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yuna's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Islamophobia, Bullying, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Death of parent, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment
isabellarob73's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I enjoyed this book, and enjoy anything that resembles Pride and Prejudice. I thought the two romantic leads were endearing, I just wish the book spent more time on their romance. The book had too many plots, involving too many characters to the point where I was frustrated with everyone in the book and forgot that it was even supposed to be a romance. Still, I enjoyed Ayesha and Khalid, and Nana, of course!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abortion, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Bullying, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Racism, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, War, Death of parent, Islamophobia, and Xenophobia
nytephoenyx's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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
4.5
It took me a little while to get into Ayesha at Last – at the beginning I thought it was going to be another run-of-the-mill romance and as y’all know… that is not my genre. The deeper I got into the book the more I came to enjoy it. In particular, I really liked Ayesha herself.
If I’m going to read romance, this is how I like it. Ayesha at Last is down-to-Earth and doesn’t shy away from the ugliness of racism. There are a lot of shades of the Muslim faith in this book, and as someone who had very little knowledge on both the Muslim faith and Indian traditions, I really enjoyed the nuances to the world building. I also enjoyed the socio-economic differences between characters that added even more variety to the complex line-up.
Ayesha at Last is a Pride and Prejudice retelling, but I’ll tell you right upfront that you can be completely unfamiliar with Pride and Prejudiceand still enjoy the novel. If anything, this story reminds me of elements of Shakespearean comedies… a similarity that was undoubtedly intentional considering how often the Bard was quoted. In addition, mistaken identities always remind me of Shakespeare. 🙂 Yet more nuances to this book I enjoyed! Also Ayesha’s grandparents are purely precious.
All the family relationships were really interesting, and all very different! From role models to benefactors to babysitting to unequal balances of power, there’s a wide variety of connections between characters which adds to the richness of the story. Aside from Ayesha and her grandparents, I also really liked Khalid’s relationship with his sister. The importance (and frustration!) of family comes through really well.
I thought Jalaluddin’s writing was fantastic. While Ayesha at Last may not be a book I run out to the bookstore to get (once is enough for most romances, in my opinion), this skill that went into writing this book proves that Jalaluddin is skilled at her craft. I’ll definitely pick up more books by this author. In addition to that, Ayesha at Last is an easy recommendation that I’d give to most the readers I know in real life!
If you’re looking for a desi romance with frequent, adorable confusion and occasional dramatic gestures, then Ayesha at Last is certainly for you. The minor revenge side plot and the beautifully described wedding are just bonuses after that. I definitely recommend reading this one – by the end, you’ll be cozy and smiling.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Islamophobia, Bullying, Death of parent, Racism, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Misogyny
Minor: Abortion, Alcoholism, Violence, and Pregnancy
kelly_e's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
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
4.0
Title: Ayesha at Last
Author: Uzma Jalaluddin
Genre: Romance
Rating: 4
Pub Date: June 12 2018
T H R E E • W O R D S
Lighthearted • Delightful • Modern
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Ayesha at Last is a modern day retelling of the beloved classic Pride & Prejudice with Muslim protagonists. Ayesha dreams of being a poet, but she's put that dream aside for a teaching job in order to repay her uncle. Her boisterous family is constantly reminding her she's still single, but she knows she doesn't want an arranged marriage. When she meets Khalid, she's immediately off-put by his conservative and judgmental nature. His father having recently died, Khalid is focused on his career, and trusts his mother to find him a wife. When a new boss is put in place, he faces pressures to conform to different ways than what he knows. When the two are thrown together to plan event to help save an organization near and dear to them both, they're about to get to know each other a whole lot better.
💭 T H O U G H T S
What a pleasant surprise Ayesha at Last was, I still cannot wrap my head around the fact this is a debut novel. The writing follows an easy flow, offering alternating third person accounts of both Ayesha and Khalid's lives. While marketed as a romantic comedy, this story is so much more than just romance. It takes a deep dive into the complexities of family relationships, religious standards, and finding oneself. Uzma Jalauddin explores many themes including identity, family, community, faith, and of course, love. The connection between the characters is magnetic. The humour an added bonus. The culture embedded within informative. The author has done a phenomenal job portraying the many different challenges faced by immigrants in Canada, in this feel-good story. For all of these reasons, this novel was an enjoyable reading experience I won't soon forget.
I've never read Pride & Prejudice so I cannot speak to its authenticity in relation to it, but this title stands strong all on its own. It is a fun, informative enemies-to-lovers done right novel that has be looking forward to Hana Khan Carries On, this author's latest release.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• Pride & Prejudice lovers
• Cultural romance readers
• those that enjoy romance without all the steam
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"We are all just cosmic players in the eternal dance of life."
Author: Uzma Jalaluddin
Genre: Romance
Rating: 4
Pub Date: June 12 2018
T H R E E • W O R D S
Lighthearted • Delightful • Modern
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Ayesha at Last is a modern day retelling of the beloved classic Pride & Prejudice with Muslim protagonists. Ayesha dreams of being a poet, but she's put that dream aside for a teaching job in order to repay her uncle. Her boisterous family is constantly reminding her she's still single, but she knows she doesn't want an arranged marriage. When she meets Khalid, she's immediately off-put by his conservative and judgmental nature. His father having recently died, Khalid is focused on his career, and trusts his mother to find him a wife. When a new boss is put in place, he faces pressures to conform to different ways than what he knows. When the two are thrown together to plan event to help save an organization near and dear to them both, they're about to get to know each other a whole lot better.
💭 T H O U G H T S
What a pleasant surprise Ayesha at Last was, I still cannot wrap my head around the fact this is a debut novel. The writing follows an easy flow, offering alternating third person accounts of both Ayesha and Khalid's lives. While marketed as a romantic comedy, this story is so much more than just romance. It takes a deep dive into the complexities of family relationships, religious standards, and finding oneself. Uzma Jalauddin explores many themes including identity, family, community, faith, and of course, love. The connection between the characters is magnetic. The humour an added bonus. The culture embedded within informative. The author has done a phenomenal job portraying the many different challenges faced by immigrants in Canada, in this feel-good story. For all of these reasons, this novel was an enjoyable reading experience I won't soon forget.
I've never read Pride & Prejudice so I cannot speak to its authenticity in relation to it, but this title stands strong all on its own. It is a fun, informative enemies-to-lovers done right novel that has be looking forward to Hana Khan Carries On, this author's latest release.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• Pride & Prejudice lovers
• Cultural romance readers
• those that enjoy romance without all the steam
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"We are all just cosmic players in the eternal dance of life."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Islamophobia, Racism, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death of parent, Grief, and Misogyny
Minor: Abortion, Body shaming, and Bullying
kissmyash0600's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
i really enjoyed this book. The story was cute, realistic, and relatable, and the characters were multifaceted and easy to relate to as well. I'm so glad I found this book, it was a nice, easy read with different characters than most novels in this genre.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Islamophobia, Toxic relationship, and Xenophobia
rosiewants2read's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is such a sweet romance I absolutely adored this book. Its super informative about Islam and Indian culture excellent story telling and I loved the plot twists at the end. I cant stop thinking about this story which Is why I gave it five stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Islamophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Grief and Sexism
Minor: Bullying
zombiezami's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This novel was enjoyable overall. There were several laugh out loud moments and I did like the twists and turns. However, there were a LOT of plot lines in this book, to the point where certain plot lines would disappear for a while and then come back again, and I'd be like, "oh yeah, that's still happening; I forgot." That being said, the different plot lines were entertaining, if a little busy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Islamophobia, Sexism, Xenophobia, Emotional abuse, and Grief
Moderate: Death, Infidelity, Racial slurs, and Alcoholism
Minor: Animal death, Violence, and Bullying
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