Reviews

Falling into Place by Sheryn Munir

cornballsam's review

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emotional hopeful inspiring slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

bhavya_reads's review

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emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Loved this, highly recommend!

Content/ Trigger Warnings- Homophobia, Discrimination, Cheating in a relationship, Ankle Injury, Bedrest, Alcohol 

sarahzlo's review

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3.0

A sweet book, but it lacked a little bit in emotional depth…?

ashitak's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

beastcoastmac's review against another edition

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2.0

its a low rating cause the writing was so meh but tara and sameen were cute

vixdag's review

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4.0

Falling Into Place is a delightful debut novel that gave me all the feels I want in a romance. The added plus is that there was just enough angst to keep me 100% invested in the characters.

Tara is convinced that she does not have chance at a happily-ever-after because of laws that forbid gay marriage in India. She has closed off her heart after a disastrous relationship in her early twenties. Enter Sameen, a very gregarious young woman who insinuates herself into Tara’s controlled life. As an introvert, Tara doesn’t know what to make of her, but Sameen slowly draws her out and the two become fast friends. Tara has sworn to herself that she will never let herself become attracted or attached to a woman again, but before she knows it, Sameen has made her way into Tara’s heart. The main problem? Sameen is straight and living with her long term boyfriend. Is there actually a happily-ever-after for Tara or is this just going to be another instance of heartbreak?

Both Tara and Sameen are very likable characters. While Tara is cautious and keeps her feelings to herself, Sameen is outgoing and determined to infuse some happiness into Tara’s life. They work wonderfully together. I wouldn’t say they are opposites, but they each have something to bring to their friendship that benefits both of them. To say much more would ruin the twists and turns in the story and who wants that?

Ms. Munir does an amazing job of creating the world of this novel. She infuses every scene with the sights, sound, and tastes of India, which was so refreshing. I love to see diversity in this genre and the fact that the author grew up and lives in India is a big plus. She doesn’t dumb anything down by using western translations for the foods, endearments or traditions. I loved feeling immersed in the Indian culture.

Both characters are forced to re-examine what their futures will look like which means that they have to confront stereotypes and fears of not being accepted in their culture. This is where the angst comes into play and their struggles were very relatable.

I recommend this book. It is a sweet romance and a lovely opportunity to become familiar with Indian culture.

laurenw's review

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lighthearted relaxing fast-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No

2.75

This a cute, fluffy romance, that veers a little into melodrama. It is a sweet depiction of queer desi culture, with that much wished for happy ending. 

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jediroot's review

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3.0

I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I always love it when I find lesfic novels written by authors living in other countries, and about characters living in other countries too. I am big fan of learning about different cultures. (I'm an anthropologist so there haha)

This novel takes place in India (Delphi) and is about two women, Sameen and Tara, who become fast friends after a funny taxi situation. This is the classic lesbian girl falls for straight girl (or so she thought) trope, so nothing new there. However, I do appreciate the slow burn approach where both characters become really good friends and their love grow through their friendship.

I feel like this novel includes sufficient cultural information for readers like me who are not that familiar with India and how their society view homosexuality. At the same time, it's not the main focus of the novel, so it's really just about two women falling in love.

There are some flaws in the novel. Some parts of the novel feel like the writer is just telling me what is happening without much setting or context being included. Sometimes that makes it difficult for me to get really into the world that exist in the novel. Another issue I have with the novel is how Sameen realizes she has feeling for Tara. I feel like there are not enough details about how she processes her feelings and figure out who she really is.

Overall, I would recommend this for anyone who enjoy romance, but don't expect too much.

synth's review

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2.0

This story has many aspects that mirror basic western lesfic too much for me to have truly liked it. But there are also a number of aspects that I really appreciated, ranging from small things like the conversation about the worth and need for labels, to story-level things like the organic slow burn.

elusiverica's review

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4.0

This was a lovely contemporary romance with likeable, realistic characters and a vivid setting. I've never been to Delhi, but was easily absorbed by the portrayal. Though I'm usually somewhat wary of love stories that begin when one party is in a relationship with someone else, I had no issues with this one. A frankly hilarious meet-cute leads naturally into a friendship made of snacks, laughter, binge-watching TV and supporting one another, and without either woman really noticing, it blossoms into love. There's no sneaking around; once a moment of passion makes it clear that something more than friendship is going on, the realisation changes everything, and they just have to see if they can be honest enough with themselves and each other to make a go of it.

(I received a free copy of this book for an honest review)