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.

this book is messy, cliché, angsty, adorable, funny and chaotic. like, really chaotic. words cannot even begin to describe how giddy this read made me feel. i absolutely fell in love with the two main characters: maya mirza and sarfaraz porter. both were swoon-worthy.

throughout her entire life, maya has believed she’s cursed when it comes to love so much so that she’s come up with a list of laws to try and explain it, i.e. murphy’s law. the biggest one being, trying to accept that love will come after marriage.

maya is flying to pakistan (where she’s on the way to her own arranged wedding), and after she switches seats to reunite a separated family, her seat neighbor is none other than sarfaraz – or, The Jerk – she bumped into earlier pre-boarding the plane. so many mishaps and shenanigans occurs that keeps pulling maya and sarfaraz together (that she attributes to the curse) leading to them quickly leaning on each other as they’re both traveling alone.

this may sound bad, but even though she’s engaged to another, kind and respectable man – who she does not love! – the banter and the secret stolen glances maya and sarfaraz experience with each other, sold me very early on. i became their #1 cheerleader, waiting patiently for them to stand up for themselves (individually and together). they both grow so much throughout the book and both of their yellow and/or red flags become green in the end. they were made for each other, simple as that.

throughout the book, i had theories about the big plot twist and i was pleasantly surprised to discover i was sort of right about it, which i didn’t mind because it was written well. but even though i enjoyed the plot twist and maya and sarfaraz’s chemistry, i was still perplexed – stumped? – at how easily and quickly the conflict was resolved. but at the same time, it sort of made sense for maya and sarfaraz. they literally fell in love in less than two weeks! all that being said, even though i didn’t mind it, i still could’t give it a full 5 stars because the resolution and happily-ever-after felt rushed to me.

as someone who isn’t a part of the muslim culture and/or religion, or even desi or its diaspora, i found this book beautifully detailed and educational. there were numerous times where i would pause my read and look up specific terms and learn more about them and i even found myself looking up traditional desi wedding dresses and attire and admiring them because of how beautiful the grooms and brides looked in the photos.

overall, this is a very promising debut novel for alina and i cannot wait to see what she does next. i like reading books about people who were raised vastly different from me. this book was fun and had great banter, sweet characters, and angsty plot. i will definitely recommended it if that interests you.

note: i have faith that by the time of publication, all format and grammatical errors are corrected so i can overlook it in my review. this one is based solely on the plot and characters.

I love love loved this book! Maya and Sarfaraz were such lovable main characters and watching them fall in love with each other while enduring a series of unfortunate travel-related events was entertaining and sweet. I loved how they instinctively took care of each other at different times.
Maya’s character being torn between what her family wants, what she thinks her family wants, what she wants, and what she thinks she wants is a very relatable conflict. I loved seeing her grow to trust her instincts and put her heart out there as the book went on.
I also really appreciated learning about Pakistani/Desi/Islamic wedding traditions and culture and the chapters that Maya and Sarfaraz spend traveling in Pakistan were particularly special. I loved Khawaja’s descriptions of the small town they stayed in.
Wonderful book with delightful tension and a super sweet HEA!

This book was a fun, quick read. Maya felt a bit childish at times but I loved her character development and following her heart. I love the chapter titles! I love the cover and the dedication. I felt like their romance was really cute and appropriate to the culture/story. I enjoyed learning more about the culture and customs as well.

Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, MIRA for the arc!
Pub date: 3/26/24

This book was so sweet. A super-fast read with exactly what I want from romance: people figuring things out about themselves and each other. Maya is so funny and her anxieties are relatable, and she really made this book special.

i sadly did not finish this one. i don’t think it was necessarily poorly written, but i just don’t think the writing style was for me. i felt no connection to the characters, and couldn’t really feel their chemistry. once again, i want to reiterate that this might have just been a personal opinion, so im not saying to not give this book a chance. it just wasn’t my cup of tea!

3.5 ⭐️

What I loved: The incredibly fun and accurate desi representation (immaculate Jab We Met and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge vibes).

What didn't work for me: The MMC was sweet, thoughtful, and attentive, but had some glaring red flags. And the FMC was too naive and almost childish to the point that I couldn't tell how old she was (I kept thinking she was in her early twenties, but it turns out she's 25+). As the book went on, I found her "laws" annoying and felt like excuses for her lack of self-responsibility and accountability. And her constant proclamation about being cursed and citing literally mundane life experiences as evidence of the curse stopped being cute real fast.

Edit: I didn't know this was the author's debut! What a strong start!! Can't wait to read more from the author :)

This book was cute and fun, though the writing and characters felt a bit childish and not as fully developed as I had wanted. If you're looking for a quick, adventure-filled book with a meet-cute on a plan, this book is for you. I will say, that whenever I read romance books I don't typically think ahead to what could happen and the reveal towards the end did surprise me so I will give the author points for that. My favorite part of the book was when the MC goes to explore on her own somewhere that she's always wanted to travel. Again, this book was just okay for me, but I'm sure others may enjoy it more than me, especially a younger audience.

I loved this book! I felt like I was on an adventure with the main character Maya as she is on her way to Pakistan for her wedding. This book was funny, engaging, heartfelt, and addressed personal struggles that she had with her cultural identity (with her role in society and her culture's view on marriage) and her personal identity of being an independent woman (who grew up in North America).
I felt every sort of emotion in this book: I laughed, I swooned over the MMC, and I also cried (I think it was the FMC personal growth and her relationship with her Mom).

The last 20% of this book I had no idea how she was going to get out of the situation.

Again, I can't say enough about this book and I can't wait to get it when it releases.

This was such a sweet and delightful read!

Maya is about to enter an arranged marriage but fate has other plans and on the plane there she ends up sitting next to someone who might just be her love match….

I worried about the reaction of Maya’s family when she found herself and decided to follow her own path but all characters were understanding, kind and sympathetic making this the perfect uplifting romance.

Had to dnf- honestly the main characters voice was too grating and to start the novel with a therapy session was strange…