In this touching romance set in the lively cities of Bangalore and Mumbai, readers are welcomed into a world of pretend dating and intense attraction. The story features Harsha, a freelance photographer who left her wealthy but distant family to follow her dream, and Veer, a dedicated son and brother who paused his acting ambitions to support his family. Despite their different backgrounds, their lives come together in a pretend relationship that feels real.

The main plot centers around Harsha needing a fake boyfriend to bring to family gatherings—a familiar scenario that quickly pulls readers into their growing relationship. As they deal with the ups and downs of pretending, their chemistry gradually deepens, adding warmth and humor to their interactions. The "intimacy practice" scenes were especially noteworthy, highlighting the fake-dating theme and offering refreshingly authentic moments.

Harsha and Veer feel very relatable as characters. Harsha's quest for approval from her family, her passion for photography, and her coffee obsession make her an engaging character. Veer's willingness to sacrifice his dreams for his family and his charming personality make him someone you can't help but root for. Their struggles—like money issues, family expectations, and personal aspirations—add richness to their characters and a realistic touch to the romance.

The writing style is straightforward and filled with dialogue that brings the characters to life, making the book easy to read. The story shifts between Harsha and Veer's perspectives, allowing readers to understand their thoughts and challenges. This book delves into themes of family loyalty, honesty, and the complexity of relationships from different financial backgrounds. It invites readers to think about how much one should sacrifice for one's family, the importance of honesty in love, and the beauty and challenges of navigating cultural expectations in relationships.

This romance shines with its chemistry. The witty exchanges and gradual development of feelings make the story engaging and heartwarming. I enjoyed this book, especially its rich cultural elements, like the colorful wedding celebrations and family dynamics. Veer was a particularly lovable hero, showing both strength and vulnerability.

"Can't Help Faking in Love" is a fantastic pick for romance fans, especially those who love the fake-dating theme and stories set within South Asian culture. Its charming characters, strong themes, and delightful plot make it an excellent read for anyone looking for an uplifting romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell for the ARC!

Cute but felt a little underdeveloped? I wish I’d gotten more depth from the characters, more backstory with the parents that could really give me more of a reason to root for their relationship. It felt surface level, and while it was a cute story about how on the whole, I was left with wanting more.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Harsha is looking for a date to her cousins wedding. She asks someone at the coffee shop she frequents to be her plus one. She grows to like him the more time she spends with him. A quick read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Can’t Help Faking in Love tells the story of Harsha, a young woman who’s well-off family has ties to Bollywood, and Veer, a barista who dreams of making it big as an actor in India. Veer is Harsha’s favorite barista, and when she finds herself without a date to her cousin’s wedding, decides to hire Veer to be her date.

I truly loved this story! Harsha and Veer had chemistry from the first time we see them at the cafe, and I loved the banter and tension they had throughout the story. Beyond the romance, the story really focused on two young people finding their purpose in life and their careers while living in the shadows of their family, which I thing a lot of twenty- and thirty-somethings will relate to!

This was also the first book that I’ve read that was set in India, and I loved all of the details about Bangalore and learning about Indian wedding customs.

A wonderful read that I’d definitely recommend to any romance fan!

Can’t Help Faking in Love was a four star read for me. Harsha comes from a wealthy family and is trying to make it on her own as a photographer. She propositions her favorite (very handsome) barista Veer to be her fake boyfriend for upcoming family events. I instantly fell in love with Harsha and Veer as this story had great character development. If you love a book with fake dating, slow burn and minimal spice I highly recommend Can’t Help Faking in Love.

I loved Swati’s first book, so I had to read this one. And it’s so good! Fake dating is a fave trope of mine, and it hit all the marks. Harsha and Veer were superb together.

Thanks as always to NetGalley for the ARC.

I really enjoyed this book! The fake dating trope is always fun and I thought their relationship dynamic was cute. Plus, I love Bollywood and Bollywood movies, so that added to the fun for me.

This is a sweet book. The characters are great and I love the depiction of many different types of family dynamics. The two main characters really grow into their own and I appreciate that there is no miscommunication or third act breakup that feels disingenuous to the story.

-fake dating
-he falls first
-found family
-.5 spice

First and foremost thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read the book in return for an honest review.

This is a bollywood worthy love story set in the vibrant city of Mumbai and Bangalore.

Can't help faking in love is a vibrant and desi romance written skillfully by the author which combines comedy, ethnic diversity and forbidden love Vibes. This is a true rom com vibe set against the backdrop of a bollywood style wedding and banglore's streets.I absolutely loved this book. The pace, the chemistry, the tension, the bits and pieces of Indian culture, the complexities behind family, the love it was all weaved so beautifully to turn into a beautiful story. This was a closed door romance but still the tension and the steam you could cut it with a knife and feel it through the book. The book also showed the mix between romance and issues of family responsibilities, individual identity and having the guts to pursue one's dream in a unique way. The book leaves readers both entertained and moved by the characters development. It is an enticing tale full of warmth, humour, and heart.

A request!!!!!Can we have this turned into a movie cause I need to watch this on screen.

This is a sweet, cute and perfect Bollywood Vibe Romance.
Tropes: Fake dating, Barista x Photographer, One bed trope, Set In Bangalore, Slow Burn, He fell First
I liked this more than “Match me If you Can”, may be because the characters are relatable in this book.
Harsha Godbole a budding Photographer who came to Bangalore after leaving her rich parents to become an independent one and do what she loves. Veer Kannan a barista who wants to become an Actor. They start to fake-date to appear as a couple for Harsha’s cousin wedding and in return Veer could pay off his brother MBA tuition.
Their chemistry is just perfect. The is evident while reading, along with sweet glances and stolen touches. The slow burn is done really well without making you lose interest. What I loved the most is Veer’s attentiveness to little things which make the most loveable. One of my favourite scene is where he learns and ties the saree for her.

Cherry on top is the Quote from various show at the beginning of each chapter.
Apart from romance this book perfectly depicted the family issues, Indian Culture in the book through the wedding and food choices. All the characters really bring out the emotions especially Pinky Aunty & Veer’s Mom.

What I didn’t like is the Third-act breakup, how Veer behaved in the end made Harsha feel. Its just felt unnecessary and can sense it coming. Expected some grovelling from Veer…

Perfect romance book for the Love season 🥰

Thank You NETGALLEY and Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine/Dell for this ARC !

Can't Help Falling in Love is a fun fake-dating tale set in Bangalore, filled with Bollywood and filmi vibes, meddling family members, and two individuals who find themselves falling in love and facing challenges and triumphs alike. Highly recommend this read from Swati Hegde! Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC.

I enjoyed Swati Hegde's debut novel, Match Me If You Can, so I was excited to be able to read the ARC for this book as well!

This book was exactly what I expected- full of tropes and predictable twists and turns, equivalent to a Hallmark movie. But that isn't a negative- everyone needs a little hope and love in their lives, and this type of media can be a great way to find that.

I enjoyed seeing more of India through the author's eyes, not only in the locations but in the various experiences that the characters had throughout the story. I love learning more about other cultures through reading, and I appreciated that this book had that aspect.

3.5 stars rounded up!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the e-ARC!

First of all I love the cover! It definitely made me want to read the book. The story was very well written and I could not put it down!

First and foremost, a special thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

There were many times after sitting through hours of Bollywood movie marathons, I would begin to search high and low for a book that could replicate the magical vibes Indian Rom-Coms give off. Finally, I found that book.

This book low-key gives forbidden love vibes in the sense that both main characters come from very distinct social classes. Harsha, a socialite amateur photographer, meets Veer, a barista dreaming of one day becoming an actor. She proposes a contract that will help get her family off her back about having a significant other and get Veer into the Bollywood scene: fake dating.

I absolutely loved this book. The pace, the chemistry between the MCs, the bits and pieces of Indian culture weaved into the story, the difficult topic of duty, the complexity behind family, and the serendipity of love. It was all weaved perfectly into a beautiful story. Not to mention, this was a closed-door romance but the steaminess was still in the room with us as we read.

Honestly, someone call Dharma Productions because I need this on screen now. Giving this beauty a 4.3

I thought this book was really cute. I loved the dynamic between the main characters - they were both funny, relatable and their banter was so good! I love that she showed multiple family dynamics while showing some hardships of Indian family culture. I definitely feel like some things left you wondering like Harsha/Veer dealt with their family issues after they came to head. Outside of that, the story was super cute and a really quick read. I would give it 3.5 stars but will round up to 4. Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC!

Thank you to Dell and NetGalley for the advance reader copy of Can’t Help Faking in Love by Swati Hegde!

At the beginning of the book, Harsha is broken up with before her cousin’s upcoming wedding. Since her family knows she had been seeing someone she suddenly finds herself without the boyfriend her family believes she has. As a result of a misunderstanding, Harsha ends up asking Veer, a barista at the coffee shop she visits, to pose as her fake boyfriend. Veer, an aspiring actor and is suddenly supporting his brother’s education in business school, takes the opportunity Harsha presents to him so that he can help his brother and it just so happens Harsha’s family is big in Bollywood.

Harsha and Veer have such cute chemistry. I enjoyed Harsha’s pursuit of her own path and career separate from her family. Veer is adorable in how he tries to resist acting on his growing feelings for Harsha throughout their arrangement. Veer’s friend group is also a highlight for me and how they support him through the fake dating situation he’s found himself in.

If you enjoy a fake dating romance, this is one to check out!

I loved this book! Thank you so much to the publishers and author for the digital ARC. This was such a pleasure to read. The main characters are so likable, but my favorite character was Pinky. (Everyone deserves an aunt like Pinky in their lives!) This was a cozy, quick read with feel-good vibes. I loved reading about the different locations in India — it was great to break away from the usual American- or English-centric stories I most often read. I will definitely be reading more from this author!

Billionaire heiress returns home to India after attending college in the States. She has no job, her boyfriend has just broken up with her, and refuses to fall back on her parents money. After running into her cousin at a local bar, said heiress recruits her local barista to be her fake boyfriend. The pair get close as they prepare to attend her aunt’s party.

I really tried with this one but the writing was just too cheesy. Interesting concept though!

I was obsessed with @swatihegdeauthor 's debut romcom Match Me If You Can, so I was thrilled to read an ARC of her next book Can't Help Faking In Love from @netgalley! This book really has it all: a delightful lack of beds, cuddling 😉, fake dating, beautiful writing, gorgeous setting, and chemistryyyyy for dayyyssss 🔥! I'm also completely in love with this cover as well as the cover of Match Me If You Can -- the details! The colors! The borders!

💜 🌿

Here's the blurb:

A young woman with Bollywood roots hires a barista to act as her boyfriend for her cousin’s wedding—only to learn you can’t fake chemistry like theirs—in this desi romance from the author of Match Me If You Can 🌿 💜
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Harsha Godbole has never felt love from her family, but she’s always been surrounded by their Bollywood business mogul wealth. Now back in Bangalore after studying in America, Harsha is ready to start her adult life without their money. But that becomes impossible when everything she’s worked so hard for comes crumbling down. Fearful of showing up to her cousin’s upcoming wedding as a failure—and worse, a single failure—Harsha decides to put her trust fund to good use . . . 

Veer Kannan does everything for his family. He even gave up his dreams of becoming a Bollywood star to get a more consistent gig . . . although working as a barista wasn’t really the big break he was hoping for. It’s a humble life, but a happy one, nonetheless. Then financial aid falls through for his brother’s first year in business school, so now Veer needs to come up with a large sum of money, and fast.

Harsha’s outlandish plan to hire her favorite barista as her fake boyfriend for the weekend-long wedding bash is received surprisingly well by Veer, who hopes this will be his ticket to Bollywood. But Harsha and Veer get way more than they bargained for in this heartwarming journey to finding unexpected love and courage.

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#canthelpfakinginlove #bookstagram #amreading #amreadingromance #romancebooks

Can't Help Faking in Love fell a little flat for me. It read more like a YA book and I was looking for more in-depth characterization. It was still a great read and I loved learning more about the culture of India.

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.