Romance & Young Adult (YA) Fiction Writing
Shipped across India
I write slowburn desi and queer YA romance with strong heroines, cozy family drama, and closed-door stories set in India.
Swati Hegde
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4.4k
About Romance & Young Adult (YA) Fiction Writing
What I Write: Romance & YA With All the Feels
I’m Swati, your resident chaotic desi author, here for anyone who loves slowburn romance and stories that feel like a cozy hug. If you’re into books that make you giggle, crave chai and desi food, and swoon over heroines with attitude, you’ll vibe with my work.
My Style: Heart & Humor, Desi & Queer
- All about strong-willed girls and the softies who love them
- Slowburn romance is my thing - emotional pining, banter, zero rushing
- Low spice, big feels - expect closed-door romance, not steamy scenes
- Desi young adult books set in places like Mumbai and Bangalore, with Bollywood energy and plenty of family drama
- Sapphic YA fiction is close to my heart - queer joy, Indian sapphic stories, and relatable chaos
A Glimpse at My Books
- Match Me If You Can: Friends-to-lovers, foodie romance, set in Mumbai. Expect meddling aunties, found family, and he-falls-first trope.
- Can’t Help Faking in Love: Fake dating at a Bangalore wedding, Short King hero, forced proximity, all the Bollywood vibes.
- As Long as You Loathe Me (coming soon): Sapphic rivals-to-lovers, bi x pan romance, tarot-reading gay dad, high school drama.
Why I Write
I started for my 13-year-old self, who used to scribble stories for her friends. After 5 years, 6 drafts, and 400+ rejections, I finally got published. I keep going for anyone who wants books full of heart, laughter, and desi joy.
Meet your Expert
Swati Hegde
50 connects in last 3 months
My Story
Hey, I'm Swati. Bangalore girl, 29, writing desi romance and YA, living for the drama and the feels. I was that nerdy kid scribbling novels for friends and celebrating rejection letters - weird, I know. Amma saying 'proud of you, beta' still makes me tear up. Came out as bi after reading one queer romance, now I’m all about unapologetic queer joy in my books. Disaster bi, karaoke addict, tea over coffee, big dreams, messy heart.
My Work
Desi Romance & YA Author - I write slowburn desi romance and young adult stories, big on heart and humor, low on spice.
Tropes & Vibes - Love friends to lovers, rivals to lovers, fake dating. Indian and Indian-American characters, lots of yearning.
Queer Romcoms - My queer YA romcoms cheer for unapologetic queer joy, inspired by pop culture and my own journey.
Fiction Writing Coach - Been through the trenches, got a 5-book deal. I help writers with drafts, edits, and surviving publishing.
