There is so much about this book that I enjoyed! There is a podcasting FMC that I just loved so much. I listen to an intense amount of podcasts so this made me fall for Hana early on. And Hana was just lovely and fierce from beginning to end. I also really enjoyed her family, who owns a hala restaurant and are her biggest fans. I loved watching them basically believe she could do anything she wanted. And the community of Golden Crescent, where the restaurant is based, was really charming and felt like the best of small town romances placed in a large, diverse city. My favorite part of the entire book was definitely her cousin because he cracked me up and provided levity at every turn.

But there are so many plot lines that were competing for my attention that I wasn’t sure what to even focus on. The main plotline seemed to be competing halal restaurants, which I enjoyed on the surface, but then there is also big family secrets, workplace issues, racism and specifically Islamophobia, protests, the secret identity of Hana’s podcast follower/internet friend, and a massive plot twist late in the book around Aydin’s mother. The romance was never given a chance to shine so when they do fall in love I felt like I was left questioning when that happened.

Honestly, if even 2 of these subplots – any 2! – had been deleted I feel like the whole book would have been much better.

Grade: B

CW: racism, Islamophobia, death off page, microagressions

Hana and Aydin are Toronto business rivals who may have a secret connection, in this You've Got Mail-inspired novel. Hana dreams of a career in radio, telling real stories about people's lives and families. She's got an internship at a local radio station, works at her family's struggling halal restaurant, and takes care of her family. When handsome and rich Aydin comes to town with his father and announces that he's opening a rival restaurant down the street, it's the last thing Hana needs. All that keeps her going is her anonymous autobiographical podcast, and her online friendship with a fan she's never met.

Jalaluddin is clearly a big fan of You've Got Mail. There are some fun Easter eggs here for anyone who loves the movie. But she's also made the story her own. In addition to the business rivalry, Hana and Aydin are both practicing Muslims, and that weaves through the story in interesting ways. Their neighborhood faces some frightening anti-Islamic hatred, and Hana struggles with tokenism at her job. There are also fraught family dynamics, health issues, and other serious topics. The romantic storyline is very chaste, and would be good to share with your friends who may not like their romance on the steamy side. Overall, a lovely and engrossing book.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

Recommended Read!

Book recommendation coming at you! When I read AYESHA AT LAST I fell in love with the ease of storytelling this author showed. So to say I was excited to read HANA KHAN CARRIES ON is an understatement. And you know what? She didn’t disappoint!

This book touches on a variety of subjects, from workplace discrimination, microaggressions and Islamophobia to name a few, to standing up for ones beliefs and ultimately following your dreams.

I really loved Hana’s character, even when she was doing things she knew were wrong. It’s so satisfying to see a character grow perfectly throughout a book and this was a great example of that. Hana’s journey as a person, in her family and professional life, was a pleasure to see.

The romance between Hana and Aydin is also so sweet. Is that crazy when it’s an enemies to lovers since they have competing halal restaurants in the same neighborhood? This book is packed full of great banter between our main characters, the underlying attraction that they just don’t want to feel but can’t deny. Plenty of neighborhood and family drama! And let’s not forget cousin Rashid. Omg, so funny!!

Did I love this one even more than AYESHA? Why yes, yes I did! These books are like a warm, comforting blanket and I can’t recommend them enough.

Hana works as an intern at a Toronto radio station and works part-time at her family’s halal restaurant in the Golden Crescent neighborhood. In her small amount of spare time she also runs her own podcast, where she gets to be herself, tell her own stories, and connect with her listeners.

When a competing halal restaurant moves into her neighborhood and threatens to put her family’s business under, Hana decides to take matters into her own hands and do something about it.

This book will make you feel. It really puts you in Hana’s shoes and weaves a complex tapestry of her life. At times I felt like there were too many competing storylines, and that I would have happily read a whole book about each of them, but I suppose life isn’t actually that neat. I did really, really want to find out more about Hana’s family and their history though.

Hana was a wonderful character and by the end of the book I felt like I really knew her. I loved watching her grow and learn and realize things about herself throughout the book. I liked Aydin, Hana’s love interest / enemy, well enough but Hana was the stand-out star for me. And I think her cousin Rashid needs his own book, I felt like he had a lot more stories to tell, and his personality was practically bursting off the page.

I saw this book referred to as a rom-com quite a few times, and I don’t agree with that at all. There is a little romance, but I’d put it in women’s fiction or contemporary lit. It’s a wonderful book, but there really isn’t anything comedic about it. It deals with heavy topics such as racism, Islamophobia, hate crimes, sexism, microaggressions etc.

So don’t go into it thinking it’s a light, fluffy enemies-to-lovers rom-com, but definitely go get yourself a copy!

Hilarious and super cute novel by Uzma Jalaluddin is Hana Khan Carries On. This is my first time reading Jalaluddin’s work and you can now count me as a fan! We begin our story in the Three Sisters Biryani Poutine a fail restaurant run by Hana Khan’s family in a close-knit community of the Golden Crescent where Hana is a part-time waitress. But her true calling is telling stories on the radio, and is hoping to land a job at city radio station. On the side she also creates a podcast where she tells stories from her own life and pours her thoughts and dreams. One of her avid listeners becomes an anonymous confident and a dynamic relationship blossoms.
When her restaurant is threatened by a competing new business in the neighbourhood Hana needs all the help she can get to keep her family’s restaurant still relevant and thriving in the plaza.

Filled with all the drama of family visiting from India, a handsome new business owner, the politics of small business associations, and hate-motivated attacks that brings the community together, Hana Khan Carries On is a joy to read. Uzma Jalaluddin’s writing and tone is perfect in reflecting the highs and lows of multiethnic communities and familial drama. I especially loved that importance of storytelling and the ways Hana brings forth how many immigrant communities are type casted and minorities within minority groups are often not heard.

A heartwarming story of family, friendship, love and following one's dreams. This book made me feel represented! ❤️

I absolutely loved the characters! The main protagonists were beautifully flawed and that was perfect, in a way. I felt like the author gave them very realistic personalities and that's something that is normally very hard to do. My favorite characters were Hana's cousin, Rashid (who may or may not be a part of the New Delhi mafia 😂), and her badass aunt, Kawkab. They made me laugh my head off several times while reading the book. They gave the story so much life!

The story touches on some sensitive topics and I did feel bad for some of the characters when they went through a bunch of stuff that could easily happen to me too. Overall, I was extremely happy with the rep in this book and it felt great to read something that painted Muslims in a good light.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Hana's family's halal restaurant Three Sisters Biryani Poutine has seen better days. Hana waitresses there part time while also working as a intern for the local radio station. But what she loves doing the most is podcasting where her identity is kept anonymous. Her listeners really enjoy her content and she also forms a friendship with one "bot" in particular.

Hana's mom enlists on some help from relatives in India. Soon Hana is sharing her house not only with her immediate family, but also her aunt as well as teenage cousin. Hana's work/life balance is about to get even more hectic when direct competition moves into the neighborhood. The mysterious Aydin is about to open a halal restaurant across the street from Three Sisters. Hana needs to be clever to outmaneuver the clever Aydin! Will her family's restaurant survive and can Aidyn and Hana ever act on their growing attraction to one another?

Hana Khan Carries On was the first book I have read written by Uzma Jalaluddin and it was such a delight! Being a second generation Indian American desi woman, I related to so much of what Hana goes through in the book.

Perhaps one of my favorite things about Hana Khan Carries On is the multifaceted way Jalaluddin tells the story. You feel how vulnerable and true Hana feels when she's recording her podcasts and her relationship with her anonymous listeners. Hana wants to move up in the world of broadcasting, and yet she keeps feeling like she's stuck with no where to go. And most of all you feel the anguish and heartbreak of knowing that her family's restaurant might not make it if she doesn't fight for it alongside her family.

I have so many passages highlighted of this beautifully written book. I can't wait to go back and revisit my favorite passages.

This was a very wholesome and heartwarming read. I totally loved reading it
.
The thing I liked the most was the book had such raw and real characters. I loved the main character Hana, her character was well developed and she was easy to relate to.

The plot was carefully crafted and had unexpected turns which kept me interested. The book also talks about so many important issues and it was interesting to read about Hana’s experience as a Muslim in Canada.
I also loved the romance in this book, it was slow burn and I am glad it was not insta-love.

The only thing I didn’t like was the author referred Rashid’s (Hana’s cousin visiting from India) parents as mafia, I found it very stereotypical and problematic, I honestly think we don’t need this kind of representation. Otherwise the book was totally perfect and thought provoking. It would be amazing if it gets adapted as a movie. I am hoping to reread it soon. If you loved The Hate You Give and The Marriage Game than I would totally recommend this book.

Hana is busy. She works at her family’s halal restaurant, has an internship at a local radio station, and has a podcast which she does anonymously. She frequently communicates with a listener from her podcast, and although she doesn’t know who he is, she feels a connection. There’s also a new restaurant coming into her neighborhood with a young handsome owner, Aydin, that gets under her skin. Let’s add a cousin and an aunt coming to stay with them and Hana is not only busy, she also has family secrets to unravel, while saving the restaurant and trying to pursue her dreams.

I loved Hana so much! She was funny, strong, independent, and loyal to her family. The book also had some interesting side characters like her aunt, which shared some stories when she was younger and also helped Hana with her podcast. Her cousin was funny, but also caring and helpful at the restaurant. Then there is Aydin, I liked him from the start. He was the perfect love interest in this enemy to lovers story. He was flawed, but also charming and caring. The book also dealt with racism, as Hana is a Muslim woman and the receiving end of a hate attack. I like the way the book dealt with the seriousness of the issue, while also not taking anything away from the lightness of the romance. Overall, this book was amazing! I’m looking forward to reading Uzma Jalaluddin previous book, Ayesha at Last soon!

I read Jalaluddin’s début book Ayesha At Last with such joy two years ago, and I have been waiting ever since for her second book. To her new book, Jalaluddin brings a maturity and keener eye to emotional nuance. Rich with cultural texture, replete with social nuance, and brimming with humor, it is a delight from the first word to the last. Her talent is in allowing her characters to recount their own stories, whether they are the main characters or the secondary ones. No one gets short shrift in the attention she pays to creating whole, complex people. Jalaluddin’s signature style is in her social commentary on the lives led by Indian Canadian Muslims, the immigrants and the first generations. She had started this conversation with the reader in Ayesha At Last, and she continues on that conversation in Hana Khan Carries On.

Full Review: https://frolic.media/book-of-the-week-hana-khan-carries-on-by-uzma-jalaluddin/

A little bit "enemies to lovers" with some "friendship budding to lovers" and a little instinctual "I like you at first sight but I don't know what that means" thrown in. A confusing description I know but it's accurate after you've read it! It's a sweet story and I like the character growth Hana goes through.

Hana’s mother has run a no-frills halal restaurant in the tight-knit neighborhood of the Golden Crescent for fifteen years, but lately, sales have been poor, and the restaurant is suffering. Just when they think things can’t get worse for their business, Aydin, a fancypants business type, and his horribly arrogant father show up with plans to open their own shiny, modern halal restaurant right down the street.

Meanwhile, Hana interns at a local radio station, but on the side, she anonymously hosts her own podcast through which she has formed a long virtual correspondence with her most active listener.

You see where this is going 😏

Hana and Aydin, the Kathleen Kelly and Joe Fox of the halal restaurant world if you will, are complete rivals until horrifying racially-motivated hate crimes descend upon the Golden Crescent neighborhood. Can they put their differences aside to stand up for their community?

It’s a fun and entertaining take on the You’ve Got Mail story, sure, but layered on top of this romcom is a story of culture, religion, heritage, and family. It’s an important #ownvoices look at racism and hate in Canada and microaggressions in the workplace. It’s beautifully executed, and I can’t wait to read more from this author! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Loved this one! It had me laughing and crying. I came to care so much about Golden Crescent community!! I wish I could go to Three Sisters Biryani Poutine and hang out with the Khan family. Hana explores her Indian Muslim heritage and connects even more when she has family visit her family in their Toronto neighborhood. There is definitely a "You've Got Mail" vibe to it and it's just as fun. The food will make you hungry and there's so many issues tackled in this book - race, islamophobia, gentrification and family - to name a few! But it's integrated so naturally into the plot that it ends up just being a really rich story.

4 1/2 stars

I'd previously read Jalaluddin's, Ayesha At Last which was brilliant! Now with her follow up about a restaurant rivalry and an anonymous online friendship I knew I'd be in for a very interesting romance, indeed.

Hana works at her family's restaurant while also working as an intern at a radio station. She has big dreams of developing her own show and discussing topics that are of interest to her. She has her own podcast that's been gaining traction and it's because of this podcast that she's struck up a friendship with a fan. As they remain anonymous in their communications they share personal dreams and goals with each other, oftentimes sharing advice and suggestions. In the meanwhile, problems arise when a new restaurant opens up that threatens to shut down Hana's family's restaurant which has already been struggling recently. Her family's livelihood becomes the center of her focus as she tries to save them, save her broadcast dreams and save herself from falling for her rival and recipient of all her ire, Aydin.

I easily fell into this story and I think mainly because it wasn't centered around finding a spouse. Instead it was firmly about Hana's desire to achieve her career goal of becoming a broadcaster which her parents fully supported. Admittedly, I took to this subplot because I worked in radio in my pre-kids days. A little detail that made me so happy and felt seen is that her fellow intern, Thomas is also South Asian, desi and Christian. Up until this I hadn't read of any desi character similar to me in that way and it felt great to see that representation even if he doesn't have a large role. Hana comes off as a wonderfully confident young woman who has a strong sense of self. Her rivalry and instant dislike of Aydin fuels a lot of the action in the story. And as much as she wants to all out dismiss him, learning of his backstory makes her sympathize with his situation. How he wears his face on the surface belies the turmoil he's reckoning with inside. After a horribly frightening and public racist encounter involving him, herself and her cousin, he shows a different side of himself to her which makes Hana stop to reconsider her actions towards him up until then. The racist incident is jarring and what results from it renews Hana's personal and professional missions.

Even with the several subplots, I didn't think it was overwhelming nor did it feel like one was distracting from the other. They made sense and tied together, and I think Jalauddin struck a nice balance with all of them. I did think that Hana was a little naive sometimes like when she decided to sabotage Aydin's restaurant opening. It was childish and you could only shake your head at her. Come on Hana, you're smarter than this! With so many things coming to a head, she finds herself at an important juncture in her young adult life and we're witness to her character growth. The mysterious aunt who accompanies the cousin for a stateside visit provides well, the mystery. She's tight-lipped about the purpose of her visit but boy does she drop zingers on Hana. She really shakes up her thinking and gives Hana the inspiration at the very moment she's feeling lost. As for the cousin ... though he brings an outside-the-box kind of mentality, I personally would've preferred a dialed down personality. He was a little too much for me.

I liked Hana Khan Carries On tremendously even if it included heavier issues such as the scary racist encounter and the Islamaphobia that ensues. Hana's admirable journey to maturity during this wild duration of upending events is a big reason for my enjoyment of this book. She gets her happiness and fulfillment because she's determining what and who is important to her. This was a poignant read and I recommend that you add it to your list!

~ Bel

Hana Khan Carries On is Uzma Jalaluddin’s sophomore novel. Set in Toronto, this book is sweet, fun, and tackles the hard topic of racism. Jalaluddin also does a fabulous job of depicting the differences between many of the South Asian cultures.

In this You’ve Got Mail modern retelling, Hana Khan is a 24 year old Muslim women. As the child to immigrants, she’s was born and raised in Toronto and has dreams of being a radio host, not for the fame but to tell stories. Working on getting her career launched, she’s interning at a radio station and working in her family’s Indian-Canadian fusion restaurant. *Forewarned this book will make your mouth water. *

This is a cute story. It very much follows the tradition of a rom-com and has a few predictable outcomes. However, what really sets this story apart is the way Jalaluddin is able to both keep the story light while also tackling some harder topics, such as racism specifically towards the Muslim community. We see Hana exposed to multiple forms of racism. Some is simply blind hate but others come in the form of ‘well wishers’ trying to be inclusive but missing the key components. I really enjoyed the way Hana stuck to her morals throughout the story, and didn’t ‘sell out’ for lack of a better way to say that.

Jalaluddin, also does a wonderful job of conveying the difference between the South Asian cultures, and highlights that there are so many different cultures that make up the term ‘South Asian’. I don’t think this gets highlighted enough, and so I thoroughly enjoyed that portion of the story. I also think that food is something that can really bring cultures and people together, and I loved that Jalaluddin based the story around a restaurant.

This book is also a great reminder that all families, no matter where you come from, have secrets.

If you’re looking for an own voices romcom, look no future than Hana Khan Carries On. This book is out now and I can’t wait to see what’s next for Jalaluddin.

Hana Khan Carries On is out now. Thank you to Berkley Books for my advanced copy for my honest review. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my instagram @speakingof_books.

Hana Khan is juggling her burgeoning media career with helping run her family’s halal restaurant ‘Three Sisters Biryani Poutine’. The bad news is that the restaurant is in serious financial trouble and the radio station she interns for is asking her to make content that challenges her morals. Add to that the pressure of the new trendy halal restaurant opening in competition down the road and her attraction to its young but ruthless owner and Hana is reeling. An unprovoked racially motivated attack then threatens everything that Hana holds dear.

I had no idea what to expect from this book and read it completely blind except for the blurb. I have to say, that I really enjoyed it. Who can fail to love a classic enemies to lovers tale combined with a bit of Pride and Prejudice character misunderstandings. The ‘will they won’t they’ element unfolded nicely and the other aspects of the story moved along at a good pace to keep me interested. However, the best part of this book for me was the cast of supporting characters. They were so diverse and plentiful that each character not only added to the storyline but also bought a totally necessary dynamic to the whole thing. This may sound like a typical romance story but the insight into the lives of an immigrant community and the wider issue of race and integration were handled beautifully with humanity and heart. At the end of the day, this was a tale about human love, fear, family and change, things we can all identify with.

4.5 stars

After finishing Hana Khan Carries On, my new goal in life is to have a meet cute involving biryani. I am officially waiting for a cute brown man to heroically save my plate of biryani from falling 💁🏽‍♀️

Hana Khan aspires to tell stories on public radio and she hopes that her internship at the city radio station will eventually lead to a permanent job. In the meantime, Hana helps out her mother at their struggling family restaurant, Three Sisters Biryani Poutine, the only halal restaurant in the Golden Crescent neighbourhood. Hana also runs an anonymous podcast called "Ana's Brown Girl Rambles," where she develops an online friendship with her most avid listener. When a new upscale halal restaurant is about to open in the neighbourhood, Hana is faced with the possibility of Three Sisters Biryani Poutine closing down. And Hana is ready to do whatever it takes to help her family restaurant stay open, despite feeling an attraction to Aydin, the owner of the new rival restaurant.

There's a lot going on for Hana. She is navigating the perilous waters of public radio at her workplace, where she is subjected to various levels of microagressions from her coworker and her boss. We also get to witness the harmful impact of Islamophobia, xenophobia, and racism on Hana and her neighbourhood community. I'm not going to lie: these scenes were incredibly triggering and hard to read. Hana's experience at work, in particular, echoes a lot of my own personal experiences in the workplace. On top of all of that, Hana has to welcome and accommodate her aunt and her cousin during their surprise visit to Canada. And the cherry on top? A You've Got Mail rivalry romance set in two competing halal restaurants.

Reading Uzma Jalaluddin's books feels like coming home. I was thoroughly immersed in Hana's life and her loveable tight-knit community on Golden Crescent. Hana's journey of self-discovery and growth is the heart of this book. Yes, Hana is naive when it comes to accepting the fate of her family restaurant. Yes, some of Hana's actions are wrong and come across as immature. But that's kind of the whole point of the story. Hana grows and learns from her mistakes and strives to better herself through her words and actions. She makes amends and she finally comes out of her shell and stands up for her principles. Throughout that journey, Hana has the support of her friends, family, and neighbours, who altogether make up an incredible cast of supporting characters.

The romance between Aydin and Hana is sweet and full of pining and tension. Neither Aydin nor Hana is perfect, but they grow throughout the story and their attraction simmers with every confrontation. The ice cream shop scene now lives rent free in my head. And the banter? Oh, the banter was perfection! I was invested in their budding romance from the very beginning because of the banter. I was so into these two as a couple that I often found myself waiting for their next interaction. As much as I enjoyed Aydin and Hana, I would say that Kawkab Khala is hands down my favourite character in this book. And cousin Rashid made me laugh so hard at multiple points in the story. Hana's interaction with her friends, family, and neighbours makes her story a lot more enriching and exciting to read.

Ultimately, this is a story of growth, identity, and family ties and it is brought to life by the vibrant cast of characters. The neighbourhood drama, the family drama, the secret family histories — I loved everything. The sweet and pining romance is an added bonus that made my romance reader heart happy. Hana's passion for family histories, especially the secret ones, has motivated me to seek out stories of my own family. I want to find a way to preserve the stories my parents told me and I want to be more proactive in asking my family members about their story.

My only complaint about this book is the rushed ending. I wanted to spend more time with Aydin as he processed an important change in his life. I think the last chapter should have been longer for that very reason. Aydin's arc suffers a bit because this book is only told from Hana's POV. Aydin is a well-written character for sure, but his story needed to be fleshed out a bit more, especially toward the end. That being said, I think the podcast transcript worked really well as an epilogue of sorts. Honestly, I'm so attached to these characters and I wouldn't mind if the author decided to write a sequel. It's really hard to say goodbye to Hana, Aydin, Rashid, and Kawkab Khala 🥺

Can we all just take a moment to appreciate this cover? Another fantastic job by the team at Harper.

Jalaluddin has a gift for writing engaging dialogue. Her writing is clever, charming, and sprinkled with humour—at the launch for Hana Khan Carries On, Uzma mentioned how it is important to show that Muslims can be funny too.

This charming rom-com has a fascinating cast of characters. Our heroine, Hana, is feisty and impulsive. She's also tender yet witty with her sharp tongue. Some of Jalaluddin's best writing is the banter between Hana and Ayden.

Toronto was (again) the perfect setting and I enjoyed learning more about our tight-knit Muslim communities. Jalaluddin deftly guides the readers though the complex duality that her characters face; they are trying to honour their beliefs and culture without being conformed by the society they are trying to assimilate. Hana, Rashid, Yusuf, Ayden, and Zulfa are paving their own way separate from their family—their stumbles and growth are what makes for some incredible moments.
Congratulations, Uzma! I was utterly enchanted.

I adore retellings and this nod to The Littlest Shop on the Corner is simply lovely. I love the setting (Toronto), the cast in its entirety, and the rich culture.
Hana is living in a bubble full of love and support from her family. She's going through the paces and leaning into doing her due diligence as an intern to make it big in broadcasting. Unfortunately, life for Hana becomes more than little rocky when everything suddenly turns upside down and twists her safe cocoon into knots. Her biggest problem is the man who is out to put her mom's restaurant out of business with new - and shiny - competition.
Uzma's storytelling is entertaining and beautifully poignant. I love that she addresses cultural issues in a way that brings the hardships to light with an eye to coexisting peacefully without hiding - that anger or compromising one's self is not the solution.
I highly recomemend this novel and Uzma is now one of my auto-buy authors. I haven't yet read Ayesha at Last and I'm so excited to see what she did with her debut.
Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.

An exceptionally engaging romcom! Loved every minute I spent with Hana Khan! Hana is an aspiring radio broadcaster/podcaster. Her family owns a struggling Halalal restaurant that Hana is determined to save. The story is a modern multicultural version of You’ve Got Mail.

Hana was a smart, sweet, savvy, sometimes stubborn character. Aydin is opening a competing Halal restaurant in the same neighborhood as Hana‘s family restaurant. Hana and her lively cousin start plotting ways to sabotage the opening of Aydin’s restaurant. Neanwhile Hana and Aydin start forming a friendship and fighting attraction. Aydin was a great guy and I loved how well his personality complemented Hana’s.My favorite characters however were probably the cousin and the aunt, they just added so much humor and whimsy to the story. There is also a serious part to the story that dealt with racism towards the Muslim community. I thought this was handled so well, it was so timely, and gave me things to think about. I think it is important that own voice Authors can use their platform to show how regular people deal with hatred on a daily basis simply based on the color of their skin or their religious beliefs. It is unfortunate however that this is still an issue in 2021.

If you are a fan of romcoms with fantastic storylines and filled with fabulous characters then this is a can’t miss!

*** Big thank you to Berkley for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***