Thank you to netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed this book about mother, Neda and her young adult years in Iran and the second story told by her daughter, Soraya, as she graduates from university and struggles to find a job and still be a good Muslim woman according to her parents.
The two stories were told by every other chapter in the book. I found it very interesting as I thought it was going to be more of a romantic story and there was some romance it was more other about other struggles families deal with I.e. addiction, racism, and more. I found this a great read and looking forward to the author’s next book!

A deep, thought provoking read. This story is not a typical rom com or romance with redone tropes. Multicultural and multigenerational, family dynamics. Overall an engaging read.

Excellent book. Like a 4.5 for me. Just don't go into it expecting it to be a rom-com (which is how it appears from the description/cover). It's a romance, yes. But also so much more, which is what I ended up appreciating most about this book. I can honestly say I've never read anything quite like it.

My problem with a lot of traditional romance novels is they rest on tired miscommunication tropes--she thinks he's moody because he doesn't like her, but it's actually because his cat is dying...that sort of thing. In other words the stakes are a little low. If the two main characters in most of these books could just pause and be honest with each other for two minutes, they'd solve all their problems and live happily ever after.

This book is the opposite in that the stakes are enormous. When Soraya talks about not being able to date someone because "my dad will kill me," she's being totally honest. The threat of violence, loss of family connection, shame in the society and God's eyes make all of Soraya's choices in this book (particularly the one to have sex or not) feel very loaded and that adds a layer of complexity to the story that makes it highly readable. I also enjoyed that Magnus is similarly complex and not just a hunk (though yes, Soraya does tend to go on about his hotness at times.)

Again, while this is indeed a romance, the story is not balanced between Soraya and Magnus' perspectives, but rather Soraya and her mother, Neda. The book ping pongs between Soraya's life in London in the present and the story of how her mother left Iran, moved to England and built the family that Soraya now struggles to connect with. I thought these Neda chapters were beautiful and heartbreaking and helped educate me more about Islam and a bit about the Iranian Revolution.

So, yes, in the end, this is more a book about mothers and daughters, culture and identity and belonging with a love story driving the plot. If you go into it expecting traditional romance tropes and lighthearted adventures, you will be likely disappointed. However, if you're looking for something different, deeper and more unique, I highly recommend this book.

Trigger warning: drug addition, domestic abuse.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This is very much not a romantic comedy. In fact, to me the romance was the weakest part of this story. Instead this book is about a Soraya, British Muslim girl who has just graduated from university and needs to figure out her adult life and her own beliefs. Her parents emigrated from Iran and her family home was not a happy one. Soraya grew up surrounded by addiction and abuse. Expected to avoid relationships with males outside of her family until she marries a good Muslim man, Soraya is not good at having a conversation with a guy at a party so of course she has never been kissed. When class womanizer Magnus shows interest Soraya decides to take the opportunity to get some experience. As they spend time together so starts to see beyond the popular Rugby player facade and develop real feelings for him, a heady thing when every other aspect of her life is so confusing. Sadly Soraya and Magnus have no chemistry largely because Magnus is more of a checklist than a developed character. Their inevitable conflict was uninteresting and I was way more interested in Soraya's journey to find herself than I was in the resolution of her love life. I would have preferred the time be spent in Soraya having more conversations with her siblings who grew up in the same household but had their own experiences and reactions to the family dynamics.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I liked parts of this story. I have a few books like this and I think I just didn't care about the main protagonist. I feel like she wasn't real enough for me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Mismatch by Sara Jafari is an interesting look at a Muslim girl, Soraya, trying to come to terms with a lifetime of mixed messages from her parents and siblings about sex. This, coupled with her attending college in London and wanting to distance herself from her Muslim family and lifestyle. Remarkably, she gets to graduation without really doing anything scandalous other than having a gay guy friend and drinking alcohol. Soraya graduates and moves into the working world having never been kissed. But there comes a time when post-college the gorgeous yet supposedly serial dater/cheater/horndog football player from school becomes interested in Soraya. She wants to be kissed by someone who she finds attractive and of course, she finds the one guy, Magnus, who is as far from an acceptable Muslim dude on her first kiss wish list. I wish I could tell you I liked the book a lot. The couple was short on chemistry, there was a serious lack of communication with EVERYONE, a stereotypical family and friends, and simply a slow-moving story. That might be the problem for me. I went into this book thinking it was a romance novel, yet it was more an expose on the dating rituals of Muslim women and I just felt conflicted.
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. Thank you to NetGalley and for this free ARC, but my thoughts and review are my own and without bias.

"The Mismatch" is a sad story, but an honest one. Soraya is a good Muslim girl, with all that that implies. She rebelled a little in a college -- drinking and partying -- but she is twenty-one, graduating from college, and she has never been kissed (much less done anything more intimate). On the day of graduation, she overhears a conversation between a fellow student, Magnus, and his father that indicates family dysfunction. Afterwards, Magnus punches a wall in frustration. He realizes Soraya is there when she asks if he is okay. Magnus has a reputation with the ladies and from what she knows of him, Soraya views him as a typical British lad, with all the negative connotations implied. She decides that he is the perfect person from whom to receive her first kiss, because he is someone with whom a long-term relationship is not possible. While Soraya sets out to "use" Magnus in a sense, his initial motives are not the purest either. However, as Soraya gets to know Magnus better, she realizes he is different and better than she expected, which is ought to be a good thing, but is really a bad thing, because she cannot fall for him. Soraya's parents were born and raised in Iran, coming to England when her mother received a college scholarship. Her father, Hossein, is not an observant Muslim at all, but he expects his daughters to uphold all the cultural and religious strictures that come with Iranian culture and Islam, which means no involvement with boys/men without marriage. In fact, Soraya's oldest sister, Laleh, whom Soraya barely remembers, left the family after being caught with a boy at age seventeen. "Muslim" guilt is a significant aspect of the story, as Soraya spends more time with Magnus and goes beyond kissing (but doesn't go all the way), but she feels obligated to hide the existence of Magnus from her family and she is conflicted about her actions with him.

The book also involves the story of Neda, Soraya's mother, with her life in Iran when Neda and Hossein met and their relationship and marriage, and then there move to England and life there, where the marriage goes downhill fast. Neda's father felt Hossein was a loser and not worthy of her, and his concerns were proven correct on the day of their marriage, when a secret from Hossein's past is revealed. Things become worse in England. Neda is doing well in school, building a successful career and later a family, but Hossein cannot find a meaningful job and cannot handle the racism and prejudice, ultimately turning to opium. All of Soraya's life, her father has been an addict, a fact that had to be hidden from everyone and which has profoundly impacted the upbringing of Soraya and her siblings. At the time of Soraya's graduation from college, her father is a disgraceful figure. Reading about the family dysfunction, abuse, addiction, etc. was saddening.

However, while much of the story is disheartening, there are good aspects -- the friendship between Soraya and her gay roommate Oliver; some of the interactions between Soraya and Magnus; the shattering of stereotypes. The author deals with the issue of addiction and how it impacts the addict and his/her loved ones quite well. I particularly liked that the author utilized Iranian customs and beliefs as an integral part of the lives of Soraya and her family, and that such customs were of importance to Neda and Soraya even when the practical impact was not always the most favorable. I also I liked that the author had the characters use Farsi phrases at times. Ultimately, I am conflicted about this book. I certainly do not regret having read it, but I am not sure if it is a book I would recommend to others.

I received a copy of the e-book via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

I found the writing really corny and couldn't finish. The descriptions were both pverly flowery and nonsensical. I was disappointed because a light read with a British-Iranian Muslim main character sounded perfect.

I LOVED this book. I've been in such a reading slump and was instantly pulled in to the story and couldn't put it down. I read it when I should've been sleeping, working, cooking, eating, you name it. I loved the intensity of the story. I loved the complicated characters. I really, really felt for them and I totally cried. Can't recommend this enough.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I liked this book but it wasn’t for me. I couldn’t get into the characters as much as I expected too, and the writing was awkward to read (for me, anyway).

<i>I received an ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review of <b>The Mismatch by Sara Jafari.</b></i>

2.75 stars

CW: domestic abuse, emotional abuse, drug use, drug addiction.

This story centers around the life of a young British-Iranian woman Soraya Nazari, and her mother Neda, an Iranian immigrant and professor of biochemistry.

Both women face incredible challenges in their individual stories that are filled with tension and a lot of heartbreak. Soraya struggles between wanting to be a “good Muslim girl”, and yearning to break from religious constructs for a taste of freedom her white peers seem to have. Neda is trapped in an abusive marriage, singlehandedly juggling grad school, babies and life as an immigrant woman in England.

Contrary to the blurb and cover, this book is not a rom-com. In reality, it is the furthest thing from. There are hardly any light-hearted moments or witty back and forth between characters, instead there is a generous dose of grade-A angst. Depression, religion and culture vs. identity are some of the main themes. A large part of the book also portrays opioid addiction, domestic violence and how secrets tear families apart.

This is coming-of-age contemporary fiction with a side order of romance. Magnus is really more of a secondary character and his role in Soraya’s story is dwarfed by the bigger issues playing out in her life. Their love story has so much potential but Magnus’ whole character arc felt flimsy and underdeveloped. I would’ve liked to see the book focused on either Soraya or Neda’s family drama, or entirely just on Soraya and Magnus’ romance, instead of trying to do both concurrently. It felt too much for one book and there is a whole lot to unpack across two POVs spanning multiple timelines. This book is intense and as a reader, I needed a heads up.

In spite of all the heavy stuff, I really enjoyed reading from the perspective of a modern Muslim woman living and growing up in a western country. The culture and customs, unspoken expectations from family, frustrating double standards between genders, attitudes towards sex, religion and marriage. As an immigrant of Asian descent, I identified with some of it and eager to read about the ones I didn’t.

While I was not expecting such seriousness at first, Sara Jafari’s storytelling and immigrant representation was engaging, refreshing and eye-opening. Once I adjusted my expectations, I did enjoy it. Overall a commendable debut.

I found the concept interesting and found reading about Muslim culture intriguing, especially the now vs then aspect of it. What I didn’t like was the negative connotations of white people. I’m not for racism of any type, for any race. That turned me off. The romance part of the story was average. Thank you Net Galley, for providing me with an advanced copy.

Love the Muslim representation, the femininity, and the family dynamics explored. While I think some of the book depicts Muslim/religious/immigrant parents in a harsh, negative light. But that's not to say that those stereotypes don't exist still, it's just not as common, in my opinion. I also thought there was a lot of stereotyping in general. In the beginning, the female lead keeps judging her classmate because of a sport he plays and the company he keeps, despite him never actually doing or saying anything rude, suggestive, flirty, or anything to her. Found that a little odd. Overall good book, fun romance, definitely recommend to anyone who loves a good post-uni, coming into adulthood, romance book.

This is a very interesting and engaging read, but the book does not match the summary or marketing. While there are elements of romance in this book, it is by no means a romantic comedy and maybe not even a romance book. There is a happily ever after, but the romance takes a backseat for the second part of this novel. The summary fails to mention the secondary POV following Soraya's mother, Neda, in various stages of her life. Broadly, this book contrasts Soraya's budding relationship with Magnus, a rugby lad with a sensitive side, with Neda's relationship with Hossein, Soraya's father. Neda is very religious and follows the Islamic statues around dating, marriage, and sex. Soraya has slowly broken away from Islamic practices throughout her time at university, but her dating prospects have never panned out. When Magnus shows an interest in her, she decides to go on a date with him although she is not attracted to him, so she can finally have her first kiss.
The book also explores Soraya's complicated relationships with her parents and siblings and their connections to Islamic and Iranian culture.
The characters are very well developed and their relationships are nuanced and complex, but I didn't connect with the story enough for it to stand out.

A good book should make you sympathize with the characters. A great book should make you empathize with the characters; it should leave you so shaken at the end that you’re not quite sure whether you’re yourself or whether you’re a character.

The Mismatch is a great book.

Jafari writes in the vein of Sally Rooney’s Normal People—delving into the story of a young protagonist who desperately tries to carve out her own place in the world—but with her own unique woman-of-color perspective on the tried-and-true cliché millennial experience.

I teared up, felt my heart hurt, and desperately whizzed through the last fifty pages wanting, wanting, wanting more. As the child of immigrants myself, I felt Soraya’s crises so very keenly—the guilt associated with her parents, the bottled-up anger, the constant need to flee. I’d never identified so much with a book, nor has a book ever so perfectly put my feelings into words.

This book spoke to me; I don’t know how much more concisely and sincerely I can put it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. I will be posting this review next week to my blog, lelivreenrose.weebly.com, and my Goodreads account.

I think this book is more than a contemporary romance. It's a coming of age read and the struggle between a daughter and her mother with their cultural differences due to where they've grown up and maintaining their tradition and beliefs in a new place. Feeling like an outsider makes it difficult to fit in. The daughter frequently finds the unfairness in how she and her brother are treated with the brother being allowed more freedom. This book covers addiction, adultery, stereotyping, and relationships. While I had some difficulties reading about how the women were badly treated, I did appreciate the dynamics of the mother-daughter relationship. Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I think in actuality this is a 3.5, but I’m rounding up. If you're in it for the romance I think you'll be a little disappointed.

Though it seems like the romance will be the main part of the story, I would say that it focused a lot more on family and the struggle with one's culture. This is somewhat of a multigenerational story that's told through mother and daughter's point of view, though mostly the daughter's.

Soraya's story takes place mostly during 2014, in England after she's just graduated from college and is figuring out her career/life. Having grown with strict Muslim parents, she has no experience with guys and at 21 she feels she should have some and when she starts to get to know Magnus, a guy she thinks she could have never have a relationship she decides she'll get some experience by practicing with him.

Neda's story takes place during 80s and 90s and starts in Iran. When a traumatic event happens, she turns to her faith in Islam, despite her friends and family's discouragement. She has her own struggles with her family. We see her meet her future husband (Soraya’s dad), how they move to England and how they get to where they are in the present.

Soraya was a very relatable character to me as someone who’s also recently graduated from college and no relationship experience. However, will say that I did not like her a whole lot. As I thought she was a bit hypocritical and a bit of a bad friend.

But I really appreciated seeing a character in their early 20s who's struggling to figure out life.

One of the things that I think this book does a great job on is conveying complex emotions, particularly in respect to family. The anger Soraya feels towards her father, but also the need for his acknowledgement and validation was really real and understandable. Similarly, her emotions towards her mother and siblings, a combination of love and frustration are equally genuine. Soraya’s struggle with wanting to be "good" but wanting to be herself and be free was really well written and I felt for her.

Part of my dislike for her was that she was so judgmental about other people, like all of Magnus' friends (though granted some of them were not the best) and she seems to assume the worst of people without giving them a chance, (and I guess given the people she's had in her life it makes sense), and she never seems to recognize it. So, there's not a lot of character growth in this regard.
The romance with Magnus, though a catalyst for a lot of the plot’s progress, was pretty minor, and to be honest I didn't really see the connection between them. Although I liked Magnus, I feel like they didn't have a lot of chemistry between them.

Something that I thought could be better was that there should have been less tell and more show, like her struggles with her career and like her friendships - we were told about them, but we didn’t get to see them. Another thing is that the side characters could have been developed a lot better, because honestly it seemed like the entire purpose of Oliver and Priya was to be the supportive best friends. The relationships could have also been better, we don't see a lot of interactions with her friends and when we do its always about Soraya. She doesn’t seem interested in her friends lives or how they’re doing and kind of seemed to forget about them when she was with Magnus.

Not gonna lie I do think the ending was a little too convenient, and but I still though it was good. Idk I’m a sucker for HEAs.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this!

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest feedback. Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and Sara Jafari for the opportunity!

It took me a while to feel invested in the format and characters of this book. After about 15 chapters I was invested in the outcomes and looking forward to finishing but even after finishing it I didn’t feel fully invested in all of the characters though I finished feeling very connected to Soraya and Neda. I liked how the author paralleled their experiences as young women. I also really appreciated the exploration of culture and the tension of living in a new country with expectations of another country and culture still a part of your own or a families identity.

I wished I could have understood Magnus Hossein’s motivations from their perspectives to developer deeper empathy for them.

I thought the twist with Laleh came too late and the resolution was too rushed. It felt too unresolved for me, especially for such a long book. Similarly, Neda’s attitudes around relationships and other cultural perspectives seemed to switch very quickly and that seemed inconsistent.

On the topic of length, there was a lot of descriptive detail in every chapter that transported me to the scene and that was enjoyable and obviously the author is very talented but sometimes I found myself skimming because the information was not new or necessarily pertinent to the story. I didn’t feel like I missed anything too important by doing this.

I’m really glad I read this and will look forward to reading other works by Sara Jafari in the future.

Thought provoking, stunning, intense! Two woman in one family: a mother and daughter living at different cities, experiencing different life circumstances, suffering from being outsider, trying to find their own voice, searching their ways to liberate themselves, feeling lonely in the crowd, writing their own stories against their forced destinies!

Soraya Naziri just graduated from the university, only 21, called timid by her own sister, never been kissed, never had a boyfriend, attending job interviews, feeling lost around the crowd with her lack of life experience. When she witnessed family quarrel between the school’s most popular member Magnus Evans, a talented rugby player, she attracts his attention.

Maybe he can be the key of her new life approach. What if she kisses him? What if she hangs out with him! She’s raised by very conservative and strict family who gives enough freedom to their son Aamir as they already lost one of their daughters at her weakest moment she needed their help. Now her other sister is also unhappy with her life choices, advising her to live fulfilled journey. And their own mother suffers from dysfunctional relationship with her own husband! She doesn’t want to be ended like the women in her family.But experiencing different things contradicts with Islam principles she’s been taught for years!

Will she give herself a chance for pocketful of happiness?

And we also learn more about Neda living in Tehran on 70’s modern, democratic Iran governed by Pehlavi Dynasty. After suffering from physical abuse, she chooses to wear hijab to protect herself around the people who want to harm her. Then we observe her journey how she leaves the country she was born without looking further!

This is such an impressive book about finding your way, self discovery, liberating your mind and soul.

There are also remarkable approaches to addiction problem, physical, mental abuse, dysfunctional family problems, domestic violence, abandonment, homophobia.

I loved the entire characters and their own unique stories. I also enjoyed Soraya and Magnus’ polar opposites attraction and blooming love story.

I’m rounding up 4.5 stars to 5 because this book is so much unconventional, bold, engrossing with its thought provoking approach to sensitive subjects. It’s so different from any other young adult books with multicultural interest.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/ Ballantine for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

**I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.**
I really dislike giving negative reviews when I get the book for free. However, this book was just awful. The amount of drugs and drinking depicted while the heroine attempted to respect her religion by not having sex was ridiculous.
Also the whole he’s a star abs she’s a nobody is getting old.