Can't Help Faking in Love: My Desi Fake Dating Rom-Com
Welcome to the world of Harsha and Veer! My second novel is a desi fake dating rom-com set at a big fat Bangalore wedding. It is full of Bollywood energy, messy family drama, and the kind of slowburn tension that makes you scream at the pages.
She's here. My second romance novel, *Can't Help Faking in Love*, is out now in the US and Canada. This photo was taken on release day, and I'm so happy to finally share this story with you.
Unboxing the final copies of my second romance novel, *Can't Help Faking in Love*. I started writing this book in 2019 after a bad date, and now it's a real, floppy book published by Penguin Random House.
A quick guide to the tropes in *Can't Help Faking in Love*. It's a fake dating romance with an all-BIPOC cast, forced proximity, the only one bed trope, a Short King hero, and a grand desi wedding setting in Bangalore.
A quote from *Can't Help Faking in Love* that shows just how much the hero, Veer, adores the heroine, Harsha. He sees her passion, kindness, and bravery, and is completely in awe of her.
That feeling when all the tropes in your current read are hitting just right. *Can't Help Faking in Love* is packed with slow-burn romance, fake dating, he falls first, and the only one bed trope, all set in India.
My standards for men are pretty high, thanks to romance novels. In *Can't Help Faking in Love*, the hero Veer tells the heroine Harsha how beautiful, passionate, kind, and brave she is. That's top-tier.
Taking my book for a swim. Here I am with an advance copy of *Can't Help Faking in Love* by the pool, trying not to drop it in the water.
The ideal coffee shop date: he reads your book and you get to watch his real-time reactions. Here's my boyfriend reading *Can't Help Faking in Love*.
Meet the main characters of *Can't Help Faking in Love*. She's a rich girl with a trust fund who needs a fake boyfriend ASAP. He's a broke barista who needs money. What could go wrong?
Never judge a book by its cover, unless it's this one. *Can't Help Faking in Love* is a desi slow-burn romance with *Crazy Rich Asians* vibes.
About Can't Help Faking in Love: A Fake Dating Desi Romance
Writing Can't Help Faking in Love took me years of scribbling in cafes, and I poured all that chaotic energy into Harsha and Veer’s story. If you are wondering about the tropes, it is peak forced proximity and 'only one bed' with a healthy dose of Bangalore wedding drama. Read on to see if this slowburn is the right vibe for your next weekend binge.
The Story Behind the Book
I started writing this book back in 2019, sitting in a cafe just minutes after a bad date. I wanted to capture that specific feeling of being a young, ambitious woman trying to navigate family expectations while secretly just wanting a little romance. Harsha, my protagonist, has Bollywood roots and a trust fund, but she also has a lot of heart. When she decides to hire her favorite barista as a fake boyfriend for her cousin's wedding, things naturally go off the rails.
Why You Will Love It (The Tropes)
If you live for the slow burn, this one is for you. We have:
- Fake Dating: The classic setup where things get real way too fast.
- Forced Proximity: Because wedding festivities in Bangalore leave you zero space to hide your feelings.
- The Short King Hero: Veer is the barista who captures Harsha's heart by actually seeing her for who she is.
- Only One Bed: You know the drill, and yes, it is just as agonizing as you hope.
More Than Just a Romance
This story is a love letter to the messy, complicated, and wonderful experience of growing up in India. It is not just about the swooning, although there is plenty of that. It is about finding your own path, standing up to family pressure, and realizing that sometimes the chemistry you think is fake is actually the real thing.
Whether you are a fan of Crazy Rich Asians or you just really need a comfort read that feels like a warm cup of chai, I hope Harsha and Veer's journey makes you laugh and cry in equal measure. Happy reading!
Swati Hegde
Hi, I am Swati! I am a Bangalore-based author who survives on matcha, cats, and writing stories about chaotic queer joy and desi romance. I am basically just that nerdy kid who never stopped scribbling novels for friends, and I am so excited to help you find your next comfort read.
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