I absolutely loved everything about this book: from the vibrant and eye-catching cover to the content within.
I didn't think I'd end up loving Danyal so much. His perspective was genuinely fun to explore, and I instantly connected with his voice and was endeared to his charming, funny and surprisingly thoughtful personality. The plot conflict kept me interested in the tale, and I was impressed by how this book explored the topics of colonialism, sexism, elitism, and gender roles. I didn't expect the plot to be so heavily dependent on the theme of colonialism and was pleasantly surprised by how the story turned out.
The romance was sweet -of it was so sweet. Bisma's story touched me and the way the whole thing was presented was so emotionally charged. Being an own voices reviewer, the story really made me feel so many emotions.
I wish we got a bit more depth from the side characters, especially Sohrab, and I do wish the main plot conflict started sooner. But the adorable romance, the engaging choice and the sheer passion behind the storytelling was enough to have me completely hooked. Finished reading this book in almost a day, it was unputdownable.

This book introduced me more to the Muslim culture and the idea of arranged marriages. I liked how it was from a male perspective because I feel like many YAs are from a female perspective. You could feel the growth in Danyal's character throughout the book. As a history person, I also appreciated the history lesson in Winston Churchill and India. A breakout book for a new author.

I picked up More Than Just a Pretty Face for the blog tour thinking that it will be a perfect, simple and fun summer read! However, I was proved partially wrong as this book was not your typical YA summer romance story. More Than Just a Pretty Face deals with so many important issues in a very realistic yet subtle way. As an #ownvoices novel, I really think it did a great job at voicing the necessary.

The plot was really well planned. I mean, I could hardly notice any flaws because it was so effortlessly smooth! No unnecessary dragging on one theme or one scene, no plot holes and a perfect pacing! It was quite unique as well.
The characters were quite well defined and each played a very important part in making the story more interesting. Danyal’s character did sometimes feel a bit immature but as the story took it’s pace I realized it was done for a reason about which I won’t go into much detail. Overall, All the characters did a really good job at making the story look more relatable and emotionally attracting.

The writing style was very easy going and simple. It was quite intriguing.

***3 Stars***

I was really looking forward to reading this baby. The description was the hook and I was quite interested in reading about romance from the male POV that was written by a male. Add on to that I’m always interested in learning about different cultures, religions etc etc and how it affects everyone’s lives. So, going in, I was ready for an adventure, and it was one when it came to family dynamics, religion and the social norms of the society. I thought the slow burn romance between Danyal and Bisma was all kinds of sweet and totally fell in love with Bisma and her sister Suri. But I found that I didn’t care for many of the secondary characters. I understand having high expectations, but how many of the adults ~ and even some of the teens ~ treated Danyal rubbed me the wrong way, especially when it came to his family. I know that Danyal didn’t necessarily help his own situation, but even I have a line and it got crossed ~ and do not even get me started on Bisma’s family ~ that would end up being a dissertation.

So this book has me in that weird middle ground, where I did enjoy it overall and found quite a few things fascinating and eye opening when it comes to a culture I’m not well versed in, but it also left me with a bit of an icky taste in mouth at the same time.


~ Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley & voluntarily reviewed ~

Initial Thoughts

I was super excited when Hear Our Voices Tours contacted me about reviewing this book. I had applied for it in NetGalley already and knew this was a book I wanted to read.

Some Things I Liked

Own Voices. I loved that about this book. Many of the themes in the book felt super close to home. Danyal’s dad thinking that he wasn’t really good for much since he wasn’t smart enough to be a doctor or engineer. The idea of women just being there to sit home and cook and look pretty. Oh yeah, those are ideas that I’m familiar with and strongly disagree with. I loved that this book challenged those ideas. I am half Indian and have been told many similar things that Danyal had so I really identified with him.
A different POV than the contemporary books I’ve read. That’s another thing that I really liked. I don’t normally read contemporary books from non-female POVs so this was a breath of fresh air. I liked that Danyal was kind and friendly and in many ways, challenged archaic gender roles.
Food as a theme. I worked in a restaurant all through college and I loved the way the author described food as an experience of love.
Difficult themes. This book goes into some themes that are not all flowers and unicorns. For example, Danyal has a friend who is deeply religious, in almost an obsessive way. His beliefs often caused friction between their friends who didn’t always see eye to eye. Similarly, Danyal struggles with his project about Winston Churchill, who is often regarded as a “hero”. I loved the way the author worked in lesser known history and religion into the story in an enlightening and refreshing way.

Series Value

I’d love to read a follow up novel about Danyal in the future, living life. But, I think his story is complete. I would also enjoy reading a spin-off about any of the side characters we met. I think this group of characters has tons of potential.

Lastly, I’d like to read more from Syed M. Masood. I really enjoyed the writing style here and would gladly read more.

Final Thoughts

I loved this book. I read it all in one day and couldn’t put it down. Once again, I found this is a contemporary novel that high school age Monica could have really used. I’m so glad to see positive messages like those found in this novel are being spread in literature today.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Recommendations for Further Reading

The Perfect Escape by Suzanne Park – if you liked the themes of cultural pressure and living up to parental expectations, try this own voices story.
The Marriage Game by Sara Desai – if you’re looking for a book with similar representation but want something with older characters, try this 2020 release.

I’ll be honest... I Couldn’t really get into it. I’m sorry. I tried. It just didn’t suck me in. Best of luck and thanks for letting me check it out.

I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

More Than Just a Pretty Face piqued my interest as part of the current crop of YA rom-coms, and this one featuring religion and culture as components in the character identities was another part of its appeal.

I liked Danyal, and how the story sees him working toward a goal in the form of the Renaissance Man competition to demonstrate his true worth, and ultimately coming into his own.

And him originally being having an unrequited crush on someone else, but then coming to notice the somewhat unassuming Bisma as she helps him prepare for the competition, was really sweet, and I found the development of their relationship believable.

I also liked that Bisma’s not the ideal match in the eyes of many traditional Muslims due to a scandal in her recent past, and her parents were upfront with Danyal, and he accepted this about her, even defending her later when the secret gets out.

This is an utterly wonderful book, and one I recommend to anyone who loves multicultural romantic comedies.

4.5 stars rounded up!

Let's start at the beginning. This book, unlike most books, did a magnificent job at beginning. I found myself intrigued and I knew more or less immediately that this was going to be a good one!

Danyal I liked from the very beginning; I have to applaud the author for managing to write a character that was just the right amount of arrogant. I won't go into too much depth because of spoilers, but his character development was very satisfying to witness.

Bisma, on the other hand, felt a little distant at times now that I think about it whereas the other characters felt very clear and alive. While reading, though, I really liked her. She definitely wasn't the most remarkable character to me, and that's why I find I don't have tons of things to say about her.

The two side characters I loved the best though were Intezar – who is such a good friend!? – and Suraiya who was the cutest and honestly most relatable little beast, love her.

The romance in this book was a lot less present than I thought it was going to be, even if it is there. I also think you could qualify this as a slow burn. But either way, I thought it was so damn cute. There really isn't much else to be said, it was just super fluffy and adorable and cute and a really well done friends to lovers. Also the humour in this book, 10/10!!

One thing I do have to mention one thing that I didn't particularly appreciate (but that was less the book's fault and more society's fault). Danyal is praised just for being a decent person. We should stop praising men for doing the bare minimum. That's not to say I didn't like Danyal, I really did and I think he's a wonderful person. Let's just not praise him for doing what every man – every person – should do, yes?

Overall, I think everyone should read this book because of the extremely important things it talks about. It leaves you thinking just a bit differently, or at least more aware than you were before.

I LOVED this book. Absolutely adored it. This book tackled a lot of concepts successfully and in great depth. It discussed religion and how one defines their actions by it/in spite of it, how history has always been written from the perspective of the winner and how damaging that can be in terms of colonialism on marginalized communities, and how to live your life the way you want to, rising above the expectations of loved ones and friends. I feel like I can't do this book justice, but you really see the growth of Danyal's character through his narration as it starts off easygoing and slightly foolish but progresses to thoughtful and mature while still retaining his smooth charm. I also loved Bisma's character and the constant reinforcement that she is so much more than her sexual past and that it shouldn't define her present. While she still feels shame over what happened, Danyal and her close friends support her and try to help her move on, especially because it wasn't her fault. Overall this was such a wonderful read balanced with both romance and activism in today's world.

A big thanks to the publisher for providing a digital copy thru NetGalley and Hear Our Voices Team for hosting this blog tour. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.




More Than Just A Pretty Face is a cute teenage romance novel that is about finding love and chasing your dreams. It has been a while since I finished reading a YA contemporary romance, and I did enjoy reading this book.

The story follows Danyal Jilani, a high school senior who secretly dreamed of becoming a chef in the future. He came from a very traditional family who kept on trying to find the perfect woman for him to marry and go to college to pursue a stable job. He knew that his family wouldn't approve of his dream, and he had a crush on Kaval for quite a long time. He wanted to show Kaval's family that he was the ideal husband. An opportunity knocked when Danyal was selected to represent his history class at Renaissance Man, a highly respected academic competition. To avoid defeat and disaster, Danyal accepted the help of Bisma Akram, a student who loved comic books and libraries.

To be honest at first, I found it hard to be hooked completely since the first half of the book was quite slow, but the building of the plot and getting to know the characters paid off on the second half. I liked how Danyal and Bisma's relationship started as friends, then later on more than friends. It was so cute and sweet seeing their relationship developed and progressed into another level. I liked slow burn romances and this one perfectly captured that essence. In addition, I liked how the story had more depth and complexity because serious topics such as culture, traditions, family and societal expectations were discussed as well.

I cannot speak about the Muslim representation done in this novel because I am not very familiar with its customs and traditions. I suggest to read the opinions of Desi and Muslim book reviewers about this to get a clearer picture. Nonetheless, it is good that multicultural and diverse novels are now published and exposed to larger audience. I hope to read more books just like this one.

Overall, More Than Just A Pretty Face is a sweet YA contemporary book that readers can enjoy.

3.5/5 stars!

More Than Just a Pretty Face is a young adult contemporary romance by Syed M. Masood. More Than Just a Pretty Face was a fantastic journey of food, self discovery and two teens finding love in an unexpected place. This book was adorable. Be warned though...it made me really hungry! The main character in this story is a chef, and the way he talks about food basically had me salivating the whole time while I was reading. Other than his cooking talent, he is also a genuinely awesome guy, so that was pretty swoon-worthy as well.

In More Than Just a Pretty Face we meet out main character, Danyal. As I mentioned before Danyal is a chef, but beyond that he is seen as a very confident together teen at school. So much that he was nominated for a school Renaissance man competition, which is a competition for a well rounded guy that seemingly has it all- looks, brains and confidence. I thought Danyal was really intelligent, but he had his doubts because he has never considered himself "book smart" so to ace that part of the competition he enlists the help of Bisma to help with some of the more academic aspects of the competition.

Danyal has an ulterior motive for trying to win the competition. His longtime crush Kaval has a family that doesn't approve of Danyal and he thinks winning the competition will be prestige enough to win them all over. But if you are a true romance reader like I am, then you know what is really about to happen. Once Danyal and Bisma start hanging out that is when the real magic happens. And Magic it was! I loved seeing the two of them get to know each other, and moreover seeing the change in Danyal himself. Even though he portrays himself as a very confident individual, he really didn't have enough inner confidence and watching that bloom within him was really satisfying for me as a reader. Not to mention I love Danyal and Bisma together! Love love love them.

More Than Just a Pretty Face has a great romance, great cultural representation, fantastic food references and wonderfully developed characters. This book was a joy to read. I am so excited to read more books from Syed M. Masood! I love to see male main characters. I think we need more of that in young adult books! If you are a fan of great young adult romances with wonderful character development, More Than Just a Pretty Face is a book that I would whole heatedly recommend to you.

Disclaimer: I received the e-arc and arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: More Than Just A Pretty Face

Author: Syed M. Masood

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 2/5

Diversity: Muslim/Desi reps!

Recommended For...: contemporary, muslim/desi books, romance

Publication Date: August 4, 2020

Genre: YA Contemporary

Recommended Age: 16+ (language, sexual content, non consensual filming of sex TW, emotional abuse TW, slightly racist moments)

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Pages: 352

Synopsis: Danyal Jilani doesn't lack confidence. He may not be the smartest guy in the room, but he's funny, gorgeous, and going to make a great chef one day. His father doesn't approve of his career choice, but that hardly matters. What does matter is the opinion of Danyal's longtime crush, the perfect-in-all-ways Kaval, and her family, who consider him a less than ideal arranged marriage prospect.

When Danyal gets selected for Renaissance Man--a school-wide academic championship--it's the perfect opportunity to show everyone he's smarter than they think. He recruits the brilliant, totally-uninterested-in-him Bisma to help with the competition, but the more time Danyal spends with her...the more he learns from her...the more he cooks for her...the more he realizes that happiness may be staring him right in his pretty face.

Review: For the most part I enjoyed the story of this book. It had some great moments, like building up Bisma’s and Danyal’s relationship (very well done!) and I loved learning some more about Desi/Muslim culture and religion. I also thought the author did well with Bisma’s character and she didn’t feel badly written at all. She’s a character I’ll remember for the longest time, not only for her quiet strength, but for her intelligence and kindness as well.

However, I had a lot of issues with the book that I didn’t wish I had. I felt that the book made a lot of comments about girl’s appearance. I understand that the POV is a young man in high school, but it felt like he was stereotyped into an 80’s version of a high school guy who’s girl crazy. The mother’s comments on sex appeal in reference to how Danyal views them and how she condoned it was cringy and creepy. She said Bisma was “not hot” and I don’t think any mother should be commenting on the hotness of a young girl. It was kinda misogynic how, not only the mother, but all of the female characters aside had a “women hating on women” mentality. There were also comments about the rep that I didn’t feel should be in the book. Danyal says at one point all Desi’s are shallow and says they only judge on looks. There is also a very religious Muslim character and he’s written to be hated on for his devotedness. I am not religious, but I found that very distressing. The Islamic religion is very beautiful and the hatred on the character can be misconstrued to a more naïve reader. Many other reviewers also pointed out problems with the rules of romance and how the book didn’t follow them and didn’t state them to the full extent.

Along with those problems I also had some smaller issues of the text in terms of racism and abusive content. The father was severely written and it wasn’t that well resolved by the end of the book. The father is very emotionally abusive to Danyal to the point he says Danyal can’t be his son because Danyal is a failure. That’s very gut wrenching and as someone who faced some of that in her childhood, it’s very distressing to read. There’s a racist remark made by the teacher towards Danyal in regards to “where he comes from”, and then the teacher is written as this cool teacher that’s on Danyal’s side and it’s weird.

Verdict: For the most part, the book seems to be ok, but there are a lot of badly written moments. I think the book should have had a round or two with sensitivity readers to help smooth out the roughness of this book.

"...there were some things you couldn’t compromise on. The things that were part of you, that made up who you were, had to be appreciated by the people who claimed to love you. Otherwise, they were just trying to make you what they were. That’s not love. That’s colonialism. "

Right. How do I even start? This book played with my my emotions and my mind and I love every minute of it!

In More Than Just A Pretty Face, you can expect a lot of swooning. Like, a lot. But not only that, this book will also make you sad, laugh out loud and most importantly-- it will make you think. This is a story of a young muslim boy who learned the difference between what he wants and what he needs. We'll get to see young Danyal transition from being a boy to a man while being so charming and hilarious. At the same time, MTJAPF offers knowledge for those who are willing enough to grasp it.

Reading from a male POV such as Danyals is very refreshing and I will say that a huge chunk of the reason why I like this book so much is because, well, Danyal is very likeable AND relatable. And by relatable I meant, I know a guy like him. The easygoing, full of confidence kind of guy. We all know a guy like Danyal for sure that's why it was extra fun to peel of his layers and watch him become more and more self-aware. I'm a huge fan of the parents of both of our main characters, and by fan I mean I liked how they were penned. I got angry at them, scratched my head a lot of times and questioned how they treated their kids. In short, I was really affected which just shows how fleshed out these characters are. Bisma, even with her minimal participation at some of the chapters, is very adorable and endearing. Her backstory is amazing and I really felt for this character. I like her so much that I want another book with her POV this time. More Than Just A Pretty Face has a set of engaging characters that will surely keep you interested. If there's one character that I think I didn't overly adored, it might be the one that the author set as the "religious" one. I feel like there should've been more chapters dedicated for this subplot. This is also the reason why I wasn't able to give this book a full five star rating as much I want to.

I would really love to praise how the lovestory of Bisma and Danyal was done, but rather than focus on that beautiful aspect of the book, I'd like to highlight the awareness that this story left me instead. Living in a country that has been colonized for so long, I found myself absorbed and fully engrossed by Danyals Renaissance Man project. I could go on and on about how impressive this was executed by Syed Masood but I'd rather let you read the book.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading More Than Just A Pretty Face. I would recommend this book for any type of reader and even with any kind of mood you might be in. Danyal's entertaining narration will make you laugh, think and feel and thats already enough reason for you to pick up this book. I can not wait for more from Syed Masood!

I was so excited to read this book when I go the ARC. Danyal Jilani is an easy-going, thoughtful and kind boy who is experiencing his first love, and has to go through the arranged marriage ordeal.

Danyal’s character is strong, I liked that despite of his father being so strict Danyal continued to pursue his passion of being a chef. He’s humorous, confident and often times cute. Bisma’s character was interesting as well. She was responsible but knew ho to have fun. She had her opinions and wasn’t scared of voicing them. Bisma’s character taught me that you could be perfect but being human you will make mistakes and it’s important to own your mistakes. My favourite character, out of all, was Suri! She was such a breth o fresh air. That kid was way too smart, clever and fun for her age.

The plot was fast-paced, and was definitely a page turner. It talked about an important topic that many are unaware of. Danyal’s determination and bravery to talk about something that he knew would be frowned upon was inspiring.

Now I’m honestly going to point some things that I did not like about this book. One of them being wrong Muslim representation. The narration made it feel like Muslims are suffocating from Islamic values and restrictions. Danyal’s character was shown to make fun of Muslim teachings through out the book. Danyal was not a practicing Muslim, he did not pray once in the novel (at least it was not mentioned) I do not believe that a person who does not follow basic teachings of Islam has the authority to make fun of it. Being a Muslim, my religion is a huge part of my life, and I do not feel it correctly represented which is why I gave this low rating.

Conclusively, this book had so much potential. It grasped all the right elements of a desi society but failed to portray them correctly.

Oh my goodness I absolutely enjoyed this one. For fans of To All The Boys I Loved Before I think you will fully enjoy this one by Syed M. Masood
Falling in love... with families approval of course. Danyal is a confident leading man with decisions to be made. From career path to girls. And lest through in Renaissance Man a school wide academic championship. As a I mentioned earlier GIRLS.:: there’s two Kaval who is the girl he had been pining for his whole life and Bisma that has a different type of introduction into his life but quickly has Danyal thinking twice about what he is looking for in a future wife. This book seriously has more than I can place in this review ... I’m definitely interested in reading more about these characters maybe another book about one of Danyals friends? Kaval? Or even Suri!!!

3.5 stars

This was a bit of a surprise for me. It started fine but I enjoyed it more the more I read! I liked the characters. The plot was interesting
An overall interesting read.

I was really pleasantly surprised by this book! I absolutely loved it! Danyal was such a loveable main character, and I loved his relationship with Bisma, as well as Bisma’s relationship with her sister! I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun, family focused emotional read!

Review posted on Goodreads (July 27, 2020)
Review Linked.

3.5/5 stars!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for sending me an E-ARC of this book for an honest review!

Okay, so, I really had a fun time reading this book! I thought that the author's writing was really fun and pretty. I found myself really invested in the characters and the romance. This book also brings up a lot of important discussions.

(I myself am not religious, so I can't really comment on how the author represents the Muslim faith in this book. I recommend checking out reviews from own voice reviewers on GoodReads or other blogging platforms.)

However, the author did tackle the topic of toxic masculinity and what it means to be a man in this book really well. Danyal's character is so lovable and such a good example of a male character who yes, is a flirt, but genuinely respects women. I thought that it was so nice to see his character, and I really enjoyed the discussions on gender roles in this book. Bisma's character was so strong and beautiful and I fell in love with her story and her strength from the very first page. I loved seeing them fall in love.

I think that this book also tackles another important topic which is bullying. It goes into a lot of depth on how we can judge people based off of how they do in academics, and how its important to understand that even if someone might not do well in school, they can still be very intelligent in life. Again, Danyal's character was so strong and I really loved seeing him find his inner confidence in himself and his own intelligence and passions.

As a History major, this book was really incredible to read. Syed M. Masood brings up a VERY important discussion around education and how we view history. She really delves into how a lot of education programs really white wash history and teach it only from the white, western view. Masood also discusses the importance of critiquing our "historical heroes", how important it is to critique colonialism and talk about how bad it was, and also how important it is to teach history from ALL of the perspectives around the world (not just the western experience). In her example of Winston Churchill, Masood does an incredible job of showing how a lot of children in high school and even university are only being taught a small sliver of our world's history, and how diversifying our history courses, textbooks, and professors is extremely important.

In the end, I really enjoyed reading this book. I think that it is a really thought provoking contemporary romance and I really enjoyed reading it. I do recommend that people pick up this book when it comes out on August 4th, 2020!

Thanks for reading!
Caden

The first thing that caught my eye is the accolades heaped on the book by the senior editor. I must confess that I read it with a smirk (ever the pessimist!) that is immediately wiped off and replaced by a smile once the story began. By the time it was nearing the end, I was full on laughing mode. Well, looks like some people can actually make lemonade out of all the lemons life throws at them.
This story is one of the instances which shows us that there is more than one way of looking at a situation. Danyal's life had all ingredients for a disaster -- a dominant father who has no faith in him, foolish first love, bullying classmates -- ah, the list goes on. Added to this is the fact that he is not exactly bright, academically that is. Does that hinder him? Nope, that brilliant smile is forever plastered on his face, however hard everything turns out to be.
In a way, he reminds me of many manga characters; especially Naruto, and also Asta in 'Black Clover'. His optimism and the witty take on things is highly infectious and that brings him the help he needed every single time. The way he brings together his two extremist friends takes us into the nuances of modern Muslim lifestyle which makes it more than just a love story. This is the story of a laid back Muslim boy who strives hard to balance the desi traditions with modern ideas and above all, to give voice to the truths that we conveniently forget.
If you, like me, love an easy to read, fast-paced story that makes you laugh and think, then this is for you. With a bunch of unforgettable characters and hugely enjoyable dialogues, this wouldn't fail to make an impression. Highly recommended!

"Even I've got a crush on me."

It doesn't take the reader long to find out that Danyal Jilani has a heart of gold under that swaggering personality. Danyal is handsome and charming, but his grades are less than stellar and he dreams of working as a chef. All of which doesn't help his Muslim parents find him the perfect arranged marriage. Also complicating things is that Danyal has dreamed of one girl his whole live - his best friend's sister Kaval. But her parents want to marry her off to a future doctor or lawyer, not someone who repeated an entire grade and may not graduate due to his history grade.

When Danyal's parents introduce him to Bisma, he's not expecting much. But Bisma's got a secret that means no Muslim family will want their son to marry her. When she tells Danyal, he decides they can just be friends. When Bisma begins helping him with his history project, though, Danyal finds that she might just end up being the best thing in his life. And the person he most wants to cook delicious food for.

Bisma's a super sympathetic character, and Danyal's an all-around nice guy. You're rooting for him to end up with someone who deserved him! It was great to see Muslim teen representation in this book. This is a charming rom-com for those who love cooking and remember the challenges of teenage love - or are experiencing those challenges themselves!

Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for an advance review copy in exchange for an honest review.