Rep: bisexual MC with a Jewish father, gay love interest.īianca Toeps – Maar je ziet er helemaal niet autistisch uit Because these boys come from very different backgrounds, but they never try to force their own opinions on each other. I think this is one of my favourite romances I’ve read about, mainly because there is so much mutual respect. I listened to the audiobook this time, and I still enjoyed it just as much, maybe even more. All of these issues get addressed within the book, but they are explicitly present. Other trigger warnings include: extreme homophobia (mainly from a religious viewpoint), colorism/racism, islamophobia, drugging, forced marriage. Rep: lesbian Bengali main character, lesbian love interest, gay brown/Bengali side characters, multiple brown/Bengali side characters.ĬWs: Please be aware that this book contains graphic descriptions of rape, emotional and physical (child) abuse, murder of a gay man, violence and blood. I’m definitely curious to read this author’s next books! This sometimes distracted from the story, which is a shame, as the way this book discusses its main themes is definitely its strong suit. Some of the dialogue tended to be a tad too simplistic, which gave it an unnecessarily juvenile tone.

My only criticism is that the writing was somewhat lacking at times. My favourite aspects of the book were the family relationships between Rukhsana and her brother, her cousin and her grandmother. (Although I would urge you to read the trigger warnings below and put your own safety first!) I really loved how the main themes in t he novel were handled, because it was so realistic and there was so much nuance. Mostly anger and frustration, but hope as well. This book was very difficult to read at times, and it made me feel so much. It started off slow enough, but to say it packed a punch is putting it mildly. I didn’t expect this to be an easy read, but it definitely was a lot heavier than I expected. Sabina Khan – The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali I accidentally had a little hiatus in April, but I figured better late than never!! So here’s my very belated April wrap-up, as I would still love to share my favourite (4 and 5 star) reads of the month with you 🙂

De zwendelprins by Rima Orie