Today’s review is about FEMALE FANTASY by Iman Hariri-Kia. This fun romp is an homage to and satire of the romance genre. Joonie embarks on an adventure to find the man who inspired her favorite romantasy male lead.
Author: Iman Hariri-Kia
Series: None
Age Category: Adult
Publisher: Cosmo Reads
Publish Date: October 14, 2025
Print Length: 416
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Female Fantasy Synopsis
Synopsis
Joonie has two great loves. Writing fanfic about her favorite fantasy romance series and swooning over its hero, Ryke, a broody, impossibly perfect merman. No real-life boyfriend has ever come close. Why settle for ordinary when your fictional crush is…well, an impossibly hot, impossibly wonderful Ryke?
But then Joonie discovers a secret: Ryke was inspired by a real man. And she’s determined to find him. Cue a whirlwind road trip, complete with her brother’s aggravatingly hot best friend at the wheel, clumsy kidnappers, psychics, and her fiercely loyal fanfic crew. He doesn’t believe in love. She refuses to believe in anything else. And neither is ready for the sparks that start flying.
Filled with crackling banter, laugh-out-loud chaos, and swoony heat, Female Fantasy is an unapologetic ode to the romance genre and the readers who love it. Perfect for fans of Ali Hazelwood, Emily Henry, and B.K. Borison.
Female Fantasy Review
FEMALE FANTASY by Iman Hariri-Kia is both a satire of and homage to the romance genre. Joonie, who is part of the Iranian diaspora, has been disappointed her whole life by people, whether it’s by peers or potential dating interests. She turned to romance after leaving a toxic relationship and discovered her ideal man in Ryke, a merman shifter in Joonie’s favorite romantasy series (for which she also writes fan fiction). When the author reveals Ryke is based off of a long-time friend, Joonie decides to go on a mission to find him in New York City. She alerts her fan fiction friend group and sets off (begrudgingly) with her brother’s best friend. But things don’t go exactly as planned when a duo of criminals kidnaps them along the way.
FEMALE FANTASY alternates between two points of view, so to speak. The first is Joonie’s POV from which the reader learns her backstory and why she refuses to settle for less in the romance department. The author even includes a couple of Joonie’s dates to show the pool from which Joonie has to pull. Her POV alternates with chapters from her favorite romantasy series, which includes a lot of tropes commonly used in the genre. I loved how the author incorporated nods to the A Court of Thorns and Roses series in those chapters. Even the acronym for Joonie’s favorite book series sounds similar to ACOTAR.
I also love that Joonie knows what she wants, especially after living in a bad relationship and conforming herself to what (White) society at large expected of her. However, it is obviously cringe when she decides to hunt down the man who inspired Ryke in the high hopes that he’s her soul mate. Joonie fully recognizes stalking is a line she’s about to cross. But that hope he’s “the one” drives her forward. However, she has do endure a long car ride from Mystic, Connecticut to NYC with her brother’s best friend, who Joonie happens to despise. While they have excellent banter and quips, that comes to a halt due to a car crash and their kidnapping.
That kidnapping was such a wild card. But it goes well with the overarching point that the author makes, through Joonie, about romance. Folks typically look down at the romance genre for a number a reasons. What they don’t realize is that romance books provide a safe space to experience various types of relationships, learn about intimacy, and feel emotions. Romance books are often how many women receive sexual education, so to speak, because of the poor curriculum on the subject taught (or not) in public schools in the U.S. The author even prefaces the book with these points. The romance genre can even provide a community to tap into to share theories and analyses. These communities may be a lifeline for someone who feels isolated.
FEMALE FANTASY also makes the point that while one shouldn’t settle in their relationships, don’t become so consumed by a fictional world that you miss what’s in front of you. Don’t be afraid of rejection for fear of inadequacy–let those people make up their own minds in real life. Even though FEMALE FANTASY requires some suspension of disbelief, it’s all in good fun. It’s not supposed to be incredibly realistic. Instead it explains the importance of romance books, their community, and what is a healthy relationship. Pick this book up of you’re looking for something a little different in the contemporary romance genre.
Rating: 4
Content warnings: sexual content, racism, emotional abuse, physical abuse, kidnapping
Reading format: Paperback
This sounds like a really great read. The whole premise seems like it would be incredibly entertaining, and I’m glad to see it explores some important topics, too. Great review!
It was fun! I think you’d like it, but you have to suspend some disbelief in some situations.
I love this review and how great this book sounds! I love the romance genre and how much you can learn from those books. It’s not just “sappy feelings” or sexual situations, it’s so much more than that and it sounds like the author does a great job of capturing that through this story. I can’t wait to read it! 😍
I think you’d really like this one, Dini! It was a quick read, too, which was refreshing because I feel like it always takes me a while to read something.