I read Maya's Laws of Love back in February and since then I've been struggling to write the review of this book. It follows Maya, through her journey from Canada to Pakistan where she's supposed to get married to this really sweet person. But she met another man on the plane and got attracted to him more. 🤡 It was a journey that changed or I would say rather bought out the worst in her 💀
From the moment she set foot in a plane, she was super super annoying, acting like a child multiple times. All the cute moments were super forced and you'll get cringe feeling on every page.
The Muslim and Pakistani representation was HORRIBLE!!! I want (also don't want) to have a personal chat with the author and ask where she got inspiration for her super stupid characters. Even the side characters were far away from the reality. 🤮
All in all, I DO NOT recommend reading this one because there are better books available than this one and it is totally not worth your time 😔

Kind of boring, kind of predictable. The pacing was off. I wish there was more to the romance, I just didn't totally believe it.

3⭐️ I enjoyed this book and liked seeing a a woman’s romantic experience through a different cultural lens (although from several reviews it’s clearly not as appropriate or religiously accurate as they would’ve appreciated). Even if it was not perfectly executed I appreciated reading about certain norms included in the book like the wedding ceremonies, familial expectations from society, and how people are expected to treat strangers with kindness and hospitality. I liked how Maya while rooted in her religion also felt compelled to speak up for herself when it came to traveling by herself and working to support herself. I think one of my main complaints was the bad luck curse she claimed for herself. It got to be a bit irritating. I can understand how it was embedded in the fact that her dad left their family and it’s great that it’s one of the things her therapist was working on with her, but it still felt dramatic and immature at times (which can kinda make sense since she started attributing her bad luck to being cursed at ten years old). I enjoyed the aspect of forbidden love especially when it’s revealed that the traveling companion she acquired ended up being her fiancé’s estranged half brother. I also appreciated how even though their culture is based on strict gender roles that her mom and sister ended up supporting her no matter what regardless of judgment from others. It was also nice that her fiancé ended up feeling the same way about calling off the wedding and racing her to get to the train station and catch his brother in time, although a bit unrealistic and predictable. All in all I thought it was cute and good for Muslim culture to be represented, but it’s a shame that there were instances like them touching and sharing a bed, her missing prayers, etc. disappointed Muslim readers.

The main character felt like a villain instead of the lead. I did not want to root for her. Nonetheless I understand the intention of making an unlikeable and flawed character the focus, it holds up a mirror. A valiant attempt and I look forward to more books from Alina Khawaja

This was a cute and clean romcom that had some enjoyable moments. Maya, the heroine, had her funny moments, and I especially liked learning more about the Muslim faith and Pakistani culture. It was an interesting and refreshing perspective. However, the writing felt a bit choppy at first, and it took me some time to really get into the story.

One downside for me was that the book seemed to portray Muslims in a way that didn’t quite feel accurate or fair. That aside, there’s a lot to like here. Maya is confident in her faith and how she practices it, which is heartfelt but not overly traditional. The hero is a genuinely grumpy guy (sometimes kind of unpleasant, but in a very real way), and as the story goes on, you realize there’s more to him than meets the eye. The 'love triangle' element was handled well, and the discarded fiancé is actually a super nice guy who I felt deserved his own story.

I think the book might have worked even better with fewer romcom clichés. If the author had trusted the story and allowed the characters to develop a bit more naturally, it could have really shone. Still, it’s a fun and heartfelt read if you’re into light-hearted romance with some cultural depth.

I appreciated that this was a love story told from the perspective of a brown girl who was trying to do right by her family but it almost came off a little cringe to me. I really felt like a lot of the “chemistry” was forced between the FMC and the MMC and the FMC’s fiancé did not have realistic dialogue or reactions.

This was a cute and clean romcom. Maya was funny at times and I enjoyed learning more about the Muslim faith and Pakistani culture! I think the writing felt a bit choppy and took me a little while to get into.

Enjoyed this debut romance novel from Alina Khawaja! I enjoyed learning about the Pakistani culture through the romance between our main characters.

I really enjoyed this book and getting a glimpse into now another culture handles dating and marriage. I also enjoyed some of the surprises the author gifted us with. As someone who is out in the dating market here in the USA, it's hard to imagine living in a culture where they do arranged marriages, although sometimes I wonder if I would be better off in that kind of culture. This book fed that curiosity. The main characters were very charming and I enjoyed spending time with them. I look forward to reading future books from this author.

My Top-Five-style Review:

5. Maya's belief that she was cursed became frustrating as the story progressed, especially since her behavior lacked common sense. Because of this, the story kept me at arm's length. Maya wasn't cursed as much as annoyingly naive. 

4. The inclusion of infidelity in this story was a significant disappointment for me. Both characters showed a lack of respect for the female main character's engagement, which was frustrating. This element felt entirely out of character, especially for two characters who seemed deeply committed to their religion and beliefs. It felt like a betrayal on multiple levels.

3. This book cleverly employs a few fantastic tropes: fake dating, road trip/travel mishaps, and forced proximity. These elements added a delightful layer of fun and excitement to the story, keeping me thoroughly entertained.

2. This story's setting is truly one-of-a-kind: Switzerland and Pakistan. The vivid descriptions of these places took me on a delightful journey, making me feel like I was right there. It's a testament to the author's skill in painting a vivid picture of these unique locales.

1. I truly savored this book. It's a charming, heartwarming romance that beautifully showcases cultural diversity. The author's skillful storytelling and insightful cultural explanations made it a truly enlightening read. I always find joy in exploring cultures different from my own, and this book was a delightful journey in that regard.

Well written and sweet, I enjoyed the journey of these two characters and their development. I do always like when a book is written in first person POV, as it helps me relate to the story and characters easier than third person POV. It was a good book - just not a "wow" factor, it's easily forgettable.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

This book frustrated me at times because it took the FMC so long to get it together but she finally did and as it's a romance, there was the requisite HEA. I liked reading about all the travels. It was a debut and I look forward to reading more by this author.

Maya. Girl, I feel you.

Being a reformed people pleaser, I really enjoyed reading about Maya's journey to FINALLY doing something for herself... Even if the big thing did take her the whole dang book, I was straight up yelling at this girl like I was a paid life coach or something.

This book made me feel so many feelings. I love the familial bonds that are shown in the book and all the references to the main characters' culture and religion were easy to understand. (even though I think the MCs may need to take a step back and assess their beliefs after all the religious rule breaks tbh) I don't know very much about Pakistani culture or the Muslim faith, but I didn't spend any of the book confused about what was happening.

To end my review I LOVE LOVE! I'm so glad they finally loved each other, I was about ready to blue skidoo into that book and conk heads!!!

Maya Mirza may think she’s romantically cursed, but honestly, I think she’s just plain cursed. And although it may be for plot purposes, I can’t help but be annoyed by how almost everyone around her gaslights her into thinking she isn’t unlucky when she clearly is. Fortunately, Maya is likable and one of the most relatable characters I’ve encountered, which made this book an easier read. I loved how I could relate to Maya’s lack of close friends and her experiences travelling alone as a woman. However, unlike me, Maya has more inner strength than I do, as I don’t think I could continue to maintain the sunny outlook she has on life if I went through as much bad luck as she does in this book. Maya’s Laws of Love is just as much about Maya learning to re-frame how she views her “bad luck” as it is about her learning to love and put herself first. And while I’m all for books where the female protagonist learns to center themselves and their desires, the way it’s written in this book felt like the reader was being repeatedly hit over the head with this message. Still, Maya’s Laws of Love has its charms. I enjoyed the various travel descriptions and the nods to Korean drama tropes, and while the romance isn’t what Muslim readers would call a “halal” romance, I did appreciate the realistic way it was handled in the end. But what stuck out the most were the unexpected moments where the characters did something that surprised you. Without spoiling too much, my favourite thing about this book was its twist on the runaway bride trope. It was refreshing to see that there was no actual “villain” among the involved parties. Overall, Maya’s Laws of Love was a solid effort for a debut that made for an imperfect but quick read.

I have had almost a month without my Kindle and now I have it back, I have been able to take a break from cleaning my print bookshelf and hoping to read some of the ebooks I had. This had been one I have been meaning to read for a couple of months now and this one I loved more than I thought I would. It was such a fun sweet story of strangers/enemies to lovers. The other thing I enjoyed about this book was the insight into the culture of Pakistani/ Muslims and arranged marriages. Maya has never been lucky in love and believes she is cursed as so many things always go wrong and crazy happens whenever something good is about to happen. Maya is set to be married in an arranged marriage, the thing though is that deep down Maya doesn't love him and believes that the love will grow and she must settle. Her experience on the way to her wedding will open her eyes to realize, that she does deserve to be happy and that out there is someone who will love her for her crazy and all. Love strikes us when we least expect it, which is what happens to Maya when she ends up seated next to Safaraz on the airplane, and then when a storm strikes and the pair are stranded in Switzerland, they end up spending time together and heading on their journey to Pakistan. What happens though when Maya realises that the guy she has fallen for, happens to be her groom's older brother? Will Maya go for her groom and be the good girl they expect and settle or will she take a stab in the dark and a chance for true love and choose her travel buddy?

I really wanted to love this book and support a fellow BIPOC author. However, from the moment it started I didn't connect with the book nor the plot overall. The concept is cute but there are tropes in this that will never work for me, especially if it's the cheating trope. I think from the moment I learned that it was heading in that direction I had to stop and re-evaluate if I actually even wanted to see this book to the end. Overall, I think the author has a bright future and her writing is really strong, but the story and the characters just weren't my cup of tea this time around.

I finally read this via library book and truly truly enjoyed it. This was a refreshing take on the overused stereotype of the overbearing South Asian parent –– it was a real portrayal rather than a one dimension story that revolves around "I hate my mom." Maya was a really strong and complex character, and even though her thought processes around the "laws of love" frustrated me at times, the author made it abundantly clear that her feelings around love were impacted by her upbringing and childhood trauma. I loved that this book included mentions of Maya's therapy visits, and that even though there were many moments where Maya could feel ashamed, she chose to be brave. I liked how this Desi family wasn't constantly plagued by the "what will people think" mentality, and chose to put their own happiness in front of other's judgements. Maya was an incredible example of putting yourself and your needs before the "community" that is quick to tear you down. I also really enjoyed her sister as a character. She was incredibly supportive of Maya, and I think it was refreshing to read a sibling relationship where they weren't rivals or pitted against each other in any way. In fact, Maya's mom encouraged them both to find themselves and flourish as individuals. This was an incredible book, and I can't recommend it enough!

Maya’s Laws of Love by Alina Khawaja had well-developed characters and a plot that was engaging. This book was a great read. I highly recommend!

**Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the e-ARC. All opinions expressed are voluntary and my own.**

I dnf this because the cheating trope was not disclosed. I love learning about new cultures but I can’t read past my own TWs sometimes.