Reviews with content warning for Toxic friendship - Say You'll Be Mine

You ever find a book that you know you can enjoy with some wine and ice cream? That’s this for me.
It’s got so many things i love, such as:

• fake dating/engagement
• friends-to-lovers
• only one bed trope
• jerk who gets what he deserves
• cute and funny banter
• realistic family dynamics
• musical theater & Bachelor references
• protagonists who are shy yet independent
• spice that’s not so graphic that i’m embarrassed

Y’all this was it. Is it predictable? Yeah, but in the same way The Bachelor is predictable. It’s fun and a good time, and it makes you feel giddy.

Content Warnings

aqtbenz's review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

Content Warnings

dogbuttsandbooks's review against another edition

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slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

Our MCs, Meghna and Karthik are Indian Americans both struggling to find themselves pressure about their personal and professional lives from their families. They are introduced by their parents as potential matches for an arranged marriage. After meeting, they decide to be fake engaged so Karthik can impress the people who will decide if he gets a big promotion at work and so Meghna can have a date to her college ex turned best friend and writing partner’s wedding at which she’ll be the best man (you read that right). And so both of them can get a little breathing room from their meddling and oftentimes disapproving parents.

Meghna and Karthik are both really layered, sympathetic characters who kept me engaged while reading, but ultimately I felt like this book was less about the MCs’ romance and more about personal growth — which just wasn’t what I was in the mood for having just finished another fake dating to attend the wedding of an ex turned best friend who the FMC has never gotten over (spoiler alert, I liked the other one much better). Also I just needed these two to bang and get it out of their systems SO MUCH EARLIER. And also go to therapy. That being said, while I felt like both MCs were intentionally making their lives harder and putting up with a lot of toxic behaviors, and also sometimes being toxic themselves, I did appreciate the full circle character arcs.

I also enjoyed the struggle with trying to push against and also fit in familial expectations, but felt a bit like the author was trying to shoehorn heavy issues in with a chaotic fake engagement storyline.

I thought this was a well written debut that kept my interest and I enjoyed reading, but all in all, as is often my critique of fake engagement — the stakes did not feel high enough to warrant this faux relationship. And a note, if you don’t like MCs who aren’t good at communicating, this will not be your cup of tea.

If you’re looking for a Desi romance that doesn’t have a ton of spice, but has solid character development and one that will have you shouting “will you two just kiss already?!” Say You’ll Be Mine is the book for you.

Content Warnings

vj_thompson's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

A beautiful debut novel of engagement of convenience. The beginning was slow as if the mimic the characters new relationship and situation. I loved the ending and the sweet moments between Meghna and Karthik. Such a beautiful beautiful book, just like its cover.

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