Zahra, Unapologetic: A Second Chance Romance by Mina Zafri (Paperback) (PREORDER)

Fiction - Romance - Romantic Comedy

RELEASE DATE: 12/8/2026 (WILL SHIP DIRECTLY FROM OUR SUPPLIER'S WAREHOUSE) 

A young Palestinian American woman searches for joy, connection, and hard-earned independence in this unforgettable new romantic comedy.

After a barrage of accusations and Arabic curses, Zahra announces to her family she’s moving out. It’s just another chapter in the twenty-five-year-old’s imaginary novel, 101 Ways to Disappoint Your Immigrant Parents. It pains her to let her domineering baba down, but Zahra, a second-generation Palestinian American, is determined to begin adulting and building her coding career after a long, difficult adolescence.

Things get off to a bumpy start when Zahra’s laptop malfunctions while she’s working in a bookstore. That is, until a swoon-worthy witness to her chaos comes to the rescue. Who knew manipulating wires with surgical precision could be so sexy? Soon, sparks are flying between Zahra and her savior. But before anything can come of their meet cute, her mystery man gets a phone call and then runs out of the shop, disappearing around a corner.

Five years later, they bump into each other at a nightclub where they’re both celebrating Zahra’s brother’s―Theo’s childhood best friend’s―recent engagement. When they realize who the other is, Zahra feels even more resentment toward Theo for how their last meeting ended, and he feels only anguish. But neither can deny the burning attraction that’s still between them. And with Rafi’s wedding quickly approaching, their unexpected reunion will challenge them to face the traumas of their pasts―and find the courage to attempt a future together.

AUTHOR BIO: 

Mina Zafri is a Palestinian American contemporary romance and fantasy author with a master's degree in technical writing. Zafri's stories are known for their quirky dialogue and the sizzling chemistry between their characters, guaranteed to make readers giggle and blush. When she's not writing, she can be found practicing tatreez, fine-line tattooing, or half-finishing crafts. Zafri lives in upstate New York with her partner and their psychotic cat.

Review Quotes:

"Whip smart and utterly swoon worthy, I devoured this in one sitting. Mina is a must-read new voice in romance." --Nadia El-Fassi, author of Best Hex Ever