Say You'll Be Mine

October 9, 2023
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. Agent: Johanna Castillo, Writers House.

November 1, 2023

DEBUT After reluctantly agreeing to be the best man in the wedding of her current writing partner Seth, whom she has pined for since college, teacher and aspiring playwright Meghna Raman finally agrees to let her parents introduce her to potential matches as a distraction. Her first match is Karthik Murthy, who, after a lifetime of witnessing his parents' own disastrous marriage, has no interest in commitment, arranged or otherwise, and has only agreed to meet his own potential matches to appease his mother. Karthik quickly proposes that he and Meghna fake their engagement in order to get a break from matchmaking and to give Meghna a date for Seth's wedding. However, sparks quickly start to fly, and the fake engagement leads to real feelings for both Meghna and Karthik. Meghna may have finally found someone who will be in her corner. Readers will appreciate the witty banter and smart use of the well-trod miscommunication trope in Kumar's slow-burn debut. VERDICT Perfect for fans of grumpy-sunshine pairings and mostly closed-door romances.--Whitney Kramer

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Starred review from November 1, 2023
An arranged meeting leads to a fake engagement leads to love for an Indian American couple. Meghna Raman, 28, has been secretly in love with her college boyfriend, Seth Mitchell, for years. They only dated briefly before he relegated her to friend and writing partner, and she's been his best friend ever since, still weighing in on all his songs before he sells them. But after years of the same, three things happen in quick succession: Meghna gets an invitation to Seth's wedding, he calls and asks her to be his best man, and her mother begins to arrange rishtas for her--arranged dates that are the precursor to an arranged marriage. When Karthik Murthy, her first date, abruptly asks her to fake an engagement so he can stop spending so many weekends traveling to meet appropriate women his mother has found scattered across the country, Meghna decides to say yes. Karthik is handsome, appealing, and--best of all--can be her plus-one to Seth's wedding. What follows is an excruciatingly painful, wonderful, realistic look at two people getting to know each other as they navigate what they think they want and what they secretly hope might be. Karthik is terrified of turning into his domineering father, desperate to make his mother happy, and frightened of his own feelings. Meghna is in love with Seth--but is she really? She realizes that she doesn't quite know, and she's scared of making mistakes, sharing her emotions, and getting hurt. A delightful, layered book that addresses the frequent disconnect between what a person does, says, thinks they want, and actually wants--as individuals and within the context of their family, work, and community. The end might be a given, but the emotional roller coaster of this journey is warm, engrossing, joyful--and nerve-wracking.

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December 1, 2023
Middle-school teacher and would-be playwright Meghna Raman is shocked when she receives a wedding invitation from Seth, her writing partner since college and her dream future husband. Since he has moved on, she decides to meet someone through the arranged marriage route because she really does want to marry. Karthik Murthy, an engineer from New York, and his mother fly to Dallas to meet Meghna and her parents. He is determined to never marry but has agreed to meet as many girls as his beloved, beleaguered mom wants for the course of one year, and then she will never mention marriage again. When Seth asks Meghna to be his best man and Karthik's boss, soon to retire, mentions he would have a real shot at her job if he were more stable, the two contrive a fake engagement. The strength of this sweet debut lies in the relationships with family members and friends and how they are tempered by cruel realities and the thorny path to true love. Kumar is a writer to watch.

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