Received an EARC in exchange for my honest review.

I wasn't sure if I would like this book because it was an arrange marriage and love triangles but I absolutely l loved it. I loved learning about the culture as well, as I didn't know anything going in. It was a very cute romance and I highly recommend if romance books are your thing.

This book follows Zahra who is kind of Bangladeshi royalty, however, currently resides in America. As she’s trying to figure out what her next step after high school, her mother matches her with a Nother Bangladeshi boy, Harun. Neither of them want to be engaged or married, so they come up with a plan to spoil their parents plans. At work, Zahra meets another boy named Nayim who is a musician, and totally swoon worthy. Things become complicated with both boys and Zahra needs to figure out what she’s going to do.

I really enjoyed Zahra’s character and growth throughout the book. Some of my favourite parts of the book with all the cultural references between the food and the stories, and the clothing and the language. I enjoyed the relationship that she had with her family and her friends. Although there were times that the interactions with the friends, I think, pulled the reader away from the main plot of the story.

Although the romance was cute, I found it boring sometimes. Considering this is obviously a love triangle of sorts, it definitely didn’t read that way. When she had a romance with one, she didn’t have it with another and vice versa. I would’ve like to see the romance overlap even just a little bit because it just made it seem like the main character was going for the other guy because he was available while the other one was not.

The representation in this story is definitely a highlight, and the story is good and itself, however, I didn’t stand out to me from other YA contemporaries that I’ve read.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A fun diverse read in which the main character finds her love match in an unexpected way. In this novel cultural expectations of the community are described. I appreciated that the relationship between the main character and her mother was explored making this more than just a romance. The novel ends with a feeling of hope, making this a feel-good read.

3.5 stars!!

This was a cute YA romance! Loved reading about Zahra and her family, and learning about the richness (and nuances) of Bangladeshi culture. The third act break up - feels like a standard in any romance so not a spoiler - was unique, but didn’t feel believable. I’m not an insta-love fan either, which is a personal preference, but it took me out of the plot a little bit. Will definitely pick something else up by Taslim in the future…hoping she writes in the adult genre someday because I’d love to see her characters in a more robust storyline!

Disclaimer: I received this E-ARC via the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review and this blog tour post.

Trigger Warning(s): Mention of death, mention of the liberation war, sexism, classism, bullying, mention of cancer, and grief.

Rep: Zahra and her family are Bangladeshi Muslims. Daniya is a lesbian Pakistani Muslim, and her family are also Pakistani Muslims. Harun and his family are Bangladeshi Muslims. Nayim is a Bangladeshi Muslim. Ximena is a bi Mexican and Haitian (to be honest I could be wrong about her ethnicity please feel free to correct me in the comments if I am wrong).

My Thoughts Before Reading: I was really excited to read this! I loved the cover and fell in love with the synopsis. I am happy to say that I enjoyed it!

What I Liked: I really liked the writing style! The book was written in a rather unique prose that was able to depict the surrounding areas and Zahra’s emotions perfectly. It’s been some time since I was able to get lost in a contemporary novel and I thoroughly enjoyed my time reading this.

I loved Zahra’s relationships with her family members! Her Nanu was awesome and so understanding of Zahra and her needs. Her brother Arif had his sisters back even when he did question her actions. Resna was hilarious! She was my favourite to read about. Zahra’s relationship with her mother was a bit tense throughout the book but even still the two of them were close. Zahra had the biggest respect for her mother, she did everything she could to ease her struggles, and was in awe of everything that her mother had achieved. This novel really spoke to the relationships a lot of eldest daughters have with their mothers. While yes they can be tense often times there is so much love and respect for one-another.

I adored Zahra’s friendship with Ximena, Daniya, and Dalia. They were so supportive of one-another and really came through for Zahra throughout the novel. I really liked how fleshed out all there personalities were and how they each had their own character arcs, they didn’t just exist to be Zahra’s friends.

Zahra is a character was fantastic to read about! She was so well fleshed out and her thoughts were very vivid that I adored reading in her point of view. I liked that she had a good work ethic and was passionate about her writing as well as her family. She does learn to be a little selfish in the sense that she started to prioritize her own needs throughout the novel. I really liked the conclusion to her arc.

My Criticism(s): I started to lose interest in the love triangle and romantic aspect of this novel. I felt that I was more interesting in reading about the other aspects of the book, like Zahra’s character arc and relationships with the people in her life. This is definitely a personal gripe and I’m sure others will really enjoy the love triangle.

Conclusion: Overall I enjoyed The Love Match! I highly recommend this novel.

A Bangladeshi diaspora love triangle told like a modern day Jane Austen. I absolutely love this novel. It gave me all the feels, including hunger! OMG, the descriptions of the most amazing foods kept me drooling, and Chana masala and samosas on the family menu! I can taste it just thinking about it.
Highly recommended! I can't wait for future novels from Priyanka Taslim! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to Netgallery and Simon and Schuster Canada for a free arc for review. All opinions are my own.

I wasn't sure if I would enjoy this one, but the last 40% of this book, definitely made up for it. I felt like I slogged through this book for over a week, not really wanting to read it or cared about it, but then things got real good and real fast by 60%.

I think if some of the things that happened in the book would've not happened, it would be a lower rating for me. No spoilers of course.

I would give this book a chance if you're interested, it is a fun read!

I really liked the premise of this novel and the characters felt really relatable, but it made me a little uncomfortable that the plot premise was based off of people scheming to get the main character married when she’s only 18. I’m also not sure if I was in the right mood to read this book because it felt like Zahra had an overwhelming amount of responsibilities (especially at the beginning of the book), but I loved the dynamics that were created and how the characters interacted with the plot!

In Priyanka Taslim's The Love Match, Zahra Khan works long hours to save up for college. Her family is struggling financially and her Amma thinks that a suitable match for Zahra is just what their family needs, so she arranges a marriage for her daughter. Zahra is uninterested and luckily, so is her suitor, Harun. Zahra and Harun agree to fake date to please their parents and get them off their backs, which also leaves Zahra available to get to know Nayim, the boy she actually has feelings for. But life is more complicated than Zahra realizes, and she goes through an emotional journey to understanding love, happiness, and her family.

The Love Match is charming and funny, and I was enamoured by the writing early on. I respect Zahra as a character and appreciate how much she cares for her family. As the oldest daughter, she feels responsible for them and wants to help her Amma whenever she can. The book shows all the complexities involved in situations where parents want the best for their kids, and children want to make their parents proud. But these complexities often involve feeling burdened by responsibility and guilty for wanting to follow your heart and your dreams. Through Zahra, Harun, and Nayim, The Love Match explores different aspects of this type of familial situation and, I think, realistic feelings that a lot of South Asian children have.

There are so many great characters in this book and I loved getting to know them. Zahra’s friends are the best and her siblings are lovable. While romance is a large part of the book, I love that a lot of time was spent with her friends and family. The Love Match is also full of Bangladeshi culture and pride, which adds to the joy of the book.

I loved the romance and thought Harun and Nayim were interesting characters, and I enjoyed how they brought out different sides of Zahra’s personality. I love who Zahra ultimately ends up with and was rooting for them the entire time. However, I didn’t enjoy a major event that happens near the end of the book, which lessened my enjoyment of the ending. I didn’t mind the drama, but I wish it had been dealt with differently. While the book ended with my desired outcome, I don’t love the final obstacle in the story Zahra had to overcome for it to happen.

Overall, The Love Match is a joyful and nuanced YA book that’s full of love in every form. The book kept me smiling and kept me on my toes. Pick it up if you enjoy reading about complex family dynamics, beautiful friendships, and YA romance.

Rating: 4.5/5

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for providing me with an eARC.

This one took me a bit to get into but once I did I enjoyed it. I love fake dating etc so if your looking for a classic YA read this one’s for you.

This was the sweetest book I have read in a long time. The characters, the love triangle, fake dating and the twist at the end were perfection. It also covered some hard issues, like parental expectations (especially in Asian cultures), poverty, bullying, racism and LGBTQ+ struggles. All issues covered were tastefully done and fell into the story feeling very realistic.

I literally couldn't put this one down and binge read it in a day. I didn't expect the ending at all and was so happy with how it was all wrapped up. I cheered for these characters.

If you are looking for a great, easy, open door romance, this one is perfect for you.

Had all those rom com ingredients, cringe moments, fake dating, helpful family and friends, fun dates, those love triangle twists and those Mr. Darcy vibes, almost felt a bit too long like some natoks but fun overall.

Zahra Khan is a bangladeshi girl in New Jersey who is constantly working to help her mom pay the bills and raise her siblings. Her mom is convinced that she needs to find a “good match,” but she thinks otherwise. When her mom sets her up with Harun, she starts falling for her new co-worker Nayim. I enjoyed the plot of this book, but I had a lot of trouble getting into the book. A few of the parts of the book felt a bit forced. Other than those few things, I found the characters lovable. Although the books had a few lows for me, I did end up enjoying it so that is why I gave it a 3.5/5 rating.

I adored this YA love story about Zahra and Harun, two Bangladeshi American teens who are set up by their parents and agree to fake date in order to appease them. Along the way the end up developing real feelings for one another but the problem is there's another boy that's also caught Zahra's attention. Torn between what she wants and making her mother happy, Zahra has to figure out who truly has her heart.

Filled with some great Bollywood style drama, Jane Austen charm and lots of misdirection, I was guessing to the end who Zahra would ultimately choose. I loved all the cultural traditions in this book - the food, the fashion, the festivals, etc. Highly recommended for fans of books like Counting down with you, Zara Hossain is here or The henna wars and great on audio. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you @simonandschuster @netgalley @bhootbabe for an early copy of this book!

The writing style soo amazing and Priyanka Taslim did it made me fall in love with the romance genre with Zahra Khan's story. It made so much fun facts about things that I did not know about Bangladesh before.

I'm not a fan of love triangles at all but wow just no words love this book so much😭😭. The amazing relationships I really like all the characters, especially her mom👏👏.

I really really liked the desi references found it so interesting because it made me want to read the book basically I was addicted to it.

@bhootbabe thank you so for this debut novel cannot wait for you next novel!!

#TheLoveMatch #PriyankaTaslim #Bangladesh #lovetriangle #lovestory #yaromancenovels


https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm8Mn1mMmsH/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for an advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Zahra has just graduated high school, but she's spending her time working to support her family. After her dad died a few years ago, her mom became a different person, and Zahra had to pick up the slack. Putting aside her college dreams, her mom now wants her to give up love for the good match she's set her up with - someone who can take care of her. She's caught between her dreams and her dedication to her family, and as an eighteen-year-old, she's definitely going to mess it all up at least once...

I requested this based on the Bangladeshi American representation, and it did not disappoint. The inner conflict Zahra faces is so genuine, especially for an eighteen year old who cares so much about her family. I enjoyed this and recommend it!

CW: death of a parent

If you’re looking for a book that will make your heart sing, then pick this one up.

The Love Match is about Zahra, a Bangladeshi American teenage girl who is struggling with how her life has changed after her father’s passing. She had big dreams for herself, as many teenagers do, but her dedication to her family became more important than her future as she pushed herself to keep her family afloat.

In an attempt to help make her life easier, Zahra’s mother sets her up with Harun, who comes from a wealthy family and would be the solution to all their problems. Zahra immediately pushes back while also falling for a boy who is new to town, Nayim. So begins the love triangle.

This book kept me guessing right to the very end on what was going to happen. First it seemed evident she was going to end up with Nayim, then I started to doubt myself. There were many twists and turns that every time I thought I knew where the story was going, something would happen or someone would meddle, changing the course of Zahra’s story.

And I LOVED it. How often do we read love stories and don’t know for sure what is going to happen? Right up into the final chapters! Taslim has written a fantastic book, which not only had me unable to put it down, but opened my eyes to a culture different from my own. I went into this knowing very little about Bangladeshi culture, and this feels like a beautiful love letter that has me eager to learn more.

I highly, highly recommend this book to absolutely everyone!

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Kudos to Priyanka Taslim for writing a terrific YA rom-com that flirts with a whole bunch of tropes, but stays true to its immensely intersectional heart (and we know that I'm all about the intersectionality!).

Zahra lives in New Jersey with her widowed mom, her grandmother and 2 younger siblings. She works part time at her best friends' family's tea shop, and dreams of saving enough money to take college creative writing courses. She's also crushing on the mysterious new dishwasher at work, while her mom's trying to set her up with the son of a very wealthy family in their Bengali community. Fake dating maybe evolving into friendship, heartbreak and a fabulous twist all add up to a terrifically engaging read.

All of the characters are very well-drawn, and the relationships within Zahra's family are given the depth they deserve. I felt as though Kamala Khan (Ms Marvel) and Zahra Khan might have a lot to talk about. Feminism, mother-daughter relationships, forging your own identity while not turning your back on your family, discussions of class within communities, it's all here.

This was a 5 star read for me. It comes out January 3, 2023, and your Grade 7 and up students will love it! Thanks to @netgalley and @simonschusterca @simonteen for the e-arc.

3.5⭐️ rounded up!

The Love Match follows Zahra Khan, who is pretty much Bangladeshi royalty, but struggling to support her family and save for college in New Jersey. Her mother decides to set her up with Harun Emon, a wealthy boy from a good family, at the same time that Zahra meets and begins to fall for Nayim Aktar, a poor orphan that works at the same coffee shop as Zahra.

This was really cute! This novel was a clean, ya romance, and it delivers on being similar vibes to "To All the Boys I've Loved Before". The South-Asian representation was great to read about; I loved all the cultural references. I thought it had good Muslim representation as well, and while this is not a completely halal romance it comes fairly close, and was endearing nevertheless.

One issue I did have with this book was the pacing, It wasn't the most sensical to me, I thought that the timeline was a tad off and there was definitely a case of insta-love. But the story did feel like a "natok", aka a Bangladeshi drama, as mentioned in the beginning of the story. There was the auntie network, a love triangle, a dramatic ending and a sweet heroine to root for.

Asides from the romance in the book, I absolutely loved Zahra's platonic relationships with her friends. Dani, Dalia and Ximena were so supportive, and I loved all of the interactions between the girls. Zahra's family was also amazing, her Amma and Nanu and even her siblings all deserve honorable mentions.

Some parts of the story did end up to be very convenient, but Zahra's perseverance was commendable. In regards to her romantic life, she always fought for whoever she loved. Both boys had their moments and I loved her relationship progression with the boy she ended up with.

Overall a really cute read, with a lot of focus on family, friends and growth, but with a sweet love story as a part of it. Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the eARC!

Who doesn't love a love triangle? 💓

Our main character Zahra Khan has put her dreams of becoming a writer on the back burner to support her family living in Paterson, NJ 🇺🇸. Her mother has big plans on setting her up with a wealthy Bangladeshi boy by setting them up on a blind date - with both of their entire families present of course 😅.

I deeply appreciated the way that Priyanka Taslim was able to depict these characters and instill so much of the Bangladeshi culture in the story. The language, the characters, the food, and so much more was so beautifully represented in this story! 🇧🇩

The fake dating and love triangle tropes were pulled off wonderfully. Even though I felt the story was very predictable at times, I still enjoyed the dynamic between Zahra, Harun, and Nayim 💘.

The family loyalty Zahra felt was such a clash with the desires of her heart. I was rooting for her the whole time! I finished the book within a day, with a smile because it was such a cute read.

*I always appreciate a good Gilmore Girls reference. The Friday night dinner reference did not leave my mind every time the scene was set in the Emon household.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada and NetGalley for an eARC of The Love Match in exchange for my honest review 💜