Book Review: The Nowruz Negotiation by Arezou Amin

Oh those lovely second-chance love stories. Especially those about lovers who distanced themselves for a bit and then found their way back to each other. And more so, if these new beginnings involve people who's been together more than apart through their lives.

Arezou Amin sophomore's book from her Love in Tehranto series is charming, engaging, and above all, full of hope and belonging. It follows the story of two characters who had supporting roles in her first book of the series - "The Aroosi Arrangement", an amazing book which is a must-read - but now focusing on their own love story. From that book, I knew Kasra Ferdowsi was a favourite character of mine, because of his charming personality as the best friend of the main character - and to have now the opportunity to learn more about him and his romantic struggles, it was amazing. As the honorary President and CEO of the unofficial Kasra Fan Club, I was delighted to learn we would have this book focused on him and Zahra, his love interest.

And what a true delight it was! Zahra (also known as Zay) and Kasra have been together for a long time, on and off, until they decide to break up for good. After being away for a time, they come back into each other lives due to a family emergency when Nowruz is about to happen. Then this situation allows them to decide if they want to get back together and make it work, or if they'd just better move on with their lives.

Of course, as I just mentioned, Nowruz plays a main focus on this story. Nowruz, the Persian New Year, is a 3,000-year-old celebration of Spring, rooted in the ancient religion of Zoroastrianism, which begins in the first day of the Iranian calendar, usually around March 20th or the Spring Equinox, and lasts for 13 days. These festivities involve a number of activities, like large gatherings of friends and relatives, street festivals, bonfires, fireworks and such. And this celebration serves as a fantastic backdrop for the process Zay and Kasra are going through, and at the same time, it gives us readers a fantastic introduction to the life of the Iranian community in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), especially if we are not familiar with it.

One of the things I love about reading fiction books is being gifted with the opportunity to enhance one's cultural knowledge by reading stories situated on other countries, communities, and learning more about their traditions. But above all, even with all the differences we can learn about, is realizing that we all are humans who love, suffer, laugh and live with the same kind of emotions, feelings, and challenges. And I can see that because Arezou makes a fantastic job by presenting us not only with the impact and the grieving process both protagonists are facing after breaking up their long-time relationship, but also how this affects their family and friends. If a break-up is hard for those directly involved, it also impacts those close with the former couple - of course not with the same intensity, but at a certain extent brings separation and distance from people who used to be close to them. And that feeling might be familiar whether as the main one involved on a break-up, or close to someone who's been through a break-up, which turn former significant ones into strangers.

Another thing I found quite interesting is the parallels one can find between immigrants communities, where even if the challenges faced by each community might be of a different nature, there are commonalities created by the situation of living in one country but having another one in your heart, and this is reflected in the blend of traditions, language, cuisine, art and folklore. And like I said, this shows how even if we might be different, there are a lot of things in common between us all - despite not being visible from the outside.

I loved reading this book as well as the first one (which I still need to post my review, BTW - shame on meeee) and I cannot recommend it enough! Loved learning more about the Iranian-Canadian community as well as these fictional characters from the Love in Tehranto series who are so organic, and relatable in a lot of ways. And as I love music, I created a playlist with both some songs that were popping in my head while reading this book and some tunes posted on social media by the author (see playlist in Spotify here.)

The Nowruz Negotiation by Arezou Amin was released on April 14th, 2026 both in physical and digital formats. Thank you Arezou Amin for the ARC!

Book Review: Absolute Certainty by Gissane Sophia

 

I just finished reading this book and I don't feel my words will make enough justice of it.

"Absolute Certainty" is the second book of the series "Midnights at Pemberley" by the talented Gissane Sophia. You can find my review of the first one - titled "From A Certain Step" - here. The question might arise from any potential readers: do I need to read the first book prior to reading this one? Even when familiar characters appear, both stories would be complementary but not strictly required reading material. However, the reading of "Absolute Certainty" would be tremendously enhanced by being introduced properly to this world the author gifted us with via the previous one. Long story short: you might not need to read it, but you definitely should.

 This book keeps the same warm environment of a fictional Broadway play inspired in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and what happens backstage and when the lights are out: we get to witness these characters, the daily lives out of stage and their hopes and fears, pursuits and struggles as part of the entertainment industry. And if the previous book puts the spotlight on two of those actors - Ethan and Willa - now the focus is for Sahar, castmate of both and Willa's roommate. We get to learn more about her and how her story intertwines with the story of Jay, the manager of the coffee shop they go to, who is also a writer and film director. The way their stories come together is so organic and nice to read, while showing the challenges and particular struggles people in the entertainment industry face. 

I appreciate how the author does not shy away from bringing current topics like the harmful effects of AI in the entertainment industry and the lives of those who are part of it, but I found really engaging how this is part of the story and has an effect in these characters but does not take away the focus on the main storyline or overpowers the narrative. And perhaps that's one of the main takeaways you can get from this story: entertainment has such an important purpose in our lives as both creators and spectators but it also has a mission of providing us with hope and understanding, as well as the consideration that even if reality poses a lot of challenges in our lives, and things might be bleak and difficult, entertainment can motivate us and shine a light in our personal journeys.

 And talking about journeys, I truly enjoyed learning more about these two characters, Jay and Sahar, and how they play such an important role in each other's lives. Seeing the way Jay and Sahar complement each other and how especially Sahar's broken heart pieces start mending back together by the presence of Jay in her life as if it were threads of gold - and Sahar has the same effect in Jay - made me think of kintsugi and how the resulting piece is way more precious and valuable. 

As I immediately identified with Sahar's having music as her love language, I decided to create a playlist of songs to accompany me on this journey while I was reading this delightful book. (See playlist in Spotify here.) I cannot claim complete ownership over the song selection since several songs were exquisitely curated by the author in her Instagram posts; the rest were added organically, pretty much based on my reaction while reading the book.

If there is something I didn't enjoy as much was Jay and Sahar's football team of choice lol. (Joking! Not a Manchester City fan). But sport choices aside, I truly enjoyed going back to this Midnights at Pemberley's universe so wonderfully created by Gissane Sophia.

Definitely a must-read book! Truly recommend it!

Absolute Certainty by Gissane Sophia is released on August 19th, 2025 both in physical and digital formats. Thank you Beyond the Books PR and Gissane Sophia for the ARC!

 

Book Review: A Certain Step by Gissane Sophia

 

Nothing like a warm beautifully written friends-to-lovers story to brighten what's known as Blue Monday (especially this one IYKYK). And even better if such story is titled from a Austen literary quote.

I am familiar with the works of Gissane Sophia and I have to admit I am late posting my review of To The Skyline (coming soon, promise!) but I was truly looking forward to read this book. Of course, I love Jane Austen and having Pride and Prejudice as a background play inspired in this universally acknowledged work was a great bonus. 

And I have to say, dear reader, I was not disappointed at all! I am not as familiar as I would like with Broadway and theatre plays (other than my brief experience as a middle school playwright lol) but I enjoyed having a glimpse of this universe, where actors give their best to portray a play, and in this case a fantastic rendition of the Bennet sisters' story in a contemporary cabaret fashion. I liked how the environment of what happens behind stage is portrayed in a realistic way, showing the author's commitment to take us into this world. And especially, by having that as a background scenery for this delightful love story between two friends was a wonderful experience as a reader.

The main characters, Ethan and Willa, are so relatable in the way the author portrays them, and both their interactions between each other and with their friends and co=workers are so natural and organic that it is easy to believe how anyone can ship them (there, I said it). I enjoyed learning more about their fears, their struggles and how they fit greatly with each other. Time and again this is a common situation we might have faced and perhaps even starred at (having a friend so close that people will wonder if there is anything more than mere friendship). However, I liked how their transition towards that stage was not rushed at all in my opinion; it felt earned, and with an adequate degree of exposition in between it was totally credible.

And with that, of course, the conflict arises and I don't mean to spoil it at all, but I truly appreciate how Gissane portrayed it. Perhaps the biggest question someone who had faced the choice of pursuing a romantic relationship with a close/best friend is what if it doesn't work out? Could things go back to the way they were? Can a friendship survive unscathed a failed romantic relationship between such friends?

It is not an easy choice - it is a risk and it could work out, or perhaps not. And as much as we take our own perspectives and experiences about it and use them to judge how a fictional character might react, I think it is one of the things I enjoy from reading fiction: how can we think about the situations we read about, and we use it to learn more about the characters, and the challenges they face. One of the things mentioned is how social media can affect us as individuals and how actors and artists can face both the unwavering support of their fans as a token of appreciation for sharing their craft and their talents with the world, but how they are exposed to the ugly side of the internet and how the anonymity can work as a bolstering device for individuals to release their worst upon creators, or to stalk them. It's a sobering notion and totally understandable to be affected by it. 

I also commend having a tracklist for this fictional play's songs that I would definitely pay to go and watch on the stage!

Definitely a must-read book! Truly recommend it!

A Certain Step by Gissane Sophia was released on January 14th, 2025 both in physical and digital formats. Thank you LoveNotes and Gissane Sophia for the ARC!

Book Review: The Sun Always Knows Where to Find Me by Elodie Parthenay

 

I was pleasantly surprised by the poems in this book. Parthenay focuses on growth, through different perspectives, from love to loss, from lust to longing, from sisterhood to self-love. At the end of the day, there will always be bloom and learning and the sun will shine on us again (yes, this is a quote from Loki).

Each poem had a specific taste as I just mentioned, but what it was common through the book was an utter belief of hoping things will get better. Parthenay added this on each poem: never stop seeking joy. Life goes on, and even if things were not great, the awareness of our life as being humans with feelings is a powerful one. I found this collection of poetry to be uplifting, intimate yet relatable, and every single poem was interconnected into this overarching story of growth, and perhaps a starting point for us as readers to cultivate our own magic.

Here is one of the poems that resonated a lot:

 

 The appreciation of self-love as being a strong self-motivator is really empowering.

It was quite interesting that I was reading this book while listening to the album Red (Taylor's Version) by Taylor Swift which even when it's thought as a heartbreak album for me has an overarching story of growth after a heartbreak. I thought this book was a great poetry collection and definitely recommend everyone to read it!

The Sun Always Knows Where to Find Me by Elodie Parthenay was released on October 19th, 2021 both in physical and digital formats. Thank you NetGalley and Elodie Parthenay for the ARC!

 

Book Review: New Names for Lost Things by Noor Unnahar

 

 

 I gotta confess I found the works of Noor Unnahar by mere happenstance, scrolling down on Pinterest and I enjoyed the quality and content of her works, as well as being namesakes. Her signature collage-style visual art caught my attention and I was pleasantly surprised by reading her latest poetry book, "New Names for Lost Things".

It was a powerful combination of poems on loneliness, grief, family, city life and the shadows of missed expectations. I've always thought poetry can be such a vessel of the emotional state and as well a beacon to light our ways even in the midst of dark feelings. Unnahar made such a great job blending a number of emotions in these poems, focusing perhaps on grief and loneliness a little bit too much for some but I thought they were enjoyable. 

Having the collage art present between pages created a good combination with the feeling the poems had. It's also vibrant the way she wears proudly her heritage - a Pakistani female poetess - and opens the door to let us appreciate her roots and how they are part of what she is.

 There are some quotes that I found interesting when talking about grief, like this one:

 "May your grief find a dark fine door ajar and leave."

 This sounds like something we often do in society, looking at grief as something you have to get over it and keep moving on, but like Vision and Andrew Garfield just mentioned this year, perhaps we don't ever get over it completely and learn to live with it. Perhaps grief is indeed love persevering and unexpressed love to who or what we lost, and we just find the way to keep moving with it.

Nevertheless any potential conflicts one might have with the quotes from it, I think this book and its poems are a good tool to bring up conversation about these topics and reflect on them. I recommend taking a look at it!

New Names for Lost Things by Noor Unnahar was released on October 19th, 2021 both in physical and digital formats. Thank you NetGalley and Noor Unnahar for the ARC!

Book Review: Eleanor The Firebrand Queen by Helen Rayson-Hill

 

 Eleanor of Aquitaine is a historical figure famous for many things and with certain cultural relevance up until these days. She was first Queen of France and then Queen of England (though no regnant royalty, more a consort wife) but she was Duchess of Aquitaine on her own right.

This book by Helen Rayson-Hill depicts a young Eleanor from when she is schooled to be the ruler of Aquitaine as the older child of the Duke of Aquitaine to the years when she gets married to King Louis VII of France. Then the troubled years as a consort wife of the French King, who takes on a Crusade to Holy Land and the struggles Eleanor faces with a complicated arranged marriage where a male heir would not come. An annulment leads to Eleanor marrying the son of the Duke of Normandy, heir to the English throne, and how things change for her.

I enjoyed reading this book from Eleanor's POV, in first person, I felt truly as hearing her voice taking us as readers by the hand through her personal life, and letting us learn more about her motivations, as well as her struggles and doubts. The author makes a really good work portraying the nuances of her personality and how her decisions, as controversial they could be, paved her future. She was a strong, educated woman in a world where women were supposed to breed and comply, nothing less. Having a strong-headed lady taking ownership and focused on learning and the well-being of her vassals was frowned upon.

It is also interesting to read about a world where geopolitical divisions were different than what we know them now, and how this region, Aquitaine, played an important factor years later during the War of Hundred Years.

As this book closes on her becoming Queen of England and leaving the door open to sequels covering the rest of her story as wife and mother of English kings. Since Rayson-Hill mentioned she was inspired on writing about this queen from "The Lion in Winter" - where an older version of Eleanor was portrayed by Katharine Hepburn - I can imagine that more books on the subject might be on the cards, and I will definitely be looking forward to read them.

Eleanor The Firebrand Queen by Helen Rayson-Hill was released on March 1st, 2021 both in physical and digital formats. Thank you NetGalley and Helen Rayson-Hill for the ARC!

 

Book Review: Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen (illustrations by Marjolein Bastin)

 

 Oh well. I have to mention in advance I'm a Jane Austen enthusiast and this was the first book I read from Jane Austen.

It was not the first story I got to know from Jane Austen - that was Northanger's Abbey, from a illustrated book adaptation in single-story comic format named "Joyas de la Literatura" (Jewels of Literature).

But then Dame Emma Thompson wrote and starred the best movie adaptation of "Sense and Sensibility" so it was the first Austen book I read.

So when having the opportunity of re-reading this story from a new edition, I didn't hesitate and said yes.

The illustrations were exquisite and delicate - I felt as if I was reading this book, sitting by one of those fabulous Regency gardens. The font calligraphy used for the print version looks real nice, and for a moment I felt as transported to the Regency era of carriages and entertaining visits at the piano forte. But even so, human relationships have changed a lot and not at all. We humans, though our codes of conducts might change, the way we control our feelings or let them control us has remained quite constant.

Bastin made a great job with her illustration through the pages, including different garden flowers blossoming as we turn each page, with also little birds and butterflies as guests. Such a subtle and soft way to frame each of the volumes and chapters which are part of this masterpiece. It matches her vision of loving the familiar and ordinary, finding the beauty in the world that lies before us every day, and with an increased awareness of the richness that nature possesses.

I truly recommend reading this book because of the author and the story - if you haven't read it - and if you have, the illustrations included in this edition create such a beautiful book, to be part of a collection of classic literature.

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen (illustrations by Marjolein Bastin) will be released on November 2nd, 2021 both in physical and digital formats. Thank you NetGalley and Marjolein Bastin for the ARC!