3 out of 4 stars
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For me, the term "romance novel" is dangerous - romance and love hold a special place in my life, yet many books that are categorized as "romance novels" are filled with graphic sex. I'm very happy to say that Where the Palm Trees Whisper: A Story of Forbidden Love, Passion and War by Azayla R.A stays pure to romance without a single graphic sex scene; instead it focuses on the love and difficulties surrounding Zhara Quraishi and Zack Sullivan. As with any good romance novel, they don't exactly have the easiest of times getting together.
The majority of the story is told through the eyes of Zhara, a teacher in Iraq during American occupation. As things continue getting worse, Zhara is the last one teaching the children, doing her best to anchor them in a "normal life." One day, a few soldiers show up to help escort everyone out of the building, including one named Zach. Before Zhara is able to leave, an explosion takes part of the school compound out and her life is forever changed. School goes on, with several soldiers guarding the building, and it's here that Zhara and Zach really start becoming close. The buildup is sweet, humorous and even relatable, and it's absolutely my favorite part of the book. The author is also quick to show how difficult it is for an Iraqi woman and American man to even consider romance together, and handles that very well also.
It's about halfway into the book where the plot starts taking major twists. Zach becomes the central character, and the story alternates between his point of view and Zhara's. While I can't give plot details without spoiling major parts of the story, I can safely say Azayla, the author, shows things very well from both sides. The book becomes much more serious, illuminating the effects of war on Zach now more than Zhara. I was a little let down that the entire feel of the book changed drastically at this point, as Azayla is a fantastic writer of romance.
Aside from the bit of disappointment in losing what was shaping up as a sweet, sometimes silly (in the best way!) romance novel, the latter half of the book is still interesting. There are twists and surprises and I was often left wondering what was going to happen; the book was almost a mystery novel at this point. In hindsight, the book left me feeling a little impressed despite feeling a little pained while reading it. The book manages to successfully examine not only the aftermath of people in military service but also those in a war-torn, American-occupied country. As an American myself, I see plenty of stories of soldiers but none of the citizens of these countries our army marches into.
Despite a bit of disappointment that the story didn't unfold exactly as I wanted it to, this was certainly more than I'd expected when I picked it up. For someone looking for erotica or romance without much additional story, I have no doubt you'll feel a bit disappointed as well. For those who can open their mind and not consider this simply a "romance novel", however, you'll get a kick out of this one. Azayla R.A's Where the Palm Trees Whisper: A Story of Forbidden Love, Passion and War gets a solid 3 out of 4 stars, and I look forward to more from Azayla.
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Where The Palm Trees Whisper
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Great job on the review.
