The Henna Wars
When Nishat comes out to her parents, they say she can be anyone she wants—as long as she isn’t herself. Because Muslim girls aren’t lesbians. Nishat doesn’t want to hide who she is, but she also doesn’t want to lose her relationship with her family. And her life only gets harder once a childhood friend walks back into her life.
Flávia is beautiful and charismatic and Nishat falls for her instantly. But when a school competition invites students to create their own businesses, both Flávia and Nishat choose to do henna, even though Flávia is appropriating Nishat’s culture. Amidst sabotage and school stress, their lives get more tangled—but Nishat can’t quite get rid of her crush on Flávia, and realizes there might be more to her than she realized.
- Spice
- 1/5
- Burn
- Medium
- Pages
- ~400
- Ending
- HFN
HFN means happy for now: together at the end, with their future left open.
How spicy is The Henna Wars?
The Henna Wars is a 1 out of 5 on our spice scale: sweet (kisses only). Kissing, longing looks, maybe a fade-to-black. Nothing on the page.
- Steam: Glimpses and kisses
- Burn: Medium burn
- Pairing: Two women
- POV: Heroine's POV only
- Ending: Happy for now
Content warnings
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Show 2 content warnings
- Homophobia
- Bullying
Our editorial notes, which may be incomplete. If something is a hard limit for you, check the author's own content notes too.
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The Henna Wars: quick answers
How spicy is The Henna Wars?
The Henna Wars is a 1 out of 5 on our spice scale: sweet (kisses only). Kissing, longing looks, maybe a fade-to-black. Nothing on the page.
Is The Henna Wars a standalone?
Yes, The Henna Wars is a standalone. You can read it on its own.
What tropes are in The Henna Wars?
The Henna Wars features rivals to lovers, bipoc main character. It is a medium burn F/F romance that ends with a happy for now.
Does The Henna Wars have content warnings?
Our notes for The Henna Wars include: homophobia, bullying. This list may not be complete; check the author's own content notes if anything is a hard limit for you.
What should I read after The Henna Wars?
If you loved The Henna Wars, try You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson, Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar, I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston. They share its rivals to lovers and bipoc main character energy at a similar spice level.