This book had so much potential, but unfortunately missed the mark on many levels. At first, I thought it was just that the audiobook I was listening to was bad (choppy editing, poor voice acting, terrible accents, etc.); however, as I kept reading, it occurred to me that the book itself wasn’t so great either. The writing was unimaginative, redundant, and used so many cliches. To top it all off, the story itself was a mess. Certain things just didn’t make sense logically and it wasn’t realistic how quickly most of the characters resorted to murder to resolve their problems. It was like the author was trying too hard to make things dramatic and shocking, and instead it just felt ridiculous and over the top. Admittedly, there were some clever plot twists at the end, but by then I was so over the story and how silly it was that I didn’t even care.

Nura Khan is the definition of a girl boss as she runs her own matchmaking agency, Piyar, which originally started as a family business in her home country of Pakistan. Since taking over the business from her aging aunt, Nura has modernized Piyar by offering both an app and personalized VIP services. With all her booming success, Nura isn’t just a stranger to the occasional disgruntled client every now and then. However, things take a drastic turn when an anonymous offender goes to great lengths to sabotage Nura and her business. Amongst all this, Nura must grapple with her real romantic feelings for her best friend and fake fiancé.

While I enjoyed the premise of this novel, the execution fell kind of flat for me. The beginning was definitely off to a slow start. There was so much exposition at the beginning, and it didn’t really feel like much was happening. The efforts at creating mystery and suspense felt elementary and I couldn’t really take it seriously. I had fun trying to figure out who was going after Nura and I was excited when it became apparent that there was a twist, but eventually this twist was predictable and the eventual revelation was more comical than suspenseful.

As much as I wanted to like Nura, she became exhausting after a while. Obviously she’s the main character of the book, but as an individual she has such main character syndrome. She just had a way of reminding us that everything was all about/because of her, and it felt redundant. Especially since nearly every character in the book was bending over backwards to support and help her.

The dynamic between Azar and Nura was the saving grace for me. The rom-com elements of the novel were definitely stronger than the mystery parts, and they felt very genuine. Overall, this wasn’t a terrible read (especially considering it was a debut novel) but the writing style and certain plot points kept me from being fully committed to the mystery. I appreciate the opportunity to learn more about desi culture/wedding traditions, and I hope the author will explore writing more romance in the future.

Grace Winters is a retired math teacher and widow who lives alone in England. Years after losing both her son and husband, she has also lost the ability to enjoy life’s pleasures and feels that the world is done with her. All of this changes when Grace inherits a house in Ibiza from her friend. Grace’s arrival in Ibiza sparks a journey of self-discovery that not only allows her to feel joy again, but to do so with the utmost intensity.

As we accompany Grace on her journey, we are fed tidbits about science, mathematics, philosophy, and psychology that relate to the beauty and interconnectedness of human existence. These portions of the book fit seamlessly into the narrative and didn’t read like a textbook. I was impressed by the author’s ability to get me (a girl who has always had to work harder in my math classes) to see the art that lies within mathematics/science, and how it relates to the essence of being human. I never thought I’d see the day where I’d describe any mathematical concept as “beautiful,” but there I was, finding beauty in the Fibonacci sequence and mathematical constants.

I thoroughly enjoyed the elements of magical realism in this novel and, since I’ve now read both this and The Midnight Library, Matt Haig’s work has inspired me to explore more of the sub-genre. While there were a lot of abstract concepts, it wasn’t so far fetched that I found myself getting lost or confused. It was satisfying to see Grace’s character development and how she comes to realize that she is not alone nor insignificant. It lead to me to reflect on my experience and what my life means in connection to the lives of those around me; not just the human lives, but even the lives of plants, insects, animals, bacteria, sea creatures, etc. Being alive and having the opportunity to live every day is truly a gift. The best way to honor that gift is to protect all life as best as we can.

Favorite Quotes:

• “People you love become deeply elemental. To hear they won’t be there anymore is like hearing the air or ocean won’t be. It feels like a fatal disruption to the universe.”
• “The point of life is life. All life. We need to look after each other. And when it feels like we are truly, deeply alone, that is the moment when we most need to do something in order to remember how we connect.”
• “I was now unable to kid myself with the sad but comforting illusion that the world was done with me. That I could retreat and feed away and it would make no difference.”

I really enjoyed The House in the Cerulean Sea, so I was genuinely looking forward to reading this sequel. It was great to return back to the magical land of Marcyas Island. I listened to the audiobook, and the voice actor did a great job. voicing the different characters, especially all of the magical children, and you could really hear the passion the author intended coming through in the way he read.

Overall, I agreed with the messages TJ Klune conveyed, especially around rights for marginalized groups and. At the same time, sometimes I felt that the way the message was delivered took me out of the fantasy or magical side of the book. Since most people picking up this sequel probably already read the first book and already know and/or agree with the author’s views, it just felt like he was preaching to the choir. It was as if I was being lectured or trying to be convinced of something I already believe.

I laughed so much while listening to this book, and I adored the children (especially Chauncey and Talia). David was a lovely addition to the family and the domestic scenes between Linus and Arthur were so sweet. I have to admit that I wasn’t a fan of the blasphemy and it went a bit too far for me at times. Nonetheless, this was an enjoyable read with an important message and a cast of lovable characters. One of the most beautiful parts of the story for me was seeing how not only the children were made better by Arthur, but how Arthur was made better by them too.