The Mismatch by Sara Jafari is a perfect fit for readers who appreciate emotional, reflective stories about self-discovery, family dynamics, and the complexities of love, particularly those who enjoy exploring the intersection of cultural identity, faith, and personal growth in a poignant and beautifully written narrative.

This was a cute contemporary love story. A Muslim MC who wants to experience the world and hooks herself a Rugby player. This is a great book about finding your own way but also overcoming some of lifes struggles. Cute but thought provoking.

This was really great. I loved Soraya and Neda's points of view, showing how things have changed but also havent. This was so great!

What a fun novel! I've never read a romance novel about a Muslim protagonist before, and I learned a lot. This was an interesting combination of a romance novel and a family drama, and the dual narrative about the main character's mother was an interesting way to tie the story together. I would definitely read more from this author!

A good story but a bit of a slow read. I wanted to like this a lot more, but it was a book I had to push myself through.

I wish this book had gotten more attention, it just feels like it slipped through the cracks, and proof of that is the fact that I'd forgotten that I never reviewed it!

am I me through geography?? cute overall specially bc I'm also an immigrant, felt more as a family drama/coming of age than a romance/comedy but i liked the setting in the UK
two cultures clashing

At its core, The Mismatch is a coming-of-age story as Soraya Nazari struggles to find her path after graduating from university. Finding her way is so much more difficult than she imagined, but the only thing worse than missing out on every job she's applied to is the possibility of returning home to live with her parents. No family is perfect, and the Nazaris have many secrets they are holding tight to in the hopes of portraying the perfect Muslim family. Contrasting Soraya's current struggles are flashback chapters featuring her mother and father's beginnings and journey from Iran to England.

The Mismatch is a striking look at family dynamics, addiction, and self-discovery. However, the romance fell flat for me. Soraya is shallow in her search to find someone to kiss, and I struggled to believe in her and Magnus as a couple. The best parts were the flashbacks from her mother, Neda, and I believe her story would have been even more powerful alone.

A novel about first love, controlling parents, and the frequently sexist, if not hypocritical, social expectations for women and men that is incredibly tender. This book spoke to me personally. Despite not being Muslim, it is one of the few works in which I recognize myself. Hats off to you, Sara.

I met Sara at a PRH event in 2021 and I've been meaning to read this ever since.

I really enjoyed Soraya's story, she's a very sympathetic character tussling with the complexities of being a young Bitish Iranian woman in the 2010s. She's not an observant Muslim, and is very aware that lots of the things she worries about - including sex, and relationships with non-Muslim men - are maybe not 100% logical and very hard to explain even to her closest friends. But she properly struggles to work out how she feels and why she feels it, and this is really well conveyed. Her parents are strict with their daughters despite their own conflicting views about the place of women in society (her mum's a biochemist, her dad... is not). I'm never sure about dual timelines but it works well here to give an insight into her parents' own youth and relationship.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for this ARC, in exchange for my honest review.
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I felt that this was a very middle of the road novel. I didn't feel much, but I also didn't feel nothing for it. THere were times when I considered DNF=ing, solely because of the other books I'm currently reading, but I pushed through.

The MIsmatch wasn't what I was expecting, which is why I think I had so many mixed feelings about it.

I am sorry for the inconvenience but I don’t have the time to read this anymore and have lost interest in the concept. I believe that it would benefit your book more if I did not skim your book and write a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience.

Interesting book with a different type of couple. The pacing was in the slower side but the characters are well written. All in all a pleasant reading experience.

I tried to get into this book and just couldn't. It may be that I'm not a huge fan of YA/NA and prefer my characters to be older, which is no fault of the author. I found some of the writing to be clunky and couldn't really connect with the characters enough to get engaged with the book.

This isn't the straightforward romance I was expecting it to be, and I'm a little torn on this book, to be honest. The book felt like it *wanted* to be a romance novel and it also *wanted* to be a family novel, and it didn't quite find its way. That said, I enjoyed the premise and the shifting timelines and perspectives, and I was extremely invested in the main character, Soraya, and her family. I think perhaps this would have been a stronger story had it shifted away from the romance and leaned into the family aspect, with the romance on the backburner.

As an Iranian-American romance fan, I was poised to fall in love with this book. Unfortunately, it didn’t work for me at all — it does not hit the notes I expect from a romance novel, the writing is flat, and the characters are hard to root for. Even the pleasure of seeing bits of my own culture reflected in the text couldn’t make up for the negatives. Sadly, this one simply did not meet my expectations.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dell for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Interesting book: filled w cultural influences, differences, similarities, and change often with an addictive parent. It is as described and n the jacket cover. Characters are realistic albeit that some are not likeable, Events described with cultural instances are probably true for many people, just not as extreme. Not a 'must read' kinda of book, An ok read it kinda book. I was provided an advanced reader copy but was under no obligation to write a review. The opinions expressed are my own. Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me access to the book. It

Soraya is a recent grad who is trying to find her way in life and her elusive first kiss. Magnus is the ever-popular rugby player that has been around the block a time or two. So what better way to get Soraya over her first-time barrier than this mismatch. What starts out as a means to an end will become more than Soraya was banking on when feelings get involved. But she is a Muslim and he is not so the relationship can't happen. As Soraya's family life spirals out of control, she has to figure out her way in the world and what is important. This book has good intentions, but it just wasn't for me. It just seemed like there was too much tension throughout and it felt like the story was all about fighting. Definite trigger warning for spousal/familial abuse. 3 stars. Thank you, NetGalley for the eARC.

Not the type of Book I usually read. That being said, this was an easy, breezy read. I enjoyed the character, and was able to finish it on a rainy weekend in Florida. Thank you for my advance copy.

I'm a little torn on this one... I want sold on the romance BUT I loved the rest of Soraya's story and Neda's story. This is a story that needed to be told and is missing from the mainstream. The Iranian representation, the cultural rep, the glimpse into life pre-revolution in Iran were fantastic to see in a novel. Also, the complex representation of Islam. All a big thumbs up.

Soraya's struggle as the child of immigrants was relatable to me even though my experience is nothing like hers. I definitely felt the struggle of finding your feet after college. The portrayal of her complicated relationship with the culture and religion of her parents and who she is as a person raised in a different culture was so grounded.

I was into the romance at the start when it felt like a fling, something for Soraya to get her feet wet (so to speak). I even liked that she and Magnus developed a close relationship and deep friendship.

However, his violation of her privacy is unacceptable to me and it deeply bothers me that it's never addressed. They also never actually discuss Soraya's complex relationship to her religion and how it affects her ability to be present in a relationship. I don't feel like any of their issues are actually discussed in any depth that would lead to them having a successful relationship at the end of the book. And I think Soraya can do much better. Magnus is a boring, basic bro.

Yet, overall, I have to say I really enjoyed the book and was particularly drawn in by Neda's chapters and seeing immigration through her eyes as someone who loves her home country, feels she cannot return and has to build a new life in a different world with a husband who isn't present. I would read an entire novel about Neda.