A special thank you to the author, Negeen Papehn, for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Sara's life would be easier if she married a man of her faith, but when it comes to matters of the heart, when has love ever been easy?

Raised by Iranian immigrants, Sara was raised to always respect her parents and their values. She has always made decisions that her family has approved of, that is until she meets Maziar. The two share an instant attraction and it seems like fate when she learns that he is also Iranian.

It's too good to be true—Sara is Muslim and Maziar is Jewish.

Despite their cultural and religious differences, Sara and Maziar fall in love, but their love comes at a high price because it comes at the expense of losing their families.

I was so thrilled when I heard from Negeen asking me to review her debut novel—the synopsis was intriguing and I loved the cultural twist on this love story.

Papehn's writing was engaging, while not being overly stylized or trite. She captured the emotions and struggles of young love against the cultural constraints of differing religious backgrounds.

Sara is the daughter to traditional, albeit demanding, Persian parents, a student, and a girl trying to navigate through a relationship that challenges her upbringing. She is also American and wants to fit it, but she also wants to stay true to her culture. What I liked most was the growth of Sara over the course of the narrative. She experiences tremendous progress to become her own person outside of her family.

The prologue was unexpected and the perfect hook. I look forward to the second book in this series. Congratulations, Negeen, on this wonderful accomplishment. Thank you for the honour of letting me review the book—I devoured it, it was a great summer read. ( )