This is a retelling of Pride and Prejudice with a Muslim twist.. Ayesha is a poet at heart who is about to begin substitute teaching to help her family, she is stubborn and proud and your typical Lizzy Bennett. Khalid is brooding and proud and very conservative and extremely judgmental - he is handsome though. Ayesha's younger, more beautiful, but superficial cousin is beginning to receive marriage proposals and while Ayesha isn't jealous she is lonely, but she really doesn't want an arranged marriage. Khalid believes his mother will find the perfect woman for him without question.

This was very sweet and had the right amount of intrigue, drama, and romance to make this book very hard to put down.

More of a 3.5.

This has been a year for desi P&P retellings, so I was very excited when the US release date for this book was announced and I also managed to get the ARC. I had heard a lot of good things about it, but I kept my expectations normal because I feel P&P doesn’t always translate to contemporaries very well and I didn’t wanna be totally disappointed. So I’m quite happy to report that I had fun reading this book.

Both Ayesha and Khalid are in their late 20s but their views on what they want to do and how they want to get married are drastically different. Ayesha maybe a substitute teacher but her true passion is poetry, even though she tries to curb that side of her because it’s not practical and she wants to support her family. She is religious, always dons her hijab, is very very loyal to her family but is also pretty liberal in her views. She is also not very interested in marriage but there are instances when she wonders about how she will find her true love or happiness, and I really empathized with her. Khalid on the other hand is much more conservative and socially awkward, has decided to let his mom pick his wife because he thinks it’s the right thing to do, and is quite adamant in his belief that love and happiness comes after marriage. He is actually very sweet and kind (mostly) but because of his attire, people always tend to make harsh judgments about him.

There is the usual misunderstandings and prejudices that come into play like in P&P when they start interacting with each other, and I quite enjoyed their dynamic develop. They are actually quite judgmental about the other many times through the story but Khalid learns a lot and grows into someone who is more accepting. Ayesha apologized a bit too but I didn’t see the same amount of growth in her. But the way their friendship blossomed, how they couldn’t stop falling for each other but still tried to for the sake of their families and their mutual pining really made this a nice romcom.

The writing was quite easy to get through, even though it felt a little off at times. I liked that the author tries to represent different kinds of Muslims in her story - from the more conservative and faithful to those on the more liberal side of the spectrum, and everywhere in between. The whole desi “aunty brigade” who are nosy and all up in your business, our obsession with early marriages, every MIL’s search for a docile daughter in law and all the mama’s boys made for very nostalgic reading and reminded me of so many people in my own extended family. I was actually delighted to see that both the families in this story are originally from Hyderabad, my hometown in India and it made me feel like going home soon. The tone of book was very humorous for most of the first half and I really enjoyed it, but it turns into a lot of drama in the latter half. While the author sensitively tackles issues like workplace harassment and Islamophobia, I think it went a little too far, especially with the horrible boss. There are also too many other subplots and each of the supposed villains felt like extreme caricatures, which made the second half of the book overly dramatic and bit dragged on.

Overall, this was a mostly sweet and fun romcom to read which I finished rather quickly. If you like Jane Austen retellings and would love some desi Muslim representation in them, then this is a lovely book to read. It can get tad over the top at times but it’s mostly very enjoyable.

After years of school and months of job hunting, Ayesha finally got a job substitute teaching high schoolers—a sensible choice but one that makes her heart sink every time she gets into the classroom. Khalid is entranced by the girl in the purple hijab, but too shy to approach her (plus, his mother will arrange his marriage for him)—and he is shocked when he sees her in a bar/lounge. Their lives keep getting thrown together by chance, and sparks fly…until a devious plot has Khalid engaged to Ayesha’s frivolous cousin Hafsa.

I absolutely adored this loose retelling of Pride and Prejudice.

I’m calling it now: I think that this is 2019’s The Kiss Quotient.

It is that good, and I’m going to try to assemble my muddled thoughts into something resembling a coherent review.

While the main romance between Ayesha and Khalid was center stage, the parallels to Pride and Prejudice were minimal. Throughout much of the first 3/4 of the book, I was kinda wondering where the comparisons would come into play and was disappointed that Ayesha At Last was being compared to Jane Austen when it really would have been better standing on its own—but then the final 1/4 hit and the parallels synched right up.

Mr. and Mrs. Bennet are played by Ayesha’s uncle and aunt, and her cousins stand in for Lizzy’s sisters—right up with Hafsa as spoiled Lydia and Ayesha as semi-spinster Lizzy. There is a very awkward marriage proposal and a heartfelt apology letter and in true Shakespearian comedy fashion there is not one but three weddings/engagements. Additionally, there is a Mr. Wickham (no spoilers on who that is although it’s fairly obvious), who is connected to Khalid and his mysterious family backstory.

Where the similarities end is where the story really shines, however. There are three main plots—Ayesha feeling her soul die at the high school, Khalid struggling with his bigoted new boss, and the Muslims in Action youth convention that will lift the ailing mosque out of its debt. This latter point brings Ayesha and Khalid together, and they must work to turn a thousand person event into a blockbuster in less than a month’s time—by tag-teaming a bird and book (Twitter and Facebook, thank you for this hilarity, Imam Abdul Bari) publicity campaign on the internet (dammit I can’t remember what he called it). The downside to this convention? Ayesha is masquerading as her cousin Hafsa, the real event planner (who is off galavanting at the mall with her boy toy).

Not only is Ayesha literally #goals because of her assertiveness (which grows over the course of the book), love for her family and community, and her sense of humor, but all of the secondary characters (minus one or two) are hilarious, heartwarming and amazing.

Khalid was more of a blank space, but the reasons for why Mr. Darcy is so…Darcy-ish become really clear when you meet his mother. Yikes spikes. Anywho, Khalid does a lot of growing throughout the book, and a lot of unwinding—although I wish there were more of his interactions with Vanessa and Lorraine, because those two are precious.

The secondary characters made me literally snort with laughter the Charlotte Airport (people stared). Nana and his dignified trips to Tim Horton’s, along with his love of Shakespeare and sneaking cigarettes and really just everything else. Nani, who always gets her man and should totally have been a detective or mountie. Imam Abdul Bari, my favorite Hawaiian shirt wearing imam who balances religion, tradition and the realities of life. Zareena, for being herself (no spoilers lol). And Clara, who probably should never play matchmaker ever again (and Khalid, who totally should). Anywho, they all felt like real people instead of characters on a page, and I just wanted to drink a chai with all of them (well, most of them—I’d like to punch Sheila in her racist face).

There are many themes that run throughout the book, but mostly it’s about balancing tradition with contemporary life (particularly being an Indian Muslim immigrant in Canada), and realizing that there are many ways to practice your faith and honor your family’s sacrifices while being true to yourself. And that there are many ways to grow up.

And there are many different ways to fall in love.

CW: Islamophobia, fatphobia

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

This is the second Pride and Prejudice retelling with an all Muslim cast and I have to say it was better than Unmarriagable. It was funny and true to the Islamic community based in US and Canada. But the second half of it got really vicious. It felt like I was reading an Indian drama's storyline.

I adored the grandparents; nana with his love for Shakespeare and nani with her amazing detective skills. Best part for me was that Ayesha was a hijabi! A character I could relate to so well. I ALWAYS love reading books with a female protagonist who wears a hijab.

I also appreciated how Uzma kept it true to the culture she was writing about and hope she writes another book which is not a retelling but an original.

I really enjoyed this one! It follows Pride & Prejudice enough for my liking, but has enough uniqueness to stand on its own.

I loved seeing the different POVs from the characters. Seeing inside Khalid's head and witnessing his journey was my favorite part. Hafsa (the Lydia in the story) was perhaps even more annoying then Lydia in the book, but her ending is much more satisfying. I enjoyed Ayesha, but felt her storyline was a little less developed than some of the other characters. I loved her and Khalid together though, so cute.

I loved the addition of the grandparents and Clara and Ayesha's brother too. All the side characters were excellent, but again maybe muddled Ayesha's storyline a bit. The drama at the end was excellent too.

I just had such a fun time reading this.

A really sweet and lovely romance, infused with authentic culture. A looser P&P retelling than others I read this year, but still a nice nod to the story. I'm excited to see what Uzma Jalaluddin comes out with next!

Ayesha at Last is such a fabulous Pride and Prejudice retelling, bringing new depth and color to this classic. It discusses how it's hard to turn our backs on our dreams - what we are convinced we don't want in the favor of hazy dreams which we should want. When what we desired should take root in our heart, ,but instead leaves us hollow. What I adored about Ayesha at Last was that we receive Khalid's perspective and it gives the entire book new flavor! Ayesha at Last handles issues of class, religious difference, and racism.

I saw Ayesha At Last described as "a Muslim Pride & Prejudice in Toronto," and immediately wanted to read it. (I guess I've been on an Austen adaptation streak, since I read Unmarriageable by Soniah Kamal back in February.)

The good: I felt like most of the characters and their family relationships felt real. They were chaotic and messy and sometimes uncommunicative, but that's what families are like! I loved Nana and Nani, and I thought Ayesha and Khalid were interesting characters with real dilemmas to solve.

The meh: The villains felt almost...too villainous? Sheila the boss, Farzana, Tarek: they just had no redeemable qualities, and I wish they had been addressed with a little more nuance. I also felt like some of the P&P plot points in the second half felt too shoehorned in, because I liked how Jalaluddin riffed on the Austen influences more in the first half.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The editors don’t do this book any favors comparing it to Pride and Prejudice. Other than a similar quote at the beginning and two headstrong characters, there aren’t many similarities until you get to the end. The comparison was actually a distraction, as I kept looking for similarities that weren’t there. If anything, this reminds me more of a Shakespearean comedy with its mistaken identities.

I’m not usually a fan of women’s literature, but I found this book engaged both by head and my heart. I cared for both of the main characters and enjoyed the way the story plays out.

This story is told in third person narrative and swings from Ayesha’s life to Khalid’s.

Jalaluddin does a great job of painting the scene, giving us the rich details to see the rooms, the food, the clothing.

I also appreciated the way she shows us both the casual and direct prejudice that Khalid encounters as a conservative Muslim and his being forced to choose between assimilation and his religious beliefs. Flip side, he initially looks down his nose at Ayesha, who has a more modern viewpoint.

This is a fairly standard romance novel, but it’s done well. It’s a fun, mostly light story. Think more along the lines of Crazy Rich Asians than P&P.

My thanks to netgalley and Berkley Books for an advance copy of this book.

Really 3.5 stars. This is an engaging, modern spin on Pride and Prejudice. It was funny, with (mostly) likable characters and provided an interesting snapshot of an immigrant community. Definitely worth reading. Thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC.

A unique Pride & Prejudice retelling. I think 20 something's would really like this story. What made this PP retelling special was that that characters were dealing with pressure from their Muslim families and the prejudices that went along with this. I really liked the main male Khalid and his decision to dress in robes and wear a long beard. I've read a lot about women in hijab but I liked having to consider his choice as well. I will definitely be recommending this to my college age young adult students for spring breaks and summer reads. I hope I see this book along side some beach towels this summer.

Maybe 3.5 stars. I enjoyed the story and the characters but I think the first half was much better than the second. The second half of the book felt rushed, had some continuity issues and unfinished story lines, and then was resolved too quickly. I very much appreciate the diverse perspective and characters and I love to continue learning about different cultures and customs and I thought Ayesha was a wonderful protagonist and I liked her gentle friendship/romance with Khalid, but some of the supporting characters (Amir and Hafsa, I'm looking at you) just didn't work for me.
The Pride and Prejudice association was a bit looser than the last book I read, Unmarriageable, but I actually enjoyed that one more as it felt more fully fleshed out.

This is a very sweet book. It's a take on Pride & Prejudice, but doesn't hew too closely to the source material, so you won't know exactly what's coming. Definite recommend for anyone who enjoys wholesome romance or family dramedy.

Does the literary world really need another take on Pride on Prejudice? When it comes to this charming contemporary retelling, the answer is a resounding yes.
Ayesha and Khalid might be part of the same Muslim community, but that seems to be the only thing they have in common. Their differing approaches to religion, marriage, career, family- basically every aspect of life seem to put them at odds. And yet there arguments and clashes are beginning to be a bit of an addiction...
With nods to Austen and Shakespeare, readers will surely embrace this delightful romantic comedy.

I’m still working on my review, but I loved this book and will be recommending it frequently. It is such a great P&P reimagining, with well-drawn characters and great plot turns.

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

This is the third Pride and Prejudice retelling I've read this year; all of them have their own merits and their own drawbacks. With this one, I really admired the quality of the writing, especially for a first-time author. I also appreciated how Uzma Jalalauddin brought some original details and perspectives into the story, so it felt really fresh and innovative. While I enjoyed meeting all the new characters (especially Ayesha's charming, likeable grandparents), there were a lot of threads to keep track of. I also felt like some of the villain (or villain-adjacent) characters were a bit overwrought. Overall, though, I really enjoyed this take on the story.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

First off, I have to start with a complaint: why is this being billed as a modern Muslim spin on Pride and Prejudice? I feel like that comparison does a disservice to this fantastic novel because while, yes there's a little tiny bit of homage paid, it's not a retelling and you have to really search for the similarities. It distracts from enjoying the story as it is. So publishers - forget about the comparison! Let this wonderful little gem shine on its own!

Ayesha is a 20-something Muslim woman living in Toronto, CA. She has just started working as a teacher, but moonlights as a poet - her real dream. Ayesha is complex: she wants to pursue her dreams, but feels responsible for her extended family due to a past trauma, and wants little or nothing to do with romance. Khalid is a fellow 20-something Muslim who lives catty corner to Ayesha. Every day he watches her race to her car, red mug of chai in hand, and dreams about what she must be like. What's stopping him from finding out? Likewise, a deep-rooted family trauma that has tied him to his controlling mother, and shaped a rigid black-and-white understanding of the world. Can these two people find one another and forge a healing path?

I really enjoyed this book. I greatly appreciate Jalaluddin's effort to write a respectful and sweet modern romance with main characters of color who are something other than Christian. I am SO FLIPPING EXCITED about the wonderful stories being written in the last few years with ethnic characters who are fully fleshed out and with richly written stories. It's about time publishers take the chance because readers like ME are sick of white people getting all the best roles - no more!

Wonderful writing, characters I wish lived in my neighborhood, and food descriptions that make my stomach rumble throughout. My only criticism is that recipes were NOT provided! I can't wait to read more from Jalaluddin in future.

This was a sweet, simple story with overtones of Pride and Prejudice. Ayesha and Khalid are easy to relate to and their journey towards love and emotional maturity was rewarding. Khalid, especially, was a fascinating parallel to Mr. Darcy. I cared a lot about this character and his fight to be true to himself while remaining deeply connected to his faith and struggling with his autonomy. Like Mr. Darcy, Khalid is a really good guy who is deeply misunderstood by strangers and so shy that he makes it hard to connect. I've always had a difficult time relating to Mr. Darcy and Khalid made it a little easier to appreciate his internal struggles and the growth his character experiences over the course of the story.
I really liked this story that transformed Austen's beautiful love story and reimagined it for a 21st century audience.

I wasn't sure what to expect, but I enjoyed reading this. An interesting story with fun characters. Well written.