This Is How You Fall In Love

By Author / Illustrator

Anika Hussain

Genre

Romance & Relationships

Age range(s)

14+

Publisher

Hot Key Books

ISBN

9781471412806

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

02-02-2023

Synopsis

Zara and Adnan are just friends. Always have been, always will be. Even if they have to pretend to be girlfriend and boyfriend...

Zara loves love in all forms: 90s romcoms and romance novels and grand sweeping gestures. And she's desperate to have her own great love story. Crucially, a real one. So when her best friend Adnan begs her to pretend to date him to cover up his new top-secret relationship, Zara is hesitant. This isn't the kind of thing she had in mind. But there's something in it for Zara too: making her parents, who love Adnan, happy might just stop them arguing for a while. She may not be getting her own love story, but she could save theirs. So Zara agrees and the act begins: after all, how different can pretending to be in a relationship with your best friend be to just hanging around with them like usual? Turns out, a lot. With fake dating comes fake hand-holding and fake kissing and real feelings... And when a new boy turns up in Zara's life, things get more confusing than ever.

The course of true love never did run smooth, but Zara's love story is messier than most... A hilarious and heartfelt romcom, told with a light touch, perfect for fans of TO ALL THE BOYS I'VE LOVED BEFORE, EXCUSE ME WHILE I UGLY CRY and HANI AND ISHU'S GUIDE TO FAKE DATING.

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Reviews

Zara loves all kinds of romance stories in novels and movies, yet she is still longing for her very own. She is surrounded by her Desi family and friends, including her childhood best friend Adnan, but when they move from best friends to fake dating, the pair need to keep up the act even around Adnan's real girlfriend. Jealousy begins to bubble and Zara finds herself in an awkward position. Her true feelings for another are showing, making Zara's love life a very confusing story. Not exactly how Zara had imagined how her dreamy love romance would take place...

True love is never an easy ride, but for Zara, her story has more twists and turns than the average. Mixing this fantastically written romcom with traditional Desi families creates an exciting read that really will have you longing for the next chapter. This novel also covers a wide range of topics including romance, friends to lovers, Desi families, jealousy, secrets and best friends. I would highly recommend this book to those who love a good romcom story mixed with friendship and the life of a teenager.

400 pages / Reviewed by Emelia