Virtually Yours by Sarvenaz Tash is a fun, modern rom-com that explores love, friendship, and identity in the digital age. Mariam, navigating college life and heartbreak, joins a virtual reality dating app that adds unexpected twists to her love life. With humor and heart, it’s perfect for fans of contemporary YA romance with a tech-savvy twist.

This was a cute rom-com. I thoroughly enjoyed this quick summer read. The characters at times felt less mature than their college ages, but I still enjoyed this one.

Unfortunately, Virtually Yours was not for me - I am having a hard time focusing lately and this one just did not grip me or hold me.

Virtually Yours is pretty much the platonic ideal of a rom-com: fluffy, funny, and full of great characters.

A cute, quick summer read! Other reviews have mentioned the characters in the novel spoke & behaved like high school students and not college students, but they were extremely young college students, and that can be such a difficult age! I liked that this was a pretty realistic look at what it's like to transition from high school to college and say goodbye to childhood friendships, relationships and more.

It’s very unfortunate that books that are only available in PDF expire. Although I downloaded it, I can no longer access this title and can’t download again now that it’s been archived. May I respectfully request that you make your titles available for a Kindle download so they don’t expire? Thank you.

As many other reviewers have stated, the book's narrator is supposed to be in college, but she seems much more like a high school student, which was disappointing. The story also just fell flat for me.

This was an interesting read, not so much for the love triangle aspects but more for the commentary on how technology and computer learning impact us as social animals. I was initially upset with the heroine because she straight-up lies to her ex-boyfriend, taking on a different name, omitting personal details, and refusing to show her real face in the virtual reality sim. But that plot is resolved pretty quickly when she tells Caleb the truth and they reconcile. I wasn't sold on the ending (how to not give spoilers, eek) in part because it was pretty rushed. Again, I felt the romance was overshadowed by the rather sinister artificial intelligence entities and that was fine, but it was more dystopian than I expected, given the cute cover.

Not for me, but I bet others would really enjoy it.

Despite the high school grad going to college age setting, the narrator felt a bit younger and it made the premise feel a bit too childish for me to enjoy reading the entire story.

This is a cute and quick read that gave me all the summer vibes. Sometimes, I really enjoy a book that I don't have to think too hard to read. The romance and ups and downs of college life were really well portrayed in my opinion. Since the course of the book takes place throughout Mariam's entire first year of college, it's really cool to see how she grows and learns more about herself just like everyone does when they go to college.
I felt that the characters often behaved too young for their age. The way they talked and interacted with each other reminded me of high school kids, not college kids. I felt that the book became a bit repetitive at times and therefore could have been shorter. I was really interested in the fact that Mariam was a student at NYU and wish I could have seen more of that. The book is a little silly at times, but you can tell that from the synopsis and, well, I think the silliness is the beauty of it. Overall, I enjoyed this book and how quickly I was able to finish it.

When I saw the concept for this book, I couldn’t decide if virtual reality dating was a completely crazy idea or a highly likely one. Or maybe both? Either way, it was definitely intriguing, and I knew I wanted to read this book.

I loved the focus that this book had on the adjustment from high school to college—a topic that doesn’t get nearly enough attention. This book is actually less about the romance and more about Mariam finding herself apart from her boyfriend (and her home and family). But, of course, I was invested in the romance as well. There is a definite love triangle here, so if you really can’t stand those, you might need to stay away, but honestly, I thought it was incredibly well-drawn, and I completely understood Mariam’s struggle to decide where her heart should lead her. I was also a fan of the friendship between Mariam and her roommate (and the roommate’s girlfriend). There were a few moments with the virtual reality itself that had me scratching my head (Why would they have a VR environment when you sit in a chair and move around by “walking” with your fingers?? And would kissing via VR be at all pleasant??), and Mariam makes some bad choices when it comes to Caleb. Still, overall, I found myself really enjoying this sweet story of self-discovery. (And I was happy that Tash gave me the ending I was hoping for!!)

***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***

I had read and enjoyed Sarvenaz’s other books and I was intrigued by this premise, but it was a little bland for me.

I liked Mariam well enough. Her inner monologue sounded much younger than her age, but she does grow in the story. There is an excellent group of secondary characters and they’re all so supportive. I especially loved Mariam’s roommate, Hedy.

Plot wise, it was all about the VR dating thing and that got pretty stale pretty quickly. I would have loved to see the friendships fleshed out a bit more. The direction of the story felt disjointed and all over the place; if it was done intentionally to reflect how Mariam felt at her first year at school, it was effective. Unfortunately, it kept me from settling into the story. I did love seeing the diversity, culture, and f/f relationship on the page.

Overall, it was a cute idea, but it lacked a spark that I was hoping for. I never really connected to any of these characters, so I was fairly indifferent to their journey.

**Huge thanks to Simon & Schuster BFYR for providing the arc free of charge**

I've been a fan of Sarvenaz Tash since her debut novel, Three Day Summer. Virtually Yours sounded so unique, I was very eager to read it. Mariam is a freshman at NYU still dealing with the heartbreak of breaking up with her high-school boyfriend, Caleb. She's finding it hard to move on from the relationship, so when the opportunity arises to give virtual dating a try, she takes a leap. This all sounds like a great idea until one of her three top matches turns out to be Caleb. She decides to use a fake name and an avatar to date Caleb in the hopes of getting back with him together. Mariam was a relatable young woman. She is obviously feeling very down from her breakup, but she remained hopeful and optimistic. Even though she was practically catfishing Caleb, she wasn't doing it out of mean intentions. She was just a girl hopelessly in love with him. I'm not usually one for the catfishing trope so it was hard for me to swallow Mariam's actions, but we do see her repent her actions. I also liked that she was the one that revealed the whole truth to Caleb. I will say that I didn't particularly care for Caleb. I wasn't exactly sure what Mariam saw in him. I don't think his character was as developed as Mariam was. He was a decent guy, I just wasn't into him as I would have liked. What I did really like about Virtually Yours were the different relationships Mariam had. I adored her bond with her elder sister, in particular. Her sister was much more pragmatic than her, but she still encouraged Mariam to be optimistic with limits of course. Mariam also had a great friend in her roommate, Hedy, and we see their friendship grow a lot stronger as Mariam hangs out with her more often. Mariam makes a new friend in Jeremy, who also happens to be her top match in the virtual dating app. Jeremy was a sweet kid, but like Caleb, I felt like we didn't particularly get to know him and I would have liked to. In summary, Virtually Yours was an interesting read with a great cast.

Virtually Yours follows college freshman Miriam Vakilian as she enters the dating world through HEAVR, a virtual reality dating site that guarantees a happily ever after. But when Miriam is matched with her recent ex, things become a lot more complicated in Miriam’s love life.

Things I Liked
Miriam is surprisingly likable! I thought I would have a lot more negative feelings toward her because of the whole deceptive dating situation. But I loved that she was so self-aware through the whole situation. She really seemed like a person - flaws and all - and I kinda loved her for it.

There was some truly great friendships on display throughout the story - with Miriam’s roommate and co-worker each having developed and individual relationships. And I really loved seeing Miriam’s family and her relationship with her siblings. They also just felt really real. And you know I’m always a sucker for a sibling relationship.

I thought Miriam’s class about the American Welfare System sounds so cool and definitely like a class I would have taken in college.

I thought that all the characters handled the drama and missteps with maturity. Yes there was initial emotional outbursts (all rightfully earned) but reactions were true to characters, and honest for people with history who truly care about one another. It was just very well done in my opinion, when it could easily have brought my enjoyment down.

Things I Didn’t Like
I think the premise of the story is inherently a little bit icky, but that’s kinda the point. The anonymity of online dating is brought to the extreme, with avatar stand-ins and fake names in lieu of real information. And lying and deceptiveness is also a pet peeve of mine in relationships, but I thought it was handled as good as it could have been, given the situation.

The name HEAVR is ridiculous and I laughed every time it was brought up. But other than thatn, I had a truly wonderful time with Virtually Yours. I thought the characters were real and well defined, with relationship I wanted to follow. Once I got about 75 pages in, I couldn’t put the story down. And I don’t think you’ll be able to either.

Way back in 2015 I came across a book called Three Day Summer and I was instantly hooked on how Sarvenaz Tash tells a story and the characters she creates. I knew immediately after finishing it I was going to eagerly anticipate all her releases and I wasn’t wrong. I have been waiting for something new since 2016 when A Geek’s Guide to Unrequited Love (an all-time favorite) and when I heard about Virtually Yours I was beyond thrilled. It had been so long and the anticipation was killing me. I am happy to say that it lived up to every expectation I had and was 100% worth the wait.

Virtually Yours is about Mariam, a freshman at NYU who had her heart demolished when her boyfriend of 3 years broke up with her. Not wanting to be stuck in her room she decides to try a virtual reality dating site. Mariam is given 3 matches to pick from and to her surprise one is her ex-boyfriend, Caleb. Deciding to throw caution to the wind, she selects him in starts dating him in secret and things start to go well. Then enter Jeremy, a guy at work she immediately hits it off with. The two of them are on the fast track to being best friends. There is just one catch, he was also one of her 3 matches. Now Mariam must decide between what her head thinks she wants and what her heart actually needs.

At first glance, this book sounds like a love triangle. It is not. It is really the story of Mariam and her figuring out what she wants out of life and out of love which is what being 18 should be about. She is a freshman in college and she doesn’t have all the answers. She doesn’t have any of the answers so she does things that she thinks are right but might not be right for her. That’s what I loved about this story. By re-dating Caleb she found out she was a different person than she thought she was and found out what she truly wanted and what would make her happy.

I can’t explain enough how much I love this author and the stories she tells. Tash seems to have a great grasp on the teenage/YA emotion and I can’t get enough of her stories. I’ve been a fan since 2015 and Virtually loves just cemented that love. If this one isn’t one your TBR it should be.

A fun concept and an easy read. However, the second act dragged on a bit and I would have loved to see more of her relationship with Jeremy developed. Also, liked the realistic view of a modern Islamic family.

I don’t have a whole lot to say about Virtually Yours, but I did have a lot of fun reading it. I liked it a lot and breezed through it. I liked the characters and all of the new friendships. I especially liked Mariam and Jeremy’s friendship the most. I liked the relationship Mariam had with her siblings and I liked the Iranian culture that was included in the story as well. I thought the virtual dating service was pretty interesting with the virtual reality dates. It also got a little creepy at times with how much the AI system knew about you. Throughout most of the story Mariam is trying to get back with her ex-boyfriend Caleb so she jumped at the chance when he was chosen as one of her matches on the app. Overall, I thought Virtually Yours was a fun, cute, and quick read. Even though the story didn’t blow me away, I still liked it and it kept my interest. I liked the characters, friendships, and family dynamic. It was interesting and worth the read, especially if you’re just looking for a quick fun read.

This was a cute little romance. It's something light and easy to read while on vacation, or just in general.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Mariam had NOT been making the most of her freshman year of college. This was a time for her to try new things, meet new people, and start looking towards her future. But, she was doing none of that. Instead, Mariam was floating in and out of each day, missing opportunities, as she nursed her broken heart. With encouragement from her roommate, she signed up for a virtual reality dating service, which just so happened to match her with the source of her heartache - her ex, Caleb. Seeing it as sign from the universe, Mariam embarked on a virtual relationship with Caleb using a false persona. Though she saw this as a second chance with Caleb, it may really have been her chance to find herself.

People are clamoring for more books like this. Books set in college, where the focus is more on the adjustment from high school to college. Tash gave me that and so much more with this book.

Mariam may have been young, but she was definitely going through a sort of identity crisis. She spent the last three years being part of a couple. She had lost some friends over those three years, and made many things in her life secondary to her boyfriend. It was not a quick process, and watching Mariam navigate her emotions and self-discoveries was sometimes frustrating, but I was truly happy about all the progress she made.

Once she started seeing things in a different light and stopped clinging to her past, she found a fabulous group of friends. Hedy, Geneviève, and Jeremy were all very special, and brought something wonderful to Mariam's life. I loved all the movie watching, coffee drinking, and reality show based conversations they shared. But, they also shared some really meaningful moments, which paved the way for Mariam's journey.

This book was on the lighter side, but I won't pretend that there weren't some really emotional moments in there. There were a few of Mariam's big a-has, that were accompanied by my tears. Some were happy tears and some were sad tears, but all were important moments I was glad to share with Mariam.

And the ending! That ending left me dancing for joy!


Overall: This was a heartwarming, hilarious, and honest tale of one young woman's journey to rediscover herself, which was entertaining and throughly enjoyable.

Virtually Yours by Sarvenaz Tash (June 4)
Overview: Miriam has been in a funk since she started NYU. More accurately, she's been down since her boyfriend of three years broke up with her because long distance would be "too hard". It all changes, though when Miriam decides to try a new virtual reality dating service called HEAVR. The only problem, though, is that when she accidentally matches with her ex-boyfriend, the draw of a second chance is too much to pass up. After concealing her identity, Miriam starts a hoax to get him to fall for her again. Overall: 4

Characters: 4 I liked Miriam, especially as the story progressed and she became more sure of herself. It allowed her personality to shine and gave her more dimensions than she started with. In the end, I was definitely rooting her.
Her friends at NYU are great additions to the story. Miriam's roommate Hedy is a major film buff, and, while it's pretty much her singular trait, she does offer some good advice and genuine friendship to Miriam. I also love the little glimpses we get at Hedy and her girlfriend's relationships. Jeremy is another great addition. He works at the gym with her and happens to be her 98% HEAVR match. He's the most well developed minor character, and he really brings Miriam out of her shell and gets to her to take advantage of being at college in New York.
Family is also another major part of the story. Miriam is very close to her two siblings who are also around college age. They give a great window into who Miriam was before. Her mother is also great because she tries to keep everyone connected to their Iranian roots while also being understanding of what the kids individually want and need.
Finally, there's Caleb. I'm not a huge fan of Caleb, but, of course, the author seemed to sort of against him as well, based on his position in the love triangle.

Plot: 4 Towards the end, the plot started to pick up at a far faster pace than at the beginning. It was more fun once Mariam started to step out of the confines of just using HEAVR and tailing to/obsessing about Caleb 24/7. I guess I've never been a fan of totally obsessive love stories. Getting to see Miriam go out with her friends, learn new things, and take advantage of the city added a lot. I devoured the last 200 or so pages in a single morning.

Writing: 4 The writing is bright and suits the story well. I enjoyed the real interactions between the different characters at Miriam learned and grew. Her character arch is very satisfying. There are also some interesting twists on the conventional love triangle trope that hooked me a lot more than the basic pattern does. I liked the less possessive, more friendship based twist.

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