A review by hobbithopeful
The Love Match by Priyanka Taslim

emotional funny hopeful 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

4.5

 The Book
Taslim’s debut novel is perfect for fans of rom coms, strong female characters, and diverse reads. The story follows Zahra, a hard-working Bangladeshi American teen who is feeling left behind in life. Her friends are going off to college in the Fall, and she is unable to join them because of her family’s’ financial troubles. She has since resigned herself to work at Chai Ho (a local café) for the foreseeable future. The Love Match follows the difficulty of trying to decide between love, or monetary security, with the added factor of family being heavily affected by the decision. Finances aren’t the only burden in Zahra’s life, her overbearing mother concocts what she believes is the perfect solution to all their problems- ARRANGED MARRIAGE. Her mother is convinced it will regain their family’s former glory days of being akin to royalty in Bangladesh, as well as solve all their money woes. (Zahra of course, disagrees) It is only a stroke of luck that rich and robotic Harun Emon has no interest at all in their families meddling, and agrees to join forces with her to ruin their families’ schemes. What started off as a seemingly simple plan soon gets complicated when a new hire at Chai Ho, Nayim Aktar, sweeps Zahra off her feet with his charismatic personality, and wanderlust spirit. Lines between what is real and what is fake begin to blur very quickly, and Zahra must decide how many sacrifices she will make for a chance at love. Full of twists and turns, this novel will keep you guessing what will become of Zahra’s heart- and more importantly her future. I laughed, I cried, I commiserated with Zahra’s money struggles, but most importantly I loved this book! Taslim writes excellent character growth, and perfectly captured the tenuous relationship between well intending mothers and teenage daughters, as well as what it feels like to be adrift in life. My favorite parts of this book were the diversity, queer representation, and the supportive female friendships. (Quite frankly, every book could use more of those) I just know that if Taslim’s next book is even half as good as this one, I will be the first person in line to buy it!
The Cover
 Y'all know one of my number one pet peeves about covers is how basic or unoriginal they are. But I love this cover! The way Zahra is in the middle smirking at the the viewer sipping a cup of Chai, seemingly oblivious (Or seeming unsure?)  to the way the two boys are trying to get her attention. The clothing of the characters on the front perfectly encapsulates their personalities and conveys their motivations. Nayim, the one who has captured her heart is in motion and playing a guitar to woo her, while Harun stands shyly with one hand caught on her sari. (Do you notice the rose hidden down by his side?) The cover font sweeps across the top while the authors name sits perfectly at the bottom. This was a very well designed cover and I cannot express my joy that a book this great got the cover it deserves. The art is by Fahmida Azim,  and the design by Sarah Creech 
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