I've gotten used to reading books about Indian Americans, many of which are great, but this was the first full-fledged Indian book I've come across on NetGalley in my 3 years on here. So, this one's completely set in Mumbai- the financial capital of India and a city in Maharashtra (I'm from the same state though not the same city).

I'll start with the fact that the characters, so authentic and somehow relatable to me in small ways, insignificant as they may feel. Jia and Jaiman had my heart from the start, and I'll always love couples whose love and affection stems from deep friendship. (As long as they don't rush things and get married the next second. That's not what happens in this book, don't worry). The MCs knew each other well, so you can imagine how heart-warming some of the scenes were. They aren't opposites but do have differing opinions which I just loved. They're paring has chemistry and it's just plain cute.

The representation wasn't necessarily bad, but it could've been better considering how much more of our culture can be projected. I could see some of it was very similar to the western storylines and depictions, but I liked how the dressing style and festivals had a place in the book.

Swati Hegde has an immersive writing style, clear in every word, from the banter to the anonymous blog posts, in just loved it and I'll be sure to read more of her books as they come.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!
This is my first read from Swati Hegde and it won't be the last! I enjoyed getting to know each character and the descriptions of Mumbai. The slow burn in this book was excruciating! So much back and forth and will they or won't they? Fortunately, the end result made up for the angst!

It admittedly took me a bit to get into this book but I loved reading about Mumbai and picturing it in my mind as I had never been there! I loved the characters (even though Jia got on my nerves… A LOT). Plus, who doesnt love an “enemy” to lover read.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

This debut is a cute, wholesome romance novel set in Mumbai about an aspiring matchmaker, Jia, and her childhood best friend Jaiman. Jia’s family is sweet, and really give a cozy vibe. Most of the other supporting characters are sweet, nice additions to the story. I enjoyed the culture and representation in this novel and I hope it encourages more BIPOC folks to write romance novels. The writing is good, not great, and the story lags a bit in the middle for me, with too much repetition, but I enjoyed the classic friends to lovers trope. There is no spice, which was disappointing for me, but it was a cute love story all the same. Hope to see more from this author!

I enjoyed reading "Match Me If You Can", it was a fun, lighthearted read that brought us into the glittering city of Mumbai and told the story of finding love and letting go of our expectations. As someone who has a personal connection to Mumbai but has not spent a lot of time there, I really appreciated getting to understand the GenZ/millennial experience in Mumbai, and realize it's not too different than the USA.

Match Me If You Can is purely delightful! I'm a sucker for a friends-to-lovers rom-com, and this one hit the mark for me (and then some!). I was rooting for Jia and Jaiman to get together the whole time, and the ending was so sweet and satisfying. This is a perfect read for anyone who loves You've Got Mail style stories (it also had some How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days vibes too - I love a MC who works at a magazine). I also really enjoyed the Mumbai setting. Five stars!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

What an impressive and fun debut!
I love getting to diversify my romance shelf and this book delivers. I really enjoyed the childhood friends to lovers tropey aspect and just felt like everything about this book was adorable. Very fun to read.

so utterly cute! i was enraptured from page one by all the characters and the romance built up so well! it's also so nice to see an indian romance :D

genuinely such a heartwarming romcom; it's set in mumbai, it has childhood friends to lovers, he's always loved her, found family, EMMA VIBES!!!, she has an anonymous dating advice blog, he's a pub owner and makes cocktails inspired by her, it's everything! such an impressive debut! i recommend!

In Swati Hedge's captivating novel, "Match Me If You Can", we are introduced to Jia Deshpande, a vivacious fashionista navigating the vibrant city of Mumbai. Jia's life revolves around her job as a listicle writer for Mimosa, where she pens clichés and societal expectations. However, her true passion lies in her anonymous blog, where she candidly shares the complexities of real love. Amidst her family's weekly game nights and her own secret feelings for her childhood friend, Jia finds herself facing a new challenge. Her boss assigns her the task of setting up a coworker with a suitable match in order to secure her new matchmaking column. Being the expert in meet-cutes, Jia takes on the challenge with enthusiasm. Enter Jaiman Patil, the charming owner of a local pub and a cocktail virtuoso. Jaiman's admiration for Jia's spirit and energy is evident, and he becomes an integral part of the Deshpande family, finding solace and love in their chaotic yet supportive environment. However, as Jaiman's pub faces financial struggles and his feelings for Jia deepen, he finds himself torn between his desire for her and his fear of jeopardizing their friendship. When Jia's matchmaking efforts at the office backfire, causing rifts in new friendships and straining her relationship with Jaiman, she is forced to confront her own beliefs about love. For the first time, Jia realizes that love is far more intricate and unpredictable than she had imagined. Luckily, Mumbai, with its vibrant culture and zest for life, provides an abundance of opportunities for love and second chances. "Match Me If You Can" is a delightful and insightful tale of love, self-discovery, and the complexities of human relationships. Swati Hedge weaves a narrative that is both heartwarming and thought-provoking, exploring the diverse facets of love and the challenges of finding a perfect match in a world of imperfect circumstances.

how i read 98% of this book without realizing it’s an Emma retelling is beyond me and, quite frankly, a humbling experience.

I absolutely adored Match Me If You Can! It was fun, flirty with a great amount of pining, a vibrant cast of characters and an amazing use of dual POV.

Jaiman was the perfect book boyfriend, while still being a real person with flaws and depth. Jia was a touch annoying (which makes sense, given the Emma retelling and Emma's overall low-key annoying traits) while still being a baddie with a clear vision and actual self worth (something I've found to be lacking with many FMCs so loved that).

This book was perfectly paced, such a blast and genuinely so much fun. I haven't read any books that are set in Mumbai, so I was enthralled with the culture and overall vibe of the setting. Overall: I adored this book. It is a wonderful debut from the author, Swati Hegde, and I am so looking forward to reading more of their work!

A huge thank you to Netgalley, Random House Publishing, and Swati Hegde for the ARC!

This reminds me of a romantic comedy I would watch growing up. We meet two friends and Jia's matching making attempts that do not go to plan. I found the pacing of the story a smidge off, and this is definitely a slow burn where you are almost wanting to shake the main characters to get them to express their feelings. Culturally the author did a good job with the visuals and setting the Mumbai scene. This was a good debut and I do feel that the author has a lot more to share.

Rating here as a 4/5 but I'd say it's more so a 3.75/5.

3.5 stars

I loved the premise of this book, and I especially loved all of the side characters. But wow did I just want shake Jia and Jaiman and tell them to just talk to each other!!! I just kept waiting for one of them to finally express their feelings, and it didn’t happen until 93%.

Easy to read and follow, with a fun premise. I stopped 5% in, but definitely three to four stars for the target audience and five for the right readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC.

3.75/5

Match Me If You Can was a fun read. I hadn't realized it was an Emma retelling prior to going in, and while Emma is probably my least favorite Austen, the author retold the classic here in a unique way. The story was really enhanced by having a dual POV - Jaiman's inner thoughts/feelings really rounded out the narrative, counterbalanced how annoying Jai was at times (just like Emma!!), and contributed to the sexual and romantic tension.

I truly LOVED the Mumbai setting and the different foods, drinks, customs, and cultures that were shared on the page. And as an astrology lover, I wanted to read more of Charulata's work at Mimosa magazine!!

Match Me If You Can is good for lovers of slow burn, childhood friends to lovers (that sort of hate each other sometimes but they're actually in love with eachother and are TOO CLUELESS TO NOTICE), classic retellings with a wonderful and diverse cast of characters. Be forewarned though, reading this will definitely make you want a mocktail/cocktail (where can I find a Whipped Rose???)!

A wonderful debut and I will definitely want to read whatever Swati Hegde writes next!

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.

This sparkling debut is Jane Austen's Emma set in Mumbai, featuring an aspiring matchmaker and her bar-owning childhood friend. Jaiman Patil is down bad for Jia Deshpande, despite her bad habit of meddling and assuming she knows best. But will these two ever stop talking past each other and realize the magic of what they have? I loved this book's curiosity about what makes a truly loving relationship, as well as the South Asian/Indian representation and setting. Swati Hegde breathes new life into a classic premise.

I was so excited for this book and had been waiting for it since it was announced! Sadly, it didn't live up to my expectations. I couldn't really bring myself to root for the characters. They all seemed to fall flat. Very surface level. This is a slow burn romance so they take a while to get together but I didn't really find myself anticipating it like I usually do with slow burn romances.

Still, it's a quick and breezy read for someone who is looking for a romcom. Maybe you'll like it more than I did.

This was such a wholesome romance! I love the trajectory of friends to lovers; it felt genuine and well-paced. Jia and Jamal are lovable but flawed characters, which made me love them more. As a side plot, I enjoyed how much focus was given to the main characters to follow their dreams. It gave the narrative weight.

Atmosphere: Now I'm dying to go to Mumbai! I loved the landmarks described, the seaside town vibes, and the descriptions of what it is like to live there.

Food and drink mention: Dying over the food mentioned here! I wish to go to Vodka & Vada tonight or J's pub and grab a whipped rose.

Side characters: Manoj and Charu have my heart!!! I loved the side characters and how lovable and how real they felt.

Empowered women: I also loved all the women mentioned in the book and their strength. I loved Flora and her super successful career.

MATCH ME IF YOU CAN is such a gorgeous debut, and I'm so happy I got to read it early so I can recommend it to book lovers who I know will love it as much as I did! Take a chance on this gorgeous romance.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC of this book.

An adorable romance novel!! It is Emma x You’ve Got Mail inspired, but it also gave me many When Harry Met Sally vibes and Jia would sometimes remind me of Blair from GG.

The story takes place in Mumbai, which I loved as a setting. The mentions of different parts of India and the change in lifestyles was also super interesting and it added to the wonderful warm vibes of the novel.

The friends-to-lovers was so sweet, and I loved that the MMC fell first and harder, tho the happy ending tops it. The family-and-friendship relationships were everything too :,)) sisters that got along, workplace friends turned life long friends, it was all just wonderful

If you are looking for a fun romance novel to read this year, that will have you cheering on the charters, giggling at the cute scenes, and making you good angry, pre-order Match Me If You Can out June 4, 2024!!!! A fun review to come on my bookstagram @ensarasbookcorner but it’s 6 am as I’m writing this, been up all night, so that’s all for now. ◡̈

This is a charming, effervescent take on Emma set among the upper classes of Mumbai. Jia aspires to be a matchmaker and secretly gives romantic advice on her blog in direct contrast to the content she puts out through the woman's magazine she writes for. She's pragmatic about love while still being fairly naive, thus her mostly-unfounded confidence in her matchmaking abilities. Reading her deluded attempts at match-making office lothario Eeshan and village-transplant Charu was painfully entertaining in the best way. But like any well-written character inspired by Emma, Jia is so upbeat and (mostly) well-meaning, you can't help but root for her.

The interesting thing about this book's Mr. Knightley, Jaiman, is that he has plenty of problems of his own. He's not just Emma's paternal, perpetually-chastising friend (though to be clear, I'm not saying this is a bad thing at all); he's the owner of a struggling bar who has never quite lived up to family expectations. There's also this culinary/career rivalry he has going on with the Frank Churchill of the story (a South Indian guy named Harish who comes up with a quite frankly FABULOUS restaurant concept: Vodka & Vada). Jaiman is also Jia’s childhood friend and hopelessly in love with her. The result is a (very) slow-burn friends-to-lovers romance.

I actually really liked that Jaiman attempted an ill-fated kiss with Jia a year prior to the story beginning, and it ended with Jia crying about not wanting their relationship to change and she refuses to talk about it afterwards lolol. I thought it was a great place to start the story because Jia isn't entirely oblivious to Jaiman's feelings, and she privately admits she’s only ever felt attracted to him, so the tension is there. That being said, the author never really developed this tension or dragged it out as much as she could have. There are multiple instances where there's great set-up, like the time Jia puts on her dead mom's wedding lehenga and Jaiman walks in on her, and she asks him to unzip her. He does, but there's minimal touching or talking, and Jaiman just walks out within the next paragraph. I felt similarly about the time they dance together, as well as the entire mystery blog correspondent subplot.

The sex:

There are a couple kisses, mostly near the end, and there is one closed-door sex scene.

Overall:

Overall, this book was humorous and light and I enjoyed it, though I wished the romance had developed more. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a frothy, diverse romcom!

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.