This was a very heartwarming read! As a person who relies on my sisters for a lot of things, I felt especially compelled by it. I like the way Parvizi teases out the relationship between the sisters, how their differences both push them apart and pull them back together. (I also LOVED the funny side plot about their cat companion on their road trip, but I’m a sucker for mischievous cats!).

Also . . . I had a 300-page craving for Caesar salad (you’ll get it if you read!) and found the descriptions of food and cooking to be scrumptious and wonderful. It has its sad moments for sure, but overall, it was quirky and feel-good. A great read when you’re in a mood to think about the people in your life who are most important to you, and maybe also the most complicated.

Trust Me On This is the story of two half-sisters who end up on an unexpected road trip together to visit their dying father. Zahra is a divorcee who has made the pursuit of perfecting recipes her life, and Aurora is a rising actress caught in a defining moment for her career.

I loved the exploration of the intricacies of relationships throughout this story, between family but also other connections that are important in our main characters lives. I also enjoyed the dual POV and it really added to the story, giving space to both Aurora and Zahra to explore the complexities of their characters and to make them feel lile fully-rounded, real and relateable people. I connected a lot with Zahra and I could see a lot of myself in her character.

Themes of grief and resentment ran heavy throughout, but there was so much more to this story. It was about love and loss, communication and how people deal with difficult things that happen in their lives. It was filled with raw emotions and I was very invested in the characters and them completing their trip to visit their Dad.

A wonderful read filled with heart that I'd recommend to anyone who enjoys a road-trip story, and/or exploring the fine details of family connection.

As a fan of foodie fiction, I was drawn into the story as soon I read the first sentence. Freelance recipe developer, Zahara, lovingly cooks a dish with lemon and parsley, wishing there was someone with whom she could share the sensual pleasures of a satisfying meal—even though she’s a self-described anti–people person. She’s strong-willed and determined, a straight-shooter I can get behind, especially when she shows a little tenderness toward her estranged sister. Aurora, an Emmy-nominated actress, is trained to control her emotions, and her tears. Together, the two lonely sisters, as different from A to Z, discover what it takes to overcome family secrets.

Parvizi’s writing is evocative and poetic, as fresh as lemon juice and as fine as forget-me-nots. Piercing metaphors, and a strong voice in contemporary women’s fiction, Parvizi’s story of grief, longing, and forgiveness is also a delicious tribute to home-cooked meals as acts of love, even if it’s just for one, and how food is meant to be shared. If you like road-trips, secrets, and reconciliation, you’ll love Trust Me on This.

While reading this book I joined two estranged sisters on a heartfelt ride to see their dying father. The raw emotion in this book is palpable. I was hooked from the beginning, I believe there is a little Zahra in most of us. Her journey became mine in this page turning story about love, loss, and finding the light in between. I also have to give some merit to the brilliantly intertwined food references. A unique way to give some lightness to a heavy family story.
Well done.

A story about sisters but also fathers and daughters. The novel opens by showing us a distance between half sisters Zahra and Aurora; understandably so, considering their disparate careers and personalities, their mothers and upbringings. At first, it is only their father who connects them and he reveals to them both that he is terminally ill but he has something he needs to tell them both. He wants his girls to travel to him in Seattle. 

What follows is their impromptu road trip which pulls Zahra and Aurora together and by the time they reach their father, they find their sisterhood strengthened. Lauren Parvizi's novel brims with emotion about valuing family connections, however they may be made (or broken), the importance of sharing time and memories, and the power of sisters.

I have no connection with Hollywood or California, so I loved the fun chapters from Aura Star's naive perspective, the starlet whose moviestar lifestyle has been run by her mother. Her chapters are interspersed with rumours, blog entries and social media postings, in the vein of Gossip Girl or Lady Whistledown. Brilliant! 

For Zahra Starling, a character who is also charismatic but in very different ways, I empathised her yearning for a quiet life following a significant life-changing loss in her early adulthood. In places she appears older than she is, possibly because of her adoration for the kitchen, and a random 'Martha Stewart' reference! She adores the 'beat ... [and] the heat' of the kitchen, its spices and exotic ingredients, in particular those recipes she remembers from observing her Persian immigrant grandmother Maman Joon cook with her as a child. Many of Zahra's chapters are filled with beautiful sensory aromas and descriptions of food. These run through the novel beautifully.    

There is something mesmerising about Kathleen Lynch's eye catching cover for Lauren Parvizi's Trust Me On This, and you should let it draw you in further to read and savour Parvizi's wonderful second novel. Note the colourful starlings on the crockery, scattered herbs and wooden butchers block, tying themes of the novel together. 

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing for providing Lauren Parvizi's novel for review via Netgalley. All opinions are my own. Highly recommended! Publication date: April 8th 2025

Dual Point of views tend to be my favorite way to read a book and this one was no exception! i loved both sisters and connected to both of them immediately! I enjoyed this one but will say there were some slow parts!

I have a soft spot for road trip books, and this one hit the mark! Reading about Zahra and Aurora's journey up the California coast often made me feel like I was right there in the backseat. Each sister's distinct voice and perspective shone brightly in their highlighted chapters. As a bonus for Gossip Girl fans, there's a fun gossip column woven throughout the book that I couldn't help but read in Kristen Bell's voice.

I enjoyed Lauren Parvizi's La Vie According to Rose and this is another brilliant exploration of complicated sibling and family dynamics. Zahra and Aurora are great characters and I loved how each of their stories and relationships unfolded, set against a read trip to see their dying father. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review - I hope this one flies!

Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC.

This story about the Starling sisters was a true delight. I loved the road trip aspect, the dynamic between the sisters, and the food writing. Oh my god, the food writing was exquisite!

Both sisters felt like fully rounded characters who I rooted for the whole way through. And while not everything was tied in a neat bow, by the end I felt satisfied, like after a delicious meal.

A thoroughly enjoyable read!

Sometimes the right book finds you at the exact right time in your life. As the Starling sisters learn of their dad’s illness, I too was walking through the same experience. Even though the subject hit a little close to home, the way Lauren masterfully weaves together heartbreak and humor is exceptional. Through witty dialogue and tender moments, the book carefully examines the resilience of the human spirit, leaving the reader both teary-eyed and uplifted. This is absolutely a must read and, of course, you have to trust me on this.

A story of two half sisters, Zahra and Aurora, whose father is dying slowly has reached out to them to ask them to be by his side before it is too late. They have been told that he doesn’t have too much time left, so they drive up from LA to Seattle.

There’s a lot of miles to drive, and Aurora, an actress, is supposed to be attending an event, which might or might not happen if they don’t get to see their father in time.

There are a few places which they stop along the way, for food, etc., although they try to remain as ‘invisible’ to others as possible, but in the meantime, Aurora is frequently receiving texts warning her to make sure she shows up to the event she is supposed to attend.

This was such a different - in the best kind of way - story that I’ve read in a while, with the perfect ending.


Pub Date: 08 Apr 2025

Many thanks for the ARC provided by Lake Union Publishing

I gave Trust Me on This four ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Thank you Lauren Parvizi, Lake Union Publishing and Net Galley for the ARC. These are my honest opinions.

What great character development! Zahra and Aurora were so opposite each other and, while they both could get annoying very quickly, they didn’t because Lauren did such an incredible job of helping the reader understand, and sympathize, with why they were the way they were. The journey they each took to get where they were (and how they were), along with the believable path to resolution was top notch.

The only reason I didn’t give this five stars was because I felt the ending was a little rushed. I would have liked just a little more where Elian, Lucy and college were concerned.

You won’t regret reading this!

I was a big fan of Lauren Parvizi's debut, La Vie, According to Rose, so I've been eagerly awaiting her second book--and Trust Me On This did not disappoint. What Parvizi does so well is take serious themes like grief, finding yourself, and forgiveness and wrap them up in readable stories you don't want to put down. (I also always adore her love interest characters and lush food descriptions!)

This road trip story about two half-sisters dealing with their own issues as they try to get to their ill father was such a fun, thought-provoking journey to go on. I really felt for both sisters, though Zahra's story is the one that made me cry. Parvizi is an incredibly talented writer and an auto-buy for me!

I had mixed feelings about this book. I did ultimately enjoy the book, but it was a roller coaster of ups and downs for me. The story was relatable and engaging. My issue was with Zahra, one of the main characters. I found her to be very unlikeable and found it hard to be empathetic, even though I learned more and more about the reasons and events that contributed to her attitude and frame of mind. The last quarter of the book helped my opinion evolved, as she allowed her hard shell to shatter and she became less one dimensional.

I was so excited to read the NetGalley Arc of “Trust Me on This”! The authors writing is very visually descriptive and I always love a good duo POV. I quickly found a soft spot for both sisters and felt that the relationships were all so relatable and complicated. Overall, I found it to be such a good read and would definitely recommend to someone looking for a touching story!

Well written. Emotional. Couldn't stop turning the page. Appreciate the drama but also honesty.
Didn't always connect with the characters, but the plot and storyline kept me going.

“Trust Me on This” by Lauren Parvizi is hands down one of the best books I have read in a long time. We have estranged sisters/fathers-daughters, dysfunction abound, a hunky love interest, delicious food, a road trip and a cat. What more could a reader ask for?
Zahra is the more reserved sister. She lost a baby and her husband to her best friend and since then, she’s kept to herself. She is passionate about cooking, a tradition instilled into her from her grandmother, but instead of following her dreams, she plays it safe. Half-sister Aurora has just been nominated for an Emmy award for her role on a hit TV show, but she’s hiding her own secret—her romance with her co-stars husband. Both Zahra and Aurora get the same message from their dad—he’s dying and wants to see them. Zahra and Aurora don’t have much to do with one another—specifically, Zahra resents her father leaving her mother for Aurora’s mom (and Aurora). What follows is a road trip from Los Angeles to Seattle with plenty of surprises and self-discovery.

Not only were Zahra and Aurora so well-developed, the writing itself was almost poetic. Several times, I’d stop writing to admire a particular description or passage. But the beautiful prose still doesn’t distract you from this mesmerizing tale. I didn’t want this book to end but at the same time, I could not put it down.
Five out of five stars.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and Net Galley for a chance to read this book.

Lauren Parvizi’s Trust Me On This tells the story of two half-sisters who’ve grown up with mostly separate lives, but are summoned by their dying father to share a secret he's been keeping. They set off on a road trip from LA to Seattle to see him. The younger sister Aurora, who was raised by a stage mom, is a bubbly yet unsettled 25-year-old actress in an ill-advised work affair. The older sister is 38-year-old Zahra, a specialty recipe developer raised by her mom and Persian-immigrant grandparents without much contact with her father. She’s been betrayed and let-down, and has a defensive edge. The sisters work through old resentments and have something to learn from each other. I sometimes have trouble connecting with messy-twenty-something protagonists, but Parvizi managed to get me emotionally invested very quickly, especially with the interplay between the two sisters at different stages of life experience. Though it left me hungry for some Persian specialties (labneh cheesecake with roasted strawberries and orange blossom honey, anyone?), this book satisfied with all the feels!

Full review to come on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy.

I loved the writing style and it flowed really well. This is a story of sisterhood, grief, forgiveness, love, and secrets. The story follows two sisters who go on a road trip to see their dying father.

As a sister myself, I enjoyed the complexities of the different personalities of the sisters. They had growth in their relationship with each other as well as personal growth throughout the book.

I will say the plot is a bit predictable but shouldn’t make you stray away from it! The characters are exciting and complex. I felt many emotions which is exactly what I want in a book.