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waywardcrow 's review for:
Four Eids and a Funeral
by Adiba Jaigirdar, Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
emotional
lighthearted
slow-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:
No
Four Eids and a Funeral offers some truly meaningful representation, and it’s refreshing to see more diverse characters taking center stage in popular books. The story felt authentic, especially in how it centered religion and culture through the effort to save the Islamic Center. That narrative choice felt especially powerful given the ongoing rise in violence toward Muslims and Arabs—it’s a poignant reminder of how vital safe, welcoming community spaces are.
I also appreciated the smaller, personal conflicts woven throughout the story. Tiwa’s grief over her younger brother and the impact of her father’s divorce added emotional depth, while Said’s struggle to pursue a different career path without disappointing his parents fit well alongside it, not making the book too heavy.
Said himself is such a sweetheart—definitely golden retriever energy, paired with Tiwa’s more black cat vibe. While the enemies-to-lovers angle leaned pretty one-sided, that actually worked for me, especially since I’ve grown a little tired of that trope lately. That said, the romance was very much a slow burn. Most of the romantic tension played out through internal thoughts, which made it drag a bit for me. There wasn’t quite enough chemistry to feel the heat of enemies-to-lovers, nor was it cozy enough to fully satisfy fans of best-friends-to-lovers. I found myself getting a little bored at times.
One major issue I had was a reveal near the end involving two characters who did something I found fairly egregious. The main characters were quick to forgive, but for me, it was jarring and left a bad taste in my mouth.
Overall, it was a solid read—slower than I typically prefer in my romances, but still a strong, heartfelt story if this kind of pacing and dynamic appeals to you.