i LOVE a good fake dating/engagement story ugh they always have so much fun. and opposites attract into friends to lovers? PROTECTIVE friends to lovers??? it makes the love feel so much realer. so much fun reading this one, so much that i already can't wait to re-read <3

Kumar creates another lovely addition in the Indian wedding romance genre. Utilizing well known tropes and meshing it with the lovely Indian culture really elevated this story. Thoroughly enjoyed.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Dell, and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

Meghna and Karthik’s mothers are determined to get their children married off. Meghna is finally open to being set up, but Karthik has no plans to be married. Knowing that his mother isn’t going to let up, he proposes a plan to Meghna that they pretend to be engaged. He needs his mom to back off, and she needs a date to her former boyfriend/bff’s wedding. Neither of them plan on falling for each other, but you know how these books turn out. I enjoyed reading their romance slowly blossom over the span of the book.

Thanks as always to NetGalley for the ARC.

Meghna and Karthik have been set up by their parents to date. After their first meeting, Karthik realizes that if he continues to fake date Meghna, he will get a break from consistent family setups and maybe even a promotion at work. Meghna will also benefit from their arrangement as she needs to be in her best friend’s wedding and would prefer a date.

This is a sweet rom com that checks all the boxes. There’s a fake dating/engagement, Indian representation, My Best Friend’s Wedding vibes, and forced proximity. On paper, it should be everything I could want! My problem was the lack of connection with the characters. They weren’t super likable, or funny, or even really memorable. I can’t even put my finger on what was missing from the story, but it just lacked something special or romantic (to me). As always, reviews are so subjective and other readers may really connect and enjoy this story.

Thank you to Naina Kumar and Random House Ballantine for sending me a digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

Was very interested in this book based on the cover, but struggled to connect with the story. Thank you for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Dell for the E-ARC of this novel!

"Say You'll Be Mine" by Naina Kumar follows teacher and aspiring playwright, Meghna Raman, and engineer, Karthik Murthy as they establish a fake engagement in order to avoid matchmaking pressure from their parents and soothe the sting of Meghna's friend Seth tying the knot... with someone that's not her.

A classic fake dating story! It's one of my comfort tropes, I'll admit, even if admittedly overdone. For what it promises, "Say You'll Be Mine" checks all the boxes: we have the begrudging negotiation, the awkward and strained navigation, the unintentional intimacy and building development... and the satisfying conclusion! For those searching for a cute romance, they need not look any further.

Meghna and Karthik are both perspectives and equal amounts of care and depth for their characters, including dreams and family history. It's easy to root for them as individuals as they navigate personal journeys and achieve the intended growth, and even easier to root for them as they slowly grow closer and fall for one another.

My only grievance is that the novel does exactly what it promises, but strays no further. It checks all the boxes, but what results is a, yes, very cute, but also very formulaic plot arc with no surprises or deviations. While many readers will appreciate this guaranteed sequence of events, others (like me) are left a little bit wanting.

Overall, I recommend this to those looking for a quick and cute romance that will deliver that romance fix without any pain or discomfort. If that's what you're looking for, keep an eye out on January 18th, 2024!

Honestly I loved this book so much. It was an interesting twist on arranged marriage/fake fiance trope that was done in a really delightful way.

Karthik reads as autistic at times, though it's never explicitly stated whether he is or not. I liked that he had stuff going on in the background instead of just existing for our FMC. I also felt like we saw a lot of character growth for him as he worked through his family trauma.

Meghna is a fun character who reminded me a bit of myself - choosing a career that maybe her family doesn't quite understand. I love seeing her blossom outside of her relationships and become a person.

It was a low-heat romance, perfect for someone who doesn't mind a tiny bit of pearl-clutching, but wouldn't recommend for our Amish romance readers.

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

CW: toxic friendship, cheating (non-MCs), the MMC's father is accused of mistreating female students, family tensions

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-m/f contemporary romance
-fake engagement
-hard and soft one
-only one bed
-wedding date

Gosh I adore this book no matter how many times I read it. Naina Kumar's writing is just a breath of fresh air, softly lulling you through a story full of romance, of laughs, and just a tenderness. I adore how we truly get to see Meghna and Kathrik become friends, become each other's person as they rely on each other. Both don't even realize it as they just build such an intimacy of needing the other, wanting to tell the other about their highs and lows. This is how you build a relationship, a romance. Also I'm just trash for needing a date for a wedding and this book just excels and each and every trope.

Grumpy and emotionally constipated Kathrik doesn't want anythign to do with marraige after watching his parents terrible marriage, but this man is such a secret softie as he deoesn't realize he's falling for Meghna. And Meghna, an amazing friend, but struggling to also advocate and see her own strenghts, giving all of herself.

Now I will just wait patiently hoping for Samir and Ankita's love story.

Steam: 2.5

Naina Kumar delivered all the ingredients that you hope to find in a fun and enjoyable rom-com and I loved it! Beautiful and single Meghna Raman has always felt she was a disappointment to her parents who had dreams of her becoming an engineer rather than follow her passion by becoming a theater teacher and aspiring playwright. Sullen and handsome Karthik Murthy, a successful engineer has sworn off marriage after witnessing his parents troubling relationship. When both mothers arrange a meeting between the two, the chemistry is undeniable and they decide to fake an engagement to fulfill each of their personal and professional commitments. Rich in Indian culture and customs, this heartwarming story with enjoyable characters will delight and charm you. Looking forward to your next story Ms. Kumar….you’ve got the magic!

Thank you Net Galley, Dell and the talented Naina Kumar for the opportunity to read your wonderful debut in exchange for my honest review.

What a nice debut romcom by Naina. This had humor, tension, chemistry and all the pining. The main characters Meghan and Karthik meet when their parents kind of throw them together. Karthik is not ready for a relationship but suggests fake engagement/dating to get their parents off the issue of marriage. There is wedding in this, parents that expect a lot , self discovery and lots about Indian culture. Overall this is a cute and cozy slow burn romance that has good character development and heartwarming moments.

Read if you like:
- Slow burn
- Indian rep
- Good character development
- Some steamy scenes
- Strangers to friends to lovers
- Fake engagement/dating

Overall I liked this book, but I will say that the constant misunderstandings between the two main characters drove me a little batty throughout. Like please just stop assuming and talk to each other. And that really knocked back my rating because it just made the story feel longer than it should have. I also found that a lot of the things that happened in this book were very much formulaic, like the no room in the inn so we have to bunk together. I felt a lot like I had been there and done that between romance movies and books. Despite that, the characters and their romance were well done and I genuinely was rooting for them to figure things out and realize that they were both in it for the right reasons.

The secondary characters stayed very much on the periphery of the story, which I think was a bit of a shame. I really did want to see Eric get his good wedding meal. But the way that Meghna's relationship with Julie and Seth was sorted out made me do a fist pump because it was highly satisfactory. How Karthik's father and mother's storyline was managed did not quite have the same satisfactory element to it. I don't want to add in a spoiler, but it just felt like it was ignored after a certain point.

Overall, this was a good read and a nice romance. It just lacked a bit of the originality or zing that I was hoping for when I went into this. And that is perhaps on me.

AWWWWWW is my exact thought after reading the last line. I think this is one of the finest romcoms out there, its the quintessential recipe filled with mutual pining, sass and humor. The characters, their passion, and the oh so sweet 'am I still faking it...?' moments between them was so swoon-worthy. The acceptance, the assurance, the need to learn each other-- just in awe once again. To see their narrative unfold was truly so rich; there is nothing but heart woven into this story.

Thank you NetGalley, publisher and Naina Kumar for this ARC!

This is such a good romcom! I enjoyed it so much! So many good tropes. I loved the main characters development. Such a great read! I highly recommend.

Hard to believe that this is Naina Kumar’s debut novel. It was so good! I couldn’t put it down. I loved the slow burn, enemies to lovers romance story with a twist.

Meghna is a believer in love - especially after seeing her parents love story in person - and feels pressure to find her true love. Karthik doesn’t even believe in love, but agreed to meet women for a year for an arranged set up. When Meghna and Karthik meet, they instantly click, but Karthik proposes to fake an engagement. It’ll get his mom off his back, and it’ll help Meghna at her best friend’s (slash longtime crush) wedding. It would be the perfect set up - if the two didn’t start to develop feelings for each other.

This book was so sweet! I loved the deepness to all of the characters, including the side characters. I liked seeing Meghna and Karthik develop throughout the story and watching their love develop.

Thank you so much to Random House Publishing Group, NetGalley, and Naina Kumar for the eARC!!

An arranged marriage/fake engagement with a couple not even living in the same state, pun t-shirts, and overcoming family expectations. A sweet, fun read. Read this book if you like friends to lovers, slow burn romance, one bed, and slow burn romances. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is perfect for romcom fans who enjoy multiple romance tropes in this same book that also gives off Bollywood vibes. It was fun, cute and overall a breezy, light read that enjoyed reading in two sittings. Modern arranged marriages are often misunderstood by a lot of people and this shows how they actually work in current times. Both characters were relatable and likeable which is always a plus. It was a heart-warming read and watching them fall for each other while having fun was adorable. An impressive debut and I would definitely be interested in reading the author's next book.

I enjoyed a lot about this book -- the portrayal of Indian cultures, the quips between characters, the matchmaking element, the Grumpy/Sunshine trope. I did find the story a bit slow and cheesy at times, and some of the train-of-thought parts were boring, but I did enjoy it. I especially liked the parts about career, which felt very authentic. Definitely on the fluffier side, but as long as you know what you are getting into it was a fun, very light read.

Remember how in the movie Dirty Dancing when they nail that jump lift and everyone claps and Patrick Swayze and Baby were so proud of themselves? Now imagine that scene but with this author as Swayze and her debut novel as Baby.

It was honestly so much fun and I blew through reading it. It was an enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, slow burn romance but with a premise I've never read before, an arranged marriage! It was fresh and different. Most importantly, you could tell it was being written from an authentic cultural place. I really enjoyed the story and the chemistry between the two MC. The parents and family dynamics were really well crafted as well. I'll definitely be checking out this author's future works.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, for an advanced copy so that I may share my honest feedback and review.

So so good. I can't wait for the rest of the world to get their hands on this book.
I took my time reading their story because truly when you meet Meghna and Karthik you don't want their story to end.
I felt like I was watching a classic Hindi movie, I got all the good Vibes from, SAY YOU'LL BE MINE.
I'll post a more in depth review closer to the release date but for now, just know, I need more.

Thank you so much for the ARC!!

This was such a fun book!! I love marriage (or, in this case, engagement) of convenience so I was so excited for this one and it did not disappoint. I absolutely devoured this book, reading it in every free moment I had.

I absolutely loved the characters - especially the journey of self discovery Meghna and Karthik both went on. They both needed to accept that they deserved more than what they had settled for in life, and it was so satisfying seeing them realize that.

I absolutely loved the culture of both families throughout the book. It was so deeply imbedded into their story - whereas some books seem to add it as an afterthought. But at the same time I, a white person with little exposure to Indian culture, was able to easily understand everything. Kumar did a wonderful job at balancing when to explain what something was and understanding when something didn’t need further explaining. It never felt like the pacing stopped to explain something for those who didn’t already know.

I cannot wait to see what else Kumar has in store. If this was her first book I imagine it can only get better.

One thing, and this is spoilers for the epilogue but it drove me absolutely nuts and I had to stop reading to assess: How did he beat her home from New York for the proposal? She left for the airport before him. But somehow he also flew there (seemingly on a separate flight), landed before her, and got to the house before her to set up the proposal. How did he do this? Did he just get a faster plane? In the final release I am hoping something is added to explain it. Give her a layover. Make him unable to take her to the airport cause he’s “working”. Anything to fix this cause it was genuinely so distracting.