Say You'll Be Mine
A Novel
-
-
4.4 • 45 Ratings
-
-
- $12.99
Publisher Description
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • “Naina Kumar turns the arranged marriage plot on its head. . . . A sparkling new voice in the romance stratosphere.”—Entertainment Weekly (Grade: A-)
“I couldn’t put down this page-turner. . . . The new When Harry Met Sally . . . a warm, smart, sexy, and absolutely charming debut.”—Colleen Hoover
A teacher with big dreams joins forces with a no-nonsense engineer to survive an ex’s wedding and escape matchmaking pressure from their Indian families. Their plan? Faking an engagement, of course.
AN ELLE BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
Meghna Raman defied her parents’ wishes and followed her life’s passion, becoming a theater teacher and aspiring playwright. When she discovers that her beloved writing partner, best friend, and secret crush, Seth, is 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, Meghna agrees to let her parents introduce her to a potential match. Maybe she could marry the engineer that her parents still wish she’d become.
Grumpy engineer Karthik Murthy has seen enough of his parents’ marriage to know it’s not for him. He 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 something real, 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 him.
As the two find common ground, grow protective of each other’s hearts, and start to fall for the traits they originally thought they hated, an undeniable chemistry emerges. But soon, their expectations and insecurities threaten something that’s become a lot more real than they’d planned.
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.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
This fun romantic comedy doesn’t shy away from deep topics like childhood trauma and the burden of familial expectations. After her ex-boyfriend announces his impending wedding, plucky Dallas middle-school teacher Meghna reluctantly agrees to let her Indian American parents find her a husband. Their choice? Gorgeous but emotionally reserved engineer Karthik, who is possibly even less excited about the whole business of matchmaking than Meghna. To get their parents off their backs, the two become a faux couple—and a comedy of errors ensues as Meghna and Karthik try to hide the fact that they’re really falling for each other. Debut author Naina Kumar succeeds in writing both a beautiful love story and a fun romp, allowing her vibrant characters to grow and learn. Kind and affectionate, Say You’ll Be Mine has a relatable, lived-in charm.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Kumar debuts with a swoonworthy contemporary that marries a grumpy-sunshine romance with a deep exploration of familial relationships. Bubbly middle school English teacher Meghna Raman has been harboring feelings for one of her best friends, Seth, since college—but when he asks her to be his best man at his upcoming wedding, she's forced to accept that he'll never feel the same about her. Determined not to attend the event alone, she finally gives in to pressure from her parents to consider an arranged marriage. Stoic engineer Karthik Murthy, who craves approval from his distant father but also fears becoming just like him, thinks he can avoid a repeat of his parents' dysfunctional relationship by never getting married. Unfortunately, this philosophy does not stop his mother from searching for a suitable match for him. When Karthik and Meghna are set up by their parents, they see an engagement of convenience as the answer to both of their problems: Meghna gets a wedding date and Karthik gets relief from parental pressure. Now they just have to make sure they don't accidentally fall in love. It's a diverting convergence of romance tropes given weight by some deep emotions. This should earn Kumar plenty of fans.
Customer Reviews
A very different book for me, but a good one
For quite a while when I started reading this book, I questioned whether I wanted to continue. The characters are from Indian descent, the names were unusual to me, the cultural differences were great. Finally, I decided to embrace the differences & give myself the chance to learn more about India’s culture. As an America, arranged marriages are beyond my comprehension. Still, when the heart gets involved, there really are no differences. Love is love in any culture. I enjoyed the book immensely.