REVIEW: Say You’ll Be Mine by Naina Kumar

Say You’ll Be Mine by Naina Kumar: There is nothing quite like being asked to be ‘best man’ at the wedding of the guy you have been crushing on for like ages. Well for aspiring play writer and theatre teacher Meghna Raman this nightmare is looking more and more like her reality. More determined now than ever Meghna decides to enlist the help of her over the top parents to help find her a suitable match, maybe the best way to get over Seth is to find a new potential love interest. Also this might be her chance to finally please her parents by brining an engineer into the family. The only reason that Karthik Murthy is even agreeing to entertain the idea of his mother setting him up on one of her matchmaking attempts, is really just to make her happy. The last thing Karthik expected was to actually like Meghna. However marriage really is not something that Karthik can offer Meghna but a fake engagement that benefits both of them is definitely something that he can get on board with. It was a simple plan really Karthik would help Meghna get through planning Seth’s wedding while she would keep his mother’s never ending matchmaking attempts at bay. A real win win for both of them, however neither of them could foresee their very real feelings beginning to form as they get to know each others deepest insecurities and flaws… could this fake engagement lead to a very real romance?

Say You’ll Be Mine was pure fake turned real romance perfection. This book had all the markers of being a brilliant read and I for one absolutely loved it! I loved how well the Indian community was represented in this book, we got to embrace the culture, traditions, quirks and all the family drama that comes with being a member of the Desi community. There was something about this book that reminded me of the movie Wedding Season, that I really liked. There really wasn’t anything about this book that I did not enjoy, side from a bit of miscommunication between the main characters this was an incredible slow burn, friends to lovers, fake engagement turned real love story.

The thing about this book that I really enjoyed was how easy it was to relate to both main characters. Meghna was a great leading lady, she was just so loveable that I could not help but want to be her friend. Gosh girl, I felt your pain in losing the one you had thought was your forever guy, but thankfully Karthik came on to the scene at just the right moment to help her see what she was really missing out on. Our hero was just grumpy perfection. Where Meghna was all sunshine and rainbows, Karthik was grumpy and low key. I just loved the way they balanced each other out. I loved that Karthik was a total secret softie and that even though he was so hell bent on staying away from love and marriage he was actually a total romantic. I just loved the fact that he fell first and that we got to see it happening slow as they got to know each other.

In term of romance this was a slow burn, but for their relationship dynamic it worked really well. I loved that as much as this was a romance, it was also largely a journey of self growth for both main characters. The side characters in this book were just incredible! I loved Meghna’s parents and all their well meaning meddling, as for Karthik’s mother well she was true Indian aunty goals. I loved how authentic the family dynamic felt, in term of both the good, the bad and the ugly. As for Meghna’s bestie Ankita, well she was a total star.

I absolutely loved reading Say You’ll Be Mine, this book is definitely not to be missed! If you want a really good slow burn romance, with a great storyline then I would highly recommend this book!

Book Info:

Publication: January 16, 2024 | Dell |

Meghna Raman’s parents wanted her to be an engineer, but instead she’s followed her passion, becoming a theater teacher and aspiring playwright. But when she discovers that her beloved writing partner, best friend, and secret crush, Seth, is suddenly engaged—and not to her—she realizes he’s about to become the one-that-got-away. Even worse, he’s asked her to be his best man. And worse than that, she’s agreed. Determined to try and move on and relieve a bit of the pressure she feels, Meghna agrees to let her parents introduce her to a potential match. Maybe she’ll even find the engineer her family wishes she became. . . .

Grumpy, handsome engineer Karthik Murthy has seen enough of his parents’ marriage to know that it isn’t for him. He only agreed to his mother’s matchmaking attempts to make her happy, never dreaming he would meet someone as vibrant as Meghna. Though he can’t offer her a real marriage, a fake engagement could help Meghna soothe the sting of planning Seth’s wedding festivities and Karthik avoid the absurd number of set-ups his mother has planned for the next year.

But as they find common ground, grow protective of one another’s hearts, and learn to fall for the flaws they thought they hated, an undeniable chemistry takes shape. Soon, Meghna and Karthik’s expectations and insecurities threaten to risk something that’s become a lot more real than they hoped.

Say You’ll Be Mine is a delightful trip back to the heyday of swoony romantic comedies from the nineties, but with a deep and poignant look at the effects of culture and family in our most intimate relationships.