Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Hegde (Match Me If You Can) takes on the fake relationship trope in her solid, Bangalore-set sophomore novel. Aspiring photographer Harsha Godbole has been trying to make it on her own, without her toxic family or their money, but must return to the fold when her cousin and long-standing rival, Neha, gets married. When Neha mistakenly assumes Harsha's favorite barista, Veer Kannan, is actually Harsha's boyfriend and invites him to the wedding, Harsha gets an idea: if her invasive, judgmental family is expecting a boyfriend, why not recruit Veer to play the role? Aspiring actor Veer is at first offended when Harsha lies about his job to Neha, but the Business Institute of India has rescinded his little brother's scholarship, and Veer has only three days to find half a million rupees. Harsha's happy to pay for his services and is also the niece of one of Bollywood's biggest directors. If Veer can keep up the act, he'll be able to pay for his brother's MBA and might also get his big break. The plot hits all the expected beats as pretending to be in love leads these two to fall in love for real, while the setting adds a bit of fun for armchair travelers. There's enough here to please romance fans. (Feb.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
Harsha Godbole chose to attend college in California to get as far away as possible from India, her wealthy, famous family of Bollywood moguls, and their expectations. Relieved to finally feel like herself and be free from scrutiny, she finds true friends and pursues her passion for photography. After graduation, she returns home to Bangalore, determined to make it on her own without her family's money. When her idealized boyfriend abruptly breaks up with her right before her cousin's wedding, she desperately offers to pay barista Veer Kannan to be her fake date for the nuptial events, though it will mean dipping into her trust fund. Needing money to pay his younger brother's college tuition, aspiring actor Veer could use the cash (and the exposure to the Godboles' Bollywood contacts), so he agrees. As the fake arrangement quickly starts to feel real, Harsha and Veer's relationship charmingly progresses, but career opportunities and vindictive family members might tear them apart before they can admit their true feelings. VERDICT The vibrant Bangalore setting is an appealing backdrop for this thoroughly enjoyable closed-door, fake-dating romance from Hegde (Match Me If You Can).--Melissa DeWild
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Fake dating turns real for a pair of 20-somethings in Bangalore. Rich girl Harsha Godbole is trying to make it as a photographer in India's Silicon Valley without her wealthy parents' help. But when her movie-industry-raised cousin announces her wedding, Harsha lies about her newly single status to save face. Her solution is to pay her local barista to pretend to be her boyfriend for the festivities. Veer Kannan has put his dreams of being an actor on hold so he can support his family with a regular paycheck. Initially taken aback by Harsha's offer, he accepts so he'll be able to fund his brother's MBA degree. Hegde places both aspiring artists in an economically elite section of Indian society--people who drink cappuccinos, eat charcuterie, wear designer brands, fly across the country and abroad, and drop bucketloads of money on lavish weddings. While Veer is less privileged, he has enough to be culturally fluent in Harsha's circles. Setting the story in this milieu appears to be an attempt to make an Indian romance legible to an American audience. The fake-dating plot doesn't make much sense, since demanding that an unmarried woman have a boyfriend is the opposite of what an Indian family would do, even today. If one overlooks the weakness of the premise, the hurried nods to anticaste and queer politics, and choices like giving a South Indian protagonist the Punjabi name "Veer," some scenes of the couple's growing connections are pleasant to read. If you want a familiar romance recipe presented in an Indian khichdi style. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
