This was a really interesting take on a romance story. I enjoyed watching the author bring her muse to life through her stories.

This is a nice break from the crazy high drama spicy books, this was a sweet low angst romance book.

This was my first book by this author & I appreciate the opportunity to try out new authors!

I’m rating this book 4 stars for the magical realism plot that lured me in and Aashiq’s golden retriever energy!

Ziya is a struggling Pakistani-American writer who’s faced numerous rejections by her thirtieth birthday and finally reaches her breaking point. She’s just hit delete on all her manuscripts and smashed her backup hard drive when she makes a birthday wish at midnight. The next morning she wakes up with a strange (but handsome) man in her kitchen chugging chocolate syrup. Aashiq is Ziya’s literal muse and it’s his job to get Ziya to fall in love with writing again. Ziya is convinced she’s hallucinating (and who can blame her?) but gradually she’s forced to accept that not only is Aashiq real but he’s determined to help her find happiness again. As Ziya slowly falls back into writing again, she learns to love life, take better care of herself and gain confidence. Ziya’s also falling hard for her adorable muse which is unfortunate since the closer she gets to finishing her manuscript, the more likely it seems Aashiq might disappear.

I loved learning more about Ziya’s Pakistani roots and a little about what it means to be a Muslim. Ziya’s frustration and love-hate relationship with writing felt so relatable. I really liked how she put into words the struggle of getting something past the gate keepers and published, and why there’s still a lack of diversity in books. Also I liked how Ziya wants to attend law school as well as hang onto her dream of becoming an author.

This book is a clean romance with only a few kisses, some hand-holding and touching. They share a bed a couple of times but nothing happens.

I found it a bit weird that the love interest has literally sprung from her brain, I wish the author had separated them a bit more, but I’ve read weirder romances. I felt like the book got a bit repetitive and bland at times too. It’s very much a low-stakes book, but it was refreshing to watch Ziya fall in love with life again and Aashiq’s Buddy-the-Elf/golden retriever enthusiasm.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I was so eager for this romcom; it sounded incredibly charming and also super original. I mean, a muse actually coming to life? It just fell a bit flat - I understand that the purpose was for him to be able to push her outside of her shell and to get her to loosen up, but for me it just fell flat. I didn't feel connected with Ziya - I wanted too, I mean struggling, constantly being hit with rejection... the forever ending cycle of "am I good enough for this?" I truly get that, but I just didn't really connect to her.

The full circle moment of falling in love with him means falling in love with herself moment was also really hard for me to get with. I really struggled with that connection and romance.

Overall it is a very unique story and I do believe that this book is going to be so many peoples favorite of the summer - the magical realism parts themselves were beautifully well done!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

This book was like a magical little surprise—unique, whimsical, and packed with charm. The fantasy elements? Chef’s kiss. They brought a fresh twist that kept things fun and engaging. That said, this story had so much going for it...witty yet serious, inspiring yet lighthearted, and just the right amount of tension to keep things interesting. If you like your romance with a side of magic and a dash of self-discovery, this one’s worth picking up!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my opinions

This book is perfect for the people who love Ashley Poston's Magic Realism aspect mixed with romance but for me I failed to connect with the story and have some conflicting feels with the story in general .

A cute little romcom nothing surprising it has the happily ever after as expected. I did,not love it though i thought it would be over, But. I think it is my own issues, i am over the stories about main characters who want to be writers it feels superficial. So it was a standard romcom

i really liked the setting and plot for this book and while it was great, it didn’t fit my cup of tea. for me the romance wasn’t as deep and romantic and i would expect for a writer as the character and i do wish that was focused on a bit more!

I think anyone who struggles to believe in themselves (especially writers) will enjoy this novel about a muse who comes to life and falls in love with the writer he's supporting. One small quibble: the title makes it sound like the love interest is a character Ziya is writing about who leaps off the page into her life, and it took me some time to adjust to the idea that instead he's her muse and just kind of... materializes from inside her brain.

But still, I enjoyed the story and think it will appeal to a wide variety of readers.

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in advance of publication.

Omgggg if you love the following: Hunger Games, Harry Potter, Crave series, Red Queen and Powerless….THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU! If you have had hangovers from any of those?… omg pick this up when it comes out!

I really wanted to FEEL more of what Blaze was feeling so I could connect with her more but it was still just soooo good. The characters really start coming together. There’s a lot of world building happening in the beginning but don’t worry…it’s actually entertaining and enjoyable!

If I go on about this too much more I will probably spoil something but just read this if you love romantasy with zero spice because, duh! It’s YA!

Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for allowing me the opportunity to read this book and give an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

This was a sweet book. I enjoyed it alright, but the romance wasn’t as compelling as I normally prefer. Most of the time it felt like she was more so falling in love with herself which would’ve been great if the author had leaned into that. I wish the FMC had realized a little more that she always had it in her to achieve big things and didn’t need to rely on someone else for that.

4.5 stars, rounded up

This book is perfect for fans of Sarah Hogle's Just Like Magic and Ashley Poston!

I really enjoyed this book! It's a very sweet magical realism reverse grumpy/sunshine story!

Legal secretary and aspiring author Ziya has faced rejection by literary agents too many times to count. After a particularly brutal one on her birthday, she deletes her manuscript, gives up on writing, and drowns her sorrows in cake (but not before making a wish on a candle).

The next day, she wakes up to find a strange man in her kitchen. This man, Aashiq, introduces himself as her muse, the physical manifestation of her creative spirit. Aashiq follows Ziya everywhere, bubbling with optimism and enthusiasm. Ziya insists that she's done with writing, but Aashiq will stop at nothing to get her to reignite her creative spark and keep trying to get published.

Despite him maybe not being real and definitely being a magical entity, Aashiq and Ziya develop feelings for one another as he helps her to find joy and fulfillment in her life.

This book is so cute! There were definitely some aspects of it that felt difficult to wrap my head around, but fiction is for fun, not for logic! I had a great time reading this one.

Thank you so much to Harlequin Trade Publishing MIRA and NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Cute story , it was different than what I was expecting I honestly thought it was going to be about a character she wrote coming to life and was a bit disappointed to realize it was actually only her muse which felt a bit weird to me .

I honestly wasn’t a big fan of her falling for her muse…I loved the characters but the whole falling for a part or herself gave me the ick .

Well written , likable characters, different plot would recommend at the very least giving the book a chance.

Thank you netgalley Harlequin Trade Publishing | MIRA for the Arc

A fun romance that sweeps you into the lives of Aashiq and Ziya due to some candles, publishing inequality, and a desperate birthday wish! Aashiq is silly and is learning how to interact with the world around him, in a very genuine and thoughtful way. Ziya is finally learning to give her life some balance, and getting the support she needs to believe in herself more!

It is a book about writing, being yourself, and hoping for what you deserve (while doing what you can to achieve it). It was sweet and full of bold moves. It encourages us all to be a little more ourselves.

I loved this! It was such a unique concept, I regret that it took me so long to finally pick it up. What a fun read!!

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins for this eARC. In this magical realism style story, we meet Ziya who is a writer but life is a bit hard for her. Just when she thinks she's going to give up, she has a real life muse into her life. This story is totally different from anything I've read. While most parts were cute and enchanting while others just did not always come together for me. I think if you come into the book knowing its a different approach to love, you'll enjoy it.

On the eve of her 30th birthday, exhausted and crushed by another literary agent’s rejection, Ziya decides to give up on her lifelong dream of getting her novel published. But before crying herself to sleep, she manages to a wish on an enchanted candle. When she wakes up there’s a handsome stranger in her kitchen who introduces himself as Aashiq, her writing muse come to life. Aashiq is eager to help her get her writing goals back on track.

Naive yet wise, pushy but curious and kind to a fault, he is the manic pixie dream guy Ziya needs to bring back the spark in her creative process. As Ziya starts to embrace Aashiq’s zest for life, she can’t help but fall hard for him. The problem is that Aashiq’s not a real person so any kind of future together is impossible.

Khawaja’s written another heartfelt story centering Pakistani-American and muslim characters. Set in New York City and featuring a prominent literary plot and fun fantastical elements balanced with real world storylines, this uplifting novel is a must read for fans of diverse, fun and cozy romances.

From her debut to now Alina's been a wonderful writer to follow on social media. Big shoutout to the team at HarperCollins that came through and got this ARC to me! The amount of emails and rapid fire responses were superb. I have some conflicting feelings about the book and have decided to not review publicly. But I will share that if you love magical realism, the vibes from 16 Candles/13 Going on 30, and K-Dramas this book is for you!

This review is based on an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) provided by NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing in exchange for an honest review. This review may contain spoilers

3.75 stars rounded up to 4!

This was such a heartwarming and cozy romance, perfectly blended with just the right amount of magical realism to make it a fun and whimsical read! I especially loved how the book celebrated a culture different from my own, featuring diverse characters that brought new perspectives. It was fascinating to explore foods and references I hadn’t encountered before, and I enjoyed doing some research to learn more.

The story touched on a variety of themes including falling in love, self-care, and perseverance. It was truly inspiring and a reminder to always strive for better and never give up. The romance between Ziya and Aashiq was so beautifully written—capturing the giddiness of falling in love, the tension, the sweetness, and the challenges and decisions they faced together.

Beyond the love story, we also got to experience Aashiq’s amusing journey of adapting to the real world, as well as Ziya’s struggles with her career, writing, and navigating the complexities of being a single woman in a Pakistani Muslim family. While the resolution of the story felt a little rushed, which was a bit disappointing, the overall conclusion was still satisfying and wrapped up beautifully.

I’d definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a heartwarming, uplifting love story with no spice.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this opportunity!

A fun read! I enjoyed the magical realism and the plot. I thought the premise was interesting and the author executed it well.

Ziya and Aashiq were fun characters. Ziya was super relatable, especially to people trying to follow their dreams. Watching her rediscover her passion and fin herself again was beautiful to read. Aashiq was a delightful character. He's new to the real world so seeing the world through his eyes was inspiring. These two were a fun match.

The writing was a little hard to get into in the beginning but once the story started gaining traction, I was hooked.

A magically fun romance!

This is a great read for someone who is one the verge of giving up their dreams. Also, sometimes the best inspiration for yourself is yourself. Sometimes being too realistic keeps you from believing that good things can happen for you. I related so much to losing myself to the process/ end result that I have almost given up on things that I love. The romance isn’t the focal point of the book, and it adds to the storyline instead of evolving into the main point of the book. There were too many topical references for my liking but that’s just me. It’s such an easy read once you start you can’t help but feel apart of the journey.