If You’re Not the One coming October 8 from Quill Tree Books; 352 pages
Content Warning: Racism, description of domestic abuse
About the Author: “Farah Naz Rishi is a Pakistani-American Muslim writer and voice actor, but in another life, she’s worked stints as a lawyer, a video game journalist, and an editorial assistant. She received her B.A. in English from Bryn Mawr College, her J.D. from Lewis & Clark Law School, and her love of weaving stories from the Odyssey Writing Workshop. When she’s not writing, she’s probably hanging out with video game characters” (Bio from author’s website).
Find Farah Naz Rishi on the following platforms:
Anisa Shirani is on track to have the perfect life. She’s destined to become a successful lawyer, marry Isaac, the son of the neighborhood’s most influential family, and be the perfect eldest daughter for her parents. Putting up a front with a carefully cultivated image is essential if she wants the life of her dreams. However, at home she’s a completely different person, and Anisa refuses to let anyone, even Isaac, see her when she’s not looking her best. But, the perfect life she’s worked so hard for is put in danger as her parents teeter on the verge of divorce and Isaac avoids her to spend time with another girl. When she starts catching feelings for Marlow, the guy she’s begrudgingly let help her win Isaac back, Anisa doesn’t know what to think. Everything is changing, and her once set-in-stone future is now uncertain.
If You’re Not the One was a fun, entertaining romcom that also tackled the heavy weight of a parent’s expectations on a young college student. As a young Pakistani-American woman, Anisa had her life mapped out for her, right down to the man she would one day marry. As the novel progressed however, she learned that she might not want everything that perfect life has to offer her. Anisa found herself paired up with an infuriating guy in her class named Marlow to work on a paper, and I loved the dynamic between them. While he committed himself to helping her reconnect with Isaac, he was also honest about his feelings for her from the start. As they spent more time together, she was able to open up to Marlow and feel content with herself around him. I love when two characters help each other grow, and that was exactly what Marlow and Anisa did for each other. They were perfectly imperfect together. The situation between Isaac and Anisa was quite complicated, but I thought that Rishi handled it beautifully. While Isaac was still at fault for what he put Anisa through, she also acknowledged the pressure he was drowning under to follow his parent’s plans for his future. This book was made for all of the first-born daughters stuck under the weight of external and internal expectations. Sometimes it’s okay if things don’t go to plan because you just might find love where you least expect it.
If You’re Not the One releases on October 8th, 2024.
Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and Quill Tree Books for sending us an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change before final publication.
Sam Yanis, Pine Reads Review Lead Writer