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smileysunflower 's review for:
Ayesha at Last
by Uzma Jalaluddin
2.5 Stars.
Minor spoilers ahead
First off, this book isn't a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice. It has some similar elements (mostly with Tarek's storyline), but at least half of modern romance stories have some element lifted from Pride and Prejudice so that doesn't mean much.
I really wanted to enjoy this book, but at the end of the day it was just okay. The first 30% when Khalid and Ayesha didn't like each other was pretty solid. Then afterwards when they started building a romance and falling-in-love... the writing became kind of average and delved into a liar-revealed around 50%. I don't like liar-revealed storylines. By I think 75% they didn't like each other again anyway! It would've been stronger if they, like in Pride and Prejudice, Ayesha didn't like Khalid but opened up to him towards the end of the novel. Especially since what I assume to be the climax with Hafsa and Tarek is the part that's most similar to Pride and Prejudice.
Even without the Pride and Prejudice comparison, the entire second-half of the storyline was a slog to get through. It was elongated by way too many side-plots I didn't care about. When I realized I was only halfway through the book I was so shocked! I thought I was at the climax but no, there was still 150 to get through! Ultimately, its just kind of boring and average in most places. If you think you'll like it, go ahead and read it, but as for me, it was too long and basic. Exactly what you think will happen will happen. There's nothing special about this one.
Minor spoilers ahead
First off, this book isn't a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice. It has some similar elements (mostly with Tarek's storyline), but at least half of modern romance stories have some element lifted from Pride and Prejudice so that doesn't mean much.
I really wanted to enjoy this book, but at the end of the day it was just okay. The first 30% when Khalid and Ayesha didn't like each other was pretty solid. Then afterwards when they started building a romance and falling-in-love... the writing became kind of average and delved into a liar-revealed around 50%. I don't like liar-revealed storylines. By I think 75% they didn't like each other again anyway! It would've been stronger if they, like in Pride and Prejudice, Ayesha didn't like Khalid but opened up to him towards the end of the novel. Especially since what I assume to be the climax with Hafsa and Tarek is the part that's most similar to Pride and Prejudice.
Even without the Pride and Prejudice comparison, the entire second-half of the storyline was a slog to get through. It was elongated by way too many side-plots I didn't care about. When I realized I was only halfway through the book I was so shocked! I thought I was at the climax but no, there was still 150 to get through! Ultimately, its just kind of boring and average in most places. If you think you'll like it, go ahead and read it, but as for me, it was too long and basic. Exactly what you think will happen will happen. There's nothing special about this one.