The description and tag of this book aren't good descriptors. This book is more women's fiction than a romance. The family relationships play a lot bigger role than the summary makes it appear. There are whole sections about the mother that aren't alluded to. None of this is bad, but not what I was expecting. The romance between Soraya and Magnus fell flat for me. Pick this up if you are hoping for a general fiction book. Don't expect a romance novel.

I read The Mismatch thinking that was a rom com, but it was more, it was about family and personal discovery, understanding who you are.
Soraya is about to graduate from university; she feels that she lacks some experiences, as its, having a boyfriend; but her cultural influence and her family pressure do not allow it, her family is Iranian and they expect her to behave appropriately.
She feels that she lives a double life, one in London, she is looking for work and has a secret relationship with Magnus, that started as an experiment, on the other hand at home she has to be the perfect daughter.
Soraya feels like she not belong everywhere and can't find her passion, feels that her life is full of rules that she doesn't want to follow.
This was a story about self journey, Soraya needs to find herself and express herself, her family is dysfunctional and she is the kind of person who closes in on herself, she has to learn to trust others. (And see a psychologist.)
It was a good story; it was not what I thought, it was a little more dramatic, but I liked it. I liked the chapters of his mother, being able to know her more, know the background of Soraya's family life, but I would also have liked to know more about Magnus.


Review Dates: Goodreads, Bookbub, Amazon, B&W: 03 Aug 2021

The romance between Soraya and Magnus felt a bit exhausting at times. I felt like Soraya's character still needed some growth at the end (and maybe therapy). The more interesting aspect of this book was the family relationships, the expected cultural behaviors of the Iranian daughters, and the damage that secrets can have.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This isn’t a romance, not really. There’s a love story, but the romantic love doesn’t feel like the central theme in the book. Instead, it’s about that time after college when the world is both impossibly wide and too small, about a family where things are broken but no one talks about them. About a mother and a daughter.

I found myself wanting even more of the non-romance. I wanted more about Neda’s life. I wanted more glimpses into Parvin (who late in the book seemed to have traits ascribed to her that we hadn’t ever seen). I wanted more Oliver.

What I like about the book: there’s no grand panacea. Love doesn’t cure all. There’s still family shit and post-grad brokeness and who knows if you and your loved one will change in complementary ways. But it’s the little small steps — of action, of openness, of reconciliation— that give it a sense of hope.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Mismatch by Sara Jafari is not usually the type of book I read. I’m a romance reader. I love books about love and falling in love. The Mismatch does have romance but that’s not the core of the book. This book theme is love though. Familial love. Self love. And yes romantic love. It’s a beautiful story that follows Soraya and Neda and their quest to love and marriage and the in between. These two women lives are shaped by life and circumstance. I enjoyed this novel very much. The story was moving and I loved seeing it unfold. While reading I went through a roller coaster of emotions, I laughed, I cried, I screamed at the characters and I loved it all. Thank you @netgalley and @randomhouse for gifting me this book for an honest review.

Disclaimer: I got this book in exchange for an honest review!

Soraya and Magnus are polar opposites. There were a few cliche lines such as "He was a popular rugby player, and she was a quiet nobody" but if that doesn't bother you then this book is perfect for you. I personally thought it was okay-it gave me the escapism that I needed and it allowed me to destress after a long day. If you're looking for something fun and lighthearted then this is perfect!

Wow. This was not at all what I was expecting but in the best possible way. I expected a cute romance, opposites attract and dealing with growing up and cultural differences. This book was a story about family, about secrets, how holding feelings in can destroy you and the people around you and about the similarities that can appear over generations even under different circumstances. I am so glad I read this book.