Accidentally Engaged

Things I learned from this book: there is a large Indian diaspora in Tanzania. I enjoyed this, but it was a little strange to me that it was entirely from Reena's point of view - I guess that makes sense with Nadim's Big Secret (that is a little bit of an anticlimax, honestly), but I didn't feel like I got a good sense of him as a character in the same way I did Reena. This book will make you hungry, especially if you love sourdough bread or Indian food, which I do. I also wish there had been a little more exploration of Reena's mental health issues and possible alcoholism, which were mentioned but also sort of hand-waved away in the HEA. I did like the development of Reena's relationship with her family, especially her sister. This is definitely a romance, but it's firmly from Reena's perspective and her growth from a pretty depressing place in her life into the much better place at the end.

Read for the Kindle Clearout Readathon 2021

I honestly really adored this book. Fake dating/fake engagement is not one of my favorite tropes, but it was honestly done so well in here.

I'm not a huge fan of fluffy, contemporary romances in general because I often feel like they're repetitive but this book so much to the table. I loved seeing Reena's passion for bread baking and cooking. Nadim was such a complex character that had many layers to him. Their chemistry was off the charts! I could physically feel the tension between them which doesn't happen often.

I also just loved all the Indian and African culture and traditions. It really brought this book to life. I thought it would more focus on the food and the arranged marriage, but I really got a wide perspective on the cultures mostly because of the main character's family. The author dove into the good, the bad, the ugly, and the drama. It just gave this book that extra sprinkle of magic.

The friendships and family relationships in this novel also brought in something extra special. Relationships grow and change, and it's really nice to see how life can put a strain on relationships but also how they can come back together. Her friends also caused so much more drama which I loved. I live for drama and this book didn't disappoint.

The competition aspect in here wasn't huge, but I didn't mind that too much. I think it was really realistic how it was going on in the background while relationships, life, and drama were in the foreground. There was the perfect balance of enough but not too much of the competition.

The ending was honestly one of my favorite contemporary romance endings to date and I think it just fit the situation and the characters so well. It was honestly so amazing to see everything converge.

My two main issues were just that the third-act breakup had a reason that I kind of understand but was just a bit annoying. I also personally don't like fade to black which this was, but maybe you don't like a lot of steam in your books, so this would be perfect for you!

I really did enjoy my time reading this book, despite the couple flaws that I have. This book really surprised me and because of the culture, it was not like anything I've ever read.

Thank you to Forever, Farah Heron, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was forgettable (ouch). This was a good when I was reading it but it didn't do anything to stand out. It could've been! Cooking show x culture x fake engagement - recipe for my kinda book. However something in this made it just meh. I recommend it for all of those reasons, just didn't stand out for me.

THE LOVE INTEREST WAS MEANT TO HAVE LIVED IN LONDON FOR AGES, AND THEREFORE HAVE AN ACCENT. COMING FROM SOMEONE WHO'S LIVED THERE MY WHOLE LIFE, IT WAS SO OBVIOUS AND FUNNY THAT THE AUTHOR WASN'T FROM HERE. IT WAS IN THE MINOR THINGS LIKE, WE DON'T USE THE WORD ‘CILANTRO' LIKE THAT