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Cutting Loose
Meet three women who are as different as could be—at least that’s what they think—and the men who’ve turned their lives upside down as their paths collide in sizzling, sexy Miami. . . .
Ranya is a modern-day princess—brought up behind the gilded walls of Saudi Arabian high society and winner of the dream husband sweepstakes . . . until said husband turns out to be more interested in Paolo, the interior-decorator-cum-underwear-model, than in his virginal new wife.
Smart, independent, but painfully shy, Zahra has managed to escape her impoverished Palestinian roots to carve out a life of comfort. But she can’t reveal her secrets to the man she adores or shake off the fear that she doesn’t deserve any of it. She also can’t shake the fear that if she holds on to anything—or anyone—too dearly, they will be taken away in the blink of a kohl-lined eye.
Rio has risen above the slums of her native Honduras—not to mention the jeers of her none too supportive family—to become editor in chief of Suéltate magazine, the hottest Latina-targeted glossy in town, and this in spite of Georges Mallouk, her hunky-yet-clueless boss, and in spite of Rio’s totally wrong but oh-so-sinfully-right affair with the boss’s delicious but despicable younger brother, Joe.
In this city of fast cars, sleek clubs, and unapologetic superficiality, Ranya, Zahra, and Rio wrestle with the ties that bind them to their difficult pasts, and it just might be time for them to cut loose. . . .
Ranya is a modern-day princess—brought up behind the gilded walls of Saudi Arabian high society and winner of the dream husband sweepstakes . . . until said husband turns out to be more interested in Paolo, the interior-decorator-cum-underwear-model, than in his virginal new wife.
Smart, independent, but painfully shy, Zahra has managed to escape her impoverished Palestinian roots to carve out a life of comfort. But she can’t reveal her secrets to the man she adores or shake off the fear that she doesn’t deserve any of it. She also can’t shake the fear that if she holds on to anything—or anyone—too dearly, they will be taken away in the blink of a kohl-lined eye.
Rio has risen above the slums of her native Honduras—not to mention the jeers of her none too supportive family—to become editor in chief of Suéltate magazine, the hottest Latina-targeted glossy in town, and this in spite of Georges Mallouk, her hunky-yet-clueless boss, and in spite of Rio’s totally wrong but oh-so-sinfully-right affair with the boss’s delicious but despicable younger brother, Joe.
In this city of fast cars, sleek clubs, and unapologetic superficiality, Ranya, Zahra, and Rio wrestle with the ties that bind them to their difficult pasts, and it just might be time for them to cut loose. . . .
384 pages, Paperback
First published September 30, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
July 31, 2009
The story is told from the perspective of the three girls, Ranya, Zahra, and Rio. Each chapter is a different narrator, but the main story arc is Ranya's story. She meets Rio and Zahra along the way.
Each woman's story gives information on their cultural backgrounds, helping to explain their actions and thoughts. This was very interesting to me, because the culture a person is raised in affects their lives. Their behavior, thoughts, and beliefs, whether they realize it or not is influenced by their culture. No culture is better than another. You accept it for what it is and make no judgements. (For a more in depth discussion of culture, pick up any anthropology book. You will not be disappointed.)
All three women are strong and smart, and are on the edge of cutting loose from what their parents and family say they should do with their lives. They are ready to grow up. I liked Ranya and Rio, but Zahra was another matter. She tended to wallow in self pity for most of her chapters, and not really take control until the end. (Hey, I have some meat on my bones too, but I suck it up and try to work out...know what I mean?) Rio and Ranya would have doubts, but then pick themselves up immediately and carry on. These are two girls that one could have a fun time with.
The book moved rather quickly. The story starts in London and moves to Miami quickly. Descriptions of South Beach and the people who hang out at the clubs there seem to be spot on. My only problem with the book was towards the end. I kept waiting for a friendship to develop between these girls, maybe a lunch date or going out for coffee, but that never seems to happen. They all remain pretty separate. Yet, Rio and Zahra make some comments as if they were "friends" with Ranya. They seem to care about Ranya. It's weird to describe, but the best I can say is that it's a bit jumbled at the end. Although, I don't think it takes away from the story too much. The fates of all three gals are wrapped up for the most part.
Overall this was a quick, lighthearted, and fun read. Definitely good for the beach or for occupying your mind.
My Rating: 85/100
Each woman's story gives information on their cultural backgrounds, helping to explain their actions and thoughts. This was very interesting to me, because the culture a person is raised in affects their lives. Their behavior, thoughts, and beliefs, whether they realize it or not is influenced by their culture. No culture is better than another. You accept it for what it is and make no judgements. (For a more in depth discussion of culture, pick up any anthropology book. You will not be disappointed.)
All three women are strong and smart, and are on the edge of cutting loose from what their parents and family say they should do with their lives. They are ready to grow up. I liked Ranya and Rio, but Zahra was another matter. She tended to wallow in self pity for most of her chapters, and not really take control until the end. (Hey, I have some meat on my bones too, but I suck it up and try to work out...know what I mean?) Rio and Ranya would have doubts, but then pick themselves up immediately and carry on. These are two girls that one could have a fun time with.
The book moved rather quickly. The story starts in London and moves to Miami quickly. Descriptions of South Beach and the people who hang out at the clubs there seem to be spot on. My only problem with the book was towards the end. I kept waiting for a friendship to develop between these girls, maybe a lunch date or going out for coffee, but that never seems to happen. They all remain pretty separate. Yet, Rio and Zahra make some comments as if they were "friends" with Ranya. They seem to care about Ranya. It's weird to describe, but the best I can say is that it's a bit jumbled at the end. Although, I don't think it takes away from the story too much. The fates of all three gals are wrapped up for the most part.
Overall this was a quick, lighthearted, and fun read. Definitely good for the beach or for occupying your mind.
My Rating: 85/100
October 21, 2019
3.25 stars.
June 15, 2009
Story Overview
Set primarily in glitzy Miami, this book tells the stories of three different women at a crossroads in life.
* Ranya is a stunningly beautiful but sheltered daughter of wealthy Lebanese parents. She has lived a pampered existence and recently won the "marriage sweepstakes" -- until she finds out her new husband seems to prefer their interior decorator Paolo. Fleeing her sham marriage and protective family in Montreal, she travels first to London where she meets Georges Mallouk -- a handsome, kind millionaire who is quite taken with her. She eventually ends up in Miami, where she seeks out Georges' help in starting a new life.
* Zahra is Georges's intelligent, competent right-hand woman and CFO of his company. Her Palestinian roots run deep -- as do her insecurities about her appearance. She knew Ranya when they were in school years ago. Although Zahra recognizes Ranya instantly upon running into her, Ranya barely remembers her. Zahra is half in love with Georges -- and still wishing that the night they shared years ago will return and Georges will realize Zahra is the right woman for him. But waiting is getting her nowhere -- especially when Georges seems to have fallen for Ranya.
* Rio is the tough-talking, ambitious editor of Sueltate magazine -- an up and coming Latina magazine that is Rio's pride and job. Rio is proud of how she's escaped the poverty of her native Honduras -- even though her parents don't seem to appreciate her success as much as she wished. Her affair with Georges's younger playboy brother Joe is not always the best thing for her -- but Rio can't seem to just say no. After all, she can't let anything jeopardize her position at the magazine. But with the Mallouk brothers questioning whether the magazine truly benefits their company, Rio's hard work may be for naught.
Circumstances bring these three women together in Miami, but what transpires between them is not quite what you might expect. Each woman learns important lessons about themselves and their past and realize that to move forward, you sometimes need to "cut loose."
My Thoughts
What I liked most about this book was seeing the three women go from being their own worst enemies to learning how to trust and believe in themselves. When we meet them, each lets herself be defined by a man, family expectations, and her own need to "fit in" to the world where she chose to live. Yet each is fundamentally unhappy. Over the course of the book, each woman learns that letting others define you leads to an unfufilling life. Only when they learn to "cut loose," do they begin to find true happiness and success.
It was interesting to have three strong female characters from different cultural backgrounds that you don't often see represented in mainstream fiction. Yet the author does a good job of making each woman "universal." They all worry about their appearance, anguish over the "wrong guy," and try to please their parents. One aspect of the book that I thought was "right on" was how each woman struggled with similar issues but their fears and insecurities keep them from opening themselves up to each other. For example, Zahra is intimidated by Ranya's beauty, and Ranya is awed by Zahra's intelligence. Therefore, they never allow themselves to become friends. Unfortunately, I think this is quite accurate in female relationships. We often feel jealous of what we think we don't have so we keep our distance from the women that could probably help and empathize with us the most.
The book has a very modern, up-to-the-minute feel. There are lots of references to celebrities, fashion and cultural touchstones that squarely place the book in the modern era. I think the author does a good job of capturing the voice of each character; each chapter switches from one woman to the other and is written in the first person. This lends a kind of intimacy to each woman's interior thoughts, and I think it works better than if the author had chosen to write the book in the third person.
My Final Thoughts
This book is a fun but thoughtful book that has some important messages (clothed in the latest designer duds!) about how women can lose a part of themselves when they let men, family or career define them. The book isn't preachy nor does it follow many of the conventions of "chick lit," which I'm thinking it is the genre that it will be "lumped into." I also think the book will be of particular interest to women whose cultural backgrounds are reflected in the three women.
Set primarily in glitzy Miami, this book tells the stories of three different women at a crossroads in life.
* Ranya is a stunningly beautiful but sheltered daughter of wealthy Lebanese parents. She has lived a pampered existence and recently won the "marriage sweepstakes" -- until she finds out her new husband seems to prefer their interior decorator Paolo. Fleeing her sham marriage and protective family in Montreal, she travels first to London where she meets Georges Mallouk -- a handsome, kind millionaire who is quite taken with her. She eventually ends up in Miami, where she seeks out Georges' help in starting a new life.
* Zahra is Georges's intelligent, competent right-hand woman and CFO of his company. Her Palestinian roots run deep -- as do her insecurities about her appearance. She knew Ranya when they were in school years ago. Although Zahra recognizes Ranya instantly upon running into her, Ranya barely remembers her. Zahra is half in love with Georges -- and still wishing that the night they shared years ago will return and Georges will realize Zahra is the right woman for him. But waiting is getting her nowhere -- especially when Georges seems to have fallen for Ranya.
* Rio is the tough-talking, ambitious editor of Sueltate magazine -- an up and coming Latina magazine that is Rio's pride and job. Rio is proud of how she's escaped the poverty of her native Honduras -- even though her parents don't seem to appreciate her success as much as she wished. Her affair with Georges's younger playboy brother Joe is not always the best thing for her -- but Rio can't seem to just say no. After all, she can't let anything jeopardize her position at the magazine. But with the Mallouk brothers questioning whether the magazine truly benefits their company, Rio's hard work may be for naught.
Circumstances bring these three women together in Miami, but what transpires between them is not quite what you might expect. Each woman learns important lessons about themselves and their past and realize that to move forward, you sometimes need to "cut loose."
My Thoughts
What I liked most about this book was seeing the three women go from being their own worst enemies to learning how to trust and believe in themselves. When we meet them, each lets herself be defined by a man, family expectations, and her own need to "fit in" to the world where she chose to live. Yet each is fundamentally unhappy. Over the course of the book, each woman learns that letting others define you leads to an unfufilling life. Only when they learn to "cut loose," do they begin to find true happiness and success.
It was interesting to have three strong female characters from different cultural backgrounds that you don't often see represented in mainstream fiction. Yet the author does a good job of making each woman "universal." They all worry about their appearance, anguish over the "wrong guy," and try to please their parents. One aspect of the book that I thought was "right on" was how each woman struggled with similar issues but their fears and insecurities keep them from opening themselves up to each other. For example, Zahra is intimidated by Ranya's beauty, and Ranya is awed by Zahra's intelligence. Therefore, they never allow themselves to become friends. Unfortunately, I think this is quite accurate in female relationships. We often feel jealous of what we think we don't have so we keep our distance from the women that could probably help and empathize with us the most.
The book has a very modern, up-to-the-minute feel. There are lots of references to celebrities, fashion and cultural touchstones that squarely place the book in the modern era. I think the author does a good job of capturing the voice of each character; each chapter switches from one woman to the other and is written in the first person. This lends a kind of intimacy to each woman's interior thoughts, and I think it works better than if the author had chosen to write the book in the third person.
My Final Thoughts
This book is a fun but thoughtful book that has some important messages (clothed in the latest designer duds!) about how women can lose a part of themselves when they let men, family or career define them. The book isn't preachy nor does it follow many of the conventions of "chick lit," which I'm thinking it is the genre that it will be "lumped into." I also think the book will be of particular interest to women whose cultural backgrounds are reflected in the three women.
August 11, 2011
All I can say is ‘WOW, what a book!!!‘
When I received this book in mail, my only intention was to scan the book, read a couple of pages and then keep it aside for future reading. I mean I do have a TBR pile and I would feel kind of guilty reading this book immediately. But honestly, once I read the first couple of pages I couldn’t stop. It was just that good.
3 woman-Ranya, Zahra and Rio. All 3 of them are from different backgrounds, have different problems and different ways of handling them. Somehow all land in Miami working together for the same firm.
Ranya is a rich woman from Middle East settled in Montreal with her parents. Just after one month of marriage she discovers that her husband is gay. Instead of going back to her parents she runs away to Miami to sort out her life. Zahra comes to Miami to be with the only person she has really loves, Georges. Although he has no idea about her feelings, she stays with his firm for many years just to be close to him and hopes that he would one day feel the same for her. Rio rises from the slums in Honduras, Latin America and builds a life for herself as an editor in chief of a magazine owned by the same company Zahra and Ranya work in. Rio is in love with Georges brother who is a Casanova and she knows they have no future together.
When these 3 women cross paths, I somehow imagined all of them forming everlasting friendships and helping each other find their destiny. But surprisingly that is not the case. All 3 of them have different stories but somehow their fate is connected to each other.
Ranya has to decide what do with her life. As a rich girl who never had to suffer even for a single day in her life, even finding a job is a huge challenge. Zahra has to take her life in control and think about her choices. Does she want to live in a city she hates and work in something that she does not love, just for a man who is pining for another woman? Will Rio will be able to leave the only thing she loves and the only thing she thinks is her biggest accomplishment, her magazine?
As the story progresses, all three of them find the courage required to cut loose their ties from the past, enter into a whole new and challenging territory, leaving something that is painful but familiar behind.
Call it woman’s fiction or multicultural fiction or even chick-lit, Cutting Loose has a great story, fantastic characters and beautiful writing. What more could you want in a book?
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
This review was originally posted at http://violetcrush.wordpress.com
When I received this book in mail, my only intention was to scan the book, read a couple of pages and then keep it aside for future reading. I mean I do have a TBR pile and I would feel kind of guilty reading this book immediately. But honestly, once I read the first couple of pages I couldn’t stop. It was just that good.
3 woman-Ranya, Zahra and Rio. All 3 of them are from different backgrounds, have different problems and different ways of handling them. Somehow all land in Miami working together for the same firm.
Ranya is a rich woman from Middle East settled in Montreal with her parents. Just after one month of marriage she discovers that her husband is gay. Instead of going back to her parents she runs away to Miami to sort out her life. Zahra comes to Miami to be with the only person she has really loves, Georges. Although he has no idea about her feelings, she stays with his firm for many years just to be close to him and hopes that he would one day feel the same for her. Rio rises from the slums in Honduras, Latin America and builds a life for herself as an editor in chief of a magazine owned by the same company Zahra and Ranya work in. Rio is in love with Georges brother who is a Casanova and she knows they have no future together.
When these 3 women cross paths, I somehow imagined all of them forming everlasting friendships and helping each other find their destiny. But surprisingly that is not the case. All 3 of them have different stories but somehow their fate is connected to each other.
Ranya has to decide what do with her life. As a rich girl who never had to suffer even for a single day in her life, even finding a job is a huge challenge. Zahra has to take her life in control and think about her choices. Does she want to live in a city she hates and work in something that she does not love, just for a man who is pining for another woman? Will Rio will be able to leave the only thing she loves and the only thing she thinks is her biggest accomplishment, her magazine?
As the story progresses, all three of them find the courage required to cut loose their ties from the past, enter into a whole new and challenging territory, leaving something that is painful but familiar behind.
Call it woman’s fiction or multicultural fiction or even chick-lit, Cutting Loose has a great story, fantastic characters and beautiful writing. What more could you want in a book?
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
This review was originally posted at http://violetcrush.wordpress.com
October 17, 2008
This was a very interesting story. It's about a pair of Mideastern immigrants, plus a Miami Latina. It's more of a women's fiction, but it has a fairly strong, though subdued, romance. One of the women is a Lebanese Christian from a very wealthy family who, as the book opens, has just discovered that her new husband likes boys. She's essentially run away from home, and is in London (I think), trying to figure out what to do. While there, she's helped by another Arab/Mideastern man, who is traveling on business with a female employee who has a hopeless crush on him. This woman is a Palestinian who went to school with the Lebanese woman as a scholarship/charity student. And they had an "unfortunate encounter" in school. Woman #2 is a dumpy workaholic who sends money home to her family. Woman #1 was raised to be beautiful and useless. Then there's Woman #3, the Latina--who is not nearly as Latina (Cuban) as she wants to be. She's running a magazine for the hot guy everybody has a crush on. Woman #1 asks hot guy for help, he gives her a job at the magazine, which Woman #3 resents. Woman #2 resents it too, because hot guy likes the pretty, rich girl better than he likes her. And there's the hot guy's hotter brother who complicates things even further. This is an interesting look into this world of immigrants. I liked the characters--though I wanted to smack #3 a time or two--and I liked what Dajani did with them. This book is mostly about these characters, about them growing as people and dealing with the touchpoints of their old culture and the new. I wanted a little more romance--because I always want more--but it was an enjoyable book. Liked it a lot.
May 26, 2009
Cutting Loose is the story of three women who are trying to make it in a modern world while living up to family and cultural expectations. Ranya finds out that her new husband has a secret that changes everything she thought their future held; Zahra is in love with her boss who is only interested in her as an employee and friend; and Rio loves a man who will never commit to her. I found the book entertaining and would recommend including it in your summer reading. Yes, it wraps up neatly at the end - but I wouldn't want it any other way!
July 17, 2009
This novel follows the lives of three women in Miami. Ranya is a well-off Saudi Arabian who has left her husband. Zahara is a Palestinian who has become very successful working in the financial world but is still painfully shy. Rio is a Honduran who has become editor and chief of a great women's magazine.
The story follows the three of them as they navigate through some changes in their lives and we also follow their evolving relationships with each other.
I would highly recommend this book as a chic-lit book with some interesting cultural implications. It was a fun read.
The story follows the three of them as they navigate through some changes in their lives and we also follow their evolving relationships with each other.
I would highly recommend this book as a chic-lit book with some interesting cultural implications. It was a fun read.
August 20, 2015
I found this book when I was beachin' around in CR hostels so the novel was good for catching my attention while I was lounging in the sun. I personally could not relate to any of the characters and found their drama ungrounded and annoying at times. I love the idea of these Arab/Latin women coming together because I love watching how culture affects behavior.
January 16, 2009
I was hoping for a little more from this book, but it ended up being a chick lit book with international characters. Not so terrible that I put it down, but not so great that I will recommend it to anyone.
July 3, 2021
This book is what got me into reading fiction. I used to be an avid non-fiction reader but there was something so utterly attractive about the plot and characters that got me hook. It is an all time favorite and will always hold a special place in my heart.
January 4, 2009
total chick lit about 3 very different ethnic women (honduras, palestine and beirut) trying to make sense of it all in miami. light read
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