2.5 stars ✩
➳ not good, but also not the worst.

i am very 50/50 on this book. the beginning was really amazing and super engaging but towards the end it just started dragging tbh.

💌 𝔀𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝓮𝔁𝓹𝓮𝓬𝓽:
⤿ dual pov
⤿ grumpy x sunshine
⤿ slow burn
⤿ forced proximity
⤿ arranged marriage
⤿ halal muslim romance

‎ ‎౨ৎ • 𝓹𝓵𝓸𝓽: reshma wasn’t expecting romance when she married zafar, the perfect son - but never the perfect husband - of his family, but falling for him was so easy. after the pair are reluctantly swept away to the beautiful city of mombasa, avoiding each other becomes a problem..

‎ ‎౨ৎ • 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓻𝓸𝓶𝓪𝓷𝓬𝓮: very eh. at times i could feel a lot of tension and chemistry between them but then it just dissipated.

‎ ‎౨ৎ • 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝔀𝓻𝓲𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓰: dual pov in the third person is honestly my greatest enemy. it felt very detached and i felt connected to the characters in what otherwise could have been a very cute story. i also found myself skimming after the first half of the book as the pacing becomes a lot slower and the writing more clunky.

‎ ‎౨ৎ • 𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓻𝓪𝓵𝓵 𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼: i honestly loved the setting of mombasa and how it was a halal romance since they were already married before the story began. i would’ve written a longer, more in depth review but i’m just not too sure what else needed to be said.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for my honest thoughts!

I’m not entirely sure what to say here. The writing style was quite difficult for me to get into on this book, and while First Comes Marriage was a cute story, i found it difficult to get through.

"First Comes Marriage" by Laila Rafi is a poignant and captivating tale of love, tradition, and the complexities of family dynamics. Rafi skillfully weaves together the lives of protagonist Zara and her family, as they navigate the pressures of arranged marriage and societal expectations. Through richly drawn characters and vivid descriptions, Rafi immerses readers in the vibrant culture, while also exploring universal themes of identity and independence. With its engaging narrative and thought-provoking insights, "First Comes Marriage" is a compelling read that resonates long after the final page, offering a fresh perspective on the age-old institution of marriage.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'First Comes Marriage' by Laila Rafi.

After a while of pondering over how to review this book, I think I finally know what to say. I'm someone who blindly dives into books but with this one, I actually did read the blurb and that was the only reason why I was excited to read this ARC. However, it fell flat on me because Rafi's writing style just wasn't enjoyable for me. Which is a shame but that's how it goes.