‘Liquid: A Love Story’ by Mariam Rahmani is a refreshing and insightful debut that explores love, marriage, and the intersections of capitalism with modern relationships. The story follows a young woman navigating her life in a capitalist world, looking for a rich partner to provide financial security while grappling with her ambitions, family dynamics, and cultural expectations.

The protagonist's journey is framed by a series of dates — each one highlighting different aspects of modern dating in a world where love, marriage, and money are deeply intertwined. I particularly appreciated the biting critique of the capitalist lens through which these relationships are viewed. For example, there's a humorous yet poignant moment where the main character goes on a date with a man she likes, only to find out he's polyamorous, revealing the complexities of modern love and its constraints. Rahmani also integrates the aesthetics of a spreadsheet, symbolising how dating is often treated like a transaction or something to be calculated.

While I found the prose to be quite lovely and reflective, the story did lose some momentum in the middle. The book's resolution is a mix of satisfying and unsatisfying — almost as if it mirrors the confusing nature of the protagonist's journey. That said, I think ‘Liquid’ will resonate with many 20-somethings who are navigating similar questions around love, career, and societal pressures.

This debut novel is a clever, introspective look at modern love, and I believe it will strike a chord with readers who enjoy thought-provoking stories with a bit of wit and irony.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the advance audiobook.

I'm quite surprised by how much I enjoyed this. We have our narrator who navigates their life in all aspects while weaving in social and cultural aspects. I do think it lost me a little in the middle, but the prose is really nice. The resolution was kind of both satisfying and unsatisfying. But I think all the 20-somethings of the world would find the main character relatable. A wonderful debut from Rahmani!

Thank you to NetGalley and Algonquin Books for the eARC!

The first half of this book has more vibes than plot. Thankfully, the narrator is really interesting. She talks about her PhD dissertation on the introduction of love as an aspect of marriage vs. arranged marriage. She reflects on her experience living in LA as a half-Iranian woman and growing up Muslim in Michigan amidst 9/11. She reflects on her friendships, past relationships, and media that have impacted her understanding of love. There are a lot of interesting descriptions of academia and cultural analysis in this book. Los Angeles is like a character in the book, so if you’re from there there will be a lot of references and street names that you’ll recognize. Her rundowns of the dates she goes on bring a lot of humor. 

The book takes a more serious turn halfway through when she travels to Tehran to care for her father after his heart attack. This section of the book is heavy but beautifully written. She reevaluates her relationship with money, with love, with her friends and family, and with her career.

I listened to the audiobook which was wonderfully narrated by the author.

Prose ?⭐️
Audio Narration: 2⭐️

I am going to come back to rate this properly as I need to read the physical book. This is a case where the audio narration is affecting my enjoyment of the book. The bigger problem is that I think the actual prose is really good and impactful and therefore important. But I can’t get past the completely monotone and lifeless narration.

This is why authors should not even narrate their fiction books as it doesn’t work and it’s a shame. The blurb in the book promises humor which may absolutely be there but with its delivery I can’t find it. I actually write an email to the publisher asking for an eARC of the title because I really want to like this book!

So I’ll be back to update once I have read it through again in a different format.

I am thankful to have gotten the ALC for free from Hachette Audio through NetGalley to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars and I rarely round up.

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

I was excited to receive this ARC and had high hopes for a thoughtful, nuanced exploration of life and love through the perspective of a Muslim female protagonist. While there were moments of entertainment and some valuable representation of both Muslim and LGBTQ+ experiences, the book ultimately didn’t meet my expectations. The protagonist, unfortunately, exhibited racist and classist tendencies, which, combined with her preachy and self-absorbed demeanor, made it difficult for me to connect with her on a deeper level.

Additionally, I’ve realized that I prefer when authors don’t narrate their own audiobooks. While their passion for their work is clear, the performance often doesn’t do justice to the material. With so many skilled narrators available, I feel that the author’s love for their story may not always translate into the most compelling audiobook experience.

Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.