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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
Read: November 2021
Original Rating: ★★★
Re-Read: October 24, 2022
Rating after re-read: ★★★★.5
Third read: July 26, 2024
Review after third read:
Tala and Leyla forever! Ugh. I love them so much. I watched the movie for the millionth time last night so decided a reread was also needed. I love this book more each time. It's such a soft and romantic story that I just cannot get enough of.
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Review after re-reading:
4 stars. Completely disregard my original review. I was being completely biased against this book because of my love of the film which was silly because the film is a very faithful adaptation. Obviously, since Sarif herself directed the film. I do still think that the chemistry of the lead actresses add so much more to the story but I definitely enjoyed and appreciated this book a lot more the second time around. Tala and Leyla’s romance is so swoon worthy. I really like their characters and their journey. This is a really good coming out story with a huge emphasis on the family aspects and a wonderful love story. I’m off to go watch the film now just because.
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Original review:
3 stars. I’d rather just watch the film honestly. I love that movie and it is definitely a very faithful adaptation. The book isn’t bad in the slightest but there is something about the writing that left me feeling disconnected from the story. Leyla and Tala are lovely characters and I do really like their relationship and the romance and all of the self discovery but I wasn’t crazy about the writing style. I’d still recommend it and the film though.
Original Rating: ★★★
Re-Read: October 24, 2022
Rating after re-read: ★★★★.5
Third read: July 26, 2024
Review after third read:
Tala and Leyla forever! Ugh. I love them so much. I watched the movie for the millionth time last night so decided a reread was also needed. I love this book more each time. It's such a soft and romantic story that I just cannot get enough of.
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Review after re-reading:
4 stars. Completely disregard my original review. I was being completely biased against this book because of my love of the film which was silly because the film is a very faithful adaptation. Obviously, since Sarif herself directed the film. I do still think that the chemistry of the lead actresses add so much more to the story but I definitely enjoyed and appreciated this book a lot more the second time around. Tala and Leyla’s romance is so swoon worthy. I really like their characters and their journey. This is a really good coming out story with a huge emphasis on the family aspects and a wonderful love story. I’m off to go watch the film now just because.
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Original review:
3 stars. I’d rather just watch the film honestly. I love that movie and it is definitely a very faithful adaptation. The book isn’t bad in the slightest but there is something about the writing that left me feeling disconnected from the story. Leyla and Tala are lovely characters and I do really like their relationship and the romance and all of the self discovery but I wasn’t crazy about the writing style. I’d still recommend it and the film though.
Fourth Re-read (first time on audio) - April 19, 2025
Rating: 5
Rating: 5
This lesbian fiction was absolute delight to read. The two worlds of the protagonists were deftly captured by the author. Also the story was character-driven and had nicely brought out the feelings of all the characters with great genuineness and subtlety. I have seen the movie a long time back, but the book was more elaborative in its characters' sketch.
Obviously I'd heard of the movie but I never actually watched it or knew there was a book!? Overall a quick read and fairly lighthearted despite both women...very much cheating lol. I thought the changing POVs was kind of charming but I agree with other reviews that the main relationship escalated SO quickly. To me it was believable until they were suddenly dropping "I love you's" like girl it's been a week???
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Homophobia
Nice book for a light reading, however I was not happy with the ending where
Spoiler
Leyla forces Tala to come out to her parents. I believe that if you love somebody you won't force them to make such serious step when they are clearly not comfortable with the thought yet.
I've got this on kindle on my Ipod, so slowly reading when I find myself sitting someplace with a mag or book. So far the story itself is very interesting and the characters very amusing. However the writing style itself is a little... convoluted? Sometimes the sentence structure is a mite clumsy.
This is a very well written and compelling read. A slightly irreverent look inside two cultures struggling to bridge the gap between the traditional and modern world. The insight provided felt fresh and engaging ... I enjoyed the author's clever sense of humour ... and carefully crafted tension. However, the relationship at the heart of this drama was quickly formed and therefore, I felt it lacked the credibility and staying power to carry it through and I felt that the momentum wane slightly towards the end of the book as a result. The love affair was too instant and too quick to realistically have the deep connection and intensity that is implied. Given Tala's well documented history fickle commitments - it was hard not to feel like this relationship happened way too quickly and would end just as fast and as dramatically as the rest. Perhaps I'm a little jaded ... still, I think that the story would have been strengthened if a bit more time was spent building a deeper connection and developing the chemistry etc. There were also some small editting errors, inexplicable jumps on POV in the middle of the narrative ... but otherwise, a really good book and one that I enjoyed.
I'd love to give this novel a higher rating, given the dearth of international sapphic lit, and novels featuring protagonists other than blue-eyed white gals. But the plot was pretty unbelievable and the romance was rushed. We go immediately from a first meeting during which Tala (a Christian Arab from Jordan) aggressively grills Leyla (a Muslim woman of Indian extraction) about her religion, to them suddenly being head-over-heels in love. And whereas Tala is initially the pursuer, the tables turn equally suddenly, such that shy, timid and closeted Leyla is the bold pursuer, demanding that Tala come out to her family. Conversations about homophobia in diverse cultures are certainly needed, but this just rang as too forced, artificial and unbelievable.
The book is based on the film (circa 2008) and independent movie reviewers thought that too was weak and amateurish, with the two main actors lacking chemistry and not passing well for lesbian.
Oh, well. (Sigh.)
The book is based on the film (circa 2008) and independent movie reviewers thought that too was weak and amateurish, with the two main actors lacking chemistry and not passing well for lesbian.
Oh, well. (Sigh.)
4.5 stars
This was such a fluffy and pleasant read, with some unexpected depth at times! I loved most of the characters and I especially enjoyed Tala, as well as felt sorry for her. I didn't feel that Leyla was as developed, but I still liked her! Their sisters Zina and Yasmin were super enjoyable as well (Lamia...well, I feel sad for her but she also frustrated me a lot). I really liked that we got to know their families, because it added depth to the story. I also liked how the book had some discussions about the Palestinian/Israeli conflict and religion, but they did not overpower the story. I do wish we'd gotten more on the religion aspect wrt Tala and Leyla, as they don't discuss it again after their first meeting.
Overall, very enjoyable, quick read!
There were also some amusing lines in the book that I appreciated. I'll put them under a cut, and unfortunately I don't have page numbers because I read it on Hoopla which SUCKS:
Maya reached to turn off the radio, with a disapproving flick of the wrist. "How can you think straight with all that noise?" she demanded. "Apparently, Leyla can't think straight at all," Yasmin snorted. (chapter 13)
"I have to say," said one of the women, in a tone that carried. "I don't see what all the fuss is. About Tala." Hani breathed. This was promising. Could he allow a smile? "I mean," she continued. "Some of my best friends are Lebanese." (chapter 17)
This was such a fluffy and pleasant read, with some unexpected depth at times! I loved most of the characters and I especially enjoyed Tala, as well as felt sorry for her. I didn't feel that Leyla was as developed, but I still liked her! Their sisters Zina and Yasmin were super enjoyable as well (Lamia...well, I feel sad for her but she also frustrated me a lot). I really liked that we got to know their families, because it added depth to the story. I also liked how the book had some discussions about the Palestinian/Israeli conflict and religion, but they did not overpower the story. I do wish we'd gotten more on the religion aspect wrt Tala and Leyla, as they don't discuss it again after their first meeting.
Overall, very enjoyable, quick read!
There were also some amusing lines in the book that I appreciated. I'll put them under a cut, and unfortunately I don't have page numbers because I read it on Hoopla which SUCKS:
Spoiler
As her husband strode in, Maya became aware that she was standing like a statue...she watched Sam's anxious gaze go from his wife to his daughter. "What did I miss?" he asked. Leyla looked at him, tears in her eyes. "I'm gay," she whispered." Sam stared in disbelief. "But I've only been gone two hours." (chapter 12)Maya reached to turn off the radio, with a disapproving flick of the wrist. "How can you think straight with all that noise?" she demanded. "Apparently, Leyla can't think straight at all," Yasmin snorted. (chapter 13)
"I have to say," said one of the women, in a tone that carried. "I don't see what all the fuss is. About Tala." Hani breathed. This was promising. Could he allow a smile? "I mean," she continued. "Some of my best friends are Lebanese." (chapter 17)