PARTIAL TRUTHS: A Novel

by Shahed Ghanimati

A breakup. A car accident. A kind gesture. Partial Truths explores the consequences of meeting the perfect person at the worst possible time. Camila and Ben-both in graduate school-meet in a UCLA Spanish class and become fast friends. He is enamored by her bohemian upbringing in a Mexican-Persian family, and she is charmed by his integrity and thoughtfulness. As both begin to feel the pull of romance, Camila learns of Ben's secret. 



Choices are made and lines are crossed, changing the trajectory of their lives until their paths cross again ten years later. Partial Truths is a love story for all those who've ever What if I had chosen another path? What if I hadn't let them go?

299 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 27, 2025

Reviews

[Dorthea Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was spirituality cleansing but heartbreaking at the same time. It grappled with the painful idea that someone can be the great love of your life but also not meant to be and that is truly devastating.

[Anonymous · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing debut, I highly recommend it! I read a lot of romance books and I often find comfort in the formulaic approach they take. When I started reading Partial Truths, I thought I knew where it was heading. Camilla is smart, sassy, sexy, and blends her Persian and Mexican roots in such an alluring way in all her interactions. Ben is instantly attracted to her but he is holding back. He reminded me of all the high-achieving academic people who feel like they constantly need to prove themselves, not disappoint others, and meet whatever expectations they (truly or not) think others have for them. Their chemistry is undeniable and there are some very good scenes full of sexual tension but this is where all my prior reading failed me. Dr Ghanimati's writing was full of twists and unexpected turns. I devoured the book within a day and audibly gasped every time another surprise would show up. The characters are deep, and flawed, and human. They make mistakes but I was constantly rooting for them in the familiar black and white way they saw the world in their 20s. I can't say more without spoiling the end, but all my predictions were wrong and I loved the book for being so different. At the same time, it felt like it had elements that make any good romance book feel like it transports you to the place it describes. I felt like I was smelling the roses and the orange blossoms. Being obsessed with evil eye charms, I couldn't stop smiling every time they were mentioned. The stories about LA, hospitals, motherhood, fertility struggles all felt real and so refreshing to see in a fiction book. I also loved the side characters and the way they loved both Camilla and Ben. There is a lot of unsung beauty in the kind of friendships and families that the book described and at the end of the day, they made the love story even stronger because they showed all the dimensions that love can occupy.

[Emma Thompson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe I’m the odd one out with this book, but this book left me confused, mad, and unsatisfied.

First - Ben took a year off from med school to rediscover himself and his love for medicine. In that year off, he obviously found who he was supposed to be and who he was supposed to be with. He was scared, obviously, that is why he didn’t end up with Camila; but why get married in the year that is supposed to be dedicated to finding yourself? Why not, even before meeting who is true love of his life is, postpone the wedding until you figure that out or are at least living with your fiancé again? And further more, he found someone who he obviously felt more connected to than his wife. Why not postpone until you get those feelings sorted out, on top of all the other things you’re feeling personally? I get that calling off or postponing something as big as a wedding is scary, but whatever is meant to be will be. For a book that pushed “everything happens for a reason,” Ben not talking to his fiancé/wife about Camila, his conflicted feelings, and his hesitations is the epitome of exercising free will.

I did not like how this book tried to excuse and romanticize cheating on a partner. In no scenario is cheating okay. Not even in the scenario that you meet your true love, someone who you connect so deeply with. Beyond the physical cheating that occurred, it is obvious that emotional cheating occurred and started very early on. This book is a prime example of what emotional cheating is.

Lastly, the narrator jumping so erratically from Camila, to Ben, to other side characters had me so confused. In most books I’ve read where the narrator jumps from person to person, there’s at least a chapter break, if not it occurring in a whole new chapter, but the narrator went from one person to the next in the following paragraph. There were quite a few times where I had to stop, pause, and start a part over again in order to not get confused.

I think this story has a lot of potential. Focusing in on Ben grappling with the path of life that he thinks he should go down, versus the one he wants to go down. Showcasing him talking through his emotions, being as open and honest with Tiffany as he was with Camila. Showing those hard conversations. There were many, many points where Ben could have called off his wedding with Tiffany; and even after the marriage occurred and the feelings for Camila remained, he had the opportunity and the choice to confess to Tiffany, to end the marriage, and to be with who he so obviously wanted to be with.

If anything, this story is one of a scared coward and the girl who will take whatever scraps she can get. I feel for Camila, I really do. She did not deserve to be treated the way she was by Ben. She was treated as his dirty little secret, and this book romanticized that.

Since the two did not get their happily ever after, the whole second part of the book didn’t even feel necessary. Why bring Cole into the story if Ben is going to be pulled away from him? Why bring them back together if they don’t even recognize it as the fate Camila talks about so much? I don’t expect or what a happily ever after in every book I read; however I don’t think this book did the “no happily ever after” well.

[mikayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was hooked on this book from the first chapter! Camila and Ben’s story took me through all of the emotions. Readers get insight into the two vibrant cultures within Camila’s family. Beautifully and thoughtfully written dialogue. This book is a realistic story of two imperfect characters trying desperately to reconcile their morality and their love for one another. I wait to read how Camila’s love story continues!

[Jules Arentz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing! The author did a fantastic job of portraying sexual tension, longing, and love! No spoilers! I highly recommend this book! Really great writing!

[Shaylee Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a ride of emotions this book took me through!!! I really loved the tension that was built between the main characters. We know we all love a hot and steamy moment. I couldn’t get enough!!

[Charity Brewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book - you really get to know the characters, and you can’t help but feel for them as they navigate their lives filled with unfortunate timing. It’s heartbreaking, but in a way that feels so genuine. Life doesn’t always go the way we want, and this book nails that feeling.

The writing is so good, I could not put this one down and read it in a weekend. Highly recommend picking this one up!