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Virtually Yours

Sarvenaz Tash (Goodreads Author)

3.33 · Rating details · 718 ratings · 172 reviews

Modern love plus online anonymity is a recipe for romantic disaster in this lighthearted new romance from the author of The Geek’s Guide to Unrequited Love.

How bad can one little virtual lie be?

NYU freshman Mariam Vakilian hasn’t dated anyone in five months, not since her high school sweetheart Caleb broke up with her. So, when she decides to take advantage of an expiring ...more

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Hardcover, 368 pages

Published June 4th 2019 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

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· 718 ratings · 172 reviews

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Nov 09, 2019 Emer (A Little Haze) marked it as dnf

Shelves: light-fiction, contemporary, romance, young-adult, reviewed

Just lol no.
DNF @8%

Already trying too hard to be witty with an awkward yet wannabe adorbs MC...
Yeah she ain't adorbs she's just irritating. And after going through some weird virtual reality dating app / match making service she wants to essentially catfish her ex into falling back in love with this virtual avatar of herself????

Yeah can't be dealing.

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Feb 04, 2020 The Nerd Daily rated it really liked it

Originally published on The Nerd Daily | Review by Ankara C

Mariam is single and ready to mingle…or so she thinks, because she is still very much in love with her ex, Caleb. In a futile attempt to forget him and move on with her life, she signs up for the virtual reality dating site, HEAVR, where you can make the most of the magic of the Internet and date through avatars on virtually constructed locations. A rather odd, random personality test later, Mariam is faced with a decision: she has to pi Originally published on The Nerd Daily | Review by Ankara C

Mariam is single and ready to mingle…or so she thinks, because she is still very much in love with her ex, Caleb. In a futile attempt to forget him and move on with her life, she signs up for the virtual reality dating site, HEAVR, where you can make the most of the magic of the Internet and date through avatars on virtually constructed locations. A rather odd, random personality test later, Mariam is faced with a decision: she has to pick her date from a careful selection of three matches. Seems like an easy task, right? Well, think again, because Caleb is her second-to-most compatible match, and Mariam is completely sure that it cannot be a coincidence. It must be a sign. If the stars aligned to reunite them, they must be destined to be together. That’s what she chooses to believe when she decides to give her relationship with Caleb a second chance…presenting herself as a different person, so that he doesn’t shut her out at first glance. In addition, she also becomes friends with Jeremy, who is, coincidentally, one of her other two matches…What could go wrong?

Virtually Yours is the third YA novel written by the Iranian-American author, Sarvenaz Tash. Winner of the Amazon Best Book of the Year and YALSA Top Ten Quick Pick for the Reluctant YA Readers with her sophomore novel The Geek’s Guide to Unrequited Love (2016), Sarvenaz Tash offers a down-to-Earth and straightforward representation of romantic relationships. Unafraid to open up about the messiest side of love, with Miriam and Caleb’s second chance, Tash explores the ugly side of romance and rightfully so. More authors should dare to offer a more realistic representation of relationships, which usually are as complex as humanity itself.

In the case of Miriam, we get a glimpse of the wreckage caused by the break-up after a long-lasting relationship. She finds herself unable to move on, because she put so much of herself into her relationship with Caleb that she doesn’t know how to continue on her own. Dependency and unyielding emotional attachment are what drive her into attempting to become an item again. Furthermore, while thinking back about Caleb and Mariam’s relationship, the author also explores the tendency of becoming isolated from friends while being in a romantic relationship and the toll it eventually has on a person once they go back to being single.

Although that is the essence of the novel, Sarvenaz Tash also addresses an elating array of exquisitely relevant topics. For one, she pays special attention to the risks of the Internet and virtual dating, such as catfishing, identity theft, and the abuse many companies make of personal data. Some other refreshing topics she deals with are the harsh reality of going to university and the usual feeling of uncertainty many young people have during their freshman year. Last —but not least— throughout the book, she also sprinkles some poignant moments where she openly explores the feeling of “otherness” many second-generation Americans share due to racism. She debunks the fallacy of the American dream, both by exploring Mariam’s and Jeremy’s experiences as non-white American citizens (her parents are Iranian, while Jeremy is Mexican-Italian) and by illustrating the very limited opportunities that are available to poor people and the homeless in the US.

Going back to the novel itself and in contrast to the heavy topics she deals with, Tash makes use of a deliciously fast-paced writing style, which makes of Virtually Yours a rather easy and enjoyable read. Set in what appear to be the present day, the virtual reality factor is also quite believable. Its more developed use presented in the novel, even if not available in real life, is not farfetched and relies on current technology enough for it to be reasonable.

On the downside, Virtually Yours is a bit lacking on the character department. Due to Mariam’s self-discovery narrative, the first-person voice becomes a bit suffocating and self-centered. The rest of the characters are just shadows of what they could have been, and it is a shame, because some of the strongest characters are those secondary ones, despite not being as developed as they could have (especially Hedy, Mariam’s roommate, who constantly steals her spotlight with her brilliant personality). Mariam, as the main character, is rather selfish, and the other characters seem to exist solely to allow her to vent about her problems and to give her advice. To add insult to injury, their advice tends to be worryingly catered to what Mariam needs to hear. Quite frustrating, as the reader knows from the very beginning how her decisions are destined to fail. At the same time, after a few times of Mariam asking her friends about their personal life just to tune out and start an internal monologue about herself, the whole situation becomes understandably infuriating.

Despite these minor flaws, overall, Virtually Yours is a relevant and enjoyable read. Even if the main character is not entirely likeable, Sarvenaz Tash maintains a light, entertaining writing style throughout the novel, while she deals with topics that are realistic and refreshing. Reading about happy endings is always nice, but shining a light on the hardest parts of relationships is also necessary to illustrate the reality of being human. ...more

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Mar 15, 2019 julia ♥ rated it really liked it

read my full review on my blog: here
"How bad can one little virtual lie be?"

It's no secret that 2019 has an amazing line-up when it comes to to-be-released books, but a good chunk of those include some diverse contemporary romances with amazing covers. Virtually Yours, then, is no exception. When I got an ARC for this, I couldn't wait to get started reading this!

What is this book about?
Virtually Yours follows college freshman Mariam, who just broke up with her (now) ex-boyfriend Caleb. Both goin read my full review on my blog: here
"How bad can one little virtual lie be?"

It's no secret that 2019 has an amazing line-up when it comes to to-be-released books, but a good chunk of those include some diverse contemporary romances with amazing covers. Virtually Yours, then, is no exception. When I got an ARC for this, I couldn't wait to get started reading this!

What is this book about?
Virtually Yours follows college freshman Mariam, who just broke up with her (now) ex-boyfriend Caleb. Both going off to separate colleges, Caleb doesn't want to risk doing the long-distance thing. Determined that Caleb is making a mistake however, Mariam is ready to get him back. She creates a profile on a virtual reality dating site called HEAVR, where she is assigned three top matches. One of them is, of course, her ex-boyfriend Caleb, but her best match is her cute new colleague at work called Jeremy. What do you do when your heart says one thing, but the universe tells you another?

What did I think about Virtually Yours?
I was infinitely excited for this one. I've recently been testing the waters when it comes to Contemporary young adult romances (I love YA fantasy and New Adult romances, but I've always thought I had outgrown YA contemporaries a little), so when I heard this one was set in college I jumped at the chance to read this.

This was a cute quick read, hence the somewhat short review. I liked the main character, Mariam and I really enjoyed Jeremy as a character too. I loved how Mariam really seems to come into herself at the end of the book, and really starts to invent herself (including her needs when it comes to her own life). Her personal journey in this book is really fun and relatable and one of the things that makes YA contemporaries such a great genre.

I also loved how the author incorporated her own background into the novel. Mariam is from an Iranian family (like the author!), and I really liked how she incorporated the culture into this book. I loved reading about their family get-togethers and traditions!

Plot-wise, however, I had some minor issues. I didn't like the cat-fishing plot. I'm aware this a necessity where it concerns Mariam's character development, but I didn't really like how it was executed. Mariam didn't show any concerns until almost half-way through the book, and had to be reprimanded by one of her friends. I also thought a lot of the drama felt a little contrived since I found Caleb a little two-dimensional as a romantic interest. I didn't fully understand why Mariam was so hung-up on him when the guy had next to no developed personality.

All in all, I enjoyed this book and thought it was a quick and fun read. I had a few issues with the plot which did take away from the rating a little, but overall this was a nice YA contemporary! ...more

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Jun 05, 2019 Danielle (Life of a Literary Nerd) rated it really liked it

Shelves: arcs, cover-envy, lgbtq, contemporary, poc-main-character, standalones

4.5 Stars

The older i got, the more I realized I chose optimism. I chose it despite the odds stacked against it, despite living in a world whose currency was much more deeply rooted in cynicism and irony. It wasn't because I was weak and naive; it was because I was strong enough in my convicitions that the world could be all right anyway."

I honestly fell more in love with this story and with Miriam the more I read it. It was constatnly surprising me and just brought me so much happine ...more

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Jun 13, 2019 Stacee rated it it was ok

Shelves: read-in-2019, netgalley, physical-arc

I had read and enjoyed Sarvenaz’s other books and I was intrigued by this premise, but it was a little bland for me.

I liked Mariam well enough. Her inner monologue sounded much younger than her age, but she does grow in the story. There is an excellent group of secondary characters and they’re all so supportive. I especially loved Mariam’s roommate, Hedy.

Plot wise, it was all about the VR dating thing and that got pretty stale pretty quickly. I would have loved to see the friendships fleshed o ...more

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Aug 19, 2019 Nikki (Book Allure) marked it as did-not-finish

Did this just use catfishing as a means to get the love interest.... Yikes

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Oct 08, 2019 Karina rated it it was amazing

Shelves: diversity-in-lit, june-2019, simon-pulse, all-time-favorite-standalones, young-adult, recommendations, read-in-2019, read-to-buy-2k19, young-adult-contemporary, contemporary-romance

Rating: 4.5 Stars: ★★★★ 1/2
Virtually Yours is a pretty underrated book and one I recommend checking out if your looking for college-set YA! Mariam is a wonderful & relatable protagonist, this is a book about friendship, love, and navigating life!! This book was SO good, I had such a fun time reading it!!

Its not just a book about romance, but also friendship and finding that balance to navigate all the relationships and different parts of life!

Following college freshman Mariam, she's navigating ...more

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May 08, 2019 Krystianna rated it really liked it

I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I was super excited to have been approved for this title on Netgalley. I read and loved Sarvenaz Tash's The Geek's Guide to Unrequited Love back in 2016, and absolutely loved it. It was super geeky and nerdy and was all about Comic Con, which is one convention I've always dreamed of going to (besides BEA of course, which I still haven't gone to!). ...more

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Mar 25, 2019 Christina (A Reader of Fictions) rated it really liked it

Shelves: on-my-shelves, owned-print-copy, egalley, owned-ebook-other, interracial-romance

Based on the description, I wasn't really sure how Virtually Yours would work for me, but I sat down and read this cover to cover almost all in one evening (I stopped with fifty pages left because I have to work UGH).

Mariam's narrative voice is fantastic, and that's what drew me into the story and kept my attention. She's punny and silly and loving but also makes bad choices in a way that's really understandable and kinda relatable. Despite all the lying she does within the pages, she has an hon Based on the description, I wasn't really sure how Virtually Yours would work for me, but I sat down and read this cover to cover almost all in one evening (I stopped with fifty pages left because I have to work UGH).

Mariam's narrative voice is fantastic, and that's what drew me into the story and kept my attention. She's punny and silly and loving but also makes bad choices in a way that's really understandable and kinda relatable. Despite all the lying she does within the pages, she has an honest feel to her, and you get why she's doing what she's doing even as you're shouting GIRL NO. It's hard to pull that off, I think, so I'm thrilled it worked for me here. When someone does something that's clearly Bad Idea Central, it's really hard to make that relatable and understandable, rather than making the audience dismiss them as TSTL, so serious props to that. Also, she's Iranian, which is awesome (it's so cool that in a week I've read four books with Iranian MCs when I don't think I'd ever read one before).

Mariam's a freshman in college (so happy to be getting college books in YA now—nothing really was said about it but they're just magically appearing and holla so happy), but she hasn't been living her first few months of college life to the fullest. She's been depressed and lonely, mourning the loss of a three year relationship because her boyfriend Caleb dumped her citing distance (he's in California and she's at NYU). One day, on a whim, she decides to use a discount coupon for HEAVR, a dating app with a virtual reality component.

When she does this, Mariam is totally not over her ex, but it's such a real impulse. She wants to feel hope again, to believe she can move on and find love, so she signs up. Unfortunately, Caleb shows up as one of her top three matches, so she dates him using an avatar and fake name. This is #badideabears, but it's hard to deny that people would totally give into that curiosity. Mariam's struggling partially because she doesn't understand really why they broke up, so seeing that they still have amazing chemistry means something to her.

Caleb doesn't interest me tbh, but I think that relationship's handled in a really believable way, absurd circumstances aside, and it's a really good look at the emotions accompanying a break up and the way that relationships change. Also the way that we change and no longer fit relationships. What I particularly enjoyed was the way that her relationships with others developed. In an odd way, even though she was clinging to the past, finding interest in her life again still helped her connect with her present. She wants to talk about how freaking ridiculous and random her life has been, so she makes friends with people around her: her coworker, her roommate. She also bonds more closely with her siblings.

The only thing I feel a bit iffy about on this one is the actual VR stuff. It flirts with being a sci fi and having an actual plot built around that aspect but doesn't go far enough, so it's just a mildly menacing company but then the book just ends in classic rom com style, and you're like "okay but what about HEAVR?!?!" This is one of those books where I'd love to see how the book started out and changed from first draft to publication, because I'm so curious about whether the VR was added for a hook or if it was more about that and removed in later drafts. Anyway, ultimately, I felt like the book started to say something about virtual dating/online dating but then really didn't, and it comes down a bit anti-online-dating, but I don't really think it meant to.

If you're looking for a rom com or a great character arc story, definitely check this one out. If you're more intrigued by the science fiction-y aspects, pass or adjust expectations because it's really not about that. ...more

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Oct 03, 2018 Mary H marked it as to-read

THIS SOUNDS AMAZING, AND THE COVER IS GORGEOUS.

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Jun 04, 2019 nick (the infinite limits of love) rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc, contemporary, young-adult

3.5/5

I've been a fan of Sarvenaz Tash since her debut novel, Three Day Summer. Virtually Yours sounded so unique, I was very eager to read it. Mariam is a freshman at NYU still dealing with the heartbreak of breaking up with her high-school boyfriend, Caleb. She's finding it hard to move on from the relationship, so when the opportunity arises to give virtual dating a try, she takes a leap. This all sounds like a great idea until one of her three top matches turns out to be Caleb. She decides to ...more

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May 21, 2019 Andi (Andi's ABCs) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: own, from-publisher, amazon-review, netgalley, kindle-archive, would-recommend

This review was originally posted on Andi's ABCs

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Way back in 2015 I came across a book called Three Day Summer and I was instantly hooked on how Sarvenaz Tash tells a story and the characters she creates. I knew immediately after finishing it I was going to eagerly anticipate all her releases and I wasn’t wrong. I have been waiting for something new s This review was originally posted on Andi's ABCs

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Way back in 2015 I came across a book called Three Day Summer and I was instantly hooked on how Sarvenaz Tash tells a story and the characters she creates. I knew immediately after finishing it I was going to eagerly anticipate all her releases and I wasn’t wrong. I have been waiting for something new since 2016 when A Geek’s Guide to Unrequited Love (an all-time favorite) and when I heard about Virtually Yours I was beyond thrilled. It had been so long and the anticipation was killing me. I am happy to say that it lived up to every expectation I had and was 100% worth the wait.

Virtually Yours is about Mariam, a freshman at NYU who had her heart demolished when her boyfriend of 3 years broke up with her. Not wanting to be stuck in her room she decides to try a virtual reality dating site. Mariam is given 3 matches to pick from and to her surprise one is her ex-boyfriend, Caleb. Deciding to throw caution to the wind, she selects him in starts dating him in secret and things start to go well. Then enter Jeremy, a guy at work she immediately hits it off with. The two of them are on the fast track to being best friends. There is just one catch, he was also one of her 3 matches. Now Mariam must decide between what her head thinks she wants and what her heart actually needs.

At first glance, this book sounds like a love triangle. It is not. It is really the story of Mariam and her figuring out what she wants out of life and out of love which is what being 18 should be about. She is a freshman in college and she doesn’t have all the answers. She doesn’t have any of the answers so she does things that she thinks are right but might not be right for her. That’s what I loved about this story. By re-dating Caleb she found out she was a different person than she thought she was and found out what she truly wanted and what would make her happy.

I can’t explain enough how much I love this author and the stories she tells. Tash seems to have a great grasp on the teenage/YA emotion and I can’t get enough of her stories. I’ve been a fan since 2015 and Virtually loves just cemented that love. If this one isn’t one your TBR it should be.
...more

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Jun 12, 2019 Cathy rated it liked it

Shelves: young-adult, young-adult-contemporary, 2019

This was a quick and easy read, but it's more a coming of age story than a romance. Which is fine, of course, but it wasn't what I was expecting so that threw me a little.

I liked Mariam a lot, but the deception with regard to Caleb went on too long and then their storyline got dragged out even further when I was much more into her friendship with Jeremy. But as I said, this isn't really a straight-up romance and Mariam's doubts and feelings did feel accurate for her age and what she'd been thro ...more

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Oct 29, 2019 ☆☆Hannah☆☆ rated it it was ok

The first half of this book went well for the most part. Of course her lying was stupid but we knew it was coming. However, as the book went along I found Mariam to be selfish. She was ditching people to go on virtual dates. Plus her getting mad at her friend because she was afraid she would do the same thing to her she had done before was just sad. As you tell Miriam was not my favorite person. I did like the idea of the book I just didn't like her.

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Jun 01, 2019 Samantha (WLABB) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arcs, romance, ya, 2019, contemporary

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Mariam had NOT been making the most of her freshman year of college. This was a time for her to try new things, meet new people, and start looking towards her future. But, she was doing none of that. Instead, Mariam was floating in and out of each day, missing opportunities, as she nursed her broken heart. With encouragement from her roommate, she signed up for a virtual reality dating service, which just so happened to match her with the source of her heartache - her ex, Caleb. ...more

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Apr 12, 2020 Sam! at the bookstore rated it liked it

Recommends it for: college freshmen

Shelves: 3-stars, ibooks

Rating: 3.5 stars

I started off not really enjoying this at all - the whole ex-boyfriend drama was not my thing - but by about 60% I started enjoying it a bit more. This ended up being much more about self-care and personal growth than romance, which was really refreshing. Mariam grew a lot throughout the book, which I really liked. Although the side characters were very, very flat, Mariam herself was complex enough that I was okay with that. She was the star of this book, and it was her journey ...more

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Oct 06, 2019 nikki rated it liked it

I feel like I wanted too badly to like this book and i did, but at the end of the day it was boring and repetitive at some points.

it also took me way too long to finish this simply because I didn’t really feel immersed in it which could have just been me but either way... i’m ehh on this one.

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Jun 11, 2020 Michelle (MichelleReadsYA) rated it did not like it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Sep 15, 2020 Keti rated it really liked it

A cute romance - something I am lacking :(

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May 08, 2019 Steff Pasciuti rated it liked it

Shelves: a-little-unrealistic, hard-to-rate, creative-tales, diverse-authors, meh, arcs, new-adult, 2019

| Reader Fox Blog |

Honestly, I feel like Virtually Yours by Sarvenaz Tash had a pretty interesting premise and a fantastic start. Overall, I was really enjoying the read as I began. After a little while, though, I began to slowly lose interest until I realized that I didn't actually care about any of the characters in the story. Virtually Yours follows Mariam Vakilian, a Freshman at NYU as she navigates the world after her breakup with long-time High School boyfriend, Caleb.

In an attempt t ...more

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May 16, 2019 Lauren rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2019

Mariam Vakilian is a freshman at at NYU who has a coupon for a virtual-reality dating service called HEAVR. Her high school boyfriend of three years broke up with her, and she is ready to try out something new to get her mind off him. After going through the initial questionnaire supported by HEAVR’s happily ever after guarantee, Mariam sees her results: her #1 match is her coworker Jeremy, and her #3 match is her ex-boyfriend, Caleb. So, Mariam does what any heartbroken teenager might consider Mariam Vakilian is a freshman at at NYU who has a coupon for a virtual-reality dating service called HEAVR. Her high school boyfriend of three years broke up with her, and she is ready to try out something new to get her mind off him. After going through the initial questionnaire supported by HEAVR’s happily ever after guarantee, Mariam sees her results: her #1 match is her coworker Jeremy, and her #3 match is her ex-boyfriend, Caleb. So, Mariam does what any heartbroken teenager might consider - she chooses Caleb and concocts an avatar with a fake name that looks nothing like her, and asks Caleb on a virtual date.

The catfishing plot bothered me much more than I thought it would. A few movies and books lately have done spins on the same thing, the recent movie SIERRA BURGESS IS A LOSER coming to mind. There’s something that’s just so wrong about these tropes, from the lying and deception to the level of obsession and conviction that it takes to keep the ruse up. It especially bothers me when the person being lied to comes to totally accept the lies and deception with very few questions asked. It’s so unrealistic! (For a better version of how this story can go, see any spin on Cyrano de Bergerac.) It took way too long for Mariam to see the error in what she did, and even in the end, her excuses of “I was heartbroken! I thought it was fate!” still win the day. Her friends and family are also pretty complicit in this, which is a little gross.

The chemistry between Mariam and Jeremy was really sweet and fun, but it was too few and far between to really ignite a love for the two characters together. Honestly, I think this book could have been longer and drawn out the interactions between them more, making it more of a pining-on-both-sides story. The ending is really rushed and doesn’t give you more than a ten-second glimpse into the happy ending as promised.

One aspect of this book that I loved was Tash’s integration of Iranian culture and family dynamics. Mariam and her family are Iranian Muslims, and it’s clear that her culture is a big part of her personal life; Tash brings in Iranian foods, sibling and parental relationships, and familial norms. It was a great way to make Mariam a more rounded character and to tell the story of a nonwhite female protagonist. Caleb is black and Jeremy is Mexican; Mariam’s college roommate Hedy is lesbian. And you don’t feel like any of these characters or their diverse traits are just thrown in as a token. Yay for diversity in YA and romance!

Overall, this was a solid story with an interesting premise; I could have gone for a little less catfishing and a little more fun and flirty romance. Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Jun 05, 2019 Nicole M. Hewitt rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction-addiction-read

This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction

When I saw the concept for this book, I couldn’t decide if virtual reality dating was a completely crazy idea or a highly likely one. Or maybe both? Either way, it was definitely intriguing, and I knew I wanted to read this book.

I loved the focus that this book had on the adjustment from high school to college—a topic that doesn’t get nearly enough attention. This book is actually less about the romance and more about ...more

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Dec 03, 2019 Georgia rated it it was ok

Shelves: e-book, 2019-reads

Fluffy, predictable and an easy read. But then...it got very creepy and ngl freaked me out a bit but that's not the reason for 2 stars.
This book follows Mariam who she and Caleb decided to break up due to college and the distance. Mariam is heartbroken and can't seem to get over him. She decides to try this online dating virtual reality thing, you have VR dates, idek. She has three potential matches one of them is Caleb, wow, shocker and she chooses him. She basically catfishes him and tries to Fluffy, predictable and an easy read. But then...it got very creepy and ngl freaked me out a bit but that's not the reason for 2 stars.
This book follows Mariam who she and Caleb decided to break up due to college and the distance. Mariam is heartbroken and can't seem to get over him. She decides to try this online dating virtual reality thing, you have VR dates, idek. She has three potential matches one of them is Caleb, wow, shocker and she chooses him. She basically catfishes him and tries to get him to re-fall in love with her. She uses a fake avatar, no photos and hides and distorts some information about herself. All of that was sketchy and just not cool.
Something I did like were the friendships here and a representation of college life and how hard it can actually be. Mariam makes friends with her roomie and her girlfriend, they watch old films together, bond and do typical New Yorker stuff. Mariam also has a job at the gym and she makes friends with Jeremy, the dude who was 98% her match with the VR. They all get to know each other and becomes this really awesome group. Mariam seems to talk about herself a lot and her issues, it's really cool to see her realises his half way through the book and develop as a character. She starts asking more questions about her friends, really getting to know them and taking time away from all the Caleb drama.
Meanwhile she is also reconnecting with her high school friend Rosie who said she changed when she and Caleb got together like friends were no longer important to her so she and Rosie drifted and lost touch. It was nice to see them come back together and shared meaningful talks about college, the future and how it's okay to decide that what you thought you wanted to do you don't actually want to do.
Something I thought was interesting is when Caleb is told Mariam is catfishing him, he does get mad they have distance and things start working with Jeremy. He tells her he likes her and there are so many moments full of tensions that could easily lead to something but don't as he understands she still has feelings for Caleb. Caleb and Mariam do get back together, they talk all the time, use the online dating thing and Mariam is still there for her friends. She discovers she wants to go into work helping people and making a difference in social work, Caleb basically says she is too optimistic and sensitive and it won't be a good job for her and Mariam actually feels that she is this way in spite of everything that has happened she chooses to be this way (ngl all that hit pretty hard). He doesn't really support or understand her choices. Mariam kind of gets the idea that something isn't right in their relationship and realises Caleb was right from the start to call things off.
It is later revealed that Jeremy went on a date with virtual Mariam so so weird and the VR dating thing is purposely messing up peoples irl dates and chances at love so they date virtually instead. Wow. SUPER CREEPY. Little freaked out as that could actually be possible though omg.
In the end Mariam gives the girl from the band she likes the okay to date Jeremy while she works on herself. Mariam is happy being single and does her own thing. Jeremy goes to Italy like he wanted but he and the band girl split. A while later Jeremy and Mariam get together because of course and they're both ready for something more this time. CUTEEE.
I did enjoy the representation in this from being Muslim, mexican and wlw very nice additions.
This book was average, nothing special about it and I won't remember it, I enjoyed it, like the development and of course was predictable. CREEPY. Wow. ...more

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Jun 20, 2019 Emma rated it really liked it

Shelves: reviews

Grade: B-
An e-galley was provided by Simon & Schuster via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: It's always interesting to watch romance blend with other genres. Virtually Yours could be considered contemporary, in a way, because the only new technology seems to be virtual reality for dating, and VR already exists. However, it didn't quite feel like 2019 to me.
I really liked how the author built Mariam's family and friends. Her family felt fully-formed, and ...more

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Jun 04, 2019 Ashley rated it liked it

I received an ARC of Virtually Yours from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. It was just released on June 4th.

I don’t have a whole lot to say about Virtually Yours, but I did have a lot of fun reading it. I liked it a lot and breezed through it. I liked the characters and all of the new friendships. I especially liked Mariam and Jeremy’s friendship the most. I liked the relationship Mariam had with her siblings and I liked the Iranian culture that was included in the s ...more

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Apr 28, 2019 Brittney rated it did not like it

*Thank you so much Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers for providing me with an eARC of this to review.
DNF- at 52 percent
I will be reviewing this because I did read over half of this book and I did skip around some after the halfway point to see if I wanted to try to finish.

Virtually Yours follows Mariam, a NYU freshman, during her first year of college. Mariam feels pressured to find a new relationship that will be more successful than her previous one that ended in unexpected heartbreak *Thank you so much Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers for providing me with an eARC of this to review.
DNF- at 52 percent
I will be reviewing this because I did read over half of this book and I did skip around some after the halfway point to see if I wanted to try to finish.

Virtually Yours follows Mariam, a NYU freshman, during her first year of college. Mariam feels pressured to find a new relationship that will be more successful than her previous one that ended in unexpected heartbreak. Mariam is still pining over her ex-boyfriend Caleb, who is now living halfway across the country. When Mariam decides to seek help in having a more successful relationship, she decides to try a virtual dating company. Mariam must go directly to the company to make her potential matches. Unexpectedly Mariam finds herself able to rekindle her relationship with Caleb as they are matched together, but trouble ensues as she must remain anonymous to maintain this new connection.

I’ll admit that I enjoyed the first 20ish percent of the novel. The writing was not great but it was entertaining enough to continue on. The plot for this novel is so unreasonable and extreme to the point that it just makes it all in good humor. I knew the plot was unreasonable going in, but I thought it all would be better made and cute. I am not sure what the author’s purpose is towards this plot but if the author made this to poke fun at this form of story and situation it is a bit genius. As I read on, I am not sure if that is the case or not. The questionnaire for the matching was so off topic at times and read as satirical to me so I kind of enjoyed it. It is so unbelievable for this character to matched with her ex-boyfriend as well as her new co-worker. I still did not mind this inclusion at first because it was humorous in the beginning. Over time I did not feel that way anymore, and like I have previously mentioned I am not sure what the author’s real purpose is towards these inclusions and plot. If it is satirical then I can greatly appreciate the beginning at least. If not, yikes.

I also appreciate the diversity of the characters. While this is not explored too much from what I have read, skin color is mentioned as well as some inclusion of culture. I wish this was a bit more fleshed out and more prevalent.

Overall, this story is very juvenile and the characters do not act like they are 18+. This story reads more like juvenile YA. I cannot recommend this, despite how cute it all sounds.
...more

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Sep 01, 2019 Madison C. rated it it was ok

Shelves: not-great, ya

The book isn't bad; it could arguably be called a light and fun read. The reason I'm giving the book two stars instead of three is due to the protagonist. Half the time I really like her. The other half I find her completely irritating. *SPOILERS COMING UP* She tricks her ex-boyfriend into sort of dating her again, and tries to justify it by "what if's" and "meant to be's." Trying to reach some sort of closure doesn't justify or excuse harmful (and toxic) behavior.

Also, throughout a large portio ...more

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Sep 17, 2020 Tanelle Nash rated it liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Sep 22, 2019 Lance Rubin rated it it was amazing

I loved this book so much I BLURBED it. Here's what I said:

“As funny as it is wise, Virtually Yours is a 21st century delight, taking rom-com tropes that date back to Shakespeare and making them feel fresh and newly relevant. Not only does Sarvenaz Tash nail the feeling of college freshman year—the thrill and discomfort of trying to hold onto who you once were even as you’re becoming someone new—she also brilliantly tackles the question of what makes a relationship real. I loved it. For real.”

I ...more

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Sep 07, 2019 elysianstories rated it liked it

i loved the concept of this story and the light sci-fi character! but i think the story was kinda slow and the ending rushed? idk, it was a good read tho!

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About Sarvenaz Tash

Sarvenaz Tash

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Sarvenaz Tash is the author of The Geek's Guide to Unrequited Love (an Amazon Best Book of the Year, YALSA Top Ten Quick Pick for Reluctant YA Readers), Virtually Yours, Three Day Summer, The Mapmaker and the Ghost, and co-author of Ghosting: A Love Story. She was born in Tehran, Iran and grew up on Long Island, NY. She received her BFA in Film and Television from NYU's Tisch School of the Art ...more

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“But people need different things from different relationships. And I don't think a close friendship is dissimilar from a romantic relationship. Hedy” — 0 likes

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