"The Big Day" by Aliya Ali-Afzal is a heartwarming and insightful novel that beautifully captures the excitement, chaos, and emotional rollercoaster of preparing for a wedding. Ali-Afzal’s writing is both engaging and full of warmth, offering a delightful blend of humor and poignancy as she explores the various dynamics at play in the lead-up to the big event.

The novel centers around a diverse cast of characters, each dealing with their own unique set of challenges, secrets, and expectations as the wedding day approaches. Ali-Afzal expertly weaves together their stories, creating a rich tapestry of relationships that reflect the complexities of love, family, and friendship. As tensions rise and emotions run high, "The Big Day" delves into themes of cultural identity, generational differences, and the pressures of living up to societal norms, all while maintaining a light and enjoyable tone.

With its relatable characters, sharp observations, and a plot filled with twists and turns, "The Big Day" is a thoroughly enjoyable read that captures the essence of what it means to celebrate love in all its forms. Aliya Ali-Afzal has crafted a novel that is as entertaining as it is thought-provoking, making it a must-read for fans of contemporary fiction that tackles real-life issues with heart and humor.

I mainly enjoyed this book but I felt irritated sometimes by the dynamic between Noor and her mother when they disagreed about the wedding planning. I wished Noor had sat down and had a proper conversation instead of burying her head which resulted in two venues being booked. Overall it was an enjoyable read though.

Content warning - Single parenting, absentee father.

"When your life has not gone according to plan from an early age, you live in fear of it happening again, and because you know things can go wrong, you prepare yourself by mentally always being ready for the next strike."

Meddling aunties are a universal phenomenon, and The Big Day captures this perfectly. When Desi and Italian cultures collide, especially in London, the result is bound to be tumultuous. Noor embodies the modern young woman, navigating the pressures of tradition in an era where people marry later or not at all.

This book is intensely emotional, making you feel every bit of Noor's anxiety and fear—a testament to the author's skill. The story beautifully depicts Noor's struggle between her simple desire for an English wedding and her mother's elaborate plans, rooted in cultural expectations.

What appeared to be a light read turned out to be a rich exploration of identity, culture, and love, with superbly drawn characters and a compelling narrative about balancing modern life with tradition.

Thank you so much to the author - Aliya Ali-Afzal as well as Zuzanna and the team at Tandem Collective and Head of Zeus for running this read-along.

Book review - No spoilers
The Big Day by Aliya Ali-Afzal
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Noor has never been interested in marriage, even scoffed at the idea of it, no matter what the aunties say; the trauma of her parents divorce has still has a huge hold on her. But then she meets the attractive Dr Dan and her world changes.
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She is now engaged to Dan and no one is more thrilled than her mother Leena. Twice-divorced herself she becomes the Mumzilla for hell! Where Noor and Leena have always been close this wedding could very well tear them apart!
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What can I say about this book? I loved this from beginning to end...there was so much I personally related to. Not only is this a story of a South Asian wedding/family, but I recently got married and though I didn't have the hardships Noor did I know the stress and emotion that comes with planning the perfect day.
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Being stuck between two cultures is also something that can be hard to juggle and Noor is right in the middle of that battle; wanting her own wishes for her dream day against the traditional views of her mothers'.
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It's also set between two of my favourite places...Richmond and Tooting, so when Aliya describes both places I can literally put myself in the story and walk beside Noor as she goes about her life.
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Even though Noor and Dan are the ones getting married, the real relationship is between Noor and Leena. The complexities between them is something a lot of South Asian women have to learn to journey through. It really is the heart of this story and this story has a lot of heart 💞
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This story gave me all the feels and I can't recommend it enough to everyone. Meddling aunties who comment about our bodies, family secrets, sweet romance, supportive gal pals, the closeness of a mother and daughter; this story has it all. Even if you are not of South Asian descent or of the Muslim faith, there are so many things that unite our experiences...love and family 🫶🏽
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I want to thank Netgalley for approving me to read the arc. I also want to say Happy birthday to the author Aliya who is celebrating today...thank you for sharing this story with us all. The Big Day is out 6th June!
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Favourite Quote:
"I'm not afraid of what might happen, I am.going to enjoy what is happening".

Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

I don’t normally like romantic fiction but this is heartwarming.

Typical family conflicts around a wedding reveal secrets that make for an engaging read.

I liked this book on the whole, but it had plus and minus points . I did like Noor and understand her complicated relationship with her single mother. I did think that the wedding preparation and the conflict about the arrangements dragged a little. I couldn't relate to Carlotta at all and Dan's character was too superficial, though the story is told from the point of view of Noor, I suppose. Perhaps alternating with either Dan's or her mother's viewpoint might have added more depth to the book.
There are a lot of characters and some of the storylines are left hanging. I did love the multicultural aspect but not all of the reasoning seemed completely believable, or is that just me ?
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC, great to read something a bit different

This book was incredible. I love this author so much so I will love everything that she writes but in particular this was so good! It's a different subject, a different type of love between mother and daughter. This author always finds a gap in the market and writes a story that is so different!! Absolutely loved

Having previously read this author's debut I knew that I was in for a treat with The Big Day.

Aliya Ali-Afzal has crafted a story that is so rich in culture and identity. As a British white woman I had no prior knowledge of Desi weddings but felt educated in the planning and traditions that take place throughout.

Noor is a wonderful main character and her story made me both happy and sad. I laughed out loud at some of the wedding planning scenes but also had a tear roll down my cheek at the third act reveal. Noor's mum definitely turned into a Mumzilla but the way the author told her story allowed some of her actions to make sense (even if I didn't agree with them!).

A really enjoyable read and I look forward to more from this author.

Thank you for granting me early access to this novel.
Aliya has done it again! I'm so tickled that I'm able to read this sophomore novel by an author I adore so much. I've always been fascinated by Desi weddings so it was lovely to get a fly on the wall perspective into the happenings of one. The author plays around with more characters unlike her last book and nothing gives me more joy than seeing the craft of an author evolve! Enjoyed this too much

The Big Day by Aliya Ali-Afzal

Noor would like a simple, elegant wedding but her Mum is appalled that she's not planning a traditional Desi extravaganza. Noor also has questions about her father who died when she was eight years old and whether she has any half-siblings, but her Mum refuses to discuss it. But how can Noor put her foot down and live a more authentic life when her Mum has sacrificed everything for her over the years?

What a lovely story, I really enjoyed this book. I loved all the cultural details which were fascinating, and the tension between tradition and modern ways was really well done. Loved all the Aunty characters too - so much fun, they really brought the story to life! I think this would be a fabulous Netflix series! Very VERY highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

While I get that the main focus of the story was Noor and her mother warring over which type of wedding to prepare for, I wish we got some more insight into her relationship with Danyal.

The story started with them being strangers at a wedding and then fast forwarding to eight months later when they got engaged. As a result, I wasn't really invested in their story.

There was also a character introduced in the last quarter of the story that we really didn't get to see develop but by that point the story was already so long. The next time was during the epilogue which was tied up perfectly. I would've loved to see how they all got there.

I did love the cultural elements that made up the story. Getting to see what goes into a Desi wedding and the significance of each part of it was interesting. Noor also did some growing of her own which was lovely.

Thank you to Netgalley and Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When Noor gets engaged to Dan, she intends to have a small and simple wedding, unlike the usual weddings in her culture. Unfortunately, her mum turns into Mumzilla with lavish ideas of a big desi celebration that takes four days. Thus, begins months of battle to have the wedding she wants.

This was a wonderful story that mixes the clashes of planning a wedding with the various struggles in life. Noor works as a lawyer but isn't happy in her current job. While planning for her wedding, she is also planning on moving away from corporate law in the near future. There's also the secrecy around her father's death and life to unravel. Meanwhile there's the balance of staying sane while dealing with her overbearing mother going through it all. Noor has grown up trying to please everyone but herself and she must learn to make herself as important as all the others in her life. It's highly stressful and difficult and she just might come out of it all a different person. Hopefully it will be all for the better by the end.

I really enjoyed this book and loved the treatment of several aspects of Noor's life. And fiancé Dan is the constant through it all. Not everyone has such a life-changing experience while putting together a wedding but it's lovely to see how things fell apart at times but came together at others.

Overall, a great book that I highly recommend. I rate this 4.5 stars. Thank you to Netgalley and Aria and Aries for giving me a free advanced reader copy. I have provided my feedback with no obligations.

I really enjoyed this book.

It’s mainly about the relationship with mother and daughter. Noor is arranging her wedding and her Mom is starting to take over.
Great characters, I found it a fun read
Recommend

Happy Publication Day!

"Loag kiya kahen gay?" (What will people say?) is a mindset that runs through Asian families. This phrase dictates decisions on just about everything.

Until about half-way through the book, I thought that Aliya Ali-Afzal had written another anxiety- inducing book where the main character digs a hole for herself which becomes deeper and deeper. I thought that the storyline would just be based around Noor trying to pull off the wedding that she had planned for herself rather than giving into to her mother's exuberant plans.

I was proven wrong. The Big Day has so much more to offer than the actual wedding planning storyline. Noor's character development is immense. She eventually uncovers some hidden secrets which she has to make peace with.

I absolutely loved Dan and Noor as a couple and honestly, I was waiting for them to have an argument and call off the wedding but that thankfully didn't happen. Dan was a huge green flag.

There were some parts which I felt to be quite rushed, but overall, The Big Day is a heartwarming and entertaining read.

A simple, relatable story of a daughter and mother who love each other who just can't seem to agree. All the harder when it's about your wedding. This was a breeze to read, although I did find it entertaining and frustrating in equal measure. Nevertheless the relationship between Noor and her mum was heartwarming. Even at loggerheads, the love is real. If you're looking for something cozy that still has some intrigue and excitement, this is a great pick.

A very easy read and it's nice to see a chick lit with a predominantly Asian character. However the story revolves around Noor trying to escape her Asian- Ness and there were elements to the story where the author was trying a bit too hard to show how Noor is trying to shed her culture. It would be nice to read about an Asian girl who is proud of her heritage and culture, I thought this would be it. Also I wasn't sure which decade the story was set as per the preferences of music and TV shows that Noor liked. Anyway those were minor issues.

This was an interesting story line with an over the top mumzilla. I felt sorry for Noor at times and then other times I felt for her mum. The characters were well developed and I did enjoy reading about the perspective of each family member..
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

A delightful story which will resonate with a lot of women who are getting married and what happens when their mother starts to take control. Loved the character Noor whose mother really takes over and starts planning a traditional Indian wedding which is going against everything Noor wants and the tension between mother and daughter is comical at times.
The author has really touched on the emotions attached to planning a wedding and what happens when the mother of the bride takes control and the bride wants something different.
Would highly recommend for a heart warming story.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The Big Day by Aliya Ali-Afzal is a delightful and emotionally resonant exploration of the tensions and ties that bind a British-Asian mother and daughter in the lead-up to a wedding. This novel beautifully captures the clash of cultures, traditions, and personal desires, all set against the backdrop of a significant life event.

Initially, I found myself hesitant to dive into the book, perhaps out of a subconscious fear of confronting familiar cultural expectations and familial pressures. However, as I delved deeper, I found The Big Day to be a compelling and richly layered narrative that resonated deeply with me. Ali-Afzal masterfully balances humour and heartache, providing a story that is as entertaining as it is insightful.

The characterisation is one of the novel's strongest points. Noor is a relatable protagonist, determined to carve out her own path and assert her independence, even as she navigates the complexities of family expectations. Leena, on the other hand, is portrayed with depth and empathy, her desire for a traditional celebration stemming from her own experiences and dreams. Their interactions are genuine and filled with both tension and tenderness, making their relationship dynamic and believable.

The cultural elements of the story are woven seamlessly into the narrative, offering readers a vivid glimpse into the rich traditions and sometimes overwhelming expectations of a Desi wedding. The novel does a fantastic job of portraying how these traditions can be both a source of joy and a point of contention, particularly for those caught between two cultures.

One of the most compelling aspects of the book is how it handles the theme of personal identity versus familial duty. Noor's struggle to assert her own vision for her wedding while respecting her mother's wishes mirrors a broader conflict many readers will recognise – the challenge of balancing individual desires with cultural and familial obligations.

The humour in the book is another highlight. Ali-Afzal has a keen eye for the absurdities of wedding planning, particularly when cultural expectations are involved. These lighter moments provide a perfect counterbalance to the more serious themes of the novel, ensuring that the story remains engaging and compelling.

My only qualm is I feel like the final character was not as well developed as they could've been. Perhaps in tying up the loose ends some of the characters were oversimplified.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The story revolves around Noor and Dan's wedding, which Noor envisions as an intimate affair with minimal Pakistani traditions. She wants the focus to be on their love, not on meeting societal expectations. However, her mother, Leena, has different ideas and starts to take control of the wedding plans.

I really sided with Noor throughout this, maybe as we may have similar feelings about a big fat Indian wedding! Noor and Dan are an adorable couple, and their relationship is beautifully portrayed. While Leena can be frustrating at times, she also adds depth to the story and is ultimately a great character.

This novel is not just about a wedding; it's about family, finding one's identity, and balancing tradition with modernity. It's a heartwarming read that explores how to honor cultural heritage in a contemporary context.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy. This is the perfect book for a summer day!

I adored Aliya's debut but think this may be even better! Incredibly funny and insightful characters that leap off the page. Anyone who has ever got married will adore this book.