See full review: https://www.bellavidastyles.com/book-reviews/the-retreat-by-zara-raheem


I just finished an ARC (Advanced Readers Copy) of “The Retreat” by Zara Raheem. My first thought of this novel is that the title can be a little deceiving as the actual retreat takes place over a few chapters towards the end of the book. There is a lot more content and themes to dive into than just the main character, Nadia, heading to a wellness retreat.

This novel follows Nadia Abbasi, a Muslim American woman, as she finds out her marriage is in turmoil after she finds some suspicious photos of her husband in his home office. This sets her off to find out what is really happening. Is her husband having an affair? And if he is, who is this secret person he’s texting?

She turns to her sister, Zeba, for advice, but at first there’s a challenge—their relationship hasn’t been perfect either. Zeba and Nadia have been estranged for over a year and have had little communication since their mother’s death.

This story is just as much about Nadia and Zeba’s relationship as it about Nadia and her husband Aman’s relationship. It also touches upon undealt grief and the repercussions our childhood circumstances have on adult life. Nadia had a difficult relationship with her mother, and although she has passed, her influence on her and her decisions remains strong.

I really enjoyed the development of the story line between Zeba and Nadia and how they overcame their differences to work together to figure out what was happening with Aman. Their investigation is what leads Nadia to sign up for a wellness retreat at a local yoga studio, which has appeared to be one Aman’s latest hangouts. Aman has also recently starting working out and eating healthy—his morning green juice is a daily staple.

The journey to repair her relationship with Zeba and find out the truth of what’s going on with Aman, leads Nadia to a journey of self-discovery of her own.

One thing I wish this author would’ve done a little more is give the engilsh word or meaning for some of the Indian words used throughout the text. I did a lot of researching while reading, but definitely learned a lot about the culture.

This book comes out April 25, 2023. Get your copy now!

The Retreat follows the journey of Nadia Abbasia after she discovers her husband has been unfaithful. She asks her estranged sister, Zeba, for help discovering what went wrong in her marriage.

This is definitely a slow build kind of book and the miscommunication trope is front and center.

What I loved: The writing is wonderful and I would love to read more from Zara Raheem. I enjoyed the relationship between the two sisters and how they work through the complicated relationship with their mother that passed away.

Issues I had: While the build up is slow, I feel like more character development could have happened during that time. The retreat just kind of happens quickly and then we reach the resolution. However, it doesn't feel earned.

Publication date: April 25, 2023
Thank you to #NetGalley for an early copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Finished this one today (had been sitting in my kindle library forever) and I enjoyed parts of it. I could sympathize with Nadia but idk how I felt about the twist/reveal with Aman and honestly, was annoyed that the yoga retreat experience was wasted on her 😂 I am happy she ended up with Ali!

Such an AMAZING read. From the get go I was hooked and sleuthing my way along the story like the 2 sisters did. I absolutely loved the funny mishaps and funny moments between the characters. The tear jerking moments between the sisters and the two main characters (husband and wife) was tragically beautiful. This story made me laugh, cry and have eye opening experiences with good life lessons in between. Absolutely beautiful story that was written so masterfully. I give this 5 stars, and it takes a bit to get a 5 star rating from me. Breathtakingly good!

I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publishers to read and review. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this book.

3.5⭐
Pros: if you like a slow build, miscommunication tropes, and family drama- this book is for you! The author does a great job of leaving little bread crumbs throughout the entire book and leaves you guessing until the very end. I enjoyed the relationship between the two sisters and their complicated relationship with their recently deceased mother.

Cons: the main focus of the book IS "the breadcrumbs" and that leaves us hanging a little in regards to character depth and development. The author touches briefly on happiness in marriage and how Aman and Nadia's relationship has evolved over the past 10 years. I wanted to know MORE about them, but they never really talked or spent any time together in the book.

I'd love to see another book from this author, the concepts she explored in this novel were thought provoking. I would also love to know what happens next!

I enjoyed going on this emotional journey with Nadia and her sister. I also enjoyed the references to South Asian culture. The emotions that Nadia experiences when she realizes her husband may be cheating on her are universal and I love how the author brought everything together at the end.

The characters were very well developed and the settings/descriptions were spot on. A thoroughly enjoyable read that will keep you turning pages.

Cute and upbeat story about South Asian sisters bonding while investigating the possible infidelity of one of their husbands. Interesting cultural references -- more targeted at millenials.

The Retreat focuses on south Asian culture and the relationship between two estranged sisters. I’d love to see more books talk about estranged siblings.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I loved this book, it was so perfect to me, I finished it in one day. I love how it touches on some themes and you don’t feel over whelmed. It touches on divorce in South Asian culture, infidelity, and sister relationships, infertility, finding the strength to move forward and so much more. I can’t say it enough I really enjoyed every second with this book.

The book surrounds Nadia and her struggles with her marriage after finding a film proof with a “happy anniversary card” photo that isn’t hers. The story follows her quest to find out who the other woman is with the help of her sister Zeba.

I enjoyed reading this book and felt it touched on some great themes. Infertility, the loss of a parent, sister relationships, and navigating infidelity and divorce in South Asian culture. I’m always looking for books that can teach me something new and this one delivered.

There were a few points where I felt some characters were cliche and I also felt there were some themes I wish were explored more, such as the infertility Nadia and her husband experiences, as I feel this isn’t talked about enough in literature.

The ending more than made up for it though and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. It was a fun read and I got through this in less than two days! I enjoyed Zara Raheem’s writing style as well and thought the cover art was beautiful. Can’t wait to read more of her work.

Nadia knows her marriage is on the rocks, but when she finds a note tucked in her husband's book she fears he may be cheating on her. Estranged from her sister after their mother's passing, she's still the person Nadia needs after her carefully constructed life starts to crumble. As the sister's rebuild their relationship without their mother, Nadia's marriage is deconstructed one piece at a time. This was a lovely story about sisters, endings and new beginnings.

Publication date: April 25, 2023
Thank you to #NetGalley for an early copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.