A nice romance that’s a quick read. I enjoyed this book. I wasn’t obsessed but it was a nice light read!

This was such a good book.
I really liked the Indian culture that was added and traditions.
So we have the main characters; Meghna and Karthik.
They both decide on a fake engagement, and each of their situations are very very different.
This was a kinda hate to love type relationship but there were def a lot of feelings. I feel there was so much emotions going on with each character that is made it such a slow-burn type of book.
Their families and pasts play a huge role also.
Not only was this a romance book but it was also funny, so many lol moments. Rom-Com for sure.
After reading this book I can wait to see what else this author writes, bc i am pretty sure this was a debut book.

absolutely crazy that this is a debut novel! the care for the characters is so tender and realistic, and i really do love a fake dating plot (especially one that it is quite well done). overall would absolutely recommend for people that like romances with some depth. thank you for the arc

This book was such a wholesome, fake dating romance. I wish the spicy scenes were a touch more spicy and maybe a few more of them, but overall it was a fun read.

SCREAMING CRYING THROWING UP because this book is amazing and just so cute, didn't disappoint and it was just the cutest and amazing. love it and can't wait to read more books by Naina

I found the premise to be extremely interesting. Fake engagement turns to real love? Common but this version was very cute. I enjoyed the romance between the two main characters; and how they fit perfectly together.

I think the “yearning for a friend” aspect was different because I don’t think I’ve ever read a book where the guy actively takes credit of the music lyrics written by the friend and fiancée.

So glad to read this and thank you NetGalley for sending me a copy!

Meghna is a teacher & aspiring playwright. Her ex boyfriend & friend is getting married & asks Meghna to be the best man at the wedding. Karthik is an engineer whose parents have been trying to match him with a partner. When Meghna agrees to meet with a potential match she meets Karthik who makes her an offer to help them both out They agree to a fake engagement for Meghna to make it through her ex's wedding & for Karthik to have a break from his parents trying to find a partner. This was an enjoyable story & I loved seeing the friendship grow between Meghna & Karthik. This was a great debut & I'm looking forward to reading more by the author.

I loved this book! “Say You’ll Be Mine” was funny and charming. This book just kept me in a good mood throughout and I was surprised to learn Ms. Kumar was a first time author. While the fake dating trope is nothing new, something about the execution of this book made it one of the better ones to do it. I hope she writes more novels. 4 stars ⭐️. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy for review.

This was an impressive debut novel! I enjoyed the Indian culture that shined bright in this one. Meghna and Karthik decide on a fake engagement, each for their own benefit, after their super involved parents try to set them up. Karthik is firm that he never wants to get married, and Meghna is open to that part of her life starting. The book then follows them through their fake engagement, and each of them go through some personal struggles along the way. There is a grumpy/sunshine theme throughout the book with Meghna being so sweet and fun and Karthik being more serious, and super career driven. There's a little bit of spice but nothing over the top. The only downside for me with this book was that although it's a slow burn, I found it to be actually too slow at a few points. Overall, it was an entertaining, fun book and I will definitely be on the lookout for the authors future books, 3.5 stars rounded to 4.

Thank you, Random House - Ballantine, and Net Galley for a copy in return for my honest review!

This was so good. I really liked this story. Meghna loves Seth, but he's engaged to be married and asks her to be his best man, she's crazy because she agrees to it. All while Karthik pleases his mom by agreeing to go out with Meghna. The two end up falling hard.

This is a cute romance. I loved the writing and the mentions of food had me hungry the whole time in a good way. I did struggle with the immaturity of the characters. I won't spoil plot but they seemed to old to have the issues they did. I know stories need conflict but these characters also needed self respect, boundaries, communication, and therapy.

4.75 ⭐

Say You'll Be Mine pulled me in with the punchy hot pink cover and the bold lettering. I loved every single part of this book. This is a fake engagement centered romcom following Meghna and Karthik who have opposite views on marriage. Karthik has no plans to ever marry, but is only doing this in order to please his mother. Meghna is in love with her best friend who has never given her the time of day romantically.

This all comes into play when Meghna is invited to her best friend's wedding (you know... the one she's in love with!) as the "Best Man". There is a lot of self-discovery and pining along the way but this is an extreemly slow burn. I loved how the main characters were long-distance for most of the novel as they got to know each other so the slow, gradual connections felt more real.

Definitely a feel-good romcom with a strong South Asian cultural base. I enjoyed the entire book so much and will definitely be checking out Naina Kumar's future releases!

💗 Dual POV
💗 Grumpy x Sunshine
💗 Fake Engagement
💗 Slow Burn
💗 Opposites Attract
💗 RomCom
💗 Indian Culture

Thank you so much to NetGalley & Dell for an eARC of Say You'll Be Mine by Nana Kumar.

This story took me a looooong time to get into it, but when I did I was very thankful I stuck with it! I am surprised it was this author’s debut book because it was such a well written story! I would say this is has a rom com vibe with all the fun elements of a fake relationship trope, a view into Indian culture, as well as just enough spice to keep spicy readers happy while not turning off readers who would prefer no spice in their books. I definitely would want to read this author’s future books! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

What an amazing debut novel! I devoured this book in an entire day! I kept hearing such great things and it was all well deserved.

This was an arranged marriage with a different twist because of the fake engagement. The couples were long distance, but they were based in the states and not in India. It was great to see how the author including so much of their cultures however, still included parts of their current lives. These MC's made each other better, stronger and the growth each character made was what I love to see.

It was such a beautiful story about love, family, and breaking generational trauma. I look forward to more from this author.

Thank you to Net Galley for an early copy of this book on exchange for an honest review as always, all words are my own.

this was sweet beyond words 😍

Meghna and Karthik felt so real and i could actually see them lasting in a relationship. they were compatible but not identical, and they actually worked through their personal issues! wow! the miscommunication, while always annoying, was done well in my opinion.

it was a simple plot executed well - a fake relationship that had an actual purpose? unheard of. don’t get me wrong, i’ll eat up a fake dating trope like nobodies business, but i don’t think i’ve read one that felt like it could actually happen to people. love!

I’m definitely looking forward to reading more from Naina Kumar!

This book is SO GOOD! It is heartfelt, romantic, full of some twists and turns, emotional, and so much more!

Firstly, this cover is STUNNING!

Naina Kumar's writing is full of heart, and her storytelling is spectacular. From the first page to the last, I simply could not put this book down, and found myself turning the pages into the early hours of the morning to see what was going to happen next.

Meghna and Karthik each have their own thoughts and reasoning for the fake engagement, but, neither could either have imagined how that fake engagement might turn into something much more real. This novel truly has so much in it: family, culture, love, and extremely powerful and poignant themes explored throughout.

If you enjoy Romance, I highly recommend this book! I look forward to reading what Naina Kumar writes next!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group--Ballantine / Dell for the ARC of this book! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This book was so sweet and there were so many things to love about this debut from Naina Kumar! The main characters were great and I loved the Indian representation. The cultural aspects like the food, matchmaking/arranged marriages, and overall family dynamics were so interesting and added so much to the story! I was rooting for Meghna to find happiness and pursue her passion from the start and it was so great to see her come into her own throughout the novel. I loved that Karthik helped her build some self-confidence and that they pushed each other to seek out more enjoyment in life. The fake engagement and romance piece was so well done and brought with it some funny moments, but also some tenderness, between the characters that seemed so genuine and sweet.

If you are looking for a new romance read, this is a perfect read to bring a smile to your face and learn more about Indian culture. I highly recommend!!

This was a cute read. There was a definite push and pull between Karthik and Meghna. They would be drawn to each other and then someone would say or do something that pushed the other away. There was a lot of misunderstanding each other but it read less like the miscommunication trope and more like two very different personalities trying to learn each other. I appreciated the depth of the characters and their family lives. I really felt like we got to know and understand where they each came from and how their families shaped them into the adults they've become.
3.5 stars

I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was fine it just really didn't do much for me. My biggest issue in this book is that I never really felt like they had a lot of time together where they actually talked to one another to actually realize they liked each other. It seemed like there was one chapter where they talked on the phone constantly and got to know each other and that was it. Everything else was miscommunication and not much else.

It kind of felt more like lust than like/love during the times that they kissed before they figured everything else out.

Not a bad book at all, just not my favorite.

I loved the juxtaposition of who makes a good partner, the cheerful socialite that’s using you or the robotic RBF that listens to you and respects everything you have to say.
So much miscommunication trope but not to an unreadable degree and the fake finance trope felt fresh and realistic enough to keep me on board.
The writing was bingeable (recommend the audiobook). In all, a strong debut.