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3.0 

Forty Words for Love

By Aisha Saeed
Forty Words for Love by Aisha Saeed digital book - Fable

Publisher Description

In this tender genre-bending young adult novel by New York Times bestselling author Aisha Saeed, two teen protagonists grow from friends to something more in the aftermath of a tragedy in their magical town.

Moonlight Bay is a magical place—or it was once. After a tragic death mars the town, the pink and lavender waters in the bay turn gray, and the forest that was a refuge for newcomers becomes a scourge to the townspeople. Almost overnight, the entire town seems devoid of life and energy. The tourists have stopped coming. And the people in the town are struggling. 

This includes the two teens at the heart of our story: Yasmine and Rafay. Yasmine is a child of the town, and her parents are trying and failing to make ends meet. Rafay is an immigrant, a child of Willow Forest. The forest of Moonlight Bay was where people from Rafay’s community relocated when their home was destroyed. Except Moonlight Bay is no longer a welcoming refuge, and tensions between the townspeople and his people are growing.

Yasmine and Rafay have been friends since Rafay first arrived, nearly ten years ago. As they've gotten older, their friendship has blossomed. Not that they would ever act on these feelings. The forest elders have long warned that falling in love with "outsiders" will lead to devastating consequences for anyone from Willow Forest. But is this actually true? Can Yasmine and Rafay find a way to be together despite it all?

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Forty Words for Love Reviews

3.0
“4.5 stars! This is probably the cutest book I’ve read this month! I absolutely loved this one. It’s such a refreshing standalone romantasy with a very, very unique plot…. no wars, no overly complex world-saving missions lol… just something different and completely captivating. I adored Raf and Yas’s relationship. Their friendship was the sweetest thing, and it honestly broke my heart that Raf was forbidden from acting on his feelings because of some rules. The entire community and world-building made sense and felt alive, which made the story even more engaging. The only reason I’m not giving it a full five stars is because it felt slightly drawn out in some parts… which is surprising, considering it’s under 300 pages. Some scenes or details started to feel a bit repetitive. But honestly, that’s a small thing compared to how much I enjoyed this book. If you love friends to lovers, forbidden love, found family, and a unique fantasy setting, I definitely recommend this one!”
“It was hard to follow at first but wow I couldn't put this book down as I kept reading! I didn't expect the plot twist!”

About Aisha Saeed

Aisha Saeed (aishasaeed.com) is the author of the New York Times bestseller Amal Unbound, Written in the Stars, Yes No Maybe So (with Becky Albertalli), and Diana and the Island of No Return, and is a Pakistani American writer, teacher, and attorney. She has been featured on MTV, the Huffington Post, NBC and the BBC. As one of the founding members of the We Need Diverse Books Campaign, she is helping change the conversation about representation in literature. Aisha lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband and sons.

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