Blog Tour: It All Comes Back to You // Author Interview & Top 5 Reasons to Read This Book!

Hiya everyone! Today I’ll be hosting a blog tour stop for It All Comes Back to You by Farah Naz Rishi. This novel has been one of my most anticipated reads of the century! So I’m very excited for this tour. I hope you enjoy!

Book Info

Title: It All Comes Back to You

Author: Farah Naz Rishi

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

Publication Date: September 14th 2021

Content Warnings: References to death of a parent, references to drug use, emotional abuse, anxiety, guilt

Synopsis

After Kiran Noorani’s mom died, Kiran vowed to keep her dad and sister, Amira, close. Then out of the blue, Amira announces that she’s dating someone and might move cross-country with him. Kiran is thrown.

Deen Malik is thrilled that his older brother, Faisal, has found a great girlfriend, even if it’s getting serious quickly. Maybe now their parents’ focus will shift off Deen, who feels intense pressure to be the perfect son.

When Deen and Kiran come fact to face, they silently agree to keep their past a secret. Four years ago–before Amira and Faisal met–Kiran and Deen dated. But Deen ghosted Kiran with no explanation. Kiran will stop at nothing to find out what happened, and Deen will do anything, even if it means sabotaging his brother’s relationship, to keep her from reaching the truth. Though the chemistry between Kiran and Deen is undeniable, can either of them take down their walls?

Find out more about It All Comes Back to You with these links!

//Goodreads//Amazon//Barnes and Noble//Book Depository//Indigo//Indiebound//

Here is the tour schedule link. If you have time, do check out the other lovely tour stops as well!

Now onto the interview!

1. Hi there Farah! I’m super excited to have you here with us today. Before we begin the interview, do you mind sharing some random facts about yourself?

Farah: Hi hi!!! Thank you for having me—I’m so happy to be here! 😀
Okay, some random facts: I foster kittens (so I almost always have some random kittens running around my office while I write). I really like old movies (one of my favorites is Some Like it Hot). I have really bad social anxiety and my way to cope is weight-lifting for some ungodly reason. Oh, and my favorite desi dessert is rasmalai, with laddoo being a close second.

2. It All Comes Back to You is amazing, and I can’t wait for other people to read it as well! May I ask, what inspired you to write it?

Farah: Ahh, thank you, thank you! ❤
I’ve always wanted to write a second-chance romance story, and one day, it felt like Deen just strolled into my head. I adore characters who were kind of a jerk in the past—think Naveen from Princess and the Frog or Flynn from Tangled—but their behavior is simply a mask to hide their insecurities and fears. When Deen popped in my head, I began asking myself a thousand questions: who is he, what did he do in the past, what is it that he truly
wants more than anything else? The image of Kiran followed soon after, which of course then snowballed into this much bigger story.

3. The book features two desi characters (whom I love). Do you see yourself in Kiran or Deen?

Farah: I’ve asked myself the same question a thousand times and I’m still not fully sure the answer! At first, I thought I had more in common with Kiran: her stubbornness, her protectiveness, her willing to do anything to protect the people she loves. But there are parts of Deen that are just so relatable, too. I think almost all of us wear masks, and we all have some things in our pasts we may regret (or at least wish we did differently). I also think the shame of not being a “good enough” Muslim, whatever that means, is also (unfortunately) relatable for a lot of people—whether it be the pressure coming from our parents, or our community, or ourselves.  Short answer? Both 😊 But honestly, as the author, I relate most to Asher because he’s just so Done™. 

Saniya: I love how you relate to each character in some way!

4.  As a South Asian Muslim myself, I’m elated to see more authentic desi muslim representation in the media. What do you hope young desi readers will take from the book?

Farah: The crux of the story is about how broadly speaking, desi people suck with communication. We’re not good at expressing ourselves or showing our pain. We don’t know how to seek help when we should. And it makes sense; desi people are community-based—it’s how we’ve survived years of war and famine and colonialism—so we’ve internalized this idea that it’s better to hide our inner struggles in order to protect family honor. We don’t like showing weakness. But sometimes, like in the case of It All Comes Back to You, that can backfire. It can be detrimental to our collective mental health. Heck, I grew up with that same mentality and that’s partly why I have anxiety. 

5. To end off this interview, I have a very, very, very important question to ask you. Do you prefer Naan or rice? 

Farah: OH NO, WHY WOULD YOU ASK THIS?! Oh gosh. This one’s so hard. Hmm…….gosh, okay, if I have to pick…I’d go with rice. The smell of basmati reminds me of home. 

Saniya: I couldn’t agree more. 😆

Top Five Reasons to Read It All Comes Back to You

1. The main characters are South Asian Muslims

The representation in the book is awesome, and diverse! It All Comes Back to You has a cast of desi characters with nuanced representation, which I think is incredibly important to have in the media.

2. It has all the wedding vibes

I love that the book showcases desi weddings, because they can be such festive times filled with fun, and joy.

3. The themes of mental health

Without spoiling too much, mental health is such a big part of the story. Whether one’s mental state is good or not can greatly affect the actions they take. And this novel is a prime example of that.

4. Will make you feel all the feels

It All Comes Back to You might look like a rom-com, but don’t let it’s gorgeous yet decieving cover fool you. This is such an emotional story, but in such an amazing way.

5. A+ Banter

I mean, who doesn’t love good banter?

Giveaway! (US Only)

One winner will receive a finished copy of It All Comes Back to you. The giveaway starts onSeptember 13th and ends on September 20th.

Click this link for more info!!

About the Author

Farah Naz Rishi is a Pakistani-American Muslim writer and voice actor, but in another life, she’sworked stints as a lawyer, a video game journalist, and an editorial assistant. She received her B.A. inEnglish from Bryn Mawr College, her J.D. from Lewis & Clark Law School, and her love of weaving stories from the Odyssey Writing Workshop. When she’s not writing, she’s probably hanging out with video game characters. You can find her at home in Philadelphia, or on Twitter at @farahnazrishi.

//Website//Instagram//Goodreads//Twitter//

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Thank you so much for reading this tour stop post! I hope you decide to check out It All Comes Back to You. Have a fabulous day!