After 15% it’s a DNF from me. First of all, Nada was TERRIBLE in the flashback I read!! I almost DNFed in the middle of that chapter. It was hard to read! I also thought there were too many characters. I didn’t see how Baz could ever fall in love with Nada after how she treated him in Sunday school. The story was just not working for me so I won’t be continuing.

Regardless, thank you so much for the ARC.

I get teased a lot by my Lit Sisters for enjoying Hana Khan Carries On so much, so I'm writing this review to convince them why I think this is Uzma Jalaluddin's best book yet, and why they should preorder here and dive in ASAP! First note that is an adult read, it is not targeted to teens, the protagonist for the majority of the book is nearly 30 years old. It is a romance, it is not a hundred percent halal, but it is definitely halal-ish, and if you feel like you reach a point where it absolutely isn't, please keep reading (you might be surprised).  The book for being what I thought would be an empty calorie rom-com guilty pleasure snack, tells the story of Nada in spiraling layers that keep the reader hooked.  Just when you think it is predictable and tropey, the next layer peels back a twist and depth that kept me ignoring my kids and glued to the pages for two days straight.  I furiously scribbled notes writing down "haram" deal breakers and most by the end where crossed off, so no this is not Islamic fiction, but there is no internalized Islamophobia, there is no liberal agenda, the author knows the lines and is abiding by them and occasionally breaking them in a fictional entertainment world for Muslim and non Muslim readers alike.  I hate to compare, but in many ways it reads like an adult S.K. Ali book.  There is social commentary on Islamic communities from a place of love and practice from the inside, there are relatable characters, there is humor, there is love, laughter, and warmth. On occasion there is skirting of the halal/haram line a bit here and there, and sure males and females are a little too friendly at times, but it isn't the oppressive parents and identity crisis, it is joy. Muslim reality and stress, with true mirroring joy as well. 

So why am I reviewing this book here? Simple so you can enjoy it.  So often I feel like reviewers particularly, but casual readers as well, become nervous while reading, that the book is going to take a turn and become haram or preachy that we can't just get lost in the story.  So my gift to you, is that if you enjoy rom-coms and don't usually go for "Muslamic" ones because of apprehension, you can dive in and enjoy this.  You can laugh when they ask for a doctor at an Islamic convention, you can roll your eyes when hijabi's bring extra scarves to throw on the stage of the band (there is a guitar player, but mostly daf and vocals), you can be upset at the slight physical touching (keep reading), and you can nod along with the commentary on divorce, misogyny, wheelchair access, and mental health, but you can also just cheer for the protagonist to find her way to happiness and love too. 

SYNOPSIS: (Will be brief because other wise there will be too many spoilers, and because of how the book is told, you don't want spoilers, trust me, you want to enjoy)

The book opens with Nada trying to hide from both her mom who wants discuss her future and her best friend Haleema who is determined to have a girls weekend with her bestie at the Deen & Duniya Islamic conference in Toronto.  Cornered she finds herself at the conference organized by Haleema's soon to be inlaws and face to face with a variety of characters from her past including past victims of her bullying, past love interest, past business partners, past camp roommates, college friends, startup mentors, and others- it is a very popular and large conference

Yep, that is all you are getting.

WHY I LIKE IT:

Again, to avoid spoilers I'm going to simply point out a few plot concerns I had with the book, because it is who I am, and I need to get them off my chest. 

In some of the flashback scenes Nada's voice reads the same as it does in the present.  Her articulation of Baz's potential as a daf player at 11 years old is very mature and insightful and not realistic at all that she can opine on his skill and the role his hand size have on his mastery at that moment of the instrument.  She would probably just think, yeah he is good, or wow, he isn't bad.

I found it odd that Marya's husband had opinions on Nada's makeup, it seemed a bit forward.  Also they were in line, then they left, the pacing of the scene was a little off, I read an arc, but I'm hoping it is cleaned up a bit, because it is an important scene.

Haleema is Nada's college friend, but toward the end in college flashbacks she really disappears, and it was noticeable, because the reader is constantly told Haleema and Nada were good college friends, but never shown.  So in those scenes to not have her there, without note, is suspect.  Nada really isn't a good friend to here either, at any stage of life save the conclusion, I'm not sure why Haleema does so much for her honestly.

There is a wedding scene without a wali, and there should be a comment as to why the wedding is performed without the religiously mandated staple or how they are getting around it.  It reads off for a book that gets so many details correct.  I am hoping that the final has it corrected! PLEASE!!!!!!

Also for a different wedding Sufyan is noted to have got an invite to help serve chai, but he is the groom's cousin's son, introduced earlier as a nephew, before the cultural chain of relation is given, so why wouldn't he be at the wedding? 

FLAGS:

Music, female and male close friendships, sneaking around, bullying, talk of sex, sex, kissing, talk of pregnancy, lying, stealing, theft, there might be a curse word or two, sorry, not sure.  For an adult book it is clean, these days for a YA book it would be considered remarkably clean.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

I wouldn't suggest it for a school library or high school book club, but I wouldn't put up much of a fight if it was on the shelf or schedule.

Considering how much I loved Uzma Jalaluddin’s last two books, I was thrilled when she announced a new book, coming out in the summer of 2023. Just as her debut, “Ayesha at Last,” was a loose retelling of “Pride and Prejudice” and her sophomore novel, “Hana Khan Carries On,” was a loose retelling of “You’ve Got Mail,” this newest book, “Much Ado About Nada,” takes a classic love story and turns it on its head with a modest, modern and Muslim twist. The classic story isn’t Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing,” as you might guess from the title — instead, Jalaluddin turned to a different Jane Austen novel, “Persuasion,” and created another stellar work.

“Much Ado About Nada” features protagonist Nada Syed as she is reluctantly dragged to an Islamic conference in Canada by her headstrong, confident best friend, Haleema. Her friend thinks she wants to avoid the conference because she’s hesitant to see her old mentor who betrayed her and because she’s not exactly excited by the prospect of a matrimonial dinner (think speed dating but for Muslims). While both of those things are somewhat true, the real reason Nada’s avoiding the Deen&Dunya conference is because she knows she’s going to meet Haleema’s fiancé … and re-meet his brother, Baz, who Nada once had a strong connection with — though that’s a secret she had been keeping for the past few years.

Jalaluddin succeeded in once again creating a three-dimensional female Muslim protagonist in Nada. She’s smart, strong and devout — she’s real. She’s also flawed, but that just makes her more authentic. When the truth comes out about how Nada and Baz once knew each other about halfway into the book, the depth of Nada’s imperfections comes to light. At times, I found myself bemoaning her actions and wondering how and why she came to the decisions that she did, but even when I was frustrated with Nada as a person, I found her fascinating as a character.


The other characters, like Haleema, Baz and Nada’s family members, all add to the story in considerable ways. Haleema’s outgoing personality nicely balances Nada’s more quietly sarcastic tendencies. Baz is exactly what you would want from a mysterious “second chance” love interest. Nada’s parents are typical Desi parents, wanting what’s best for their children but not always agreeing with them about what that means. In other words, these side characters make the story more complex and interesting, while also allowing readers to see Nada through others’ eyes.

The best part of “Much Ado About Nada” is that, unlike some romance novels, the “80 percent breakup” isn’t really the turning point of the book. Most romances feature this “80 percent breakup,” where the love interests have some kind of falling out that leads to a period of separation just before the happily ever after we’re all expecting. The falling out still happens, in a way, but the real turning point in Nada’s story is about her. She had faced a huge career setback prior to the events of the novel, and the emotional crux of the story is when she really takes hold of her own narrative and moves forward from the stagnant state she was wallowing in. In her actions, she encapsulates what a Muslim feminist should look like — she’s confident in her own abilities but turns to her faith and her community in times of need.

“Much Ado About Nada” is another spectacular showing from Uzma Jalaluddin. The romantic drama will keep readers’ attention and ensure that they’re turning the pages, but in the end, the heart of the story is Nada’s growth as an individual. And when you close the book after reading those last words, it’s Nada’s strength and persistence that you’ll remember and take with you.

Daily Arts Writer Sabriya Imami can be reached at simami@umich.edu.

This rom-com was just fine - I likely won't remember much about it in the future, but it was a fine read.

Much Ado about Nada" by Uzma Jalaluddin is a fascinating and heartwarming novel that delves into the themes of love, family, and identity. The story revolves around Nada Syed, a young Muslim woman who feels stuck in life and unable to move forward. However, Nada is forced to confront her past when her best friend Haleema invites her to attend the annual Muslim conference in Toronto. One of the book's standout features is its nuanced portrayal of Muslim characters, highlighting their faith with love and pride while also exploring the complexities of being a Muslim in the modern world.

The author skillfully weaves together various cultural and religious traditions to create a rich and dynamic tapestry of individuals and events. The romance between Nada and Baz is another standout moment, with Jalaluddin creating sympathy for both characters despite their complicated history. Additionally, the book features intriguing secondary characters, including Nada's caring family and her quirky coworkers.

Overall, "Much Ado about Nada" is a beautifully written novel that will resonate with readers from diverse backgrounds. It's a story about the importance of family, the power of forgiveness, and the search for one's true identity.

This story didn't work for me. I didn't like the flow or the characters nor the way the story progressed.

Without a doubt, this is a marvelous re-imagining of Jane Austen's persuasion. Set in Canada amongst the Muslim South b asain community, we follow Nada's second chance at love and the slow unraveling of how it failed the first time. I couldn't help but root for Nada and Baz. I cared about the secondary characters and their happiness. I loved the author's trust in n the reader to figure out and understand the characters. I didn't want to put it down once I started it.

"Much Ado About Nada" is an Austen-inspired, compulsively readable contemporary romance featuring Muslim protagonists. I read this book in a couple of days because I couldn't put it down. It prompted me to go back and read Uzma Jalaluddin's previous book, which had been sitting on my TBR shelf, and to revisit her first book. I love seeing observant Muslim characters in romance, although it did get a bit racy to be categorized as halal romance. The (spoiler) secret wedding of Nada and Baz was questionably valid, as Nada didn't have her wali's (father's) approval for the marriage, which is required as one of the steps for a young (never married) woman to get married. However, I enjoyed seeing the villain get his comeuppance and seeing Nada and Baz get their HEA.

Nada is in her late twenties, an engineer living in a traditional Muslim community in Toronto. She lives with her parents, her older brother, who is divorced, and her younger brother who is disabled. Nada has a secret, and the story moves back and forth between present day and earlier times as the author slowly unfolds the backstory.

The novel opens with Nada attending a Muslim convention with her best friend, Haleema. Haleema is secretly newly engaged to Zayn, a musical celebrity in the Toronto Muslim community, who will be performing at the convention. When Nada arrives at the convention she sees a young man she knows named Baz. We don't know how she knows him but there is definitely tension in their relationship. The story begins to shift from past to present, giving the reader a history of Nada's relationship with Baz. They have a very complicated and heart wrenching history.

The characters and the setting in this book are fully developed. The author creates a story that draws you into the community and gives you a peek into the lives of a culture within a larger community. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the characters are people I'd like to meet. The community is so well described it makes me want to visit. This author is a fabulous writer. I've read everything that she's written and this book is equally as entertaining and realistic as the author's earlier novels I highly, highly recommend this book!! I'd give more than 5 stars if it were possible!

Those is a very loose retelling of Persuasion, which is perfect and something I appreciate because I really do not ever want carbon copies of a thing I already enjoy. Speaking of things I enjoy, I love that Jalaluddin writes imperfect heroines. They're allowed to mess up, to say or do the wrong things at the wrong time, but they're also given the chance to make things right or to stay unapologetic.

There are dual timelines of a sort—it's a back and forth between past and present day—which I'm generally not a fan of because the past can feel like an unwelcome interruption. But I think it complements the present events perfectly. Unfortunately, that means no dual perspectives, which I prefer in a contemporary romance, so I missed having Baz's viewpoint. On the other hand, he does a lot of looking and staring and regarding of Nada from afar and, I mean...that's one of my FAVORITE ways to build attraction between love interests on a page limit.

Another highly entertaining Muslim romcom!

Uzma Jalaluddin made my dreams come true with this Muslim retelling of my favourite Austen book 🫶🏽 I’m a simple gal–you say Persuasion retelling and I am running to read it 🏃🏽‍♀️ This is also a formal plea for more Persuasion retellings, please and thank you.

Six years ago, Nada’s love life and dreams were destroyed in one fell swoop. She has been living like an empty shell ever since. After six years of heartbreak and regret, Nada and Baz are reunited at a weekend conference, where they are forced to interact because her best friend is marrying his brother.

I have a lot of respect for authors who have written or want to write a Persuasion retelling because 1) second chance romance is a difficult trope to execute and 2) second chance romance à la Persuasion is even harder to write, especially in a contemporary setting. Jalaluddin’s Persuasion retelling is fresh, nuanced, and relatable. I love the way she borrows elements of the classic and gives them a Muslim twist. As a reader, it was a lot of fun to draw parallels between Persuasion and Much Ado About Nada.

Persuasion is all about the yearning and the regret of a long-lost love and oh man, Nada and Baz tortured me so much with their angst and pining. The author nailed that Persuasion type of angst and pining. “Half agony, half hope” perfectly encapsulates Nada and Baz’s relationship. For me, the torture was amplified at the halfway mark (iykyk). There is an unexpected trope that turns up; although in hindsight, I really should have seen it coming 😂 I went through a rollercoaster of emotions with Nada and Baz. I literally could not stop reading until these two had their HEA. I inhaled this book in less than 24 hours 💀

Second chance romance is tricky to get right. Every reader has their own little pet peeves and requirements when it comes to this trope, and I am including myself here. I feel like it’s easy to get bogged down by the logistics and the details of who was right, who was wrong, and who gave good advice, who gave bad advice. I think, overall, it’s clear that everyone in this book made mistakes. The characters are so complex and nuanced that it’s hard to place 100% of the blame on one person only. What is clear to me is that Nada and Baz were very young at the time. What is also clear to me is that immaturity, impulsiveness, and a lack of wisdom played a huge role in pushing them apart.

In addition, there is a lot happening with the side characters, who are as nuanced as Baz and Nada. There are multiple stories and conflicts, but they are all weaved into the main storyline in a seamless way. Somehow, the author managed to put everything together cohesively. Even the flashbacks were included in a cohesive way. I honestly did not feel confused or lost, even at the beginning when all the characters were introduced. I was always on track with all the characters, with the present storyline, and with the flashbacks.

I was so invested in this book that I stressed out over how everything would get resolved 😂 I’m overall satisfied with how everything came together in the end, but I’m also GREEDY because I’m obsessed with Baz and Nada 😩 There are certain things that I wish hadn’t happened off page because I’m so greedy for anything related to Baz and Nada LOL. I finished the book almost a week ago and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. I can’t remember the last time I felt such a wide range of emotions while reading a book. I feel obliged to note that I’m very biased because this is a Muslim retelling of my favourite Austen book. It’s hard to be objective 😂 The fact that a Muslim version of Persuasion actually exists makes the world a better place for me 🫶🏽

A note for Muslim readers: Something happens that might lead you to question everything. Stick with it and continue reading because it will all make sense. I won’t go too deep into it because I don’t want to ruin your reading experience. I want you to experience the story the way I did, and hopefully you will love it the way I do.

P.S. It’s fun, but also kind of weird to read about the places that I’ve been to. The commentary about Robarts library made me laugh so hard 😂

This was a great addition to closed-door romances, Muslim romances, and Jalaluddin's canon in general. The tension and slow unfurl of the truth in this book was delightful, and you won't be disappointed!

I would love to interview Uzma on my podcast, Raise Your Words. Much Ado About Nada is an incredible book and I’ve got a lot of burning questions. I have interviewed Iman Hariri-Kia, Aamna Qureshi, Annika Sharma,Priyanka Taslim, & others. I'm a huge fan of Uzma and would probably read a story about characters who went grocery shopping if Uzma writes it. Nada is such a fun and flawed character. There was one instance I was worried about but it was resolved by the end.

This is a nod to Jane Austen's Persuasion, but like the author's previous two books, that is merely a structure, as the themes and the plot are creatively developed in unique ways. Nada is much like Anne Elliot, in that she sublimates her own life desires to her family's traditional wishes, but there is an edge to her that is not in the original. Jalaluddin's description of life in a traditional Muslim family is always entertaining and enlightening to me, and I appreciate knowing about the Muslim community in and around Toronto and understanding more about this religion's beliefs and values. A slow-burn romance that kind of works backwards due to how the characters' relationships are revealed. Touches of humor help round out another absorbing story.

For me, this book was Uzma's most relatable book! As a late twenty something year old myself, It was almost like looking the mirror as I read about Nada's flaws and mistakes and thoughts. It definitely made me reflect a lot and sort of gave me anxiety and guilt, even for things that I wasn't guilty of! Nada's guilt dripped off the page and it felt pretty heavy for me in the beginning reading it. As we put together pieces of Nada's past and present and see the story come together, it was truly a really cool experience.

There was one specific moment halfway where I had to put the book down because while some of the lines were pretty swoony, I had really been hoping for a halal second chance romance. At that point specifically, I felt betrayed because without the full context of the book I believed that it was not halal. HOWEVER, I'm so glad I stuck with it and let the full story unfold because it was such an interesting way to bring it all together! (I'm being vague to avoid spoilers!)

What I specifically enjoyed about this book that while there were tidbits of that romance in the past and present, the focus was really about Nada and her personal growth and her family's growth. The family each had their own trauma and I liked that it explored all aspects of not only the immigrant experience but the children trying to balance becoming their own selves while also trying to please their families. I genuinely felt like I understood each character and why they did things, even their mistakes.

Overall, I was genuinely surprised by this book and would highly recommend!

This third outing by Ayesha at Last author Uzma Jalaluddin does not disappoint. Much Ado About Nada finds its protagonist Nada Syed feeling stuck after a series of professional and personal disappointments. When her best friend Haleema insists she attend the big Muslim convention in Toronto, Nada knows she will run into some ghosts from her past, including Baz, the one that got away- or rather, the one she ran away from. A lovely slow burn right until the end, Much Ado About Nada is both a beautifully fresh take and an homage to its inspiration, Persuasion by Jane Austen.

When Nada's best friend Haleema insists on her attending the big annual Muslim conference in downtown Toronto with her, Nada knows her friend is trying to help her get out of her rut. What she doesn't expect is for multiple pieces of her past -- situations she had set aside because of the devastation they brought her -- to return over the course of the weekend. And the biggest piece she left behind? Her relationship with Baz, Haleema's fiance's brother.

This second-chance romance really brought the drama right from the start. One of the first things revealed about Nada and Baz's past had me doubting that I would like how the story developed, but the author very deftly revealed layer after layer of Nada's past to create sympathy for both characters and to give the reader a solid reason to cheer them on. As with her other books, Jalaluddin presents a variety of Muslim characters with great nuance, showcasing her faith with love and pride but also offering possibilities for where faith, culture, and people can learn and grow.

There's a lot of heartbreak in this book, but there's also a lot of love and support and forgiveness and hope. And honestly, we need more of this!

Thank you, Berkley Romance and NetGalley, for providing an eARC of this book. Opinions expressed here are solely my own.

I can see this being a solid three star read, four or five for the right readers. Well written, moves along. At 4%, we got a pretty large backstory dump. I always prefer more details spread out/pushed back to later in the book for when I'm actually invested in the characters. I stopped at 5%.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC.

Uzma Jalaluddin does a great job in telling a good story, I loved the inspiration of Jane Austen’s Persuasion and thought it worked well as it's own story. The characters were what I wanted from this book and I enjoyed the romance aspect of the story. It left me wanting to read more and I enjoyed every part of this.

"Marya frowned. “Don’t be crass,” she scolded her husband. “Zayn’s family took a chance putting this convention together five years ago. It was a big gamble, but it paid off because of their hard work. Actually, I heard Baz Haq is the real brains behind the operation. You need to think like him, Owais, and open your own practice. I keep telling you . . .”