I enjoyed this romantic novel which is told from the unique point of view of a person of color in the U.K. The different culture that is shown in the novel made this especially enjoyable to me. Soraya and Magnus' relationship seemed quite realistic in the communication and the challenges they faced. This is also a novel about more than romance as there are complications in the families. The issues of substance abuse and family secrets are a large part of the plot line. I think Jafari handles the subject matter well and created sympathetic and likeable characters. I found The Mismatch immensely readable and entertaining.

Soraya Nazari has recently graduated from college. The daughter of strict Iranian immigrants, Soraya is timid and shy. She fears she has missed out of some life experiences and opportunities and, with not a lot of job prospects. She needs something to keep her occupied. And Magnus seems like the perfect thing to occupy that time. Soraya has never had a kiss, and with her upbringing it is strictly frowned up.

The Mismatch navigates life as a young graduate, and life with strict and religious families. It explore the dynamics of a family that is broken from within, and how that affects each of its members. It also takes a look at how this strict upbringing can be tweaked to create a more modern and reasonable approach. The Mismatch is as much a love story as it is a bildungsroman. Muslim traditions and culture, Iranian culture, xenophobia, women's rights and feminism, family dynamics, and what it means to be unique are all plot points for The Mismatch.

This was a good Adult book, that I would recommend to anyone who thinks it sounds interesting!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

DNF 12% There is lot of info dumping and inner monologue but nothing to help me connect to the character. I didn't get much of a sense of what the main character is like except for all of this backstory. It's a lot of tell and no show. I also am not sure I vibe with the dual POV split between mother and daughter. This seems more family-dynamic-focused than romance-focused, which is not what I thought I was getting into based on the blurb and isn’t really what I’m into reading right now.

The concept and blurb were very intriguing, and I have read several similar books lately. The execution of this one though... I almost couldn't finish it. The back and forth timelines didn't really work, and I never could quite figure out why the two main characters were even interested in each other.

The Mismatch is so much more than a romance. It's a story of family, love, betrayal, culture, and forgiveness. There are two narrators Soyaya a recent college graduate navigating her adult life including work and love and her mother Neda an Iranian immigrant who came to the UK to study and ended up staying, working and raising her family. There are culture clashes, family secrets, and missed opportunities, The Mismatch at times heartbreaking and at times hopeful.

Loved the book, the family and relationship complexities , and the back and forth narration between the mother and daughter.

Once I realized this was not so much a romance and more of a coming-of-age story, I was able to adjust my expectations and settle into the reading experience. This is a rich, complex tale about a young woman who longs to find her place in the world. She wrestles with her family's expectations as Iranian immigrants living in London, and searches for answers to difficult questions about what it means to love another human, especially when her parents haven't modeled a healthy relationship. She's caught between the guilt associated with defying cultural expectations and her deep need to be loved and accepted. This was a tough read for me, because I don't enjoy a novel that incorporates substance abuse and misogyny into the storyline. At the same time, I'm grateful for the opportunity to read outside my comfort zone and live vicariously through the events and experiences of this particular protagonist. Soraya is delightful and her character arc is powerful and well-written.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the complimentary copy. All opinions shared here are my own.

This book was a lot to handle. More women’s fiction than romance, and gloriously depressing—definitely not a romcom.

The book alternates perspectives between Soroya, present day ish Recebt college graduate in London, and her mother right before and following her immigration from Iran to England. As a whole, this is not a happy book. I feel quite sad after reading it, even though it does have an HEA. But it’s definitely a mood killer. A bit of a spoiler, but also a trigger warning, Sororya’s father suffers from an opioid addiction, which has basically taken his soul. It’s made him overprotective, controlling, and at times violent. Her upbringing has made Soroya scared to date so when handsome, white rugby player Marcus takes an interest in her she decides to give it a go for “practice” since he’s never been interested in anything serious anyway.

The book is well written, and I felt compelled to keep reading to see what would happen, but it wasn’t exactly what I was in the mood for. Just wanted more of an upper than a downer. But it’s a great story for anyone trying to figure themselves out, particularly those finding their place in a new relationship or a new country.

Thank you to the publisher for my eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4 stars - 7/10

Soraya Nazari was a fresh-graduate 21-year-old woman. She lived in London with her best friend, Oliver, and has the future waiting with open doors. But stepping into adulthood is not what she expected. Struggling to find what she wanted to do, job rejections, and family issues slowly crumbled her enthusiasm. Then came Magnus Evans, a rugby player in their university, white, and a player. In short, he’s the opposite of her, a Muslim British-Iranian who loved spending her time painting and reading.

But the more Soraya learned about Magnus, the more she realized that maybe they’re not so different after all. As time goes, her feelings for Magnus became more and more undeniable. What started as nothing more than a trial for the inexperienced Soraya slowly turned into something more. Her heart was heavy with this truth because she knew whatever is happening between them must come to an end soon. Though one thing remained clear, her family couldn’t found out about her relationship.

First, I would like to give a shoutout to Abbey Lossing for the stunning cover! It’s one of the things that drew me in immediately. I also like to point out that even though the cover might give off the vibes of romantic comedy, The Mismatch is not a rom-com. It is a coming-of-age story that touches on the topics such as addiction, sex, racism, and Muslim guilt. I just want to put it out there so you will know what to expect.

As someone who’s about to turn 21, Soraya’s story spoke to me on such a deep level. Her opinion on adulthood is very much the same as mine and her struggles are my fears. Furthermore, there is also her issue with disappointing parents which, once again, I can also relate to. All of this helped me understand Soraya better. As the pages flew by, I couldn’t help being immersed and sympathize with her. This book also has wonderful quotes that I annotated. Some of them you’ll find in this post but you have to read the book for more!

The Mismatch followed the story of two young women at different times. There’s Soraya and there’s Neda Nazari. She grew up and lived in 1970s Iran with her big family. Through Neda’s chapters, I learned about her culture and the struggle of being a wife. Jafari’s writing brought me closer to Soraya and Neda because it described their feelings vividly. Even though this book telling the story of two characters, I never felt put off by the switching POVs. IMO, it only enhanced the essence of the story and gave depths to the characters.

What I loved about this book is how realistic it felt. No filter is needed to tone down the bad and ugly moments. Life is not all sunshine and rainbow. Both women have their share of sorrow and pain. They have the responsibility not only to themselves but to their family and religion. They questioned their choices, doubted themselves, and made mistakes. But both women also learned and grow. They fought, they survived, and coming out to be the better version of themselves.

Thus, this book painted the romance and life of Soraya and Neda with such honesty. It didn’t shy away from sex, virginity, and addiction and how both of our main characters viewed them. How Soraya’s relationship with Magnus brought her happiness as well as guilt. How changes in Neda’s life affected her marriage. Another thing that I loved is the way it also brought up misogyny in Soraya’s family as well as her difficult relationship with her father.

Overall, The Mismatch was a beautiful and profound tale of life, family, and finding oneself in the midst of uncertainties of being an adult. Sprinkled with friendship and romance, this book would surely touch your heart with its honest writing, memorable quotes, and powerful main characters. Recommended to those who love coming-of-age stories and looking for a new release adult contemporary with Muslim British-Iranian rep.

1) Mismarketed as a romance
I super struggled with this because I honestly thought it was a romance. I wasn't in the mood for a family drama, but I later warmed up to it.

I totally understand why Soraya loved Magnus, but he. IS. SUCH. A DICK! His whiteness overpowers everything and he makes Soraya feel so small.

2) I didn't vibe with the writing.

I expected this to be much more of a rom-com, and it had its comedic moments, but I’d say it was more of a romantic drama. That’s not a bad thing! It really delved into some hard life issues and the complexities of being a first generation Muslim in England. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others who could use a window to another culture. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

The Mismatch is an emotional tale told in dual, alternating timelines detailing the Iranian/Muslim experience in romance and dating for a mother and daughter. It is more than a romance, it's a life journey in what it means to be religious, a woman, and a partner. As I am not Iranian or Muslim, I will recommend reading an own voices review of the representation whereas I will focus on the writing and other opinions!

The first half of the book is paced a bit slow in my opinion, but it really does pick up once you get farther in Neda and Soraya's lives and experience the details of their stories. Do not go into this thinking it's a feel good romance novel, it closer to Women's Lit than romance. There are a lot of serious topics tackled, so please check trigger warnings before going into it.

The second half is where the author really shows her strength in story telling - i couldn't put it down until the timelines converged and I could get to the end. The story was moving and provided a different perspective to life in a way I can never fully understand as a white human.

**Thank you to Dell and Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review**

I have to admit, when first going into this book.. I couldn’t get past the first couple of chapters, I just could not get into the story for the life of me and contemplated just not reading it. By the time I got to part 2 of this story though, I was so incredibly moved by what I was reading.

Told from two different point of views, we get to see what it was like for two very different yet similar women.. the mother Neda & her youngest daughter, Soraya. As readers, we get to see what it was like for Neda, growing up in Iran & just what it means to be a Muslim woman.. the familial expectations and having to marry a man who your family approves of. We get to feel her hope for the future as well as the complete despair when her life does not turn out how she thought it would & the man she married, ended up being nothing but a monster.

On the other hand, with Soraya.. Neda’a youngest daughter and the one who was born into a dysfunctional family with a father who no longer cared about trying to be a father by the time his youngest was born. Soraya grew up knowing her eldest sister had been shunned for having a boyfriend, grew up facing the emotional and sometimes physical abuse of a drug addict father. As such, when trying to begin her first and only relationship with a man outside of her culture, Soraya has no idea what she’s gotten into or the strain this innocent relationship would put on a family hanging on by a thread.

This was a multi generational tale of two women who’d suffered so much as a family but also two women who had learned to rise above societal and cultural anxieties to be happy. I could not have loved this story more nor could it have resonated more with me and I can’t wait to see what else this author writes in the future.

I think that what Soraya is feeling post graduation is typical of many of today's youth - she's ready to experience all that life has to offer before "settling" into adulthood. Magnus is a charming British fella that she's choosing to experience the world with. They are so different, that she feels there is no way she'll grow attached.

Of course, this only works in theory as opposites tend to attract and Soraya finds that Magnus is more than what he appears! I loved watching their relationship evolve, the fun adventures they experience, and their overall personalities. Many great laughs and even I might have fallen in love!

This was a good story - I liked the back and forth between Soraya's present and Neda's past. I thought the distinctions between each of their fathers was compelling. Neda's father was loving and warned her about her choice of husband and that husband was a terrible father to Soraya. Magnus and Soraya both deal with fathers who have addiction issues which gives them common ground.

As someone who enjoys seeing more representation of cultures in romcoms, this one really piqued my interest with Iranian culture aspects and I have to remind that when the lead character is of different culture, the way the character thinks can be a lot different from the regular white characters and that does come out in this book. Especially the family dynamics in this particular Muslim household will resonate with a lot of people in some countries.

Apart from the culture portion, I liked the cute romance buildup between Magnus and Soraya but this one is more than romance as it explores her family's struggles and her own emotional wellbeing.

FIRST IMPRESSION:

Reading the blurb of this book, I instantly felt like I could relate to Soraya and her lack of romantic experience post-uni life. Being in literally the same transition phase from university to work-life myself, something about Soraya clicked with me straight away and I just needed to read this book! Luckily, I got approved for this wonderful blog tour and here we are!

THE STORY:

The Mismatch is a cross-generational story that ping-pongs between Soraya in 2014 and Neda, her mother, in the years leading up to their move to England.

Soraya is newly graduated and desperately looking for jobs to keep herself from having to move back in with her family in Brighton. To make something in her life go right, Soraya decides on fixing her love life by scoring a kiss with the talented rugby player and playboy, Magnus Evans. Magnus seems like the opposite of everything her Muslim family values at first. But, as Soraya gets to know him better, she starts to realise there is more to him and this simple ‘fling’ might not be so easy to pull away from.

Soraya’s story is interspersed with Neda’s own, starting in 1970’s Tehran with her own university life and getting to know Hossein, her future husband. Trying to balance her Islamic values with standing up for herself and gaining some independence, Neda struggles to acclimatise to married life as well as life in England.

THE CHARACTERS:

Soraya reminded me a lot of myself last year. I related to how she felt like she was stuck in a rut in her life, with no control of her life and literally grasping for anything that gives her some semblance of control in that chaotic phase. Unlike my newfound obsession with working out, she chose to date Magnus Evans (and honestly I don’t mind a go at my own Magnus right now haha!). My favourite thing about Soraya was that I could relate to her beyond her chaotic new adult life to her having to shave her body hair, being insecure in her body, and having to juggle conservative family values with more modern and open ways of life. I loved that and I really need more characters like this in my reading.

I did not think I would relate much to Neda but, surprisingly, I could not help thinking about my mom’s own story while reading Neda’s. I definitely empathised with her a lot more and ended up liking her a lot more than I thought I would when I first saw her through Soraya’s eyes.

Since a majority of the story is told through the perspectives of these two characters, my views are tainted by their experiences and feelings when it comes to the other characters. Besides the main characters, I really like Oliver, Soraya’s best friend who is going through his own personal journey with family and job struggles, and I even liked Magnus, but I really think he deserves more page-time. It felt like we only brushed on Magnus’s true personality.

Lastly, I liked that this book had strong Muslim rep, from Neda’s conservative, traditional approach to Soraya’s modern outlook. It was also great to have a queer character in the cast and I honestly need more Oliver at this point!

THE WRITING:

The best way I can describe the writing is that it is emotional. The author has a way with words that conveys the characters’ feelings very succinctly and projects these emotions onto the scenes as well. There are many emotionally charged scenes in this book that really got me worked up and I love how Jafari expertly handled these scenes while holding onto the chaos and blur of emotions these moments are composed of. It was a great experience, frankly.

The use of dual POVs with alternate timelines was well-thought-out. It let Jafari explore two different experiences of women pushing against the status quo of their culture and handling the hardships of their time. I loved that it made me research Iranian politics (because I am just absolute rubbish at world politics!).

THE PLOT:

The best thing about the plot is that it surprised me with its plot twists. There are some secrets that come out into the light and some of these shocked me. I liked that a contemporary novel like this still managed to bring some shock factor into the equation without it seeming like drama.

But what did not work for me plot-wise was that I found some of it predictable. Though I loved Soraya’s journey to discovering her own self, I found the romance arc a little predictable. I actually loved the direction Soraya and Magnus were going in but I expected more. But honestly, that’s just personal preference.

THE WORLD-BUILDING:

Soraya’s perspective was set in 2014 to 2015 between London and Brighton, whereas Neda’s story moved from Tehran in the 1970s to Liverpool and then Brighton over a span of years.

I liked that Neda’s story spanned over the years because it allowed the reader to understand her journey and her decisions better. Soraya’s story was fine in that slower timeline though since she had more internal conflict, like Muslim guilt, and more family-oriented issues to work through. So, they were really effective timelines.

When it came to Neda’s perspective, I noticed how the author paid careful attention to the political and cultural conflicts at the time. It was interesting because, coming from a non-Iranian, non-Muslim background, some of this was new to me and I liked that it challenged me that way.

THE THEMES:

First off, Soraya’s Muslim guilt. Personally, I have no experience with this, but I have seen close friends struggle with their Muslim guilt and it was insightful to read about it from an #ownvoices perspective. I found it interesting that, having grown up as a Sri Lankan Buddhist, I could still relate to it and that I could understand a lot of what Soraya was struggling with while trying to liberate herself.

Unsurprisingly, the themes of culture and religion were strong throughout this book. It was comforting to read about Soraya’s struggles to reconcile her conservative upbringing with the present life she’s living. Since this is can be a controversial issue to talk about freely, reading about characters who we can relate to giving us the sense of comfort that we aren’t the only ones struggling with this and there are more of us all over the world.

Another strong theme that I could not help relating to was dysfunctional families. Honestly, most of us would probably relate to this. I loved how Jafari tackled this theme with nothing holding her back. I loved the themes of healing that went along with this too because it leaves the reader with a sense of hope.

It goes without saying that both MCs are strong women but in very different ways and that is something Jafari does a good job of highlighting.

FINAL VERDICT:

I picked up The Mismatch expecting a relatable sweet romance but instead got the story of two women’s journeys as they tackled religion, culture, dysfunctional families, and finding your place in the world. A great #ownvoices debut novel with strong Muslim rep, The Mismatch by Sara Jafari is a must-read for anyone who loves a good romance with a healthy dose of reality.

This book is not a romance despite the cover and blurb. It covers the immigrant experience with growing up issues. I would absolutely read this author again but I think she needs to grow. There were several things missing to make this book higher rating….the heroine was unlikeable which is not something I often say, the love story was actually one and remained unresolved.

4.5 (rounded up)

There are stories that gives the reader a full range of emotions – love, joy, laughter, despair, pain, grief. This is one of those books. “The Mismatch” exceeded all of my expectations. Jafari presents a tale of Iranian immigrants in Britain with two timelines – one of the mother falling in love, getting married, setting out on her/their own, and struggling with culture. The second is of their daughter struggling with life after university, love, life, and family legacy and expectations.

This is an intense and beautifully written book. Highly recommend it!

**Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Dell for sending me the ARC in exchange for an honest review.**