Home › Fiction › Say You'll Be Mine

Say You'll Be Mine

by Naina Kumar

A pretend engagement, with family expectations in the mix

Critically Recognized
Regular price $17.51 USD
Regular price $29.19 USD Sale price $17.51 USD
Save 40%

Paperback New

Delivery to your door
In stock·Dispatches in 1–2 business days
Standard shipping* from $4.35
Standard shipping transit* 5–8 business days after dispatch

Faster options are available.

Rates and delivery estimates depend on your destination and item quantity. Estimates are informational only; the final shipping method and rate are selected at checkout.

Secure checkout
American Express Apple Pay DiscoverGoogle Pay Mastercard PayPalVisa
30-day eligible returns Returns & refunds policy

Awards & Recognition

  • Editorial selection

    An ELLE Best Book of the Year

    Selected as an ELLE Best Book of the Year.

  • Critical praise

    Entertainment Weekly praise

    Entertainment Weekly praised the book's handling of the arranged-marriage plot and described Kumar as a sparklin...

AlbakiReads Editorial

A pretend engagement, with family expectations in the mix

The story pairs Meghna, a theater teacher and aspiring playwright whose best friend is marrying someone else, with Karthik, an engineer wary of marriage after seeing his parents’ relationship. They agree to fake an engagement: Meghna must help with her ex-crush’s wedding, while Karthik hopes to deflect his mother’s matchmaking efforts. Their arrangement brings together clashing assumptions, growing affection, and the pressures their Indian families place on romantic choices. The setup gives the romantic-comedy plot a personal dimension, balancing a familiar pretend-engagement premise with questions of career, family, and what each character expects from commitment.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Romantic-comedy readers who enjoy a fake-engagement premise
  • Readers interested in stories involving matchmaking and family expectations
  • Those drawn to romance featuring a theater teacher and an engineer

Themes

Fake engagementFamily and cultural expectationsCareer choicesMarriage and commitment

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

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.
Shipping & returnsShipping options, delivery timing, and our return policy.

In-stock items normally dispatch within 1–2 business days. The ZIP-code estimator on this page is informational only; the final shipping method, price, and availability are confirmed at checkout for your full order.

For the initial delivery estimate we use these transit windows after dispatch: Standard 5–8 business days, Expedited 2–4 business days, and Priority 1–2 business days. Holiday delays are not included.

Eligible items can be returned within 30 days in accordance with our return policy.

Customer reviews

M
AlbakiReads
Malaika Taylor

I highly recommend to for anyone looking for inner clarity

T
AlbakiReads
Thomas DiMassa

Great service and fast service

Great shopping experience! The book arrived quickly, was well packaged, and matched the description perfectly. I would definitely shop with you again

O
AlbakiReads
Olivia

Smooth.