I read the blurb of this book and got excited to read a romance book from two cultural back grounds. I honestly was a bit lost at the beginning. Well. It seemed to begin very slowly and I wanted to read more about the leading female Muslim life. Also, would she really get in bed with someone 5 days before her wedding? Anyways, thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this.

"No one is incapable of love, but we all have the ability to sabotage our own happiness, even if we don't realize it."

“Right when you think you've got it figured out, the world will humble you.”

"Allah created us in pairs, after all. But I don't think everyone marries their soul-mate." My thoughts drift to my own parents' broken marriage.
"But I think the people who do are the luckiest people in the world, though, and it'd be nice if I did, too."

"You don't need someone to find you, Maya.
Yu i end our le ay ake, youile and in that he ay;
The ghost of a pained smile touches his face. "And that's when you'll truly be okay."

Such a sweet, goofy, funny, insightful and cultural driven romance story!! I loved it!!! When I started it, I don’t really know what I was expecting. I only know what I was not expecting to get out of this story with a better understanding of the desi and Pakistani culture and traditions … and with a massive crush on the strangers to lovers trope!!! This book had the ability be a slow burn almost as much as it was a struck by lightning kinda romance. Maya, our FMC, is about to get married but for all the wrong reasons!! Starting from the fact that she thinks she is cursed - especially when it comes to her love life - and she is following an arranged marriage to someone she cares about but whom she has nothing in common with. Only, when she is about to leave Canada for Pakistan, her flight gets turbulence so she has to delay her arrival. On the plane though, she meets an unexpected grumpy partner who will give her perspective about life. How can you connect more with one stranger in a day than you can with a person you care about in a life is still beyond me. But sometimes it does happen and I love how it was portrayed in this book!!! I’m so so glad I got a chance to read it and I can’t wait for it to be out !!!

"You can't promise what's going to happen in the future, but you can promise you'll be there for each other in the moment."

"Being in love is...like walking through a field of sun-flowers," I begin, gesturing toward the door and the fields be-yond. The lines in Aqsa's forehead deepen with understanding.
"It's full of bright colors and beautiful scenery, and the stalks are so tall it feels like things will go on forever." I scrunch my nose.
"But sometimes you forget the stalks are clustered together, and you can scratch yourself, and you can trip over roots that burst from the ground. Sometimes it feels like you're stumbling through the field, unaware of which direction you're going in, and you get so scared and frustrated all you want to do is fall to the ground and weep." My chest swells. "But then you remember you have someone holding your hand. Someone who also sees the bright colors and the tall stalks, and who also scratches themselves and trips. And suddenly you're not alone anymore."

A rom com set in Switzerland and Pakistan, Maya is flying to Pakistan for her arranged marriage when she's stranded in Switzerland with Sarfaraz. They find themselves sharing a hotel room and then feelings they did not expect. Maya is said to be observant and yet she does not behave that way, And to be best, Sarfaraz does not respect that either. How you feel about this novel might depend on how you feel about the inconsistencies. I read it as a clean romance meant to diversify the characters in the genre. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC.

Well this was absolutely darling.

It had the movie Leap Year vibes but was cuter, Desi and has a curse!

Maya is cursed when it comes to love- anytime she wants to start a relationship something goes terribly awry. To get her mother’s permission to leave the house and teach in South Korea she must be engaged so she has an arrangement with someone she kind of knew briefly in school. She is headed to Pakistan for her wedding and 🤞 everything will work out great and she can thwart her curse.

This was funny, sweet and had such endearing characters. I always love the big family dynamics in Desi romances with nosy aunties and overbearing siblings.
Definitely a fan of Alina Khawaja and wanna read more from them.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harelquin for an eARC.

Maya believes wholeheartedly that she is cursed. She has come up with a set of laws to explain life ever since her dad passed away. On her way to Pakistan for her arranged marriage, she meets an unexpected stranger that makes her question her life choices. As she travels with this new stranger, she is challenged in ways she never expected. Next she has to figure out if expectations are more important than being true to herself. This was a cute story with twists and turns that really kept me engaged. A fun rom com with some depth. Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Maya believes she is cursed, and bases her laws of love off of Murphys Law (anything bad that can happen will happen) On her flight to her wedding in Pakitan, the plane makes an emergency landing and Switzerland under a storm passes. She ends up spending most of her time and Switzerland and the journey to Pakitan with her seat mate (Sarfaraz) who she thought was a jerk from the first time they met.

Any thing that could go wrong during her trip went wrong to the point as it either predictable to somewhat unbelievable. Also making the book/story a lot longer than it needed to me.

While I like Maya and Sarfaraz invidually and they had so much potential, I really hated that a) there was cheating involved and b) he was her soon to be husband's (never mention/forgotten brother. I would loved to see a romance between but however in a different plot line.

3 stars

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher a copy of this ebook. All thoughts in this review are my own.

I enjoyed the heck out of this book! It was so sweet and adorable it had my heart melting. I can’t believe this is a debut novel!

Maya is convinced she’s cursed. Especially when it comes to love. She’s headed to Pakistan for her arranged marriage to a handsome doctor. While traveling, everything that could go wrong, went wrong. Starting with the rude but handsome stranger she gets stuck sitting by on the plane.

This book had me laughing and swooning the whole time. The romance was super sweet and I enjoyed seeing how their relationship grew throughout the story. The representation in the book was incredibly done as well. I highly recommend checking this one out!

Thank you so much to Mira and NetGalley for the e-arc! This beauty releases on March 26th and you don’t wanna miss it!

This story was very sweet and lovely. I think it might end up falling in an odd middle ground between the Muslim girlies who want a more halal story and the regular romance girls who want a spicier story. For me I enjoyed it for what it was, I liked the two main characters (although surprised by some of their actions), I really appreciated the approach of tackling the difference between culture and religion, believe the parts that were a little less entertaining could have use more tension or a little spice but this wasn’t the story for that.
Overall enjoying for a clean contemporary cultural romance.

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.