Accidentally Engaged

December 7, 2020
A fake engagement sparks real romance on the set of a cooking contest in this delightful rom-com from Heron (The Chai Factor). Reena Manji, an aspiring baker, is initially charmed by the flirtatious smile and “brown Captain America” good looks of her new neighbor, Nadim Remtulla—until she discovers that their meeting was not serendipitous but the result of a business deal between their fathers. Reena immediately rejects the idea of an arranged marriage with Nadim, but when an opportunity arises to appear on a Toronto cooking show for couples, she turns to him for help. For the chance to win a scholarship to the Institute of Culinary Arts, she’ll need Nadim to pretend to be her fiancé. Their chemistry leaps off the screen in their audition tapes, and soon fact and fiction blur as they fall for one another off camera. But Nadim’s checkered past and their fathers’ complicated business relationship present complications for their budding relationship. Heron enhances the love story with mouthwatering descriptions of Indian cuisine and a rich glimpse into Toronto’s Indian Muslim community and Reena’s family culture. Equally sweet and spicy, this is sure to leave readers smiling. Agent: Rachel Brooks, BookEnds.

December 15, 2020
A Toronto woman joins forces with her handsome neighbor to win a scholarship to culinary school. Reena Manji's strong circle of friends and her cooking and baking projects keep her happy despite her lackluster finance job. However, being 31 and having a dozen failed relationships behind her means that her loving but overbearing parents have stepped up their efforts to find her the perfect Muslim husband. Their newest prospect is Nadim Remtulla. He grew up in Dar es Salaam, attended boarding school in England, and now he's in Toronto working on a real estate deal important to both of their families. Reena can afford her city apartment since her father owns the building, and he offered Nadim an apartment next to hers, hoping to throw them together. Reena has artfully dodged all of her family's previous matchmaking attempts, but Nadim proves impossible to resist. He's charming and attractive, but most importantly he agrees to be her partner in a local cooking contest. If Reena wins, she can attend culinary school and leave her boring finance job behind. Heron writes a compelling story of a woman trying to balance personal fulfillment against the intense pressures of familial duty and cultural expectations. Reena's relationships with her father, mother, and sister are filled with past hurts and secrets, creating a realistically thorny and complex family dynamic. Although Reena makes progress in understanding her place in the family, the solutions are not pat and easy. Nadim is not a point-of-view character and not as well developed; Reena's personal journey is the main focus of the novel. Will appeal to readers looking for complex family dramas and sumptuous descriptions of food and cooking.

COPYRIGHT(2020) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

January 1, 2021

It's extremely unfortunate that Reena Manji's new neighbor is cute because he also happens to be the most recent Good Muslim Man her parents have decided she should marry. She's worked too hard in a job she hates so that she can break away from familial decrees about her future. While Nadim Remtulla may be cute and appreciative of her baking obsession, friendship is all that Reena can offer. That is, until a cooking competition for couples with a grand prize scholarship to an expensive culinary school means Reena needs to find a partner--and fast. Surely, pretending to be engaged on the Internet without your family finding out will be no problem. As the duo make their way through the competition, Reena realizes she's more attracted to Nadim than she thought, and she could be risking more than a scholarship. VERDICT Heron delivers an engaging romantic comedy that explores culture, family expectations, and personal growth in her second outing after The Chai Factor. Pair this one with a cookbook or two, as readers will want a snack after reading about all the delicious food.--Kellie Tilton, Univ. of Cincinnati Blue Ash

Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2021
Reena's life is slowly unraveling. She's been laid off for the third time; she's still single, and her new hot neighbor, Nadim, is the person her parents are encouraging her to marry. At least she has her baking. When the opportunity to enter an amateur cooking competition pops up, Reena figures she should follow her passion for cooking and give it a shot. There's just one catch: the show requires contestants to work with a partner. After a video of her and Nadim cooking potato bhajias qualifies her for the competition, they decide to fake an engagement to solidify their standing. As they film more videos together, Reena finds herself liking Nadim and thinking of him as more than a phony fianc�. Heron (The Chai Factor, 2019) explores Reena's Tanzanian/Gujarat roots and how she balances her own life in Toronto and the expectations of her Ismaili Indian family with humor and compassion. Accidentally Engaged will leave readers craving all the delicious food Reena and Nadim make together. Luckily, Heron provides recipes at the end of the book.

COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.