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Zahra, Unapologetic: A Second Chance Romance
Not yet published
Expected 8 Dec 26A young Palestinian American woman searches for joy, connection, and hard-earned independence in this unforgettable new romantic comedy.
After a barrage of accusations and Arabic curses, Zahra announces to her family she's moving out. It's just another chapter in the twenty-five-year-old's imaginary novel, 101 Ways to Disappoint Your Immigrant Parents. It pains her to let her domineering baba down, but Zahra, a second-generation Palestinian American, is determined to begin adulting and building her coding career after a long, difficult adolescence.
Things get off to a bumpy start when Zahra's laptop malfunctions while she's working in a bookstore. That is, until a swoon-worthy witness to her chaos comes to the rescue. Who knew manipulating wires with surgical precision could be so sexy? Soon, sparks are flying between Zahra and her savior. But before anything can come of their meet cute, her mystery man gets a phone call and then runs out of the shop, disappearing around a corner.
Five years later, they bump into each other at a nightclub where they're both celebrating Zahra's brother's—Theo's childhood best friend's—recent engagement. When they realize who the other is, Zahra feels even more resentment toward Theo for how their last meeting ended, and he feels only anguish. But neither can deny the burning attraction that's still between them. And with Rafi's wedding quickly approaching, their unexpected reunion will challenge them to face the traumas of their pasts—and find the courage to attempt a future together.
After a barrage of accusations and Arabic curses, Zahra announces to her family she's moving out. It's just another chapter in the twenty-five-year-old's imaginary novel, 101 Ways to Disappoint Your Immigrant Parents. It pains her to let her domineering baba down, but Zahra, a second-generation Palestinian American, is determined to begin adulting and building her coding career after a long, difficult adolescence.
Things get off to a bumpy start when Zahra's laptop malfunctions while she's working in a bookstore. That is, until a swoon-worthy witness to her chaos comes to the rescue. Who knew manipulating wires with surgical precision could be so sexy? Soon, sparks are flying between Zahra and her savior. But before anything can come of their meet cute, her mystery man gets a phone call and then runs out of the shop, disappearing around a corner.
Five years later, they bump into each other at a nightclub where they're both celebrating Zahra's brother's—Theo's childhood best friend's—recent engagement. When they realize who the other is, Zahra feels even more resentment toward Theo for how their last meeting ended, and he feels only anguish. But neither can deny the burning attraction that's still between them. And with Rafi's wedding quickly approaching, their unexpected reunion will challenge them to face the traumas of their pasts—and find the courage to attempt a future together.
- GenresRomance
296 pages, Paperback
Expected publication December 8, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The book starts with Zahra prepping herself to have “I want to move out” conversation with her parents. Somehow, it turns into an accusation of a secret pregnancy. The idea that her parents believed that she had a child while living with them is absurd. Sir respectfully, if there was a child. You would have seen signs. She gets to move out after the whole drama. I was excited to read how she navigates her life after moving out but we get five-year leap and I felt robbed. There’s no development in Zahra and her father’s relationship.
Theo meets Zahra at a café and offers to help fix her laptop. I didn’t like how both of them felt a connection and got to almost kiss each other while fixing the laptop. He gets a call about his father and runs out causing more damage to her laptop. When Zahra tries to help him, he yelled at her and left.
Apparently, Zahra and Theo knew each other from childhood. He was Rafi’s bestfriend, they used to play together. He didn’t recognize her in the café. I was kind of happy because there was an age gap and it can be creepy. So, it was better that they meet and fall in love as adults. However, the moment Theo realized she is Zahra from his past; he started acting an expert on her. He claims he knows everything about the girl he couldn’t even recognize. I didn’t like that he was avoidant “everyone you love will leave” but he gets too clingy after they slept together. He followed her to her house, insisted on staying in her room while she goes on date with another man, and then even crashes the same date.
Rafi seems like a good brother and when Zahra thought that it be great to have a relationship with him outside their parental home. I was looking forward to it, but I didn’t get to see it as much I wished for it. Nina and everyone else kept saying that he can be very moody and that was a constant until the end. I needed an explanation or character development but got none of them.
The wordplay with Nina name; Jenin, the town in Palestine was adorable. I loved how a Palestinian family paid homage to their homeland with children name. Laith was the only man I liked a little, but it went down the drain after she revealed the bullying thing.
The book has too many tropes, childhood connection, brother’s best friend, fake dating, workplace romance, and whole wedding setup. MMC and FMC didn’t have chemistry and failed to make me feel anything. I don’t believe Arab families would be delighted to know the ‘brat daughter’ of the family is dating a white man. Thus, fake dating didn’t made sense neither the whole resignation plot.
The author’s note said, “My hope is to bring more Arab protagonists into the romance space.” I was hyped to read this one for the same reason unfortunately I couldn’t enjoy it as much I wish I would. I read it one sitting so the pace is good. It had a lot of potential, maybe loopholes in the book are debut thing. I would love to read more by the author. The food representation in the book was so good. It made me hungry.
Thanks to NetGalley, Podium Entertainment, and Author for providing the ARC
Theo meets Zahra at a café and offers to help fix her laptop. I didn’t like how both of them felt a connection and got to almost kiss each other while fixing the laptop. He gets a call about his father and runs out causing more damage to her laptop. When Zahra tries to help him, he yelled at her and left.
Apparently, Zahra and Theo knew each other from childhood. He was Rafi’s bestfriend, they used to play together. He didn’t recognize her in the café. I was kind of happy because there was an age gap and it can be creepy. So, it was better that they meet and fall in love as adults. However, the moment Theo realized she is Zahra from his past; he started acting an expert on her. He claims he knows everything about the girl he couldn’t even recognize. I didn’t like that he was avoidant “everyone you love will leave” but he gets too clingy after they slept together. He followed her to her house, insisted on staying in her room while she goes on date with another man, and then even crashes the same date.
Rafi seems like a good brother and when Zahra thought that it be great to have a relationship with him outside their parental home. I was looking forward to it, but I didn’t get to see it as much I wished for it. Nina and everyone else kept saying that he can be very moody and that was a constant until the end. I needed an explanation or character development but got none of them.
The wordplay with Nina name; Jenin, the town in Palestine was adorable. I loved how a Palestinian family paid homage to their homeland with children name. Laith was the only man I liked a little, but it went down the drain after she revealed the bullying thing.
The book has too many tropes, childhood connection, brother’s best friend, fake dating, workplace romance, and whole wedding setup. MMC and FMC didn’t have chemistry and failed to make me feel anything. I don’t believe Arab families would be delighted to know the ‘brat daughter’ of the family is dating a white man. Thus, fake dating didn’t made sense neither the whole resignation plot.
The author’s note said, “My hope is to bring more Arab protagonists into the romance space.” I was hyped to read this one for the same reason unfortunately I couldn’t enjoy it as much I wish I would. I read it one sitting so the pace is good. It had a lot of potential, maybe loopholes in the book are debut thing. I would love to read more by the author. The food representation in the book was so good. It made me hungry.
Thanks to NetGalley, Podium Entertainment, and Author for providing the ARC
Did Not Finish
August 24, 2026DNF at 15%
I struggle to voice out my feelings while trying not to be offensive due to my limited perspective as a white person from Central Europe.
Ultimately I DNF’d because one thing I can’t do in books is bad parents getting away with it. Here is where my struggle comes. I understand there are cultural differences at play, Zahra does kind of fight against her parents’ treatment in the book, but mostly she just takes it, her brother is mildly annoyed by his parents involving him and that’s where it ends.
Zahra’s father disowns her for wanting to move out. She tells her parents, her father insults her, storms out and her mother basically rushes her out with all her things immediately. She even has to park three houses away because she’s that much of a family disappointment. Her parents talk down to her career, how she dresses (her mum claims she’s out basically naked), listen to random people’s rumors about seeing her with a baby and when she sarcastically says she forgot to tell them about having a whole-ass child, her father just says something like “I knew it was true” and storms out. Her mother keeps on talking down to her via messages and on the phone. I just can’t wrap my mind about parents behaving like this and no one actually reacting like it’s a bad thing.
I’ve decided to DNF because I can’t get over this and feel like I wouldn’t be able to judge this book fairly, as it was clearly not written for me.
Additional random thoughts:
- Her core heats immediately when meeting the hero
- Him taking her PC apart at a coffee shop is odd but I stan the Swiss Army knife level of prepared
- We barely got the first chance at 15% and there will be full-on second chance
- He (accidentally and in panic, sure) shuts down her weeks-worth of school process, doesn’t apologize and even proceeds to be rude to her when she tries to help.
ARC received from NetGalley.
I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I struggle to voice out my feelings while trying not to be offensive due to my limited perspective as a white person from Central Europe.
Ultimately I DNF’d because one thing I can’t do in books is bad parents getting away with it. Here is where my struggle comes. I understand there are cultural differences at play, Zahra does kind of fight against her parents’ treatment in the book, but mostly she just takes it, her brother is mildly annoyed by his parents involving him and that’s where it ends.
Zahra’s father disowns her for wanting to move out. She tells her parents, her father insults her, storms out and her mother basically rushes her out with all her things immediately. She even has to park three houses away because she’s that much of a family disappointment. Her parents talk down to her career, how she dresses (her mum claims she’s out basically naked), listen to random people’s rumors about seeing her with a baby and when she sarcastically says she forgot to tell them about having a whole-ass child, her father just says something like “I knew it was true” and storms out. Her mother keeps on talking down to her via messages and on the phone. I just can’t wrap my mind about parents behaving like this and no one actually reacting like it’s a bad thing.
I’ve decided to DNF because I can’t get over this and feel like I wouldn’t be able to judge this book fairly, as it was clearly not written for me.
Additional random thoughts:
- Her core heats immediately when meeting the hero
- Him taking her PC apart at a coffee shop is odd but I stan the Swiss Army knife level of prepared
- We barely got the first chance at 15% and there will be full-on second chance
- He (accidentally and in panic, sure) shuts down her weeks-worth of school process, doesn’t apologize and even proceeds to be rude to her when she tries to help.
ARC received from NetGalley.
I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
For being a debut author, I have to say that Mina Zafri has gotten the second chance troupe down pat. This book had longing in spades and I was here for it.
When Zahra gets some help with her final project from a handsome, wonderful stranger and sparks fly....Zahra is convinced that maybe this meeting is something that will go right in her life....she is already disappointing her folks and community, something has to go her way, right? But when the mysterious man disappears, rather rudely, Zahra decides the best thing for her to forget about him...forever.
Enter mystery man, years later, and he is Theo, Zahra's older brother's childhood best friend...and he is in the wedding for Zahra's older brother...the wedding that Zahra is involved in as well. The sparks are still there but Theo is determined not to get in a relationship for good (to him) reasons...and Zahra needs someone that will be there for her, no matter what.
Thanks to Podium for the ARC!
When Zahra gets some help with her final project from a handsome, wonderful stranger and sparks fly....Zahra is convinced that maybe this meeting is something that will go right in her life....she is already disappointing her folks and community, something has to go her way, right? But when the mysterious man disappears, rather rudely, Zahra decides the best thing for her to forget about him...forever.
Enter mystery man, years later, and he is Theo, Zahra's older brother's childhood best friend...and he is in the wedding for Zahra's older brother...the wedding that Zahra is involved in as well. The sparks are still there but Theo is determined not to get in a relationship for good (to him) reasons...and Zahra needs someone that will be there for her, no matter what.
Thanks to Podium for the ARC!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I didn’t realised that this is the debut book of Mina Zafri until when I started this book.
Damn she definitely nailed the second chance trop with her debut book. I’m honestly surprised and impressed by how much I enjoyed and loved this book.
Damn she definitely nailed the second chance trop with her debut book. I’m honestly surprised and impressed by how much I enjoyed and loved this book.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews