This is How You Fall in Love

Ages 14 to 18

Best friends Zara and Adnan must navigate the twists and turns of fake dating, family dynamics and cultural stereotypes in this swoon-worthy YA Desi rom-com.

Zara loves love in all forms: rom-coms and romance novels and grand sweeping gestures. She's desperate to have her own great love story—a real one.

Everyone thinks Zara and her best friend, Adnan, obviously belong together. And they do love each other—just not like that. So when Adnan begs Zara to help cover his new, secret relationship by pretending to be his girlfriend, she doesn't really hesitate. How difficult can it be? It isn't the kind of great romance she had in mind, but with fake dating comes fake hand-holding and fake kissing and . . . real feelings?

And when a new, exciting boy arrives in Zara's life, things get more confusing than ever. Her fake romance might be making everyone around her happy, but should it be real, and can Zara and Adnan really be in love if they both have real feelings for somone else?

Anika Hussain's hilarious and heartfelt debut follows best friends as they fall through the twists and turns of fake dating, family dynamics, and friendship in this swoon-worthy young adult rom-com.

About the Author

Anika Hussain was born and raised in Stockholm, Sweden but currently lives and writes in Bath, England. She is a graduate of the Bath Spa MAWYP. Not having seen herself in the books she read as a teenager, Anika writes YA novels with South Asian characters at the heart of the story. Aside from writing and working as an Operations Manager, Anika is involved with the Hawkins Project, founded by Dave Eggers, to elevate the voices of young people in the publishing industry. In her free time, Anika rewatches Love Island, listens to too many true crime podcasts, and sings pop-punk songs loudly around her apartment. www.anikahussain.co.uk • Twitter: @huanika