Format: ebook
Published: January 16th, 2024
Age: Adult
Genre: Romance – Contemporary
Goodreads
Rating: 5/5 Stars
This one was fantastic! A totally entertaining, wonderful, funny read with just the right amount of tension for a romance. Yes, there’s some miscommunication, there’s the characters convincing themselves the other must truly be faking the feelings even when they’re real for them, there’s the appearance of one bed, and most crucially – the fake engagement.
The only thing Meghna hasn’t tried when it comes to dating is an arranged marriage. Until Seth, her best friend, asks her to be his best man. The problem is, Meghna is still in love with Seth, but realising he’s never going to look at her that way again, she accepts the offer from her parents to try an arranged marriage. So, Meghna meets Karthik, who is adamant he will never marry, not after seeing what marriage did to his parents. The pair make a deal – they will go along with the arrangement, for three months, enough to get Karthik’s mother off his back, and for Meghna to have a date to the wedding she is dreading. But of course, the lines between fake and real blur, no matter how hard they try to hide what they’re really feeling.
This book was wonderful, with the chemistry between the characters really evident on every page. Even if neither are the best at always showing it, they quickly come to care for each other, growing closer even when they know it’s a bad idea. I really liked how they encouraged each other to grow, without pressure on one another, and Naina Kumar did excellent work with showing why these two make a good couple, even when the characters can’t see it themselves.
A great example is the contrast between Seth and Karthik. Meghna can’t see past Seth’s charm, and she’s insistent that really, he has helped her as much as she’s helped him; Seth is a songwriter, and Meghna, though a teacher, wants to write plays. They swap their work, but early on, as readers we get a really strong impression of exactly the type of person Seth is, before we even get a full scene with him. As a character, I’d bet he resonates with many, many creatives, who have found themselves dealing with their own version of Seth. It was written really well, giving us the perspective we (and Karthik) needed, but remaining clear about why Meghna doesn’t see (or refuses to see) it herself.
The book is funny, fresh, entertaining, and hot. These are great, really fun characters, but dealing with real, difficult situations that can sometimes push them to the limits, where the main couple really help each other work through without being overbearing. Overall, I loved this one, and if you’re looking for a warm romcom, definitely pick it up.
Thanks to Penguin for providing me a copy of this ebook via NetGalley – views remain my own.
Reading Challenge
Barbie Reading Challenge
Prompt: Barbie World – I’m a doll, but I still wanna party – A book with a party (wedding, birthday, etc)
Progress: 2/17 Completed
Unwrapping Words 