I loved this engagement book so much! this a new to me author but the vibes were so great. one bed. good chemistry, slowburn. I loved it!

Thank you NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

This was sooo cute! I really enjoyed it. I loved reading about the Indian culture, matchmaking, meddling families, wedding antics, grumpy x sunshine, and the fake engagement.

The audiobook made me laugh out loud.

This was a really sweet book. The entire time I’m rooting for the main characters to get together for real and share their feelings and innermost thoughts with one another. At times I did get frustrated with the characters in their lack of communication but it was a well written novel.

A good romance should give the reader the feeling that she has just fallen in love; we should be vicariously giddy. This book did not do that. The characters had no chemistry, and overall, it was a largely forgettable book that I could’ve dnf’d at any time without ever wondering more about it.

Wonderfully solid debut novel! I loved this slow burn romance with some Indian cultural references. It felt very real and authentic which I really appreciated. I love a fake dating/engagement situation. The banter and chemistry were great! I'd definitely read more from this author!!

I really enjoyed this book. (4.5 stars but there’s no half option!) The story focuses on Meghna and Karthik as they embark on a fake engagement scheme that will ultimately make them question big beliefs they each hold when it comes to what they want and what they will accept.

I loved the fake engagement in this and thought it worked really well against the backdrop of arranged marriages. It made it feel more plausible to me. Meghna had great character growth as she learned that what she thought was support may have been something totally different. Karthik also has good character growth as he realizes he might want love after all and it was nice to see a man in a book get help for his issues.

The love story was cute and I felt like there was enough about each character that I was invested in them and what happened to them as a couple. I really liked their epilogue as well because it was not at light speed in their relationship and it didn’t end with my least favorite trope as so many romance books do.

There’s a tiny bit of spice and it’s really well done, not explicit and actually gives you butterflies instead of making you cringe (well, if you’re like me and have a lot of words you can’t stand lol).

The book does lean heavily on the miscommunication trope or rather the no communication trope and it can be a little frustrating because I wanted them to just talk to one another, but it makes sense in the story given they’re faking and both think the other is more committed to continuing to only be fake engaged than they really are.

Overall, this book was sweet and I stayed up all night reading it, which is how I gauge just how committed I am to the story. I highly recommend it if you like lighthearted romance!

This book will probably end up being one of my top 2024 reads. Did I read it last year? Absolutely.. But it was published this year and I reread it this year so I get to make the rules!

Have I mentioned how much I love fake dating lately?!?! ! I love fake dating! I love watching two people fall in love, while trying not to fall in love, while keeping that love.secret. It’s swoon gold!

BUT THIS?!? Naina had to go and add my Kryptonite, Cultural expectations and family pressure! Ohhhhh the drama! I am here for this! This whole book is absolutely delightful and I could not recommend it more!

Thank you, NetGalley and Dell Paperback.

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.