Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book ahead of the publishing date. This book was a bit different from other books I have read because the female lead was financially independent and it was the male lead who was struggling with money. I really enjoyed her ability to be the heroine! Sometimes, you have every intention of pacifying family and their demands. However, when it comes to love, sometimes chemistry is where you least expect it.

Overall an OK read. FMC is a rich could-be socialite who decided to branch out on her own without her family's money. MMC is a barista looking to get a break into the film industry, but has familial obligation. They come upon an agreement and so begins the fake boy/girlfriend to lovers trope. The cover is beautiful and I was looking forward to reading this. However, it felt flat for me. I didn't feel for any of the characters, and it felt very superficial. When they inevitably ended up together, I didn't fell a sense of relief or accomplishment or joy. The "conflict" in the story wasn't a big deal at all, so it didn't pull any emotions from me, nor did I feel that characters had to work for anything. This read more like a YA novel than an adult romance.

Thanks to netgalley for a digital copy.

This is a sweet romance, with some great chemistry and some fun secondary characters. I believed the romance between Harsha and Veer and was rooting for them the whole time!

Unfortunately, there’s a lot of character development that happens off page, which made it hard for me to engage as much as I wanted. And some of the writing felt more like YA, which was off putting considering the character ages.

Three stars. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Yet another wonderful read from Swati Hegde. I was slightly wary at the beginning because I'm not the biggest fan of fake dating for money, but I thought the plot actually came together quite well and I enjoyed all of the twists and turns!! I also really enjoyed reading a romance that doesnt take place in the US - I now want to travel to Bangalore!! This is a great read, especially for fans of fake dating!

This is a Bollywood worthy love story. It's a gender flipped riff on Pretty Woman that's set in the vibrant cities of Bangalore and Mumbai.

Harsha needs a date for a series of upcoming family events. When her judgmental cousin sees her with her favorite barista, Harsha invents a fake boyfriend. After his father's abandonment, Veer is responsible for his family. With his brother's school tuition due, he really needs money. The pair negotiate an agreement - Harsha will pay Veer to act the adoring boyfriend and accompany her to the parties.

At first, it seems like there's an insurmountable gap between this pair. Harsha is the daughter of a millionaire and Veer is a broke coffee shop employee. But, as they get to know each other, they have more in common than either expects. Harsha is trying to make it on her own as a photographer. Veer wants to break into acting. Both are emotionally damaged - Harsha by her strict and unloving upbringing and Veer by his father's absence.

This is a true romcom. There are funny moments as they practice touching each other and run through getting to know you questionnaires. It's rewarding to watch Harsha and Veer experience their cities, shop for clothes, and sample different Indian specialties together.

Told from alternating perspectives.

Is it weird I got Pretty Woman vibes from this book? Harsha, a freelance photographer and daughter of a wealthy family, is essentially paying Veer her local barista to pretend to be her boyfriend to attend events. Every chapter opens with quotes from feel good television series: Derry Girls, Abbot Elementary, and Schitts Creek (which make this Canadian very proud). A highlight for me had to be when Harsha and Veer go shopping for her lengha and it inspires the stunning cover art. This is also a very quick read.

But I’m going to give this 3 stars. I found some plot holes, areas that needed some more depth. For example, Harsha and Veer both have tenuous familial relationships and the issues are never truly resolved. In addition, Veer’s brother comes out to him and his mother. But we’re kind of left wondering with the story. Bandaid solutions that felt kind of superficial?

Another thing, really late into the book Harsha’s cousin asks her to be a photagapher at her upcoming wedding. I wish this was the main storyline from the beginning! Photographing massive Indian weddings/engagements, that alone would generate such a great romance novel while also incorporating the ‘fake boyfriend’ romance trope.

While reading, I just felt the book was flat and can’t put it into words. I think for me Can’t Help Faking in Love reads more like a YA novel than romance for me.

My thanks to Penguin Random House and Dell Romance for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of Can’t Help Faking in Love.

I thought this book had a very cute and fun twist on the fake dating trope. I liked both Harsha and Veer as main characters. I wish more of their personalities had been involved as I feel like the book came off a little surface level.

I would recommend for anyone looking for a light romance fix

I honestly found this one to just be kind of boring and just like every other fake dating romance I've read. Their chemistry was just fine and I didn't really feel compelled to care about any of the characters very much. I didn't really sympathize with Harsha because she was a nepo baby and kept being like "I don't have money, my parents do" and then Veer needed to communicate when he left how he felt, because it caused an unecessary break up that just annoyed me.

Swati, babe. You are IT for me!

Match Me If You Can was a 5 star read for me, and Can't Help Faking in Love DID NOT DISAPPOINT. I adored these characters, their complicated families, and beautiful friendships. When I read a Swati Hedge book it's basically like traveling. I close the book having fallen in love with a place I've never been to, and I genuinely feel like I can appreciate the culture and food and sights of it all. (Searching for flights to Bangalore asap)

And all of the sweet pop culture quotes at the start of each chapter almost made me emotional! They were so perfect and really drummed up all of the emotions you feel watching the best part of your favorite show.

Basically, if you like love and joy and fake dating at all - you need to RUN to get this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest opinions!

This was such a cute read! Harsha and Veer had the best chemistry since page 1! I love a fake dating romance baddd and this one was perfect. I loved how it also displayed complex family dynamics in the Indian culture. This was a quick read too which will be perfect as a plane or beach read!

Thank you Swati Hedge, Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc!

I enjoyed this frothy romance a lot! It had such cute banter and a fun premise especially with the Bollywood element. I love a good fake dating story and especially as here where we see that interact with complex family dynamics.

4.25 stars rounded up!

I absolutely ate this book up! Can't Help Faking in Love is a fantastic desi romance that centers on Harsha, a woman with Bollywood roots who has never felt love from her family but has always been surrounded by their wealth. She returns to Bangalore from America with the determination to live independently of their money, but she is failing - and worse, single. Harsha decides to use her trust fund to hire her favorite barista Veer to be her fake boyfriend for a family wedding. Unbeknownst to her, Veer has always dreamed of becoming a Bollywood star, but has had to work as a barista to support his family. Now, he's in need of a large sum of money to help his brother, and he can't say no to Harsha's trust fund - or her Bollywood connections.

Swati Hegde crafts two layered, real, relatable, and sympathetic characters in Harsha and Veer. Harsha struggles with forging an independent life for herself, while Veer struggles between his obligations to family and his Bollywood dreams. You can't help but root for them throughout the story, and their banter kept me totally entertained. Swati Hegde also succeeds in taking a well-loved trope (fake dating), putting her own unique spin on it, and adding true emotional depth to it. She balances romance with family tensions and cultural specificity SO well. The wedding scenes and the cultural moments are painted with vividness, humor, and heart that creates a perfect backdrop for Harsha and Veer's romance.

I highly, highly recommend this excellent romcom!

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Ballantine, and Swati Hegde for providing this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

✨Fake Dating
✨Complicated Family Dynamics
✨Strong Friendships

Such a cute and bingeable, fake dating romance!

I picked this book up and didn't set it back down until I'd finished reading it. The storyline is packed with complicated family dynamics, tension, chemistry, strong friendships and plenty of drama.

I really enjoyed watching Harsha and Veer's relationship develop, I think both characters showed good character growth throughout the course of this book.

I'd definitely recommend adding this one to your TBR.

Thank you Swati Hedge, Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for providing me with an ARC of this book.

title: Can't Help Faking in Love

author: Swati Hedge

publisher: Dell

publication date: February 11, 2025

pages: 272

peppers: 2 (on this scale)

warnings: none

summary: Harsha's annoying, competitive cousin is getting married and when she sees Harsha talking with a man at a bar, she assumes the man is Harsha's boyfriend. Unfortunately, Harsha's family-approved-type boyfriend has just dumped her, and she's talking with her favorite barista, Veer. To avoid the embarrassment of explaining, Harsha pretends Veer is the boyfriend and ends up paying him to play along for the next six weeks. Veer needs money to pay for his brother's tuition, so he has incentive to make this lie believable.

tropes:

fake dating
competitive cousins
rich girl trying to make it on her own
poor boy helping his family
mean relatives
sweet auntie, best friend, work buddies

what I liked:

both main characters
believable timeline
family event scenes
clothes shopping
sparks without flames (closed-door sweetness)

what I didn’t like: n/a

overall rating: 5 (of 5 stars)

I’d say that, honestly, the 4th star is simply to acknowledge the amount I learned about Indian culture and language and such from reading this book. I liked the setting quite a lot, having never really heard about Bangalore or Nandi Hills. And I just really like Veer. I could take or leave Harsha, but Veer, I love. 💜📚

I was invited by the publisher to review this book. Harsha comes from a wealthy family, but has always felt the emotional element of her family lacking. She studied in America and has since returned home to Bangalore, wanting to be independent from her family. However, those plans do not pan out, and fearing her family will think her a failure at an upcoming wedding, she takes her trust fund and invests in the man who makes her the best drinks: Veer. Veer is a barista, who aspired to become an actor, but needed a more steady income. He also suddenly needs to help pay for his brother's education, so the proposal from Harsha comes at perfect timing. The two will pretend to be dating and attend the wedding in Harsha's family. This plan would also help Veer pay for his brother and be able to pursue his dreams. But their plan becomes something more, when actual feelings become involved.

I loved the setting of the book and the details the author provided about the culture, and actually I really enjoyed both characters - they were just decent people, nothing unlikeable about either one. This was a really good blend of romance and culture, incorporating familial obligations and how to balance that with what we want.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine/Dell for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Can't Help Faking in Love by Swati Hegde is a charming and vibrant desi romance that skillfully combines comedy, ethnic diversity, and unexpected love. Against the backdrop of a Bollywood-style wedding and Bangalore's bustling streets, the story presents Harsha Godbole, a young woman determined to succeed in life without the help of her affluent family. However, Harsha comes up with a daring idea when her career aspirations fall through and she has to attend her cousin's wedding while unemployed and single. She recruits her favorite barista, Veer Kannan, to be her pretend boyfriend.

In an effort to help his brother pay for his schooling, Veer, a good-hearted man who gave up his aspirations of becoming a Bollywood superstar to support his family, accepts Harsha's outrageous proposal. A straightforward transactional arrangement soon turns into something more as Veer and Harsha's chemistry becomes undeniable. Their relationship feels genuine and compelling because of the sensitive moments and lighter banter that pepper their growing bond.

Can't Help Faking in Love is unique in that it strikes a mix between romance and deep dives into issues of family responsibilities, individual identity, and having the guts to pursue one's aspirations. The story gains emotional depth from Harsha's fight for independence and Veer's internal struggle between his obligations and goals. Because of how likable and sympathetic both characters are, readers will find it easy to get invested in their journey.

The vividness of Indian culture is evident in many aspects of Hegde's writing, from the opulent wedding celebrations to the family dynamics that influence the lives of Harsha and Veer. The book deftly blends deeper themes of self-discovery with the pleasure of a phony relationship cliche, leaving readers both entertained and moved by the characters' development. For lovers of modern romance with a multicultural twist, Can't Help Faking in Love is an enticing tale full of warmth, humor, and heart.

I've never read a romcom that was reminiscent of Bollywood, so I was thrilled to dig in to this novel. I don't typically like the fake dating trope but this one was fun and interesting, and a lot more plausible than they usually are. I loved the building romance between the two main characters and could feel their chemistry through the pages. If you're looking for a cute, cozy romance that's quick to read and has the added bonus of diverse characters and settings, then you should absolutely pick the gem up!

This novel is an enjoyable mix of romance, family drama, and a splash of Bollywood glamour. Harsha Godbole and Veer Kannan’s story takes the familiar fake-dating trope and adds a refreshing twist with its unique setting and culturally rich backdrop.

Harsha’s internal struggle to break free from her wealthy family’s expectations and make her own way in life is relatable and engaging. Meanwhile, Veer’s down-to-earth charm, paired with his own family responsibilities, makes him a lovable character. Their chemistry is sweet, and watching them navigate a wedding full of over-the-top events adds plenty of amusing and heartwarming moments.

However, the plot is fairly predictable, and some of the conflicts feel a bit too easily resolved. While the Bollywood wedding setting is vibrant, there are times when the story could have delved deeper into the characters’ emotions and backstories. Despite this, the book still delivers a fun and lighthearted romance that keeps you invested in Harsha and Veer’s journey.

This book was a cute and quick romcom that is reminiscent of Bollywood movies with a fake dating trope. We are introduced to Harsha, who is a recent grad and has chosen a career in photography. She comes from an affluent and prominent family with parents who don't approve of her career or love life (or lack there of). In order to appease her family at some upcoming wedding events she convinces her favorite barista, Veer, to act as her boyfriend. All the makings of a story with overbearing parents who are too traditional and children who defy them, a story many of us who are Indian are familiar with. This book also explored taboo subjects for Indians such as divorce, homosexuality and pre-marital sex. I enjoyed the story and it was a fast read. I found the writing to be a little choppy at times, it was like the author was pressing the fast forward button instead of developing the story or characters. Not faulting the author for this, just something I noticed, this isn't meant to be a deeply serious read. Happy to see that more South Asian writers are becoming passionate about sharing stories and would happily support the author by reading more of her books!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing for this ARC!