User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
Yessss!! I can honestly announce: we have another winner! This is entertaining, laugh out loud, sweet, emotional!
There is desi wedding, Indian family traditions, noisy parents, vivid characters, lots of yummy foods, a yummy hero with sexy British accent and natural, strong, easily likable heroine!
There are also so many secrets, gossips, dramas but the way they’re coming out is also smart, absurd, enjoyable! Angsty parts don’t tear your guts, thankfully they were well balanced. And conclusion is sweet like dhokla ( I was curious about that Indian desert since I watched Three Idiots)
Reena Manji , 31 , hates her job, is amazing cook, once upon a time a successful food blogger after being sabotaged by her own little sister. She is so pissed off the nonstop intrusions and prying of her family. She wants to be independent, making decisions freely without expecting their approval.
But when her hottie new neighbor Nadim with sexy British accent appears at the hallway with his gorgeous posture and flirty manners, she hardly resist his charm till she learns he is the guy works with his father and he is also the arranged husband they expect her to marry!
Hell no! Even though he is hot as hell, he is sweet, he is great listener and he has great hands to massage her scalp and he is also talented to give fantastic foot massage!
Again hell no! But when they were both drunk, he was so entertaining to join her to shoot a cooking video together which goes viral and they become finalists of a cooking show Reena wants to attend!
Now she has second thoughts because that competition is for couples! She knows she can win it! If she asks nicely to Nadim to pretend like her fiancée throughout the competition she can win the scholarship of the baking school she can hardly pay with her regular pay checks !
Guess what? Nadim says “yes” and they are perfect pretending couple in front of the cameras so nobody needs to know their secret! But when Reena has the noisiest family on the planet , she may realize nothing can stay secret in the family including Nadim’s grandiose secret which can change their blossoming intense relationship.
Overall: I’m rounding up 4.5 stars to 5 I laughed so much till my cheeks hurt like hell but it’s truly worth it stars!
I love Manji family and their scandalous secrets and I loved the chemistry, romance between Reena and Nadim. And I’m a true lover of great food! So this book was like heaven to me!
So much thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing/ Forever for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
Rating: really liked it
TL;DR: Might be a good POC book, but the Muslim rep is NOT it.~~
DNF-ed/skim-read after 55%This was a bust, unfortunately.
The good:I can’t speak for the Tanzanian-Gujarati representation, but the foodie in me loved the baking and traditional food aspect. It made me search the dishes on Google and learn about the big population of Gujarati people residing in Tanzania, which I did not know.
The bad:I am not unfamiliar with people who have different lifestyles, though I am a practising Muslim. I have Muslim friends who do drink/gamble and do other things that Islam technically forbids, and everyone is entitled to do what they want so long as it’s through their own free will.
BUT…I am NOT a fan and do not appreciate how the publishers slapped a ‘Muslim rep’ sticker on this and called it a day. When you clearly promote a book with Muslim rep, I go into it expecting a somewhat accurate Muslim/Islamic experience, but all the characters in here (except for the heroine’s parents) were drinking/mentioning alcohol every 2 pages, and it was just so shoved in your face that ‘Oh hey! They’re Muslims, but they drink! And have premarital sex! Oh and yeah, they drink, remember, don’t forget that!!’
Also the fact that the MCs "respected Islam but..." and then moved on to say how much more 'forward-thinking' they were. Their superiority complex was insufferable.
At the end of the day, this might be a good POC book, but I can see the rep to be quite damaging to practicing Muslims, IMHO.This review by Suraya is the probably the closest review accurate to my own thoughts.
(alternated between e-arc and audio listened on libby)
*ARC kindly provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*
Rating: really liked it
This is a Fake dating Romance/Chick-Lit. This is a cute and funny book. This book is about the two main characters family setting them up to be engaged, but they become friends over cooking foods from where they come from. I really love this book. The two main characters are magnetic and they fit together so well. Their is so many cute and funny moments in this book. This book had me totally pulled into it, and I did not want to put this book down. This book is beautifully written and entertaining. If you need a cute and funny fake dating romance with great characters then this is the book for you. I am very lucky to win a Soft Cover Copy of this book from a goodreads giveaway, and this review is my own honest opinion about the book like all my reviews are.
Rating: really liked it
I really, truly had to force myself to get through this book and I wish I DNF’ed it. It was not for me but if you’re looking for a light-hearted rom com with all your favorite cliches and no other plot other than the MC drooling over men explicitly, this is for you. These are not the type of romance books I read so I was not expecting to not like this book at all. My first and most immediate turn off was the ridicule of Islam. Saying over and over that you “respect it but...” does not make the ridicule okay. Islam is not a culture - it’s a religion that is practiced by billions of people. It’s not strict customs and traditions that force people to either choose fun or a cult. Again — these are my opinions and mine alone because I practice Islam but those who don’t might enjoy it. This is not good Muslim rep in anyway which is so disappointing because it’s counting as an OwnVoices novel. Anyone who praises this book for Muslim rep is wrong, especially if they’re not Muslim.
Rating: really liked it
Accidentally Engaged is a cute romantic comedy about a Muslim woman that fakes an engagement to enter a cooking contest for couples.
Accidentally Engaged is cute, funny, and entertaining. Reena is passionate about baking bread and is always cooking. Reena’s parents want her to marry a nice Muslim boy and are always trying to set her up. Their newest option for her is Nadim. Reena and Nadim are both different than their parents realize. They both are passionate about food which causes them to quickly bond. They are very cute together and have great chemistry while filming the cooking show. Reena has no interest in marrying Nadim. There are family dynamics throughout Accidentally Engaged. Reena has a strained relationship with her sister that her sister is trying to fix. Their family is not honest with each other which lead to some entertaining revelations. Reena is a strong, independent woman that doesn’t live by her parents standards. She moved out of their house without being married and continues to defy their expectations. She isn’t satisfied with her career in finance and has to decide if she’d rather do something else. Nadim is always looking out for Reena and is very caring. There are many funny moments throughout the book. I learned some about the Muslim culture. Reena and Nadim are constantly cooking and talking about food so Accidentally Engaged makes the reader hungry. I recommend Accidentally Engaged for fans of cute romantic comedies and own voices romances.
Thank you Forever and NetGalley for Accidentally Engaged.
Full Review: https://justreadingjess.wordpress.com...
Rating: really liked it
This book just wasn't for me. I wasn't a fan of the characters or the romance or how everything was closed door. It seemed like the author had really good ideas, but certain points were very hurriedly introduced or dropped in and nothing was actually fully developed or fleshed out (her mental health, her sister's old relationship, her mother's secret, her father's secret...). The same thing happened with the side characters too. Things would just be added in and then nothing really happened after that. I also really didn't like how there was a lot of miscommunication. It was clear that Nadim had a secret and even asked Reena not to look into it, so she didn't. And OF COURSE that ended up being the major conflict at the end. And instead of asking him about it, she agonizes over it and refuses to talk to him. And then they just randomly get back together at the end without any real work or build up. I just really wasn't a fan of this one.
Rating: really liked it
I am not South Asian or East African so I will not speak on how that aspect of the character’s identity was represented in the book. Please look for other ownvoices reviewers if you want that perspective.
I picked this book up specifically because it was ramadan and for this month I wanted to stick to reading books about Islam or that have muslim representation. Now don’t get me wrong this book did have muslim representation... it was just horrible. Allow this book to serve as a reminder that not all ownvoices books have good representation because this was a trainwreck. My first red flag when we met Nadim and he offered her beer in their first meeting. Islam was ridiculed over the course of this book and I lost all hope that it could possibly get better twenty pages in. The whole “yeah i respect it but...” made it even more irritating and harder to deal with. This book had characters that spoke of Islam as if it was some kind of primitive way of thinking and that by drinking alcohol they somehow set themselves apart. There are almost two billion people who follow this religion and this book mocked it.
I went into this book expecting something like You Deserve Each Other but halal. I expected it to represent muslims and have characters that reflected islamic values and, with the exception of the protagonist’s parents, I didn’t get that. Other than the fact that both main characters identify with Islam all we see from them about the religion is them belittling it and the author setting them apart from other Muslims because they have sex and drink alcohol. Rather than a “not like other girls” trope I saw an “I’m not like other Muslims trope”. That’s the best way in which I can sum up how I felt about this book.
Other than my obvious issues with the Muslim representation in this book I also had an issue with the plot... it just didn’t do it for me. The plot was everywhere and made no sense. There wasn’t a clear way where one thing led to the next.
Nothing felt well developed, including the characters. Other than his ethnic and muslim identity (as well as a foot fetish) we really don’t see much of a personality from Nadim. I had a similar issue with Reena, but you would have to swap out the foot fetish with baking because that’s all we got from her. But don’t worry they’re not like other Muslims so it’s fine
Rating: really liked it
i understand that there are tons of non-practicing muslims out there, so this book may serve as a representation too, in a different way.
but im sick of authors who flaunt the “Here’s a Muslim rep book!!!” card but depicts everything that Islam clearly forbids. This book has it all, pre-marital sex, alcohol, gambling, all the while still flaunting the “I live in a Muslim household” setting.
I’m not implying that all practicing muslims are good; there are tons of practicing muslims that are doing all kinds of terrible things, too. But i just figured that if you are a Muslim, and have the chance to bring the religion topic forward, why not do it right?
Rating: really liked it
AKSJDLASJDSK I'M CRYING
I'M SCREAMING
THANK YOU NETGALLEY GODS
I PROMISE I'LL WRITE THOSE REVIEWS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
i see desi wedding, i smash that mf want-to-read button
Rating: really liked it
4.5 stars, rounded up.
Accidentally Engaged , Farah Heron's new book, is a fun, sexy, sweet rom-com about trying to make your own way despite what your parents want. (Like that's easy?)
Reena’s parents want what’s best for her, and in their eyes, finding a man for her to marry is best. Sure, it’s not worked any of the previous times they've tried this, but it looks like this candidate, Nadim, definitely has his pluses—he’s handsome, he has a great body and a sexy British accent, and he loves food as much as she does. (Of course, his negatives include the fact that he works for her father and lives in her apartment building.) But she flat-out refuses to be with anyone her parents set her up with, no matter how good he may look.
When Reena learns about a television cooking competition open only to couples, she starts to think things through. An avid baker always looking to perfect her bread recipes, winning this competition might give her that chance. So what would be wrong with asking Nadim to pretend to be engaged to her for the sake of the program, as long as they keep it a secret? (It turns out that's not the only secret she's keeping, and Nadim has secrets of his own as well!)
Ah, dear fellow rom-com readers, what happens when secrets are kept in a story? And what happens with fake engagements? Yes, you know, but
Accidentally Engaged is a delicious, sexy, romantic one, full of family dysfunction and yummy-sounding food! I couldn't resist even though I knew where things would go.
I loved this book. Don’t read it on an empty stomach, especially if like me, carbs are your spirit animal, and/or if you love Indian food. And maybe it was just me, but for some reason the title of this book had me singing the Counting Crows’
Accidentally in Love . (Sorry not sorry if that gets stuck in your head, too!)
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2020 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2021/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2020.html.
Check out my list of the best books of the last decade at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/my-favorite-books-of-decade.html.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
Rating: really liked it
Be forewarned
Do not, and I repeat do not read this unless you have snacks and food next to you or you will be sorry. This book had me craving for freshly baked sourdough bread and Indian food. Be prepared to laugh, swoon, and whet your appetite. This is a fun one!
I loved the chemistry between 31 yo Reena Manji and her new neighbor Nadim who was not only gorgeous but also speaks with a sexy British accent. It was almost love at first sight until Reena finds out that her father is setting her up with Nadim for an arranged marriage.
Reena’s career was spiraling down and recently losing her job, she takes interest in joining a couple’s cooking show where the grand prize could send Reena to cullinary school. In a funny turn of events with some alcohol involved, Reena and Nadim end up making and sending a video of them cooking to the show and gets accepted. This leads them to a dilemma that in order to remain in the show, they must pretend to be a couple.
I loved this sweet story, and getting to know each member of Reena’s large family. there were plenty of funny moments and opportunity to learn a lot about the Muslim culture.
I give it all the stars for a fabulous read full of romance, sizzling hot chemistry, amazing characters, and lots of delicious food! This was so entertaining, with great dialogue and the pacing really kept me turning those pages.
I really enjoyed this read.
Rating: really liked it
Absolutely gorgeous. A hugely enjoyable contemporary with two real, flawed, super likeable characters, conflict rooted mainly in human absurdity, and great food.
What I loved is the very human flaws on display. Reena feels like a failure, won't confront her problems, is prone to jealousy and blaming other people. Not very attractive traits, but extremely relatable ones, which makes it all the more uplifting as we see her sort herself out. Nadim is kind of easily swayed, letting his life be dictated by others. They both have a lot to work on, and they do, and it makes for a hugely satisfying read because the fantasy is so grounded in real feelings, including the bad ones.
Lovely supporting cast, fluent writing with that elusive trait, readability, and a terrific joyous romance which feels like it was massive fun to write. A pleasure.
Rating: really liked it
⚠️ HAVE BREAD HANDY! Loved this book! Such a feel good story packed with humor, friendship, family, and calories! I seriously defy you to read this and not crave bread! Reena does not like her job, isn’t thrilled with her love life, and most of all is tired of her meddling family. Her parents have really outdone themselves this time they have moved her latest potential husband into the apartment right across the hall from her. There is no way Reena is going to date this man much less marry him. Even if he looks like an Indian Captain America, has a sexy British accent, and shares her love for everything food. Then one drunken night Reena and Nadim accidentally enter a cooking contest meant for couples. And so it begins! Reena and Nadim pretending to be a happy loving couple on television and trying to resist one another in real life.
This book was such a treat! Reena and Nadim were both great characters with such lovely personalities. The Romance was sweet and steamy both in and out of the kitchen. They both had some pretty complicated family dynamics and expectations and I liked getting a peek into the Muslim culture. The secondary characters were spectacular, colorful and caring. A fantastic book that I cannot recommend highly enough.
This book in emojis 🍞 📹 🍞 🐐 🍞 🦶🏽 🍞 🥚
*** Big thank you to Forever for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***
Rating: really liked it
3 starsWhat happens when you become fake engaged to the person your parents are trying to marry you off to… but you decide to keep it from your parents? That’s what Reena is dealing with in
Accidentally Engaged. When she learns her new neighbor, Nadim is who her parents want her to marry, she is not happy. She’s in her thirties and not looking to be set up. Nadim is attractive, charming, and friendly and they become fast friends, but that’s all.
Until she needs a partner for a cooking contest she’s getting ready to join Baking is her passion and she could really use the prize, so Nadim joins in. He’s a great sport about it all and their chemistry is off the charts. You can tell there is more there, even if both aren’t willing to go there yet. There are a lot of secrets between them building up and I just knew when things came out, it would be a bit of a disaster.
I think this book had so much potential, but certain things felt… underdeveloped. I don’t love when so many things are introduced, but then not fleshed out. Still, I enjoyed this authors writing style and there were a lot of things I loved in this. I think the idea of the book was fantastic, but the execution lacked a bit.
Audio book source: Libby (library borrow)
Story Rating: 3.5 stars
Narrators: Soneela Nankani
Narration Rating: 4 stars
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Length: 11 hours and 8 minutes
Rating: really liked it
it's vERY much like me to put off reviewing something until like 6 months later but, it was an arc so it has to happen
nOW. i'll start off with what i didn't like,
let's get the bad out of the way first i guess :/
➼ i HATED the muslim-rep in this book. there's just no other way to say it. it struck me as odd and annoyed me several times throughout the book and i came on here to see a couple muslims expressing their thoughts on it as well.
more specifically, i felt as if the author was going out of her way to make the MC and the love interest some type of quirky muslims. now omg my vocabulary is FAILING me right now but by that i mean there were way too many attempts to make it seem like "I'm Muslim but I'm not like other Muslims. I don't do ____ and also I do ____." like seriously. nothing wrong with a non-practicing person, just like how there's nothing wrong with being a practicing Muslim as well, but I just feel like Islam and it's rules, just as a whole was being disrespected.
also, why ..? make the book revolve around muslim rep if it was just going to be like this. honestly wouldn't have been feeling like this if they mentioned characters to be muslim
in passing but bc it was brought up constantly, and the novel marketing around the rep and all, going out of the way to mention that they do things sO differently, it just made it worse.
oh yeah we drink, constantly, and oh my! gambling in the family. i'm so uncontrollable, i hate everything my parents do and tell me to do. okay miss rebellion. we
get it. like i hardly gaf anymore.
basically, if it's this type of representation:
➼ not only that, i feel like culture and religion was mixed up sometimes, which can go downhill reallll quickly because again, a lot of ppl are in the blind about it, making it easier to fall prey to assumptions and stereotypes.
➼ i feel like the way her south asian family was portrayed was..... eeermmm. let's just say it was every quality that wasn't so great that was highlighted. especially as her family was made out to be this crazy, overbearing, obsessed family. like the MC is definitely that brown girl that made hating her family a personality trait. (fair enough to have family issues, trust me i have them too, but when complaining and hating about it becomes 85% of your personality......)
noW i'm angry at myself with reviewing this 68565 years after having read it or else i could be more specific and quoting the exact things that rubbed me in the wrong way and how she was aggressively annoying.
➼
aside from those issues i had with the representation, there was not much about this book that was compelling. i could genuinely have left it and not been bothered so i'm not exactly sure why i didn't dnf it (probably the "my fiRST ARC, free book!" dragging me along). put me through the worst reading slump i've had in a WHILE, like read a TOTAL of 4 books in the coming
three months after i read this...
➼ miscommunication trope <<<
they didn't even communicate for a better part of the book to the point where it became irritating and left me bored with it. not to mention it led them and the romance to become flat and therefore me -> disinterested
things i likedwell after that hell of a rant that just dragged out all the hate in me now i forgot what i was supposed to say here, oops
➼ i liked that the writing was simple and straightforward i guess (it made getting through the book just a little bit easier)
➼ the scene when they filmed the audition for the couple cooking show was cute
uh thats it
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well uhhh this combined with a new semester of school may have just put me in a slump for the entire january and the next month. how fun :)
and now i hAVE to write a review about it too :(
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waiiittt cause i just got my first arc OMFGg
