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Lakeshore Medical #1
Faking the Fiancé
He's brilliant, untouchable, and the nurses call him the Dread Prince.
Dr. Arjun Kapoor saves children's lives with surgical precision and the bedside manner of a Victorian ghost. He's also been hiding a devastating crush on his complete Dr. Casey Welling, six-foot-three of golden retriever chaos in dinosaur-print scrubs, who does magic tricks for crying kids and has been hopelessly in love with the Dread Prince for two years.
So when Arjun's mother announces she's arranged his engagement to a perfectly suitable surgeon from London, he panics. He tells her he's already engaged. To Casey. Who has absolutely no idea.
Now they have a two weeks at the Kapoor family estate in Rajasthan, fake dating in front of Arjun's terrifyingly powerful family. There are rules. A leather notebook of pre-approved pet names. One bed. (Obviously.) And a pillow wall that's already threatening to collapse.
The problem? Casey was never pretending. And somewhere between the scheming mother, the gossiping aunties, the dangerously charming rival who won't stop flirting with his fake fiancé, and the slow burn that's quickly becoming an inferno, Arjun is discovering the most terrifying thing a control freak can fall in love for real.
A laugh-out-loud MM romantic comedy about two doctors, one spectacularly bad lie, and the mortifying ordeal of realizing your fake relationship is the most real thing you've ever had.
For fans rom-coms, opposites attract, friends to lovers, fake dating, forced proximity, grumpy/sunshine, MM medical romance, only one bed, and men who are catastrophically bad at feelings.
Dr. Arjun Kapoor saves children's lives with surgical precision and the bedside manner of a Victorian ghost. He's also been hiding a devastating crush on his complete Dr. Casey Welling, six-foot-three of golden retriever chaos in dinosaur-print scrubs, who does magic tricks for crying kids and has been hopelessly in love with the Dread Prince for two years.
So when Arjun's mother announces she's arranged his engagement to a perfectly suitable surgeon from London, he panics. He tells her he's already engaged. To Casey. Who has absolutely no idea.
Now they have a two weeks at the Kapoor family estate in Rajasthan, fake dating in front of Arjun's terrifyingly powerful family. There are rules. A leather notebook of pre-approved pet names. One bed. (Obviously.) And a pillow wall that's already threatening to collapse.
The problem? Casey was never pretending. And somewhere between the scheming mother, the gossiping aunties, the dangerously charming rival who won't stop flirting with his fake fiancé, and the slow burn that's quickly becoming an inferno, Arjun is discovering the most terrifying thing a control freak can fall in love for real.
A laugh-out-loud MM romantic comedy about two doctors, one spectacularly bad lie, and the mortifying ordeal of realizing your fake relationship is the most real thing you've ever had.
For fans rom-coms, opposites attract, friends to lovers, fake dating, forced proximity, grumpy/sunshine, MM medical romance, only one bed, and men who are catastrophically bad at feelings.
464 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 29, 2026
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July 5, 2026
Faking the Fiance by C.G. Macington is book one in the Lakeshore Medical Romance series. This is a slow burn medical romance between two clueless doctors that have been pining for each other for two long years. And let me add here that this book is bursting with ALL the pining and yearning. Keep reading and I’ll tell you a little bit about these two and a few of my own thoughts.
Dr. Arjun Kapoor is thirty three years old and is a brilliant neurosurgeon at Lakeshore Medical. He is also the oldest of three in the very powerful and wealthy Kapoor family, headed up by his mother. Arjun lives a controlled life, working over one hundred hours a week. His operating rooms are silent, kept at a strict temperature. He’s known at the hospital as the Dread Prince. His biggest secret is that when he looks out the window that overlooks the emergency department, he only sees one man, the man he has been pining for for two long years. When his mother calls and says that she has chosen who Arjun will marry, he panics. When he tells her that it’s impossible because he is already engaged, it’s that man’s name that pops out of his mouth, Casey Welling.
Dr. Casey Welling is a former hockey player. He is a huge man, both in height and width. He is the kindest man Arjun has ever known and can make a scared child smile with his magic tricks, his flowers out of napkins, and his dinosaur stickers. He is the golden retrievers of all golden retrievers. He lives alone with his dog, Oliver, and has been in love with Arjun for two years. When Arjun drags him into a supply closet and informs him that he told his mother that they were engaged and that they now need to travel to his home in Rajasthan, India to face his family, Casey doesn’t hesitate for a second.
Arjun prepares Casey as best he can for the Kapoor family. And Casey faces every challenge with a huge smile on his face. He slowly wins them all over and the walls Arjun keeps up slowly begin to crumble. But he will never be good enough for Arjun’s mother. She has trick after trick up her sleeve.
Reading this book is like reading a poem. It’s so beautifully told, the descriptions made me feel like I was there. And the emotions of Arjun and Casey as they yearned for each other broke my heart. But, this is where I need to add that the print length of this book is 464 pages. I was mesmerized in the beginning. But my attention waned at around forty percent. By fifty percent, I was beginning to lose interest. The part of me that really wanted to know how these two ended up kept me going. By around seventy percent, things picked up. But again, there is a third act break up which shattered my heart. I’m not a fan of third act break ups.
In the blurb, this is called a rom-com but it’s really not. It’s beautiful and heart breaking and witty and did make me smile. But, there are SO MANY words. Too many in my opinion. The ending was sweet. I did love the way Arjun and grown. The author says there will be more in this series. I am not sure if it will be on the same couple. Whether I read it or not will depend on the page count.
“There is nothing in this world I would not do for this man.”
Dr. Arjun Kapoor is thirty three years old and is a brilliant neurosurgeon at Lakeshore Medical. He is also the oldest of three in the very powerful and wealthy Kapoor family, headed up by his mother. Arjun lives a controlled life, working over one hundred hours a week. His operating rooms are silent, kept at a strict temperature. He’s known at the hospital as the Dread Prince. His biggest secret is that when he looks out the window that overlooks the emergency department, he only sees one man, the man he has been pining for for two long years. When his mother calls and says that she has chosen who Arjun will marry, he panics. When he tells her that it’s impossible because he is already engaged, it’s that man’s name that pops out of his mouth, Casey Welling.
Dr. Casey Welling is a former hockey player. He is a huge man, both in height and width. He is the kindest man Arjun has ever known and can make a scared child smile with his magic tricks, his flowers out of napkins, and his dinosaur stickers. He is the golden retrievers of all golden retrievers. He lives alone with his dog, Oliver, and has been in love with Arjun for two years. When Arjun drags him into a supply closet and informs him that he told his mother that they were engaged and that they now need to travel to his home in Rajasthan, India to face his family, Casey doesn’t hesitate for a second.
Arjun prepares Casey as best he can for the Kapoor family. And Casey faces every challenge with a huge smile on his face. He slowly wins them all over and the walls Arjun keeps up slowly begin to crumble. But he will never be good enough for Arjun’s mother. She has trick after trick up her sleeve.
Reading this book is like reading a poem. It’s so beautifully told, the descriptions made me feel like I was there. And the emotions of Arjun and Casey as they yearned for each other broke my heart. But, this is where I need to add that the print length of this book is 464 pages. I was mesmerized in the beginning. But my attention waned at around forty percent. By fifty percent, I was beginning to lose interest. The part of me that really wanted to know how these two ended up kept me going. By around seventy percent, things picked up. But again, there is a third act break up which shattered my heart. I’m not a fan of third act break ups.
In the blurb, this is called a rom-com but it’s really not. It’s beautiful and heart breaking and witty and did make me smile. But, there are SO MANY words. Too many in my opinion. The ending was sweet. I did love the way Arjun and grown. The author says there will be more in this series. I am not sure if it will be on the same couple. Whether I read it or not will depend on the page count.
“There is nothing in this world I would not do for this man.”
Read
May 31, 2026I need you all to understand that this book is so much better than this cover. Casey's hair is CURLY.
Anyway. Absolutely perfect black cat/golden retriever dynamics in a typical fake dating (or engagement) context. I laughed, I made wounded animal noises, I am desperately hoping we get a book about Gabriel Moretti and also Dev and Rohan and basically all the side characters. This was ridiculously charming.
Anyway. Absolutely perfect black cat/golden retriever dynamics in a typical fake dating (or engagement) context. I laughed, I made wounded animal noises, I am desperately hoping we get a book about Gabriel Moretti and also Dev and Rohan and basically all the side characters. This was ridiculously charming.
July 4, 2026
Edited to add extraordinary update at the end.
I have been toying with the idea that C.G. Macington has an alter ego. Macington One wrote the St Jude's books, which lean in joyously to OTT; they are short and sharply witty:
Macington Two, on the other hand, writes the sappy schmaltzy stuff—though there are, to be fair, odd flashes here of Macington One's wit in this book ("she is pushing the samosas at me with the focused, irresistible force of a hostess who has elevated food-based hospitality to a martial art") but 'Faking the Fiancé' went on too long and took itself too seriously. I'd take half the repetition for double the pleasure.
Part of the problem is the central relationship conflict between Arjun & his mother, which is too lopsided to be convincing as a plot device. She is controlling and unpleasant and it takes far too long for Arjun to stand up to her, which he does just once, then caves again over an obvious nothing. The reveal about his father should have come earlier in order to explain his approach to her—as it's left so late, however, he lost my sympathy for most of the book, not least because he's made to speak like a cyborg most of the time.
The Rajasthani background is certainly colourful, but I'll leave it to those with more knowledge than me to say whether it's actually realistic. Macington One's US-set books also feature a Very Extremely Obscenely Rich Family and barring the food & dress code, there are few apparent behavioural differences between the family cultures.
The rest of the issue is down a worrying over-use of repetition as a stylistic crowd-pleaser. It does work if used in moderation, as does the whimsy of phrases like "it smelled of rain and disappointment". But with 'Faking the Fiancé' clocking in at 144k words, less would very definitely have been more.
It's not dreadful, but if the other C.G. Macington would kindly stand up...
No editor credited.
Not-particularly-accurate-cover artist: Lucia Saldutti
Extraordinary update
Not 72 hours after I posted the review above, C.G. Macington sent out a newsletter which read:
I have been toying with the idea that C.G. Macington has an alter ego. Macington One wrote the St Jude's books, which lean in joyously to OTT; they are short and sharply witty:
"It is a deconstructed scallop foam with truffle dust," he whispers back.
I squint at the plate. "Where’s the scallop?"
"The scallop is implied," Maxwell says.
"The scallop is implied?" I hiss. "Max, I haven't eaten since 06:00. I can't eat an implication."
“My dog is listless... I suspect a neurological event...She sighed, Dr. Silva! She sighed heavily.”
“Dogs sigh, Ma’am. It’s a respiratory function.”
“Not like this. This was an existential sigh.”
Macington Two, on the other hand, writes the sappy schmaltzy stuff—though there are, to be fair, odd flashes here of Macington One's wit in this book ("she is pushing the samosas at me with the focused, irresistible force of a hostess who has elevated food-based hospitality to a martial art") but 'Faking the Fiancé' went on too long and took itself too seriously. I'd take half the repetition for double the pleasure.
Part of the problem is the central relationship conflict between Arjun & his mother, which is too lopsided to be convincing as a plot device. She is controlling and unpleasant and it takes far too long for Arjun to stand up to her, which he does just once, then caves again over an obvious nothing. The reveal about his father should have come earlier in order to explain his approach to her—as it's left so late, however, he lost my sympathy for most of the book, not least because he's made to speak like a cyborg most of the time.
The Rajasthani background is certainly colourful, but I'll leave it to those with more knowledge than me to say whether it's actually realistic. Macington One's US-set books also feature a Very Extremely Obscenely Rich Family and barring the food & dress code, there are few apparent behavioural differences between the family cultures.
The rest of the issue is down a worrying over-use of repetition as a stylistic crowd-pleaser. It does work if used in moderation, as does the whimsy of phrases like "it smelled of rain and disappointment". But with 'Faking the Fiancé' clocking in at 144k words, less would very definitely have been more.
It's not dreadful, but if the other C.G. Macington would kindly stand up...
No editor credited.
Not-particularly-accurate-cover artist: Lucia Saldutti
Extraordinary update
Not 72 hours after I posted the review above, C.G. Macington sent out a newsletter which read:
I'm revising Faking the Fiancé down, and re-releasing it as a second edition.That's an author I can respect. I'll be here for the second edition.
Here's the truth, laid bare. The current version clocks in at nearly one hundred and fifty thousand words. For those of you who don't live in word counts the way I unfortunately do, that is, in technical publishing terms, an absolute unit. That is not a romantic comedy. That is a romantic comedy that ate a second romantic comedy and is now wearing it as a coat.
I got carried away. I fell in love with these two idiots and their feelings and their beautiful, poetic, painstakingly crafted longing, and I simply could not stop writing sentences about it. Every scene felt essential. Every metaphor felt load-bearing. I looked up one day, blinked, and realized I had written a doorstop and lovingly called it a rom-com.
Now, for those of you who bought or read that first edition: that one is yours, and it's mine too. It stays on my shelf, spine cracked and cover and all, and it will always be the truest version of their story to me. Nothing about a second edition changes that. You didn't read a rough draft. You read the book, the whole overgrown, lovesick, hundred-and-fifty-thousand-word heart of it, and I will love you specifically forever for it.
So I'm bringing the new edition down to a leaner ninety-five to a hundred thousand words. Still the same story, same heart, same slow-burn ache, same two men refusing to admit the obvious. Just tighter, quicker on its feet, and easier to fall into. The prose I'm proudest of stays. The prose that was mostly me showing off gets a gentle, tearful goodbye.
June 3, 2026
Arjun Kapoor is thirty-three, a neurosurgeon. He’s a rigid, emotionally closed-off personality. While this is a thing with patients, he’s very adequate as a surgeon.
Casey Welling is a paediatric generalist, the frontline defence of the emergency room (I copied it from the book to be correct)
Casey is huge, too-loud, a golden retriever, and for the last two years hopelessly in love with Arjun.
His mother organized a party for Arjun’s engagement. She wanted to pair him with a guy. In a state of panic, he told his mother he’s already engaged… to Casey. After confessing this to Casey, Casey agrees to be Arjun’s fake fiancé, travel with him to Rajasthan, India, to Arjun’s family estate, and pretend to be his fiancé for three weeks. Imagine being in love with Anjur and faking (ha! not faking) to be his fiancé.
Arjun is very punctual. There’s a leather notebook ready with notes and rules for Casey. They’ll have the same backstory about their lives and relationship.
What follows is something I can’t describe, read it yourself.
I think I said this before but this author is quite the wordsmith. The way he uses medical terminology and definitions goes beyond my imagination, the vocabulary is chef kiss, absolutely marvellously done. I really love this author’s mind, how it works to write these amazing, acceptable over-the-top stories.
…….
Casey Welling is a paediatric generalist, the frontline defence of the emergency room (I copied it from the book to be correct)
Casey is huge, too-loud, a golden retriever, and for the last two years hopelessly in love with Arjun.
His mother organized a party for Arjun’s engagement. She wanted to pair him with a guy. In a state of panic, he told his mother he’s already engaged… to Casey. After confessing this to Casey, Casey agrees to be Arjun’s fake fiancé, travel with him to Rajasthan, India, to Arjun’s family estate, and pretend to be his fiancé for three weeks. Imagine being in love with Anjur and faking (ha! not faking) to be his fiancé.
Arjun is very punctual. There’s a leather notebook ready with notes and rules for Casey. They’ll have the same backstory about their lives and relationship.
What follows is something I can’t describe, read it yourself.
I think I said this before but this author is quite the wordsmith. The way he uses medical terminology and definitions goes beyond my imagination, the vocabulary is chef kiss, absolutely marvellously done. I really love this author’s mind, how it works to write these amazing, acceptable over-the-top stories.
…….
Review of advance copy received from Author
3.5 ⭐️
I received this ARC from the author and this is my voluntary and honest review.
Wheeeeew this book is much longer than I expected and it’s based on a very shakey premise.
We have a rich emotionally stunted doctor, whose incredibly traditional and wealthy family wants to arrange his marriage so he goes and finds himself a fake fiancé to bring home - and my brain goes: Couldn’t he just stand up to his family and say no?
The story started well and I felt the emotional tensions between Arjun and Casey. However after the first 10-15% of the book this emotional connection that we have been investing in gets lost - there’s a lot of unnecessary chunks and fillers and there’s massive paragraphs and paragraphs of essays telling us but not showing us what is happening. The interaction between Casey and Arjun is diluted by the chunks of paragraphs instead of the actual MCs talking and interacting together.
The book does pick up again in the last 20% and it becomes quite enjoyable to read again. The “separation” in the end felt a little contrived and rushed and not enough grovelling done and maybe not dramatic enough but that’s just my personal preference I guess.
The side characters were quite fun to read. This looks to be a series but for the life of me I cannot guess who will be the next book. Looking forward to more books from this series.
Note: There’s a few inconsistencies in the book and some repetitive paragraphs but overall nothing that detracts from the story.
I received this ARC from the author and this is my voluntary and honest review.
Wheeeeew this book is much longer than I expected and it’s based on a very shakey premise.
We have a rich emotionally stunted doctor, whose incredibly traditional and wealthy family wants to arrange his marriage so he goes and finds himself a fake fiancé to bring home - and my brain goes: Couldn’t he just stand up to his family and say no?
The story started well and I felt the emotional tensions between Arjun and Casey. However after the first 10-15% of the book this emotional connection that we have been investing in gets lost - there’s a lot of unnecessary chunks and fillers and there’s massive paragraphs and paragraphs of essays telling us but not showing us what is happening. The interaction between Casey and Arjun is diluted by the chunks of paragraphs instead of the actual MCs talking and interacting together.
The book does pick up again in the last 20% and it becomes quite enjoyable to read again. The “separation” in the end felt a little contrived and rushed and not enough grovelling done and maybe not dramatic enough but that’s just my personal preference I guess.
The side characters were quite fun to read. This looks to be a series but for the life of me I cannot guess who will be the next book. Looking forward to more books from this series.
Note: There’s a few inconsistencies in the book and some repetitive paragraphs but overall nothing that detracts from the story.
July 22, 2026
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Great book, I absolutely loved it.
Arjun was a brilliant surgeon who built up many many walls to protect himself. And Casey oh that man was so loveable, patient, and genuine.
I loved this take on fake dating where they didn't jump right into intimate gestures and sex. We were given hand brushes, eye contact and internal longing. When Casey finally broke through the walls it was amazing because Arjun didnt open for the world he opened his heart for Casey.
I enjoyed the side characters and chaos.
I think Arjun's mother was too easily forgiven after bringing the other suitor Dev and his bestie Rohan to visit. I think Dev handled it beautifully.
I will admit it made me angry that it took 3 days and seeing fear in Arjurn's eyes before Casey finally put a stop to Rohan touching him and whispering in his ear. One day fine but 3 days of it was too much. Casey knew how fragile their connection was and he pushed it.
Side note: It did get a repetitive/wordy at times.
Great book, I absolutely loved it.
Arjun was a brilliant surgeon who built up many many walls to protect himself. And Casey oh that man was so loveable, patient, and genuine.
I loved this take on fake dating where they didn't jump right into intimate gestures and sex. We were given hand brushes, eye contact and internal longing. When Casey finally broke through the walls it was amazing because Arjun didnt open for the world he opened his heart for Casey.
I enjoyed the side characters and chaos.
I think Arjun's mother was too easily forgiven after bringing the other suitor Dev and his bestie Rohan to visit. I think Dev handled it beautifully.
I will admit it made me angry that it took 3 days and seeing fear in Arjurn's eyes before Casey finally put a stop to Rohan touching him and whispering in his ear. One day fine but 3 days of it was too much. Casey knew how fragile their connection was and he pushed it.
Side note: It did get a repetitive/wordy at times.
July 19, 2026
SYNOPSIS
Dr. Arjun Kapoor saves children's lives with surgical precision and the bedside manner of a Victorian ghost. He's also been hiding a devastating crush on his complete opposite: Dr. Casey Welling, six-foot-three of golden retriever chaos in dinosaur-print scrubs, who does magic tricks for crying kids and has been hopelessly in love with the Dread Prince for two years.
So when Arjun's mother announces she's arranged his engagement to a perfectly suitable surgeon from London, he panics. He tells her he's already engaged. To Casey. Who has absolutely no idea.
Now they have a deal: two weeks at the Kapoor family estate in Rajasthan, fake dating in front of Arjun's terrifyingly powerful family. There are rules. A leather notebook of pre-approved pet names. One bed. (Obviously.) And a pillow wall that's already threatening to collapse.
The problem? Casey was never pretending. And somewhere between the scheming mother, the gossiping aunties, the dangerously charming rival who won't stop flirting with his fake fiancé, and the slow burn that's quickly becoming an inferno, Arjun is discovering the most terrifying thing a control freak can do: fall in love for real.
A laugh-out-loud MM romantic comedy about two doctors, one spectacularly bad lie, and the mortifying ordeal of realizing your fake relationship is the most real thing you've ever had.
TROPES
🏥 MM medical romance
🩺 Golden retriever MMC x uptight MMC
🏥 Rom-com
🩺 Opposites attract
🏥 Friends to lovers
🩺 Fake dating
🏥 Forced proximity
🩺 Grumpy x sunshine
🏥 Only one bed
🩺 Men who are catastrophically bad at feelings
Thoughts
This book might just take a podium spot as one of my most treasured rom-coms of all time 🥹👉👈
Arjun and Casey share very similar grumpy x sunshine dynamics to those that Preston and Max share with their respective love interests in Macington's St Jude's Medical series. I love that series to pieces. However, "Faking the Fiancé" is particularly special to me because the slow burn of Arjun and Casey's relationship, amid the one-of-a-kind humour of dinosaur stickers and "papers adjacent" (IYKYK), allows an incredibly beautiful and tender relationship to form.
By the end of FTF, what you observe isn't a picture-perfect romance. Instead, we get to see a wholesome and tear-jerking realness. Because the work Casey and Arjun must put in to show up for each other doesn't stop, and their traumas don't automatically go away, just because they've chosen each other.
I am also very impressed by the amount of effort Macington clearly put in to give every main and secondary character a unique voice, a distinctive personality, and a clear narrative purpose. Casey has a taste for Uncrustables and has a knack for making sick children smile with magic tricks and dinosaur stickers. Arjun speaks to sick children's parents with the charisma of a Victorian ghost and is known by his colleagues as the "Dread Prince". Daadi (Arjun's sassy grandmother) taps her cane once when she approves of something, or twice when she's considering it. And Gabriel, Arjun's mentor, endears readers to him with his patented blend of theatrics and supportive dad vibes.
Reading this book made me reflect on some advice I read over the past week, too, in a book discussing the emotional craft of fiction. The book advises writers to magnify the "small moments" to evoke an emotional response from readers. Macington's style of writing exemplifies why that strategy works so well. You know those moments in a romantic movie or TV show where the camera zooms in on the sweat rolling down a MMC's abs? Or when it focuses on the FMC'S lips parting, when she gasps at the sight of said MMC? The tension and intimacy between Arjun and Casey was so thick you could almost cut it with a knife. All because the writing was so visceral, with those coveted gaze-locking and hands-brushing moments that make a romance book come alive.
It has been a while since I have yearned so badly for characters to kiss. I loved it all so, so much.
See below for some of my favourite quotes/ moments ♥️
⭐ 4.5/5
🌶️ 2/5
~ “You have the bedside manner of a Victorian ghost, Dr. Kapoor,” Gabriel says, his voice dangerously quiet as he rounds his massive desk. “And frankly, that is an insult to the ghosts. At least a ghost occasionally rattles a chain to show some personality.” ~
~ There’s a holographic dinosaur sticker on my stethoscope because a four- year- old named Maisie put it there this morning and told me it was “for bravery,” and I would rather die than take it off. ~
~ Every framework I have ever built, every emotional defence I have ever constructed, every wall and protocol and carefully maintained margin of error, is dissolving under the weight of a sleeping man's arm around waist and the sound of his breathing and the devastating, world-ending, unbearable feeling of safety when being held.
~ I am not ready to name it. I am not ready to catalogue it or file it or assign it a framework. But I am ready, for the first time, to stop pretending that the warmth moving toward me across the mattress every night is an accident, and to stop pretending that I am not moving toward it too. ~
~ The truth is that I stopped rebuilding the wall because I did not want it there anymore. Because the space between us in that bed, the open, unobstructed space where I migrate toward him every night and wake up in his arms every morning, is the only place in this entire estate where I feel like myself. ~
~ And I am so tired. I am so tired of being afraid. I am so tired of clinical detachment and strategic arrangements and engagement covenants and pillow walls and three- second limits and the constant, exhausting, soul- crushing effort of pretending that I am not desperately, catastrophically, irrevocably in love with this man. ~
Dr. Arjun Kapoor saves children's lives with surgical precision and the bedside manner of a Victorian ghost. He's also been hiding a devastating crush on his complete opposite: Dr. Casey Welling, six-foot-three of golden retriever chaos in dinosaur-print scrubs, who does magic tricks for crying kids and has been hopelessly in love with the Dread Prince for two years.
So when Arjun's mother announces she's arranged his engagement to a perfectly suitable surgeon from London, he panics. He tells her he's already engaged. To Casey. Who has absolutely no idea.
Now they have a deal: two weeks at the Kapoor family estate in Rajasthan, fake dating in front of Arjun's terrifyingly powerful family. There are rules. A leather notebook of pre-approved pet names. One bed. (Obviously.) And a pillow wall that's already threatening to collapse.
The problem? Casey was never pretending. And somewhere between the scheming mother, the gossiping aunties, the dangerously charming rival who won't stop flirting with his fake fiancé, and the slow burn that's quickly becoming an inferno, Arjun is discovering the most terrifying thing a control freak can do: fall in love for real.
A laugh-out-loud MM romantic comedy about two doctors, one spectacularly bad lie, and the mortifying ordeal of realizing your fake relationship is the most real thing you've ever had.
TROPES
🏥 MM medical romance
🩺 Golden retriever MMC x uptight MMC
🏥 Rom-com
🩺 Opposites attract
🏥 Friends to lovers
🩺 Fake dating
🏥 Forced proximity
🩺 Grumpy x sunshine
🏥 Only one bed
🩺 Men who are catastrophically bad at feelings
Thoughts
This book might just take a podium spot as one of my most treasured rom-coms of all time 🥹👉👈
Arjun and Casey share very similar grumpy x sunshine dynamics to those that Preston and Max share with their respective love interests in Macington's St Jude's Medical series. I love that series to pieces. However, "Faking the Fiancé" is particularly special to me because the slow burn of Arjun and Casey's relationship, amid the one-of-a-kind humour of dinosaur stickers and "papers adjacent" (IYKYK), allows an incredibly beautiful and tender relationship to form.
By the end of FTF, what you observe isn't a picture-perfect romance. Instead, we get to see a wholesome and tear-jerking realness. Because the work Casey and Arjun must put in to show up for each other doesn't stop, and their traumas don't automatically go away, just because they've chosen each other.
I am also very impressed by the amount of effort Macington clearly put in to give every main and secondary character a unique voice, a distinctive personality, and a clear narrative purpose. Casey has a taste for Uncrustables and has a knack for making sick children smile with magic tricks and dinosaur stickers. Arjun speaks to sick children's parents with the charisma of a Victorian ghost and is known by his colleagues as the "Dread Prince". Daadi (Arjun's sassy grandmother) taps her cane once when she approves of something, or twice when she's considering it. And Gabriel, Arjun's mentor, endears readers to him with his patented blend of theatrics and supportive dad vibes.
Reading this book made me reflect on some advice I read over the past week, too, in a book discussing the emotional craft of fiction. The book advises writers to magnify the "small moments" to evoke an emotional response from readers. Macington's style of writing exemplifies why that strategy works so well. You know those moments in a romantic movie or TV show where the camera zooms in on the sweat rolling down a MMC's abs? Or when it focuses on the FMC'S lips parting, when she gasps at the sight of said MMC? The tension and intimacy between Arjun and Casey was so thick you could almost cut it with a knife. All because the writing was so visceral, with those coveted gaze-locking and hands-brushing moments that make a romance book come alive.
It has been a while since I have yearned so badly for characters to kiss. I loved it all so, so much.
See below for some of my favourite quotes/ moments ♥️
⭐ 4.5/5
🌶️ 2/5
~ “You have the bedside manner of a Victorian ghost, Dr. Kapoor,” Gabriel says, his voice dangerously quiet as he rounds his massive desk. “And frankly, that is an insult to the ghosts. At least a ghost occasionally rattles a chain to show some personality.” ~
~ There’s a holographic dinosaur sticker on my stethoscope because a four- year- old named Maisie put it there this morning and told me it was “for bravery,” and I would rather die than take it off. ~
~ Every framework I have ever built, every emotional defence I have ever constructed, every wall and protocol and carefully maintained margin of error, is dissolving under the weight of a sleeping man's arm around waist and the sound of his breathing and the devastating, world-ending, unbearable feeling of safety when being held.
~ I am not ready to name it. I am not ready to catalogue it or file it or assign it a framework. But I am ready, for the first time, to stop pretending that the warmth moving toward me across the mattress every night is an accident, and to stop pretending that I am not moving toward it too. ~
~ The truth is that I stopped rebuilding the wall because I did not want it there anymore. Because the space between us in that bed, the open, unobstructed space where I migrate toward him every night and wake up in his arms every morning, is the only place in this entire estate where I feel like myself. ~
~ And I am so tired. I am so tired of being afraid. I am so tired of clinical detachment and strategic arrangements and engagement covenants and pillow walls and three- second limits and the constant, exhausting, soul- crushing effort of pretending that I am not desperately, catastrophically, irrevocably in love with this man. ~
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 30, 2026
Fantastic
This is incredible. We go from “I’m not interested in thinking about you”, go through “It is an inappropriate, unproductive, clinically unjustifiable infatuation that I have been managing through strict emotional compartmentalization, and the current situation has... compromised my viral containment protocols” and we end with two men together, for real, for better or worse, because they choose each other, they love each other, they see the good, the bad, and the ugly in themselves and each other, and still want to stick together. This is a long journey that started well before the book even begins, and hopefully has no end, because these two together are perfect. And Priya… fantastic. I think that all the surrounding characters are catalysts of sorts for their relationship, if things hadn’t combined the way they did, if Arjun hadn’t panicked because his mom wanted to marry him to a stranger, if other people hadn’t flirted with Casey, if Arjun hadn’t let go of his tight control little by little and Casey hadn’t been patient in peeling all the layers of aloofness and obsessive control in Arjun, if Oliver hadn’t absolutely decided that Arjun is his, this book would have had a very different ending. I loved how each character, yes, even Oliver, has such an impact on their relationship, plays an integral part in getting them together for real, via support, misfits flirting, threats of arranged marriages, or simply accepting them as they are. Fantastic read, I hope there are more of them, and I recommend this book and all of this author’s books, because they’re both only hilarious, but heartwarming, and restore hope in love and HEAs, even if it’s just in books.
(Read via KU)
This is incredible. We go from “I’m not interested in thinking about you”, go through “It is an inappropriate, unproductive, clinically unjustifiable infatuation that I have been managing through strict emotional compartmentalization, and the current situation has... compromised my viral containment protocols” and we end with two men together, for real, for better or worse, because they choose each other, they love each other, they see the good, the bad, and the ugly in themselves and each other, and still want to stick together. This is a long journey that started well before the book even begins, and hopefully has no end, because these two together are perfect. And Priya… fantastic. I think that all the surrounding characters are catalysts of sorts for their relationship, if things hadn’t combined the way they did, if Arjun hadn’t panicked because his mom wanted to marry him to a stranger, if other people hadn’t flirted with Casey, if Arjun hadn’t let go of his tight control little by little and Casey hadn’t been patient in peeling all the layers of aloofness and obsessive control in Arjun, if Oliver hadn’t absolutely decided that Arjun is his, this book would have had a very different ending. I loved how each character, yes, even Oliver, has such an impact on their relationship, plays an integral part in getting them together for real, via support, misfits flirting, threats of arranged marriages, or simply accepting them as they are. Fantastic read, I hope there are more of them, and I recommend this book and all of this author’s books, because they’re both only hilarious, but heartwarming, and restore hope in love and HEAs, even if it’s just in books.
(Read via KU)
June 3, 2026
I am a huge fan of C.G. Macington and I can say this maybe my favorite book to date. Arjun Kapoor, better known as Dr Dread needs a fiancé fast so he tells his parents he is engaged to Dr. Casey Wellington. Now they’re on their way for two weeks with his family. He’s had a crush on Casey and Casey is absolutely in love with him but neither of them expressed these feelings before they embark on this family adventure. They came prepared though with a book of rules. As you can imagine nothing is going to go as planned. I laughed out loud more times than I can count. I cried and absolutely fell in love with these characters from the main character to the side characters. They’re great. This book is sad. It’s happy it’s hilarious and most of all. It’s really fun to read.I absolutely enjoyed this book so much and I cannot wait for book two.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 31, 2026
Arjun is a brilliant doctor who is bothered by the fact that interesting cases are attached to people with (eww!) feelings and things. He is the perfect surgeon. Very similar to having robotic surgery. Arjun is from a very VERY wealthy Indian family. Arjun is afraid of his mother.
Casey is an emergency pediatric doctor. He wears dinosaur scrubs and does magic tricks with medical supplies. He was raised by his mother, who runs a gift shop in a little town in rural Canada. They talk several times a week. He has a crush on Arjun.
When Arjun's mother announces she has arranged a marriage for him, he panics and announces he is already engaged.
To Casey. Because Casey is one person he can stand to be in a room with for more than five minutes with.
And suddenly they are on their way to India for the engagement parties, all specially modified for a same-gender couple.
But a woman like Arjun's mother will not be thwarted so easily. She has more than one trick up her sleeve to see her boy married to a "proper" gentleman, not some "lumberjack" like Casey.
It looks grim for a bit, but this is in the capable hands of C. G. Macington. Love will win out.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Casey is an emergency pediatric doctor. He wears dinosaur scrubs and does magic tricks with medical supplies. He was raised by his mother, who runs a gift shop in a little town in rural Canada. They talk several times a week. He has a crush on Arjun.
When Arjun's mother announces she has arranged a marriage for him, he panics and announces he is already engaged.
To Casey. Because Casey is one person he can stand to be in a room with for more than five minutes with.
And suddenly they are on their way to India for the engagement parties, all specially modified for a same-gender couple.
But a woman like Arjun's mother will not be thwarted so easily. She has more than one trick up her sleeve to see her boy married to a "proper" gentleman, not some "lumberjack" like Casey.
It looks grim for a bit, but this is in the capable hands of C. G. Macington. Love will win out.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Read
May 24, 2026I loved this book! It was funny, romantic, sad, joyous. The character development was stellar. Flawed but very likable characters, navigating a an unspoken romance. Tender moments without being whiny, funny moments that didn’t distract from the story. There are quite a few characters in the story but C.G. Impressed me by giving them a voice but not distracting from the main characters.
I have read quite a few of C.G.’s books, this was the best one yet. I actually cried a few times and laughed out loud. I didn’t want it to end and hope there is a sequel.
I have read quite a few of C.G.’s books, this was the best one yet. I actually cried a few times and laughed out loud. I didn’t want it to end and hope there is a sequel.
June 3, 2026
Way more than a cliche troupe
I was hesitant because the fake fiance shtick can be incredibly cliche. This was was far more than a faking fiance troupe. It had many vulnerable moments and a lot of knowledge of the Indian culture. It made me smile and frown and just feel warm with overall goodness. It sure is clear we should expect another book for the wedding but I hope we see romance from more of these men in the book from both the family and the hospital. This might be my favourite book from CG Macington yet.
I was hesitant because the fake fiance shtick can be incredibly cliche. This was was far more than a faking fiance troupe. It had many vulnerable moments and a lot of knowledge of the Indian culture. It made me smile and frown and just feel warm with overall goodness. It sure is clear we should expect another book for the wedding but I hope we see romance from more of these men in the book from both the family and the hospital. This might be my favourite book from CG Macington yet.
June 12, 2026
I love Casey and Arjun. Their relationship was filled with so much tension from the very first page. Casey is the golden retriever character we want and Arjun has all the emotional growth we’re hoping for. He also has a family that would stress me out but I would still do anything to be part of it. I received this ARC and I was so flippin excited. Another comfy MM medical romance and I cannot wait for the next.
May 31, 2026
Gah!! So Freaking Good!!!
I adore C.G. Macington's work, particularly the medical romances, but this one takes the cake! It is beautifully written (many sections read like poetry), and pure, unadulterated, true romance with the perfect amount of comedy sprinkled liberally throughout, along with enough angst here and there to make the story compelling.
Also, I absolutely loved both MCs. They are vulnerable and exasperating in their own ways, but are, at the end of the day, amazing, lovely men who really worked hard for their HEA.
There is definitely spice (the slowest of burn, though, but so entertaining in the interim that you forget about the burn entirely until it's ready to be present), but so gorgeously written that it feels transcendent when it finally happens, rather than something dropped in to fit some kind of romance novel formula.
In a word, perfect.
I adore C.G. Macington's work, particularly the medical romances, but this one takes the cake! It is beautifully written (many sections read like poetry), and pure, unadulterated, true romance with the perfect amount of comedy sprinkled liberally throughout, along with enough angst here and there to make the story compelling.
Also, I absolutely loved both MCs. They are vulnerable and exasperating in their own ways, but are, at the end of the day, amazing, lovely men who really worked hard for their HEA.
There is definitely spice (the slowest of burn, though, but so entertaining in the interim that you forget about the burn entirely until it's ready to be present), but so gorgeously written that it feels transcendent when it finally happens, rather than something dropped in to fit some kind of romance novel formula.
In a word, perfect.
May 29, 2026
Dr. Arjun Kapoor is a paediatric neurosurgeon working in the same Canadian hospital as Dr. Casey Welling, a paediatric generalist. Both men have crushed unknowingly on each other for several years. Now Arjun approaches Casey after lying to his mother that he's engaged to Casey to escape her choice of a fiance for him. Fake fiances with very real cases of the hots for each other. Detailed, clinical, methodical, humorless, stick in the mud, aristocratic, gorgeous Arjun. Sunshiny, golden retriever, messy, charasmatic, agent of chaos, sun god, beautiful Casey. It's painful to read how they interact yet both long for each other. It's funny and sweet and adorably wonderful to read. C.G. has a talent for creating two characters that shouldn't work on paper but absolutely fit together. I love her hospital books! I received a copy of this through BookSirens and this is my voluntary opinion.
June 5, 2026
All the dang stars! ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This couple! Ugh! There are no words! This author does such a great job writing humor and there definitely was humor in this book but WOW! It was so lovely, the feelings and the poetic descriptions. I just can’t put it into words. Just read it. 💕😭❤️💝
May 31, 2026
Oh my gosh I loved every word of this book! I laughed out loud so many times while reading, my mom found me and asked for a description of what I was reading. The author has a truly amazing way of telling a story. His descriptions make me feel like I know all the characters like family. I loved the dual perspectives, I totally fell in love with Casey and Arjun, even the smaller characters are well rounded and fun. This is my first book written by C.G. Macington, I am so excited to dive into his other stories!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Want to Read
June 17, 2026I have a feeling this is gonna be kind of shit but desperate times call for desperate measures ok. U take all the indian queer guys you can get
June 25, 2026
This is one of the sweetest books I've ever read. I love Arjun and Casey so much.
June 2, 2026
Idk what it is about this author, but I am addicted to this writing style. I think it's the ANGST and the YEARNING!!
July 7, 2026
This could have been GLORIOUS. It ... was glorious? It failed to deliver after delivering so much.
I've been in a picky mood, lately. I am really hoping it won't turn into my whole personality and I keep repeating it in reviews but I feel it bears repeating because I picked up this book the day before yesterday before bed and I thought: THIS. This is something special. I meant to savour it, I was giddy when I returned to it yesterday and I thought what I rarely do these days: 4 stars, at minimum. This is a read to remember.
I want to be very clear about that. At one point in this book, I was ready to lavish praise on this masterpiece; I wanted to explain that the plot may be simple but the language, the narration, the writing style elevated everything beyond reproach. I used to revel in flowery, almost silly and dramatic but actually hard-hitting words that just make you feel like writers are simple folk but some authors are wordsmiths and it is an art beyond comprehension of mere mortals. I want to say I was not impressed when Sophie Gomaged but these two guys in a supply closet, their first on-page meeting, made me squeal. I want to say the first time he put his hand in his tigh was more romantic and erotic than most sex scenes in most books. I want to say their romance was a beautiful, stunning dance that gave us just enough to keep things going, to keep it real and raw and emotionally charged. That the side characters felt more like impressions or literary devices that moved the plot in the right direction and it felt right because this is romance and their relationship, those two characters are tht only ones that truly matter.
I want to be clear that version of events still exist and I don't deny it and I absolutely understand why this book has such high ratings and had things gone differently, I might have hit those 5 stars.
Things are different. I was disappointed, and it was worse because of how much I liked the... first part? One part? Some parts?
The flowery language supported something mundane and afraid. The drama of cultural differences hid simple characters doing simple things and pretended to be a national emergency. The characters I wanted to praise for not being opposed and nasty on principle turned flat sna sallow when xth confrontation rolled around; very little changed but the guy who said "managing 10 million people administratively must be tough, my mum manages an inventory of her gift shop and it's hard" is also the guy who... ok, deep breath, no spoilers.
Their relationship was doing great until they both turned into a raging mass of trauma just in time to not just start but absolutely explode into a third-act break-up and at that point, I was trying not to see the cracks of Meera, the purported matriarch that was elevated and made into an institution, turn into something... ugly? I think her character was described and really put onto a pedestal so high that when I saw her in a negative light, it all came crashing down. The extended family that was supposed to be tough were already eating out of his hand, feeding him and cooing over him in a bit of a ridiculous manner. If I hear of Auntie's WhatsApp group again, I might scream.
I think that break from awe and respect and literary rupture into something quite mismanaged was felt on every level and that contrast is what ultimately killed it. The literary devices turned flat, his grandmother quoting his inner monologue from some pages ago, only changing the pronouns, like she could read his mind, like she didn't have her own way of speaking, only parroting what the plot needed. If I had a penny for every repeated sentence and every plot point we were reminded of, not just once, but several times, I'd have way too many pennies. The book didn't know how or when to let go of its narration until every scene, every character and every new development read like their inner thoughts, poetry style.
I wake up way too early, not being able to fall asleep and I consumed this book whole - first with the joy and hope and awe I thought it deserved and then with a resigned anger at what it became, what my disappointment made me see.
I am not sure how much of my feelings were understood; I had quite a lot of them accumulated. I almost just blamed it ona simple 3rd-act break-up disagreement, but there were just too many inconsistencies to blame it all on one plot choice. I listend to The Great Meera try to dissect and eviscerate Casey and I suddenly couldn't comprehend why I was supposed to care about this character's opinion and why they did. Why a guy who left his family, his whole life and never came back, who left India and ended up a surgeon in Toronto, was this torn and determined to please.
I know how deep the responsibility, the family shame and obligations and culture and opinions can weigh down a person. But he left and while I could have accepted the engagement as a way to bring them together, it also made things... angsty. The dossier and threat levels and all the big-words vocabulary speak about a group of middle-aged women who obviously have nothing better to do for 14 days than to observe the mating rituals of their nephew... Maybe you need to be born into such a culture to place their opinions about some things we consider very basic. I guess him leaving gave me too much of an opinion on his ability to, say, live his life, or do things he wants to.
Sigh
I cried and I grined and I thought this was an experience and I still feel dejected and disappointed and should probably end this before I start dissecting individual scenes. I am going to try a different book from the author in hopes of finding something not completely warped by Cassey's effervescent hope and Arjun's medical encyclopedia that felt cute at some point, it really did - he just overdid it. They both did.
P.S: the ending just cinched everything, I like seeing the after-love-you's but... meh
I've been in a picky mood, lately. I am really hoping it won't turn into my whole personality and I keep repeating it in reviews but I feel it bears repeating because I picked up this book the day before yesterday before bed and I thought: THIS. This is something special. I meant to savour it, I was giddy when I returned to it yesterday and I thought what I rarely do these days: 4 stars, at minimum. This is a read to remember.
I want to be very clear about that. At one point in this book, I was ready to lavish praise on this masterpiece; I wanted to explain that the plot may be simple but the language, the narration, the writing style elevated everything beyond reproach. I used to revel in flowery, almost silly and dramatic but actually hard-hitting words that just make you feel like writers are simple folk but some authors are wordsmiths and it is an art beyond comprehension of mere mortals. I want to say I was not impressed when Sophie Gomaged but these two guys in a supply closet, their first on-page meeting, made me squeal. I want to say the first time he put his hand in his tigh was more romantic and erotic than most sex scenes in most books. I want to say their romance was a beautiful, stunning dance that gave us just enough to keep things going, to keep it real and raw and emotionally charged. That the side characters felt more like impressions or literary devices that moved the plot in the right direction and it felt right because this is romance and their relationship, those two characters are tht only ones that truly matter.
I want to be clear that version of events still exist and I don't deny it and I absolutely understand why this book has such high ratings and had things gone differently, I might have hit those 5 stars.
Things are different. I was disappointed, and it was worse because of how much I liked the... first part? One part? Some parts?
The flowery language supported something mundane and afraid. The drama of cultural differences hid simple characters doing simple things and pretended to be a national emergency. The characters I wanted to praise for not being opposed and nasty on principle turned flat sna sallow when xth confrontation rolled around; very little changed but the guy who said "managing 10 million people administratively must be tough, my mum manages an inventory of her gift shop and it's hard" is also the guy who... ok, deep breath, no spoilers.
Their relationship was doing great until they both turned into a raging mass of trauma just in time to not just start but absolutely explode into a third-act break-up and at that point, I was trying not to see the cracks of Meera, the purported matriarch that was elevated and made into an institution, turn into something... ugly? I think her character was described and really put onto a pedestal so high that when I saw her in a negative light, it all came crashing down. The extended family that was supposed to be tough were already eating out of his hand, feeding him and cooing over him in a bit of a ridiculous manner. If I hear of Auntie's WhatsApp group again, I might scream.
I think that break from awe and respect and literary rupture into something quite mismanaged was felt on every level and that contrast is what ultimately killed it. The literary devices turned flat, his grandmother quoting his inner monologue from some pages ago, only changing the pronouns, like she could read his mind, like she didn't have her own way of speaking, only parroting what the plot needed. If I had a penny for every repeated sentence and every plot point we were reminded of, not just once, but several times, I'd have way too many pennies. The book didn't know how or when to let go of its narration until every scene, every character and every new development read like their inner thoughts, poetry style.
I wake up way too early, not being able to fall asleep and I consumed this book whole - first with the joy and hope and awe I thought it deserved and then with a resigned anger at what it became, what my disappointment made me see.
I am not sure how much of my feelings were understood; I had quite a lot of them accumulated. I almost just blamed it ona simple 3rd-act break-up disagreement, but there were just too many inconsistencies to blame it all on one plot choice. I listend to The Great Meera try to dissect and eviscerate Casey and I suddenly couldn't comprehend why I was supposed to care about this character's opinion and why they did. Why a guy who left his family, his whole life and never came back, who left India and ended up a surgeon in Toronto, was this torn and determined to please.
I know how deep the responsibility, the family shame and obligations and culture and opinions can weigh down a person. But he left and while I could have accepted the engagement as a way to bring them together, it also made things... angsty. The dossier and threat levels and all the big-words vocabulary speak about a group of middle-aged women who obviously have nothing better to do for 14 days than to observe the mating rituals of their nephew... Maybe you need to be born into such a culture to place their opinions about some things we consider very basic. I guess him leaving gave me too much of an opinion on his ability to, say, live his life, or do things he wants to.
Sigh
I cried and I grined and I thought this was an experience and I still feel dejected and disappointed and should probably end this before I start dissecting individual scenes. I am going to try a different book from the author in hopes of finding something not completely warped by Cassey's effervescent hope and Arjun's medical encyclopedia that felt cute at some point, it really did - he just overdid it. They both did.
P.S: the ending just cinched everything, I like seeing the after-love-you's but... meh
Review of advance copy
Thank you for Book Sirens and C.G. Macington for the opportunity to read this early in return for an honest review.
-ˏˋ⋆⋆ˊˎ-
Story: 3/5
Spice: Low
Characters: 4/5
-ˏˋ⋆⋆ˊˎ-
Overall reco:
So, what do I think? Enjoyable
Do you like highly detailed novels? Do you like characters the could ruminate in their head for like 10 pages? Do you like a slow burn with lite spice? Are you a sucker for characters that develop slowly? Then you will like this book.
I often see people complaint that a slow burn book isn't slow burny enough. I would like to submit this book to the council for consideration. Sure, they had crushes on each other for two years prior to the start of the book but we didn't even get a kiss until like after 250 pages of these two idiots yearning for each other. The book was highly descriptive. Paragraph after paragraph about the beautiful estate (too bad I cannot visualize anything *grumps about aphantasia*).
The book is very dense, very word heavy and internal monologue. The blurb listed his as a laugh out loud romantic comedy and while there were some moments that were funny tension breakers, it was not as slapstick as the authors other medical series (Bedside Manner). I actually liked that, a lot. It few much more serious with moments of comedy timed well to break up heavy things. Where as the other series felt just too much like a silent comedy film. This felt much more balanced and much nicer for it.
I did like the characters. There were plenty of side characters that were also enjoyable without becoming flat and just.. tropes with legs. The two MMC's really stick to their personalities and we don't see really very much out of character behavior (there is ONE moment that I absolutely wanted to flip out about but when we got to that characters POV and got some context I really liked how the author handled it.. though.. three days? really?
Spice: I want to just comment that had I been using my old numbered rating system this would have been maybe one chili. There are all of two scenes and while they are a bit more descriptive than the other series, the spice was just very low. Personally, I was on the verge of throwing the book across the room when the spice happened that I kinda breezed on it.
And now we get to the meat of it... I want to say, it was enjoyable and when I did finally get to the end I felt like it was worth my time. From pages 150-350 though I was questioning my sanity in picking up with book. It felt like we were rehashing the same things over and over again. There were inconsistencies in character locations ("I looked at him across the room" and then in like a paragraph with no mention of either moving "I looked at him next to me"), inconsistencies in characters having the same thoughts and mentioning in those thoughts that they wouldn't have those thoughts again it was the first time they had them. Some things were described over an over again. NOW, I will say that the one MMC is very detailed and maybe has OCD or something (I can't diagnose shit) because he rehashes a lot of things and when I got to the end I felt it fit with character and what we learned with him but Holy Shit did I run really close to DNFing the book like 3 times.
-ˏˋ⋆⋆ˊˎ-
Story: 3/5
Spice: Low
Characters: 4/5
-ˏˋ⋆⋆ˊˎ-
Overall reco:
So, what do I think? Enjoyable
Do you like highly detailed novels? Do you like characters the could ruminate in their head for like 10 pages? Do you like a slow burn with lite spice? Are you a sucker for characters that develop slowly? Then you will like this book.
I often see people complaint that a slow burn book isn't slow burny enough. I would like to submit this book to the council for consideration. Sure, they had crushes on each other for two years prior to the start of the book but we didn't even get a kiss until like after 250 pages of these two idiots yearning for each other. The book was highly descriptive. Paragraph after paragraph about the beautiful estate (too bad I cannot visualize anything *grumps about aphantasia*).
The book is very dense, very word heavy and internal monologue. The blurb listed his as a laugh out loud romantic comedy and while there were some moments that were funny tension breakers, it was not as slapstick as the authors other medical series (Bedside Manner). I actually liked that, a lot. It few much more serious with moments of comedy timed well to break up heavy things. Where as the other series felt just too much like a silent comedy film. This felt much more balanced and much nicer for it.
I did like the characters. There were plenty of side characters that were also enjoyable without becoming flat and just.. tropes with legs. The two MMC's really stick to their personalities and we don't see really very much out of character behavior (there is ONE moment that I absolutely wanted to flip out about but when we got to that characters POV and got some context I really liked how the author handled it.. though.. three days? really?
Spice: I want to just comment that had I been using my old numbered rating system this would have been maybe one chili. There are all of two scenes and while they are a bit more descriptive than the other series, the spice was just very low. Personally, I was on the verge of throwing the book across the room when the spice happened that I kinda breezed on it.
And now we get to the meat of it... I want to say, it was enjoyable and when I did finally get to the end I felt like it was worth my time. From pages 150-350 though I was questioning my sanity in picking up with book. It felt like we were rehashing the same things over and over again. There were inconsistencies in character locations ("I looked at him across the room" and then in like a paragraph with no mention of either moving "I looked at him next to me"), inconsistencies in characters having the same thoughts and mentioning in those thoughts that they wouldn't have those thoughts again it was the first time they had them. Some things were described over an over again. NOW, I will say that the one MMC is very detailed and maybe has OCD or something (I can't diagnose shit) because he rehashes a lot of things and when I got to the end I felt it fit with character and what we learned with him but Holy Shit did I run really close to DNFing the book like 3 times.
Review of advance copy
‘Faking the Fiancé’ feels like a familiar plunge back into ‘Bedside Manner’, bearing more than a few similarities to the opening of C.G. Macington’s St. Jude’s series. Considering how much I enjoyed that series though, stepping back into this setting is all too easy and effortless. (The sort that keeps you cautiously enthusiastic while rubbing your hands in glee)
Arjun Kapoor is this hospital’s Maxwell York, all cool, aloof and controlled and so at the top of his game at work, yet totally inept at expressing anything remotely emotional. On the other hand, there’re shades of Jax O’Connell in Casey Welling, who is blissfully unaware of what he’s in for when Arjun suddenly detonates a bombshell and plunges them both into the unknown—a fake engagement and a visit back to his family in Rajasthan.
It’s fortunate and convenient then, that they unknowingly have the hots for each other and so this setup simply moves everything out into the open, consequences be damned.
And that’s where things get interesting.
Arjun’s comfort zone and hiding place consist of distance and a fallback on academic familiarity that provide the semblance of control that he always craves. But he really couldn’t have picked anyone better for his fake engagement scheme. It’s not that hard a job since Casey is hopelessly fascinated with every detail that has to do with Arjun, and is willing to do anything it takes for Arjun to emotionally catch up to the idea of them together for real, including braving his formidable family in India.
At times, parts of the book could probably be taken out of Rajasthan’s tourist brochure. Away from the frenzied energy of Delhi and the chaotic scenes of the paediatric department, Macington ushers in the rarefied air of the Kapoor aristocracy and their entire impressive network that could probably run the state based on sheer will and power. I absolutely loved the lushly grand setting, the majestic Jaipur architecture and of course, the meddlesome relatives whom I liked a lot less.
That said, the story does feel like ground that’s been trodden on before—version 2.0 if you like. The dynamic of a somewhat neurodivergent protagonist paired with a sunshine, golden-retriever-type character isn’t exactly new, and because I recently completed Macington’s St. Jude’s series, parts of this book simply carried an overwhelming sense of déjà vu.
Still, ‘Faking the Fiancé’ is longer, more emotionally layered perhaps, and done with a pretty confident writing style and structure of what you’d come to expect of a rom-com. There’re some minor inconsistencies and some repetitive passages, but they do little to detract from the slow-burn and its thoroughly satisfying conclusion even if some of the family tensions remain slightly unresolved.
*ARC provided by Booksirens. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Arjun Kapoor is this hospital’s Maxwell York, all cool, aloof and controlled and so at the top of his game at work, yet totally inept at expressing anything remotely emotional. On the other hand, there’re shades of Jax O’Connell in Casey Welling, who is blissfully unaware of what he’s in for when Arjun suddenly detonates a bombshell and plunges them both into the unknown—a fake engagement and a visit back to his family in Rajasthan.
It’s fortunate and convenient then, that they unknowingly have the hots for each other and so this setup simply moves everything out into the open, consequences be damned.
And that’s where things get interesting.
Arjun’s comfort zone and hiding place consist of distance and a fallback on academic familiarity that provide the semblance of control that he always craves. But he really couldn’t have picked anyone better for his fake engagement scheme. It’s not that hard a job since Casey is hopelessly fascinated with every detail that has to do with Arjun, and is willing to do anything it takes for Arjun to emotionally catch up to the idea of them together for real, including braving his formidable family in India.
At times, parts of the book could probably be taken out of Rajasthan’s tourist brochure. Away from the frenzied energy of Delhi and the chaotic scenes of the paediatric department, Macington ushers in the rarefied air of the Kapoor aristocracy and their entire impressive network that could probably run the state based on sheer will and power. I absolutely loved the lushly grand setting, the majestic Jaipur architecture and of course, the meddlesome relatives whom I liked a lot less.
That said, the story does feel like ground that’s been trodden on before—version 2.0 if you like. The dynamic of a somewhat neurodivergent protagonist paired with a sunshine, golden-retriever-type character isn’t exactly new, and because I recently completed Macington’s St. Jude’s series, parts of this book simply carried an overwhelming sense of déjà vu.
Still, ‘Faking the Fiancé’ is longer, more emotionally layered perhaps, and done with a pretty confident writing style and structure of what you’d come to expect of a rom-com. There’re some minor inconsistencies and some repetitive passages, but they do little to detract from the slow-burn and its thoroughly satisfying conclusion even if some of the family tensions remain slightly unresolved.
*ARC provided by Booksirens. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 1, 2026
💕 A phenomenal mix of C.G. Macington’s older, more serious work, and the comedy of his most recent St. Jude Medical series. Arjun and Casey are both fantastic characters. This is one of those rare books where you can’t pick a favourite. I love them both.
I imagine it’s hard to devote equal time to both characters when writing. But not only did we get a deep dive into both of these characters, but also a number of secondary characters.
This book is long. But don’t let that deter you. It flows exceptionally well. Arjun, in a fit of panic at hearing that his mother has chosen him a husband, blurts out that he’s already engaged - to the first name he thought of - and this begins their journey to India.
Arjun is clinical and analytical. He escaped his controlling yet well meaning Indian mother and is now settled in Toronto, Canada. Casey is a lumberjack of a Canadian with a sunny disposition who has this innate ability to make people feel at ease.
During their trip to India, which takes up the bulk of the book, Casey has to win over the family while the mother throws one curveball after another at them. But Casey doesn’t really need to try. He’s been in love with Arjun for two years now and never said a word. And it shows on his face.
It shows in the patience he extends to Arjun. It shows in the way he understands every minute change in Arjun’s demeanour. Arjun may appear cold and calculating, but it’s a wall, a shield, and Casey has the patience and understanding to see beyond that wall.
The book is funny. How can it not be when you have a 6’3 Canadian ex-hockey player who enjoys life to the fullest. Who gives everyone his undivided attention because they matter. Who has been in love with Arjun for 2 years now and is just waiting.
But this story has great depth. Not only Arjun, whom Casey sees his walls crack and refill, crack and refill again. But in the entire family dynamic - Arjun’s aristocratic controlling mother, his grandmother of few words, all the aunties, siblings and cousins. Although on a a smaller scale, we also dive into Casey’s life and family dynamic - also of great significance to the story.
I want to point out two final things really quickly:
1. There is full acceptance of both Arjun and Casey’s sexuality in this book.
2. Casey never feels like he’s not good enough, despite their families’ different socio-economic circles.
Both are refreshing and allow the book to focus on other themes, which for me, is absolutely fantastic!
I imagine it’s hard to devote equal time to both characters when writing. But not only did we get a deep dive into both of these characters, but also a number of secondary characters.
This book is long. But don’t let that deter you. It flows exceptionally well. Arjun, in a fit of panic at hearing that his mother has chosen him a husband, blurts out that he’s already engaged - to the first name he thought of - and this begins their journey to India.
Arjun is clinical and analytical. He escaped his controlling yet well meaning Indian mother and is now settled in Toronto, Canada. Casey is a lumberjack of a Canadian with a sunny disposition who has this innate ability to make people feel at ease.
During their trip to India, which takes up the bulk of the book, Casey has to win over the family while the mother throws one curveball after another at them. But Casey doesn’t really need to try. He’s been in love with Arjun for two years now and never said a word. And it shows on his face.
It shows in the patience he extends to Arjun. It shows in the way he understands every minute change in Arjun’s demeanour. Arjun may appear cold and calculating, but it’s a wall, a shield, and Casey has the patience and understanding to see beyond that wall.
The book is funny. How can it not be when you have a 6’3 Canadian ex-hockey player who enjoys life to the fullest. Who gives everyone his undivided attention because they matter. Who has been in love with Arjun for 2 years now and is just waiting.
But this story has great depth. Not only Arjun, whom Casey sees his walls crack and refill, crack and refill again. But in the entire family dynamic - Arjun’s aristocratic controlling mother, his grandmother of few words, all the aunties, siblings and cousins. Although on a a smaller scale, we also dive into Casey’s life and family dynamic - also of great significance to the story.
I want to point out two final things really quickly:
1. There is full acceptance of both Arjun and Casey’s sexuality in this book.
2. Casey never feels like he’s not good enough, despite their families’ different socio-economic circles.
Both are refreshing and allow the book to focus on other themes, which for me, is absolutely fantastic!
Review of advance copy
Ohmygosh this is me! I had to shampoo my carpets the weekend I read this, and in the hour or two before starting this book I looked around my apartment thinking about how much I love uncluttered open spaces but how much I love filling open spaces and I have no idea what I would do if I had more space than my one bedroom apartment.
“Casey Welling's apartment is the physical manifestation of someone who has never once in their life heard the word “minimalism” and thought, yes, that's for me. Every single square foot of the small apartment is occupied.”
I love the wit and the banter and all the different ways these guys (by which I mean the author) say “my heart was racing.” I love the casual use of contractions, not just in the dialogue (although the lack of contractions is most noticeable in dialogue (in other books) because it sounds too formal), but because this is first person POV, the use of contractions in the narration is also appropriate – how many of us say “it is getting late, I had better get ready for bed” when we’re talking to ourselves? I sure don’t, I say “it’s getting late, I’d better get ready for bed.” It’s natural, and it’s well written, and it’s silly maybe how much I love it, but it’s one of the things that sets the right tone on every page.
There’s also this one scene where you’re going to want to make sure you’re not drinking or eating or holding anything liquid, and I’m trying to think of how to warn you which scene that is without revealing any spoilers, and all I can think of is – nope, nope that’s still too spoiler adjacent.
There are two moments when I cried, both are spoilers; one you’ll know when you get there, and you may cry for little-boy Arjun too. The other, you may not know, but if you grew to love Arjun over the course of the book, and you’re a person who expresses emotion through ocular salt water, there’s a good chance you’ll get misty eyed there too.
Faking the Fiancé is a fantastic book, and you won’t regret a single moment spent reading it.
Edited to add - I have also researched so much Indian food, and this book made me so hungry all the time, and I am going to make paratha!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
“Casey Welling's apartment is the physical manifestation of someone who has never once in their life heard the word “minimalism” and thought, yes, that's for me. Every single square foot of the small apartment is occupied.”
I love the wit and the banter and all the different ways these guys (by which I mean the author) say “my heart was racing.” I love the casual use of contractions, not just in the dialogue (although the lack of contractions is most noticeable in dialogue (in other books) because it sounds too formal), but because this is first person POV, the use of contractions in the narration is also appropriate – how many of us say “it is getting late, I had better get ready for bed” when we’re talking to ourselves? I sure don’t, I say “it’s getting late, I’d better get ready for bed.” It’s natural, and it’s well written, and it’s silly maybe how much I love it, but it’s one of the things that sets the right tone on every page.
There’s also this one scene where you’re going to want to make sure you’re not drinking or eating or holding anything liquid, and I’m trying to think of how to warn you which scene that is without revealing any spoilers, and all I can think of is – nope, nope that’s still too spoiler adjacent.
There are two moments when I cried, both are spoilers; one you’ll know when you get there, and you may cry for little-boy Arjun too. The other, you may not know, but if you grew to love Arjun over the course of the book, and you’re a person who expresses emotion through ocular salt water, there’s a good chance you’ll get misty eyed there too.
Faking the Fiancé is a fantastic book, and you won’t regret a single moment spent reading it.
Edited to add - I have also researched so much Indian food, and this book made me so hungry all the time, and I am going to make paratha!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 9, 2026
A thousand times yes
This book is why CG is one of my favorite authors. I love me a medical romance, but it's not as prominent as Bedside Manner. I'm very ok with that.
This is another tale of opposites attract and I find myself loving that trope. There isn't too much angst, which centers on Arjun's family dynamic. His family... other than Meera, whom is still in my mental penalty box, are a bunch of crazy loons and I was thoroughly entertained. Overall, the supporting characters were stellar... I have a soft spot for Gabriel 💕
Casey and Arjun are not far off from Max and Jax personality wise. CG is a genius at portraying Arjun's struggle with not being able to deal with life except through medical terminology and metaphors. It's endearing how Casey just accepts that part of him, because it's part of the reason he fell in love with Arjun. Just the terminology and CGs way with words had me laughing quite a bit.
They are so good for each other. They balance, they complement, they just accept the other as they are. Arjun's growth over the course of the novel warmed my heart; I just felt a kinship with him. It's not easy to function like a normal adult when he was raised by his mother, who pushed and smothered him with outdated traditions and astrological compatibility. Casey is the rock, he is a wonderful human being and I couldn't have been happier that he was the one to help bring Arjun into the light.
I don't give out 5 stars often, but CG hit it out of the park with this one!
This book is why CG is one of my favorite authors. I love me a medical romance, but it's not as prominent as Bedside Manner. I'm very ok with that.
This is another tale of opposites attract and I find myself loving that trope. There isn't too much angst, which centers on Arjun's family dynamic. His family... other than Meera, whom is still in my mental penalty box, are a bunch of crazy loons and I was thoroughly entertained. Overall, the supporting characters were stellar... I have a soft spot for Gabriel 💕
Casey and Arjun are not far off from Max and Jax personality wise. CG is a genius at portraying Arjun's struggle with not being able to deal with life except through medical terminology and metaphors. It's endearing how Casey just accepts that part of him, because it's part of the reason he fell in love with Arjun. Just the terminology and CGs way with words had me laughing quite a bit.
They are so good for each other. They balance, they complement, they just accept the other as they are. Arjun's growth over the course of the novel warmed my heart; I just felt a kinship with him. It's not easy to function like a normal adult when he was raised by his mother, who pushed and smothered him with outdated traditions and astrological compatibility. Casey is the rock, he is a wonderful human being and I couldn't have been happier that he was the one to help bring Arjun into the light.
I don't give out 5 stars often, but CG hit it out of the park with this one!
Review of advance copy
Faking The Fiancé is a not so fake romance story about doctors Arjun Kapoor and Casey Welling. Ajun’s escape from his mother’s clutches is put to the ultimate test when she informs him that his engagement party to the man of her choice is in two weeks back in India. In a panic he tells he is already engaged to Casey, a man he has been attracted to for two years. When Casey agrees to the ruse, the scene is set for a clash of wills between a domineering mother out to discredit Arjun’s choice and a son determined to be free.
The story is full of well drawn characters and realistic situations considering the fantastic locations where the display of wealth is the norm. There are laugh out loud moments and contemplated moments interspersed with the sad recollections. The theme of surveillance threads its way throughout, underpinning Arjun’s supposed freedom from his mother’s influence and that of the rest of his family. There is not a lot they do not know already, which would make Arjun’s and Casey’s fake engagement story difficult to pass off as true if it wasn’t for the fact that they are very much in love with each other. Not that they know that.
It is a story about being open to love and fighting for the right to love the person of your choice. It may be a little long winded but it delivers on many levels from a happy ending to standing up for one self and not compromising.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The story is full of well drawn characters and realistic situations considering the fantastic locations where the display of wealth is the norm. There are laugh out loud moments and contemplated moments interspersed with the sad recollections. The theme of surveillance threads its way throughout, underpinning Arjun’s supposed freedom from his mother’s influence and that of the rest of his family. There is not a lot they do not know already, which would make Arjun’s and Casey’s fake engagement story difficult to pass off as true if it wasn’t for the fact that they are very much in love with each other. Not that they know that.
It is a story about being open to love and fighting for the right to love the person of your choice. It may be a little long winded but it delivers on many levels from a happy ending to standing up for one self and not compromising.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Read
June 4, 2026Great story!
Though a few expressions and information provided felt redundant… and a few described looks “spoke volumes” more than is plausible (a 3 second look tells you he loves you, is jealous, scared, and also competitively angry?) - overall a thorough telling with good pacing and a satisfying HEA.
The author did a great job with setting up the characters. For example, I don’t know much medically so who knows how accurate the surgery described in the first chapter actually is, but it definitely put me in the hospital setting and in Arjun’s mindset. He also was very successful at introducing many characters without it feeling overwhelming or crowded. A few characters felt more like caricatures but in a thumbnail way that helped place them in the appropriate plot position without taking too much of the page count.
I enjoy the fake marriage trope. I enjoy the cranky-sunshine dynamic. I’ve read a lot of both. This story did not feel like a rehash or version 2.0 of any of the other stories in these tropes I’ve read. I enjoyed the slow, deliberate, mature control described in this story. It felt like these were grown men navigating big feelings rather than immature teens ricocheting through emotions and actions. I appreciated it :)
This is the first book I’ve read by this author, and now I’m going to find the rest of his works and probably read through them by the end of next week.
Though a few expressions and information provided felt redundant… and a few described looks “spoke volumes” more than is plausible (a 3 second look tells you he loves you, is jealous, scared, and also competitively angry?) - overall a thorough telling with good pacing and a satisfying HEA.
The author did a great job with setting up the characters. For example, I don’t know much medically so who knows how accurate the surgery described in the first chapter actually is, but it definitely put me in the hospital setting and in Arjun’s mindset. He also was very successful at introducing many characters without it feeling overwhelming or crowded. A few characters felt more like caricatures but in a thumbnail way that helped place them in the appropriate plot position without taking too much of the page count.
I enjoy the fake marriage trope. I enjoy the cranky-sunshine dynamic. I’ve read a lot of both. This story did not feel like a rehash or version 2.0 of any of the other stories in these tropes I’ve read. I enjoyed the slow, deliberate, mature control described in this story. It felt like these were grown men navigating big feelings rather than immature teens ricocheting through emotions and actions. I appreciated it :)
This is the first book I’ve read by this author, and now I’m going to find the rest of his works and probably read through them by the end of next week.
Review of advance copy
Similar vibes to Bedside Manner, but also completely different. Faking the Fiancé is sweet and funny and full of a rich culture that I loved diving into.
The descriptions of Kapoor family estate were especially beautiful. From the immaculate descriptions of the grounds to the exquisite details of the sari's. I felt like I was standing in India experiencing each moment myself.
Messy, pediatric doctor, Casey Wellington is a total softie and has been crushing on Arjun Kapoor for the past few years. So when Arjun asks Casey to help him when he suddenly needs a fiancé Casey jumps at the chance, not even asking why. Casey doesn't care that it's fake because he's hoping that by the end of their deal it becomes real.
Casey Wellington is messy with his goldendoodle dog named Oliver who sheds all over everything, the total opposite of the meticulous, pediatric brain surgeon Arjun Kapoor, but they work in all the best of ways.
He studies Arjuns family to head to India and I adored the whole event, the tactical dossier, brilliant 👏, and Casey took it all on with a smile. He's the warm calm to Arjuns cool non-social game, ❤️
There's a big meddling family, a formidable mother and opposites attract with a lovely happily ever after. A 4.5 stars over all.
Thank you to Booksirens and the author for the advanced review copy and all opinions are my own.
The descriptions of Kapoor family estate were especially beautiful. From the immaculate descriptions of the grounds to the exquisite details of the sari's. I felt like I was standing in India experiencing each moment myself.
Messy, pediatric doctor, Casey Wellington is a total softie and has been crushing on Arjun Kapoor for the past few years. So when Arjun asks Casey to help him when he suddenly needs a fiancé Casey jumps at the chance, not even asking why. Casey doesn't care that it's fake because he's hoping that by the end of their deal it becomes real.
Casey Wellington is messy with his goldendoodle dog named Oliver who sheds all over everything, the total opposite of the meticulous, pediatric brain surgeon Arjun Kapoor, but they work in all the best of ways.
He studies Arjuns family to head to India and I adored the whole event, the tactical dossier, brilliant 👏, and Casey took it all on with a smile. He's the warm calm to Arjuns cool non-social game, ❤️
There's a big meddling family, a formidable mother and opposites attract with a lovely happily ever after. A 4.5 stars over all.
Thank you to Booksirens and the author for the advanced review copy and all opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy
If only I could give more than five stars I would. I told a friend as I was reading it, I would gladly give it 10 in a 5 star rating.
This is not the first and hope not the last book by this author I have read and reviewed. I was captured by his two religious books and went on to the St. Jude series and now this book stands out above all. The characters are a bit extreme but very, very well-developed. The situations can be hilarious and they can be serious but it makes for excellent reading
The story mostly occurs in India but starts and ends in Toronto where the two main characters are doctors. It is obviously well-researched and written as if the author has been in both places. Both MCs have mothers who are strong and devious in what they do and I suspect we will see more as they clash in a future book in the series. Although the two main characters are extremely different, they have complementary personalities that leads to a balance. To some extent both have inherited "strong" from their mothers but I will not say more as it would spoil it for the reader.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This is not the first and hope not the last book by this author I have read and reviewed. I was captured by his two religious books and went on to the St. Jude series and now this book stands out above all. The characters are a bit extreme but very, very well-developed. The situations can be hilarious and they can be serious but it makes for excellent reading
The story mostly occurs in India but starts and ends in Toronto where the two main characters are doctors. It is obviously well-researched and written as if the author has been in both places. Both MCs have mothers who are strong and devious in what they do and I suspect we will see more as they clash in a future book in the series. Although the two main characters are extremely different, they have complementary personalities that leads to a balance. To some extent both have inherited "strong" from their mothers but I will not say more as it would spoil it for the reader.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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