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kollieollie's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, and Islamophobia
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
wildsalmons_reading's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Moderate: Hate crime, Racism, Islamophobia, and Death of parent
Minor: Death and Grief
michelle_my_belle's review
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Hate crime, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
kelly_e's review
- 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
3.75
Author: Uzma Jalaluddin
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Rating: 3.75
Pub Date: April 13, 2021
T H R E E • W O R D S
Joyous • Refreshing • Cluttered
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Hana grew up helping at her family's halal restaurant, which is looking to be on its last leg. When it's announced that another halal restaurant will be opening nearby, the closure seems inevitable. With a passion for sharing meaningful stories on the radio, Hana turns to her anonymously-hosted podcast and one longtime listener for advice.
When a hate-motivated attack on their neighbourhood occurs it complicates matters even more. As does Hana's growing attraction for Aydin, owner of the rival restaurant. Now more than ever, Hana will need to use her voice.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I went into Hana Khan Carries On with quite high expectations after reading this author's debut, Ayesha At Last. This one is a modern retelling of you've got You've Got Mail, and I didn't enjoy it as much.
It must be said that Uzma Jalaluddin writes family dynamics so incredibly well. I thought this part of the book was one of the best. The vibrant characters brought the joy and life to the plot, as did the the irresistible banter. I also appreciated all of the delicious references to good, and of course the shout out to Kawartha Diary ice cream (I could easily go for some Black Raspberry Thunder right about now) was a nice little bonus. Their ice cream is so good!
I also think the exploration of micro aggressions and Islamophobia was a strength of this book. It was so hard and sad to read, but is the reality of what people go through on a daily basis while simply trying to live their lives.
While I enjoyed each of the storylines, unfortunately, this one tried to do too much. The competing storylines made it difficult for me to become fully invested. And I think the author would have been better off sticking to one storyline or the other. While I liked the idea of competing restaurants/ enemies-to-lover, the romance aspect just didn't seem like it fit.
At the end of the day, Hana Khan Carries On tackles serious topics, yet it's done in way as to still make the narrative light and fast-paced. It was an enjoyable read, it just didn't live up to my expectations.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fans of You've Got Mail
• readers looking for a diverse rom-com
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Books are like people, you have to give them room to breathe."
"If the people are changing, that means we're still alive. Only living changes things."
Graphic: Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
Minor: Chronic illness, Car accident, and Suicide attempt
aargot1's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Hate crime, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Death of parent, and Abandonment
brokenbodybitch's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Gun violence, Hate crime, Racism, Islamophobia, and Death of parent
annaem's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Islamophobia, and Death of parent
hannahrhian's review
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Religious bigotry, and Car accident
Minor: Death and Death of parent
stonebm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Moderate: Hate crime, Islamophobia, and Pregnancy
Minor: Homophobia, Racism, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent
internationalreads's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Grief, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Abandonment