ABOUT THE BOOK

A tale of reconciled love.
Two different cultures. Two different religions. Two different social statuses .

Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love.
To the world, he’s the secret keeper, but no one knows his secrets. Aryan is a bartender at the restaurant and bar of his best friend Kabir’s. Behind his quirky comments, his outspoken truth, and his humbleness lies deep grief. Years earlier, Aryan had moved to New York. He was targeted in high school because of his background. There, he met his first love.

She was a beautiful rose.
He was like a snake that leeched into the garden, sucking the rose dry.
Fast-forward three years later. A homeless Aryan had met a girl, a college student named Aanaah. His second love. She was different from him, in every way possible. She found him hungry in the streets and offered him shelter in her home. There was an unspoken promise between them, a promise of protection. But even, she left from his life.

Now in the future, Aryan is successful and wealthy. His love returns in his life. A reconnection. He is still single. And his love is now a mystery.

MY REVIEW

I’ve been waiting for Aryan’s story since the beautiful and poignant The Name of Red came out. His sense of humor and mysterious tidbits of his life hid such a heartbreaking and moving story that had me sobbing and reading into the night.

Aryan is a lonely young man who only wants to be loved. He is devoted to his uncle’s family in America who promised to take care of him when he arrived from India as a boy, but they and others treated him like an outsider. His first love was forbidden to him and his second love was taken from him.  When he is destined to live on the streets of New York for the rest of his life, he is saved by Kabir who becomes his best friend and his boss.

My heart broke for Aryan so many times through the course of his story, but his strength and his determination to be true to himself and his beliefs is a great testament to Aryan’s honor and character. I knew his story would be hard to read, but it is worth the heartache and tears to see Aryan find the happiness he so deserves.

Ms. Khan has created yet another memorable and beautiful story filled with tragedy, hope, prejudice, and integrity. Recommend highly!  The book can be read as a standalone, but I recommend one read the books in order to experience the full force of this extraordinary series.

Thank you to Ms. Khan for giving me the opportunity to review this book with no expectation of a positive review.

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EXCERPT

“What are you doing here?” he asked keeping his distance from her.
“I came to say hi,” she said, still smiling at him.
Aryan hid a smile. “Hi,” he replied lamely.
She rolled her eyes at him.
“Can I have my clothes back?” he asked softly.
“No,” she replied, shaking her head.
“I would say this is harassment since you’re keeping my clothes hostage,” he teased her. He said in a light manner, so it wouldn’t offend her.
She laughed at him. “You secretly like it.”
That is true, but I’m not going to admit it.
She had the most adorable smile, and he couldn’t help the smile that formed on his own face. “Come on. Give me my clothes,” he said, walking toward her.
She held the clothes tighter in her arms and refuse to give them.
He grazed his fingers on his jaw, wondering how he was going to retrieve them.
“Ask me nicely,” she said, flashing him a smile.
“I did,” he replied slowly.
She still didn’t hand him her clothes.
“You’ll get in trouble for being here,” he lightly scolded her.
She didn’t seem to care, and her pale, gray eyes lit with mischief.
“Your eyes remind me of a wolf,” he said smiling. “A little one.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Beena Khan lives in a suburb in Queens, New York in her apartment. She is 27 years old from Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. She is an immigrant who moved to New York when she was five years old. She currently holds a Masters Degree in Developmental Psychology from Cuny School of Professional Sciences. She enjoys reading, writing, and Netflixing. This is her debut novel.

Her website is www.beenakhan.com. Sign up for her newsletter where you can subscribe for book news, writing tips, upcoming releases, and exclusive content!

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