On the way to her arranged wedding in Pakistan, Maya gets stranded in Switzerland with a handsome but cynical lawyer. This well-written novel is intense with a leisurely pace. The tone is more serious than I expected.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

I was given an ARC by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Maya’s Laws of Love by Alina Khawaja is a sweet contemporary romcom with Pakistani-Canadian leads. Maya is on her way to her arranged marriage in Karachi to her friend from college, she meets Sarfaraz, a biracial family lawyer, also on his way to Karachi. When their plane gets stuck in Switzerland for a few days, the pair grow closer as they make their way to Pakistan.

What I really liked was the conversations regarding the diaspora experience, the displays of Maya’s rich, inner world (she loves K-dramas and spent two years teaching in South Korea), and how trauma can manifest in things like rules to give people some form of control.

Maya and Sarfaraz are so cute together. Sarfaraz does initially start off as a bit of a grump, but he’s got his own stuff going on that we get to explore that informs his views on marriage, relationships, and how people assume that he is white. I was really looking forward to every interaction between the two and could have probably read another two hundred pages of them just being together.

I would recommend this to fans of romantic comedies, readers looking for SWANA leads in a romance, and lovers of the grumpy x sunshine trope.

Thank you to Harlequin for providing access to an early copy!

Maya's Laws of Love is a debut romance by Alina Khawaja that follows the story of Maya, who seemingly is cursed with bad luck. On the way to Pakistan, for her wedding, she meets a stranger, who brings about wild changes in her life. From the start, I was invested in the story, seeing Maya's laws and how they shape her actions in her life. It was fun to see all the mishaps though it's unfortunate or should I say fortunate with what happens to her. It reminded me a lot of the old bollywood movies starring actors like Shahrukh Khan. Sarfaraaz was such a refreshing hero. I loved how they get to know each other and the unfortunate turns of events. I loved how Maya's outlook on her life slowly changed by the end. It was a damn good story and my roomies were equally invested when I was reading it to them.
If you're into feel-good romances with a lot of funny moments, then I definitely recommend Maya's Laws of Love. I read it aloud to my roommates and they were just as into it as I was, so that's saying something.

This story was unique as it takes place in Switzerland and Pakistan (neither is a country I've read as the setting of a romance book) and it was charming at times, however there were too many issues in my tastes for me to overlook. Early on, you can tell Maya is agreeing to marriage to please her mom and the expectations placed on her as a Desi daughter. But her and Sarfaraz definitely took place in some sort of emotional affair, and for him to allow their kiss knowing she was his brother's fiancé was not something I was a fan of either.

I wish the book's conclusion had Maya get to have some sort of the independence she was craving. Thank you MIRA, Harlequin, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

did not finish @ 37%

Honestly, there was nothing objectively bad about this book; I was just pretty bored and didn't feel like finishing something that I could tell would be a 3 star review at best. Maybe I'll come back to this book in the future.

4 stars
Clean romance (one kiss scene)

This was a really good debut novel that almost read like a coming of age story despite the character being a full grown adult. (Sometimes it be like that tho with us Brown kids) I enjoyed Maya’s journey to healing and authenticity. And I obviously loved loved loved the scenes with her therapist in the beginning and end as a therapist myself.

The twist with Sarfaraz, I expected to some capacity and yet still gasped when we got to it. That twist is a bit hard to pull off (won’t say more and ruin it) but the author managed to pull it off well enough!

Overall really good story of growth, healing, and love.

'Maya's Laws of Love' by Alina Khawaja was a journey through cultural and familial expectations, with Maya's struggle to find herself at the forefront. While her immaturity sometimes grated on me, I couldn't shake off the ick factor from her relationship with the stranger she's stranded with – honesty with her fiancé seemed like the better choice. The inconsistent portrayal of Maya's beliefs and actions, such as her reluctance to reveal her bare legs but later sharing a bed with Safaraz, was confusing and detracted from the story's coherence. Despite some confusion about the narrative's direction, Khawaja's portrayal of Muslim faith and Pakistani culture added valuable depth to the story.

This was cute, but ultimately not my type of romance entirely.

I never felt completely connected to the characters and I felt their relationship wasn’t real enough. It just felt a bit flat for me.

I’m not in any position to comment on the religious aspects of the book. I found it interesting though I’m not a person who affiliates with any religion. I did, however, see some concerning opinions about this representation on Goodreads.

If you’ve got a bit of wanderlust and are craving a book that feels like a hug, this book is probably for you.

This romance novel was so touching. The setting and travel from Canada to Switzerland and Pakistan was lovely and unique. I really enjoyed learning more about Pakistani and Muslim culture and traditions. The characters are strong and well developed.

The romance was sweet and the chemistry palpable. To me this felt like a nice balance in between enemies-to-lovers and friends-to-lovers. It was tender and clever.

For a romantic comedy I would say this one leans more into the sentimental than humor. Not as snarky as some I’ve read. While I enjoyed that element I will say I think it was a bit heavy on inner monologue at times and felt a little long. The tone of the book is highly reflective and makes for strong character development. This is a story about finding your own voice as much as it is a romance. I adored it.

I am already looking forward to Khawaja’s next book publishing next year!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review. Publication day is March 26th!

[Spice Rating - PG, some steamy kissing]

Maya Mirza is flying to her arranged wedding in Pakistan when all her plans go awry! After an emergency landing in Switzerland she finds herself in the company of her plane seat-mate Sarfaraz. Initially they don't hit things off, but pretty quickly find themselves enjoying each other's company more than they anticipated (which is somewhat inconvenient when Maya is supposed to be on her way to her own wedding!). Through even more travel mishaps, they grow closer, and soon Maya finds herself questioning everything she thought she knew about love, marriage, and herself.

*4.5 stars*

This was an adorable romance novel. If you enjoy grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, clean romance, you should read this one! The conflict wraps up rather quickly at the end, but it's in true romcom fashion. I loved Maya and her journey to find her own identity and purpose as a first generation Pakistani-Canadian Muslim woman. This was a great debut novel and I will be on the lookout for any future books by Alina Khawaja.

Release date (US): March 26th

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I kind of wish I had read the author's note (posted as a review here on Goodreads) before requesting this ARC, or at least so I could adjust my expectations. Because both characters are Muslim, I was expecting a halal romance, but that's not what this is. It doesn't go beyond kissing, but I wasn't expecting it to go even there, so I found myself getting somewhat annoyed by what I saw as a bit of bamboozling. Not the author's fault; I should've done more research.

I really appreciated her note at the beginning of the book, about how things that are actually part of a culture are often attributed to the religion of Islam, and how everyone's experience as a Muslim is different. I'm not desi, so I can't speak to that part of the representation, but I do understand some of Maya's frustrations when it comes to being held back because she is a woman. That is, unfortunately, part of my culture, too. The author's love for Pakistan shines through here. I enjoyed how much she leaned into the cultural aspects and how she managed to still explain them for an audience not familiar with desi culture, without it feeling like it was written for non-desi people.

I do want to comment on the Muslim representation, though. In her Goodreads note, the author says: "but just because there is physical touch in this book does not negate the Muslim-ness of the characters, because being halal isn't all that it takes to be Muslim. it is the love of and devotion to Allah (SWT) that makes you Muslim, and then the decision of if you're good/bad is only up to God."

I don't want to comment on that sentiment, but I do want to say that, unfortunately, I didn't feel any of that coming from Maya or Sarfaraz. It's not that the name of Allah is never mentioned, it's just that it all feels very casual. There are a couple of references to Maya making up prayers because she missed them, but she never prays on time. It doesn't seem to be a priority. One reason why I'm always excited to read books with Muslim characters, is because I like reading about them practicing their faith, in both casual and not casual ways, and that part was missing for me.

Despite my dissatisfaction with that part, I did enjoy the story itself. I'm not usually a fan of road trip-like plots, but this one worked well for me for some reason. The dynamic between Maya and Sarfaraz was pretty fun. I do wish Sarfaraz hasn't been who he ended up being—his behavior is pretty shitty in my book, and was waved away way too easily. But this had its cute and funny moments, and was an enjoyable read overall.

As a Pakistani-American, it’s a rare occurrence to come across a romance that incorporates my religion and blended culture. So I knew I had to read this as soon as I saw what it was about.

Let me tell you, it was so comforting to read about the small details of my culture being represented, especially through the perspective of a Pakistani growing up as part of the diaspora. Also, I am aware that people get heated when religion comes into play, but I think the author addresses it properly in her note to the reader.

The novel itself is so delightful. I read the entire thing in one sitting and was giggling and laughing throughout. I felt the horror and embarrassment of the FMC from the situations she found herself in. I could relate (all too well) to the culturally nuanced mindset and her ensuing internal struggle. And I felt proud as she fought to find her voice through the noise of “log kya kahenge” (what will people say).

While the FMC’s story is one that a lot of people can relate to, it is one that will especially resonate with Muslim South Asians.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Maya’s Laws of Attraction was such a delightful read! Halfway through reading I knew this was going to be a top romance for 2024. Maya is convinced she’s cursed specifically cursed in love. By some miracle she is engaged and as she boards the plane that will take her wedding in Pakistan a series of mishaps begin landing her in Switzerland. She decides to enjoy these series of unfortunate events to enjoy the last few days she has a single woman, little does she know this will change the course of her life forever. Maya was so relatable! I found myself highlighting so many moments in this book. The author did an amazing job describing mother daughter relationships. Learning to balance your different cultures and beliefs. I found a lot of the traditions of Pakistani culture similar to my own Latine culture. The importance of family and marriage. The ideas surrounding independence and security. I truly enjoyed going on this journey with Maya and watching her find things along the way she truly thought she’d never get to experience. This book was romantic and filled with such beautiful and tender moments. I could not put this book down once I started. I loved the dynamic between Maya and Sarfaraz. They both learned a lot from each other and helped each other believe in love again. I think the author also did a great job showing one Muslim experience. I cannot comment truly on the representation but she wrote a book with flawed characters trying their best. They may not have made the “correct” choices according to their religion and culture but that’s true for a lot of people. Every journey is personal and I enjoyed learning about Pakistani culture in this way. This book was funny, romantic, emotional, and honest. I saw myself in Maya in so many ways and ultimately this was her journey. A journey of finding your voice and your happiness. 4.5⭐️

This book was a tough read for me. I enjoyed the elements of Pakistani culture and the Muslim faith that I learned. And the plot itself was a good story line, but it felt so clunky to me. The writing didn’t flow and it felt very unpolished. I had to really buckle-down and force myself to finish it because I just really couldn’t get into it.

This was...honestly a little painful to read. I thought I would find Maya relatable as a fellow Muslim, but she disregarded everything she KNEW was haram. “Maybe this will be one of the few times Allah feels bad for all the bad luck He gives me and says ‘Here, have a good day, as a treat!’” Really? I'm afraid this is going to horribly ATTEMPT to represent Islam when it in fact does not. No Muslim experience is the same, of course, but this went a little too far in disregarding (and borderline disrespecting) it.
Completely ignoring that, the prose is choppy and awkward. There's so much focus on "tell" instead of "show" that every action feels robotic and exhausting. It's difficult to fall into a story or even root for a character when the prose creates such distance between the story and reader.

This was very cute! There were aspects that didn't work for me, like opening the story with a bizarre therapy session—it felt a little awkward and contrived—but overall I really enjoyed this unique spin on an arranged marriage.

Travelling to Pakistan for her wedding, convinced getting married will solve her curse of bad luck, an emergency landing leaves Maya stranded in Switzerland alongside her grumpy seatmate, Sarfaraz.

I've said this plenty of times, but love triangles are my guilty pleasure! Despite Maya literally days away from getting married, I think there was a really genuine connection between her and Sarfaraz. Working together to arrive at their destination, their travels are interrupted by many pitstops filled with fun situations that continue to build the forbidden tension.

And let me tell you, I was not expecting the turn of events in the second half. Secrets! Drama! It was totally up my alley. On top of that, I loved reading about the various Pakistani wedding traditions!

DNF at 48%

i can’t do this anymore. i tried i swear this book angers me sooo much. and to all my fellow muslim girlies, it will probably trigger you too 🤧

who had the audacity to make this a “muslim romance” because um if you’re gonna make the two mcs muslim, here’s a small suggestion MAKE. IT. HALAL. this was anything but halal. it was haram on so many levels and at first I was like it’s okay i’ll power through bc it’s an arc and i would hate to not give it a full chance to redeem itself…!!

but i’ve read enough. let me get into all the reasons this is such false representation:

1- they held hands. that was probably the least crazy of them all but in Islam, you can’t touch a person of the opposite gender unless they’re your sibling or father or uncle. or if you’re married. they were none of those things


“Not only that, but because intimacy with the opposite sex is technically forbidden until marriage—even holding a guy’s hand is enough fodder for gossip in our community.”


wdym “technically” there’s nothing technical about it, it’s straight up facts ugh she annoys me so much even when she held his hand he jerked away but girl just would not budge

2 - he invited her to his hotel room. alone. you can’t be alone with a man until you’re married to him. and she just went with it 😭 she had NoWhErE eLsE tO sTaY apparently. it gets worse.

3 - she wore immodest clothes in front of him bc of a stain she has a stain on her outfit.


“I briefly study my outfit. I clear my throat and pretend like I didn’t notice he’s trying not to stare at the slight dip in my cleavage. The clothes in the stores here aren’t halal-girl friendly but it’s either that or walk around in my dirty clothes”


be so fr rn. this whole country and you couldn’t find 1 place that sells long sleeves or trousers? nope not buying it. even if that were the case I’d just take my dirty clothes, wipe it a little and get the hell out of that hotel room.

4 - SHE SLEPT IN HIS BED. omgg it just keeps getting crazier. like gurl you staying in his room is already shit, atleast sleep on the damn floor.

5 - she was engaged to someone else this whole time. so now there’s cheating involved too. and even if they didn’t kiss idk about you I still consider it all cheating. like she was literally on her way to her wedding when she met him.

6 - she kept missing all her prayers. sometimes you’re busy I get it or you’re out and can’t find the time but how easy is it to bring a prayer mat and hijab to work and just pray on your breaks. she works at a school too surely she could find a spare room.

some of you reading this review may think these are all totally normal things. holding hands, one bed trope. and they are!! ive read about it a million times before but it’s just the fact that it’s against the religion that’s annoyed me because why is this the representation we get?!!? why. and her being muslim served no relevance to the plot at all. obviously i didn’t finish the book so i can’t fully comment but from what ive seen if they took it out everything can remain the same. so either represent us properly or just don’t do it at all please 😭

but yeah to conclude this was not for me. at all ☹️💓 don’t let me put you off these are all my personal opinions and if you enjoy it, i’m really happy for you 🥹🫶🏼

honestly I think if you can overlook that it’s totally not halal, this would make a decent book. but I wasn’t and so I did not enjoy it. i had such high hopes what a shame. oh well ❤️‍🩹

thank you netgalley for providing me an arc in exchange for an honest review!

It’s a good Pakistani-Canadian book. I liked the representation of Muslim culture in a modern Western society. I just wish that there was more of a connection between the main leads. I really didn’t believe their love story or why they liked the other person. The characterization for both characters could’ve been more fleshed out. The background family stuff felt over the top and then resolved very quickly like bollywood movies. In fact, i thought the plot of the book was very reminiscent of the movies Dulhan Hum Le Jayenge and Chal Mere Bhai. I guess in a way the book felt very filmy.

I’m scrolling the reviews and see some chatter about the misrepresentation. I don’t think the book is trying to depict itself as an authentic Halal romance. It’s trying to show flawed Islamic characters within the Muslim culture they were brought up in. The hand holding, the kiss, and the sharing a bed doesn’t scream Halal but it’s more indicative of the assimilation.

“Maybe this will be one of the few times Allah feels bad for all the bad luck He gives me and says ‘Here, have a good day, as a treat!’”

I feel sick to my stomach. How can you call this a halal romance when I don’t see anything halal??

I’ve seen so many reviews on NetGalley thanking the author because they learned so much more about Islam and Muslims because of this book.
ISLAM WHERE??? MUSLIMS WHERE???

The number of times my religion and my god were disrespected in this book is unbelievable!!! The whole time I was reading, I truly thought Netflix would love turning this into a movie. I wouldn’t be surprised if they did. The only thing that was missing was the FMC removing her head scarf. Thankfully, the author didn’t make her a hijabi, or I would have lost it.

(Sama and I desperately need therapy
after reading this one)

I truly am grateful to the author and publisher for allowing me to read and review this ARC. This was a beautifully written story that gives a a front row view to the Pakistani Muslim culture. I liked that I was able to see romance through a different lens. The arranged marriage trope is always so popular in typical romance books. The author created her own spin on it. It’s refreshing to have the FMC make a huge choice to not conform to her “norms” but decide what was best for herself. The fact that the author added a twist and brought the FMC through a journey of getting to know herself with an unexpected ending for us readers. I enjoyed this a lot!