I requested to read and review this book for free from Dell an Imprint of Random House. This book I struggled at first to get into because I thought it would be your typical love story. It is a love story in some ways but also it's a story about loving yourself for who you are and who you want to be. How your family is who you want it to be whether that is family or people who you love like family. Harsha came from a wealthy family. But does that include being loved or is love conditional in her world? Veer saw what he thought was what love was like. But is possible he got it wrong. What love is for one person the same for someone else? Or can love be whatever you needed it to be? This book can be read anywhere and by a mature audience only.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the arc of this book. All opinions are my own.

I really loved this one! I am not the best at writing reviews sometimes, but sometimes books take you by surprise and this one did just that. I got invested a few chapters in and couldn't put it done. It was so good! I highly recommend this one.

This heartwarming, feel-good romance novel is a perfect fit for readers who delight in stories that blend self-discovery, family bonds, and the transformative power of love with a touch of cultural richness. The narrative weaves a delightful tapestry of relatable characters navigating their personal journeys, discovering their heritage, and finding love in unexpected places. With vivid descriptions and authentic cultural details, the story transports readers to a world where traditions and modern life intertwine, creating a charming backdrop for a heartwarming romance that celebrates the power of love to bridge differences and bring people together.

In Can't Help Falling in Love, an effortlessly fun novel, we get to see the dual POV of Veer and Harsha as they navigate the ages-old fake dating trope. Harsha, the rich niece of a high profile Bollywood director and rich family, is living her life on her own merit as a photographer in Bangalore. That's where she meets Veer, the kind bartender at her favorite coffee place. When she's stuck in a position to bring a boyfriend she doesn't have to her aunt and uncle's anniversary party and her cousin's wedding - the only logical solution is to pay someone, Veer, to be her fake boyfriend.

This novel is another one filled with nostalgia for me. Having family in Bangalore, the mentions of MG Road and CTR instantly have me wanting to go back. I very much enjoyed getting to feel like I was there alongside the characters as the city of Bangalore was made into a character as well. Not to mention, I also felt represented by Veer who is a Tamilian like me.

While I wish we got a little more about the family members in Harsha and Veer's life, I did appreciate how their romance remained the central focus of the story. I also appreciated that the "misunderstanding" trope was not used in an inauthentic way and that the characters stayed true to their core throughout the novel.

This was an enjoyable, light, and breezy read and I gave it 4.25/5 stars. Thank you to Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine, Dell, and NetGalley for providing an ARC!

You gotta love a fake dating trope that's just a little different. Harsha comes from a wealthy albeit distant family and she's just been dumped by her vacuous boyfriend whose family has matched him with another woman. So who will she take to her cousin's wedding but Veer,, the barista who has been kind to her. There's more to both of them than it appears (especially Veer) but that doesn't mean the path to the HEA is easy (of course not!). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is light, it's fun, and it's well told.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this story.
SPOILERS TO FOLLOW

If you like slowburns, this is the slowest of slowburns but it is also very, very fucking sweet. Veer and Harsha are the cutest fake dating couple around and I loved their chemistry together. I've read another book by Swati (Match Me If You Can) and I think I enjoyed this one much more because these two characters communicated their feelings much quicker and less painfully than the characters in her other novel. The third act breakup I wouldn't even consider an actual breakup because Veer told her that that they would talk later and that they weren't done but he simply had to go (I won't say why since it's important) and Harsha had to stay for her own reasons so she couldn't go with him. I don't like when the third act breakup is just one big misunderstanding and thankfully that didn't happen here.

I liked this a lot. Definitely one of the best fake relationship romances I've read in a long time! I loved the setting, the characters and the plot! Very fun. Give this a try!!!

Can't Help Faking in Love comes out next week on February 11, 2025, and you can purchase HERE!
Harsha Godbole had never been dumped like this before.

She sat across from her now ex-boyfriend during their lunch date, a forkful of spaghetti midway to her mouth, as he explained that he was ending their three-month relationship to marry a complete stranger.

"I really like you, I do," Shashank insisted, sipping his iced americano. "But I was just introduced to a prospective match, and with all of my parents' life experience, they probably know enough to make the right choice for me, don't you think?”

I had to pick up Can't Help Faking in Love as soon as I read her first book Match Me if You Can coz I loved her writing and I needed more -- Can't Help... was so so good, it was the perfect mix of angsty and wholesome that I needed this week. The flirty everyday encounters (he's a barista, she's a regular) to fake dating (they were really boyfriend-ing and girlfriend-ing okay 😭) to lovers was so fun to read! And I loved reading about their respective careers/passions, it was such a well rounded book!

TWs - emotionally distant parents (FMC), parent who cheated and left (MMC)

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

This book was not it for me. The premise was great, and I was hoping for good things after the author's first novel that I thought was cute. But the dialogue felt forced, there was nothing natural. Everything seemed really clunky and repetitive. The drama around her family as a side story was even unnatural and not fully fleshed out. I felt like things were thrown into the story to add some flair and they took away from the real story. Everything was awkward and unnatural. I finished it because I really wanted to like it, but even the way the couple came together at the end was bizarre. It had some redeeming qualities at the end, like how Harsha made up with her cousin and the heartwarming conversation with her aunt, but I didn't enjoy this otherwise.

This fake-relationship trope has become a fave of mine. Harsha’s family are rich and blah blah, she is the black sheep of the family and newly brokenhearted, she goes to her fave café where Veer works, and everything is a little better. Until her cousin sees them together and mistake’s Veer for being her boyfriend. And there we have it!!! But this is the thing Veer has feelings for her, and Harsha does as well, OH GOODNESS this romance between them is the smoothest and sweetest romance ever. I loved how quickly their characters develop through family issues and even their careers, I adored these two.

Thank you Netgalley and the Publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Cant Help Faking in Love by Swati Hegde is a charming and humorous love story filled with heartfelt moments. I found myself cheering for the characters from start to finish. This delightful tale left me yearning for more.

This book is not for me. It’s a matter of taste that has nothing to do with the quality of the book. It’s too new adult and too serious for me. I couldn’t relate to the characters.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

idk what I kept putting off this book... I LOVED IT!!!
Idk about anyone else, but for me everything in this book was AMAZING until the 4th quarter of the book, it was just not as good as the first 3 quarters of the book. but besides that, everything was great!!
3.5 stars
full rtc

This was super cute! I love a fake dating story and really enjoyed how the relationship both characters had with their families played into the story. A super quick and fun read!

Thanks to Dell Romance for letting me read this book early!! All thoughts are my own!!

I ADORE THIS BOOK!!! I need to read Match Me If You Can expeditiously.

I love fake dating so much, and this version was genuinely one of the best I’ve ever read. Veer and Harsha are so tender and sweet. They cared about each other so much from the beginning, and it made their chemistry so good!! I truly loved their bond and friendship and how realistic it was when it changed into more. I loved that they were friends before, and I loved that Veer had a crush on Harsha before they started fake dating.

Harsha’s bond with her aunt was really touching, especially when you consider how the rest of her family treats her. I really enjoyed how she and Neha talked things out and decided to work on being closer instead of in competition. Complicated family dynamics will always get me. Harsha spent so much time and energy trying to make it on her own. She was so ambitious and strong. I loved watching her become more confident in herself and stand up for herself.

Veer’s family was one of my favorite parts of this book. Everything he did was to support them, and it was so touching. His care for Arjun and unconditional love when Arjun came out to him made me genuinely tear up. I loved how he encouraged their mom to be more open about asking Arjun about it, even when it wasn’t what she was expecting.

The third act breakup not really being a break up was THE BEST THING!! I love when books either don’t have a third act breakup or when it’s reasonable. This one made sense, but also wasn’t really a third act conflict to me. They were still communicating through it, and they reconciled their concerns maturely.

The COMMUNICATION!! EMOTIONALLY MATURE ADULTS!! WE LOVE TO SEE IT!!

I can’t wait to read everything Swati Hegde writes for the rest of time!

This was a sweet and fast read, perfect for the beach. It follows the trope of fake dating perfectly and gives us a lovely HEA. This book may be a little different than the usual 'fake' dating because it was set in India, and India follows a different set of standards than most Americans do. Yes, there was a bit of pre-marital sex involved, but nothing too descriptive.

Veer is really a wonderful character, a rare mixture of caring, responsibility, heavy emotions, and, eventually, a deep love.

Harsha is a little more challenging to describe; she was born rich but is determined to make it on her own. At first, she displays a bit of snobbishness, but we soon discover the truth. She didn't have a wonderful upbringing (at least in her eyes), her beloved cousin has turned into someone Harsha doesn't recognize, which puts Harsha in a jamb when her cousin's wedding is approaching.

All in all, it is a fun read with a message. A great second book since her debut with Match Me If You Can. As I said, it is a fun book for beach or vacation.

ARC supplied by the publisher Penguin Random House, the author, and NetGalley

Fake dating romance with difficult family dynamics, a big fat Indian wedding, and plenty of heart.

Harsha and Veer were both great characters, and they had incredible chemistry. Their hesitations and obstacles felt authentic to their situation rather than overinflated or immature. Although there's a HEA, the side plots aren't all wrapped up in a tidy bow, which felt more realistic. I found myself wondering about the secondary characters' "real" stories, too!

Ok...can you say chemistry? This one had it. I love a fake dating trope. I also loved that there wasn't spice. A good read that I finished in one sitting. Thank you for the opportunity to read this arc.

The chemistry was EVERYTHING to me. This was such a fun fake dating love story and I loved how it incorporated some intense family dynamics. I literally ate this one up!

Get read to fall in love with these characters. This romance was so cute! Harsha and Veer had the best chemistry. I instantly loved them from the first meeting.

Fake dating romances are my jam and Hegde executed this trope to perfection! Like I said before, the main characters chemistry really sells this romance from the start. They were just perfect together. I couldn't get enough of their scenes.

I think the author did a wonderful job of also displaying family dynamics and how complex they can be. I liked the glimpse at Indian culture as well.

A perfect romcom read!