The Stationery Shop

This was raw and sad and stunning all together. Though it does fall under historical fiction/romance, the history aspect is not as explored as I thought it would be. That said, Roya is a great MC living in a distressing time, and the story follows her as she meets Bahman and the things she comes to terms with/asks years later. This story was emotional - not just because of the romance and characters - but because of the themes rooted in real time. Again, the history was not explored in depth like I expected, but that didn't necessarily massively disappoint me because it's still central to the plot and Roya/Bahman's relationship. If you want an emotional read that'll make you cry (as it did me), look no further, reader friends. This'll do it. Probably multiple times.

SCREAMS OF PAIN AND ANGUISH

juvenile writing, convoluted “plot”, shallow characters, unbelievable relationships, melodramatic...it's a no for me