Such a beautiful book, Farah is a phenomenal writer. The way she had me by the throat into this story, 5 stars!!!

This was such a heartfelt and deep memoir. It was honest it was raw it was engaging. So much grief and so much love.

Sorry for the Inconvenience by Farah Naz Rishi is a funny and heartfelt YA novel that explores the struggles of balancing family, friendships, and personal dreams. The story follows a teen girl, Amina, who’s caught between the expectations of her family and her own path. With witty humor, relatable characters, and themes of identity and self-discovery, this book will resonate with readers navigating their own growing pains. Rishi’s writing brings warmth and authenticity to the story, making it a perfect read for anyone looking for a mix of humor, heart, and real-life challenges. Highly recommend!

This was an incredibly good read! The story was beautifully written and the characters were flushed out really well! Definitely worth the read!

Thank you NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the chance to review this ARC!

Sorry for the Inconvenience by Farah Naz Rishi is a relatable and heartfelt story that captures the ups and downs of young adulthood. The characters are well-crafted, and their struggles with identity and relationships resonate with many readers. However, the plot can sometimes feel predictable, and a few subplots seem underdeveloped, leaving some questions unanswered. Rishi's writing style is engaging, but the pacing occasionally drags, which may affect the overall flow of the story. It's an enjoyable read, but it doesn't quite reach its full potential. 3 stars.

This was a memoir that spanned several decades of one woman's experience with complex maternal relationships. It was primarily a love story but it was also a story on family and the things we do and do not do for family. It delved into interracial relationships and general reactions to them, as well as looking at the closer reactions of family and friends when dating outside your race/culture. It was definitely an interesting book and very well written but I would have liked to see more.

3 stars.

Loved hearing from an own voices author. I enjoyed how romantic, hopeful and uplifting this story was.

I've been quietly sitting and processing after having just finished this memoir. It made me very emotional, and I just keep thinking about the bravery needed to take a story so painful and personal and not only write it all down, but also share it with the world. Memoirs are hard to review, but it felt like an honour to get to witness Farah Naz's story.

I don’t like to give star ratings on memoirs but I found this book compelling and hard to put down. I also appreciated the tiny parallel of the author participating in her writing retreat at the same time I bought my house next to the same college, and that she was there with RF kuang. Wild. This story is heartbreaking, poignant, romantic, and incredibly difficult. Having recently lost my father to cancer I can commiserate more than I wish with the author. Watching the struggles with her mother was frustrating and sad. Definitely check trigger warnings

This had me from the get-go!

The author knows how to perfectly grab your attention with her captivating writing and beautiful storytelling.

This was humorous and heartfelt but so incredibly heartbreaking at the same time and moved me in many ways. The best memoir I have ever had the pleasure of reading. I am awestruck by how strong this woman is.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

An emotional, raw memoir that follows Farah Naz Rishi’s journey to becoming a writer, meeting her best friend and eventual husband Stephen, and fraught familial relationships, Sorry for the Inconvenience grapples with love, duty, and loss with tact. Beginning with Farah meeting Stephen in college and how he provided an anchor to support her to defy her parents’ expectations and follow her dreams of being a writer, the title refers to Farah’s marriage of convenience with Stephen in a sweet, friends to lovers relationship.

However, while I expected the memoir to center her romantic relationship, familial relationships with Farah’s father, mother, and younger brother also take center stage. Growing up the eldest daughter in a Pakistani Muslim household, Farah feels pressure from her family and community that impacts her relationships. These relationships are far from perfect and never idealized but recounted honestly. Farah never shies away from difficult discussions especially surrounding death and grief.

With her writing style, this memoir is easily accessible, which lends to Farah’s abilities as a YA writer, though the shift in tone from chapter to chapter varies. Though the content is heavy, it’s a hopeful, vulnerable reflection on evolving through loss to become the person you want to be with the support of loved ones.

This story is heart wrenching in all the best ways. I find Farah incredibly relatable and their storytelling is wonderfully poetic. I was drawn into their life completely. I rooted for them standing up for themselves and cried with them through the sad moments. My heart goes out to them. I can’t wait to read more amazing works from this author.

Sorry for the Inconvenience by Farah Naz Rishi is a wonderful, warm, often turbulent look inside a culture of tradition that remains strong, even though the world and the new country of residence has moved onward.
Born into a Muslin South Asian family living in suburban America, Farah and her brother where expected by their parents to get a very good education, get married, preferably to someone within the community and the faith, and follow in their parent’s footsteps by producing grandchildren.
But, things go wrong at an early age when Farah and her mother could not get along, mainly due to her mother’s rages; what appeared to be almost a form of hatred towards her daughter. Her father a man who was proud of the life he had carved out as immigrant in a new country, tried to keep the peace at home with some success.
Even though she studied Law, she desperately wanted to write, to be a writer and made the decision to attend a writer’s workshop, rather than finish her study and sit for the Bar examination, which caused considerable issues within the family. She often felt like she was the outcast, the unloved member of the family, only really understood by her beloved brother Shaz, who was facing some serious personal issues.
It was only after the death of her father through Cancer, her brother’s death and then her mother’s death all within a few years, that Farah understood the reasons why her parents were the people they became.
She also realised she had found the love she so desired and why she was so very fortunate to have meet the one man who loved her unconditionally, waited patiently in the background, who was her anchor and support when her world collapsed around her.
Told in a loving and accepting manner, with a soft and gentle style, Sorry For The Inconvenience is full of love, heartbreak, sadness, tragedy and hope, told with compassion and understanding which shares a delicate slice of life to which so many can relate.

Thank you to the publisher and author for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was drawn to this book because it was a part of Mindy's Book Studio. The vulnerability it takes to write a memoir is vast. The author had It had me hooked from her first confession on page 1. I loved learning about her life experiences and look forward to reading her fiction!

Farah Naz Rishi's memoir, Sorry for the Inconvenience, explores her journey as a Pakistani American navigating complex family dynamics, cultural expectations, and personal relationships. The narrative spans thirteen years, focusing on her experiences in college and her evolving friendship with Stephen, a Jamaican student, against the backdrop of familial pressures and grief.

The memoir is a candid reflection on love—familial, platonic, and romantic. Rishi's story unfolds as she grapples with her identity and the challenges posed by her family's traditional values, particularly regarding marriage and personal aspirations. The book delves into her struggles with acceptance and the unpredictability of relationships, emphasizing the emotional turbulence that accompanies her experiences.

Farah Naz Rishi is an accomplished writer and voice actor with a diverse background, including stints as a lawyer and video game journalist. She holds a B.A. in English and a J.D. from Lewis & Clark Law School. Rishi's work often reflects her unique experiences as a Pakistani American, and she aims to resonate with readers through her storytelling

All the awards to Farah Naz Rishi for writing a memoir that just takes your breath away. The perfect book to make you reflect and cry. To remember that you're not alone in your feelings. Memoirs like this often make you feel so seen and happy that another person has captured the way you feel even if you're sorry that they've experienced the troublesome feelings you have. Second-gen immigrants, eldest daughters and those afraid to fall in love will all find themselves in this book. I cant wait to see the impact it has on readers! I am also so keen to continue following Rishi's career and her next upcoming YA romance!

I loved how raw and emotional this memoir was especially as an arc and I plan on rereading the final copy soon. This book is incredible and I can’t wait to read whatever Farah writes next.

Farah's book was incredibly moving, strong, and interspersed with beautiful, heart-touching moments. When I finished this memoir, I was at a loss for words. You could sense the full range of her emotions in your heart because of the way she written some moments.
I'm not exaggerating when I say that this is the most exquisite book I've read this year.

As she opens up to us, Farah—a Muslim immigrant from Pakistan—reveals the intricacies of her troubled family, the close relationship she has with her siblings, and the steadfast support of her best friend. She starts her writing journey, investigates her beliefs, and works through the conflict between her two identities and cultural expectations.

Farah reveals the most trying times in her life and is incredibly honest about her experiences. In the process of determining what kind of life she wants, we learn about her struggles with complex grief, cultural expectations, and generational cycles and loss. I am grateful that she shared her story with us.

I really enjoyed reading this, and I will definitely check out more of her future works!

I found this memoir fascinating though I am not sure exactly what the focus was supposed to be: life as a Pakistani American? Relationship with Stephen? Her journey to be a writer? All of these things are covered but not one is the actual focus. Regardless, there was an interesting story to follow here, raw with emotion at times, and the writing flowed well to keep you invested in the story. Everyone should be so lucky to have a Stephen in their life.

Farah Naz Rishi’s “Sorry for the Inconvenience” is a heartfelt exploration of adolescence and identity. Set in a small, tight-knit community, this novel captures the essence of growing up with remarkable sensitivity.

The story follows Aaron, a teenager struggling with the recent loss of his mother and the emotional distance from his father. His passion for music becomes his refuge. Enter Maya, the new girl in town, harboring her own secrets and struggles. Their friendship becomes a lifeline, helping them face their pasts and step into their futures.

What struck me most was Rishi’s ability to create characters who feel so real. Aaron’s journey is a mix of vulnerability and resilience, his love for music a metaphor for his quest for identity and connection. Maya is a complex, strong character whose story intertwines with Aaron’s in unexpected, meaningful ways.

The novel’s themes of grief, friendship, and self-discovery are beautifully woven together. Rishi addresses the tough parts of growing up with honesty but also infuses the narrative with hope and the promise of new beginnings. Her prose is lyrical yet grounded, capturing raw emotions with authenticity. The dialogue is sharp and realistic, making the characters’ experiences even more relatable.

“Sorry for the Inconvenience” is a moving read that delves into teenage turmoil with compassion. Farah Naz Rishi has crafted a story that’s deeply personal yet universally relatable. This book is a testament to the power of friendship, the importance of self-discovery, and the strength of the human spirit.

Rishi’s latest work left a lasting impression on me. It’s more than just a story—it’s an experience that stays with you long after you’ve turned the last page.