Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this audio.

What a good book!! This book had it all!! Funny, sweet, romance, spice, cultural all of it! It was a great easy quick read.

Solid 3.5, rounding up.

I had to sit with this book for awhile before deciding how to review it. I loved the way that Khawaja laid out and developed these characters. Maya, a guarded, self-proclaimed feminist living in the constraints of a Desi family, developed into a more open woman. Sarfaraz, a successful lawyer whose past trauma has made him close off to new relationships, finds a kindred soul in Maya. Watching their walls break down once they bond over their failed relationships was rewarding.

Despite my love for the characters, I found myself struggling through this one and waiting for it to be done. Reflecting upon why, I have a few thoughts.

This book was VERY detailed. There were multiple pages describing settings and clothing styles. I feel that the author was trying to help us non-Desi readers to understand cultural traditions, but at the same times there were many (many!) instances were Pakistani words and terms were used without explanation. I found myself using my Kindle dictionary to help with understanding the context. I think that when the book went through edits it could have been cut down a bit to keep the story moving, and provide some context clues to help readers who are unfamiliar with the culture.

I also craved more of Maya and Sarfaraz's story. Because she was engaged to someone else, their own love story got a bit lost in the narrative. Once we had our HEA I wanted more!

Overall, a solid debut from an author I would read again.

This book was the perfect blend of so many things. Sweet, moving, culturally rich, hilarious, and relevant. There were so many tropes but they all felt well-inserted in the story and like a natural flow of the plot. Grumpy/sunshine, one bed, forced proximity, and others that I can't quite leave here. It was also very clean and wholesome.

I'm not a fan of the 'feminist' movement taking over EVERY book, so I didn't give it a full rating. But beyond that. It was great!

Bottom line, this book is so great! Go read it!

4.5 Stars! **Spoiler Free**

Phenomenal read from Alina Khawaja! I absolutely love when I can thoroughly enjoy a book but also learn new things in the process! The novel focuses on Maya – the walking embodiment of Murphy’s law – as she travels to Pakistan for her wedding to a partner arranged by her mother. As she travels, Murphy’s law strikes in every way imaginable, and Maya provides comical insight to her own laws that she’s crafted to cope with both her romantic and overall chaos. Khawaja’s humor was tangible and left me laughing out loud on multiple occasions throughout the novel. Her female main character Maya is very well developed. If anything, I would’ve loved a bit more depth to the male main character, but since the novel was told exclusively from Maya’s perspective I was happy enough with the development given. As someone colloquially familiar with the Muslim religion and family practices, the majority of the novel was not brand new information to me but I do feel like I still learned a lot and gained great insight into the religion as well as to Pakistani culture and the love that Alina Khawaja has for the people she’s representing in her novel. I think it was a fantastic debut, and look forward to reading anything else that she may publish in the future!

I loved reading this, though it was difficult to justify the cheating. I would’ve preferred for Maya to be traveling to a relative’s wedding than her own, however it did add a lot of stress and tension to the plot. The epilogue was perfect. I really appreciated Maya’s reflection on what she learned about herself.

4 stars!

"Maya's Laws of Love" by Alina Khawaja boasts a cute, fresh twist on a series of tried and true tropes. Main characters Maya and Sarfaraz find themselves stuck in a forced proximity situation when all of their travel plans repeatedly fall apart. Maya is attempting to get to Pakistan to get married to her arranged marriage partner, and Sarfaraz is the jerk sitting next to her and is also traveling to Pakistan to see family. She attributes all of the issues in her life to a curse, which has been plaguing her for years. When they get stranded after their flight detours to Switzerland, they decide to make the most of their time in the country and see the sights. They also get stuck in Islamabad on their way to Karachi and are forced to spend even more time together. Over the course of their journey to Pakistan, Maya and Sarfaraz become closer and feel a connection that neither one of them thought was possible. When they finally make it to Pakistan, all of that changes in an instant. I found this book to be a mostly fun read, though the story does get slowed down here and there. The best part of this book is the banter between Maya and Sarfaraz. Their enemies-to-lovers, grumpy x sunshine, opposites attract nature lends to some silly situations and some arguments between the two of them, making the banter even more rewarding. The more time they spend with one another, the more they learn that having someone back them up and help them out under any circumstance is possible for both of them. I enjoyed learning about some of the customs and practices in which Pakistani Muslims partake. I feel like I learned a lot about the culture I didn't previously know. I don't believe I have read any romances with Pakistani Muslim characters! I Some reviewers have mentioned that this book does not live up to halal standards, and though I cannot speak to this directly, I don't think the author ever explicitly states that this book and this story are 100% halal. It is a PG-rated romance with only one or two curse words. One thing that was a little annoying was the overabundance of references to the K-Drama "Crash Landing On You." It felt like this book was sponsored by that TV show. Apart from that, I found this book to be a real delight!

Thank you to NetGalley, Alina Khawaja, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and MIRA for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

This book had such a wonderful, interesting concept. The premise felt very reminiscent of a 90s/early aughts rom com. It had genuine stakes and tension, and a strong arc of self-discovery that fleshed out the romance elements well.

I love this book it was so sweet, loved both of the mcs. I especially enjoyed reading the relationship form between the two love interests. Would recommend to anyone looking for a sweet love story.

I cannot speak to the religious or cultural representation in this novel.

I enjoyed Maya’s journey to find herself. Her laws were all spot on (Gibbs’s rules anyone?) though I didn’t like that she kept tying them back to being cursed. This was a delightful read and I look forward to more from this author.

Anyone that has been hurt or heartbroken knows that sometimes we create a set of rules or explanations for ourselves to ensure that the same thing doesn't happen again. As long as we follow these rules, we know we won't be hurt again and if we are, we know it was because we didn't listen to our rules.

Maya has the worst luck and although she attributes it to her curse, she still manages to keep a somewhat positive outlook on life. She believes in soulmates and love, but isn't sure if this is something that she will have the chance to have unless it's something that can be created over time with her engagement. When her travel plans to Pakistan for her arranged wedding keep hitting unexpected roadblocks, she finds herself suddenly with a travel partner that she least expected and suddenly discovers feelings she has never felt before.

Maya and Sarfaraz become unlikely travel companions while on their way to Pakistan. Maya is still uncertain about her arranged marriage and if it's truly what she wants. And Sarfaraz seems to be battling with his own demons about marriage and love, but after getting help from Maya he suddenly finds himself travelling with her and his mindsets slowly begin to change.

Although I'm not very familiar with Pakistani or Muslim culture or faith, I really enjoyed getting to learn more and find some similarities with my Filipino culture and upbringing. This book was a 5 star read for me and has made me interested in reading more romance books. Thank you NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this heartwarming story.

I absolutely fell in love with Maya and her laws. This book was romantic and very well written. I’d give it a 1 🌶️ level. As it is not very spicy which was perfect. I’d recommend this for young adults needing a great read and even teenagers. I will definitely read it again.

I did not finish this novel. I realized after I started reading it that as a Western non-Muslim individual, I could not fully appreciate or give criticism on this book due to a sufficient lack of cultural knowledge.

A cute, fairly solid romance. There’s some inconsistencies with Maya as a character, especially regarding her beliefs. I am not Muslim and I don’t claim to be knowledgeable but there seemed to be some things just not connecting or following through. Inconsistent, again, but enjoyable enough.

Thank you to NetGalley and MIRA for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Once I started this book I couldn’t put it down. I had so much fun reading this romcom. This was very much a not enemies but definitely reluctant strangers to lovers. I was laughing at the best banter most of this book. There are also so many real conversations about love and marriage which made this book one that single dating engaged and married you will be able to connect to this book. I cannot wait to recommend this book to all my friends.

Maya’s Laws of Love give readers a little glimpse inside the world of a Pakistani woman. The story was well written and enjoyable to read! The author created a good cast of characters and the romance was a really cute story.

3.5⭐️ rounded up!

This follows a young Pakistani girl named Maya who is on her way to Pakistan for her arranged marriage when some mishaps occur and she’s stuck sitting next to a jerk named Sarfraz who also happens to be traveling to Pakistan.

Along her journey she gets into multiple fiascos and her plane is grounded delaying her arrival to Pakistan where she gets stuck with none other than Sarfraz.

Coming to the conclusion they’re both stranded they decide to make the best of it and spend the few days of their delay together.

There were so many cute parts in this book I enjoyed especially all of the beautiful pakistani culture shown, I was obsessed!!!


The sweet moments between Sarfraz and Maya made me giggle and I definitely did not see the plot twist coming!!!


This book was such a cute rom com with such sweet and funny moments I’d def rec it for a fun read!!

A road trip riddled with bad luck is always fun for comedy and bonding! Readers will love seeing Maya learn what she wants and who will make her happy.

While this story is a romance, it focuses a lot on Maya's self-discovery. I related a lot to her struggle to not give in to the expectations others had for her. It can be easy to want people you love to be happy and let that overshadow what makes you happy.

I really enjoyed the book's exploration of arranged marriage and how it is viewed in different cultural contexts. I found myself agreeing with the book's view of arranged marriage even if it is not something I would ever choose.

This book is funny, has interesting characters, and is well written. I enjoyed learning more about Pakistani culture and what it is like to live in another country and try to maintain cultural identity. I will note that readers who don't like cheating under any circumstances will not enjoy this one. I usually don't enjoy characters developing feelings for someone else in a relationship but in this case, I thought it made sense.

🌶️ - Only kissing.

I was so excited when I came across this book - the cover art is gorgeous and grabbed my eye and the premise really intrigued me. I’m always a fan of a romance read that can also allow me to experience/ learn about another culture. An arranged marriage, travel woes, and a love story? Yes please!

I loved that the story was one that involved a trip to Pakistan for a wedding. We got a glimpse into another culture via the parts of the story and it was great getting to see Maya representing a Canadian-Palestinian experience.

While I’m not generally a fan of a traditional love triangle - I am definitely a fan of the arranged marriage to meeting your true match trope. I loved was watching the relationship and interactions between Maya and Safaraz evolve as they went from annoyed seat mates to reluctant travel companions to more.

I don’t want to spoil anything, but needless to say this was just a really charming and sweet romance read. Definitely I’ll recommend to friends or fans of this type of read.

Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read an early copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own and freely offered.

✨ The Highlights✨

- Forced Proximity
- Enemies to Lovers
- One bed
- He falls first
- Clean Rom-Com

✨ The Feels ✨

This was such a cute and charming love story! Maya was relatable, funny, and endearing. I enjoyed the banter between the main characters, the familial relationships, and Sarfaraz in general! He was just so incredibly patient and sweet. You could tell he truly cared for Maya and couldn’t help but protect her in anyway he could. I also enjoyed reading about the wedding culture! I will say I found the pacing to be a tad slow and the writing felt a bit choppy at times. It took me a bit to get invested in the story but I’m glad I did because the HEA was 🤌🏻

✨ The Spoiler Free Details ✨

Maya Mirza is a bride-to-be convinced she's cursed in matters of the heart. Despite her conviction in her romantic misfortune, Maya is poised to embark on an arranged marriage journey to Pakistan with a seemingly perfect match—a successful doctor who checks all the boxes on her list. Marriage first, love later—she's certain of the formula. However, fate has other plans in store. Along her disastrous journey to be wed, Maya befriends an unlikely, handsome 😏 stranger and finds her beliefs challenged.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC of Maya's Laws of Love!

Maya is getting ready to leave Canada for her arranged marriage in Pakistan. She knows her future husband from college and its not love but she hopes it could be someday. She really just agreed to the marriage so her mother would allow her to teach abroad for 2 years in South Korea. Maya is unlucky in love and in life, so much so that she truly believes she is cursed. Through a series of unfortunate travel events, her plane is forced to land in Switzerland and she becomes closer and closer to her seatmate, Sarfaraz. Sarfaraz was rude in the airport, rude on the plane, and rude upon landing but they continue to cross paths and he begins to soften. Once they finally make it to Pakistan, will Maya be able to go through with the wedding? Or has she finally found love somewhere else?

Overall I enjoyed this novel. Maya's independence is admirable and the novel tries to highlight that as much as it can. I did feel the characters were a bit inconsistent but I think Khawaja has promise as an author and I look forward to reading her future works. My biggest issue was with Sarfaraz. He is such a jerk that I don't entirely believe Maya could come to love him. The jumps from him being a jerk to him being sweet are inconsistent and stretch belief.

I did enjoy learning about Muslim customs but I have seen other reviewers say that some of the events that happen in the story do not align with halal beliefs. I am not Muslim but even I thought as I was reading that the behaviors were not what I thought I knew were acceptable within the structures of the religion. I saw these reviews on Goodreads and encourage you to check them out if you are considering reading this book based on the religious aspects alone.