With HANA KHAN CARRIES ON, Uzma Jalaluddin became an auto read author for me. This You've Got Mail inspired rom-com - set in Toronto with an exceptional cast of characters - was a joy to read.

Hana is working to save her family-run halal restaurant by day. By night, she's producing and creating for her podcast -- where she has a long time listener who turns into an anonymous friend. But a rival soon moves into town, and Hana finds herself interested in Aydin - the rival big chain person.

You've Got Mail is one of my favourite movies, so a book with the same premise was perfect. I love the detail rich setting of downtown Toronto, and the cast of side characters even reminded me of My Big Fat Greek Wedding. In fact, the character of Rashid brought me so much joy.

Overall, an exceptional read I really enjoyed!

Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for an arc of Hana Khan Carries On by Uzma Jalaluddin.

This book was delightful. Even though there are some very real and tough challenges and situations in this novel I finished it and felt hopeful. I love Jalaluddin’s writing and will definitely be picking up their next novel! I loved seeing Hana’s confidence and character develop and grow throughout this novel. Even though I did not agree with all of her decisions and I appreciated how Hana took ownership of what she did.

A retelling of You’ve Got Mail set in present day Toronto. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the setting and really liked all of the characters, The only area I wasn’t a huge fan of was the You’ve Got Mail aspect, as I don’t think it really added much to the story and I think the book would have worked just as well without that aspect. Everything else I loved though! This was my first book from this author and I’ll definitely read more from her in the future.
Be warned though this book will definitely make you hungry!

A good story about finding your place and stepping into your chosen future. The romance was handled well, but it was the protagonist's personal development that really held my interest. Loved the true Toronto feel of it all.

Twenty-four year old Hana Khan is a busy young woman. An aspiring radio journalist Hana is interning at a local radio station, creating her own podcast and helping out the family restaurant called Three Sisters Biryani Poutine. Business at Three Sisters is slow despite Hana’s mother and sister’s best efforts.
One day a good looking young man and his surly father venture into the restaurant to sample the Three Sisters menu which was the only South Asian restaurant in the area.
It turns out the son and father are planning on opening a restaurant of their own featuring South Asian cuisine on the same street as Three Sisters.
Hana learns Aiydan the handsome young man who came to sample her mother’s cooking is also the owner of the new restaurant that will be competing for business with Three Sisters.
HANA KHAN CARRIES ON is a story about an ambitious young woman trying to establish her career and falling in love.
I enjoyed reading HANA KHAN CARRIES ON. It ended liked I hoped it would.
Thank you to Harper Collins Canada and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced e-edition of HANA KHAN CARRIES ON by Uzma Jalaluddin.

Just finished reading HANA KHAN CARRIES ON by Uzma Jalaluddin. Thank you to harpercollinsca for my ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. Official publication date was April 6th, 2021.

Three Sisters Biryani Poutine is about to have some competition, with another halal restaurant opening in their Golden Crescent neighbourhood. Hana grew up at the restaurant helping her mom and sister, but her real passion lies in telling meaningful stories on the radio. She also has a secret podcast and a secret admirer.

With her family's restaurant on the line, crazy family visiting from India, a hate-motivated attack on their neighbourhood and Hana’s growing attraction for Aydin (the owner of the rival restaurant Wholistic Grill). Hana will have to learn to use her voice, draw on the strength of her community and speak her truth to suceed personally and professionally.

I enjoyed that this story took place in Toronto 🙌, seeing Hana come into her own, and all the mouth watering food dishes described in this book. I would recommend this book to romance readers who enjoy a feel good read with the enemies to lovers troupe, and a side of romance.
(⭐⭐⭐💫/5)

A ‘You’ve Got Mail’ retelling always has so much potential and that aspect of this book definitely lived up to it. however, even though i enjoyed the anonymous online friend thing going on between aydin and hana, i’m not a huge fan of their irl relationship or of the multiple storylines happening at once. i’d recommend this if you’re looking for a family oriented, diverse rom-com.

Grade: B+

Content Warning: Islamophobia, hate crimes, racism, racism in the workplace, doxing, online bullying and harassment, depression, abusive parents, losing custody and visitation rights of children, misogyny, long term illness, food, and death.

Sneezy and I wrote most of this review prior to the attacks on Asian-American women, and Mohammed Anwar’s assault and death in March 2021. Please be aware that there are some very scary scenes in the book involving violence and the threat of violence, and be kind to yourself while reading!

Hana Khan Carries On is part epistolary, part coming of age story, and all heart. Hana, aka AnaBGR, an aspiring broadcast producer, podcaster, and storyteller, is struggling on several fronts. There’s the difficulty in breaking into broadcast in general, there’s her racist boss who presumes to be #woke, her family’s struggling restaurant, plus her sister’s risky pregnancy. What she definitely did NOT need on this list was Mr. Silver Shades to come sauntering in with his cute looks and witty banter, let alone his opening up a rival halal restaurant on the same strip.

As Hana’s cares pile one on top of the other, she tries to wrangle out what it means to be an adult, what it means to uphold her values, and maybe...maybe Mr. Silver Shades isn’t so bad after all.

Carrie: This book starts off with the Little Shop Around the Corner/You’ve Got Mail device in which two people are falling in love via non-face to face communication (in this case, via Hana’s podcast and text messages) without knowing that in real life they are personal and professional enemies. This device seemed unnecessary to me. The reader figures out what’s happening very quickly, the messages trail off eventually, and I thought that Hana’s in-person interactions with Mr. Silver Shades were strong enough to build the relationship without the text message plot device.

Sneezy: I actually enjoyed the text conversations between Hana and Mr. Silver Shades a lot. It was cute, but more importantly, it was pretty obvious who Hana was messaging. Without it, Aydin’s arc and their romance would have been a much harder sell for me. He was such a dick!

Carrie: This is true - the messages did show his softer side. Overall I found Hana’s character development and the plot about the neighborhood to be more compelling than the romance. I wish them well, but at the end of the day I really want to know about everything else - the restaurant, the neighborhood, the family, and so forth.

The dialogue and characterization of the main and supporting characters is done so well - funny and sometimes heartbreaking. I loved the interactions between Hana and Mr. Silver Shades - and her parents, and her Auntie, and her cousin Rashid! I adored this ensemble cast. While I was never surprised by Hana’s love life, I was constantly surprised and delighted by the actions and choices of the supporting characters who are almost all layered and interesting.

Hana goes through so much but I never felt depressed by the book because it surrounds her with a strong support system and a powerful sense of humor. Never again will I attend a meeting without thinking “because of the DRAMA”) which is so true of that kind of meeting!

This book is a love letter to romantic comedies, to family both found and otherwise, and to food. Sneezy, when oh when shall we throw caution to the wind and make biryani poutine?

Sneezy: I don’t know, but I want it right nooooow!!! Honestly, the first thing I did when I heard about biryani poutine was google it, CONFIDENT there’s AT LEAST a handful of joints that sell it in Toronto. When I couldn’t find any, I just about cried. Because it would have been so helpful to know a restaurant on another continent sells the thing I want. Seriously, someone get on that!!! What could be more Canadian than biryani poutine? (Oh, and if there’s anyone out there having biryani for the first time, buy extra raita. Boast about your spice tolerance some other time, just get the raita.)

All my sobbing over biryani poutine aside, all the food in this book is glorious and wonderful and I want to eat it all. More than drool inducing, there were so many beautiful, beautiful things layered into what food means. Like regionality, where the nuances of people’s backgrounds are reflected in their food, like how Hana mom’s biryani is recognizably from her hometown. Or memory, how our bodies remember tastes even when we think we’ve consciously forgotten. Or belonging, like how important it is for communities with food restrictions to have restaurants that cater to them. The book shows how important it is for the Muslim community in the city have access to restaurants they can trust to serve halal meat. This includes foods from their cultures and also local foods like halal bacon and burgers.

[spoiler spoilerwarning=”Spoiler”]
I was super annoyed with Mr Silver Shades saying the food Hana’s family sells was old fashioned though. In my experience, it’s a point of pride and, well, desperation, in Toronto to seek out restaurants just like The Three Sisters. And no matter what shape Hana’s family restaurant is in, it’s not his place to say shit about it. They’ve been in business for 15 years, they didn’t ask him, so what the fuck is he spouting? I was annoyed with the book for basically validating his dickishness at the end, making it sound like he did have a point when what he needed was a loving bowl of Shut the Fuck Up Stew.

Also, I wish the book leaned harder into capitalism being the enemy. Hana’s family didn’t struggle with business acumen, they struggled with having enough time and resources. There were times when I felt like the book was almost blaming them for struggling and nooooo. Nooooooooo.

Carrie: Sneezy, that’s a really good point about capitalism, one that frankly I missed when reading the book. I thought Silver Shades guy gave them much needed, though unwanted, advice, and I didn’t think through the fact that the reason Hana’s family hasn’t upgraded their restaurant is not because it never occurred to them but because of a scarcity of time and funds.
[/spoiler]

Sneezy: And Carrie, I agree with what you said about the ensemble cast! It made the community aspect of the book really resonate for me. I really appreciated the deep exploration of the shapes communities take across cultural diasporas as families are found and lost. Although my background is from a different corner of Asia than Hana’s, I related to her feelings of both yearning for the family structure she doesn’t have, and also feeling leery of her relatives from overseas coming to live with her family and inserting themselves into her family structure unexpectedly.

[spoiler spoilerwarning=”Spoiler”]
There was also a really poignant exchange between Hana and her Khala near the end of the book that I think people who are part of any diaspora would understand. It certainly made me ache.

[blockquote]
Another thought occurred to me. “Is that the real reason you came back? It wasn’t for my mother or the restaurant at all, was it.”

She didn’t answer for a long time. “We are so far away in India. You didn’t even know my real name when I arrived. Tell me, Hana, how strong can blood ties remain when they stretch across an ocean?”
[/blockquote]
[/spoiler]

All relationships require work and commitment, which becomes more difficult to do the further away people are. The story also explores the way found families are made and how they group together to create a community. All the beautiful ‘slice of life’ bits of Hana’s small, mundane interactions with people in her community really gave the story weight for me. When they pulled together to support each other, grieve together, and celebrate together. The book captured what it means to be part of a community in a close knit neighbourhood and it really moved me.

Same with found families as well. I love how the book showed how found family is just that, family. You love each other, bicker and snicker together, fuck up and apologize, and you put up with each other in ways you wouldn’t with people that aren’t family. Hana’s relationships with her two best friends, Yusuf and Lily, were just like that. Hana knew their strengths and faults, called them on their shit, and knew she could count on them for support.

Hana’s anxieties about growing up and ‘what it means to be an adult’ were seen in her fear of losing her found family. Life certainly changes as time continues, but I wish the book was more explicit in showing how all families can have strong ties as long as we put in the work. I think everyone has such anxieties to some degree, I know I certainly did. Learning that all forms of love can continue across space and time if both sides are committed and respect each other was one of the best things I learned. I would have really liked to see Hana realizing this instead of thinking the ways connection changes means losing love in a relationship.

Carrie: I agree with everything you said, Sneezy, and this book did such a good job of balancing joy and sadness...and really good food.

It’s a good thing that this book has so much love and humor because it also deals with very painful themes, especially around racism and islamophobia, and the way those things can be experienced as microaggressions, as internalized racism, as terrifying moments and threats of violence, and as a kind of background hum, the kind of thing that makes Hana blame herself for being physically assaulted because she wishes she had “chosen a color [of hijab] that blended in better.

Sneezy: *sigh* This book is amazing, and is one of the few new books I read beginning to end since 2020 began, but it definitely has very, very heavy moments.

[spoiler spoilerwarning=”Content Warning: Racist Attacks”]
Soooo Islamophobes act up in this book, and it was horrible. I really appreciated how the book captured how, despite experiencing everyday racism and knowing that people with your background or look like you are targets of violence, it’s still shocking, terrifying, and draining to experience being directly attacked or having hate speech sprayed all over your neighbourhood. Violence of any kind isn’t normal, and no one should ever experience it.

It’s also hard to know what to do. Is it safer to be silent, or safer to speak out? Is it irresponsible to be silent? Would speaking out make a difference? Is there a point in calling the police? When you’re part of a marginalized group, especially when you and the people around you exist at intersections of marginalization, there are no definite answers to these questions.
[/spoiler]

That said, the book also showed how marginalized people’s lives are not about their marginalization. We all got shit to do, dreams to live, and however other people obsess or fixate on the fiction of our ‘otherness,’ our lives aren’t about them and their imaginations of us. The book also showed how resilience and tactics for organizing can be as joyful as they are effective. This story perfectly captures that and had me bawling sad then happy tears.

Carrie: One thing I noticed about this book is that I kept thinking about for a long time after I finished reading it. I wonder how everyone is doing. I feel very much that they are real people doing real things off the page - which is a real tribute to the author’s ability to create layered, vivid, realistic and compelling characters.

Sneezy: Oh, definitely! This book made me miss my friends in Toronto and brought me back to what it felt like to live there. Aaaah I’m going to message them after I finish writing this!

Carrie: I give this book at least a B+. It scared me, helped me grow, made me mourn for a character I barely encountered on the page, and left me invested not only in the central romance but also in the community. The only possible thing holding it back is that I was never that interested in the romance.

Sneezy: Oh…right, there was a romance. I liked it, and I did care about it, because it felt like my friend Hana was telling me about this boy she met and her rollercoaster of emotions. But I wasn’t immersed in the romance the way I’d want to be if I’m reading a book for the romance. Hmmm I think this book is a B+ for me too. It had some weaknesses, but was honest and compelling.

Carrie: I also loved the sense of place. Although I’ve never been to Canada, I felt right at home in this book. Sneezy and I did a lot of squeeing over this story, just...not so much about the romance element, which was - eh, fine. Reader beware - this book will make you laugh and cry, but above all, it will make you so, so hungry!!

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.

4.25 stars

I went into this book with high expectations because I was delighted by the author’s debut, Ayesha at Last.

While it took me a little longer to fall for Hana Khan Carries On, in the end I can say this book is entirely a worthy sophomore outing for Uzma Jalaluddin. Read it. Read her first book. They are wonderful.

Best bits
• The family dynamic - as in Ayesha at Last, you can feel the realism of the relationships in this book.
• TORONTO! It’s always fun when the city you call home comes to life on the page. We’ve got the CN Tower, a Jay’s game, Tim’s, Kawartha Dairy ice cream, vibrant local neighborhoods.
• Mouthwatering food mentions - so many!
• The structure that interspersed clips from Hana’s podcast was clever, and brought us deeper into the heart of her character.
• Adept, unflinching exploration of hard realities around micro aggressions and anti-Muslim hate crimes.

Howevers
• I saw the central twist coming very early on, but I think we were supposed to? And it didn’t really interfere with my enjoyment.
• I think more could have been made of the romance, given this is classified as romance. I do love that Hana is fully developed in her own right, and that takes work and time on the page to accomplish. I wouldn’t want that to be sacrificed. She isn’t waiting for a guy, or even looking for one. I remember Ayesha at Last was very PG too, but I felt like there was more simmering in the central relationship there. I wanted more of that simmering feeling in this book too. There were moments, but more would have added to the romantic tension.

Hana Khan has settled it for me: Uzma Jalaluddin is an autobuy author for me. You’re in for a treat if you haven’t read her books yet!

(Thank you to Harper Collins and Netgalley for the copy of this in exchange for an honest review).

Hana Khan works at her mother’s restaurant, Three Sisters Biryani Poutine, in Toronto. She also has an unpaid internship at a Toronto radio station. But what she wants to do is tell her story on the radio. She hosts an anonymous podcast, where she has made a friend out of one of her listeners. Her mother’s restaurant is failing. With her pregnant sister no longer able to work there and a competing restaurant opening on the same street, Hana has to figure out how to save their restaurant. On top of that Hana has to deal with racist attacks and potentially falling for the owner of the rival restaurant. Hana has to learn to use her voice and follow her dreams.

This was a fabulous story set in my hometown, Toronto. Hana was part of a tight knit community in the east end of the city. All of the businesses had a strong relationship with each other, and they felt threatened when the rival restaurant was opening. There were some shocking twists at the end of the story that I didn’t expect. Hana’s family had some secrets that were hinted at throughout the story, but one secret that was revealed close to the end really surprised me. I love it when a story has a shocking reveal that I didn’t predict.

This story addressed anti-Islamic racism. There were multiple attacks, one personally against Hana and another on her community. Hana also had to deal with discrimination at her internship. These racist moments were so upsetting to read because they are things that happen in real life. This is a reality for many people in their daily lives, even in a diverse city like Toronto. I hope that one day stories that have racist events like this will be part of the past and no longer be relevant.

I really enjoyed this story!

Thank you HarperCollins Canada and Berkley Romance for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It should come as no surprise that I was incredibly excited for Uzma Jalaluddin's sophomore novel, Hana Khan Carries On. I absolutely adored her debut, Ayesha at Last. Her second novel was as entertaining and engaging as her first (if not more so) and I fell head over heels in love with it.

Here's the synopsis:
Sales are slow at Three Sisters Biryani Poutine, the only halal restaurant in the close-knit Golden Crescent neighbourhood. Hana waitresses there part time, but what she really wants is to tell stories on the radio. If she can just outshine her fellow intern at the city radio station, she may have a chance at landing a job. In the meantime, Hana pours her thoughts and dreams into a podcast, where she forms a lively relationship with one of her listeners. But soon she’ll need all the support she can get: a new competing restaurant, a more upscale halal place, is about to open in the Golden Crescent, threatening Three Sisters.
When her mysterious aunt and her teenage cousin arrive from India for a surprise visit, they draw Hana into a long-buried family secret. A hate-motivated attack on their neighbourhood complicates the situation further, as does Hana’s growing attraction for Aydin, the young owner of the rival restaurant—who might not be a complete stranger after all
As life on the Golden Crescent unravels, Hana must learn to use her voice, draw on the strength of her community and decide what her future should be.

Just as Ayesha at Last put a Muslim spin on Pride and Prejudice, Jalaluddin took another beloved romance story as inspiration: Hana Khan Carries On pays homage to You've Got Mail, one of my (and many, many others) favourite rom com movies. When I first heard that, I was even more excited to read this novel. The story is not an exact remake of the famous Nora Ephron movie. Jalaluddin has taken the movie's plot and created a novel that is both familiar and wholly unique - which I absolutely adored. Because of the comparison, I had an idea of how the romance in the novel would play out but that's OK. If you're a You've Got Mail fan too, rest assured you will be left with the same fuzzy feelings when you finish this novel as you have when you rewatch the movie. It's that good.

I appreciated that the story was told just from Hana's perspective (though sometimes I wish I could have gotten Aydin-as-Tom-Hanks type scenes) as I think I find I like rom coms more when it's just from the one character's perspective. Aydin was important to the story and I liked him (and disliked him) right alongside Hana. But I didn't need his POV. I was happy Jalaluddin focused on Hana and her career and relationships with her family. Those elements of the story were so strong and made the novel so much richer and better than it would have been had there been a trade off of perspectives.

Canadian readers will appreciate that this novel is set firmly in Canada. More specifically, Toronto. Even more specifically, Scarborough. I'm not far from Toronto (I can wave to the skyline from the other side of Lake Ontario) but I don't venture there often. I was delighted, however, when Hana, Aydin, and her cousin, Rashid (oh what a delight he was) went downtown for some sightseeing and to catch a Blue Jays game. I'd like to know exactly where they were sitting in the dome though as Hana said she was comfortable and I would never call those blue plastic seats comfortable (then again, I'm 10" taller than Hana so that could have something to do with it). I digress. I also delighted in the mention of Kawartha Lakes ice cream and the spelling of words with Us. Little things like that can make a reading experience so much more enjoyable to us Canadians.

Which leads me to this...I, a Canadian just like Hana, appreciated seeing my home country represented in mainstream media. I am privileged that this is my biggest issue. I consume so many books and TV shows and movies that are set in New York City or Anywhere, USA instead of Canada because it's assumed the market isn't ready for Canadian content. But...I am white. I see my skin colour on screens and read it in books All. The. Time. If I'm that happy to see my country in a published book, imagine how those feel who never read about characters who look like them. Who don't have the opportunity to say, hey - she has a leopard print hijab just like me! I'm simplifying this, I know, and I don't want to make light as I think the impact that stories like Jalauddin's have is so large. Jalaluddin didn't write her novels to teach white people like me more about her culture but that is a side effect I'm so thankful for.

There were moments during the novel where Hana encounters racism and a hate crime. As I was reading the book, North America was reeling from the murder of eight women, six of whom were Asian women. It was a racially motivated killing spree in Atlanta and one that shouldn't go unnoticed. What Hana, her cousin, and Aydin experience didn't result in a death, but it doesn't mean it's any less serious. It felt serious to me - maybe because of the recent news. And yes, my friends, this does happen in Canada. We have a boatload of issues with racially motivated hate and oppression that we really need to work on. And part of that work is making sure novels like Hana Khan Carries On are published and, for my fellow white people, embracing the discomfort you might feel as you read and realize you have a lot more work to do with your anti-racist behaviour.

I know that was a super heavy take on a novel that has a fun and gorgeous cover and is marketed as a rom com. But I think rom com readers these days are looking for these kinds of stories. I know I am. I want stories about women who are real and focus on their lives, all of it, not just their Happily Ever After. I want substance and a love story. I want more stories like Hana Khan Carries On.

The characters in this novel will burrow their way into your hearts (except for Aydin's father who you will absolutely despise even as he got a bit too cartoon villain-y). You will feel like you're a part of the Golden Crescent neighbourhood right alongside Hana and her friends and family. The feeling of community Jalaluddin is able to capture is wonderful.

Hana Khan Carries On will be a favourite of 2021. Uzma Jalaluddin's latest novel will delight readers who want a story that will make them laugh, swoon, and reflect. Read this book. You won't be disappointed.

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, HarperCollins Canada, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Uzma Jalaluddin’s sophomore novel is a truly spectacular read – full of heartache, hope, love, and pride. I'm truly grateful to have had the opportunity to read an advanced copy, big thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins Canada. I love to read books by Canadian authors and it truly made me miss Toronto a little bit, I loved the nods to iconic landmarks like the CN Tower, the aquarium, the dreaded 401, and more.
As someone who is about to turn 24, I truly resonated with Hana's feelings of indecision about her future. It's so hard to balance your hopes and dreams for yourself with the expectations of others and the opportunities available. Too often, younger folks compromise on their beliefs and take opportunities that don't necessarily align with what they want, just because we feel that we aren't in the place to argue or turn them down. (view spoiler)
One of the strongest elements of Hana Khan Carries On is the sense of community that exists in the book. Golden Crescent feels alive and the dynamics of the neighbourhood feel so real. The cast of characters are all so wonderful and they each brought something special and unique to the story.
I love Hana's cousin Rashid, who started off as a bit of a comic relief character, but slowly grew to show that he had a lot of wisdom to offer and that his positive outlook was not the product of naivety, but instead believing in the best in others. I also love Hana's father, who encouraged and supported Hana's dreams of someday telling stories on the radio, it was clear that Hana and her father had a really special connection.
Hana’s wild and wonderful Kawkab Khala was by and far my favourite, I loved how she encouraged Hana to assert herself and to be fierce. I also loved the tenderness of her farewell and how much Hana gave her back by telling her story on Secret Family History. I understood Hana's interest in her family's secrets and wanting to know more about them. For me, half of my family lives in England and I understand sometimes feeling like your family are strangers to you.
The romance element was fun and sweet, I've never actually seen You've Got Mail, but I know the basic plot and I might be inspired to check it out after reading Hana Khan Carries On, if the movie is even half as good I think I'll enjoy it. I am a big sucker for enemies-to-lovers, and Jalaluddin executes the trope perfectly.
Hana Khan Carries On manages to be light and fun, while also tackling some really heavy topics. Jalaluddin examines what it means to belong in a place and the ownership one feels over their community and how a community can come together after terror strikes. At the heart of the book, it is about not simply accepting what you are given, but finding your voice and the courage to go after what you know you truly deserve.
After reading both Ayesha at Last and Hana Khan Carries On, I know I will be on the lookout for whatever Uzma Jalaluddin is coming out with next!

A wholesome enemies to lovers rom-com with major ‘You’ve Got Mail’ and ‘The Hate You Give’ vibes. That might sound like a very odd combination, but it struck the perfect balance between a feel-good, light-hearted romance, and a more serious exploration of islamophobia and the everyday Muslim experience.

There was SO much I loved about this book!

The EXCELLENT OWN voices Muslim rep was exactly the kind of rep I’ve been missing out on. Not only was the main character a South Asian hijabi in her twenties (like myself), she was also portrayed to be the empowered, strong, and confident Muslim woman that is so lacking from many other Muslim narratives that currently exist. For that alone it deserves all the attention. But it goes even further than that and instead of focusing solely on Muslim suffering and grief, it does a truly excellent job of showing readers what the everyday Canadian-Muslim experience is like.

I also really loved the South Asian cultural lens through which the story was told because it was all so familiar to me and made it all the more fun to read! From the Urdu endearments such as Beta (child) and Meri Jaan (my life) that I still hear on a daily basis from my parents, to the detailed descriptions of some of my favourite traditional foods and desserts (Barfi, Jalebi, Gajar Halwa! Trust me, your mouth will be watering at the descriptions too!). These may seem like small / insignificant details to most people, but they really meant so much to me!!

The book also explored some of the complexities of family relationships, love, loss, resilience, the power of community and hope, how to stay true to your values, and what ‘good representation’ really means. Overall, it was a cute, refreshing read with a few surprisingly deeper thematic undertones that left me with a lot to reflect on.

Special thanks to the author, publishers, and @netgalley for providing me with the arc! Now excuse me while I run to my local bookstore to pick up the physical copy because this is one I need in my collection!

Jalaluddin is a Toronto author, writer and high school teacher. Her previous novel was the very successful "Ayesha at Last", which has now been optioned for a film. This, her second novel, is also a romantic comedy. Hana is a young Muslim woman living in Toronto. Her mom owns an Halal restaurant and Hana works there part time, while also doing an internship at a radio station. Hana also runs an anonymous podcast and her most loyal listener and commenter is Stanley P, for whom she has begun to develop feelings. Meantime a new Halal restaurant is being built in the neighbourhood which will provide stiff competition for Hana's mom's place, which has been struggling. At a meeting of local business people, the father of the restaurant owner threatens to put them out of business and makes it clear he is trying to buy up the whole block to redevelop it. The actual restaurant owner is Aydin and, as hard for it is for Hana to admit, he seems very nice and there are definitely some sparks there. In addition all is not going smoothly at the radio station and Hana and her friends experience some hate crimes. This is a delightful read reminiscent of the movie "You've Got Mail", but with more depth. It is a great recommendation for rom-com fans and would be fine for teens as well as adults. I really enjoyed it.

I'm receiving a copy of this book through the mail and I'm so excited! I'm midway through my arc but I still wanted to give my review, since it will archive before I think I will be done with it. I loved the book so far and I love Hana. This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and it hasn't disappointed me so far! I'm so grateful to have an arc of this amazing book!

Book Review 💫
Hana Khan Carries On by Uzma Jalaluddin

Hana Khan Carries On is a diverse romcom novel about a 24yr old podcaster named Hana who has dreams of hosting powerful segments on a radio station but is currently distracted by her family’s Halal restaurant that is falling apart both physically and financially.

Hana’s frustration at what’s happening in her life opens the door to an online friendship between an anonymous listener named Stanley P. Over a series of months, they text back and forth giving each other encouragement but never sharing any personal details. (I think the author nailed that successfully because people are definitely more at ease being open with virtual strangers than the ones right beside them).

So when a competing Halal restaurant decides to open nearby dragging the tiny business her family might still get, Hana declares war. Who cares if the young new owner is good-looking. That doesn’t matter if it means saving her parents life work.

From there the book deals with a hate crime that made me actually tear up. But that’s the part that sets into motion nemesis Aydin becoming more than just a foe. There’s more hidden beneath him and more secrets to come out.

I loved that it took place in Toronto. I also wanted to visit the fictional restaurant so I could give Hana’s mom a big hug. It was a lite romance with a spotlight on East Asian families.


Thank you to Harper Avenue and Harper Collins for the gifted copy in return for an honest review.

Hana Khan is a 24 year old working two jobs, an internship at a radio station and part-time waitressing at her family’s restaurant in a closely knit diverse community of Scarborough, Toronto.

Hana’s passion for radio lead her to create an anonymous Podcast - Ana’s Brown Girl Rambles through which she gets acquainted with StanleyP, her loyal listener and podcast supporter who gradually becomes a genuine friend.
They communicate through texts everyday never sharing any personal details.

Meanwhile, the restaurant -Three Sisters Biryani Poutine is not doing so well and not to forget the additional threat that’s arrived to the neighborhood in the form of a flashy new Halal restaurant and it’s equally flashy and mysterious young owner, Aydin.

As the synopsis states this book is loosely based on “You’ve Got Mail” albeit with halal twists!

The books is funny at times but also touches upon heavier themes like Islamophobia -both subtle, as when FIFA had banned players from wearing any “headgear” as a way to exclude Muslim women from participating, and blatant, the hatred immigrant communities face from the colonial mentality supremacists, micro-aggressions and racism.

The author very well encapsulates the feeling of growing up as a part of the minority community and also, showcases interesting family dynamics.
I liked that Hana as the slightly immature protagonist was a multidimensional character and has a clear growth arc.

This book can work as a great cultural ambassador for those who think of immigrants and in particular Muslims as the “others”.

Overall, a refreshing fun read that like it’s predecessor Ayesha At Last (still my favorite) is going to to go places!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to @harpercollinsca for the ARC 💙

I was so excited to hear that this author was coming out with a new book this year as i absolutely ADORED Ayesha at last. + i think i loved this one even more!!!

Summary:
Hana Khan is a 24-year old woman living in Scarborough with a dream to work in broadcast radio. When she’s not interning at a local radio station, she’s working at her family’s Indian restaurant + working on her own podcast where she shares her hopes + dreams.However, the restaurant is struggling and it doesn’t help that a rival halal restaurant is opening across the street. With a hate-motivated attack on her community and her growing attraction to the rival restaurant’s owner Aydin, Hana must learn to use her voice + decide what her future must hold.

If you’re a fan of the movie You’ve Got Mail, Loan Le’s “A Pho Love Story”, and Rachel Lynn Solomon’s “The Ex Talk”, you’re going to LOVE this book!!

This book was so great!! I loved the characters + the family dynamic. I loved seeing parents that support their kid’s arts-focused career path + the connection that Hana had with her father with radio. It’s also so nice to have a book set local to you so I recognized all the “tourist-y” Toronto locations that Hana was taking her cousin on.

I really liked Hana’s relationship with Aydin! I was initially worried that it was not going to work or have chemistry, but I loved the way it developed!!

I definitely will be picking up physical copy as it will be a book I revisit in the future.