This book did not work for me, unfortunately. I DNFed after 50 pages. Thank you for letting me read and review this book.

This was a different book than I usually read. I enjoyed it very much.

The characters were well developed and engaging. Soraya and Neda's stories were beautifully told. I will definitely be looking for more from this author in the future.

The Mismatch was a cute read and definitely more than I expected!

Now that Soraya Nazari has graduated from university, she thinks it’s time to get some of the life experience she feels she’s lacking, partly due to her strict upbringing—and Magnus Evans seems like the perfect way to get it.

Where she’s the somewhat timid, artistic daughter of Iranian immigrants, Magnus is the quintessential British lad. They have little in common, so there’s no way Soraya could ever fall for him. What’s the harm in having some fun as she navigates her postgrad life? And he could give her some distance from her increasingly complicated home life, where things are strained by her father’s struggles, her mother’s unhappiness and her eldest sister’s estrangement under a vague cloud of shame fifteen years earlier.

Distracting herself with Magnus is easy at first. But just as Soraya realizes there’s more to Magnus than she thought, long-buried secrets, and hard questions, begin to surface—will any of her relationships survive the truth coming out?

Moving between modern-day London and revolutionary Iran, The Mismatch is a gorgeously written coming-of-age story that follows a young woman as she finds love in a most unexpected place, and a path in life amid two different cultures.

The Mismatch was a cute read! I enjoyed the characters and getting to know them. Thank you so much to netgalley for the advanced copy!

This book was a DNF for me at 25%. Like some other reviewers, I was disappointed that this book was not the romance it was marketed as - even the description makes it sound like it's primarily a romance and it just isn't.. Dual timeline multigenerational family drama is not generally one of my preferred genres and this one I found to be particularly dull. I wasn't all that interested in either storyline and it verrrry slow-paced. If this book had been marketed more accurately, I probably would not have requested it as this genre just isn't my usual cup of tea, but even for the genre I found this book to be particularly slow and boring.

This was a DNF for me. I read the first 14 chapters, but I just couldn't get into the story. I hate to quit a book I'm supposed to be reviewing, but this was just not for me. I hope you enjoy it more than I did!

Told in two storylines, Soraya in 2014 and her mother Neda starting in 1977. We follow Soraya as she graduates and tries to find a job to fit her. She’s shy and unsure of herself and she’s never been kissed. Deciding to use Magnus, considered a player by many, to get kissing experience, she wasn’t expecting him to be so considerate. Neda is smart, top of her class and studying biochemistry. She meets Hossin and falls for him. He likes that she’s smart and encourages her to continue her studies. They move to England and eventually start a family. Soraya dates Magnus. Hossin is an addict and the family never talks about it, out of shame. Everything finally comes to a head and Neda, Soraya and the rest of the family. This is a great book and it shows how post graduate life isn’t always what we expect it to be. And that family is always complicated.

The Mismatch by Sara Jafari is so much more than what I was expecting, which was a lighthearted rom-com (and there's nothing wrong with that!). What I got however was a deep and rich story about culture and family and love split between modern-day London and revolutionary Iran.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

A book about people in their early twenties and I am so happy! I really enjoyed this book a lot more than I expected to. There aren’t enough books with this age and I think others will enjoy this story a lot!

This was a cute read, Thank you to netgalley for the earc! I would recommend for all those rom com readers!

The cover and description of this one might have you thinking this is a rom com, but it’s so much more than that. When the book starts, 21 year old Soraya, a British-born Muslim from an Iranian family, is just graduating from university and lamenting that she has never been kissed, when she finds herself unexpectedly connecting with fellow grad Magnus, a white rugby player with a reputation as a ladies man. But there is a lot more going on in this book than that, as Soraya struggles with feeling different from others, what it means to be a good Muslim girl, what she wants to do with her life, and most of all her difficult family. Plus, though not mentioned at all in the blurb, Soraya’s POV chapters are mixed with those of the similarly aged Neda in Iran in 1977 (and moving forward in time from there), who experiences her own struggles with romance, family, and self-identity.

I really enjoyed this book and its coming of age story. As someone in my 40s, I can’t always relate to a book about a 21 year old, but I enjoyed the perspectives of both Soraya and Neda and how they were different from both each other and my own. I expected this book to be mostly a romance, but while I enjoyed that aspect, I actually think the other themes in this book predominated and were even better.

Going to let you know that this book is a slow paced romance book. It has a lot of feelings to unpack. Different family norms and diverse that sets the pace for the characters. Expect messy family dramatics and guilt. There is a romance in this book with a opposite attract trope.

The Mismatch is a thought-provoking, intergenerational read with a sweet romance. I really enjoyed the dual POV from a mother and daughter, and I thought Sara Jafari did a fantastic job tackling issues such as stereotyping, addiction, and the struggles Muslims face all over the world. The actual writing itself wasn't quite my cup of tea, but overall, I enjoyed this heartfelt book.

What a crazy cute rom com. I loved reading this book and discussing it as a book club. It’s at once so sweet while still digging into deeper themes. Absolutely would recommend.

My friend Holly mentioned that this was a top contender for her favorite book of the year. I had to take that info and devour it myself.

Unfortunately, it took me quite a bit to get invested. At about the 50% there was a huge change and I just flew through the rest. I fully know that the story needed the build up it was receiving and this was zero fault of the author. It was clearly on me.

By the end I was just so smitten. I loved the way the story wove a mother's story with her daughter's. We were slowly given pieces to the puzzle that ultimately was just so gorgeous.

I really tried to get into this book. I kept trying again and again. It just didn't keep my attention enough and i kept putting it down.

I ended up not finishing this book. I had a really hard time getting into it. It might be because my faith is also Islam and I don't really connect with the characters. It also might be that I'm in my 30s and the characters are late teens/early twenties. Either way I tried really hard and on multiple occasions but I just could not get into it.

I think it definitely offers great insights on different cultures and familial beliefs, and I so wish I was able to finish it to find out what happened with the modern day romance as well as the romance with the football player in Tehran (as the book follows a dual timeline), but I think for those who do finish, it will be very exciting.

I think the book is well written. The biggest issue is that I just could not connect with the characters. There were also a few scenes in Tehran that might be sensitive for some people, as they eluded to a near rape experience, so I would highly caution the reader to be careful.

But I really encourage whoever reads this review to take it with a grain of salt. I think I would have gotten into it if I were younger. Thank you to netgalley and random house publishing group for my gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

While this book is billed as a romance, I think it's strength lies in the family. When reading about Soraya and Magnus, I found myself wanting to know what happened with Laleh, to hear about Neda's early years, and to see what would happen with the Nazaris. I am not Muslim so I cannot speak to the representation, but the feeling of not belonging in either country as well as the double standards for men and women were highly relatable.
Soraya's job struggles also felt so real! I loved that her mother was supportive in her search, as well as the fact that her mother apologizes for relying on Soraya for emotional support and not stepping in sooner.

This book does contain mentions of drugs, alcoholism, addiction, attempted kidnapping, infidelity, physical/emotional abuse, and dysfunctional family dynamics, so take care of yourself when reading.

Wow this book has many elements and addresses them well. It is very thought provoking at times and a warm and tender coming of age story.
Many thanks to Random House Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher! I enjoy it more than I thought I would be! What a pretty good romance book with every single good thing inside it! Highly recommend it!


Now that Soraya Nazari has graduated from university, she thinks it’s time to get some of the life experience she feels she’s lacking, partly due to her strict upbringing—and Magnus Evans seems like the perfect way to get it.

Where she’s the somewhat timid, artistic daughter of Iranian immigrants, Magnus is the quintessential British lad. They have little in common, so there’s no way Soraya could ever fall for him. What’s the harm in having some fun as she navigates her postgrad life? And he could give her some distance from her increasingly complicated home life, where things are strained by her father’s struggles, her mother’s unhappiness and her eldest sister’s estrangement under a vague cloud of shame fifteen years earlier.

Distracting herself with Magnus is easy at first. But just as Soraya realizes there’s more to Magnus than she thought, long-buried secrets, and hard questions, begin to surface—will any of her relationships survive the truth coming out?

Moving between modern-day London and revolutionary Iran, The Mismatch is a gorgeously written coming-of-age story that follows a young woman as she finds love in a most unexpected place, and a path in life amid two different cultures.