I’m feeling so, so thankful today! This book was a joy to write from start to finish, and I’m so happy it seems to be finding its people! Sometimes it’s a struggle to capture the story in my mind and put it on the page, but this one came really naturally for me. I don’t know if I’ll ever feel that way again (the book I wrote after this one was a very different experience!), but I’m so thankful Just a Highland Fling turned out the way it did!

It’s fun and funny, but also has deeper moments. Themes of grief and loss, a complicated father-daughter relationship, and feelings of abandonment. It’s about love and choosing connection even when it terrifies us. And it’s a romp — a road trip through Scotland filled with beautiful scenery and unexpected obstacles and a wedding and a bagpiper and a runaway bride.

I’ll leave you with this quote from The New York Times, which absolutely delighted me!!

Thank you for supporting me and this book!! And if you’re in Austin, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Orlando, or Houston — I hope to see you on tour! (You can still get tickets here!)

GIVEAWAYS

1. My publisher is giving away three early copies of Just a Highland Fling!! Enter before July 1st for a chance to win! Enter HERE!

2. There’s a Goodreads giveaway for 25 copies of Just a Highland Fling!! Enter before July 21st! Enter HERE!

PREORDER SALE

1. Just a Highland Fling is 25% off when you preorder from Barnes and Noble!!! (This sale ends tomorrow so grab it now!) Buy it HERE!

PREORDER CAMPAIGN UPDATE

1. I always support buying from your local indie bookstore, and if you preorder Just a Highland Fling from Blue Willow Bookshop you’ll also get: (1) a character art print, (2) a postcard, (3) AND a dust jacket!!! This is a new addition to the preorder campaign and I’m so excited about it! Preorder HERE!

   See all the details below:

And a last reminder that I’m going on a quick tour! If you’re in Austin, St. Louis, Franklin, Orlando, or Houston, please come say hi!!!

Can’t wait for this book to be out so soon!! Hope you’re enjoying the summer and reading something fun! And hope to see you on tour! <3

It’s going to be so much fun! We’re going to play games and talk about our books and also whatever piece of pop culture we’re obsessed with at the moment. Please come out if you can! Ticket information can be found here.

And a reminder to pre-order! Pre-orders really mean so much to authors (they tell our publisher that people actually want our books, which lets us write more books!).

If you’d like a signed and personalized copy of Just a Highland Fling, and also some beautiful character art, please pre-order from Blue Willow Bookshop HERE!

I’m also going to do some other events this year, some that have been announced, others that haven’t. But there’s a pretty good chance I’ll be in New York at some point this summer so stay tuned!

And I’m going to be in Sacramento for Knotty Con (August 15-16)! I’m so excited because it’s my first time going to Sacramento! And I’ll be hanging around Northern California that whole next week, so send me recommendations on things to do and places to visit! I’m planning to just rent a car and drive and find some nice spots to sit and write :)

Speaking of writing…I’m currently drafting book 5, titled You’ve Been Ghosted! And I’m going to be diving into edits on book 4 soon, Diamond of the Rebellion!

Both these books have really stretched me creatively. They’ve challenged me, pushed me, and forced me to grow. And I’m really excited to share more about them soon! We just started having conversations about the covers for both books, and I love this part of the process. It’s fun to brainstorm and pull different ideas for inspiration, and I’m excited to see what we end up with!!

Lots of fun things on the horizon! Can’t wait to share more with you soon!!

Love,

Naina

DIAMOND OF THE REBELLION

I came up with the idea for this book in November 2024, though I had been thinking about it for even longer. I was kind of obsessed with the Duleep Singh sisters. I had just read a biography of Sophia Duleep Singh, and couldn’t stop thinking about her, and her family, and her sisters, Catherine and Bamba. They occupied such an interesting place in history, but I’d never learned anything about them, and I couldn’t stop researching and reading about them.

Slowly, the seeds of a story started forming in my mind, but I didn’t know what shape that story would take. I’ve talked a lot about how much I love historical romance. I came to romance through historicals. They were pretty much all I read from ages 15-21, and they’re still what I turn back to time and time again. But I wasn’t sure the story in my mind was a historical romance. There was magic and there were battles and a journey across the ocean, and so I started calling it a romantasy. I created a world that looked an awful lot like Victorian England and a place that sounded an awful lot like India of the time, but when I went on sub and had a call with Sarah, she suggested that we keep the magic, but make it clearly historical, and suddenly everything clicked.

Until then, I hadn’t really realized that was an option, but it felt SO right. We sold the book and I began writing, adjusting the pages I’d submitted and then writing entirely new pages until I finished the book. It was challenging from start to finish, and the hardest thing I’ve ever written, but I’m really proud of the work I’ve done so far! I submitted the first draft to my editor recently and I’m excited to keep working on it, and share it with you next summer.

In the meantime, here’s a little peek at some character art I commissioned for this! I haven’t shared this anywhere else!

YOU’VE BEEN GHOSTED

Okay, and now my fun ghost book!! I’ve been wanting to write a romance about a ghost for a long time, but I hadn’t been able to find the right angle until I was having dinner with a friend and we were both talking about the apps, and suddenly all the pieces slid into place.

I’m currently writing this, and after months of writing something historical, I’m having a ton of fun getting to write about phones and jeans and modern technology! The book should be funny with lots of hi-jinks, but because I’m me it’s also going to explore evil tech corporations and how they are making our lives and the planet worse (very light and fun!!).

Some books I’ve been reading for research are Careless People by Sarah Wynn Williams and Empire of AI by Karen Hao. And I really recommend both!

THE END

I want to end this newsletter with a huge thank you. I only have the opportunity to write and publish both of these books because of the way you’ve supported me and my previous books. Any time you buy one of my books, or get it from the library, or talk about it online, it makes a difference. I cannot thank you enough for letting me have the career of my dreams, and for allowing me to tell new stories. I hope I get to keep doing this for years and years to come!

One quick reminder that my next book, Just a Highland Fling, comes out July 21st! It’s available to request on Netgalley and pre-order now! Look out for more information about pre-order incentives and events soon!

With so much love and gratitude,

Naina

Four years ago, in December 2021, I finished the first draft of my very first book. It was titled something different then, but it eventually became my debut, Say You’ll Be Mine.1 I was over the moon the moment I finished that draft. Before then I had only ever written a few pages of a story. I had never completed one. I’d always given up or gotten stuck. I didn’t really know how to write a book until Say You’ll Be Mine, and for that reason it will always be special to me.

But I’ll never forget the first time I read it all the way through. I printed out all 300+ pages, punched holes in them, put the manuscript in a 3-ring binder, and read it cover to cover in one day. I was living at my parents’ house during the pandemic, and the moment I read the last page, I closed the binder and walked into their room.

“The book is bad,” I announced.

It was late at night. My parents were watching something on TV, but I remember they paused it immediately. They could see I was incredibly upset.

“But you worked so hard on it,” my mom said.

“Yes. And it’s bad. It’s so bad.”

I could barely sleep that night. I was just drowning in this overwhelming sense of dread.

I came so close to giving up on that book. Because I didn’t know how to revise it. I’d never done that before. I didn’t know if I was capable of making that hot mess of a story into something real.

I gave myself a few weeks and tried not to think about it. I put the binder on the floor under my desk and refused to look at it. I worked my day job and read lots of books for fun, and then when it was time for our family Christmas vacation, I took the binder with me, and I read the story again.

It didn’t feel as horrible this time, and I started to see things I could fix. I marked the manuscript up with a ballpoint pen, crossing things out, scribbling things in the margin. And I spent January to June of the next year revising the book on and off. I entered it in writing mentorship programs. I didn’t get into the first one I applied to (Author Mentor Match), so I revised some more, and submitted it to a second one (RevPit). And I got into that one. With the help of that mentor, I revised the book again. I sent it to beta readers, some of whom ended up becoming published authors as well, and also very dear friends (Ellie Palmer! Maggie North! ❤️).

Once I felt like I couldn’t do anything else to improve the book, I began to query agents. By that point I was active on writer Twitter (#rip), and I had heard plenty of horror stories about the query trenches. Querying is hard. You end up hearing a lot of “No’s” and you have to mentally prepare for that kind of rejection. I asked for lots of advice from different authors, and I’m so thankful that I started querying around the same time as a lot of my friends. Having that support and community made the process so much better. I can’t imagine what it would have been like to do that, or any part of publishing, alone.

I sent my first queries out in July 2022, and I was also pitching the book on Twitter in different pitch contests (again, #rip. I don’t know where newer writers are gathering these days to find community, but I do know some pitch contests, like #DVPit, have continued on BlueSky, and others have continued on Discord).

I got some interest from agents during the pitch contests on Twitter, and I added some of those agents to my querying list. I received my first request for a phone call at the end of August, and received my first offer of representation from an agent during that call. I was then given 2 weeks to nudge all the agents I’d queried. I had three more calls, and three more offers, but from the second I hopped on the phone with Johanna Castillo, I knew that’s who I would be signing with. It’s been a little over three years since we had that first phone call, and I couldn’t ask for a better agent. She’s phenomenal at every aspect of her job, on top of being kind and honest and having a keen editorial eye. She’s truly just the best.

Johanna had some edits for Say You’ll Be Mine, so I did more revisions on the book. Then on October 31st, she sent the book out to editors. I was in New York a few months ago and had lunch with my editor, and she was telling me how she remembered speaking with Johanna that Halloween about the book, and how she came home and started reading it that night after she finished taking her daughter trick-or-treating. The next day, she called Johanna, and we ended up all having a meeting via Zoom the following day, November 2nd. That afternoon, she made an offer and my whole life changed!

This was a very abnormal and quick submission period. Sometimes submission can take weeks or months, and I have friends who have been on submission for two years before getting a book deal. All of that is incredibly normal! There is no typical path to publishing, and no path is better than another. (To add another data point, I was on submission earlier this year, with what will be my fourth book, and it took us about a month to sell that one).

There was a tremendous amount of luck involved at every stage of my journey, and I share all this just to say, when I printed out that first draft, and said the book was bad, I was telling the truth.

My first draft of Say You’ll Be Mine was really, really bad.

But the book would never have existed, would never have sold, would never have changed my life, if I hadn’t written that first draft.

I’m drafting my fourth book right now. I’m on page 358 and I still have a lot more to write. I’m not convinced that this book is good yet. I’m almost certain that this first draft is really, really bad.

But, I think I can make it better. In fact, I know I can. But I have to get this draft finished first.

If you’re writing a first draft right now, I’m cheering for you! We’re going to make it to the other side, and it’s going to feel so wonderful when we get to write:

The End2

Sparks fly on a road trip through the Scottish highlands in this delightful forced proximity romance from the bestselling author of Flirting With Disaster.

Neelu Pillai makes a last-minute decision to fly to Scotland for her estranged father’s wedding with one goal: get in and get out with as little conflict as possible. But when her tipsy tirade at the rehearsal dinner is the reason her father gets left at the altar, she agrees to help him track down his runaway bride.

There’s just one problem: the third member of this road trip through the highlands is the hot desi bagpiper from the wedding, who just happens to be Neelu’s recent one-night stand. They couldn’t keep their hands off each other a few nights ago, but now he can’t seem to stand her.

Their journey to Skye is certainly not smooth, but as the two work through the obstacles, doing their best to reunite Neelu’s father with his bride, they realize that there’s more to each other than meets the eye. And that the electric connection they’d felt the night they met is still as strong as ever…

Fiery first impressions, fierce clashes, and undeniable chemistry make for a bumpy ride through the Highlands in this swoony, witty romance about family, forgiveness, and finding love where you least expect it.

I absolutely love what Sarah Horgan created for this cover!!! She is so talented (check out more of her work here).

JUST A HIGHLAND FLING comes out on July 21, 2026, which is a special day for reasons I can’t say yet, but I’m already scheming with a very good friend to plan some things to celebrate that week, and I can’t wait to share more!!

This book might be my favorite thing I’ve ever written! It’s also the only book that’s made me cry while I was writing it (in a good way!!). That’s never happened for me, but I was just so attached to these characters and their story and their growth, and when I wrote the last scene I found myself sobbing. Their closing moment felt so right and I was happy for them, but sad to say goodbye!! Neelu and Jacob have lived in my heart and mind for so long, and I can’t wait to share them with you!

In other news, I’m doing a few events the rest of the year! Three of them have sold out already, so I’ll only share things that are still open/available!

• Texas Book Festival (November 8-9): On Saturday, November 8th, I’ll be on the “Love, Laughs and Happily Ever Afters” panel at 11:00 a.m., with a signing to follow! I’ll also be signing at the Steamy Lit booth at 4:00 p.m. that day.

• Celebrating Kate Goldbeck at Book People: On November 19th, I’ll be at Book People to celebrate the release of Kate’s new book, Daddy Issues!!!! I am so excited to talk with her and Melanie Sweeney and Lindsey Kelk (all people I love and am obsessed with!) about this book and hopefully eat dinner with them at a Chili’s before or after!

And just a general life/writing update, I am currently drafting my fourth book, which we have not announced yet, but stay tuned 👀

I don’t want to say too much about it, but this book has been a challenge. Writing is always hard for me. I love it, and I hate it, and I can’t imagine not doing it, but it doesn’t come easily for me. This book in particular has drained me, and I’m not even halfway done with this draft. I have never written anything like this before. It’s required a ton of research and space to think and work through plot issues and lots of writing and deleting and rewriting. But I turned a corner a few days ago, and began to feel something again. I started to remember why I wanted to write this book in the first place, the excitement I’d felt when I was brainstorming it and putting the proposal together. I have a lot of love for this book, somewhere deep down, beneath all my anxiety and stress and worry about it. And I’m trying to hold on to that, and to remember that first drafts are never perfect and that I can fix things later (but it’s hard!!). My goal is to finish this draft by the end of the year so if you don’t see or hear much from me, that’s why. I’ll be hiding in my writing cave for the next few months, occasionally peeking my head out for the events listed above <3

I might be sitting on another publishing secret or two, but you’ll just have to wait to find out!! 👀👀👀👀

With so much love,

Naina

Some fun stuff that’s happened recently:

1. Flirting with Disaster hit the USA Today Bestseller list for the third time!! This was so wild and completely unexpected, and I’m so incredibly thankful to anyone who’s picked up a copy!

   

2. If you haven’t read it, the ebook is on sale for $1.99 this whole week! So now’s a great time to grab it!

   

3. Kirthana Ramisetti and I are doing a joint giveaway, and you can head over to Instagram to enter!

   

And now, the stuff I’m not supposed to talk about. Or can I actually? I don’t know the hard and fast rules about this. But last week I sold my fourth book! It’s going to be months (or more) before we announce it, but this book is really different than anything I’ve written so far! I think I can say that it’s not a contemporary romance (can I say that? idk. publishing, don’t get mad at me). I haven’t fully written this book because I sold it on proposal (essentially a synopsis and some sample pages), but I’m planning to get the first draft done by the end of the year, and I’m a little scared. This project has already required a ton of research, and will require more, and it’s pushing my craft and stretching me in a lot of ways. But it’s a story I have so much love for, and I’m really, really excited about it. And I’m so happy it found the right home! 💎👑

And a couple months ago, I sold my third book! That one is drafted and has gone through a round of edits. I don’t know when we’ll get to announce it, but the book will come out next year! I have so much affection for these characters and their journey. Last night, I pulled up the manuscript and started reading random scenes, and I remembered how much I really love this book and how much fun I had writing it. I can’t wait to share more about it (hopefully soon?). 🚙⛰️💒🐑

Thanks for being here! Appreciate all of you so much <3

Love,

Naina

We’re just one week away until Flirting with Disaster comes out!! So, some quick things:

Events!

• January 14: I’ll be at Blue Willow Bookshop in Houston with Melanie Sweeney!! The brilliant author of Take Me Home! I loved Melanie’s debut and I’m so excited for her next book, Where You’re Planted! Melanie’s next book also takes place in Houston, in the aftermath of a hurricane, and we’re going to have so many fun things to talk about. If you haven’t read her debut yet, you need to get on that ASAP!

• January 16: I’ll be at Book People in Austin with Ali Hazelwood!! I was lucky enough to do an event with Ali last year for Say You’ll Be Mine and we had the best time. I promise it’ll be just as fun, and silly, and goofy this time too!

Pre-Order

• US Pre-orders!

I’m sure you’ve heard just how much pre-orders matter to authors, and I’m so appreciative of anyone who’s preordered this book! If you’d still like to do that, you can preorder at any retailer of your choice!

And if you’d like a signed copy and some character art, you can pre-order from Blue Willow Bookshop by January 11th!!

• UK Pre-orders!

And if you’re in the UK, my UK publisher is doing a giveaway and anyone who’s preordered is eligible to enter!!

Virtual Event

This Sunday, I’m joining an IG live hosted by Ayushi (@bookwormbullet) and I’m so excited to chat with her and Ava Rani about these books and South Asian romance, so please join us for this!!!

Giveaways

There are a couple giveaways running on my Instagram right now!

First up, I’m giving away a signed, finished copy of Flirting with Disaster and a signed copy of Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood!!! You can head over to my page to enter:

The comments are really fun with people adding their favorite things to buy at HEB (my grocery list just grew so much longer)! If you don’t know what HEB is, it’s a grocery store chain in Texas that people here are very loyal to! I love it so much, and even mention my love for HEB in my author bio!

The other giveaway running right now is for an ARC of Myah Ariel’s next book NO ORDINARY LOVE! I read it over the holidays and LOVED it!! While you’re waiting for it to come out, you should definitely read Myah’s debut WHEN I THINK OF YOU, because it is a masterpiece! You can enter the giveaway here.

This giveaway is part of a new monthly series Ellie Palmer and I are starting, where we will be highlighting a romance author every month and the causes they love! Every month, we’ll be giving away a book by that author and sharing a mutual aid fund or nonprofit in their community doing amazing work! Donations are not required to enter the giveaway, but they are encouraged!! This month, Myah Ariel chose Miss Rodgers’ Neighborhood!

And if you’d like to, you can donate here!

I’m really excited about this series and we have so many great authors and causes to share with you over the next few months!!!

January Romances

There are so many great books coming out this month, and I’m going to highlight some of the ones I’m excited for!! Anything with an * I’ve read and LOVED already!

• Temple of Swoon by Jo Segura (1/7)

• The Starlight Heir by Amalie Howard (1/7)

• For One Night Only by Jessica James (1/7)

• Playing Flirty by Shameez Patel (1/14)

• Unromance by Erin Connor (1/14)* (y’all this book!!!! it’s amazing! romance fans will adore it!)

• Let’s Call a Truce by Amy Buchanan (1/14)* (enemies to lovers workplace romance perfection!!!)

• Give Me Butterflies by Jillian Meadows (1/21)

• Yin Yang Love Song by Lauren Kung Jessen (1/28)

• Out of the Woods by Hannah Bonam-Young (1/28)* (Also, this book?!?! OMG. I’m such a fan of Hannah’s and I’m so excited to talk with her about this book on 1/30 at Blue Willow Bookshop in Houston! I’d share more info about this event, but it’s already sold out!)

• Earl Crush by Alexandra Vasti (1/21)* (I don’t have the words for how much I loved this!!! Everything Alex writes is a treat, and this book!! Radical wallflower! Blacksmith earl! It’s so so good!!!! I’m excited to read it again!)

• Zoe Brennan, First Crush by Laura Piper Lee (1/21) (I haven’t read this yet but I loved Laura’s debut and I know I’m going to love this one too!)

• Spiral by Bal Khabra (1/28)

• The Heir by Ava Rani (1/28)

Thanks!! Appreciate all of you and can’t believe in just one week I’ll have a second book out in the world!

Love,

Naina

It was so fun revisiting these characters! They’re just so happy together and I love them so much!!!

First, a couple Flirting with Disaster updates:

1. It comes out January 14, 2025 and if you’d like to pre-order it and get a signed copy + this character art, you can do that HERE.

   

2. Flirting with Disaster is getting a special edition with sprayed edges!!!!! Available for subscribers of Cover Snob Subscription Box!! They’ve done such fantastic work and it was a joy to collobrate with them on this. You can subscribe HERE and there may be overstock available to purchase at a later date!

   

3. Event Schedule: I’m doing just a couple events for this release. I’ll be doing one in Houston at my fave Blue Willow Bookshop on January 14th (with Melanie Sweeney who’s the best)! And then in Austin at Book People on January 16th (with Ali Hazelwood, which will be so fun)! I’ll be back at Blue Willow on January 30th with Hannah Bonam-Young to celebrate the release of Out of the Woods (which is SO good! you’re going to love it!!). And I’ll also be at Love Y’all in Atlanta February 14-16!

Okay, and now this very short story! I’m thinking about it as a bonus epilogue that takes place after the epilogue of Say You’ll Be Mine. That does make the timeline a little wonky since Wicked just came out and that epilogue is set two years after the events of SYBM, but there’s no copyeditor to call me out about that! There’s no editor at all, really, so apologies in advance. Here it is!!!

Meghna and Karthik Go See Wicked - A Very Short Story

“I can’t believe I never took you to see Wicked,” Meghna said, shaking her head.

Karthik grinned. “Well, at least you’re taking me now,” he said.

“It’s not the same.” She put the car in park, and unlocked the doors. “I don’t know how I let this happen. The first time you’re seeing it is going to be in a movie theater.”

He laughed. “You say that as if it’s a bad thing.”

“It’s not, it’s just—”

“It’s just you’re a theater purist.”

“Exactly!” The two of them stepped out of the car, a breeze blowing through the parking lot. It was a balmy afternoon in Dallas, the sun out, the temperature warm even though it was late November.

“Everyone’s first time seeing a show should be in a theater,” Meghna continued. “If they can I mean. I know it’s not always accessible to people, but we have no excuse! We live in the city!” She looked over at him, her face drawn and dramatic. “I’ve failed you.”

“Nah,” he said, slinging an arm over her shoulders. “You could never.” He leaned down, giving her a quick kiss. “I saw My Fair Lady on stage, didn’t I?”

Meghna laughed. “On stage is a bit of a stretch.”

“I don’t think so. It was my favorite production.” He pulled her closer. “Besides, my musical theater education has been quite thorough these past few years. We’ve seen almost everything else.”

“Except Cats,” she said.

“Except Cats,” he replied.

“And we never will.”

“Never,” he said solemnly, a smile playing at his mouth.

They reached the entrance and Karthik pulled out his phone, showing the attendant the tickets on his screen.

“I’m glad we were able to sneak away to do this,” he said, putting the phone back in his pocket.

Meghna snorted. “Yeah, I don’t think they’re going to miss us too much.”

Karthik’s mother had joined them on this trip to Dallas, and all of them had celebrated Thanksgiving with Meghna’s parents. They’d made a fusion meal, Karthik’s mother making turkey biryani with cranberry chutney (it had turned out well, not surprising considering her culinary skills, but they’d all agreed they preferred her mutton biryani instead), and Meghna had made a mango pie.

“We make this too,” Karthik’s mother had said when Meghna had assembled the ingredients—canned Alphonso mango, cream cheese, Jell-O, and a pre-made graham cracker pie crust.

Meghna had laughed. Her own mother had gotten the recipe from some aunty years ago, but that recipe must have spread like wildfire because almost every Indian-American family she knew made this pie for Thanksgiving now.

“Yeah,” Karthik said, smiling at her. “The parents are completely passed out.” He shook his head. “I can’t believe we’re awake actually. We usually fall prey to that post-biryani sleep too.”

“I wasn’t going to let that happen,” Meghna said. “This is our only window to see Wicked today. We have that friendsgiving thing with Ankita and Samir later tonight, remember?”

“Yeah,” he said, mock-grumbling. “It’s the reason you wouldn’t let us have that second mango pie you made.”

She shushed him, as they joined the line for concessions. “You’ll get to have it later,” she said. “Good things come to those who wait.”

“Oh, that I know,” he said. He smiled down at her. “I waited for you, didn’t I?”

She grinned back. “I don’t remember it going like that exactly.”

“What?” he said. “You don’t remember? I was head over heels for you from day one, but I had to be patient.” He winked. “Had to wait for you to catch up.”

She laughed. “Yeah, that is definitely not the way it went down.”

“Eh, it was so long ago, who can recall?”

They stepped up to the counter, ordering popcorn and their drinks.

“You’re rewriting history,” she told him when the employee at the counter stepped away, filling up the giant popcorn bucket.

“Oh, am I?”

“Yes.”

When the employee returned with the bucket and their drinks, Meghna quickly handed over her credit card.

“Hey!” Karthik interjected, but Meghna shook her head.

“My treat,” she said. “I’m forcing you to see this after all.”

“Jaan, I want to see it.” They carried their popcorn, taking it to the side to add extra butter. “You’ve been talking about it for months. You said you’ve been obsessed with it for years!”

“Yes, I’ve been obsessed with it. But I know it’s not exactly your—”

“If it’s something you love that much, I want to know it. I want to understand it too.” He lowered his head, his eyes meeting hers. “You know that.”

“Yeah,” she said softly. “I do.”

The two of them walked inside the theater, found their seats, and settled in. The trailers hadn’t started yet, the lights still on, some pre-trailer trivia playing on the screen.

“Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield used to date?” Karthik asked in surprise, and Meghna laughed.

“Yes,” she said. “It was a whole thing.”

“I thought he liked that Chicken Shop lady!”

Meghna laughed again. “Look how up to date you are on pop culture now!”

“Well, it’s all thanks to you,” he said, with a grin.

“I know, I know.” She leaned against his arm. “I’ve just improved your life in so many ways, haven’t I?”

“Yeah,” he said, kissing her temple. “You absolutely have.”

She turned to look at him, and found him watching her, his expression gentle. His gaze tender, entirely focused on her.

She bent toward him, her mouth finding his.

“You too,” she said, when they broke apart. She lifted her hand and brought it to his jaw, her thumb brushing his cheek. “We didn’t do that whole thing this year, where we go around the table and say what we’re thankful for, but I’m thankful for you, you know?”

“Yeah,” he said. “I know.” He kissed her again. “I’m thankful for you too.”

The lights began to dim, and they turned to face the screen.

“So,” Karthik said. “What’s Wicked about?”

Meghna laughed softly. “Didn’t we watch the trailer together?”

“Yes, but…I didn’t really follow, I mean I know she’s green, but that’s about it.”

“Well, I don’t want to spoil it for you.”

“Not even a hint?”

She looked over at him. “You didn’t know what My Fair Lady was about, and you enjoyed that.”

He smiled. “I guess that’s true.”

“Sometimes it’s more fun when you don’t know the whole story in advance. When you just have to watch and see the way it plays out.”

“You’re right,” he said, his mouth still curved in a gentle smile. “Sometimes, the best things take you by surprise.”

The first trailer started, and Meghna leaned against Karthik. The two of them whispered through each one, talking about which movies they wanted to see, and which ones looked absolutely ridiculous, but when the lights went completely dark, they sat together in silence, and Meghna held her breath as the opening notes of No One Mourns the Wicked began to play.

***

“So, what did you think?” Meghna asked, turning to him. The lights hadn’t gone up yet, the credits still rolling, but even through the dim atmosphere, Meghna could see Karthik’s eyes were shining.

“What?” she asked.

“I loved it,” he said. “It was…it was perfect.”

Meghna smiled. “Yeah,” she said. She reached for his hand, interlacing their fingers. “It really was.”

She dropped her head on his shoulder, and the two of them stayed like that for a long moment.

Today, every single moment of it, had been perfect.

Just like every day they’d spent together had been.

Just like tomorrow would be too.

That’s all (at least for now)!! Maybe I’ll revisit these two again some day!

If you’re curious about that mango pie, the NYT did a little recipe/article about it a while ago! It’s something my mom started making for us at Thanksgiving when I was a kid. She got the recipe from an aunty, but I had no idea how widespread it was! I’ve now met so many desi people who make it for Thanksgiving and recently saw it making the rounds on TikTok! It’s really good! I highly recommend trying it!!!!

This book is second chance-y and angsty, but also funny and hopeful, and I can’t wait for you to meet Meena and Nikhil.

Here’s the full blurb if you want to know more about this book!! 🌀🛶🩵

She needs a divorce from her husband—but a hurricane threatens to dredge up their stormy, passionate past in this sizzling reimagining of Sweet Home Alabama from the bestselling author of Say You’ll Be Mine.

It's been years since Meena separated from her husband, Nikhil . . . years since they first laid eyes on each other in their home state of Texas, years since they spontaneously wed in Las Vegas and she felt true happiness. Now a high-powered lawyer on Capitol Hill and ready to move on (at least, she thinks so) with another successful lawyer, Shake, Meena has returned to Texas. This time, finally to obtain a divorce.

But there’s one thing Meena didn’t account for: a hurricane forming in the Gulf, veering right toward them and giving them no choice but to hunker down in the home they had built together. Suddenly, she finds herself trapped amid gale-force winds and pelting rain with the man she once loved.

As they spend more time together, Meena begins to remember everything that drew her to Nikhil: his small-town charm, his thoughtful nature . . . his absurdly good looks. But being with Shake makes sense to her. He’s steady, ambitious, and wants exactly what she wants. So she’ll stick to her plan, come hell or high water. But will her windswept heart make the right choice, once the eye passes over and the storm settles?

With sharp observations about second chances at love, ambition and Indian American identity, and with characters who share an undeniable chemistry, Flirting with Disaster is a modern romance with the sensibility of a classic.

Happy reading!!!

Love,

Naina

Follow the link above for more information, and to look at some of the other titles that are available for this pre-order special!

I haven’t formally announced a pre-order campaign or anything yet, but it’s a safe bet that if you pre-order from Blue Willow, your copy will be signed and will come with some character art for this book! I shared the art in my last newsletter (and some of you may have seen it at Steamy Lit!), but I’m going to include it below as well.

I can’t wait to share these characters and this story with you soon (ARC’s should be available at the end of this month, I think? so keep an eye on Netgalley!)

Happy Bookstore Romance Day!!

Love, Naina

Upcoming Houston-area-ish events:

• Barnes & Noble opening on July 3rd (aka this Wednesday!): https://stores.barnesandnoble.com/event/9780062171030-0

• Launch for Alexandra Vasti’s NE’ER DUKE WELL at Blue Willow Bookshop on July 24th (Etta Easton, author of The Kiss Countdown is going to be there too, and I can’t wait! I’ve been recommending Alex’s histrom novellas to everyone I know, and her debut novel is an absolute treat! You definitely want to pick it up!): https://www.bluewillowbookshop.com/event/vasti-2024

  

• Barnes & Noble opening on July 27th: https://stores.barnesandnoble.com/event/9780062170597-0

And I don’t have any book events planned here, but I’m going to Scotland!! I’ll be in Glasgow and Edinburgh next week for a friend’s wedding (and maybe some story inspo 👀). Fun fact about my family: my brother used to be a competitive bagpiper and for a few years, I learned Highland dancing as a kid. I haven’t been to Scotland since I went to the World Pipe Band Championships to watch my brother compete when he was in high school and I’m so excited to go back, see friends, and experience some Scottish wedding traditions!

But because I’ll be over there, I’m sadly missing the launch of Melanie Sweeney’s TAKE ME HOME! If you’re in the Houston area, definitely go! It’s on July 9th at Blue Willow, and the book is such a delight. And if you’re not in Houston, check the rest of Melanie’s tour schedule because she might be making a stop closer to you!

Pivoting to Steamy Lit Con, if you’re going, I’m so excited to see you there! A reminder that if you want to pre-order books for pick up at Steamy Lit you need to do it by June 30th (aka today)!! https://meetcutebookshop.com/item/ZoOPMvNQhqa47-_IfZuBzA

Straight from Steamy Lit Con, I’m flying to Minneapolis to celebrate the launch of Ellie Palmer’s incredible debut FOUR WEEKENDS AND A FUNERAL! I love this book with all my heart. I’ve read multiple drafts of it, and it’s been such a gift to be on this writing journey with Ellie these past few years. She’s an immense talent, and I’m so excited for this book to be out on August 6th!! More info about the event here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/book-launch-for-ellie-palmers-four-weekends-and-a-funeral-tickets-934960842047

That was a lot of info, so as a reward, here’s a sneak peek of some characters art I commissioned for FLIRTING WITH DISASTER (out January 2025)! Aishwarya Tandon (@toondoon1010) really outdid herself. This book is a second-chance romance between two estranged spouses who end up trapped together in a a hurricane, and Aishwarya captured all the second-chance vibes and angst perfectly! I love it so much.

Look out for pre-order info on how to get this art soon!

So many more fun things coming up that I can’t wait to share! Thanks for being here with me. I feel so lucky I get to do all of this, and appreciate y’all so much!

Love,

Naina

I’m doing a giveaway on my insta of two signed copies of my book and two signed copies of Etta Easton’s THE KISS COUNTDOWN. Today’s the last day to enter, so head over here if you’re interested:

I also want to let you know about the Gaza Evacuation Fund Book Auction! There are some incredible items to bid on and you can look at all of them here: https://www.32auctions.com/gazabookauction?r=1&t=all

The auction is live and closes on May 12th. I’ve donated two items:

1. An Annotated Copy of Say You’ll Be Mine! I’ve never annotated a book before, so this will be fun! I’ll be writing notes in the margins, highlighting some favorite lines, maybe drawing little doodles. This will be one of a kind (I don’t know if I’ll ever give away an annotated copy of SYBM again!) so please bid if you’re interested!

2. Signed ARC of my next book! I’ll sign and personalize an ARC of my next book and ship it as soon as I have ARC’s in my hand! (And we haven’t formally shared the title yet, but it’s on retailer sites so if you’re curious, you can take a look 👀). I really love the title, and the cover design, and I can’t wait to share both soon.

There’s more information and FAQ’s about the auction on their insta account: https://www.instagram.com/gazabookauction/

And if you’re interested in how auction winners will claim their prize/interested in donating directly to an evacuation fund, please see the information from the organizers on the website. I’ve also included it below:

Auction winners will donate to one of the evacuation funds listed here and then send proof of receipt to claim their prize: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1p5aSRCU4GdUXopD9d68qZTfsOuy0lJuNjvC4va-ovWY/edit?usp=sharing
All evacuation fundraisers have been community verified!

I’ve donated to a few of the funds and it’s a very quick process. I highly encourage you to consider it (if it’s within your means).

With love,

Naina

If you’ve read and liked the book, I’d love if you would consider leaving a review on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or the retailer where you bought it. Reviews on retailer sites can really help the visibility of a book, and it’s a lovely way to support an author. I really appreciate anyone who takes the time to do that!!

To celebrate SYBM being out for 2 months (and to celebrate and thank you!!), I commissioned some character art from the very talented, Aishwarya Tandon (@toondoon10). This scene is the first time Meghna and Karthik really give in to their feelings and allow themselves to think that what they have could actually be real, and I love how Aishwarya captured all of that here!! The tender gaze! The romantic atmosphere! The swoony dip!!

As a thank you, I’d love to mail a print to the first TWENTY people who sign up at this link. Just fyi, you’ll need to provide a valid U.S. mailing address to receive it! I’ll also bring copies of this print to most of my upcoming events, and will likely give some more away soon!

Speaking of upcoming events…you can see my full event schedule on my website, but just to highlight some events next month:

First, I’m celebrating Etta Easton’s launch of her fantastic, fake-dating debut THE KISS COUNTDOWN at Kindred Stories in Houston on April 9th!! Etta’s book is truly wonderful. It’s funny, and warm, and full of characters you’ll fall in love with. And it’s set in the exact part of Houston I grew up in, right next to NASA, and it really captures all the vibes of Space City and the NASA culture around here! I loved it and I’m so excited to celebrate with her!!

Then, on April 13th, I’ll be at San Antonio Book Festival!! I’ve been to this festival as a reader before, and it’s really fun to be going back as an author! The festival is free and it’s always a great time, so if you live in the area I hope you’ll come out! I’ll be doing a panel and signing books after, and I believe the panel schedule will be going up on the SABF website soon!

Lastly, just general life and writing updates! We’ve picked a title for Book 2 and have started talking about cover ideas, which is always such a fun part of the process! Book 2 is still in the edits/revision stage, but I love this story. It’s second-chance-y, angsty, forced proximity with a sort-of “snowed-in” trope (except the snow is a hurricane), and I can’t wait to share more about it soon!!

If you’re curious and want to know more, there’s a sneak peek of the first chapter of Book 2 in the back of SAY YOU’LL BE MINE!!

I’m way behind on my TBR, but a few books I’ve been reading and loving lately:

• Alexandra Vasti’s Book 2!! It’s perfect and wonderful, just like everything Alex writes, but it’s not out yet, so I can’t say too much. But the good news is that you can pre-order her brilliant, upcoming debut novel NE’ER DUKE WELL here and she also has FOUR lovely novellas out now (three are on KU and one is completely free if you sign up for her newsletter)! Links are all here.

• BRIDE by Ali Hazelwood. I’ve always been a paranormal romance fan (and a huge Ali fan), so I knew I would devour this and I absolutely did. The love story is so soft and tender, and there’s a mystery element, feuding between humans and vampires and werewolves, and off-the-charts chemistry!!! It could not have been more tailor-made for me.

• THIS COULD BE US by Kennedy Ryan. Kennedy Ryan’s books always emotionally destroy me. She’s such a master of the craft and I learn something new every time I read her books, not just about writing, but about life. Kennedy recently had an event in Houston and it was such a joy getting to meet her and celebrate this beautiful book!

That’s everything for now!! Thanks for being here, and I’ll have some more news and nonsense for you soon!

• Blue Willow Bookshop - Houston, TX

• Book People - Austin, TX

• Nowhere Bookshop - San Antonio, TX

You can also find the buy links for all retailers here!

Also, some really exciting news, Say You’ll Be Mine hit the USA Today bestseller list today!

I’m so thankful to everyone on my team and everyone who supported this book: early readers, librarians, indie booksellers who picked the book for subscription boxes and/or book clubs, and anyone who preordered or picked up a copy last week! This really means so much to me and I can’t believe I’ll get to put “USA Today Bestselling author” in my bio from now on!!

Last week was so much fun and I’ve put some pictures from all the events on my insta, but here are a couple more. It was so nice to see IRL friends and family who came out in Houston, Austin, and San Antonio, and also meet readers and other authors and make new friends. I really had the best time and I’m so grateful to everyone who was a part of it, in person and from afar.

And a special shout out to my critique partners and first writing friends, Ellie Palmer, Ava Nolan, and Scarlette Tame, who flew all the way to Houston from New York and Minnesota to come to my launch event! Ellie, Ava, and Scarlette have been there for this book from its very first draft and it was so special to get to celebrate this moment with them!

A quick roundup of some other fun things!

1. I got to talk with the lovely Falon Ballard and Courtney Kae on Happy to Meet Cute about SYBM, The Gilded Age, Sister Wives, and musical theater and it was such a fun time! You can listen here!

2. SYBM was picked as a “Debut We Love” for January by Apple Books.

3. SYBM was an Amazon Editors’ Best Romance Pick for January (and there’s some fun somewhat related news coming up in February 👀👀)

So stick around for a lot more news and nonsense from me soon!! And thank you again for being here and being a part of all of this. I appreciate you so much!

1. Signed Copies

A reminder that if you want to order a signed copy, you can do so by ordering one through Blue Willow Bookshop! Click here to pre-order, and at checkout indicate any personalization requests in the comments section. They ship anywhere in the US :)

You can also pre-order from the preferred retailer of your choice here!

2. Events Next Week

• January 16, 2024: Blue Willow Bookshop at 7pm - Houston, TX

• January 17, 2024: Book People at 7pm - Austin, TX

• January 18, 2024: Nowhere Bookshop at 6pm - San Antonio, TX

Really excited for all of this!!! My close writing friends, who have been there from the very beginning when this book was just a messy first draft, are coming in for the Houston launch and the fact that they’d fly all the way here just means so much to me. I’m also so touched by my IRL friends in Houston, Austin, and San Antonio who have messaged me to say they’re coming, and of course I’m so excited to meet readers and make new friends at all these events!!! If you live in the area, I hope you’ll stop by!

3. Ahhhhhhhhhhh

For so long January 16, 2024 felt like this far-away date that would never come. An imaginary day somewhere in the future. But now it’s happening and I find myself repeatedly saying this in a high, squeaky voice….

Really, I’m mostly excited, but I’m also nervous and a little scared. I don’t know what to expect next week, but my goal right now is to just enjoy all of it. From the very beginning, all I really wanted was to get to see my book sitting on a shelf in a bookstore one day, and in exactly one week I’ll get to do that! The fact that I also get to do events with authors I admire and meet readers in person is such a fun bonus!

I'll save the big, gushy thank you speech for all the people that got me here for next week, but just know it’s coming!

Also, just want to wish everyone a happy 2024! I’m hoping for all the good things for you and yours this year!

Stay tuned for more news and nonsense coming from me very, very soon!!

First, some of you know this, but I recently moved back to Houston (my hometown) and I’ve been dying to visit my local indie, Blue Willow Bookshop, and I’m so happy I finally got to go this weekend!! It was the best time! Everyone who works there is incredibly kind and it was so fun meeting them!

• Order Signed Copies!!!

And with that said, I’m so delighted to share that if you’d like to order a signed copy, you can do so by ordering one through Blue Willow! Click here to pre-order, and at checkout indicate any personalization requests in the comments section. They ship anywhere in the US :)

• Book Event Info!!!

I’m also going to share all this info on socials soon with pretty graphics, but I’m doing my launch event at Blue Willow on January 16, 2024 at 7pm, so if you’re in the Houston area please stop by! My sister and cousins will be there passing out friendship bracelets and we might bring some treats, so it’s going to be a grand time with some slumber-party-with-your-besties vibes.

And if you’re in Austin, I’m going to be at Book People on January 17, 2024 at 7pm! And I actually have a pretty graphic for this one (because Book People made it so I didn’t have to hehe). I’m so excited to get to see my Austin friends and to get to chat with Ali Hazelwood!! I’m so thankful she was willing to do this event with me and I think it’s going to be a lot of fun!

And on January 18th, I’m going to be at Nowhere Bookshop in San Antonio at 6pm. And I’ll be chatting with fellow 2024 debut, Etta Easton, whose book THE KISS COUNTDOWN (Berkley, April 9, 2024), looks amazing and not to brag, but I have it on my computer right now and I’m so excited to start it!!

So, to recap:

• January 16, 2024: Blue Willow Bookshop at 7pm - Houston, TX

• January 17, 2024: Book People at 7pm - Austin, TX

• January 18, 2024: Nowhere Bookshop at 6pm - San Antonio, TX

These are all cities I’ve lived in and getting to do book events in each of them is a dream come true!! I’m so excited and can’t wait!!!

• Giveaways!!!

There’s a Goodreads giveaway going on right now! There are 50 copies available (and these are finished copies, not just ARCs!) so go enter now!!!!

I’m also going to give away a couple signed ARCs on Instagram soon, so be sure to follow me there if you don’t already!

Lastly, I just want to say a thank you to all the early readers, reviewers, friends, and family who’ve taken the time to read this book before it comes out. There are so many wonderful books out there and we all have mile-long TBR piles so the fact that you would carve out time to read this book and review it on your platform or on Goodreads/Netgalley/Amazon/Storygraph/Xanga/MySpace, means a lot to me. I’m so so grateful!

And that’s all I have for today! Stay tuned for more news and nonsense from me soon!

1. I have a cover and I love it!!!

We went through a couple rounds with this cover, saw some different drafts and designs, but everyone agreed that this was our favorite. When we looked through color options the first thing my agent said to me was, “We have to go with the pink because Barbie,” and she was absolutely correct.

I really love how this turned out and I’m super grateful to Elena Giavaldi and Sarah Horgan who created and designed such a beautiful cover for my story!

2. B&N Pre-Order Sale

Barnes and Noble is doing it’s 25% off pre-order sale from now until 9/8 (aka tomorrow), so if you want to pre-order my book, you can do that here.

And if you want to learn more about why pre-orders are important and why they matter to authors, check out this post:

I’m also going to share some of the books I pre-ordered during the sale! Anything with an asterisk is a book I’ve read and LOVED already, and I’m so excited to read the rest of this list and have these books on my shelf!!!

WHEN I THINK OF YOU by Myah Ariel*

NE’ER DUKE WELL by Alexandra Vasti*

RULES FOR SECOND CHANCES by Maggie North*

THE KISS COUNTDOWN by Etta Easton

THIS SPELLS LOVES by Kate Robb*

FLIRTY LITTLE SECRET by Jessica Lepe

HAPPY MEDIUM by Sarah Adler

SEX, LIES, AND SENSIBILITY by Nikki Payne

ISABEL AND THE ROGUE by Liana de la Rosa

3. NetGalley and Edelweiss

A quick reminder that advanced copies of my book are available to request on NetGalley (here!) and Edelweiss (here!).

And lastly, I’ll leave you with this picture of Sylvie hanging out with one of my advanced copies. Aren’t they both beautiful???

Anyway, now that I’ve remembered that this newsletter exists I’m going to be more consistent with it, so expect more news and nonsense from me soon!

You can also add the book on Goodreads here!

And an enormous thank you to Colleen Hoover for this incredibly kind blurb. I was absolutely floored (a) when I learned that she’d agreed to read the book and (b) when I saw what she said about it:

Still can’t believe it! Lots more to come (including some news about the cover), so watch this space!!

And now that we’re done with the news, let’s move on to the nonsense!

It’s springtime in Texas, which means the weather can be anything from 50 and rainy to 90 and sunny. Every day is a surprise.

I explore (and complain a lot about) Texas weather in Book 2, which takes place during a hurricane in Houston, informed by my personal experiences growing up there and going through a number of tropical storms, flooding events, and hurricanes. Writing it has been a journey as I’ve relived memories of evacuating and staying through storms with my family, the stress and tension we all experienced, but also the surprising moments of dark humor that come up during these times. The book, so far, reflects that. It’s angsty with sudden bursts of laughter, and full of second chance feels. I made a mood board recently and tried to capture some of the vibes, and I can’t wait to share more about it!

And finally, here’s Sylvie’s Last Reads:

Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan

I had been warned that this book would destroy me, wreck my emotions, break my heart in two, and it absolutely did. It’s the angstiest, most beautiful second chance romance about a divorced couple finding their way back to each other. This book is about love, but it’s also about two people who work hard to heal and grow as individuals so they can be the best versions of themselves for each other. Yasmen and Josiah’s HEA was so hard-earned and I loved every second of their story.

The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston

I was hooked the second I learned the premise of this book: a ghostwriter who actually sees ghosts?? I’m in. The love story here is so soft and swoony and Florence and Ben are such wonderful characters, but the exploration of death and grief is what really took my breath away. Grief is still new to me. Until last year, I’d never had to grieve the loss of a loved one and I’m still wrestling with all of it. Reading this felt like a breath of fresh air, a rush of warmth in a space that has felt kind of cold. A way of looking at death head-on and greeting it like a friend, instead of something scary. It’s a gorgeous book and one I know I’ll be coming back to in the future.

(And just a quick note, be sure to check content warnings for both of these books before reading, as both contain heavier topics).

And that’s all I have for today! Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more news and nonsense from me soon <3

And now on to the important stuff…this is my dog, Sylvie! She’s going to feature pretty heavily in this space because she’s my pride and joy and the apple of my eye and every other cliché in the book. I got her from a rescue in Houston in 2020 during the height of the pandemic and she’s just the kindest, sweetest little pup and the best writing companion.

She’s usually cuddling with me while I’m reading so it feels like we’re reading every book together. She loves all of them, but she must have really loved Emily Henry’s Book Lovers because when I left my copy on the couch, she ate the first three chapters :(

(Thankfully, this was after I finished the book, but I still went out and bought another copy. PRH really owes Sylvie a commission for all the extra sales she’s causing!)

Anyway, without further ado, here’s Sylvie’s Last Read:

Jana Goes Wild by Farah Heron

Sylvie and I adored this book! Farah is one of my favorite writers (and I hopefully didn’t scare her away by fangirling too hard when I met her at a writing retreat recently). This book is a second chance romance, and also a beautiful journey of self-discovery and growth for the main character, Jana. It’s set during a wedding and safari in Tanzania and the book immediately transports you there! Also, this cover!!! The giraffe poking its head! The elephant! Jana hanging out inside the letters! I love it all!

Jana Goes Wild comes out May 2, 2023, and I hope everyone picks up a copy for their shelf! Pre-order here.

And that’s all I have for today! Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more news and nonsense from me soon <3