A Love That Disturbs

by Medeia Sharif

[Angie]

I received an ARC through NetGalley.

A Love That Disturbs was a lot more intense than I was expecting. Maysa and Haydee both feel trapped, but for very different reasons. Maysa is part of a small clique of Muslim girls. She feels protected having this group that understands exactly what it's like, but no one else is allowed to get close to them. Haydee has just transferred to Maysa's school after moving in with her aunt. She wants a fresh start, but her pimp doesn't want to let her go. Meeting Maysa makes Haydee try harder to leave that life behind, and Maysa finally starts standing up for herself to her supposed friends.

At its core, A Love That Disturbs is a Romance. I really liked the lingering glances and wondering that happened between them in the beginning. Neither girl has thought about being a lesbian before. Haydee regularly has sex with men, although it's for money and not her own choice. Meanwhile, it's against Maysa's religion. But these girls find each other and find something special. The moment they act on their feelings is super rushed and came out of nowhere though. I would have liked more development there, but once they were together, I really liked them as a couple.

As for the intensity, A Love That Disturbs really goes there near the end. Along the way we see Haydee working as a prostitute, which was rough. But there's also some serious focus on hate crimes. I honestly never ever saw that coming at all. I was shocked and appalled that these characters would do this to Maysa and Haydee. It's awful and sickening. But, yes there's a but, there's not a tragic ending. I was actually really proud of how Maysa and Haydee went on after that happened. The ending is hopeful.

A Love That Disturbs is a hard story to stomach at times. Haydee's life is not sunshine and rainbows, and what happens to Maysa is super awful. But to me, it was all about finding the best version of yourself and living the life that you want. These girls are up against a lot of adversity, but they find a way to be together anyway.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.