Match Me If You Can: A Friends-to-Lovers Desi Romance
My debut novel is a slow-burn, friends-to-lovers foodie romance set in Mumbai. It is a modern take on Jane Austen's Emma meets When Harry Met Sally, following a magazine writer who tries her hand at matchmaking while ignoring her feelings for her childhood best friend.
Celebrating the UK release day for my debut novel, *Match Me If You Can*. This photo was taken in a beautiful garden, and I'm so excited for UK readers to meet Jia and Jaiman.
A quick guide to the tropes in my debut novel, *Match Me If You Can*. It's a friends-to-lovers, foodie romance with meddling matchmaking, found family, and a hero who's been in love with the heroine the whole time.
A quote from *Match Me If You Can* that captures the essence of the friends-to-lovers slow burn. "You didn't do forehead kisses with someone you wanted to land, you did them with someone you wanted to keep."
Are you kidding me? In this book, the characters don't kiss until page 273. If you're a fan of extreme slow-burn romance, *Match Me If You Can* is the book for you.
What would the main character of *Match Me If You Can*, Jia Deshpande, search on Google? Probably things like "how to get your boss to approve your matchmaking column" and "how to stop being attracted to your childhood friend."
Meet the main characters of *Match Me If You Can*. Jaiman is struggling with his feelings for his childhood best friend, Jia, who is blissfully unaware she's matchmaking the wrong couple. It's chaotic friends-to-lovers energy.
A snippet from *Match Me If You Can*, where the annoyingly handsome pub owner wants to kiss the clueless matchmaker, but can't because they're supposed to be just friends. The pining is real.
Happy first birthday to my debut novel, *Match Me If You Can*. It's been one year since it was published in the US, and I'm so grateful for every reader who has picked it up.
Reading a copy of *Match Me If You Can* in a cafe. This book is set in Mumbai and is filled with delicious food descriptions and a whole lot of heart.
A scene from a Bollywood movie that captures the "he walks in while she's trying on her mother's old wedding dress" moment. This is the kind of romantic energy you'll find in *Match Me If You Can*.
About Match Me If You Can: A Friends-to-Lovers Desi Romance
If you are curious about the pacing, my characters in Match Me If You Can do not kiss until page 273. It is an exercise in extreme pining, which is exactly how I approach all my slowburn desi romance—focused heavily on the emotional tension and that 'will they or won't they' energy that keeps you turning pages.
Writing about Mumbai felt personal because the city itself is a character in my books. When I crafted the story of Jia and Jaiman, I wanted to capture that specific buzz of South Mumbai, the food, and the messy, beautiful reality of friends-to-lovers dynamics.
Why the 'Slowburn' Matters
Readers often ask why I wait so long for the first kiss. For me, romance is about the build-up. It is about the forehead kisses, the shared glances, and the fear of ruining a lifelong friendship. Whether you are reading my books for the 'found family' vibes or looking for advice on your own manuscript, I treat every story with the same level of care.
Can I help you write your own?
Beyond writing novels, I spend a lot of time as a fiction writing coach. I have been through the 400+ rejection phase, and I know exactly what it takes to get a deal.
- Submission Packages: I offer deep-dive audits on query letters and first chapters to make sure your hook lands.
- Mentorship: If you are stuck in a plot hole or fighting imposter syndrome, we can hop on a video call to get your draft back on track.
My goal is always to help writers tell their stories without losing their voice to 'market standards.' If you have a manuscript sitting in your Google Docs, let's turn it into a book.
Swati Hegde
I'm Swati, a Bangalore-based author who thrives on matcha, cats, and writing stories that feel like a cozy hug. I spend my days dreaming up slowburn desi romance and my evenings helping fellow writers turn their rough drafts into books they're actually proud of.
Looking for something else?
Explore more of my writing resources or dive into other romance tropes.
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