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

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

-m/f contemporary romance
-childhood friends to idiots to lovers
-pining
-sloooow burn
-denial
-you've got mail vibes
-opposites attract
-demisexual rep

This was such a sweet and messy story of two people shifting from being just friends. Jia adores meddling in other people's lives especially their dating lives and is slolwy realizing that this is something she wants, with someone specific. She's messy, meddlesome and so concentrated on everyone else's lives she doesn't even think to consider herself and her own needs. Even the small things she does that she and Jaiman don't even realize are her conveying she wants something more with him.

Jaiman was so sweet, and careful around Jai, never wanting to ask too much from her, but just secretly observing and wanting her to get everything she wants. Wathcing these two finally figure it out was the sweetest slow burn and just a tender story with a great cast of supporting characters. A great all-Desi cast. So pour a cocktail or a cup of tea and curl up with this lovely slow burn as we wait to see what Swati has next in store for us.

A Diverse, friends to lovers romance that giving Emma vibes?! YES.

This was so easy to get lost in, the vibes were so cute and the almost slow burn romance paid off! (I do love a good slow burn romance)
Definitely recommend!

Thank you so much to Random House Publishing for my ARC!

In trying to set up a matchmaking business, Jia doesn’t realize that her childhood best friend is the right man for her all along. Zany schemes to set up a coworker and save his business help her realize he’s always been there for her.

3 ⭐️
0.5 🌶️ (closed door, but some mature language near the end)

I was so excited about the concept of this one. I really enjoyed reading a book focusing on Indian characters and culture. All the descriptions of the food and the drinks sounded soooooo good and made me hungry lol.

I enjoyed the first half the most, when Jia was actively match-making and trying to prove to her boss that this could be a successful column idea for their magazine. She was a fairly strong and independent female character who cares about her family and friends. I loved all her friends and family, and getting to see their relationship dynamics throughout the book as well. Jaiman was also a really sweet character. I really loved how he was in touch with his emotions and feelings, even crying during his difficult times in the book. That is something that you so rarely see depicted in romance novels!

But as the book went on.... I feel like the got kind of lost for me, and nothing was really happening. The characters also started to annoy me, and I am not sure the character development was clear enough for me to understand how they got from their initial Mindset A to Mindset B at the end of the book. I wish we had dug into these characters heads a little bit more, got to see more of Jia's matchmaking skills, and had a little bit more tension/tender moments between the two MC's

But the ending was really sweet. We love a good HEA for all of the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of “March Me If You Can.” All opinions are my own.

Love the beautiful cover, and the title is clever. The story reminded me of Emma by Jane Austen and I am curious if it was inspired by that. Either way I loved the setting and narration the author provided.

Jia was sort of frustrating and unlikeable at times, but I appreciated her growth by the end.

Overall I liked the authors writing style and am interested to read their next book.

I am an avid fan of friends to lovers so I take reviewing this trope very seriously. Unfortunately this didn't quite meet my mark for what I look for with FTL but I still think it's a well written and interesting story. The matchmaking aspect was so fun and honestly inspiring. I loved the way the FMC Jai described the balance of tradition but also wanting people to feel empowered to make their own choices in love separate from their parents. I loved the insight she had to people on how to be an effective matchmaker, when she would nudge, orchestrate meet cutes for example, behind the scenes. It is such a sign of caretaking the way she looked out for how to best match others, although still reminiscent of Austen's Emma because it is still for Jai's personal gain and she is so endearingly confident in her convictions.

The part that fell flat for me was parts of the romance. When we start the story it starts based off of a dreaded miscommunication. There was a kiss between the love interests that ended with the FMC making them promise to never discuss it again. So of course I'm just waiting for them to finally talk about it. I was also expecting more mutual pining but the story really has their POVs more concerned with the risks of them being together, the MMC is basically a part of her family and doesn't want to mess that up. Of course this is an important and compelling aspect but I wish there was more *want* from either of them and I don't mean steam or lust, just romantic love would be fine.

One really awesome aspect of this book for me was the setting. I have never been and I am not familiar with Mumbai and the workplaces and city was very vividly written. The writing overall really is great.

Thank you to Dell and Netgalley for this eARC.

I’ve had fellow readers reach out to me asking for a list of Desi/South Asian romance recommendations. I’m so happy that I can now add Match Me If You Can to my recommendation list! 2024 is turning out to be a wonderful year for South Asian/Desi romance novels and also highlighting debut authors.

In Match Me If You Can, Swati Hegde provides a her take on the classic Jane Austen novel Emma but it's done with a desi twist! We follow our lead characters Jia Deshpande and Jaiman Patil as they slowly fall in love. Readers, this one is a slow burn and we get to spend time with both characters as it's a dual point of view.

With multiple romance tropes throughout the novel, Swati gets you hooked and invested quickly. But my favourite part, the novel is set in the bustling city of Mumbai. Every city has its own character, and Mumbai definitely stood out. In addition, the role of extended family and friends are nice additions. I love that South Asian cultural events, food and drinks that were featured. It’s the little details that leave an impression and also highlights the importance of representation. On a side note, I’ll definitely need to try a Whipped Rose cocktail soon!

I know that Swati's in the process of writing a second book and I can't wait to follow her next set of characters.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Vibes: Emma, heroines who gotta learn, slow burn, friends to lovers

Heat Level: 2/10

Mumbai-based Jia spends her days writing silly listicles for women's magazine Mimosa. On her off time, however, she works on her anonymous blog, giving what she thinks is very real talk... even if she's in denial about her own true feelings. She wants to get upgraded to a new column--but the only way she can is by helping her coworker find love. Thing is, Jia herself doesn't even realize that her longtime family friend Jaiman has a thing for her. Maybe... more than a thing.

Alright--if you're at all familiar with Jane Austen's Emma, I'm sure you can tell that this is an Emma retelling. I've actually been seeing a lot of Emma retellings lately; but that's not a bad thing for me, as Emma is by far my favorite Austen.

The skinny on this one is that, at least from my perspective it's very cute and well-written. It's a romcom with wit, and there's certainly a lot of chemistry between Jia and Jaiman. I love the setting (it's shockingly rare to find an English-language romcom novel that isn't set in America, and even harder to find one set in India). I enjoy the tone. It's not reinventing the wheel; it goes in the directions that a lot of Emma retellings do. For me, too... I don't mind that it was closed door, per se. However, there were moments cut off in a way that left me thinking "but why?"

The answer is that it was the author's prerogative, and that's valid. I just feel like we were kind of left in a place where there was teasing--and if there wasn't going to be anything, why tease, I suppose?

But nonetheless--if you want a light, fluffy romcom that happens to be closed door, and if you love Emma, I would recommend this.

Quick Takes:

--One way in which this book differs from Emma and that Jia and Jaiman have what I'll call a near-miss about a year prior to the novel's beginning. To me, this was really clever. First off, it swerves away from the typical Emma setup, adding a little tension that I really appreciated. Second, it makes Jia a more interestingly human character, to me. She knows there's this tension, she knows there's something between herself and Jaiman, she just doesn't want to confront it.

--Personally, I think modern Emma retellings arguably work better in a setting wherein matchmaking is still a thing. Jia is nothing if not a consummate matchmaker, and I feel like this plays so well in a book set in Mumbai, where matchmaking is a feasible career (not that it can't be in the west--but it's less common, obviously).

--Like I said: this is a slow burn. Jia and Jaiman have known each other since childhood. Feelings have been there for a long time. So while I understood, and to an extent I mean, it's there in the material... I just wanted them to kiss. I wanted something to happen. Although the book is closed door, that doesn't mean they can't get together earlier in the novel (I'm thinking of a closed door romance by Alexis Hall that I enjoyed not so long ago). It did drag a bit for me.

And ultimately, for all the theoretical tension, that lack of interaction in a romantic sense did keep it from going as far as it could have. I don't mean sexually--I mean as a love story.

That being said--if you're not sure about sex scenes, if you like a slow burn, and you want an Austen update that makes sense... This could be great for you!

Thanks to NetGalley and Dell for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I desperately wanted to like this book but found the reading experience to be frustrating.

Jaiman and Charu were sweethearts, and I was shipping them the whole time. Honestly, I was shipping Jaiman with anyone other than Jia lol. Jia comes across as an entitled, self-absorbed, painfully naive millennial and is hard to root for.

The world-building was confusing as well -- as someone from the same state (Maharashtra) as the main characters, I kept being pulled out of the story by the almost unrealistic and unnecessary portrayals of wealth. And the whole storyline with Jaiman's rival felt pointless. The ending felt rushed but at least helped me get over the finish line.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

Read this book if you like:
- Slow burns
- Indian mc's
- Books set in India
- Matchmaking
- Contemporary romance

Thank you to the publisher for this arc, while this book wasn't for me I think if you like any of the things listed above you will enjoy it. This is a debut novel set that is written well. I liked all the Indian culture/foods that was in this and I enjoyed the family and themes surrounding the FMC's mom and the MMC's found family. Unfortunately, the romance just didn't work for me and I feel like there wasn't a payoff for the excruciating slow burn. There were cute moments but overall I was confused with everything happening with the romance, the fmc, and the matchmaking plot. Though this wasn't for me I think if you like slow burns, beautiful covers and Indian matchmaking you should pick this up.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC of this book.

Oh my gosh how I wanted to love this book. And in many ways, I did. It was love at first site when I saw the cover, and I fell even deeper when reading the description. Matchmaking?? A setting in Mumbai?? Lifelong friends to lovers?? He falls first?? Secret pen pals?? We were ticking all the boxes, checking everything off with a flourish. I loved the rich detail Swati Hedge wove into this book, and how much a reader not familiar with Indian culture learned as they fell in love with Jia and Jaiman. I often say how Jean Meltzer's books are unapologetically Jewish, and I would say the same for Swati Hedge - unapologetically Indian in the most beautiful way. Every character, from Jia and Jaiman to their friends and family, were enjoyable to meet and get to know. This book was part Emma, part You've Got Mail, and I would definitely recommend.

However. I do have one criticism, and it's why I'm giving 4 stars and not 5. The pacing was, in a word, choppy. I really struggled to get into this book, and then see it through to the end, even though I truly was invested in Jia and Jaiman's story. It also felt quite YA, rather than romance. Jia's voice is just extremely young and naive, and in many places she comes off as pretty emotionally immature and blind to what's going on around her.

Still, overall, I'd recommend this book as a fun summer read!

I really wanted to love this book, but it ended up being just okay.

I enjoyed bits of the book, namely Jaiman and Charu. I honestly would’ve rather read about Charu and her moving to the big city to find love with Jia and Jaiman as side characters. I also really enjoyed the setting and learning more about Indian culture through this book.

However, the FMC, Jia, wasn’t very likable. And there was so much background noise - Jia’s blog, her career issues, setting up Charu (and failing, repeatedly), her tension with Jaiman, Monica’s engagement, the secret emails, Jaiman’s own career issues….. I could keep going. There was so much and the main relationship almost took a back seat and we ended up being told a lot about Jia’s and Jaiman’s attraction instead of shown. I’m glad we got Jaiman’s POV because those were my favorite sections.

This was a fun read! I think the biggest issue I had with it is just that blogs are a little outdated. I would have liked to see a more modern version where she does TikTok videos or vlogs her experience more so than the blogging side (although I understand the anonymity of it). I just know it's insanely had for blogs to go viral these days.

What an adorable romance! I really really enjoyed this rom-com between two desi leads, set in the bustling city of Mumbai. This was an incredible desi romance between two very personable and fun characters. I've read quite a few books about matchmakers and destiny, and I feel that this book executed that storyline very well. I really enjoyed the setting and the fun quirks of the characters. I would highly recommend this to romcom lovers and desi romance readers alike.

The way I absolutely adored this book. I am squealing and itching for people to get their hands on this and I will personally make sure it gets the hype it deserves. Major Emma vibes and a found family aspect which I live for. The way this book oozes with intrigue in setting in Mumbai and the food, it just reads so rich and original. If you for some inexplicable reason aren't sold yet just know HE LOVED HER THE WHOLE TIME!

The perfect friends to lovers slow burn. I gobble up a he falls first story line 🤭 the family and friendships made the book though for me, chefs kiss

Match Me If You Can is a modern Mumbai re-flavoring of Emma by Jane Austen—I just wish it was apparent in any of the marketing materials or even in the acknowledgements. The plot loosely follows that of Emma, though in this retelling our protagonist Jia is a writer for a magazine and incapable of any thought deeper than surface level. Characters seem to cry or tear up at the drop of a hat and we are often told instead of shown how characters feel about one another—specifically in the case of our Emma and Harriet stand-in relationship of Jia and Charu, it doesn't seem like these two are friends, let alone talk about anything with each other that we don't see in writing. She has made two successful matches prior to the start of this novel (one of which being her sister), her love interest is a man she’s known her whole life (though in this version he is fairly incompetent and also has been in love with her since they were twelve which is a frustrating choice), and her father is a hypochondriac—the plot follows Emma in more instances as well that I will leave out so as not to spoil it if you haven’t read it before. Overall this book was fine and I’m sure other readers might enjoy it. For me it was frustrating to read because it heavily relies on miscommunication as a plot device and it is so clearly a re-skin of a famous classic—there is at least one direct quote used without attribution but there may be more that I didn’t catch.

I love "Emma" so I was very excited for this take -- and the cover was so beautiful! I was so glad that this modernization focused on Jia and Jaiman's careers instead of maintaining only the marriage-centric plot line; I especially enjoyed the culinary talk. What I would gave been glad to see more is a subtler development of Jia and Jaiman's feelings for each other. I also think one fewer subplot may have offered more opportunities to really flesh out some core ones, such as Charu's attempts to find a partner and Jaiman's business rivalry. Overall, the author did keep me interested, but I wish she had approached Jia and Jaiman's love story with more nuance!

This is such a sweet and clean friends-to-lovers romance! I love the Mumbai setting and all of the cultural aspects included in the MC's path to their happy ending. Jia is such an ambitious FMC and has a take-no-failures attitude that I would love to possess myself. The author includes dealing with loss and the pain that can still be present years later, but also how someone may do little things to honor them year after year. I love the found family trope and the outlook that no matter what background you come from, rich or poor, you can all struggle with family, work, and love. The dual POV was beautifully done within the same chapter, rather than making each POV a new chapter. I enjoyed this!

Match Me If You Can by Swati Hedge was a fun read. I enjoyed the dual perspectives and definitely liked the family and friends aspect of the story. I felt it was a little too long or slow to start. I found the chemistry between the two love interests to be a little lacking. It just seemed like Jia was indifferent until all of a sudden she was into him. Match Me If You Can was a fun read.