Meghna and Karthik are both from Indian families. Meghna’s parents have a love marriage and Karthik’s have an arranged marriage. Meghna is looking for a relationship and wants a love marriage. She reluctantly agrees to meet with Karthik, who is on his own journey with relationships. Initially, they meet and don’t get along well. Karthik does however call and propose a fake engagement. Meghna agrees - as she needs a date to her best friend Seth’s wedding where she’s the “best man.”

This book was SO CUTE! It was a slow burn romance with slight spice. How Meghna and Karthik discover their feelings for each other was so sweet. Their little hints here and there, the kissing. The one bed! Loved it. This was just such a fun romance book. They each had their own lives and problems, and it was great to see them figure things out together.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely adored Meghna & Karthik’s story! Grumpy/Sunshine is one of my fave tropes. It was definitely interesting to see the arranged marriage POV. This was an amazing debut novel and I’m thankful to the publisher, NetGalley, and the author for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

I’ve been dying to read SAY YOU’LL BE MINE since I first heard about it almost a year ago, so thank you @netgalley for the chance to read it early for my honest review!

After 5 years of pining for her college ex, Meghna’s hopes are finally dashed when she receives an invitation to his wedding, followed closely by him asking her to be his best man. Heartbroken, she agrees, then allows to let her mother start arranging meetings with potential husbands. The first, and only, person she meets is Karthik, who has zero interest in marriage and is only there to appease his mom. The two agree to a fake engagement (Karthik to get out of these dates and Meghna to have someone by her side at Seth’s wedding events). But as those events push them closer—figuratively and literally—they have to wonder if this fake arrangement is as fake as they claim.

I 👏🏻 am 👏🏻 obsessed 👏🏻

I normally don’t love grumpy/sunshine, but this was way more than that. More like robot/sunshine! Karthik is trying to live his life without those pesky emotions, and Meghna just pops up with her Hindi puns and love of theater, and he has no idea what hit him until it’s too late! Their growth arcs were amazing, especially Meghna learning to trust in herself and her talent. The way they build each other up, even before they decided to commit to anything between them, made me feel like they’d go the mile even after the book ended.

The book is as beautiful on the outside as it is on the inside, so you definitely want it on your shelf and in your minds!

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the ARC.

I am a Sucker for fake romance books , and I dont know why!
I liked the whole indian arrange marrige aspect and them creating a relationship to get out of the arranged marrige.

Beautifully written debut book!

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the ARC.
This was a very charming take on the trope of fake relationship turned romance.
Meghna and Karthik come from traditional Indian families, Karthik's mom has been putting pressure on him to marry. Meghna is ready to settle down and get over her ex Seth who is engaged. They meet through a set up via their mothers and while at the first meeting Karthik admits he is never wanting to marry but is only going on meetings to make his mom happy. They agree to have a fake engagement to appease Kathik's mom and so Meghna doesn't have to go to Seth's wedding alone.
Wonderful rom com with great characters growth.

3.5/5 - This book was really sweet! I loved both Meghna and Karthik and enjoyed their progression from fake
fiancées to falling in love. I could’ve done, however, without the miscommunication at the end. I was internally screaming “just talk!!!” and wished the author had wrapped things up without that. Other than that, it was a cute and fun read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for giving me access to this book!

When this book becomes available please buy it and read it. I got my ARC today and I finished reading it today. It’s an absolute page-turner. It was funny, dramatic, warm, and an absolute breath of fresh-air.
Themes: “Fake engagement, arranged marriage, ex-boyfriend”
It felt like a Bollywood movie (there’s a quote in the book that explains my thoughts, I’ll share once the book is available to the public).
5/5 great job Naina Kumar. I hope there’s a story about Samir and Ankita
Thank you Random House publishing.

In order to escape the relentless matchmaking efforts of their families, Karthik Murthy and Meghna Raman devised a clever plan: they decided to stage a fake engagement. For three months, they would play the role of a couple, with Meghna benefiting from having a date for her ex's wedding, and Karthik can appease his mother.

However, their lives take unexpected turns, leading them to seek solace and comfort in one another. Each encounter deepens their connection, blurring the boundaries of their sham relationship and stirring a genuine attraction between them.

Now faced with a dilemma, they must confront their growing feelings. Will they give in to the undeniable chemistry they share?

✨Thoughts✨
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for providing me with the ARC of Say You'll Be Mine by Naina Kumar.

This story was very well-crafted. The author perfectly showcased the profound impact of culture and family dynamics on personal relationships.

Enter Meghna, she was constantly worried about disappointing her parents. Throughout the story, she undergoes a remarkable transformation, finding her voice and learning to assert herself. Witnessing her growth was truly gratifying.

As for Karthik, I had mixed feelings about his reluctance to get attached. As I learned his backstory, it became apparent that he was a product of a shattered home, desperate to break free from the cycle. His upfront honesty about marriage added a layer of depth to his character.

Overall, this was a delightful read. I was fascinated by the gradual connection shared by both MCs. The author skillfully laid the groundwork for their love to grow organically.

I recommend this book to those who enjoyed romcom with a hint of women's fiction.

Very charming! Meghna and Karthik find themselves in a mutually beneficial fake engagement situation. Meghna is nursing her unrequited love to Seth who is getting married to another woman while Karthik doesn’t want to get married but needs to appease his mother’s matchmaking attempts. As Meghna and Karthik spend more time together, they are surprised to find out they might just care for one another after all.

There is a lot to enjoy about this story - there is great tension and chemistry between Meghna and Karthik and some fun banter and really sweet moments. There is arguably a bit too much miscommunication or misreading of each other’s feelings but since both characters struggle with being vulnerable, this was also believable. I was engrossed and invested in their relationship and recommend this to anyone looking for their next romance read.

Thank you very much to Random House Ballantine and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

Wow, what a debut! This is a book I read in basically one sitting. It was so good and the pacing was perfect!

It includes some of my favorite tropes (fake dating/engagement, one bed, grumpy/sunshine) but in a fresh way that had me desperately turning pages. It does have some miscommunication, but honestly, I don't mind the miscommunication trope and I love when books hurt me like this book did.

Our main characters were perfectly written, and consistent in their behaviors. I loved both Meghna and Karthik. Both of them had so much growth, and it was so heartwarming to read.

The side characters were all great too, and I'm actually super invested in Ankita and would love to read her story with her love interest (don't want to spoil it by saying who). Both sets of parents were great (well, 1.5 of the parents I guess). I loved how we had the contrast of one set of parents who were still very much in love and had a healthy relationship, while the other set showed us an unhealthy relationship and the ramifications of that.

Thank you to RHPG/Dell and Netgalley for this ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun and breezy multicultural romance! I really enjoyed the portrayal of the families of both MCs, their dynamics and relationships. The internal conflicts experienced by the MCs, particularly the MMC was captured very well. I enjoyed reading the tension between the Meghna and Karthik :) That was super fun! Their initial meeting and then getting to know each other was quite realistically described & engaging to read.

I'd give 4.5/5, Overall the pacing was excellent until about 40% of the book & somehow after that I feel the pacing was a bit off. There were several instances of miscommunication, which could have been resolved IMO if MCs talked to each other. The ending dragged a bit IMO and could have been completed somewhat sooner.

Overall, a wonderful debut and definitely recommend to all romcom lovers! Would love to read the author's next :)

3 stars- theres something about a rom com. this one was a sweet read, that I quickly finished! thanks netgalley & the publisher for the ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

A fresh take on everyone’s favorite classic romcom tropes! I loved our leads: Meghna and Karthik are fleshed out perfectly. Their romance and conflict makes the reader root for their happy ending until the last page. There are many adorable moments that made my heart squeeze! There was banter that had me laughing and squealing at how cute and funny it was. Couldn’t put this book down!

Looking forward to reading more from this author in the future!

I couldn’t believe this is a debut! Naina Kumar’s book is fun, sexy, and swoony, and something I’ll be raving about to all of my romance reading friends. Karthik and Meghna have genuine chemistry, and it makes their slow burn romance all the more rewarding. Highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the author for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

This was a sweet romance with, my favorite, the grumpy/sunshine trope! The book has a slow, soft build to it, but is overall really endearing in the aspects of honesty and patience, and compromise.

I really enjoyed the story, but it felt like it was over at the 70% mark. The last piece dragged for me. That said, it was a great resolution and it felt like the story was wrapped up with a beautiful pink bow.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC.

Naina Kumar's debut is incredible! She delivers on the tropes fake fiancé and only one bed with her own unique twist. Kumar is an author to watch with her prose, humor, and romances to really root for! This is a five star read and I can't wait to follow her career!

Say you’ll be mine by nana kumar published January 2024. When the families of two Indian people force a meeting and possible relationship., the two decide to have a fake engagement. Well we all know this leads to a real love. The culture made it difficult for me to get into this romantic plot

Say You'll Be Mine is everything I want in a rom-com and sure to become your ultimate comfort read! This swoony romance features lovable characters, laugh out loud banter, and SO MUCH delicious tension. A fake engagement! Meddling families! Only One Bed! This book gives you ALL the best tropes. Not to mention Karthik, one of my all time favorite starchy grumps whose tense pining for the sharp and witty Meghna gives Mr. Darcy a serious run for his money.

Naina Kumar has a talent for writing relatable and complicated characters that are so warm hearted you can't help but cheer them on as them stumble towards their well-earned HEA. She is absolutely a writer to watch and an auto-buy author for me!