These are not fairy tale lives or absurdly perfect romances or tales of young women whose parents provided them with such an auspicious start in life that there's no way they can fail. This is contemporary life where women who are dating past high school are going to run into some uncomfortable and/or insulting situations. The theme of friendship was rather on the bitter side; right from the beginning when Kemi’s friend turned out to be jealous it went downhill from there. I went in with the expectation that when the three main characters meet it’d be a good thing. Brittany’s story was one that drew me in, big-time. So many of us can relate to the pull of privilege and the alluring unknown. Coming with her on the journey as she entered the world of yachts, waterfront villas, and personal assistants was positively exhilarating. Her ultimate dilemma of what to do once essentially trapped inside Jonny’s riches was downright haunting.

Looking into divorce in Sweden isn’t what former model-turned-flight attendant Brittany-Rae von Lundin anticipated. Only jointly owned assets are split evenly between couples. Brittany gave up her career and came with nothing into Jonny’s kingdom. Having had a child with him, her greatest fear for Maya includes being cut off from the resources she’s become accustomed to. With a man obsessed with a ghost, trying to get away isn’t going to be easy. And the deeper she digs into his past, the darker the secrets she unravels. Successful marketing executive Kemi Adeyemi is lured from the U.S. to Sweden by Jonny von Lundin, CEO of the nation’s largest marketing firm, to help fix a PR fiasco involving a racially tone-deaf campaign. A killer at work but a failure in love, Kemi’s move is a last-ditch effort to reclaim her social life. As the chapters went on, my views changed consistently. I was apalled at Brittany, i felt so bad for Kemi and i was just rooting for Muna the whole way through. Well I had to sleep over my emotions before writing this review. I had this as a gift from a friend Book Genre: Adult, Adult Fiction, Book Club, Contemporary, Cultural, Feminism, Fiction, Literary Fiction, Race, Sweden

Muna’s life seems to be filled with so much tragedy for someone so young. Was there something that inspired you to tell the story of a refugee? A chance meeting with Jonny in business class en route to the US propels former model-turned-flight-attendant Brittany-Rae Johnson into a life of wealth, luxury, and privilege as the object of his unhealthy obsession.

Overall, I liked this. It felt very realistic and authentic, even when I rolled my eyes at their decisions, I thought the author did a great job writing these people. I wish this had narrowed its thematic scope a bit to develop more deeply some of the nuances and tidbits dropped along the way in the plot. I’m glad I read this and highly recommend if you’re looking for a book about race set in what is often idealized Scandinavia, with messy main characters and ALL the drama. Beware that this is potentially a very triggering book so approach with caution. Muna experiences a tremendous amount of loss in the novel. What do her experiences show of the struggles refugees go through when displaced from their homes?

Lolá Ákínmádé Åkerström

Kemi’s relationship with Ragnar is unhealthy almost from the start. What does her final interaction with him show about her own growth and what she’s learned about herself in Sweden? I wondered what means her curiosity served though. It was really not my cup of tea, lol. I couldn’t decide what kind of character she was with that side ; was she quiet or outspoken? Because she barraged people with personal questions but couldn’t speak to Kemi ?

Yasmiin and Kadija went through trauma on their own and I don’t know whether I was happy with how their stories ended. I read it religiously over the course of a single Sunday, delighting in how it effortlessly weaves a rich tapestry of intersecting issues without every sacrifice good ol’ plot-driven storytelling.Malcolm, Jose, and Tobias were the best! Lovely men and friends, and such needed warmth, connection, and support amid the pain and isolation. They also added much to the book’s inquiry of what makes a “suitable match.” Gunhild also fits this category of warmth-bringers. First of all, I love the title both in and outside of the context of the novel. That is mostly what drew me in as a reader, as well as the idea of three women who are all in some way related to this powerful exec.