I enjoyed this quite a bit. The writing is sharp and sparse in the best way, and the main character is interesting to follow. I especially appreciated seeing her in Tehran reflecting on her relationship with her parents and figuring out where she felt at home. And I loved the premise of a PhD student using a spreadsheet to find the person she wants to marry and...I won't spoil the ending but it was perfect.

I am having a hard time knowing what to make of this book! It's subtitle is "A Love Story." I know now that this is being used in a different sense than what one might think to begin with. I expected this book to be about all her dates trying to marry rich and not have to worry about her own job providing for her any more. While she did go on the 100 dates, they were very glossed over and seemed to be a lot more about hook-ups than looking for a relationship (thank goodness it is not explicit!)
I think the story was suppose to get more deep when she goes back to Iran with her mother to her father's deathbed, but it just wasn't enough for me. In the end, I feel like overall this was a missed opportunity to take an interesting premise that we could all connect to, but instead it just skimmed the surface.
Thank you to #NetGalley and @HatchettAudio for my ARC audio of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I was very excited about this one, and enjoyed the first half. I felt like this became an entirely different book halfway through. I don't know how fitting 100 dates into 320 pages managed to feel slow. I couldn't get as invested in the MC's relationship to her mom, or frankly, the romantic interest that takes up the second half. It also ended very abruptly. On the whole, I'll look for more from Rahmani, but this one didn't quite get there for me.

An American woman with Iranian and Indian parents dedicates her life to going on a 100 dates after, Adam, her best friend suggest she marries rich, since she is not seeing the success in academics she was hoping for.

This book was a lot! While being a contemporary novel, it felt very auto-fiction at times, the way it jumped around from humor, to spontaneous anthropological, cultural, and political academic critique, to healing deep emotional wounds. It felt personally unique experience, and I appreciate that a lot. The reading experience was quite jumbled and lacked a certain focus. I felt a little like being tossed around to too many places, and I left the book not feeling quite sure of what my take away was.

Reading it through audiobook was not the right choice for me with this one. While I always adore the author reading their own work, the flow didn't sound right. When the narrator's more thought provoking reflections came up, I didn't take them in the same way I would have, being able to read it physically. Which definitely affected my overall enjoyment of this book.

Our MC is quite bitter, cold and sarcastic and I found myself enjoying the book more, as she was getting more inspired and aligning herself with her values and truth towards the end of the book. The last chapter in Tehran was so lovely and I wish the book would have ended there. When the last chapter of the book finished I just went "Urgh!" as the foreshadowing throughout the book had been so obvious, and I couldn't believe the story was actually going there.

I can't wait to flip through the book physically and reread some parts around the more academic thoughts and lived experiences of the main character, as there were some incredible nuggets that I found fascinating. If your lived experience of cultural background is similar to the main characters, I think this book could be quite powerful.

Thank you to Netgalley, Hachette Audio, & Algonquin Books for granting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

• always thinking herself the smartest person in every room, the book’s unnamed narrator decides to go on 100 dates to find herself a rich spouse when she’s unable to create the life she imagined two years after getting her phd. but when tragedy strikes in tehran, she suddenly finds herself in the middle of a familial reckoning, altering every plan she had for herself.
• this book is told in two very distinct parts, that at first felt disjointed, but ultimately i found satisfying paired with the narrator’s voice.
• while the ‘a love story’ subtitle might seem disingenuous at first, i do think this book worked well as a story of a woman seeking ‘love’ to secure financial security, as well as an examination of her parents’ marriage.

I love self-aware pretentiousness in a narrator. It reminded me in that way of The Idiot or Bunny but also totally unique from those. A bi, Muslim woman, in the wake of losing out on a job and the recent Muslim ban announcement, decides to give up on making a career with her PhD in Literature and focus on marrying rich. I'm still trying to figure out why it's called Liquid, though. I also forgot it was a love story for most of it.

This book is good but not what I expected and where I expected a love story ( according to the title ) it was more of a cultural study and self exploration. Certainly an interesting look at cultural identity , love, marriage and sexuality

My rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

I really enjoyed the audio . I think the author did a really
Great job narrating her story

Audio rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

When I picked the book up, I thought it would be fun and enjoyable! Started off with main character going on 100 dates, then there’s a quick change and I feel like the book completely switched tone. I thought the messiness of the main character was realistic. When we go through changes, we can be really unlikeable, even to ourselves. However, I think the book felt messy in a few other ways that weren’t necessarily good.

This was actually my first ever audiobook and I’m pleased to report that I enjoyed it! It was a great choice to have the author narrate it as we really got to appreciate the tone and inflection of the dialogue, and I loved how she did her mother’s voice 😆 I found it quite slow and listened at 1.5x.

I think the title and the blurb make it sound a little more romcom-y than it actually is, and I enjoyed the darker tone of the second half.

The ending felt a little obvious and disappointing but maybe I would’ve been annoyed if that didn’t happen!

2.75 stars

I love such books where the protagonist explores him/herself throughout the course of life and eventually appears as a developed character after numerous ups and downs. That is the very first reason I can remember I picked this one. The blurb sounded really promising according to my taste. But now I realize that maybe I wasn't the kind of target audience for this one. Because almost the whole time I was asking myself, what is really to absorb from this work of literature. Nothing significant was happening. Or maybe I wasn't simply getting that. Or maybe the audiobook is the reason why I felt like this. ( and I have found so many other reviews where readers have expressed same issues with the audiobook...)

But suddenly everything got better after 70%...the writing, the narration, the emotional effects of grief and loss...everything was starting to make sense together and the character development at this point was at the peak. I really enjoyed the last portion of this book. And I got relieved that it at least gave something.

The main thing about this one is I couldn't connect to any of these characters mostly. All of them felt too superficial and at the end of the day, it is not a love story and it is not unforgettable or impactful.

It was a two star the whole time but the last portion of the story was comparatively better so 2.75 stars for now.

Thanks to the publisher, Algonquin Books, Hachette Audio and Netgalley for kindly gifting me this ALC. I really appreciate that.

This was a very interesting read. The flow and vibe of the narrator made for a unique experience. I definitely think this love story will offer something very new to queer literature. I love the 100 dates idea and the growth that happens through the experience. It’s a wonderful debut and I look forward to more from this writer.

Liquid by Mariam Rahmani is an evocative and intimate exploration of the complexities of human emotions, relationships, and self-discovery. This debut novel, while not perfect, offers a unique narrative experience that leaves listeners contemplating the fluidity of personal growth and connection.

The story centers on the protagonist, a young woman navigating a sea of internal and external turmoil. Rahmani's writing shines in its portrayal of vulnerability, as the character contemplates love, identity, and belonging. While the plot itself occasionally falters in pacing and development, the themes of self-exploration and transformation are powerfully conveyed, leaving a lasting emotional resonance.

One of the standout features of this audiobook is Mariam Rahmani’s narration. As the author herself lends her voice to the project, it adds a layer of authenticity and emotional depth that is often difficult to replicate with a separate narrator. Rahmani’s delivery brings the story to life, especially in moments of introspection, where her tone perfectly matches the protagonist’s inner conflicts. The fluidity of her performance mirrors the central themes of the book, with her voice subtly shifting to emphasize the ebb and flow of the character’s emotional state.

However, there are moments where the pace of the story and Rahmani’s narration can feel a bit slow, which might cause some listeners to lose focus. While the quiet moments of reflection are necessary for the character's growth, the narrative occasionally drags, which can impact the overall listening experience. Additionally, some parts of the plot may leave listeners yearning for more development or resolution.

Despite these minor shortcomings, Liquid is an audiobook worth experiencing, particularly for those who appreciate nuanced, introspective storytelling. Mariam Rahmani’s skillful narration enhances the overall enjoyment of the audiobook, making it a compelling choice for anyone looking for a deeply emotional, yet reflective, listen.

Overall, I would rate Liquid 3.75 stars. While it doesn’t quite reach the heights of a perfect listen, Rahmani’s unique storytelling voice, both as an author and narrator, elevates the audiobook enough to make it a noteworthy experience for fans of literary fiction.

LIQUID by Mariam Rahmani had vibes reminiscent of books like VLADIMIR, RIPE, and ACTS OF DESPERATION. The narration and the prose was well-done, but the story was difficult to follow and felt tedious to continue to read at times - boring is a strong word, but there were parts of this book that getting through felt like homework.

I really liked the idea of this book. I did not like the main character at all and thought there would be much more humor to the story. This is also the second book where the author narrated their own book and unless it is a celebrity they just should not do it. You need tone and inflection when speaking. Overall I just thought it would be better than it was.

As I recently told a friend, I'm really into the micro-genre of "brown girl kinda loses it but also kinda finds herself" and this book is a prime example! This was a highly entertaining whirlwind of dates across genders, socioeconomics, and more. The story is held together with self-exploration around culture and loss with sharp wit and truly delicious prose. I bookmarked so many cutting quotes in this audiobook! I definitely want to get a hard copy to annotate!

This started out very promising but as the book went on I got bored because this is a no plot just vibes kind of book. And the vibes are not great. The main character is insufferable and painfully millennial. This book is marketed as queer but out of her 100 dates maybe one or two are with women and whenever she talks about relationships she centers men. She tries to be funny but it comes across as “oh honey you’re deeply depressed.” I dnf-ed at 35% in and my prediction is that she will marry her man best friend (lame, predictable, so centering men of her). This was not for me but maybe it will be for Sally Rooney fans (personally I grew up and don’t like her anymore).

I liked this but it wasn't what I was expecting. It's very abruptly split into two halves. The first part is about our unnamed narrator dating around trying to find her perfect rich spouse, while the second turns into the main character finding herself and her identity as she spends time with her family in Iran. The switch didn't necessarily bother me, it just wasn't at all where I was expecting this book to go.

I thought the writing was good - felt almost like a memoir, in that it was a lot of self exploration - but I found the main character pretty irritating. She got really close to exploring some great topics and ideas about societal inequities, the concept of marriage as a symbol of class status, and a bunch of other things, but never really dug all the way in. It's like we were so close to making a good point but then never quite made it. She came off as a bit preachy to me and it just didn't really feel like anything was resolved or the MC grew very much by the end. I also thought the ending was extremely predictable and not super satisfying.

The narrator's performance was perfectly fine, and I felt she did the character justice, even if the story wasn't my favorite. Thanks NetGalley, Algonquin Books and Hachette Audio for the ARC!

Our unnamed narrator holds a PhD in English, where she focuses on comparing different cultures' representations in film and literature on marriage and love. Two years since graduation, she hasn't landed a TT job yet (she's adjuncting, making about 8k a quarter). Anyway, so this hits a little too close to home. What I truly enjoyed about this book is how the narrator's voice is basically the same as mine. I don't mean it's relatable. I mean the most unrelatable thoughts I have about the world and my job somehow overlaps with this narrator. In this somehow narcissistic, self-enhancement-ish way, I think I truly enjoyed the book. I feel like the last sentence IS something the narrator would also say (but more eloquently).
I also truly enjoyed the phrase "Preity Zinta and the even prettier Saif Ali Khan" when she was talking about KHNH.
The choice of having the author narrate the book could have gone wrong in so many ways, but it didn't!!! The narration was also excellent.
What I didn't quite like is the ending. It was a bit abrupt for my tastes.
All I have to say is this book is immaculate and worth all the hype it's gotten so far and I can't wait to hear people's criticism about it (which I'll take personal offense to, maybe).

whoo this one was interesting! The concept was fun, and the narrative voice was compelling, brutally honest, and charming. I wasn't sold on the ending, but I don't think I was supposed to be, and that’s what really made this book work for me.

rep: Iranian bisexual MC, love interests of every kind

spice: a few clinical descriptions of sex

tw: unemployment, loss of a parent

I have mixed feelings about this book. It reads more like a memoir than a novel, and the fact that it is narrated by the author reinforces this sense. The premise: an academic in LA who is struggling to find a permanent teaching job decides to spend the summer going on 100 dates in order to marry someone wealthy. I thought that this pursuit would yield much more humor, but it merely left me very glad that dating apps have no place in my life. The second half of the book, set in Tehran, was much more interesting. I kept going because I was interested in knowing how it would all turn out, but the conclusion was a bit of a letdown. Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this audiobook.