In this cute book, Janna is preparing for her brothers wedding and also hoping to get lucky herself! Well let me just say that it didn’t go as planned and everything that could go wrong— went wrong! This was a fun read!

Misfit in Love is the sequel to Saints and Misfits but it can stand on its own. In this story it is summertime and Janna's plan is to move forward with her feelings for Nuah, the boy who was there for her when she was assaulted the year before. It's her brother, Muhammad's wedding and for Janna, that is the perfect time to reveal to her friends and family that she also has feelings for Nuah. Except the wedding's not going as planned, Nuah is acting detached and Janna's even more confused when she meets two more men who are attending the wedding: Haytham, the handsome poet/singer who is amazing with kids and Layth, the equally handsome, yet broodingly mysterious one who has his own struggles he's keeping within. The wedding is also a time that Janna can finally spend with her mom and possibly, her mom's new love interest since divorcing her father. The weekend is full of family, relationship breakthroughs, laughter, music, dancing, swimming, eating, family and friendship. The Janna who starts the story is not the same one who finishes it.

Ali explains the nuances within the various types of Muslim cultures and brings into the mainstream the way modern-day people's Muslim faith is a part of their daily lives. She tackles the complicated dynamics of joining families with different cultural roots, even while sharing a religious one. I learned a lot about Muslim wedding ceremonies, nikahs, burkinis, dabke dances, niqab hijabs and many more terms that I enjoyed looking up while reading this story. Here is her interview for Entertainment Weekly where Ali discusses Misfit in Love and more!

Loved this companion to "Saints and Misfits" that follows Janna's story leading up to her brother's wedding. It is a romance that deals with racism and prejudice within Janna's own family. An excellent story that many teens will love and relate to.

Janna had me smiling, cringing, laughing, and crying as she explored love in ways she did not anticipate. Romantic love is what Janna is pretty focused on as she prepares for her brother’s wedding, but this book is filled with quite a few types of love. The romantic path is twisty and sometimes uncomfortable and even painful for Janna. When I saw the cover, the bright and cheerful flowers caught my attention, but it’s also interesting that the guys are shadowy. Janna is having a hard time with discernment so that totally tracks. Fortunately, even with a bit of romantic drama happening, there are loving folks she can rely on and there are also opportunities for Janna to reach out and demonstrate love to others.

As with prior books, there are all kinds of feelings and emotions here. S.K. Ali knows how to tug the heartstrings for sure. Janna is compelling and is dithering which made me want to read quickly and find out what decisions she would ultimately make. For a good portion of the book it seems she decides not to decide or at least not to rock the boat in a variety of situations including some racism.

The interactions between friends, family, and love interests are compelling and Janna discovers a lot about herself as she sees the imperfections of those around her. She definitely does a lot of growing over the wedding weekend. I would love for the story to continue.

I am not reading from a Muslim perspective, but appreciated seeing the characters practice Islam in a variety of ways. It was great to see how the teachings of Islam are central to the ways Janna and others are moving through the world and how they relate to others. Religion is not the main conflict or point of the story, but it is an integral part of Janna’s life and many of the people who are close to her. It’s refreshing to see the spiritual lives of young people being represented in YA.

Though there are some difficult moments for Janna, there is also a good helping of humor, love, and joy.

Recommendation: Misfit in Love is a heart-warming book and fans of Saints and Misfits will want to pick this one up as soon as possible. This is a sequel and while I suppose someone would likely follow what is happening, it would be enjoyed much more after having read Saints and Misfits to have the context of some of the relationships. I did a quick re-read prior to picking up Misfit in Love and was thankful to have read them close together. I hope that many, many folks get their hands on this one.

This book is about our girl Janna, and her life after the events of Saints and Misfits. Her brother, Muhammad, and her beloved almost-sister-in-law, Sarah, are finally getting married. Janna's also really excited about Nuah but obviously, not everything goes according to plans.

I loved this book more than I loved Saints and Misfits. Each character has a very distinct personality, which is amazing because this book does have a huge cast of characters. Janna is such a well development and realistic character. Her relationship with her brother was something that just warmed my heart. Her friendship with her bff, Tats, was *chef's kiss*. I loved how attached she's with Sarah now. For Janna, Sarah really went from "Saint" Sarah to "Soulmate" Sarah.

This book also dealt with some pretty heart hitting subjects. One of the themes in this book is anti-blankness, and I liked how the author continuously differentiated racism and anti-blackness. Another thing that really impressed me was that the author, being a brown person, never once talked about anti-blackness from the perspectives of a black person, but only from the perspective from another poc. This book also talked about the long term effects of SA and it was dealt with a lot of care, imo. Another thing the author tackled really well was the death of a close friend, and grief that comes with it.

The author balanced the book beautifully, with some dark themes and some wholesome scenes. We get all these Mehndi dances, beautiful clothes, some laughs, some cries, some motivation, some very nostalgic music (for all the South Asians out there), delicious food and obviously a beautiful wedding at the end.

And okay, our main girl Janna, the introverted nerdy girl, actually finds herself in a love square situation.

Overall, I really recommend every person out there to read this book. A 5🌟 for sure.

• Muslim Rep :
YASSSSS, it's not very often we see *actually good* rep like this. So yes

• Big Fat Weddings &. Celebrations :
Janna's brother is getting married and we see huge celebration, with lots of people, emotions and feelings.

• The Character Development :
Since this is a sequel to Saints and Misfits, we see Janna mature and grow. Loved it!

• The Sibling Bond :
Muhammad is such a sibling mood. He's annoying, teases the hell out of her, but loves her much more than that. Absolutely worth reading.

• The Writing Style :
SK Ali is a magician with words. I love her writing style and how she can express so many things with small sentences. It amazes me.

• Quick Paced :
The book takes place in a week, and is really fast paced. Which made it even more enjoyable and crisp.

I really enjoyed the first book and second was no exception. A sequel I never knew I wanted.

Can I just start by saying - I couldn't put this book down. I loved the cameos made by the characters from her other books. S.K. Ali's writing is really easy to follow and mesh with. I loved her portrayal of Muslim culture.

I've never actually read a book centered around a Muslim wedding before and I have to say, I'm definitely intrigued and I really enjoyed reading about it. This book discussed themes of racism and personally, I had mixed feelings on how it was done. I wasn't entirely satisfied with it.

This book is also a really quick read and if you're struggling with a reading slump - I would definitely recommend picking this up. This is technically the sequel to Saints and Misfits but I think it can be read as a standalone as well. at least, thats what I did. However, I recommend reading book one first so that you can understand the characters better.

Misfit in Love was such a delight to read! It perfectly balanced some hard-hitting and serious topics with cute shenanigans and plenty of romance (among all the characters!) While the love triangle (more like a square) didn't have the typical satisfying ending, I still really enjoyed the moments Janna had with each of the guys.

My favorite part was definitely the big and grand Muslim wedding! It gave me My Big Fat Greek Wedding vibes, and I lived for it! I love Sarah and the main character's brother-- Muhammad--together in Saints and Misfits, so the fact that this book took place during their wedding was extra fun.

Janna definitely gets tangled up in some sticky situations regarding all the boys in her life, as well as navigating her relationship with her mom and dad individually. The anti-blackness discussed in her community throughout the book was an important aspect, and I think it balanced the fluffy moments well. I typically like books better when they include some more serious topics, so it was a nice surprise in Misfit in Love.

Janna's character is much more mature than it was in Saints and Misfits, which makes sense since she is significantly older in this book. I liked seeing her grow up and mature, but she still did have some naive moments, especially when it came to navigating romantic relationships.

Overall this was such a fun read, that successfully incorporated deeper topics and issues. I've become such a huge fan of S.K. Ali, and I'll read anything she writes!

DNF
Sadly Unable to read due to formatting issues on my kindle.
Unable to read due to formatting issues on my kindle.

Although Misfit in Love is technically the sequel to Saints and Misfits, you absolutely do not need to read the latter before the former! I read Saints and Misfits a couple of a years ago, I want to say, and I honestly didn’t remember much about the characters. However, I slid right back into their personalities and dynamics very easily, especially the relationship between Janna and her brother (who’s getting married), Muhammad. Witness one exchange between the two of them, and readers know that they are siblings. They just radiate sibling energy.

I would recommend at least reading the blurb of Saints and Misfits, though, because Janna does reflect somewhat on the assault she experienced. From what I remember from this story, Janna felt like she was trying to hold herself together with scotch tape. When I read the first page, I thought about how she just sounds much stronger, much more sure of herself.

On a plot note, I love that Misfit in Love revolves around a wedding (technically, a nikah). The joy and excitement is already there buzzing in the background as the energy and the date of the day draws closer and closer. I also loved that Janna—a Indian-Egyptian Muslim hijabi and an introverted person to boot—had to choose who would take her heart in the end, just like those popular wedding movies featuring white characters. To say the least, this story had my whole heart, and I almost didn’t want it to end.
But the most important reason why I loved Misfit in Love was because of the characters. I felt like the cast—any one of them—could step off the page and be fully formed human beings standing right in front of me in an instant. I already spoke about Janna and Muhammad’s sibling relationship, but her relationship with her mother (their parents are divorced and their dad remarried and has two kids) also struck me.
There is a quote that really resonated with me, and yes, it kind of made me cry:
People who are exclusionary want to preserve what they have. That they think others will take it all away from them.
Misfit in Love by S.K. Ali, page 205

This was in the context of Janna’s uncertainty over her mother potentially having feelings for a man she (Janna) had never met but who her mother had history with.
I also loved that we saw characters from Love from A to Z, S.K. Ali’s other book. When Zayneb (and later, Adam) appeared, I definitely screamed a little bit. I love these characters *so* much, so I think a re-read is in order!!

Lastly, I appreciated that S.K. Ali gave space to dissecting anti-Blackness in Janna’s communities, particularly within her family. Misfit in Love also addresses the cultural prejudices that exist, also within her immediate family and her extended family through marriage. I like how the story wrapped up in this aspect: it’s not a “do this and everything will be solved,” but rather a concerted effort to do better through specific action.
Oh, and I should make this very clear because it is essential to Misfit in Love: this story is made up of unapologetically Muslim characters. Their faith is integral to who they are, and Misfit in Love and S.K. Ali tell of the joy, the messiness, and the love that form these characters and their hearts.

Conclusion: Highly recommend! If you love weddings (duh), strong and unique characters, and unapologetically Muslim stories of both joy and challenges, Misfit in Love is a must-read!

I liked this one so much more than the first book in the series! The characters were way more developed, the pacing was more consistent, and the plot was more coherent. While I did expect this to be more of a romance based off the title and blurb, I loved the direction this book took.

I think the one thing this series has done so well is the family aspects. The sibling relationship between Muhammad and Janna is done super well, and I loved seeing it become an even larger part of this one. There were so many funny moments between the members of this family, especially when it came to the wedding planning. By the end, I loved every character, and I didn't want to let go of them.

The romance aspect of this had me so confused. In a good way, but still confused. It took me the entire book to decide whether I shipped Janna with Nuah, Haytham, or Layth. By the end, I had made my choice, and i was super happy with the way this ended. I definitely wouldn't complain if we got another book about Janna and her partner though...

After the first book being a minor disappointment, I'm super happy to say that I loved this one! It was cute, funny, and the perfect read for a summer day. I'd definitely recommend it!

I was provided a free copy of Misfit in Love by Turn the Page Tours. This didn't impact my final opinion or review at all.
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I recently read Saints and Misfits in preparation for this blog tour and I'm so glad I did! I've had it on my TBR for a long time and it was so much fun getting to read both of them back to back. I will admit that I enjoyed Misfits in Love more than Saints and Misfits but overall they were both great reads!

The day of Janna's brothers wedding is fast approaching and she's finally reuniting with all her favorite people. She's been at her dad's for the past month and is anxious to get back to spending time with her mom. She's also looking forward to reconnecting with Nuah, the boy confessed his feelings for her but at the time she was not ready to make that move. Will it be too late?

Not only do we get one love interest in this one but we get three!! Which one will Janna chose? I liked getting to meet new people and seeing more of Janna's family. I thought the different dynamic between her mother's family vs. her father's family added a good perspective to the story. This book definitely addressed the issues of race and that it can happen in any culture. Racism does not discriminate and I thought the way Janna navigated through these parts of the story were well done.

This was a lot lighter of a storyline that book one was and I think that's why I enjoyed it more. It felt more developed and Janna had come a long way since we saw her in Saints and Misfits. She's still unsure of her future and the addition of this love triangle helps put some things in perspective for her. Her love life isn't the only one we get to explore in this one and I liked that Janna is faced with some changes within her family as well.

I definitely recommend this one if you're looking for a fun YA contemporary set around wedding planning! It was fun to revisit old friends and make new ones.

Janna’s brother is getting married! She has been with her dad’s house with her siblings. She cannot wait for Nuah to come. He likes someone and she believes he likes her. She’s ready to let her intentions of liking him back he known.
This was definitely a fast read for me. I enjoyed this series so far. I did like Saints & Misfits better, but this was still good. I loved the family aspect of this book and how Janna interacts with them. I did find Janna to be annoying at times. But, her growth has come along way since book two.

This is the second book in the series, and I think I liked it even more than the first. This is a continuation of the first book and this time Janna's brother Muhammad is getting married to Sara, a girl that Janna loves just like a sister. She has just graduated from high school and is getting ready for college in the Fall and while the official wedding ceremony won't be until next year, they are doing a family/spiritual ceremony earlier so that the bride and groom can begin this life earlier. Meanwhile, Janna is excited to see Nuah come home from college because she has decided she's ready for a relationship. If you read the first book, you know that he (and Sara) helped her heal after the assault in the first book, but she decided she was not yet ready for a relationship. However, as preparations for the wedding get into full swing, Janna learns that things are not what she thought they were with Nuah. On top of that are relationship issues she has to work through with her mom as she faces changes that may happen there, as well as issues with her dad. If that is not enough, two new guys come on the scene, and through each of her interactions with them, she learns more about what relationships could or should be like. I found this to be a more complex story as she learns to challenge not just other people's beliefs, but her own, and that not only can she speak up, but she has a responsibility to speak up to help change things for the better, and it begins with her own loved ones. Yes, there were times when I wanted to sit Janna down and have a talk with her, but given what she went through in the first book and her own natural tendencies, her behaviors and attitudes were absolutely realistic, and the author did a great job of helping her grow and learn. Along the way, I learned more about the beliefs and traditions of Janna's faith AND culture. And I have to admit, I was salivating over all the food! If you liked the first book, you should definitely read this one!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Two years after the events of Saints and Misfits, Janna Yusuf’s story continues in S.K. Ali’s companion novel, Misfit in Love. While Misfit in Love can be read as a standalone book, Saints and Misfits provides more background for the events that take place in this new work.
. . .
[rest of excerpted review included in link]

I feel like this book had so much potential but the writing felt so stilted. I couldn't connect with any of the characters, and while I know I shouldn't judge a book based on that, I just couldn't sit through how dull the book is.

I think the representation was well written, and I think the way the author discusses antiblackness and racism in the South Asian community was important but there wasn't much I liked other than that. I didn't have many expectations for the romance but I still didn't like the way it concluded.

I did love the little cameo that Zaynab and Adam made towards the end of the book - they're so cute.

It’s the summer following her high school graduation and Janna’s family has gathered for her brother’s “Big Fat Muslim Wedding,” a setting for fun, conflict, revelation, and growth. Janna finally feels ready to date Nuah, her long-time crush, but is shocked that her dad might not be ready for Nuah (he’s Black). And maybe she’s not so ready after all; the cute new guys she’s meeting are distracting and confusing her, and Nuah’s acting strangely. Adding to Janna’s confusion, her mom finally seems ready to date now too, but Janna’s not sure she’s ready to share her.

This novel, the sequel to Saints and Misfits, can be read as a standalone. Characters from Ali’s prior books join the festivities (including my personal faves, Zayneb and Adam from Love from A to Z), a bonus for fans. While Janna’s focus on boys in the first several chapters annoyed me, I’m glad I stuck around for the rest of the story. Ultimately, in its YA romance/coming of age context, it did a good job of exploring highs and lows of teen romance, a close mother-daughter relationship, Muslim wedding traditions, and a diversity of attitudes and practices in the Muslim community, some unifying and some divisive-- just like what you'd find in any community. Misfit in Love is a good follow-up to Saints and Misfits that shows a maturing Janna navigating new waters.

Book: Misfit in Love
Author: S.K.Ali
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"Then why make a narrative, a love story, a world in your head? If your heart isn't officially ready to participate in one in real life?
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✨This book is about two years after the first book as Janna is all set to attend the big, fat muslim wedding of her brother, Muhammad and Sarah. Also, she finally decides to tell her feelings to Nuah but when he arrives he's treating her differently. And also new characters like Haytham and Layth are introduced which might complicate the whole series of events.
✨ Tbh I didn't expect to like it much since I had mixed feelings about the previous book. But oh man! I read the whole book in one go. It definitely was better than the previous book.
✨ I seriously rooted for Nuah from the previous book and wad worried about the love triangle (*I hate love triangles*) but the book was much more deeper than that.
✨ The interaction between Muhammad and Janna were so good. The perfect siblings, with all the clashes yet so much love.
✨ The author very wisely incorporated serious topics like racial and cultural prejudices.
✨ The character development of Janna was worth reading.
✨ At last, the cherry on the cake was the whole wedding atmosphere. *Omg* the big fat wedding with all the close ones, dance parties, mehandi, hotel bedrooms, love in the air, crazy relatives and misunderstandings- the book was amazing.

Misfit in Love is timely. A novel that has a big heart filled with love, loss, and moments of pure joy.

Who doesn’t enjoy a book about a wedding?

Because like any good wedding there’s always something that can go wrong, no matter how much you prepare. And Misfit in Love perfectly brings together all the hiccups and missteps, yet soundly ties together a lovely conclusion to S.K. Ali’s Saints and Misfits story.

It’s a summer wedding. A new beginning for Janna Yusuf. Where she can help her brother start his new life and where she can confess her affections for her close friend, Nuah. But when things aren’t going as planned, where the shape of her puzzle she thought fit perfectly with Nuah’s, Janna finds herself in a dilemma, much larger than she had anticipated.

And in those heartbreaking moments, Ali crafts a picture of a young woman who is trying her best to sort through what life brings to her doorstep. Where Janna looks at her relationship with boys, and how they may have been her focal point more often then her own.

Further, Ali’s final book to the her Saints and Misfits series is reflective, hopeful, and full of moments that will bring readers a taste of joy. Ali weaves together Janna Yusuf’s coming of age story with the deep threads of Islamic faith, where we as readers experience her culture and heritage as Jana embarks on a new chapter in her life. Helping her older brother with a wedding that feels like My Big Fat Greek Wedding, over the top, yet incredibly fun, where Janna contemplates her own feelings for a close time friend.

A host of characters who readers will delight in, and remember from the first novel, while traversing life, heartbreak, and new romances, Ali’s novel is poignant in how she dives into social themes with a breadth and awareness that readers can contemplate and reflect on.

Happy Reading ̴ Cece

Trigger Warnings: Racism, Mentions of Sexual Assault, Loss

Okay, Misfits in Love could technically be considered the sequel to Saints and Misfits and occurs around two years after. But this book can also be read as stand-alone.

Before, I dive into the book; you have to know that I am not really the one for love triangles - in fact, it really does end up affecting my whole experience for the book itself.

Now, the blurb of the book, may mention Love triangles, but I certainly enjoyed the first book and I was curious to know what happens next for our protagonist, Janna.

S. K. Ali builds up to a few very important topics revolving around the family drama of a Big Fat Muslim Wedding - and I actually enjoyed how the author handled the mix of drama, comic and seriousness of issues involved!


Janna, while yes conversing with boys who could have been a love interest, but certainly never portrayed as such, is now finally at a place to move forward with her personal life. I enjoyed Janna, she might have been a little dramatic, but she had the temerity to handle the drama with aplomb!

I loved the representation of Muslims, their culture, their traditions and the family dynamics the way it should be, in the main stream media - and considering the fact that this is #ownvoices book - it is one I would recommend purely for the well done representation.

Misfits in Love is more than just the romantic journey of our protagonist, it is a well worn family drama that will always always be a part of the Asian Culture, that any one part of this culture would truly empathise with 😉