BEHIND FRENEMY LINES

Looking for a new start after her long-term boyfriend moved to California and she was passed up for several promotions, Kriya Rajasekar accepts her boss Arthur’s invitation to follow him to a new firm, Swithin Watkins. Her optimism about the new job is short-lived, though, as she soon discovers that she’s sharing an office with none other than Charles Goh, a fellow lawyer she views as her personal bad luck charm. Whenever things go wrong for Kriya, Charles always seems to be present. Not wanting to make waves at the new firm on her first day, she makes do with the working arrangements, though she and Charles are like oil and water. Charles is very much a by-the-book type, adorably awkward and stuffy. Kriya exudes much more confidence and she quickly makes an impression on her colleagues, jeopardizing Charles’ potential rise to partner. As Kriya settles in, it becomes clear that Arthur’s suggestion that she join him at Swithin Watkins was motivated by more than just professional courtesy. Asking Charles to pretend to be her boyfriend seems like the ideal temporary solution. Charles doesn’t mind; he’s been harboring a crush on Kriya for years. When they start spending more time together, they connect over their Asian cultures—Kriya is Indian and Charles is Chinese, and both have familial and formative ties to Malaysia. They both have experiences being othered in their profession, while also navigating complex family dynamics where they don’t feel fully seen or heard. This is a sweet, delightful romance that never feels saccharine due to deep issues the lovers deal with including workplace harassment and family debt. Kriya and Charles feel evenly matched and truly perfect for one another.