This ARC was provided in exchange of an honest review:
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4,5*
Firstly, I must share a caveat: this book is a retelling of "You've Got Mail", a movie that I have never watched, so my review does not include any parallels or criticism on that front.
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Pros: Shares the story of a Muslim South Asian woman in her early-twenties, and her and her family's experiences living in Canada. Full PoC cast. Relatable writing style, laced with emotion and connection. Focuses on family relationships, the love and secrets kept and shared. Realistic portrait of the hardships immigrant families face, and the strength and resilience needed to strive despite them. Dismantles many harmful and racist misconceptions regarding Islamic practices and traditions. Last, but never least, it talks about how the world you know and are comfortable with is ripped from under your feet as you grow into a new adult. I wish I had this book a couple of years ago to help me navigate through that, but it will still help me now, moving forward.
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Cons: Although incredibly wholesome, very obvious and cliche romance from the get-go, even more so at the end.
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Trigger warning: Racism, from microaggressions to blatant vitriol and physical violence. Mentions of post-partum depression and domestic violence.
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P.S.: I just wanted to finish this review underlining and making it as bold as possible how important new adult books are. Nowadays, the jump is often from YA into early 30s, and new adults, who are basically lost teens with bills to pay and a ton of worries about making through another day, need as much guidance as any other age group. It is so, so important, I need to reiterate that and once again thank Uzma for writing this book and sharing this story.

This was an entertaining and thoughtful story. Hana wants to take down the new rival restaurant being built near her family's struggling restaurant, and at the same time is hoping to turn her radio internship into something bigger. I think the You've Got Mail comp is the right hook for this one, as readers will quickly discover. Hana is also dealing with issues of racism and culture both at her radio job and in the neighborhood, and she's deciding how she wants to handle that as she wants to pursue her career in broadcasting but doesn't want to compromise her values to tell the stories that the radio station thinks she should be telling. With a really satisfying ending, this was a solid second book!

I requested Uzma Jalaluddin’s new novel, Hana Khan Carries On, as soon as I read the synopsis which describes it as inspired by the popular romantic film, You’ve Got Mail, but set in two competing halal restaurants. The promise of romance, rivalry, and descriptions of delicious food was too irresistible to pass up. I’m happy I did too because it did not disappoint!

The story follows Hana Khan, a 24 year old second generation Muslim woman who lives with her family in Toronto. Hana helps out at her family’s halal restaurant, but her real passion lies in radio. In addition to her waitressing gig, Hana has an internship at a local radio station and she also hosts her own podcast. I really adored Hana from the moment we meet her. I loved how devoted she is to her family and how much she wants to help her mom with the family restaurant even though that’s not where her true interest lies. I also loved that she wants a career in radio specifically because she wants to share stories about her fellow Muslims. Stories that shine a true light on her people rather than just retreading tired and harmful stereotypes. I also liked that while she had so many admirable qualities, Hana was definitely still a flawed and very realistic character. She makes plenty of mistakes throughout the course of the story, but I loved that she was always learning from her missteps and growing as a person. She was just a really easy character to like.

In addition to adoring Hana, I also liked that the story had plenty of drama in the form of a rival restaurant that opens up in their neighborhood. Hana has a run-in with Aydin, the handsome, young owner of the new restaurant and finds herself unexpectedly attracted to him. She knows she should hate him because of what he’s doing to her family, but the struggle to fight her attraction to him is real. Hana finds this especially frustrating since she also has a possible relationship budding online with Stanley P., one of her podcast fans. She and Stanley haven’t exchanged real names or met in person yet, but they talk every day and he is always super supportive of her as she shares her hopes and dreams with him, as well as her fears and frustrations. How can she possibly be attracted to a jerk like Aydin when she has Stanley P.? Except that Aydin isn’t exactly a jerk and Hana and Aydin have amazing chemistry. I’m a sucker for a good enemies-to-lovers romance anyway, so I was absolutely eating up the initial tension between them as well as the changing dynamic between them as they got to know each other better.

There’s honestly so much to love about Hana Khan Carries On, but what I think I loved most was it’s a story about love and family and sacrifice and that it’s also a story that is infused with culture, religion, and community. It’s a story that has fun and romantic moments, but it’s also a powerful story that explores timely and relevant social issues, including racism, prejudice, and stereotypes. I have not yet read Uzma Jalaluddin’s first novel Ayesha At Last yet, but I loved Hana Khan Carries On so much that I immediately purchased the first one and can’t wait to dive into it.

HANA KHAN was a beautiful, utterly realistic, hopelessly comedic novel. i loved every aspect of it and every character spoke directly to me in one way or another. i cried more than once during this book because it was heartbreaking in so many different ways. just the right amount of drama, too!

i do wish lily and yusuf's characters and relationships had been established a bit more, but hana herself is so compelling that i was easily able to move past it. a fantastic read and a striking romance all in one!

DNF 40%. There's a good chance that I would have finished this book if this wasn't a romance.

Hana has an interesting family with an intriguing conflict pursuing her dreams of having a podcast. All of her family members and friends are interesting people with their own problems. Then the romantic interest, Aydin, is introduced, and then Hana becomes flat and juvenile. Hana's thought process when she's around this guy is weird. Her mother's restaurant is in trouble. Hana considers Aydin, who opened a restaurant next door, to be the competition that will destroy her mother's restaurant if she doesn't stop him. Then she reveals that her mother's restaurant doesn't have a website or their menu online. Hana, a twenty-four-year-old university graduate, doesn't see this as a problem. Hana, when you created your podcast, did anyone tell you about marketing? Aydin does give his unsolicited advice, which is annoying, but his advice is correct. Honestly, I couldn't see how his restaurant is a direct competition to her mother's. They both serve food from India, but her mother's is more a sit-down restaurant while his is a take-out burger place. Maybe she figures it out on her own. But her stupidity was too painful to keep reading.

This review is based on an advanced reader copy provided through Netgalley for an honest review.

I am going to start off this review by saying that this book is absolutely fantastic, and it is one that I highly recommend especially to white allies. That being said, the marketing of this book absolutely sucks. This is not some cutesy enemies to lovers rom-com. This book deals with very heavy topics such as racism, xenophobia, islamophobia, targeted hate crimes, and microaggressions. For fellow BIPOC, this will not be anything new BUT, it will be painful and triggering, so please take heed before diving into this story.

Okay, so back to the book.

Hana Khan is a 24 year old Muslim woman who was born and raised in Toronto to parents who emigrated from India. Hana anonymously hosts her own podcast (Ana Brown Girl Rambles) while pursuing a career in the radio industry. She wants the opportunity to tell stories of her Muslim community that is predicated on the tired stereotypes that the media typically regurgitates. While interning at a local radio station, which is unpaid, she must also still help out at her family’s halal restaurant, Three Sisters Biryani Poutine, which is struggling. Hana must find a way to save her family’s restaurant with the threat of a new halal restaurant moving in across the street while also holding onto her radio dreams.

I absolutely loved reading this book from Hana’s lens. Hana just felt so authentic and relatable. The frustration that she feels from the microaggressions she faces at work and the pressures from her family’s restaurant was palpable. Hana isn’t perfect. She makes rash decisions with the best of intentions but still manages to come up short. Hana’s will to continue fighting and refusal to give up reinforces what some many people of color face when the odds are stacked against them.

Now, let’s talk about the other characters, because all of them are fully developed, stand on their own; and quite frankly, are just incredible.

I love Aydin. From first glance, Aydin seems cold and uncaring since he determined to show his father that he has what it takes to be a business mogul, but I promise you, he ends up surprising you.

Rashid, Hana’s cousin that visits from India is honestly a breath of fresh air. Rashid is clever and deserves way more credit than what he gets. People are quick to dismiss him simply because he’s from India, but he’s quick to remind people that xenophobia and racism is not exclusive to the Americas.

KawKab Khala. This is another cousin that unexpectedly accompanies Rashid from India, and y’all, this woman is ICONIC. I don’t want to give any of her secrets away, but just know that she’s a legend.

All of the discussions surrounding food literally had me drooling. I so very much just wanted to sit in Hana’s family restaurant and be served all of the delicious goodness that her mom was cooking up. Well, I am still on the fence about the biryani on poutine…poutine just does not sound like it’s for me (hello lactose intolerance my old friend).

This book had me bouncing from one emotion to the next. One minute, I was swooning over the banter between Hana and Aydin and the next I was ready to curse someone out for the blatant racism that Hana experienced at her workplace. I just need one good throat punch to her boss. That’s all I’m saying.

To wrap things up, this is truly an incredible book. The storytelling is top notch and really dives deep into both the benefits and struggles of being an immigrant. And since this is also a romance, there are plenty of swoon worthy moments to provide levity when it’s desperately needed.

Thank you to Berkley Romance for providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.

A modern retelling of 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘎𝘰𝘵 𝘔𝘢𝘪𝘭 with a cultural twist that will leave you craving Indian food. ⁣
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What I loved most about this book was the exploration of culture, prejudice, familial relationships and expectations with so much heart and humor. It’s not easy to tackle big topics with honesty but still be fun and full of hope and I feel like Uzma Jalaluddin does just that. ⁣
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Hana is a second generation Muslim girl living in Toronto. At the onset, her life seems almost sheltered as she’s safely cocooned by her family and the neighborhood where they own a halal restaurant. As a new business comes to town, threatening her family’s livelihood we see her world slowly expand as she navigates tensions at the radio station where she is interning, visiting family members and a confusing relationship with the rival restaurant’s owner. ⁣
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Though there is a cute romance here, I felt like this book was so much more than that. Hana’s family, their struggles and everything she deals with in regards to racism were at the core of this book and definitely what made it special for me.

I received a gifted galley of HANA KHAN CARRIES ON by Uzma Jalaluddin for an honest review. Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review!

HANA KHAN CARRIES’s title character is an aspiring media star. While working in her family’s struggling halal restaurant in a close knit neighborhood of Toronto. She juggles her part time work for the family with an internship at the radio station and a podcast wherein she shares her experience as a South Asian Muslim woman in her 20s under an alias.

When a wealthy family decides to open another halal restaurant in the neighborhood where her own family is already struggling, Hana is irate. Even moreso she is upset that she doesn’t immediately dislike the family’s son Aydin who is in charge of the project and helping her with the neighborhood’s community festival.

This is very much a “You’ve Got Mail” style story with anonymous text messages and connections and real connections building from unknown screen names. The descriptions of food will leave you hungry – I had to hunt down some poutine (though it was not at all traditional, it was really good) after our buddy discussions for this book kept getting hung up on food!

This book was a lot of fun, but it also took on some serious subjects. Our main characters are faced with many forms of racism from people in downtown Toronto telling them to ‘go home’ even though they are home, stereotyping at work and general protests in the community. Hana is determined to speak out on issues impacting her community, but she wants to find a way to do so in a way that doesn’t also stereotype the community.

This was a fantastic read full of fun characters and one I would definitely recommend!

Hana Khan Carries On is a masterpiece. The love story has zippy banter and cringey rom com moments aplenty, but it's only one aspect of Hana's multifaceted tale. Her dream is to be in radio, but microaggressions at work pile on until there's not much left to love, and Hana must decide who she wants to be and where/how. Her mom's small, family-run restaurant is struggling, and that's before a fancy new establishment starts being constructed in the neighborhood under the watchful eye of a rich and laser-focused businessman (prepare for some major You've Got Mail moments). Then, the middle of the book features a hate crime that Hana experiences as a second generation Muslim Canadian Desi. A video of the incident goes viral, exposing her neighborhood to more bigotry leading up to a local street festival.

There's so much to obsess over with this book, it's hard to know where to start. Let's begin with Hana herself. I think the single POV approach in this book was perfection. I liked being in Hana's corner from the first to last page, becoming familiar with her hopes and dreams, her worries and fears. Whether she was facing a funny interpersonal problem or a harrowing conflict, I was cheering her on. Hana has such a strong voice, whether it was the general narrative or the multimedia inclusion of her podcast transcripts or text messages. By the end of the book, I felt she was my friend (if she would have me). She went through some major changes and had some important realizations throughout, and I found many of her reflections on the air to be moving and full of wisdom.

This story has it all: an adorable romance, delightful characters, high drama, and a serious examination of lived oppression of immigrant communities in general and Muslims specifically. There are moments of light, fluffy goodness and others with gritty struggle against systemic violence. At the center through it all is a poignant and nuanced focus on family and the growing pains of change that affect all our relationships. It's a rare book that makes me both laugh and cry, so this one joins a select echelon of treasured stories. I can't recommend it enough. Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for the opportunity to read and review this book. It's out this week on 4/13!

4.5 / 5 stars

Hana Khan Carries On is an amazing book that is about a 24 year old Muslim woman named Hana who lives in Toronto.

This is my first book by this author.

I have seen this book touted as a Muslim rom-com. I personally would categorize it more as Women's Fiction vs romantic comedy or contemporary romance.

There was so much about this book that I loved.

The narrator is 24 year old Hana. She waitresses at her family's restaurant, The Three Sisters Biryani Poutine (a halal restaurant in the Golden Crescent neighborhood of Scarborough Ontario).

She also does a podcast anonymously. And she is an intern at a popular Toronto radio station. Podcasting and radio is her dream. She wants to tell diverse stories that make a difference. I absolutely loved everything to do with her podcasts and her working at the radio station.

I really loved reading about the Muslim culture. And I loved seeing how close Hana was to her family and community.

I adored her cousin Rashid. If this book is a rom-com then he is the comedy of the book.

I also really enjoyed Aydin, a rival who shows up and threatens the neighborhood.

The book is thought-provoking and fascinating. It was so good. And there were lots of great surprises. There was one part that I wish could have been less predictable. But the author definitely balanced that out with lots in the second half that I was not expecting.

Overall, this is an educational and fantastic book. I really enjoyed it so much!

This book was not a typical read for me, but I found I really enjoyed it! I enjoyed the growth of Hana and Ayden throughout the book. I found myself laughing at the podcast portions of the book. The characters were “feel good.”

I love hearing stories of the past. As a child they used to bore me, but as an adult, I wish I could go back.

My heart broke hearing the struggles the characters went through as they majority are Muslim. The author did a wonderful job describing this. Overall. I really enjoyed the book.

Hana Khan Carries On is a rare jewel of a book: it is both funny and sweet while tackling deeply important topics. I spent the better half of the last 40% of the book laughing and crying, and I was sad to see the story end. Hana was such a dynamic character and I enjoyed seeing her transition from shaky ground to standing firmly, turning her dreams into reality. The romance was cute, the subplot was a twist I didn’t see coming, and I want to shout from the rooftops that EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ THIS BOOK! Thank you to Netgalley for providing an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was such an amazing read for me! As someone who is a Muslim-American, who has grown up in such a diversity of perspectives and experiences, this book spoke both to the Pakistani-Muslim in me, as well as the American woman growing up in a Western World.

The story follows Hana, a radio intern who is trying to find her place in the world while her family restaurant threatens to fall into shambles. Aydin, a competing restaurant, has a plan to open a competing restaurant in the same neighborhood, only adding to the pressure of Hana's family business. To top everything off, Hana's family is housing two more guests and a load of secrets.

The best thing about this book, and why I gave it four stars, is the ability to talk about the complexity of being a Muslim in a "western" world, without coming off as preachy. We get discussions about racism and hate, but this book also has the warm traditions of family and live known in South Asian Households. I think Jalaluddin knows how to show the lives of the Muslims in such a varied way while making sure to give serious topics justice. Not every immigrant lives (or would want to, for that matter) in a constant state of battling racism and hate, and I think POC books often fail to show that. Yes, there is a lot of xenophobia and hate that Muslims experience. But there is also such a wealth of culture and custom that should also be celebrated. And I really think this book did it well.

I absolutely adored this book, and I would recommend this book to any immigrant living in the U.S or Canada, and anyone who is looking for a cute and sweet romance!

|Book Review| Thank you @berkleypub and @Netgalley for my gifted copy.

QOTD: Are you a good cook? If so, do you have a favorite family recipe?

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Review: Do you love a good rivals to lovers novel? I do and will always sign up to read that troupe, especially when the cover is as beautiful as this one. I really enjoyed this bold, thought provoking book and hope y'all pick up a copy for yourself.

What I loved:

1. I loved both Hana and Ayden's characters and thier growth throughout this book. In the beginning of this book Hana is a bit naive and immature, but I liked how grateful and appreciative she was for the things in her life. She was a great storyteller and I especially loved her podcast sections. There were also some amazing supporting characters that I absolutely adored. I love when a book has great characters that make me laugh, but also have me feeling all the feels.

2. This book goes into the struggles that Muslims experience in the western world and as a reader I was able to learn more about the culture. A majority of the characters are Muslim and my heart broke as they encountered racists. I hope those who read this book realize how important it is to stand up for others.

3. This book also makes you realize how important it is to listen to the stories from older generations and continue to share them with future generations. I personally loved hearing from my Grandma how she grew up and realizing how drastically our family's situation has changed.

This was a great enemies to lovers romance, but it was really so much more. It covers important topics such as racism, religion, and hate crimes. I definitely recommend you pick up a copy for yourself!

#babygotbooks13 #hanakhancarrieson #berkleyromance #berkleybuddyreads #berkleywritesstrongwomen #bibliophile #mommyreads #bookstagram #bookdragon #readersgonnaread #booklover #booksofinstagram #bookblogger #igbooks #ireadpastmybedtime #bookish #bookobsessed #readersofig #bookrec #bookreview #netgalley #diversereads

Although I'm not a fan of Pride & Prejudice, I absolutely ADORED Jalaluddin's modern twist in Ayesha at Last. So I was understandably excited for her next romance, Hana Khan Carries On. And it was ... good. It just didn't dazzle me like Ayesha did.


There is really so much to like about this book: the chemistry between Hana and Aydin is definitely there. Hana's family, especially her aunt and her cousin, add so much vivacity to the story. The romance plot-line is countered with Hana's potential career in radio, the future of her family restaurant, and escalating violence fueled by racism towards Hana's community.


I think perhaps I just didn't connect with this book like I did with Ayesha, and I can't really put my finger on what exactly it was. But I want to be really, really clear: as cliched as it sounds, I think this one's on me, not the book. Because Hana Khan Carries On is actually a pretty great book. It just wasn't the book for me.

Hana Khan is a 24-year-old Muslim living in Toronto, Canada with her parents, older sister, and brother-in-law. Her parents are Indian immigrants, and together, they run a halal restaurant called Three Sisters Biryani Poutine. The business is struggling in its little neighborhood of Golden Crescent, and the struggle increases when a new, competing halal restaurant opens up across the street.

I liked Hana a lot. She was devoted to family but also to her passion, which was podcasting and radio. As an intern for a local radio station, she wanted more than anything to run her own show, but I appreciated that she stuck to her morals when the opportunity presented itself.

The romance was predictable, and I knew what was happening with it from the second chapter. Actually, It only became a "romance" toward the end (and there wasn't even a kiss... what?!) Additionally, although I wasn't blown away by the twist with Aydin at the end, it was something I didn't see coming and appreciated that bit of surprise.

Overall, I enjoyed this one. I particularly liked reading about Hana's family and the Muslim/Indian cultures. I wasn't expecting the raw look at racism against immigrants and their families which was heartbreaking as well as eye-opening. I always appreciate the chance to read through the eyes of someone from a different walk of life.

This one wasn't anything super special to me, and I wouldn't consider it a must-read, but I am glad that I read it.

A huge thank you to Penguin House International for this free eARC!

CW: racism, islamophobia, racist attacks, death/funeral of family friend, car accident/hospitilization of parent

“𝗪𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗜 𝗮𝗺 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆. 𝗜 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗜 𝗮𝗺 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗜 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜’𝗺 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝘆𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳. 𝗜 𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗯𝗮𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗮𝗴𝗲.”

I LOVED THIS SO MUCH 😭 I don’t know where to start but I just wanna say how much I enjoyed reading about the Muslim and South Asian rep in this book! It was so eye opening and informative and you can just feel how genuine the author’s voice is. This is the type of rep we need more in books and the kind of authors we need to support more!

This book is was such a rollercoaster of emotions. I cried, I laughed, I internal screamed from frustration and I swooned. This is more than just a romance book but while still within the boundaries of being a romcom, it also told a thought provokingly and heartwrenchingly real story about finding love family struggles, self-discovery, independence and the harsh reality of issues regarding racism, religion and hate crimes.

I loved Hana so much. I loved reading about her thoughts and her struggles, mistakes and decisions. She’s so flawed yet relatable. She’s a girl looking for her place in the world and I think that’s a story that all of us can connect to. I enjoyed every bit of her podcast as well. The way she fought every bit of the way in this book was just admirable.

Her enemies to friends to lovers and hidden identities romance with Aydin was filled with so much tension that I was hooked on their story from the get go! I loved all their interactions from their arguments to their banter in real life and to their evident shared affection towards each other behind false names. Their romance was just angsty and adorable and everything I ever wanted!

It’s not usual for me to be as invested in side characters especially if they’re a lot but with this, every one of them had an interesting story. First with Hana’s family. Her relationship with her parents, her sister and brother-in-law was so filled with genuine love and support for each that I just couldn’t help but cry at moments. Next is with the very intriguing and ever the optimist cousin, Rashid. His character just added that comedic aspect to the story that I loved so much!!! I also love her aunt, KawKab Khala, so much! She was a woman ahead of her time and I just love that Hana has her as a role model!

Overall, this book is so unforgettable and definitely among my faves for the year! In line with the recent issues circulating in the book community, I can say that Uzma Julaluddin is an author worth supporting and whose stories are so beautifully written that I HIGHLY recommend it for my fellow romance readers 💛

Thank you to Berkeley Publishing and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy!

Available April 13th!

Charismatic, romantic and ultimately redeeming "Hana Khan Carries On' is Uzma Jalaluddin's second foray into the world of romantic comedy. Based in the ethnic neighborhood of Golden Crescent, Toronto, the book follows Hana Khan, a 24 year old Pakistani woman aspiring to be a radio broadcaster. Join Hana as she struggles to keep up with her many responsibilities including trying to save her mother's failing restaurant, The Three Sisters, from the menacing Shahs, competing with Thomas for a coveted full term job offer, reuniting her friends Lily and Yusuf together and keeping up with her crazy cousin Rashid who may or may not be associated with the New Dehli Mafia.

What I enjoyed about this book was Hana's voice. Uzma Jalaluddin does a terrific job of centering the modern, young Muslim experience and making it feel realistic. The honest moments of comedy are some of the best I've read so far. No doubt, reading "Hana Khan Carries On" will set your heart afire as you watch young Hana stumble through the pitfalls of love and romance and find her true, authentic voice. It is a heartwarming read!

A charming enemies to lovers romance set in a small Scarborough neighborhood in Toronto. Hana and Aydin, two second generation South Indian Muslims meet anonymously online through Hana's "Brown Girl Rambles" podcast, striking up a "You've got mail" relationship. While in real life they end up on opposite sides when Aydin decides to open a new halal restaurant that is in direct competition with the Three Sisters Biryani Poutine - the dilapidated restaurant run by Hana's mom. Pranks ensue in the pursuit of victory and Hana also deals with gaslighting and micro-aggressions at her job as an intern with a public radio station. Hana must come to terms with what she is willing to sacrifice for her dream job to tell "diverse stories that made a difference, that framed personal narratives in a way that allowed people to think about the world in a whole new light." I fully enjoyed all the delicious food descriptions as well as the MANY references to Canadian institutions like the CN Tower, Tim Hortons and Kawartha ice cream. Uzma's follow up to her debut, Ayesha at last, is a delightful balance of romance and a celebration of the diverse Muslim-Indian immigrant community in Canada. Highly enjoyed and recommend, especially to fans of Ex-talk, Tweet cute or Accidentally engaged. Thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins and the author for my advanced review copy.

CW: Islamophobia, anti-Muslim racism, hate crimes, gaslighting and micro-aggressions.

I thoroughly enjoyed Uzma Jalaluddin's debut, Ayesha At Last but HANA KHAN CARRIES ON was on a whole other level. I was expecting a cute ‘You’ve Got Mail’ rom-com featuring rival restaurants. What I got was an emotional, nuanced exploration of a tight knit Muslim family and community in Toronto.

At the heart of the story is self-discovery, finding your voice and standing up for your convictions. The characters are dealing with some heavy issues: racism, xenophobia, islamophobia, microaggressions and a hate crime. Jalaluddin’s writing was both bold and authentic. There were passages that left me in tears, absolutely gutted with empathy. This is one of those books that is perfectly balanced with heft and heart. I highly recommend adding this to your TBR.

The secondary characters, cousin Rashid and Kawkab Khala added a comedic flavor to the larger story.

#berkleypartner #berkleyIG