This story tracks the relationship between, naturally, David and Ameena, along with bits and pieces of their family's development, too. Rao uses various narrative styles throughout and one of the interesting techniques that caught me was the intermingling of present and past tense. It wasn't until about halfway through that I noticed this and I thought, "how is this working so well?" And yet, it does. Story-wise, I was drawn into the aspects of racism each character faced and how their different backgrounds affected their lens on both their dreams and their path with one another. Rao also does a great job showing how two people can hurt one another, yet forgive and continue to love deeply.

This book is an artistic expression of when two kind souls serendipitously find each other, true love occurs. David and Ameena are meant for each other and support each other in all endeavors whether it be him playing the piano or her painting. I also loved the fact that New York is a character in the book. Truly great work.

Where do I begin with this book? First off, I was not expecting it to be as intense as it was. I absolutely loved everything about it though. The writing style is brilliant and the characters are so well developed. Although the narration was along different timelines and perspectives, the transition was seamless and I could not stop reading this book. I also found myself unable to stop thinking about it. The story did sometimes seem a bit long but never boring. Definitely one of my favourite reads of the year.

Thank you NetGalley and Fairlight Books for the copy. This book was an unexpected but very pleasant surprise.

This was an interesting take on a modern relationship. Both main main characters were well drawn and seemed relatable. The story did drag a little for me but overall it was a decent read.

Major thank you to Netgalley and Fairlight Books for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. I really loved the representation in this book, as well as the characters - I found David and Ameena both to be really interesting, and fully fleshed out. However, I don't think this writing style was for me.

I absolutely devoured this book as soon as I seen it on my dashboard!
I greatly appreciated the rep, the setting, and the characters personalities.
This book made me shed a tear (or ten) and I finished with a bittersweet feeling in my chest, I know when I do eventually re-read that I will be filled with joy.
I will surely be recommending this book to all my reader friends.