This was wonderful, warm, and just a little spicy. Fake dating, fake engagement. One bed! Lovely tropes in a lovely book. This is Kumar’s debut and I’m looking forward to reading more from her! Thanks to @netgalley and @randomhouse for the ARC!

This debut romance novel from Naina Kumar may be my new favourite book ever. From the first page I was immersed in the story of Meghna and Karthik and their fake engagement with real feelings. Chock full of romantic moments and misunderstandings, this book had me kicking my feet and squealing the whole time.

One of the best things about this book is that its perspective switches between Karthik and Meghna so fluidly and I always felt like I got both sides of every single one of their interactions. While they were busy catching feelings for each other, I was busy falling in love with their romance one page at a time. It was the little things that really made this book special, from the beginning when Meghna threatens Karthik with certain death if he eats the pani puri she loves so much, to the countless spontaneous flights Karthik books to Meghna's hometown just because his heart needs to see her.

Naina Kumar quite expertly created characters that felt like they could walk off the page and into my life and it was so much fun to get wrapped up in the drama of their lives. Meghna's passion for her job as an English and theatre teacher despite the fact that it's not the high-profile engineering career that her mother wants for her is something I can relate to because I am sitting here writing this review instead of being a doctor. There were so many similar moments in the book that felt so tangible and close to my lived experience which made this book so personal and the ending so rewarding.

Special thanks to Random House and Dell for sending me an ARC of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

Five out of five stars

I am completely obsessed! The fake engagement, chemistry, banter, all the romcom things made this book perfection! I related to Meghna being a teacher as I am a teacher myself. And as a native Texan, I love that this book is based in Dallas!
This book definitely has that grumpy/sunshine concept! Also includes fake engagement (kind of an arranged marriage), meddling families, supportive best friends.
Absolutely loved the growth development of the characters. Meghna and Karthik definitely needed each other to grow and develop together!
I really hope everyone gets the chance to read this book! It is perfection. I was literally smiling, crying, and laughing as I read it! Perfect debut novel for Naina Kumar!

Kumar’s debut, Say You'll be Mine, proves that she has mastered the art of the relationship novel. Readers looking for deep familial relationships in their grumpy-sunshine romances will find a new favorite in this one.

So I usually hate the “you know one conversation would clear this up” trope. But in this one it didn’t bother me. Naina Kumar created two characters that are complex enough that the lack of real talk makes sense. Meghna and Karthik are introduced by their mothers in an “arranged” marriage meeting. And while there is physical attraction, oh boy it is not a meet cute. He tells her he never wants to marry and she thinks he is cold and robotic. But a family argument at dinner has Karthik proposing a fake engagement and the upcoming wedding of Meghna’s college boyfriend has her agreeing to the scheme. Both these people learn about standing up and being true to themselves as they fall in love (even if some of the problems could be solved with a conversation). I found myself reading slower than usual because I. didn’t want the story to end. It is absolutely a book I can see myself reading again, because the characters are just that fun to spend time with.

Meghna has been in unrequited love with her best friend, Seth, since college. He’s getting married soon and she really could use a date for the wedding. Meghna’s family thinks engineer, Karthik, would be the perfect match for her, but he’s not interested in getting married. He does want to make his mom happy, though, and maybe get her off his back for a while about the whole marriage thing. Megna agrees to Karthik’s crazy plan to fake an engagement, but he is such a grump, the exact opposite of her sunny personality.

This was a pretty predictable but sweet, opposites attract, fake dating romance. I think it was enjoyable and worth reading. Loved the two main characters. 3.5⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Dell for this complimentary ARC. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Meghna is an elementary school teacher. She's sunny and helpful and a loyal friend. Karthik is an engineer. He's insular, grumpy, and introverted. But he's also a good son. To lighten the load of his long-suffering mother, he agrees to let her set up interviews for arranged marriages. Karthik grits his teeth and goes through the motions. Until he is introduced to Meghna. While speaking privately at their introduction, they agree to a fake engagement to resolve both their problems. Of course, they're instantly attracted to each other, and the entire story is about them resisting the pull until the HEA.

I liked both characters, their friends and family (except, of course, Karthik's evil father!) and I enjoyed their activities and interactions. (The first dance scene was swoony!) However, 100% of their conflicts could have been resolved if they had just opened their mouths and said what was really on their minds. So I was a tiny bit frustrated reading the book, but the author has talent, and I hope to see more from her.

I will definitely be singing praising for Say You’ll Be Mine by Naina Kumar! This book was phenomenal! These characters had so much depth! Meg and Karthick were literally perfect for each other! They complimented each other wonderfully and all in all made each other better people not only for their romantic relationship, but also in their every day lives. They accepted each other fully, flaws and all! The pining was top notch! I had a smile on my face more often than not! This wasn’t just a typical fake dating trope book. These two are NOT your typical romance characters! I was completely blown away and Naina Kumar has a new reader in me because of it!

I received and advanced readers copy of this book from NetGalley. This review is honest, unbiased, and completely my own.

This is your typical hallmark story.

Both Meghna and Karthik were both from India and they were getting set up by there parents to find you a partner. Meghna wanted to get married and Karthik didn't because of his parents falling a part marriage. They decided to get faked engaged to get their parents of their back. They both end up falling for each other, but doesn't tell the other how they feel because it wasn't real, but to them it ended up to be. By the end of the story it was a Happily Ever After. Those books are just typically the same, but a different theme. It was a fun and fast read.
I love the writing style and both POV's.

I love me a fake engagement trope, but what I can't stand is the miscommunication. All they had to do is tell each other how they really felt and none of there fights would of happened. Also it took Megnha way too long realized she was being used by Seth for all those years. Seth wanted everything from her, but he didn't have the decency to return the favor. There was some irritations in this book for me because I just don't like miscommunication and being used and them not realizing it. But overall I enjoyed the rest of their love story.

Thank you Netgalley, Publisher, and Naina for letting me read this ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

This reads like a predictable rom com. After reading 37% I lost interest. DNF
She wants to find love and says yes to an "arranged marriage" setup. He doesn't believe in marriage due to his parents marriage but wants to please his mother. They agree to a fake engagement till her lost love gets married.







**************************I received an ARC for my honest opinion from NetGalley************************

From faking dating to family drama, this book has a little of everything. Perfect for fans of romantic comedies who love stories about love and finding romance with unexpected people in unexpected places. This novel will give you all the feels and be one you will not be able to put down.

Thank you, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine/Dell and NetGalley, for the advanced copy of Say You'll Be Mine.

When Colleen Hoover touts a novel as the new When Harry Met Sally and a page-turner, it's gotta be good, right? Oh my gosh. This was so much better than good. I love the fake dating trope. Of course, they're going to get their wires crossed and hearts are going to be broken, but then they'll find their way back to each other, right? Right?! I loved both of our lovers right from the very start.

Meghna Raman feels like she is such a disappointment to her parents. She became a teacher instead of an engineer, and by society's norms in the Indian culture, she's becoming an old maid. Karthik, who did not disappoint his parents and did become an engineer, agrees to let his mom play matchmaker for one year even though he has no intent on getting married or even falling in love. His dad is not a stellar husband, and he doesn't want to end up disappointing his wife the same way his dad did. Meghna's college ex is getting married, and she needs a date. Karthik really wants to stop going on these matchmaking attempts with his mom. Why not fake-date? Only with their culture, it's much more complicated than that. Time to be fake-engaged! Pick up Say You'll Be Mine today, and follow Meghna and Karthik on their not-so-conventional journey to finding love.

I would say this book was somewhere between a 3.5 and a 4. It was very cute and I was definitely drawn to keep reading it but there were lots of plot holes and a severe lack of communication between the two leads.

This book features two young Indian Americans who are set up for an arranged date by their respective parents. They both want to get their parents off of their backs they so they enter into a fake engagement. Hijinks, only one bed and miscommunications ensue until ultimately Meghna and Karthik fall in love and live happily ever after. I wish they would have communicated more and maybe spent enough time together to make an engagement seem somewhat realistic (huge pet peeve of mine.)

Overall, Meghna and Karthik were quite charming and the story was fun and engaging. Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing and Dell for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This swoon worthy Indian fake dating/engagement is the Rom-Com that you need to read. This has everything you need in a romance book. This would be an amazing movie!! Loved this!! Meghna and Karthik are the most perfect couple/romance I've read recently. 5/5 stars!
I just reviewed Say You'll Be Mine by Naina Kumar. #SayYoullBeMine #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

Thank You, NetGalley for an eARC of Say You'll Be Mine by Naina Kumar,

This book I did not really enjoy, just wasn't my cup of tea

Thanks @netgalley @nkumarwrites and @penguinrandomhouse for the early look at Say You’ll Be Mine. It releases on January 16, 2024.

Meghna is a school teacher who secretly wants to be a playwright. When Seth, her writing partner and the ex she never got over, gets engaged and asks her to be his best man(!), she panics and agrees to be faked engaged to grumpy engineer Karthik. He is pretending in order to please his beloved mother, but doesn’t believe in love or marriage—not after seeing his mother be trapped in her relationship with his dad. But as they spend more time together, real feelings develop and they have to figure out whether they can risk their hearts.

Naina’s writing is full of heart and depth. It is a breathtakingly assured debut novel. She crafts complex, real characters who have a lot of baggage to overcome on their way to an HEA. I loved it!

Steam: 🔥🔥
Tropes: fake dating, hung up on ex, bad dad, wedding, meddling moms

SO GOOD!
Fun engagement of convenience/fake dating!
love the development of the main characters. And the end was so perfect 😭
Review also posted on goodreads

3.5 stars! This was a very fun and quick read! I’m a big proponent of 400 pages or less (!!!) books. I love a fake dating/fake engagement trope and this did not disappoint. I really liked Karthik and the depth he had (I think even more so than Meghna). A book about a main character who doesn’t believe in marriage/love but then ends up obsessed/head overs heels for the last person they expected will do it for me every! single! time!

This all being said, it was just missing something that kept it from being a 4 or 5 star read for me. I really really wish it had been in first person/dual POVs. I feel I would have understood the characters a bit better and really been able to connect with them and in turn really connect with them as love interests. I also felt there was just a tinge too much of miscommunication trope vibes going on, it felt like the only times there was “fights” or drama it was always related to simply miscommunication. The wedding scene also seemed a bit rushed to me. It felt like there had been sufficient build up to where we’d see Meghna recognize her friendship was Seth wasn’t equal and that she’d stand up for herself/confront him/have some sort of resolution, yet what we got felt very rushed and sort of unimportant to the overall story.

Overall I had fun and enjoyed it (the chemistry was definitely there!) and will definitely read this authors future work, this is a very solid debut.

Thanks NetGalley and Random House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for giving me this ARC.

I give it a 4.5 stars!

This was a great debut novel for Naina Kumar. The story follows Meghna, a hopeless romantic who has had bad luck finding love, and Karthik, who hates love and never wants to get married. Following their first meeting, Karthik makes it clear he never intends to marry. Meghna takes it how it is and doesn't push to understand more than the fact Karthik only says yes to these "rishtas" because he told his mom he would do it for 1 year and then she can never bother him with the idea of marriage ever again. However, after meeting each other, he can't stop thinking about her but tries really hard to push his feelings away and she tries really hard to not get feelings because they don't want the same things, Due to different circumstances, they get into an "equally" beneficial fake engagement. Of course, as much as they hoped not to, they end up catching feelings but because of their own demons it forces them to push away. There is OM drama but I think it is important to the overall story and Meghna's growth. There was also another storyline with Meghna's bff that I just was not interested in and it does not seem that it will lead to another book because the "problem" was resolved by the end of the novel.

I felt seen as an American Indian who is a hopeless romantic but lives in a world where love has not come easily so we continue to downplay our feelings just to make others more comfortable. I think this is a great first novel and I am excited to read her future novels.

The tropes:
One-bed trope
Fake engagement
Forced Proximity
Grumpy/Sunshine

3.5 stars. I think this book was exactly what I was in the mood for, and overall, I really enjoyed it even if it ran out of steam a bit at the end.

This romance features my favorite trope, fake dating or, in this case, engagement, and is definitely an opposites-attract pairing. Meghna and Karthik are brought together by their parents' matchmaking efforts and for various romance book "reasons", decide to fake their engagement for the next three months. I liked both main characters, and there are a bunch of side plots and characters that I found rather compelling in addition to enough plot that made this a quick and satisfying read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for sending me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.