Review: Written in the Stars by Aisha Saeed

Written in the Stars by Aisha Saeed

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Received: Bought
Publication Date: March 24th 2015
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Point of View: 1st Person & Feminine
Recommended Age: 12+
Genres & Themes: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Cultural

BLURB:

This heart-wrenching novel explores what it is like to be thrust into an unwanted marriage. Has Naila’s fate been written in the stars? Or can she still make her own destiny?

Naila’s conservative immigrant parents have always said the same thing: She may choose what to study, how to wear her hair, and what to be when she grows up—but they will choose her husband. Following their cultural tradition, they will plan an arranged marriage for her. And until then, dating—even friendship with a boy—is forbidden. When Naila breaks their rule by falling in love with Saif, her parents are livid. Convinced she has forgotten who she truly is, they travel to Pakistan to visit relatives and explore their roots. But Naila’s vacation turns into a nightmare when she learns that plans have changed—her parents have found her a husband and they want her to marry him, now! Despite her greatest efforts, Naila is aghast to find herself cut off from everything and everyone she once knew. Her only hope of escape is Saif . . . if he can find her before it’s too late.

Review: One Man Guy by Michael Barakiva

One Man Guy by Michael Barakiva

My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Received: Borrowed
Publication Date: May 27th 2014
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Point of View: 3rd Person & Masculine
Genres & Themes: Young Adult, Contemporary, LGBT, Cultural, Family, Friendship, Love

BLURB:

A heartfelt, laugh-out-loud-funny story of romance, family, and self-discovery.

Alek Khederian should have guessed something was wrong when his parents took him to a restaurant. Everyone knows that Armenians never eat out. Between bouts of interrogating the waitress and criticizing the menu, Alek’s parents announce that he’ll be attending summer school in order to bring up his grades. Alek is sure this experience will be the perfect hellish end to his hellish freshman year of high school. He never could’ve predicted that he’d meet someone like Ethan.

Ethan is everything Alek wishes he were: confident, free-spirited, and irreverent. He can’t believe a guy this cool wants to be his friend. And before long, it seems like Ethan wants to be more than friends. Alek has never thought about having a boyfriend—he’s barely ever had a girlfriend—but maybe it’s time to think again.

Guest Post: Vani (The Recession Groom)

The Recession Groom

Publisher: Leadstart Publishing

Twitter handle: @Vani_Author

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon

BLURB:

Parshuraman Joshi, 27, handsome, Hindu-Brahmin, IT Professional, settled in Canada, earns a high-figure salary.

These are credentials that would make any young man hot on the Indian wedding market, so it’s no wonder that Parshuraman’s family is inundated with matrimonial proposals. While so far all attempts to ‘settle’ him have gone kaput, he has bigger issues vexing him – such as Jennifer, his ‘fireball’ of a colleague, and their efforts to save Project Infinite. To top it all, as the credit crisis grips the global economy, the little world he’s created for himself begins to fall apart. Will he be able to pull himself together to face the challenges posed by a tough economy? More importantly, will this Recession Groom be able to find his ‘perfect partner’?

GUEST POST

Writing for an International Audience

I know that sounds easy. Not so easy when you read this.