(5 / 5)
Soraya Nazari is the daughter of Iranian immigrants. She's shy and never been kissed. Raised in a strict family, she's a recent college grad who is determined to finally hook up with a guy just to get it out of the way. She feels lost (like so many recent college grads do!) is struggling to "fit in" and isn't landing the dream job she thought she would. Then she meets Magnus who doesn't seem like her type but she quickly learns there's much more depth to him than she originally thought. She keeps their relationship secret from her family fearing what they would think of her dating outside the culture.
At first glance this seems like a light Rom-Com read with not much substance but boy was I wrong. This book is a very though provoking read. Soraya is Iranian and Magnus is white which leads to misunderstandings in their relationship. The chapters go back and forth between Soraya in present day and her mom, Neda during the 70s in Tehran. Soraya may think she has nothing in common with her mother but they've both had their struggles trying to hold respect their culture while living in a western country. Neda has her own private issues with her husband and an estranged daughter the family isn't allowed to talk about. It all comes to a blow when Soraya's secret relationship with Magnus is discovered by her family, her fathers secrets are out in the open and they find out the estranged sibling isn't as estranged as they thought.
I always enjoy a romance with substance to it and this did not disappoint.
Trigger Warning: Addiction, Physical Abuse
Currently available for pre-order. Pub date August 3, 2021. Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.