I was really looking forward to this book, but unfortunately it fell a little bit flat for me. I didn't particularly like either of the love interests and found Samira to be a bit immature, despite being 27. It was hard to root for any of them! Also, this is possibly my own fault, but I had been expecting more romance, when this book leaned more towards women's fiction.

Thank you to HarperVia and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book.

This book follows a young Muslim woman walking and working through the throes of dating + the complexities she experiences.

Courting Samira was an important exposé on the realities of dating within a religious boundary - should be on everyone’s TBR!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishing teams for the ARC for review!

This was a great glimpse into Muslim dating, but also funny and cute! All the ingredients got a perfect romcom.

This was an enjoyable romantic comedy in the style of a Muslim Bridget Jones. Samira has an engaging voice that definitely draws you in. Menem was also a great book boyfriend—such a sweetheart—and I loved the portrayal of the layers of complexity in Samira's relationship with Hakeem. I also loved the focus on her female friendships, with Sahar, Lara, Cate, and even Zahra. I also really enjoyed learning about Arabic culture. I want a sequel with Sahar 😊

Samira is Australian-Palestinian. She has a degree, a decent enough job, and a core friend group. When sparks start to fly with a man she meets at a work-group-bonding retreat, she is very interested, but other people's doubts make her start questioning herself.

Pro's: I loved the diverse characters and descriptions of Samira's beliefs and how they formed her choices. Very respectfully done. The character development and family dynamics were well drawn and developed. The Princess Bride references were fun and there were a lot of humorous moments as well.

Con's: (May include some spoilers). The Princess Bride references were fun but became confusing. The author followed Princess Bride when it suited her - at times it felt like a Princess Bride retelling, until it became clear that it was not. Left the reader uncertain who to be rooting for, and questioning character motivations. Also has been compared to a Palestinian Bridget Jones' Diary and would have to disagree with that assessment as well. Would have enjoyed the book more without the comparisons.

As the marketing implies, this does remind one of Bridget Jones' Diary--it's hilarious and highly personable with a lot of heart. It's a solid halal romance with just enough rule-bending to be believable; I appreciated that Samira holds true to her values while also questioning some of the cultural expectations within her community. I wish we had gotten to know Menem better, but in terms of love interests he's incredibly sweet and realistic; he's a great foil to the brooding Hakeem. The ending is surprising but feels oddly refreshing.

A Palestinian Australian Muslim woman navigates traditional courtship practices while trying to find true love. Perfect for Jane Austen and Princess Bride fans and anyone who enjoys books by authors like Uzma Jalaluddin. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review. I really enjoyed this homage to Bridget Jones, especially on audio narrated by Randa Sayed!

Courting Samira has been referred to as a muslim Bridget Jones's Diary and that is exactly what it is. Samira is torn between the love of a new and charming man and the love of a man that has always been there for her. It was an enjoyable and quick read.

Bridget Jones, My Best Friend's Wedding, and Jane Austen with a modern Arab twist.

This is a clean, sweet, love triangle romance, that gave me butterflies and transported me into the innocent times of when the idea of love was an unknown thrill and each confusing step towards it felt like the world was falling under my feet.

Super sweet, funny, and entertaining.

this was very cute, funny and heartwarming. i especially loved samira's inner monologue, she was very fun to read about and also very relatable.

Set in Sydney, Australia, Courting Samira is a rom-com about a 27-year-old Palestinian woman who finds herself in a love triangle. Coming from a traditional Muslim family, Samira has endured her fair share of arranged matches. Outside of the awkward dates in front of parents, she meets the charismatic Menem at a work retreat and is intrigued. But now her childhood friend Hakeem is acting oddly interested. Hence the unexpected love triangle!

I recommend Courting Samira to fans of The Princess Bride and Bridget Jones. There are charming moments that will make readers chuckle. The writing style is heavy on the Arabic culture which I appreciated and learned more about Muslim faith. The author also included a glossary of Arabic terms to help readers with context.

My only gripe was the humor sometimes translated to immaturity. Courtship is traditional in certain cultures and while it can have funny moments (like dates gone wrong), it should still be taken seriously. Nevertheless, if you are looking for an okay romance read with diverse characters, this is it!

Happy Pub Day, Amal Awad! Courting Samira is now available.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

I really enjoyed this story and all the characters but at the same time, the author struggled too much with telling the reader and not showing. The constant back and forth between Samira and her friends about her life and who she was or should be and who she should be with was absolutely bizarre. We were constantly being TOLD that she should be more or deserve more and that she wasn’t herself and I could not understand it and ultimately it was really still a plot hole at the end to me. I really didn’t understand the whole thing with Hakeem either but I don’t want to give away spoilers.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book wasn't for me.

Courting Samira is a romcom in a book. It's cute. It's quippy. But... The love interests. Ugh.

There's a pseudo love triangle. It's okay. 🤷🏽‍♀️ 60% through the book and the reader still doesn't have a good grasp on the relationship between Samira and one of her love interests... Other than the fact that you're told there is a possible relationship. But the "on screen" time of this love interest is minimal through most of the book.

And honestly... I didn't care for either of the MMCs. One of them just seemed aloof. The other got mad that she talked to another man?! Gross.

Samira has been meeting potential suitors for years on her parents couch. She certainly isn’t expecting to find one while abseiling down a rock during a team building exercise. And it turns out he’s her cousin’s future brother-in-law.

This was really cute. The story is as much about Samira finding her soul mate as it is about Samira finding a voice for herself. She deals with the intricacies of an Arab-Muslim courtship while also managing her career and being an unwilling brides made for her cousin’s woggy wedding.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperVia for a review copy.

I really wanted to like this one. But I didn’t like the story. It was very slow paced and I did not care for the characters. I did love all the Muslim representation, but other than that, I hated this book.

This was a really fun read. I really enjoyed seeing Samira grow throughout the book in her confidence and sense of self. As a non-Muslim reader, it was interesting to see the scope of religiosity and the different ways that people live in their faith and their customs. I was not expecting the ending but was very pleasantly surprised. Would definitely recommend!

Thank you to HarperVia and Netgalley for the eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was so excited when I saw this book on Netgalley; I don't think I've ever requested a book so fast. I was desperate for the Palestinian (Australian) representation in romance, written by a Palestinian (Australian) author. I didn't realize at the time that this had already been published over a decade ago (in 2011); this is a re-print for a wider, international audience. With that in mind, the book somewhat feels outdated and stuck in time; the primary means of communication are Facebook messages and email. It doesn't feel like the book was updated for a more "modern" audience. The way Samira said "Gawd"? Yeah, a major ick for me. I'd rather not return to 2012 internet speak. Even though Samira and I are currently the same age, she felt young to me, possibly because she's been 27 for twelve years.

I wouldn't call this a romance book. I don't think I would even call it a women's fiction/chick lit book with a romance sub-plot. I think this falls strictly within chick lit, so keep that in mind if you're hoping for a romance. I didn't feel any real chemistry or connection between Samira and either of her two suitors. I wouldn't call this a love triangle because I didn't view either as love interests, but it is a triangle in that Samira has two potential men who want to court her. The storyline with Hakeem, her childhood friend, bothered me. He definitely never even considers her an option until she shows (potential) interest in someone else. Then, and only then, does he (and everyone else around her) push himself on her, making his "intentions" known.

This book felt like it was written for a non-Muslim, non-Arab/Western audience. Samira handholds us the entire book telling us about the customs and speaking to us like we are not "one of her" (which, in my case, she would be correct). This can be either good or bad, depending on preference and background. If you are Muslim and/or Arab, then you might find it annoying. But if you are a white European, then you might appreciate it.

Title: Courting Samira-a standalone
Author: Amal Awad, 1st time read for me
Publishes 11/7/23

I really enjoyed learning about the customs in the Arabic world. I'm not Muslim but have plenty of friends who are. I understand how some Muslims are devout, while others take certain aspects like dressing in garb and going to mosque and drop others like cursing and drinking. I liked that Samira was a Muslim but was open to modern Western society. From her friends and coworkers, she showed that it's okay to find your own path.

I loved Menem because he was the opposite of Hakeem. He was fun while Hakeem was the "strict Muslim." It was hard to like Zahra because she was so demanding and thought she knew what was best for Samira.

The Jane Austen references were a great addition because all her book heroines were looking for advantageous marriages. The love triangle reminded me of Bridget Jones without all the sex and drinking.
Overall, I always love learning about different religions and culture and how those people navigate the modern world while staying true to their faith and upbringing.

Rating 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperVia for this ARC 💜! I voluntarily give my honest review and all opinions expressed are my own.

*3.5

I liked this but I don't really understand the love triangle aspect. I think the book should have been dual pov. It would have made it a bit faster paced and not so boring at times. I didn't really know how Samira felt most of the time and I really wanted to. Samira and Menam were cute though.

I received an arc through netgalley.

True love isn’t like it’s portrayed in the movies…or is it?

Samira is 27 - and the fact that she hasn’t found her match is the least interesting thing about her. She is crushing it at her job, helping plan her cousin’s wedding, hanging out with her besties and spouting movie references like it’s nobody’s business. After a series of mismatched arranged meetings fall through - no one is as shocked as her when she finds herself at the center of a love triangle! When everyone and their mother has an opinion on who she should marry it’s up to Samira to do some soul searching, forge her own path and choose her future.

♥️ Heartfelt Romance
😹 Hilarious Moments
🇵🇸 Palestinian Author & Rep
🎥 Princess Bride References
🔍 Self Discovery
🫶 BFF Goals
🇦🇺 Australian Backdrop
🔺Unexpected Love Triangle
📈 Character Growth

Amal Awad has a wonderful knack for writing complex characters in such a heartfelt way. Bridging together real life conversations surrounding religion, family obligations and culture into a wonderfully hilarious romantic comedy. Courting Samira was an absolute joy of a read!

Thank you so much to HarperVia for the gifted copy!