I can’t believe I slept on Talia Hibbert for this long. Whenever I find a new (to me) Black romance author and I end up liking their stories, I feel like I hit the jackpot. I don’t recall ever reading a romance where the MCs are Black and Middle Eastern, so I adored the representation here. 

Starting with Dani, I loved her. She was hilarious, unapologetically herself, and smart as hell. Yes, she was flawed, but she recognized that and tried her best to navigate love and life, which, to me, is pretty relatable. Also, I’m starting to realize that I enjoy stories that focus on a character in a Ph.D. program! I think it’s important that we continue to shed light on how stressful, difficult, and draining those programs can be, especially for women and minorities who have to deal with additional layers of hardships. 

As for Zafir, I don’t play into the whole ‘book boyfriend’ thing, but if I did, Zafir would be IT for me. He was so sweet, kind (to Dani, lol), and supported Dani every step of the way. I’ll never get tired of the ‘i hate everyone else, but her’ trope. 

 In conclusion, I’m obsessed. Besides the romance aspect, I loved how Hibbert handled grief, depression, fear, anxiety, impostor syndrome, and trying to come to terms with giving love and feeling worthy to receive it. I will think about this story and these two lovable characters for a long time!