik were SO CUTE together and I loved both of them individually so much. Meghna as a teacher and aspiring playwright and Karthik as an engineer were polar opposites, but as they say, opposites attract, and they were perfect. I loved how each of them had their own lives, but were influenced by the other, either directly or indirectly, to grow and chase after things that they were passionate about. The plot with Seth and Julie seemed a teensy bit out of place, but it definitely made the story more interesting. The miscommunication, especially during the wedding, was a little frustrating, but the resolution of it all was worth it. I loved the meddling parents and all the love there. This book also dealt with some heavier topics that were handled very well. Thank you so much to Random House, the author, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

TW: sexual harassment, misogyny, emotional abuse

Adorable rom com featuring a fake engagement. Actually, the romantic plotline has everything - Friends to Lovers as the characters' relationship built slowly, a frisson of Opposites-Attract energy, and a night or two of Only One Bed. Plus, each main character has their own arc outside the romantic relationship, and the story feels full of family relationships, career development, and personal growth. It sounds like a lot but it works together well, creating a full and believable portrayal of two people finding their way through early adulthood.

My one quibble is that, with all this going on, perhaps one of the subplots (the one featuring Samir and Ankita) could be cut. Although these characters could easily be the subject of their own novel, the tone of their relationship was more serious and nuanced than the rest of this one, and as a subplot it wasn't given the space it needed to really shine.

This was a good book about love and choices in life that make you happy, versus doing what others want you to do. While I certainly appreciate a dual POV, I felt like I was reading the book twice because there was constantly a thought or feeling being told by one of the characters, and then it’s being followed by repeating the same thing in the voice of the other character. There were some very cute parts in the story and was glad when Meghan finally stood up for herself.

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was interested in this book by debut author Naina Kumar and was approved.

While this book was not necessarily a comfort read, it was entertaining and frustrating and romantic. Meghna agrees to be set up on a date with the goal of arranged marriage in mind because nothing else has worked. Meghna is a middle school teacher and theater lover. She meets Karthik, an engineer in New York, set up by their parents. The idea of arranged marriage is not a foreign concept to me, but Karthik just wants to appease his mother; he has no intention of getting married because he has seen his parents' dysfunctional marriage. While Meghna's parents had an unconventional love marriage in India, Meghna sees how ideal her parents' love match was as a hope for her.

Meghna and Karthik don't quite have a meet cute, as Karthik seems cold and robotic. But with Karthik wanting to get out of endless weekends of meeting prospective wives, he proposes a fake engagement to Meghna. Meghna, just finding out her friend & ex Seth is getting married and wants her to be his best man, agrees.

It was frustrating how long it took for them to realize their feelings for each other weren't fake, especially Karthik. He had some real issues to work through, and Meghna had to come to terms that he may never walk down the aisle. Seth was a real jerk, and the side characters such as Ankita had her own drama. The ending made up for it. I hope there was some final editing before publishing because there were a few abrupt, confusing scenes.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars, out January 16, 2024.

I really enjoyed this! I listened to the audiobook and the narration was fantastic.

I love fake dating so I jumped at the chance to read this! I really enjoyed seeing Meghna and Karthik go from an arrangement of their fake engagement to real feelings for each other. I liked how they slowly developed into that person that you want to call with good news or bad. It was tough to see Karthik miss out on his chance with Meghna because he feared being too much like his father. I also enjoyed learning about marriage in other cultures and seeing how this couple and their families handled an arranged marriage. I was thrilled when Karthik told Meghna the truth about Seth and all of his manipulation. I really loved how they ended their engagement and dated until they wanted to be engaged for real. I hope to get more books from Naina Kumar! I flew through this one because I couldn’t put it down!

Meghna and Karthik are set up by their parents, but they don't want to get together. they decide on a fake engagement so their parents will leave them alone. very good read.

Really sweet, slow and slightly agonizingly will they or won't they in there but the author does really dive into some harder-hitting topics in her character developemnt which I appreciate.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the ARC

I’ve gotta say it.

SAY YOU’LL BE MINE was a true delight.

We meet Indian-Americans Meghna and Karthik who are single for their own reasons. While Meghna still holds a flame for her college ex-boyfriend turned best friend, Karthik is determined to avoid becoming like his chauvinistic father and remain unmarried. Their parents have a different dream for their children and have their sights set on a traditional arranged marriage.

Naina Kumar explores the unique intergenerational dynamics between children of immigrants and their parents in this debut. The cultural aspects of an arranged marriage added a layer or complexity to this charming story. I adored the characters, didn’t find their banter cheesy, and thought it was a well done romance.

READ THIS IF:
-You enjoy the fake dating, one bed, and grumpy/sunshine trope
-A slow-build romance with one open-door romance scene appeals to you
-You can’t resist a good “will they/won’t they”

RATING: 4/5
PUB DATE: January 16, 2024

Many thanks to Random House Ballantine for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.