This is a timely and extremely uncomfortable book to read, and that’s what makes it so powerful. In a time when Fascism seems to be winning in our country and book banning is sharply on the rise, it’s so important for our teens to have a story like this that lays bare the extremism, racism, anti-LGBTQ language and violence perpetuated by the white supremacists who have been empowered by our country’s leaders. It speaks to how protest can begin with just one voice, one brave person committed to freedom and fairness by speaking out against the ugliness that has been exposed.
As a librarian, it hurts my heart to read a fictionalized account of what challenges our young citizens are being exposed to under the guise of “protecting our children.” Noor Khan is a role model for standing up for what is right, even if it puts her and her loved ones in harm’s way. If I were still working at the high school level, I’d not only buy multiples of this book, but would also work with students and colleagues to host an event to discuss the topic and actions students can take to fight against these bans. Highly recommended.
5*
Trigger warning: Child and spousal abuse
Don’t be fooled into thinking this is a run-of-the-mill enemies-to-lovers romance. This one throws an emotional punch and then some. Yes, the set-up is that Liam Murphy broke Daisy Patel’s heart when he stood her up for her senior prom and then left town without a word. He was her brother’s best friend and a part of her family, so the devastation was worse because he not only rejected her, but her father and brother as well. When she accidentally runs into him 10 years later, she soundly rejects his friendly overture; that is, until he proposes a fake engagement. For him, it’s a way to save his family’s distillery and, for her, it means getting her well-meaning matchmaking aunties off her back and finding a way to save the start-up organic feminine products company she’s come to care about. However, as so often happens, the emotions become real and someone’s going to get hurt.
Where this diverges from the normal trope is in the story of their childhood traumas. Desai spares nothing in her descriptions of the damage caused by Liam’s abusive father and Daisy’s casually cruel mother who abandoned her at age 7. They’re both suffering under the mistaken belief that they’re not worthy of love, and it’ll take a near-tragedy and some painful confessions before they can have a chance of absolving themselves and each other.
Ultimately, this is a story of redemption, forgiveness, and the power of love and family to right the wrongs of the past. It’s also a steamy romance between a sexy math nerd who doesn’t see how powerful she can be and a broken man who has achieved professional success, in large part to spite the father who made it his life’s mission to pound any self-worth out of him. The juxtaposition of Daisy’s meddling, but loving Indian-American family against Liam’s emotionally-distant, alcohol-abusing Irish one feeds into negative stereotypes, but it’s integral to the story and not gratuitous or ill-intended. Desai does a commendable job of defining her characters and readers can’t help but root for these damaged souls to find love and contentment with each other. Highly recommended.
I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Berkley Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.
