Syed M. Masood's debut novel More than a Pretty Face is an ambitious romantic comedy, coming of age story that bites more than it can chew. Danyal Jilani relies too much on his good looks and charms to breeze through high school by putting in as little effort as possible. He dreams of a future where he is a chef and having the school's most beautiful girl, Kaval Sabsvari, as his wife. Life instead has other plans for Danyal. His confidence is shaken when Danyal is forced to participate in an exclusive, extremely competitive school-wide academic competition called the Renaissance Man competition in which the winner receives $5,000. With his grades suffering and Kaval's attention wavering, Danyal seizes this opportunity to become worthy of her. Since Danyal is 19 years old, marriage is starting to become a consideration, he is introduced to Bisma, an intriguing bridal candidate with a deeply painful past that involves an impulsive decision and a tainted reputation. Danyal and Bisma progress from acquaintances to friends to possibly something more. Along the way Danyal finds out what is important to him including a history lesson that involves the atrocities of the 1943 Bengal Famine and provides a critique of his own community.
I mostly enjoyed More than a Pretty Face, but there are blunders that felt clunky and under developed. Some of the jokes in the book verge on insulting such as asking Bisma if she is a porn star when she unveils her painful past. I also found Bisma's extreme, impulsive decision hard to believe though I can try to see how Masood was trying to address how important reputation is a cornerstone in the Pakistani culture along with the hypocrisy within the community though it isn't quite successfully fleshed out in the book. Though it was admirable to showcase a variety of Pakistani Muslim teens who practice their religion on a spectrum, his portrayal of Sohrab veers dangerously and uncomfortably towards the caricature of a budding extremist instead of a teen who is a proudly devout Muslim teen. Similarly, there is a subplot which involves Danyal and his father's tumultuous relationship. Danyal's father is another caricature who has a scowl fixated on his face and disapproves of his culinary pursuits because of its lack of financial security. This plot line is wrapped up too quickly and the moment when Danyal's father shows he is proud of his son does not land as it intends. Despite these setbacks, I did find Danyal endearing and I liked watching his relationship with Bisma blossom. I look forward to reading more from Masood in the future and seeing more books with Pakistani characters in YA.

This was one of the sweetest stories I have ever read! More than a romance filled with all the feels of what it’s like to have a first love, and all the emotions and challenges that come along with it. We meet some really likable characters and other well.. questionable.

It’s a boy meets girl, boy falls for girl.. and the adventure to make her feel the same in return. All Danyal wants is his long time crush Kaval to notice him in a new light, more than friendship, and he’s determined to make it happen. But his journey brings unexpected truths, and a new friend, that becomes possibly more. This story, is a tribute to many wonderful things: first love, family, life lessons, friendships, and memories you’ll only remember later down the road as the best times of your life.

What a wonderful read, unexpected smiles, giddiness, sadness at moments, and a strong feeling of love all around. One to keep, and reread over and over again.

I received an e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book read so quickly and easily. It was funny and insightful and just absolutely wonderful. I cannot wait to buy it for my school library.

This book was one of my favorites of 2020. This author has a fantastic writing style that is compelling and witty. I have since read another of his books and he is now one of my favorite authors. He always makes me laugh.

This book was not just a pretty cover but was a beautiful story all around. This story had much more depth than I thought it would be. Beneath the surface of a teenage romance, this book explored character development, education, family relationships and marriage. The main character faces immense pressure to excel in school and find a potential wife to spend his life with. When he is introduced to a beautiful and confident girl, he learns a dark secret about her past. Agreeing to move forward as friends and helping him with his history project, they both learn that just being friends is going to be harder than they think. This story was a beautiful tale of love, courage and pushing barriers to find who you truly are and to get what you want. I think this YA romance was an interesting story that packs a lot of power

This was a lighthearted, fun and at times frivolous romance/comedy. I came for the pretty cover and romance, and stayed for the wit and banter.

I can't believe I forgot to review this one because it was such a great read that spurred a great conversation for our book club. If you haven't read this one, you definitely should.

What I loved:

1. I loved the characters and their slow burn romance. While I do enjoy the steamier romances, this one was the perfect cute YA romance. Danyal definently matured throughout this book and his character is one I think quite a few teens will find relatable. I also enjoyed Bisma and the confidence of her character.

2. This is a diverse YA read that is sure to open a few eyes and get readers thinking. This book touches on some important and sensitive topics. While I'm not Muslim (and cannot speak to the accuracy of the religion), I enjoyed the way religion was written into this book.

3. This book was enjoyable in both print and audio format.

This was a cute book that I definently recommend picking this one up for yourself.

Great book and a good introduction into a culture that student might not know a lot about. The story itself is get but I really feel like it is the character’s themselves that make this story. It shows how it okay to make mistakes and to learn from them.

I loved this book so much. It was about a Muslim boy and girl, who became friends after their parents tried to set them in an arranged marriage. All the main characters are Muslim and i learned a lot about that culture.
The second half of this book really brought the star rating for me to a 5. It was so strong. It made the book so much more enjoyable.
I can’t speak on the Muslim representation. So please don’t take my review as knowing about Muslim culture. I am just going with what I read.

This was such a fun read, while also being very informative, emotional and thought-provoking!

At first glance, this debut looks like a light and "fluffy" YA romance, but much like our main character Danyal, it had tons of layers, which included discussions centered around political, social, racial and religious issues. At some points the romance aspect was put on the back burner, but I was not complaining!

I absolutely fell in love with Danyal and really enjoyed reading about how passionate he was about being a chef and forging his own path - his character growth was *chef's kiss* (pun intended). I also loved Bisma as well and thought that her character added so much more depth to the story, especially in regards to the subplots of familial expectations and sexism. The romance felt very realistic and not at all cheesy (which is a problem I tend to have with the YA contemporary romance genre). I felt like these characters could be my friends in real life, and I loved seeing them grow both as individuals and with each other!

I absolutely plan on reading more from Syed M. Masood in the future and would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a contemporary romance with some hard-hitting topics thrown in :)

content warnings: revenge porn, emotional abuse, racism, genocide, mention of car accident, death, gun violence

It was...hard to keep me interested in this book. I had to force myself to finish it. Not like it was "bad' per say, there was nothing structurally "wrong" with it. It just...couldn't keep my interest as well as I hoped.

This young adult rom-com addresses what happens when you're so focused on what you don't have that you miss who's right in front of you.

Charmingly sweet and thoughtful, Masood captures teen angst while layering in beautiful sensory mixed with cultural insight as the contemporary young adult stressors collide with family traditions and obligations.

Funny and heartwarming.

I received an advanced reader copy for an honest review.

Such a fun YA read! Not my typical genre, but once in a while I find a good one! This is the story of a son who is torn between pleasing his father or simply enjoying the admiration of his significant other.

The story begins with Danyal pining for his best friend's sister, Kaval, who is really beautiful and does well in school, so essentially she is out of his league. Danyal is very handsome and confident- kind of comes off as arogant- but he isn't the smartest guy, much to his traditional father's disapointment. To add to the disappointment, Danyal dreams of being chef. Because he strength doesn't lie in academics, its a surptrise when he recommended for to be a participant in Renaissance Man competition by his history teacher. Luckily, he meets Bisma during an arranged marriage prosepect meeting to help him the smarts department. Bisma is very intelligent girl, but because of one mistake she is considered 'ruined'. Tthe two become friends as they help each other and slowly we see love bloom.

One of the sweetest YA rom-coms I've read. I adored the authenticity of the main characters and their budding love story. Readers will fall in love with Danyal, who is oh so genuine, funny, and charming as well as the cute, brainy, and witty Bisma.

I thoroughly enjoyed this rom-com and loved that it was told from the male pov for a change. It was a nice change to read from the perspective of a genuinely kind and caring young man, even if everyone around him thought he was not academically bright. He stuck to his love of cooking even when others could not see the value in it - and it was this love that helped him to discover that there was more to him than just cooking. I look forward to reading more from this author!

Masood deftly explores religion, culture, class, and awkward teenage love in this refreshingly candid 'tell it like it is' desi romantic comedy. You'll root hard for Danyal and will be two-fists-high-in-the-air overjoyed when you get to the end.

A great debut novel with interesting characters and laugh out loud moments. Definitely rooting for the main character throughout.

This book really surprised me. At the beginning, I found our protagonist quite obnoxious and I was worried that his general teenage boy-ness was going to get in the way of my enjoyment of the story but oh boy this was SO cute. So sweet, so important, and filled with so much heart. I loved this so much.

Sweet and adorable! Cute romance story, loved the witty dialogue. Love a good YA romance novel. Good topics that affect students and YA today. Definitely will recommend.

This is another leftover on my @netgalley shelf that I honestly only requested because the cover was adorable. I grabbed it on #audiobook from the library, and I really, really enjoyed it. It was NOTHING like I was expected - which again, I only looked at the cover.

Danyal Jilani is the narrator/main character - a 19-year-old high senior who is super confident, funny, and good looking. He’s not the brightest, but it’s fine because all he wants to be a chef. When he is selected for his school’s Renaissance Man competition, Danyal has a chance to prove himself to his classmates - and his longtime crush Kaval’s family. This is key because Danyal’s Desi culture means he will have an arranged marriage. Bisma - a failed arranged marriage match; they’re just friends - helps Danyal with his project for Renaissance Man. The more Danyal learns about Winston Churchill, the more he learns Bisma, the more he learns about himself - do you see where this might be going?

I really enjoyed this! Honestly, I was shocked at the male narrator, but the more I listened the more I realized Danyal wasn’t just a pretty face. Pun intended. The book is about family, friendship, finding your voice, and falling in love. Read it!