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Match Me If You Can
A young magazine writer in Mumbai must prove her matchmaking skills—and contend with growing feelings for her close family friend—in this debut desi romance.
Confident fashionista Jia Deshpande spends her days writing cliché-ridden listicles for Mimosa, Mumbai’s top women’s magazine. When she can, Jia dishes about the messy truth of real love on her anonymous blog, attends her family’s weekly game nights, and ignores her true feelings for her childhood friend. If that wasn’t enough, Jia needs to successfully set up a coworker with her perfect match to get the green light for her new matchmaking column. Thankfully, organizing meet-cutes has never been difficult for her.
Local pub owner and cocktail genius Jaiman Patil can’t help but be enamored with Jia and her meddling spirit. He’s always been an honorary part of her family, but even more so since his own moved to America. Life with the Deshpandes is chaotic and loud, but it’s also more loving than anything he experienced growing up, and he wouldn’t risk losing that for the world. It feels manageable—until his pub begins to struggle and his long-hidden feelings for Jia grow deeper.
When Jia’s attempts at office matchmaking go haywire, risking new friendships and her relationship with Jaiman, she must reevaluate her own thoughts on love. For the first time, Jia Deshpande realizes that love may be a lot more complicated than she thought. Luckily, happily-ever-afters are never in short supply in Mumbai.
Confident fashionista Jia Deshpande spends her days writing cliché-ridden listicles for Mimosa, Mumbai’s top women’s magazine. When she can, Jia dishes about the messy truth of real love on her anonymous blog, attends her family’s weekly game nights, and ignores her true feelings for her childhood friend. If that wasn’t enough, Jia needs to successfully set up a coworker with her perfect match to get the green light for her new matchmaking column. Thankfully, organizing meet-cutes has never been difficult for her.
Local pub owner and cocktail genius Jaiman Patil can’t help but be enamored with Jia and her meddling spirit. He’s always been an honorary part of her family, but even more so since his own moved to America. Life with the Deshpandes is chaotic and loud, but it’s also more loving than anything he experienced growing up, and he wouldn’t risk losing that for the world. It feels manageable—until his pub begins to struggle and his long-hidden feelings for Jia grow deeper.
When Jia’s attempts at office matchmaking go haywire, risking new friendships and her relationship with Jaiman, she must reevaluate her own thoughts on love. For the first time, Jia Deshpande realizes that love may be a lot more complicated than she thought. Luckily, happily-ever-afters are never in short supply in Mumbai.
304 pages, Paperback
First published June 4, 2024
About the author
Swati Hegde
3 books122 followersSwati Hegde (she/her) is a freelance editor, mindset coach, and self-proclaimed coffee shop enthusiast who lives in Bangalore, India, and can often be found at the nearest café with a hot mug of tea. She looks forward to a long career bringing Indian stories and voices to light.
Swati is represented by Rachel Beck at Liza Dawson Associates. Her debut romance novel MATCH ME IF YOU CAN releases on June 4th, 2024 from Dell/Penguin Random House.
Find her on Instagram @SwatiHegdeAuthor and Twitter @SwatiHWrites.
Swati is represented by Rachel Beck at Liza Dawson Associates. Her debut romance novel MATCH ME IF YOU CAN releases on June 4th, 2024 from Dell/Penguin Random House.
Find her on Instagram @SwatiHegdeAuthor and Twitter @SwatiHWrites.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 345 reviews
December 30, 2023
Get ready to be swept away in the vibrant city of Mumbai with Swati Hegde's delightful debut, "Love in a Mumbai Minute." Jia Deshpande, a confident fashionista with a penchant for matchmaking, navigates the chaotic world of love while juggling her day job at Mimosa, Mumbai's top women's magazine, and secretly running an anonymous blog.
In this heartwarming tale, the story unfolds against the backdrop of Mumbai, where Jia attempts to set up her coworker with the perfect match to secure her dream matchmaking column. Little does she know that her childhood friend, the charming pub owner Jaiman Patil, has been harboring deep feelings for her. As Jia's matchmaking endeavors go awry, risking friendships and her relationship with Jaiman, she discovers that love is far more complex than she ever imagined.
The plot is a slow burn, teasing with the "will they? won't they?" dynamic that keeps you engaged throughout the entire book. While some may find it a bit too gradual, the love story remains undeniably cute, making it a worthwhile read. Hegde's writing is addictive, creating a narrative that has you squealing with joy at every turn.
What sets this debut apart is its distinct Desi vibe, a refreshing addition to American book publishing. Hegde beautifully captures the essence of Mumbai, offering a love letter to Jane Austen with a modern, multicultural twist. The characters are not only lovable but also relatable, and you'll find yourself cheering for them even in their most adorably clueless moments.
Overall, "Love in a Mumbai Minute" is a must-read for fans of desi romcoms, friends-to-lovers tales, and anyone who appreciates a good dose of unsolicited relationship advice. Swati Hegde has crafted a captivating story that immerses you in the charm and complexity of love in the bustling streets of Mumbai. Get ready to be hooked from the first page to the last, and keep an eye out for more of Hegde's work—it's sure to be a delightful journey.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing/ Dell for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:
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In this heartwarming tale, the story unfolds against the backdrop of Mumbai, where Jia attempts to set up her coworker with the perfect match to secure her dream matchmaking column. Little does she know that her childhood friend, the charming pub owner Jaiman Patil, has been harboring deep feelings for her. As Jia's matchmaking endeavors go awry, risking friendships and her relationship with Jaiman, she discovers that love is far more complex than she ever imagined.
The plot is a slow burn, teasing with the "will they? won't they?" dynamic that keeps you engaged throughout the entire book. While some may find it a bit too gradual, the love story remains undeniably cute, making it a worthwhile read. Hegde's writing is addictive, creating a narrative that has you squealing with joy at every turn.
What sets this debut apart is its distinct Desi vibe, a refreshing addition to American book publishing. Hegde beautifully captures the essence of Mumbai, offering a love letter to Jane Austen with a modern, multicultural twist. The characters are not only lovable but also relatable, and you'll find yourself cheering for them even in their most adorably clueless moments.
Overall, "Love in a Mumbai Minute" is a must-read for fans of desi romcoms, friends-to-lovers tales, and anyone who appreciates a good dose of unsolicited relationship advice. Swati Hegde has crafted a captivating story that immerses you in the charm and complexity of love in the bustling streets of Mumbai. Get ready to be hooked from the first page to the last, and keep an eye out for more of Hegde's work—it's sure to be a delightful journey.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing/ Dell for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:
medium.com
January 19, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this arc in exchange for an honest review!
"And learn to put your ego aside and communicate with him. Communication is the only things that can save relationships, period."
This quote was the highlight of the book and also the biggest hypocrisy. There was exactly 0 attempts of communication until the end. And the FMC wasn't tolerable. She was very selfish, obtuse, and unrelatable.
The only saving grace in this book is the MMC. I gave this 3 stars for Jaiman; he's the only reason I pushed through this one, and even though he got his HEA, I didn't leave this book satisfied. Jia didn't have many redeeming qualities, especially in regards to Jaiman. I think she had potential there, but so much time in this book was spent with her trying to match her friend with someone who was douchebag and apparently she never noticed, and the rest was her shit treatment of Jaiman.
Toward the end, before feelings are proclaimed, she questions why Jaiman would do a certain thing if he loved her. Uh because you treated him like shit, lady. As I said, selfish.
Sorry for the overly negative review, but this one got to me for reasons unknown.
"And learn to put your ego aside and communicate with him. Communication is the only things that can save relationships, period."
This quote was the highlight of the book and also the biggest hypocrisy. There was exactly 0 attempts of communication until the end. And the FMC wasn't tolerable. She was very selfish, obtuse, and unrelatable.
The only saving grace in this book is the MMC. I gave this 3 stars for Jaiman; he's the only reason I pushed through this one, and even though he got his HEA, I didn't leave this book satisfied. Jia didn't have many redeeming qualities, especially in regards to Jaiman. I think she had potential there, but so much time in this book was spent with her trying to match her friend with someone who was douchebag and apparently she never noticed, and the rest was her shit treatment of Jaiman.
Toward the end, before feelings are proclaimed, she questions why Jaiman would do a certain thing if he loved her. Uh because you treated him like shit, lady. As I said, selfish.
Sorry for the overly negative review, but this one got to me for reasons unknown.
Read
November 30, 2023I'm so thrilled that you will get to read my book baby in 2024! MATCH ME IF YOU CAN was inspired by not just my love for Jane Austen and gooey rom-coms, but also my eagerness to dish out unsolicited relationship advice. Get ready for the chaotic desi matchmaking, y'all! 💛
Love hard & dream big,
Swati
Love hard & dream big,
Swati
February 1, 2024
*so i finished this yesterday and haven't stopped thinking about it so i'm changing the rating, it's really cute and even though the romance wasn't the strongest the rest of the story was very good!*
how to feel, how to feel, how to feel...
this may just be the most frustrating romance book i have ever read. slow burns in books is something i usually really like but something about the slow burn in this book made me want to scream. i know for a fact that i let out a couple groans of frustration while reading. i feel very conflicted on if i truly enjoyed this book or not. some aspects really worked while others just fell very, very short.
jia... she had some character development and i'm very happy about that because she was driving me insane in the first half of this book. i think we discovered that match making romances are something i should avoid in the future because the meddling made me irrationally angry. jaiman was so lovely and low key heartbreaking. i felt satisfied by the ending simply because i wanted to see him happy, my man went through it in this book. the romance was very fine. i feel like all the other relationships felt more important because the romance only comes up in the last 8% of the book. all the platonic friendships, side character romantic relationships, and fatherly relationships were more entertaining than the main romance. we simply needed to see more of jia and jaiman. the love declaration was also slightly underwhelming which frustrated me, the hidden identity plot line could've been so much more satisfying and it just wasn't.
this was a very cute debut. i looked up the author and saw that she is also a type of dating expert which makes sense because the match making scenes in this book felt very knowledgeable. jaiman's pining was amazingly written and i am thrilled that we had his point of view because i have read like three romances recently that just don't have the mans pov and i was going insane. if you loooooove slow burns this romance should definitely be on you radar for when it comes out in june!!
*Thank you NetGalley for the ARC*
how to feel, how to feel, how to feel...
this may just be the most frustrating romance book i have ever read. slow burns in books is something i usually really like but something about the slow burn in this book made me want to scream. i know for a fact that i let out a couple groans of frustration while reading. i feel very conflicted on if i truly enjoyed this book or not. some aspects really worked while others just fell very, very short.
jia... she had some character development and i'm very happy about that because she was driving me insane in the first half of this book. i think we discovered that match making romances are something i should avoid in the future because the meddling made me irrationally angry. jaiman was so lovely and low key heartbreaking. i felt satisfied by the ending simply because i wanted to see him happy, my man went through it in this book. the romance was very fine. i feel like all the other relationships felt more important because the romance only comes up in the last 8% of the book. all the platonic friendships, side character romantic relationships, and fatherly relationships were more entertaining than the main romance. we simply needed to see more of jia and jaiman. the love declaration was also slightly underwhelming which frustrated me, the hidden identity plot line could've been so much more satisfying and it just wasn't.
this was a very cute debut. i looked up the author and saw that she is also a type of dating expert which makes sense because the match making scenes in this book felt very knowledgeable. jaiman's pining was amazingly written and i am thrilled that we had his point of view because i have read like three romances recently that just don't have the mans pov and i was going insane. if you loooooove slow burns this romance should definitely be on you radar for when it comes out in june!!
*Thank you NetGalley for the ARC*
Shelved as 'anticipating'
December 14, 2022according to the author's instagram, this romcom has:
- an all-BIPOC cast
- childhood frenemies to lovers
- he's loved her this whole time trope
- FOUND FAMILY
- an anonymous dating advice blog
- clueless & Emma vibes
- foodie romance
- AND it's set in Mumbai, India
... i'm gonna die.
- an all-BIPOC cast
- childhood frenemies to lovers
- he's loved her this whole time trope
- FOUND FAMILY
- an anonymous dating advice blog
- clueless & Emma vibes
- foodie romance
- AND it's set in Mumbai, India
... i'm gonna die.
May 18, 2024
So….this is not for me.
I was disgruntled by the FMC, Jia, from the beginning.
I hated her meddling and uncompromising manner.
And despite her meddling being a total failure…I didn’t get the vibe that she learned.
And everyone around her didn’t want to tell her the truth to her face.
Jia also seemed so entitled and petulant. She didn’t like that Jaiman used the term “dad” in reference to her dad. She knows about his relationship with his family and how her family made him feel safe and like a found family for him.
But she still complained about him coming to their family dinner…which from the sound of it…he’s always going.
Then we have the MMC, Jaiman, who is an emotionally constipated ghoster who can’t communicate.
Yeah, he recognized that ghosting isn’t great, but he still did it.
If I wanted to read about an emotionally unavailable guy…I could find one by swiping randomly on Tinder.
Other people told me to just keep trying because Jia would grow. The only thing that grew was my unhappiness and reading this.
Thank you NetGalley and Dell for a copy. This is my honest opinion.
I was disgruntled by the FMC, Jia, from the beginning.
I hated her meddling and uncompromising manner.
And despite her meddling being a total failure…I didn’t get the vibe that she learned.
And everyone around her didn’t want to tell her the truth to her face.
Jia also seemed so entitled and petulant. She didn’t like that Jaiman used the term “dad” in reference to her dad. She knows about his relationship with his family and how her family made him feel safe and like a found family for him.
But she still complained about him coming to their family dinner…which from the sound of it…he’s always going.
Then we have the MMC, Jaiman, who is an emotionally constipated ghoster who can’t communicate.
Yeah, he recognized that ghosting isn’t great, but he still did it.
If I wanted to read about an emotionally unavailable guy…I could find one by swiping randomly on Tinder.
Other people told me to just keep trying because Jia would grow. The only thing that grew was my unhappiness and reading this.
Thank you NetGalley and Dell for a copy. This is my honest opinion.
Shelved as 'dnf'
July 1, 2024DNF - 10%
The MMC likes the FMC
The FMC likes the MMC
Neither is in a relationship
Neither has a dark past making them not want/be ready for a relationship
No he's/she's forbidden/my siblings' sibling
And yet
don't feel like reading this kind of story right now
The MMC likes the FMC
The FMC likes the MMC
Neither is in a relationship
Neither has a dark past making them not want/be ready for a relationship
No he's/she's forbidden/my siblings' sibling
And yet
don't feel like reading this kind of story right now
May 25, 2024
3.5⭐️
I really liked this one. Jaiman and Jia were adorable and had so much chemistry. This was a friends to lovers very well done with a touch of slow burn.
I loved the "matchmaking" aspect of this love story. I thought that it was fun and honestly super unique. My only issue with this book is that I found the pacing very slow and I saw myself betting bored after the 50% mark. However, the side characters were phenomenal and I enjoyed their interactions with the main couple. I also loved seeing the culture and being able to have a different setting from what I am usually used to.
Thank you to Dell Romance for the arc.
I really liked this one. Jaiman and Jia were adorable and had so much chemistry. This was a friends to lovers very well done with a touch of slow burn.
I loved the "matchmaking" aspect of this love story. I thought that it was fun and honestly super unique. My only issue with this book is that I found the pacing very slow and I saw myself betting bored after the 50% mark. However, the side characters were phenomenal and I enjoyed their interactions with the main couple. I also loved seeing the culture and being able to have a different setting from what I am usually used to.
Thank you to Dell Romance for the arc.
Shelved as '2024'
May 30, 2024📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Dell
April 5, 2024
Read this book if you like:
- Slow burns
- Indian mc's
- Books set in India
- Matchmaking
- Contemporary romance
Thank you to the publisher for this arc, while this book wasn't for me I think if you like any of the things listed above you will enjoy it. This is a debut novel set that is written well. I liked all the Indian culture/foods that was in this and I enjoyed the family and themes surrounding the FMC's mom and the MMC's found family. Unfortunately, the romance just didn't work for me and I feel like there wasn't a payoff for the excruciating slow burn. There were cute moments but overall I was confused with everything happening with the romance, the fmc, and the matchmaking plot. Though this wasn't for me I think if you like slow burns, beautiful covers and Indian matchmaking you should pick this up.
2.5/5
- Slow burns
- Indian mc's
- Books set in India
- Matchmaking
- Contemporary romance
Thank you to the publisher for this arc, while this book wasn't for me I think if you like any of the things listed above you will enjoy it. This is a debut novel set that is written well. I liked all the Indian culture/foods that was in this and I enjoyed the family and themes surrounding the FMC's mom and the MMC's found family. Unfortunately, the romance just didn't work for me and I feel like there wasn't a payoff for the excruciating slow burn. There were cute moments but overall I was confused with everything happening with the romance, the fmc, and the matchmaking plot. Though this wasn't for me I think if you like slow burns, beautiful covers and Indian matchmaking you should pick this up.
2.5/5
June 1, 2024
Jia and Jaiman were both a bit bull headed and had abysmal communications skills. This friends to lovers romance could have progressed better with just, like, one meaningful conversation. A lot of the dialogue felt stilted and the main characters were a bit immature. Jia was overconfident in a way that rubbed me wrong, because she was making some decisions on the behalf of others without awareness of how she was hurting them. However, matchmaking is outside of my ken, so it’s possible that her foibles are just par for the course; part of the learning curve that any aspiring match maker would face.
I did like that Jia was unapologetically stereotypically girly and that she stayed far away from the “not like other girls” scene. She had her moments of being a genuine friend and person. Jaiman had his relatable moments, with a complex relationship with his parents and feelings of inferiority when he wasn’t super successful with his pub. The story dragged at times, but did have its good moments.
Spice: 2/5 closed door
Triggers: parent death from cancer (off page), unwanted kiss
I did like that Jia was unapologetically stereotypically girly and that she stayed far away from the “not like other girls” scene. She had her moments of being a genuine friend and person. Jaiman had his relatable moments, with a complex relationship with his parents and feelings of inferiority when he wasn’t super successful with his pub. The story dragged at times, but did have its good moments.
Spice: 2/5 closed door
Triggers: parent death from cancer (off page), unwanted kiss
May 21, 2024
📖𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐌𝐞 𝐈𝐟 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐲 𝐒𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐢 𝐇��𝐠𝐝𝐞
“𝘠𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘫𝘪𝘨𝘴𝘢𝘸 𝘱𝘶𝘻𝘻𝘭𝘦 𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘵 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦, 𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳, 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘳���� 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘥-𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘤𝘦 𝘫𝘪𝘨𝘴𝘢𝘸 𝘱𝘶𝘻𝘻𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘧𝘶𝘯, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘦��𝘭.“
It was amazing to experience the Indian culture and references through this story! The setting for the story is Mumbai.
This book has one of the sweetest MMCs I’ve ever read. Jaiman is so hopelessly in love with Jia, his childhood friend. Jia, a writer for a women’s magazine, fancies herself a matchmaker. Secretly she has a really successful blog where she gives advice on love. Her boss gives her an opportunity to prove her matchmaking skills by helping her coworker find love.
Overall, I enjoyed this book! Jia was a hard character for me to relate to at times because she was so set in her ways that she knew what was best for her coworker. At times I was really frustrated with her, but ultimately, she had to grow up and realize that there’s more to love than just being a perfect match.
Jaiman deserves the world! He’s seriously the freaking sweetest. I loved the found family that he developed with Jia’s family. His own father was just waiting for Jaiman’s dream of running a successful pub to crash and burn. He was so lucky to have such great people supporting him at the end.
This is a closed door romance with only kissing on page! ♥️
If you love matchmaking stories rich in culture, 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐌𝐞 𝐈𝐟 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐂𝐚𝐧 releases on June 4!
𝘛𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘴:
🫶🏼 𝘍𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴
💝 𝘔𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨
✨ 𝘐𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘊𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘙𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯
♥️ 𝘏𝘦 𝘍𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘍𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 & 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳
🔥 𝘚𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘉𝘶𝘳𝘯
🚪 𝘊𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘋𝘰𝘰𝘳 𝘙𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦
“𝘠𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘫𝘪𝘨𝘴𝘢𝘸 𝘱𝘶𝘻𝘻𝘭𝘦 𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘵 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦, 𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳, 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘳���� 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘥-𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘤𝘦 𝘫𝘪𝘨𝘴𝘢𝘸 𝘱𝘶𝘻𝘻𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘧𝘶𝘯, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘦��𝘭.“
It was amazing to experience the Indian culture and references through this story! The setting for the story is Mumbai.
This book has one of the sweetest MMCs I’ve ever read. Jaiman is so hopelessly in love with Jia, his childhood friend. Jia, a writer for a women’s magazine, fancies herself a matchmaker. Secretly she has a really successful blog where she gives advice on love. Her boss gives her an opportunity to prove her matchmaking skills by helping her coworker find love.
Overall, I enjoyed this book! Jia was a hard character for me to relate to at times because she was so set in her ways that she knew what was best for her coworker. At times I was really frustrated with her, but ultimately, she had to grow up and realize that there’s more to love than just being a perfect match.
Jaiman deserves the world! He’s seriously the freaking sweetest. I loved the found family that he developed with Jia’s family. His own father was just waiting for Jaiman’s dream of running a successful pub to crash and burn. He was so lucky to have such great people supporting him at the end.
This is a closed door romance with only kissing on page! ♥️
If you love matchmaking stories rich in culture, 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐌𝐞 𝐈𝐟 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐂𝐚𝐧 releases on June 4!
𝘛𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘴:
🫶🏼 𝘍𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴
💝 𝘔𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨
✨ 𝘐𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘊𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘙𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯
♥️ 𝘏𝘦 𝘍𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘍𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 & 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳
🔥 𝘚𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘉𝘶𝘳𝘯
🚪 𝘊𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘋𝘰𝘰𝘳 𝘙𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦
May 7, 2024
I’m a fan of Netflix’s Indian Matchmaking and was thrilled to be sent an e-ARC for this debut romance set in Mumbai. Although this childhood friends to lovers slow burn romance was not for me, I think many readers will be charmed by it. FMC Jia is a wealthy aspiring matchmaker and MMC Jaiman is her chef/mixologist best friend with a fledgling pub. There are a number of miscommunication issues that persist and keep Jia and Jaiman from proclaiming their love until the 95% mark. I enjoyed the Indian cultural, as well as the food/cocktails references. ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.
June 4, 2024
4.5 stars.
HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY!
It's a perfect quick beach read, and it's very clean. It is set in Mumbai on India's west coast. The author wrote this novel in a very (I hate to use this term, but I know of no better) Americanized way. And I thank the author for letting me get a peek into this part of India and letting me understand everything; not all authors do so.
This read starts with a definite nod to Jane Austen's "Emma," so we have a fairly good idea of how this is going to play out, don't we?
I have to admit that several times, I wanted to throw my precious Kindle against the wall because this book upset me. Oh, not in a bad way, but the author sure can write a frustrating love story! And I was VERY frustrated!
Jia and Jaiman have known each other for quite a while, and of course, neither knows that the other loves them. This novel centers around this couple, but some of the secondary stories are captivating.
Jia wants to start her own matchmaking business, and Jaiman wants to have a successful pub. Of course, things don't work out the way they expected—naturally! I'm not going to tell you any more about this story; I just want you to read it. I hope your frustrations with Jai and Jaiman are the happy kind as mine were.
*ARC was supplied by the publisher - Random House Publishing Group, the author, and NetGalley.
HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY!
It's a perfect quick beach read, and it's very clean. It is set in Mumbai on India's west coast. The author wrote this novel in a very (I hate to use this term, but I know of no better) Americanized way. And I thank the author for letting me get a peek into this part of India and letting me understand everything; not all authors do so.
This read starts with a definite nod to Jane Austen's "Emma," so we have a fairly good idea of how this is going to play out, don't we?
I have to admit that several times, I wanted to throw my precious Kindle against the wall because this book upset me. Oh, not in a bad way, but the author sure can write a frustrating love story! And I was VERY frustrated!
Jia and Jaiman have known each other for quite a while, and of course, neither knows that the other loves them. This novel centers around this couple, but some of the secondary stories are captivating.
Jia wants to start her own matchmaking business, and Jaiman wants to have a successful pub. Of course, things don't work out the way they expected—naturally! I'm not going to tell you any more about this story; I just want you to read it. I hope your frustrations with Jai and Jaiman are the happy kind as mine were.
*ARC was supplied by the publisher - Random House Publishing Group, the author, and NetGalley.
January 25, 2024
I am so excited for Swati's future works after reading this!
It was the perfect mix of Emma with dashes of You've Got Mail and When Harry Met Sally. There's so much mutual pining with angst and miscommunication from this friends to lovers debut.
I'm not the biggest friends to lovers fan, because I find myself getting frustrated with the 'will they or won't they' antics. That being said, Swati's world building and side characters really kept the plot engaging and moving forward with Jia and Jaiman's complex relationship.
I personally love Jaiman. That man is personally everything. I also liked Jia's ambition, but I felt her character to be frustrating at times. Though, if I were in her shoes, I would probably feel the same way.
It's truly just an angst filled slow burn between two best friends from childhood with some matchmaking antics and lovable side characters.
I'm very intrigued to see what Swati writes next!
Thank you Netgalley, Swati Hedge, and Random House for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
It was the perfect mix of Emma with dashes of You've Got Mail and When Harry Met Sally. There's so much mutual pining with angst and miscommunication from this friends to lovers debut.
I'm not the biggest friends to lovers fan, because I find myself getting frustrated with the 'will they or won't they' antics. That being said, Swati's world building and side characters really kept the plot engaging and moving forward with Jia and Jaiman's complex relationship.
I personally love Jaiman. That man is personally everything. I also liked Jia's ambition, but I felt her character to be frustrating at times. Though, if I were in her shoes, I would probably feel the same way.
It's truly just an angst filled slow burn between two best friends from childhood with some matchmaking antics and lovable side characters.
I'm very intrigued to see what Swati writes next!
Thank you Netgalley, Swati Hedge, and Random House for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
May 23, 2023
Can I give this book and author a million stars? 💖
June 5, 2024
This book was so enjoyable! Emma coded, friends to lovers, he falls first, matchmaking romance!
Jia is a writer and a matchmaker. Well, she wants to be. She loves love but doesn't exactly see it for herself. She's grown up with Jaiman, whose parents moved away and has always been close to her family. He owns a pub and is a great guy, but his pub is struggling. And he's struggling over his feelings for Jia.
Jia and Jaiman have some relationship issues that keep them apart. And a disastrous interaction awhile back that is definitely keeping them in the friend zone. Jia can be good about seeing the blossoming love around her but not what's right in front of her. Theres quite a few missteps that happen!
There's some lovely friends they both have. One of Jia’s matchmaking successes is her sister and BIL. She knows she can matchmake, and when the opportunity comes along to matchmake again, she doesn't let anything (or anyone) get in her way.
Jia is trying to get her matchmaking side off the ground. Jaiman is trying not to lose his business. Will they get what they want?
Jia is a writer and a matchmaker. Well, she wants to be. She loves love but doesn't exactly see it for herself. She's grown up with Jaiman, whose parents moved away and has always been close to her family. He owns a pub and is a great guy, but his pub is struggling. And he's struggling over his feelings for Jia.
Jia and Jaiman have some relationship issues that keep them apart. And a disastrous interaction awhile back that is definitely keeping them in the friend zone. Jia can be good about seeing the blossoming love around her but not what's right in front of her. Theres quite a few missteps that happen!
There's some lovely friends they both have. One of Jia’s matchmaking successes is her sister and BIL. She knows she can matchmake, and when the opportunity comes along to matchmake again, she doesn't let anything (or anyone) get in her way.
Jia is trying to get her matchmaking side off the ground. Jaiman is trying not to lose his business. Will they get what they want?
July 2, 2024
when she needs a therapist but instead goes to a matchmaker. icon behavior.
as emma re-imaginings go, this one was quite solid. definitely saw the parallels and the influence without it taking away from the original story with these characters
as emma re-imaginings go, this one was quite solid. definitely saw the parallels and the influence without it taking away from the original story with these characters
January 30, 2024
I've gotten used to reading books about Indian Americans, many of which are great, but this was the first full-fledged Indian book I've come across on NetGalley in my 3 years on here. So, this one's completely set in Mumbai- the financial capital of India and a city in Maharashtra (I'm from the same state though not the same city).
I'll start with the fact that the characters, so authentic and somehow relatable to me in small ways, insignificant as they may feel. Jia and Jaiman had my heart from the start, and I'll always love couples whose love and affection stems from deep friendship. (As long as they don't rush things and get married the next second. That's not what happens in this book, don't worry). The MCs knew each other well, so you can imagine how heart-warming some of the scenes were. They aren't opposites but do have differing opinions which I just loved. They're paring has chemistry and it's just plain cute.
The representation wasn't necessarily bad, but it could've been better considering how much more of our culture can be projected. I could see some of it was very similar to the western storylines and depictions, but I liked how the dressing style and festivals had a place in the book.
Swati Hegde has an immersive writing style, clear in every word, from the banter to the anonymous blog posts, in just loved it and I'll be sure to read more of her books as they come.
I'll start with the fact that the characters, so authentic and somehow relatable to me in small ways, insignificant as they may feel. Jia and Jaiman had my heart from the start, and I'll always love couples whose love and affection stems from deep friendship. (As long as they don't rush things and get married the next second. That's not what happens in this book, don't worry). The MCs knew each other well, so you can imagine how heart-warming some of the scenes were. They aren't opposites but do have differing opinions which I just loved. They're paring has chemistry and it's just plain cute.
The representation wasn't necessarily bad, but it could've been better considering how much more of our culture can be projected. I could see some of it was very similar to the western storylines and depictions, but I liked how the dressing style and festivals had a place in the book.
Swati Hegde has an immersive writing style, clear in every word, from the banter to the anonymous blog posts, in just loved it and I'll be sure to read more of her books as they come.
May 21, 2024
Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for the arc!
I tried really hard with this book. So much so that I powered through and read until the end even though I wanted to DNF a lot of times. My main issue with the book is that the majority of it was really boring because of the main plot and main characters. I went into this being told it was a fun friends to lovers trope, but Jia and Jaiman rarely ever felt like best friends. One of Jaiman's main personality traits is that his father is unsupportive of his career so Jia, her sister, and her dad become his family while his parents live in America. This would make you think that Jia, knowing Jaiman's strained relationship with his dad, would be happy that her dad and him were so close. But no. Instead, in Jia's inner monologue, she complains about how often Jaiman is at her house and complains about how much time he spends with her dad and her sister. Another thing I think this book would have benefited from were flashback scenes of Jia and Jaiman's friendship throughout the years. Reading over 300 pages of this book still did not give me any information of how and why they are best friends who are secretly in love and "meant to be." The ending is also very unsatisfying since it is so rushed, so the pacing of the whole book always felt off.
I tried really hard with this book. So much so that I powered through and read until the end even though I wanted to DNF a lot of times. My main issue with the book is that the majority of it was really boring because of the main plot and main characters. I went into this being told it was a fun friends to lovers trope, but Jia and Jaiman rarely ever felt like best friends. One of Jaiman's main personality traits is that his father is unsupportive of his career so Jia, her sister, and her dad become his family while his parents live in America. This would make you think that Jia, knowing Jaiman's strained relationship with his dad, would be happy that her dad and him were so close. But no. Instead, in Jia's inner monologue, she complains about how often Jaiman is at her house and complains about how much time he spends with her dad and her sister. Another thing I think this book would have benefited from were flashback scenes of Jia and Jaiman's friendship throughout the years. Reading over 300 pages of this book still did not give me any information of how and why they are best friends who are secretly in love and "meant to be." The ending is also very unsatisfying since it is so rushed, so the pacing of the whole book always felt off.
May 26, 2024
Jai has dreams of being a matchmaker, so she decides to put her dream into a reality but setting up her best friend.
What I loved most was the Mumbai setting! It was so easy to see the author’s love for this city in her descriptions of the bustling streets, of the Indian food and of their culture. Along with that, the matchmaking angle was unique, especially with the story being set in a place where this can be a feasible career. Despite the books many strengths, I found the pacing slow and the FMC a bit immature. While I always appreciate a slow burn, the will they or won’t lasted too long, and when Jia decided she wanted more it came out of no where. The audiobook made for a quick listen!
Read if you like:
-Desi romances
-Will they or won’t they
-Childhood friends to lovers
-Matchmaking
-Closed door (no spice)
-Found family
Thank you Dell and PRH audio for the gifted copies.
What I loved most was the Mumbai setting! It was so easy to see the author’s love for this city in her descriptions of the bustling streets, of the Indian food and of their culture. Along with that, the matchmaking angle was unique, especially with the story being set in a place where this can be a feasible career. Despite the books many strengths, I found the pacing slow and the FMC a bit immature. While I always appreciate a slow burn, the will they or won’t lasted too long, and when Jia decided she wanted more it came out of no where. The audiobook made for a quick listen!
Read if you like:
-Desi romances
-Will they or won’t they
-Childhood friends to lovers
-Matchmaking
-Closed door (no spice)
-Found family
Thank you Dell and PRH audio for the gifted copies.
May 19, 2024
thank you netgalley and random house for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC!!
I loved it so much! its a closed door family friend romance. From the start i was immediately sucked in and i finished this in TWO days!! I loved that Jia was a relationship columnist who wanted to be a matchmaker. Jaiman was a culinary graduate with a struggling business but nothing compared to the ease he felt being in his found family and being around Jia.
I thought this was the best frilly romance read, it was such a fast read and other than them obviously keeping their feelings a secret and not fully understanding them because they’ve been in this groove their whole lives Jia couldn’t distinguish normalcy over what a relationship actually is- they would’ve ended up together a lot sooner but then what would the concept of this novel be if they did?!
I loved this and can’t wait for everyone else to enjoy it too!!
I loved it so much! its a closed door family friend romance. From the start i was immediately sucked in and i finished this in TWO days!! I loved that Jia was a relationship columnist who wanted to be a matchmaker. Jaiman was a culinary graduate with a struggling business but nothing compared to the ease he felt being in his found family and being around Jia.
I thought this was the best frilly romance read, it was such a fast read and other than them obviously keeping their feelings a secret and not fully understanding them because they’ve been in this groove their whole lives Jia couldn’t distinguish normalcy over what a relationship actually is- they would’ve ended up together a lot sooner but then what would the concept of this novel be if they did?!
I loved this and can’t wait for everyone else to enjoy it too!!
June 10, 2024
3 stars!
Thank you Netgalley & Dell Romance for this eARC, and thank you to penguin random house audio for the audiobook for this one.
I loved getting to explore Mumbai with our FMC Jia who is working at a local internet magazine, Mimosa, and MMC Jaiman, who is running an unsuccessful pub. While I enjoyed the first half of this book as we are introduced to the food, fashion, festivals, and learning the dynamics of our characters, I could NOT get over the miscommunication between Jia and Jaiman.
Jia has successfully matched 2 couples previously and thinks she is qualified to be a match maker for her internet magazine job. While this is crazy to me to think one can do this on such a large scale, her boss agrees to let her prove her abilities by connecting the new girl at work with someone else in the office. Jia takes on the challenge and befriends the new woman with hopes of finding her a husband.
I felt like it was kind of rude to thrust jia on to this poor woman but I’m glad the two found a friendship out of it. At first it felt like jia was very judgmental and shutting down her new friends love interests with 23 year old grad school student and comedian/guitarist in favor for her office match of upper management guy. I just didn’t see the fit happening and Jia was pushing too hard!
Our MMC Jaiman has been in love with Jia forever and they shared one passionate kiss a year ago, never to be spoken of again. But Jia sent Jaiman mixed signals all the time. She wouldn’t date him but she brings him breakfast every day. She won’t date him, but she comes to his pub after work every day? They’re family friends and he has a key to their home, best friends with her brother in law (who she hooked her sister up with) and her father treats him like a son, but she won’t date him. It was confusing and I felt so bad for Jaiman.
It was so obvious to me how perfect these two were for one another and while Jia claims to be a matchmaker, she was so caught up in herself with trying to make an office match happen that she couldn’t see her own right in front of her face. I feel like she was so quick to judge and caused more harm than good with her office Match but thankfully it came together in the end.
I was honestly over the whole thing around 60% as it kept dragging on and on and I knew how it would end. I feel like Jia caused so much more damage than good until she figured herself out. This would be great for any one who loves slow burn, workplace environment, friends to lovers, and mutual pining.
Thank you Netgalley & Dell Romance for this eARC, and thank you to penguin random house audio for the audiobook for this one.
I loved getting to explore Mumbai with our FMC Jia who is working at a local internet magazine, Mimosa, and MMC Jaiman, who is running an unsuccessful pub. While I enjoyed the first half of this book as we are introduced to the food, fashion, festivals, and learning the dynamics of our characters, I could NOT get over the miscommunication between Jia and Jaiman.
Jia has successfully matched 2 couples previously and thinks she is qualified to be a match maker for her internet magazine job. While this is crazy to me to think one can do this on such a large scale, her boss agrees to let her prove her abilities by connecting the new girl at work with someone else in the office. Jia takes on the challenge and befriends the new woman with hopes of finding her a husband.
I felt like it was kind of rude to thrust jia on to this poor woman but I’m glad the two found a friendship out of it. At first it felt like jia was very judgmental and shutting down her new friends love interests with 23 year old grad school student and comedian/guitarist in favor for her office match of upper management guy. I just didn’t see the fit happening and Jia was pushing too hard!
Our MMC Jaiman has been in love with Jia forever and they shared one passionate kiss a year ago, never to be spoken of again. But Jia sent Jaiman mixed signals all the time. She wouldn’t date him but she brings him breakfast every day. She won’t date him, but she comes to his pub after work every day? They’re family friends and he has a key to their home, best friends with her brother in law (who she hooked her sister up with) and her father treats him like a son, but she won’t date him. It was confusing and I felt so bad for Jaiman.
It was so obvious to me how perfect these two were for one another and while Jia claims to be a matchmaker, she was so caught up in herself with trying to make an office match happen that she couldn’t see her own right in front of her face. I feel like she was so quick to judge and caused more harm than good with her office Match but thankfully it came together in the end.
I was honestly over the whole thing around 60% as it kept dragging on and on and I knew how it would end. I feel like Jia caused so much more damage than good until she figured herself out. This would be great for any one who loves slow burn, workplace environment, friends to lovers, and mutual pining.
May 24, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and Dell Romance for the ARC in exchange for an honest review
I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)
-m/f contemporary romance
-childhood friends to idiots to lovers
-pining
-sloooow burn
-denial
-you've got mail vibes
-opposites attract
-demisexual rep
This was such a sweet and messy story of two people shifting from being just friends. Jia adores meddling in other people's lives especially their dating lives and is slolwy realizing that this is something she wants, with someone specific. She's messy, meddlesome and so concentrated on everyone else's lives she doesn't even think to consider herself and her own needs. Even the small things she does that she and Jaiman don't even realize are her conveying she wants something more with him.
Jaiman was so sweet, and careful around Jai, never wanting to ask too much from her, but just secretly observing and wanting her to get everything she wants. Wathcing these two finally figure it out was the sweetest slow burn and just a tender story with a great cast of supporting characters. A great all-Desi cast. So pour a cocktail or a cup of tea and curl up with this lovely slow burn as we wait to see what Swati has next in store for us.
I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)
-m/f contemporary romance
-childhood friends to idiots to lovers
-pining
-sloooow burn
-denial
-you've got mail vibes
-opposites attract
-demisexual rep
This was such a sweet and messy story of two people shifting from being just friends. Jia adores meddling in other people's lives especially their dating lives and is slolwy realizing that this is something she wants, with someone specific. She's messy, meddlesome and so concentrated on everyone else's lives she doesn't even think to consider herself and her own needs. Even the small things she does that she and Jaiman don't even realize are her conveying she wants something more with him.
Jaiman was so sweet, and careful around Jai, never wanting to ask too much from her, but just secretly observing and wanting her to get everything she wants. Wathcing these two finally figure it out was the sweetest slow burn and just a tender story with a great cast of supporting characters. A great all-Desi cast. So pour a cocktail or a cup of tea and curl up with this lovely slow burn as we wait to see what Swati has next in store for us.
November 13, 2022
as one of the first readers of MATCH ME IF YOU CAN, i can honestly say that Swati Hegde’s the voice we’ve been waiting for in romance. Her characters feel so real, her plots are complex and nuanced, and her writing style is absolutely gorgeous. MATCH ME IF YOU CAN will steal your heart—and you better let it.
Shelved as 'to-watch'
April 15, 2023The author told me this desi romcom set in Mumbai is a love letter to Jane Austen, friends to lovers, and giving people unsolicited relationship advice LMAO that sounds so fun!!
rep: South Asian/Indian representation, Indian author, queer side characters, heroine is demisexual (implied, not explicitly stated)
rep: South Asian/Indian representation, Indian author, queer side characters, heroine is demisexual (implied, not explicitly stated)
May 23, 2024
I started off really enjoying this, but ended up with some mixed feelings. It was a quick, super engaging read, and I found myself looking forward to continuing every day. But the longer the story went on, the more I started to miss the chemistry and the connection from Jia's side, and I wish we'd seen more of an emotional build-up towards the relationship from her point of view. I loved Jaiman, and he's painfully pining all throughout the book, but Jia is very focused on other things in the mean time, and for me, her switch towards wanting to be in a relationship with him came on rather suddenly. I do think this is a promising debut romance, and I would be interested in reading more from this author.
July 14, 2024
Match Me if You Can
Match Me if You Can by Swati Hegde
This desi romance friends to lovers trope was the perfect sweet start to my summer reading. Jia Deshpande is a writer for Mimosa a magazine in Mumbai. She is great at matchmaking and writes a column for it. But things go haywire… I absolutely love Jaiman and Jia together and their road to their own HEA.
Match Me if You Can by Swati Hegde
This desi romance friends to lovers trope was the perfect sweet start to my summer reading. Jia Deshpande is a writer for Mimosa a magazine in Mumbai. She is great at matchmaking and writes a column for it. But things go haywire… I absolutely love Jaiman and Jia together and their road to their own HEA.
May 13, 2024
Jia is happy to assist a new employee at work. She is hoping her manager will notice how good she is. Jia is learning that life is more difficult than she thought. A good book.
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