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!

Book Stats:
Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐(4/5)
Spice Rating: Clean Romance ❤️
Tropes: Fake-Dating, Right person-wrong time, running to catch the other lead before they leave forever
Publisher: Harlequin Publishing
Review:

*Thank you so so much to Harlequin publishing for giving me a copy of this book to read for free in exchange for a free review- I wasn't expecting to get approved, so it really means a lot that you trust little old me to do the book justice!*

On her way to her arranged wedding in Pakistan, Maya gets trapped in a cycle of freak travel accidents. Her plane gets grounded in Switzerland, her bus to her family home's town breaks down and a whole bunch of other shenanigans. Luckily though, instead of having to face all of this alone, she somehow ropes in the stranger sitting next to her on the plane-who was very much a jerk to her when they met in the airport the first time, to facing all of this with her. They face a mount of challenges. The real question boils down to- will Maya make it to the wedding on time, and if so, will she still go thru with it?

So first off, I love the idea of this being a travel romance. It really sets it apart from your other romance novels. It is not your sterotypical plot line is what I am trying to say. It kept me constantly engaged too. I will say also that the plot twist that happen are perfect and really balanced, you think after so many of them that the reader may tire, but I know i didn't. I think this maybe was the author brings a really fresh one every time.

I absolutely LOVED the characters in this one. They had great chemistry and the dynamic they had was really really different and unique. I also loved the character growth. The author does an amazing job with writing it.

The micro tropes in this book sent me into a tizzy. Y'all know those "My wife" moments that we all freak out over on booktok about? There was one perfectly well executed in this book and it may have made me scream a little in class. 😅
Also, the diversity. Can we just take a moment for that alone?

If your someone who doesn't prefer spicy, I think this may be one worth picking up. There is none in this novel whatsoever(and let me be clear in saying-I don't think it needs it.)

I truly struggled with the emotional angst and messiness of Maya’s journey in this book. While wanting to honor what the author attempted to portray, this story was not the romance it promised to be. The story felt underdeveloped, messy, and there was a stunning lack of character growth.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced review copy.

Before getting into my thoughts, let me just start by saying that Maya felt like the most relatable character ever. She is a people-pleaser to the max and she also has these “laws” that she believes govern her life. That’s an important part to share as it ends up essentially being the crux of the entire story.

Maya is about to get married to a fiance she doesn’t love and things only get worse as she ends up next to a rude seatmate and has to deal with her plane making an emergency landing in Switzerland. Of course, she ends up running into her annoying seatmate, Sarfaraz, and the two end up forming an unlikely friendship.

While the two are trying to make it to Pakistan, it’s clear they have a connection and don’t want to admit it to themselves. Eventually, they’re able to make it to Pakistan but find out something no one wants to even imagine. In a way though, Alina Khawaja managed to pull the entire thing off without making it seem too unbelievable.

Aside from a bit of suspending your disbelief, this was a really fun debut with a surprising amount of drama and angst for a cartoon cover. I ended up reading Maya’s Laws of Love in one sitting so I’m dying for the next book from Khawaja because this was just too good in the best way.

I don’t want to give too much away, but Maya’s Laws of Love will have you laughing, groaning, and screaming for them to just kiss already. It’s truly a slow burn in the best way so I highly recommend it if you’re looking for something fun with just a splash of drama and angst for good measure.

I am always eager to try books by new to me south asian writers, especially if they're about south asian characters finding love. In this book, Maya and Sarfaraz are the 2 MCs and end up having to spend a lot of time in forced closed proximity en route to Pakistan where Maya is getting married. After their plane derails them in Switzerland, they end up sharing a hotel room and spending a lot of time together and when they finally land in Pakistan, they have to spend more time together before they actually end up in their actual destination. It's cute (although, there is a very startling scene of them being robbed at gunpoint which I could have done without) and even when I got frustrated with Maya and her reasonings for why she was doing what she was doing, I understood them as well. The one scene that kind of shocked me was towards the end when Maya goes to find Sarfaraz at the bus station and they kiss in public in Pakistan. I have never been to Pakistan but I can't imagine people do that there. I'm from India and people don't even do that in India. So, that particular scene felt a little off to me. I'm glad there was on page therapy and I really liked the story overall.

Content Notes: on page gunpoint robbery

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book from the very first page. It was wonderful!

3.75 rounded up

Thank you to NetGalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

This was SUCH a fun debut and the perfect book to get me out of my reading slump and also remind me again just how fun reading can be.

This was overall such a fast-paced and chaotic story as we watch Maya make her journey from Canada to Pakistan for a wedding that she feels, at best, lukewarm about. Watching her meet the male mc and reading just how many times their journey was upended was actually so stressful and emotionally charged.

On that note, I think Khawaja absolutely nailed hitting the emotional beats of this book — while their relationship did feel underdeveloped at times due to the pacing/short timeframe, the tumultuous emotions that emerged from the development of their relationship felt very visceral. So many times, I was so anxious for our characters and felt embarrassed on behalf of the fmc.

However, this was honestly a detriment to my reading experience at times because of the rash actions of our characters and the context of their relationship which is developed in reference to Maya’s fiance. Consequently, (and I know this is likely unintentional by the author), the emotional cheating and the anxiety regarding the unavoidable fallout made me too restless which hindered my enjoyment overall.

Though, I do have to say that I think Khawaja nails the ending in a satisfying way that does make up for this in some ways! And I absolutely still think this is 100% worth the read because of how fun, fluffy, and angsty it is!

This book was adorable and enjoyable, although the writing and characters seemed a bit immature and not as developed as I had hoped. If you're seeking a fast-paced, thrilling book with a cute encounter on a plane, then this book is perfect for you. I must admit, when I read romance novels, I usually don't anticipate what might occur, so the surprise reveal at the end did catch me off guard, and I commend the author for that. The highlight of the book, in my opinion, was when the main character ventured off to explore a place she had always dreamed of visiting. Overall, this book was just average for me, but I'm certain it may resonate more with others, particularly a younger audience.

you put your trust in a “muslim” pakistani romance? stupid ho, how you figure. (wise words i will keep close to my heart because i can’t do this anymore.)

maya overall is relatable 70% of time. she is her, i am me, so for that, i was willing to pretend some things didn’t happen, but not for long.

this is cute and you’re willing to overlook that the romance is not halal at all, because life, and it’s a fictional story. UNTIL THE MUSLIM GIRL AND GUY SHE MET 5 DAYS AGO SHARE A BED WHILE SHE’S LITERALLY DAYS AWAY FROM HER WEDDING TO ANOTHER MAN. but ofc the girlie (maya) and the stranger guy (sarfaraz) prayed fajr late in this room they share together. and ofc she will mention she overslept so she had to pray dhuhr and asr together??? just don’t mention it. so so awkward.

some stupid quotes: 
“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.” not TECHNICALLY. it’s forbidden period. why are you trying to force something so much.

“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!’” WHATTTTTT.

i will leave it at that. some quick thoughts, but hopefully enough to give you an idea of what you’re going into. ◡̈

This was such a cute book..I found my self wanting to know more about Maya and why she has these rules for her love life and I feel like life in general. I found the culture in this book to be so interesting. The whole book was on series of events or as Maya would say curses in her way to get married. I must say I figured so things out pretty early but I think I liked that. And the whole talk about K dramas that was amazing! It is a grumpy meets sunshine but the sunshine isn’t quite sure of her self and grumpy makes things much better.
I love that things were explained about arranged weddings and the family dynamic in the Pakistani culture. But I really liked that the author used Arabic words in the book. I only know a bit of Arabic and that helped so I kind of wish there was a dictionary in the back for the words that were used that I didn’t know. I think I got them from context but I would love to have known what the word really was.
Very fun sweet book

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an ARC for my honest review.

I crave to see Pakistani characters in contemporary romance and as such, I was super excited to read this book!

This is the author’s debut novel and much to my delight, I loved it given it had such a Bollywood movie feel to it!

The Pakistani representation in a contemporary romance was very heartwarming to see for the first time. The story is set in Canada and Pakistan.

I could relate to the female MC, Maya. The story is narrated from her POV. She believes she is cursed when it comes to romantic love but deep down, that is her way of dealing with parental abandonment issues from her childhood.

To get her mom off her back, she agrees to an arranged marriage with a doctor. However, on her solo travel journey to Pakistan for her wedding, she meets a cynical lawyer, Sarfaraz, who becomes her travel companion when they get stranded in Switzerland and feelings start to develop. Who will she choose in the end?

I appreciated the overarching themes portrayed in the novel that a woman is not incomplete without a partner and that she is enough on her own. However, it is also perfectly okay to want companionship to share your life with someone but on your own terms.

DNF'd at 20%. The whole Idea felt a little far fetched and the MC kept mentioning how she couldn't/shouldn't do something and then doing exactly that. The MMC was also kind of bland and just not that likeable.

I totally understood Maya’s ‘Crash Landing On You’ Switzerland dreams because one of the biggest flexes in my life is that I’ve been to the pretty Christmas shop shown in ‘Goblin’. If you too wanted to travel to Switzerland after watching CLOY but have neither time or money, you can read this. I felt like I was travelling vicariously through the characters. Kdrama references aside, this is so very Bollywood. I could hear the ‘ahhhhahhahhh’ in the last scene (bollyfans know what I’m talking about right?); and in true Bollywood fashion there’s a good dose of juicy drama, revelations, and rebellion. However, Maya’s rash (and unsafe) actions regarding Sarfaraz, especially as a fiancée, made the romance a bit uncomfortable. I do think I would have enjoyed this a lot more had that been remedied. Especially considering Sarfaraz’s own backstory. Other than that, this was an entertaining read. Closed door modifications: this is a clean romance. Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC.