Complicated Codes

by I. Farah

When an anonymous online bond collides with real life, corporate sabotage, family expectations, and long-buried feelings ignite.

With her MSc in Computer Science nearly complete, Maryam Jama has two land a tech job in Vancouver or accept her father’s ultimatum to come home and help with the family computer store. The plan is simple get hired, keep her head down, avoid disaster.

Enter Ismail Ayub, the brooding, brilliant CEO of CaqliStarts the man everyone whispers about. Maryam nearly short-circuits when she discovers he’s also the anonymous correspondent who challenged her code on the Complicated Codes forum, the stranger who matched her wit.

But when CaqliStarts is sabotaged from within, Maryam and Ismail are forced into an uneasy partnership. Rivalry turns to slow-burn longing as they fight to save the company and face the truth they’ve both tried to deny.

A clean, Muslim workplace romance with enemies-to-lovers tension, secret identities, STEM nerdiness, and a dash of corporate suspense.

292 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 29, 2025

About the author

I. Farah is a Somali Canadian author known for crafting emotionally rich stories that explore the nuances of contemporary romance. Drawing inspiration from her experiences as a young Muslim woman growing up in Canada, Farah creates grounded, relatable characters whose journeys resonate with readers from diverse backgrounds. Her background in STEM also informs her storytelling, adding realism, curiosity, and ambition to the worlds she builds.

Her writing weaves together themes of identity, love, and family, balancing heartfelt emotion with moments of humor and cultural reflection. Her novels Memory Lane, The Dig Up, Beyond the Sidelines, and Complicated Codes celebrate the beauty found in life’s unexpected turns and the resilience required to navigate them.

When she isn’t writing, Farah can usually be found café hopping, experimenting with new recipes with varying degrees of success, or hunting for the next mug to add to her growing collection, always with coffee strong enough to fuel her next daydream in hand. She continues to inspire readers with her distinctive voice and her unwavering belief in hope, healing, and hard-earned happy endings.

Find more of I. Farah's work on her social media pages:
Instagram: @i.farah_author

TikTok: @authori.farah

Reviews

[Fayza9909 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super amazing read!!!
I. Farah, your writing is truly on another level! I devoured this book in just one day—it had me laughing, sighing, sobbing, and swooning. Maryam is so relatable; I saw myself in her more than once, through her struggles, fears, and raw emotions, all set against the backdrop of tech and suspense.

Ismail was the perfect leading man. It was such a refreshing take on the classic grumpy CEO because he had layers, and the enemies to soulmates trope absolutely delivered! I loved that both he and Maryam had their own aspirations beyond romance, yet when they came together, it felt so right.

With every release, I. Farah, you prove again that even greater works are ahead. Sending all my love and duas. 💖

[UgbadM · Rating 5 out of 5]

Complicated Codes is proof that I. Farah knows how to write stories that matter. Just as The Dig Up moved me, this one captivated me in a completely new way. Before I share more, let me highlight the tropes and themes:

Tropes & Themes:
• Enemies to lovers
• Grumpy x Sunshine
• He falls first and harder
• Secret online friendship colliding with real life rivalry
• Workplace romance
• STEM heroine
• Protective hero
• Muslim rep
• Halal romance with no spice, Alhamdulilah

Maryam is a heroine who instantly resonated with me. She is ambitious and intelligent yet vulnerable in ways that felt deeply human. Her struggles with family pressure, career challenges, and self-doubt were portrayed with honesty, and her resilience was inspiring.

Ismail, the CEO of CaqliStarts, is portrayed as distant and intimidating, yet beneath the surface his depth and protectiveness shine through, particularly with Maryam. Their dynamic was compelling—the push and pull of their rivalry layered with the tenderness of their hidden online bond. Watching him fall first, and harder, while fighting to conceal it, made their connection all the more powerful.

The suspense woven into the company mole subplot added sharp tension and kept me engaged throughout. At the same time, the Somali cultural details and family dynamics enriched the narrative and grounded the story in authenticity.

By the end, I wasn’t just invested in Maryam and Ismail’s love story. I was moved by the themes of resilience, ambition, and identity that ran through the novel. This is more than a romance—it is a story of growth, faith, and belonging.

If you appreciated the emotional depth of The Dig Up, then Complicated Codes is a must-read. I. Farah has quickly become an author whose work I will always look forward to.

[HudaReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t even know where to start because this book completely stole my heart. Maryam felt like a sister, a friend, and a reflection of myself all at once. She’s brilliant and stubborn, but also soft in ways that made me want to protect her as much as I cheered for her. Ismail was everything I want in a romance hero. Stoic, intense, and impossible to read at first, but the way he unravels for her had me smiling, gasping, and clutching my chest. His protectiveness, his quiet yearning, and his moments of vulnerability made me fall for him just as hard as Maryam did.

The romance had me glued to the page. Their anonymous online friendship turning into real-life enemies-to-lovers tension was perfection. Every glance, every argument, every stolen moment was loaded with emotion. And the slow burn? Torturous in the best way. The suspense around the mole added such high stakes that I couldn’t stop turning the pages. The cultural details and family dynamics gave the story so much richness and authenticity that I felt immersed in Maryam’s world.

By the end, I was crying happy tears because this story wasn’t just about romance. It was about resilience, ambition, family, and finding your place even when the world underestimates you. I. Farah gave us a love story layered with meaning and heart, and I will be thinking about it for a long time.

Tropes included:
• Enemies to lovers
• Grumpy x sunshine
• He falls first
• Secret online connection
• Workplace romance
• Protective hero
• STEM heroine
• Family expectations vs ambition
• Slow burn

[YasminB · Rating 5 out of 5]

★★★★★ OMG I LOVED THIS BOOK 😭💗

I just finished Complicated Codes and I genuinely don’t even know where to start because this book had me in my FEELINGS 😭😭 As a Somali Muslim girl, this felt so close to home in a way I was not expecting at all 🥹🤍

Maryam was SO real like the overthinking, the anxiety, trying to prove yourself in work spaces that already make you feel small… I saw myself in her so much 😭💔 She wasn’t perfect or unrealistically confident, she was just a girl trying her best and that made me love her even more 🫶🏽

AND ISMAIL?????? 😭😭😭 The quiet, reserved, emotionally guarded men always get me but the way his feelings showed in small moments instead of big dramatic gestures had me kicking my feet fr 🥹🫠 The slow burn was slow BURNINGGG and so worth it 🔥💕

The anonymous online chats were one of my favorite parts because tell me why that felt TOO REAL 😭 opening up so easily, feeling understood without being seen, then the tension when real life doesn’t match up… I was stressed but in the best way 😩💗

I also loved how the Somali and Muslim elements were just there naturally 🥹🤍 No explaining, no forcing, just existing the way we actually live. It felt so comforting and validating to read something like this 💕

By the end I just sat there like… what do I do with my life now 😭😭 This book made me laugh, stress, smile, and feel seen all at once. If you’re a girl who loves slow burn romance, smart characters, and stories that feel REAL, you NEED to read Complicated Codes 🥹📖💗

[LindaAbdi · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Complicated Codes is one of those rare books that blends heart, intellect, and suspense seamlessly. The author has created a world that feels so real, from the buzzing startup offices in Vancouver to the quiet warmth of family life in Hope, BC.

Maryam is such a refreshing heroine: smart, stubborn, vulnerable, and deeply relatable. Watching her navigate the pressures of a male-dominated tech world, while holding tight to her identity and faith, made me root for her on every page. And Ismail… what can I say? The stoic CEO with layers of intensity, wit, and hidden tenderness stole my heart completely. Their online banter as DoneWithSchool and ComputerGuy08 had me laughing, swooning, and sometimes crying.

The slow-burn romance is perfection, equal parts frustrating and magnetic, and the mole subplot adds the kind of tension that keeps you glued to the book late into the night. By the time I reached the ending, I felt like I had lived through every triumph, betrayal, and tender moment with them.

If you love:
💻 Enemies-to-soulmates romance
🌧️ A moody Vancouver backdrop
👩🏽‍💻 Smart Muslim representation in tech
💔 Betrayal, tension, and found strength
❤️ A love story that feels earned and transformative

Complicated Codes is one of the best books I’ve read this year. Absolutely unforgettable.

[AsmaSamatar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Complicated Codes is an unforgettable read. Maryam is a heroine I could instantly connect with: brilliant, stubborn, and quietly vulnerable. Her journey from small-town roots to navigating the intensity of the tech world felt authentic and deeply inspiring. Ismail was everything I love in a romance hero: stoic yet protective, calculating yet undone by her presence. Their anonymous online connection transforming into a high-stakes workplace romance was executed flawlessly. I loved the cultural layers, the Somali family dynamics, and the way career ambition was balanced with themes of identity and love. The suspense element kept me on edge, while the slow burn romance left me breathless. This book had heart, tension, and payoff in equal measure.

[SalmaF · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this book. Maryam and Ismail felt so real that I didn’t want their story to end. It’s tender, layered, and powerful, with just the right mix of love, tension, and hope. Truly one of my favorite reads this year.

[Salma · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the cultural touches and some sweet moments, but the romance felt unrealistic and predictable. Characters didn’t grow much, so I didn’t fully connect enjoyable in parts, but overall just okay.

3 stars!!