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Complicated Codes
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.
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
16 people want to read
About the author
I. Farah
4 books91 followersI. Farah is a Canadian author of Somali heritage, 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 relatable characters and narratives that resonate with readers from diverse backgrounds. She also brings a background in STEM to her work, adding realism, curiosity, and ambition to the worlds she builds.
Her writing blends themes of identity, love, and family, with a balance of laugh-out-loud moments and cultural reflection. Her novels Memory Lane, The Dig Up, Beyond the Sidelines, and Complicated Codes celebrating the beauty of life’s twists and turns.
When she isn’t writing, Farah is usually café-hopping, trying new recipes (with varying degrees of success), or hunting for the next mug to add to her collection, often 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 happy endings.
Find more of I. Farah's work on her social media pages:
Instagram: @i.farah_author
TikTok: @authori.farah
Her writing blends themes of identity, love, and family, with a balance of laugh-out-loud moments and cultural reflection. Her novels Memory Lane, The Dig Up, Beyond the Sidelines, and Complicated Codes celebrating the beauty of life’s twists and turns.
When she isn’t writing, Farah is usually café-hopping, trying new recipes (with varying degrees of success), or hunting for the next mug to add to her collection, often 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 happy endings.
Find more of I. Farah's work on her social media pages:
Instagram: @i.farah_author
TikTok: @authori.farah
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 4, 2025
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.
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.
September 3, 2025
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
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
September 9, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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.
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.
September 3, 2025
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.
September 24, 2025
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. 💖
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. 💖
September 3, 2025
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.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews