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!