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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
Maya believes marrying her fiancé who she doesn’t have a deep connection with will be as good as gets for her. On the flight to her wedding in Pakistan Maya meets Sarfaraz. He is gruff and doesn’t talk a lot, unlike spirited Maya. When their plane gets delayed in Switzerland Maya and Sarfaraz end up partnering up to make the most of the unexpected detour and slowly learn about each other. Maya can’t deny the connection she has with Sarfaraz, leading her to make the tough decision on whether to follow through with her wedding or follow her heart and disappoint her family.
Not only does the story cover religious issues and expectations, but familial relationships as well. Having Maya look deep within herself to find her true happiness her own way is something all of us can connect with and appreciate.
Not only does the story cover religious issues and expectations, but familial relationships as well. Having Maya look deep within herself to find her true happiness her own way is something all of us can connect with and appreciate.
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
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
lighthearted
medium-paced
This was such a heartwarming and romantic read. I really enjoyed Maya's growth and her realizing the strength she had and how she finally realized it. In standard romcom fashion, there were a lot of laughs and surprising moments. I especially love how going to therapy is normalized and not villianized, like in some stories. And that the characters represent their culture unapologelically. The author kept me engaged from beginning to end and I could not put it down until I was finished, then had to sleep on it so could let the story marinate in my thoughts. This author is now on my radar and I will be looking for more works from her in the future.
i loved this so much. it's funny, lighthearted, a bit unrealistic, and cute. read it almost in one sitting.
lighthearted
medium-paced
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
4 stars!
"Maya's Laws of Love" by Alina Khawaja boasts a cute, fresh twist on a series of tried and true tropes. Main characters Maya and Sarfaraz find themselves stuck in a forced proximity situation when all of their travel plans repeatedly fall apart. Maya is attempting to get to Pakistan to get married to her arranged marriage partner, and Sarfaraz is the jerk sitting next to her and is also traveling to Pakistan to see family. She attributes all of the issues in her life to a curse, which has been plaguing her for years. When they get stranded after their flight detours to Switzerland, they decide to make the most of their time in the country and see the sights. They also get stuck in Islamabad on their way to Karachi and are forced to spend even more time together. Over the course of their journey to Pakistan, Maya and Sarfaraz become closer and feel a connection that neither one of them thought was possible. When they finally make it to Pakistan, all of that changes in an instant. I found this book to be a mostly fun read, though the story does get slowed down here and there. The best part of this book is the banter between Maya and Sarfaraz. Their enemies-to-lovers, grumpy x sunshine, opposites attract nature lends to some silly situations and some arguments between the two of them, making the banter even more rewarding. The more time they spend with one another, the more they learn that having someone back them up and help them out under any circumstance is possible for both of them. I enjoyed learning about some of the customs and practices in which Pakistani Muslims partake. I feel like I learned a lot about the culture I didn't previously know. I don't believe I have read any romances with Pakistani Muslim characters! I Some reviewers have mentioned that this book does not live up to halal standards, and though I cannot speak to this directly, I don't think the author ever explicitly states that this book and this story are 100% halal. It is a PG-rated romance with only one or two curse words. One thing that was a little annoying was the overabundance of references to the K-Drama "Crash Landing On You." It felt like this book was sponsored by that TV show. Apart from that, I found this book to be a real delight!
Thank you to NetGalley, Alina Khawaja, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and MIRA for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.
"Maya's Laws of Love" by Alina Khawaja boasts a cute, fresh twist on a series of tried and true tropes. Main characters Maya and Sarfaraz find themselves stuck in a forced proximity situation when all of their travel plans repeatedly fall apart. Maya is attempting to get to Pakistan to get married to her arranged marriage partner, and Sarfaraz is the jerk sitting next to her and is also traveling to Pakistan to see family. She attributes all of the issues in her life to a curse, which has been plaguing her for years. When they get stranded after their flight detours to Switzerland, they decide to make the most of their time in the country and see the sights. They also get stuck in Islamabad on their way to Karachi and are forced to spend even more time together. Over the course of their journey to Pakistan, Maya and Sarfaraz become closer and feel a connection that neither one of them thought was possible. When they finally make it to Pakistan, all of that changes in an instant. I found this book to be a mostly fun read, though the story does get slowed down here and there. The best part of this book is the banter between Maya and Sarfaraz. Their enemies-to-lovers, grumpy x sunshine, opposites attract nature lends to some silly situations and some arguments between the two of them, making the banter even more rewarding. The more time they spend with one another, the more they learn that having someone back them up and help them out under any circumstance is possible for both of them. I enjoyed learning about some of the customs and practices in which Pakistani Muslims partake. I feel like I learned a lot about the culture I didn't previously know. I don't believe I have read any romances with Pakistani Muslim characters! I Some reviewers have mentioned that this book does not live up to halal standards, and though I cannot speak to this directly, I don't think the author ever explicitly states that this book and this story are 100% halal. It is a PG-rated romance with only one or two curse words. One thing that was a little annoying was the overabundance of references to the K-Drama "Crash Landing On You." It felt like this book was sponsored by that TV show. Apart from that, I found this book to be a real delight!
Thank you to NetGalley, Alina Khawaja, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and MIRA for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-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:
Complicated
If you could believe I cried in public transport (okay, in a tuk tuk) while reading this book, then you've got to believe that I loved this book.
28 year old Maya Mirza is gearing up for her big I-Dos but her mind is all over the place. She's trying to convince herself that this is what will make everyone happy, but she is caught thinking of her idea of love and soulmates. While taking her flight to attend her wedding, she comes across an insufferable (according to her, at least) man who she becomes unlikely friends with when their flight takes a detour. In an unknown land for the first time, away from her family's protection, this brown Muslim girl needs to make bold choices to get back home safely.
What intrigued me was the premise of arranged marriage to finding her true match. As a brown Muslim girl myself, I can sympathise with Maya about the sheer frustration that comes along with finding a good rishta and the whole arranged marriage shenanigan. We all crave for endings like Maya's one (without the cheating, that was a little difficult to read) and this stuck with me:
"Well, while I don’t want to be alone, I also don’t want to be defined by my relation to someone else. But sometimes it feels like people don’t know the difference.”
It took a lot of soul searching to realize we've been trained to get married young thanks to society, but even though we sometimes grow up wanting that companionship with someone, we now do not want that to define who we are. It's not about people who complete you, but compliment you.
Before I go off on my tangent, I'd just like to say that I really took Maya's words to heart. I love her character arc (I really didn't want that HEA ending, but I ain't complaining) even if Maya didn't end up with anyone at the end, I'd be happy. But hey, romance sells and I'm all for it!
Lovers of all things romcom and fans of classic Bollywood movies like DDLJ would eat this up!
28 year old Maya Mirza is gearing up for her big I-Dos but her mind is all over the place. She's trying to convince herself that this is what will make everyone happy, but she is caught thinking of her idea of love and soulmates. While taking her flight to attend her wedding, she comes across an insufferable (according to her, at least) man who she becomes unlikely friends with when their flight takes a detour. In an unknown land for the first time, away from her family's protection, this brown Muslim girl needs to make bold choices to get back home safely.
What intrigued me was the premise of arranged marriage to finding her true match. As a brown Muslim girl myself, I can sympathise with Maya about the sheer frustration that comes along with finding a good rishta and the whole arranged marriage shenanigan. We all crave for endings like Maya's one (without the cheating, that was a little difficult to read) and this stuck with me:
"Well, while I don’t want to be alone, I also don’t want to be defined by my relation to someone else. But sometimes it feels like people don’t know the difference.”
It took a lot of soul searching to realize we've been trained to get married young thanks to society, but even though we sometimes grow up wanting that companionship with someone, we now do not want that to define who we are. It's not about people who complete you, but compliment you.
Before I go off on my tangent, I'd just like to say that I really took Maya's words to heart. I love her character arc (I really didn't want that HEA ending, but I ain't complaining) even if Maya didn't end up with anyone at the end, I'd be happy. But hey, romance sells and I'm all for it!
Lovers of all things romcom and fans of classic Bollywood movies like DDLJ would eat this up!