Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loooove the characters in this!!!
A delightful novel with likable, interesting characters, unique in their own ways. Easy to fly through, though the ending could have been fleshed out a bit more.
Super sweet Canadian romance, loosely based on Pride and Prejudice. Recommended for romance readers and/or folks interested in contemporary Muslim fiction. Written for adults, but works for 13+.
I had my eye on this book the minute I found out that Ayesha At Last is a modern Canadian Muslim Pride and Prejudice retelling. It’s the debut book of Torontonian author, Uzma Jalaluddin, who adds her own little twists to the classic story. What I really liked about this book is that it felt original and unique even though it's a retelling. Sometimes the P&P elements were obvious, other times they weren't. It was fun reading the story on its own and as a retelling.
This book was relatable in many ways: Khalid and Ayesha are Muslim Canadians who live in Toronto! It was great reading about characters that I could relate to on a deeper personal level, identity-wise. Sometimes, I could relate to both Khalid and Ayesha personality-wise, depending on the situation. Other times, I felt like shaking both of them LOL. Aside from our shared religion, I felt a connection to these two characters in their personal dealings with boisterous and nosy family members. I could also relate to the way they live their day to day life, sometimes being subject to both blatant and implicit discrimination, and other times having supporting and loving friends and family members who have their backs.
I love the way Jalaluddin seamlessly captured the diversity of Muslims. There are many different Muslim characters represented in this book – different ethnicities, races, cultures, ages, personalities, and most importantly, the different ways these Muslims practice Islam. If I were to measure this book on a spectrum of religiosity, from very religious to non-practicing, I would be able to plot the characters throughout the entire spectrum. I liked that a lot because it is true to real life – every Muslim has varying levels of religiosity and practices their faith differently. The idea of tradition being mistaken for and clashing with religion is also present and this is a very real issue in the Muslim community. Moreover, the characters are flawed and it was quite the journey to redemption and self-growth for not just the protagonists, but for many of the supporting characters as well. The characters that I loved from beginning to end: Ayesha’s Nana and Nani (grandparents). I love how the author shatters the stereotypes that often label and categorize South Asian grandparents.
Ayesha At Last is colourful and vibrant, with a plethora of characters that contribute to the richness of the story. The classic personality traits of Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet were seamlessly translated to this contemporary Muslim retelling. Khalid perfectly embodies Mr. Darcy’s awkwardness in his own way and Ayesha perfectly emulates Elizabeth Bennet’s quick wit in her own way. Despite starting off on the wrong foot, Khalid and Ayesha’s chemistry was undeniable from the start. Other characters also represent characters from Pride and Prejudice, but I’ll leave that to you to find out who is who when you read the book!
Minor structure complaints:
Ayesha At Last is framed as a Pride and Prejudice retelling, but there are also a number of twists that the author adds to the story, the first one being the identity switch trope. The whole identity switch thing did not bother me because it was mostly used as a plot device to throw Khalid and Ayesha further into Pride and Prejudice complications. I liked the Pride and Prejudice aspect as well as the new twists, but the convergence of the two felt a little messy at times and made some awkward scenes (i.e. the horrible first proposal) even more awkward LOL. The writing flowed smoothly, except for the abrupt shifts in point of view, which was a little confusing at times. The ending was also rushed and everything was tied up too quickly. I kind of wish we had an epilogue.
Regardless of these minor complaints, I had a blast reading this cute and fun debut and I can’t wait to read more from the author!
This book was relatable in many ways: Khalid and Ayesha are Muslim Canadians who live in Toronto! It was great reading about characters that I could relate to on a deeper personal level, identity-wise. Sometimes, I could relate to both Khalid and Ayesha personality-wise, depending on the situation. Other times, I felt like shaking both of them LOL. Aside from our shared religion, I felt a connection to these two characters in their personal dealings with boisterous and nosy family members. I could also relate to the way they live their day to day life, sometimes being subject to both blatant and implicit discrimination, and other times having supporting and loving friends and family members who have their backs.
I love the way Jalaluddin seamlessly captured the diversity of Muslims. There are many different Muslim characters represented in this book – different ethnicities, races, cultures, ages, personalities, and most importantly, the different ways these Muslims practice Islam. If I were to measure this book on a spectrum of religiosity, from very religious to non-practicing, I would be able to plot the characters throughout the entire spectrum. I liked that a lot because it is true to real life – every Muslim has varying levels of religiosity and practices their faith differently. The idea of tradition being mistaken for and clashing with religion is also present and this is a very real issue in the Muslim community. Moreover, the characters are flawed and it was quite the journey to redemption and self-growth for not just the protagonists, but for many of the supporting characters as well. The characters that I loved from beginning to end: Ayesha’s Nana and Nani (grandparents). I love how the author shatters the stereotypes that often label and categorize South Asian grandparents.
Ayesha At Last is colourful and vibrant, with a plethora of characters that contribute to the richness of the story. The classic personality traits of Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet were seamlessly translated to this contemporary Muslim retelling. Khalid perfectly embodies Mr. Darcy’s awkwardness in his own way and Ayesha perfectly emulates Elizabeth Bennet’s quick wit in her own way. Despite starting off on the wrong foot, Khalid and Ayesha’s chemistry was undeniable from the start. Other characters also represent characters from Pride and Prejudice, but I’ll leave that to you to find out who is who when you read the book!
Minor structure complaints:
Ayesha At Last is framed as a Pride and Prejudice retelling, but there are also a number of twists that the author adds to the story, the first one being the identity switch trope. The whole identity switch thing did not bother me because it was mostly used as a plot device to throw Khalid and Ayesha further into Pride and Prejudice complications. I liked the Pride and Prejudice aspect as well as the new twists, but the convergence of the two felt a little messy at times and made some awkward scenes (i.e. the horrible first proposal) even more awkward LOL. The writing flowed smoothly, except for the abrupt shifts in point of view, which was a little confusing at times. The ending was also rushed and everything was tied up too quickly. I kind of wish we had an epilogue.
Regardless of these minor complaints, I had a blast reading this cute and fun debut and I can’t wait to read more from the author!
A fun enjoyable romance novel that pulls us in deeper than most contemporary love stories of its kind.
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes