4.5 stars rounded up. In Maya's Laws of Love, we meet Maya Mirza, a 28-year-old teacher who is engaged and is traveling to Pakistan for her wedding. She's been engaged for a couple of years, because the only way her mom would agree to let her go to South Korea to teach for a couple of years was if she was engaged, so she agreed to an arranged marriage. Maya is also pretty sure she's cursed -- how else would she be able to explain all of the bad luck she's experienced in her life? And how else would she explain the fact that while she's traveling to Pakistan -- alone, so she could finish the end of the school year -- she not only ends up sitting next to the jerk who knocked her stuff over in the airport, but their plane has to make an emergency landing in Switzerland? And she ends up running into the jerk again and again?

I love a good meet-disaster, and I love a roadtrip book. I also really liked Maya as a narrator. She's trying to make sense of the world with her rules, and she's trying to live within the bounds that she's always been expected to stay in, but she also wants to be her own person, and that's really hard.

I also really loved the Muslim representation in this book. I think it's really important to read Alina Khawaja's author's note, which she's also put on Goodreads, because she says that the book isn't 100% halal, and that she wrote this book so she could see herself represented in Muslim women in books, but that she knows that there isn't a universal Muslim experience. I'm not Muslim, but her author's note really resonated with me as another religious minority. There's no one way to be "religious," and to only define someone as "religious" by how "observant" they are or whether they follow a specific set of rules can be really limiting. As someone Jewish, it's frustrating when the majority of Jewish characters I read about are so religious that they seem like caricatures or they're so secular and their Jewishness is not a salient characteristic. I know that I probably won't read about a Jewish character who is Jewish in exactly the same ways that I am, but it's still really meaningful to read about characters who are Jewish in similar ways, or who are observant in many ways but maybe not all the ways. So I can understand why Alina Khawaja wrote Maya's Muslimness in the way that she did. Having religious representation look as varied as the way we practice religion is super important. If you read the author's note, and you can tell that the book won't be for you, obviously you should put yourself and your needs first. But I am glad to have been able to read a character like Maya.

Thank you to NetGalley and MIRA for providing me with an eARC of Maya's Laws of Love in exchange for my honest review.

This cover is so dang cute and the story is too! If you are looking for a clean romance with diversity in the characters I would recommend checking this one out as it checks both of those boxes!

I truly love all the tropes utilized in this story and I couldn’t have asked for more from this debut!

Thanks so much Mira for my ARC in exchange for my review!

Maya's Laws of Love, by Alina Khawaja
Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Pub Date: 3/26

I really enjoyed this one! It had such a fun mix of all the best tropes: grumpy/sunshine, one bed, forced proximity, fake dating/marriage, forbidden love, and slowww burn. I liked the format of the book, with each chapter beginning with one of Maya's laws that explain why she's had such bad luck when it comes to love. The romance was sooo sweet- I was swooning with these two characters as they fell for each other! I loved reading about Maya's misadventures and all the chaos that led up to her trying to travel and arrive in time for her own destination wedding (I would have been absolutely losing my mind- I definitely felt some second-hand stress at some of her setbacks, but she managed to squeeze in some sightseeing adventures so good for her!) Reading about Maya's culture was so interesting, and I definitely felt for her as she struggled with trying to meet her family's expectations while also trying to stay true to herself and find her own happiness.

Thank you @netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Truly sensational!
I think I gravitated towards Maya in an instant!
She was sick of trying to find love until it found her in the most unlikeliest ways. This kind of magical happenstance is SUPERB. I mostly saw this play out so beautifully in Rom Com movies, but this book truly made it magical.
I love the equal attention to her placement in her own story also in societal terms with her culture.
This was just lovely. So So good!

I want to start this review out with a note (and what is essentially a trigger warning) from the author that is included on GoodReads. I do not feel as if I can personally comment on the accuracy of the religious representation because it's not my place but if religion is important to you I recommend reading the full authors note:

"now, to answer a question that a lot of people have asked: this book isn't 100% halal. There are kissing scenes and other physical touch such as hand holding, hugs, etc, but nothing that goes further than that. i don't believe in misleading people, and i don't want people to come into my book thinking they're going to get one thing and then end up disappointed because they got something else. if you're not comfortable with the level of physical touch in the book, then i completely understand! please feel free to skip this book, and i'd be so so happy to recommend you other books by authors that feature more halal stories (zoulfa katouh, sk ali, ream shukairy, aamna qureshi, and uzma jalaluddin come to mind). but just because there is physical touch in this book does not negate the Muslim-ness of the characters, because being halal isn't all that it takes to be Muslim. it is the love of and devotion to Allah (SWT) that makes you Muslim, and then the decision of if you're good/bad is only up to God. if you can read with an open mind, then that'd be wonderful. if you'd prefer to skip this, then i completely understand. and in the spirit of authors respecting readers, i ask that you please respect me in return. all i wish to do with my books is reflect the diversity that exists in the real world, and help open doors for other Pakistani Muslims to share their own stories, because there truly is such diverse experiences within our culture that all deserve to be seen."

My review:

Overall: 2.5 stars

"Maya's Laws of Love" took me on a whirlwind journey through love, culture, and self-discovery. Maya, convinced she's cursed in romance, is en route to Pakistan for an arranged marriage when fate throws her a curveball - a chance encounter with Sarfaraz, a cynical lawyer, leads to an unexpected detour through Switzerland. As Maya grapples with cultural expectations, personal desires, and a growing attraction to Sarfaraz, she must confront the possibility of finding love where she least expects it.

While I wanted to root for Maya and her quest for love, I couldn't shake the feeling that the story fell short. The clunky opening and unrealistic scenarios left me struggling to connect with the characters, particularly Maya herself. Her series of self-made problems and immature behavior often left me frustrated, making it difficult to fully immerse myself in her journey. However, I appreciated the exploration of cultural identity and the complexities of navigating tradition and personal freedom.

Despite its flaws, "Maya's Laws of Love" shows promise as a debut novel. Alina Khawaja's storytelling shines in moments of introspection and cultural insight, offering glimpses of the author's potential. While the pacing and character development could use refinement, there's a raw honesty to the narrative that hints at greater things to come. I look forward to seeing how Khawaja's writing evolves in future works, and I'm hopeful for more nuanced storytelling and compelling characters in her next endeavors.

Big thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own and freely given.

I think this book was a solid attempt but I was just not vibing with it. The opening was very clunky and awkward. It’s much more effective to SHOW what’s going on rather than TELL and girlie did a whole lot of telling and info dumped the whole first chapter in a very unrealistic therapy session (why are we only now discussing these concerns?). I am not Muslim and do not have any issue with reading intimacy in any way but my ex was so I’m aware of the rules and it seems Maya has broken A LOT of them. I can see why so many feel cheated by the “representation”. Overall I wasn’t a huge fan of the main character and that’s what held me back from really enjoying this book.

I really enjoyed reading this debut adult romance, and I look forward to what Ms. Khawaja writes next!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

Thank you so much to the author Alina Khawaja and Harlequin Trade Publishing for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

***This review contains some spoilers. It will also be part of an upcoming blog post.***

Overall, this is a strong debut!

I'm not sure if it can be categorized as an entirely Halal romance, but that aside, I had lots of fun reading it.

I found certain cultural aspects relatable, especially the general pressure put on women in desi cultures. I felt for Maya when she said that she buckled to the pressure of marriage because that was the only way to legitimize her as an adult in her mother's eyes.

I certainly found myself thinking, "Please just TRY talking to your mom or sister before the wedding begins." Though I'm probably too close to this and too biased — as someone whose mother also did not have the best marriage, it was hard for me to believe that her mom wouldn't listen at all (and she does end up understanding, thankfully!)

The pacing felt off at times, but I certainly felt the tension during certain moments between Maya and Safaraz. It was hard not to feel bad for Imtiaz though, because it was emotional cheating even if he and Maya weren't super close.

My main criticism is that Safaraz's initial behaviour (though understandable given the context but still not okay) made it hard for me to properly root for him in any way until much later in the book. I'm fully on board with the grumpy/sunshine trope, but the grumpy veered straight into "wow, this guy is kind of terrible" for longer than I liked, though that could just be personal preference. I tried my best to empathize with him but mostly I just related to Maya's initial frustration. I grew to like his character but I felt blindsided by the fact that he knew Maya was his brother's fianceé and still behaved the way he did. I dunno, I don't think I'd be too happy if it were my sibling who did that

The incorporation of Murphy's Law was witty and quite relatable (I've definitely been there). I think that's an aspect that will resonate with loads of people! I also appreciated how it was brought back in relation to Maya's trauma related to her father.

On a different note, it was very interesting to read about Maya's religiousness. As someone who used to have a complicated relationship with their god(s), I understand the tug of war between faith and the aspects of faith that feel restrictive to us on an individual level.

I can't speak to the accuracy of the religious representation because it's not my place, so I'll just point reviewers to this part of the author's note on Goodreads:

"...But just because there is physical touch in this book does not negate the Muslim-ness of the characters, because being halal isn't all that it takes to be Muslim. it is the love of and devotion to Allah (SWT) that makes you Muslim, and then the decision of if you're good/bad is only up to God. if you can read with an open mind, then that'd be wonderful."

Thanks again!

Thank you Alina Khawaja and Harlequin Trade Publishing for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

3.5/5 ⭐️

Maya is trying to find herself while being caught in a world between cultural expectations and her own wants.

The Murphy’s law theme was quite amusing. In the beginning I found the Maya was a little hard to root for, I found her plain, vanilla, and not very interesting. But as the story progressed, I was on her side being Maya’s biggest cheerleader. The sweet romance of this book was very endearing and natural. Two people just trying to figure out life and willing to trust each other. There really is nothing like finding someone who knows you when you feel like you’ve been trying to mold yourself into something you’re not for so long.

I absolutely love seeing a love story told with Pakistani Muslim culture at the forefront. And I really liked that we saw how central it was to Maya as a person and to her story.

That said, I wanted to love this book so much, but it really didn’t work for me. The writing didn’t feel polished enough, and it could have used more editing. While I loved the desi rep, it sometimes felt like the book was preoccupied with over-explaining details. At first, I thought maybe this was to make sure details are clear for anyone unfamiliar, but it does that for everything like walking the reader through what Maya has to pack and her getting dressed. There were so many times I wondered why something was left in when it didn’t add anything to the scene or the story. I finally lost it when the book explained what a rest stop was.

Beyond that, I hated the main character. I never found her charming, she just seemed so annoying to me. I don’t know why she keeps talking to strangers who are just going about their day because she’s bored and lonely. She also seems so rude ignoring her family and fiancé, crossing people’s boundaries, and taking up Sarfaraz’s armrest when he’s in the middle seat and is entitled to it! I know these are small pet peeves I would likely overlook if I could actually connect with her, but she just got under my skin the whole time. She felt very immature and not in her late 20s to the point it was concerning.
The story itself was fine. I liked the mini journey Maya and Sarfaraz take, but the whole thing spirals out of proportion. I don’t think either main character seems sympathetic in how the love story unfolds, too. But I might have gotten past some of that if the writing wasn’t so bad. It needed about 100 pages chopped and I think that would have worked better.

I would love to see what’s next for Alina Khawaja and how her writing grows from here. Even though Maya’s Laws of Love didn’t work for me, this is only her debut so I’m excited to see more from her.

#MayasLawsOfLove #NetGalley

This was absolutely amazing! Especially the references to Pakistani culture and media, it felt like a nostalgic trip back home. The angst and banter between the love interests was perfect and the grumpy x sunshine trope was executed beautifully! I flew through this and it will easily be one of my absolute top romance reads of all time! My only reservation was the physical element of premarital relationships as it felt out of place since the characters were Muslim.

First and foremost thanks to Netgallery and Harlequin for the ARC of Maya's Laws of Love, in exchange for an honest review.

Let me start by saying that I understand the work it goes to writing and publishing a story. It doesn't go unnoticed. While I had high hopes for the story, it sadly was not the book for me. I didn't enjoy the main characters (especially the FMC). Although I also understand some of the technicalities behind some of her decisions, I just don't like cheating in any way shape or form in books!

With that being said, I will check out future works by this author, and maybe the next one will be of my liking.

Again, thanks Negallery and Harlequin for the ARC.

Maya’s Laws of Love is a sweet romcom with a grumpy sunshine element. It’s a charming story of finding oneself amidst all of the beliefs and traditions held within families.

Maya is on her way to her wedding in Karachi to marry a college friend turned fiance for their arranged marriage when she meets Sarfaraz. Due to plans being derailed by a series of events, we learn about Maya’s laws and how she incorporates them into her life. They can’t seem to catch a break!

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Alina Khawaja, and Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I can’t wait for everyone else to read this on March 26th!

I have posted my review on Goodreads, in my Facebook book club, and will post a Tiktok review within the week before it releases.

I SAID to myself, before the main characters even met that this is the beginning of the best Meet-Cute ever, and I was so RIGHT!!!! UGH I wanted to cry with happiness the way this book ended, and I am not exaggerating. We meet Maya who swears she has bad luck with connecting with people, she calls it a curse. Anyway, she is a Pakistani woman who wants to follow traditions in the hopes of being happy in the long run, like getting married. Now Maya has HUGE abandonment issues, and shes off to get married, but on the way to the airport she meets Sarfaraz. This is the biggest coincidence because they are both going to Pakistan for a wedding, one is getting married, and the other is attending one. Well Maya’s curse takes a toll on them, or so Maya thinks.

These two are so different but yet so alike in so many ways, but she’s about to marry someone else, and she’s building this connection with this Grump of a man, and I was ALL FOR IT! Even though that’s taboo. The events that they go through was so much fun, I loved seeing their attraction grow, I loved how they both called each other out on the things that really matter, and how Maya didn’t let her culture/religion dictate her future, and that her family stood by her side as well.

this book was so fun, i loved how each chapter opened with one of the maya’s laws. the two mcs were so oddly perfect together. i loved seeing them go through possibly the most unlucky trip ever and stick together through it all… and learn that they really work well together. also you gotta love a one bed trope/faking you’re married to stay in a religious persons home trope. i also loved seeing into the Pakistani culture. this was definitely a super cute read. there were lots of this book that reminded me of ‘leap year’ which i loved

* 𝘪 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸*

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really appreciate the growth and character journey that Maya went on in this book. The ability to stand up for herself and fight for what she wanted for the first time in her life was incredible to see and I was proud of her shift in attitude towards life at the end of the book.

I just was not sold on this being a love story. I’m glad Maya and Sarfaraz are getting their chance at happiness but I was not a fan of their relationship development as it felt rushed. I think Sarfaraz was an important catalyst for Maya making necessary changes with her life and attitude towards her life, but I just wish their relationship had been purely friendship until she called off her wedding, especially because the fact that she kissed her fiancé’s brother made me uneasy.

There was some repetition in the writing where certain words or phrases were used so many times it was noticeable to the reader, but overall I think this was a solid debut.

I wanted to be committed in this story but had to finally DNF the book at 70% unfortunately. The main character was just not it for me, she’s childish and overall a personality i just couldn’t comprehend.

The story has a strong potential of being a enemy to lover plot line (unfortunately I will never know) with multiple moments you find yourself laughing or cheering for maya.

Overall not for me but still an enjoyable read.

Thank you to Net Galley for this ARC!

Maya's Laws of Love is about a Pakistani elementary teacher who believes she's "cursed" in luck, and is on her way to her wedding with a perfect-on-paper man (a pediatric surgeon!) when her plane runs into a storm and she's stranded in Switzerland. Luckily, Switzerland has always been a dream trip for her as the setting of k-drama Crash Landing on You -- and, she has her handsome seat partner to keep her company. Unfortunately, said partner made a bad first impression and also, she's on her way to her own wedding!

As an Asian-American with not much exposure to Muslim culture, I can't comment on a lot of the other reviews that were upset about how unrealistic this representation was. I'm not sure what the levels of adherence to cultural beliefs are -- but to me, this read like an Asian-American narrative with the added backdrop of religion. I might not be Muslim, but I can certainly understand conservative rules around dating, meeting men, and have also come to understand a lot more about arranged marriages through literature. So, at least as an Asian-American and reader, I loved this book for bringing a character and a culture's expectations around love and marriage to life! And it feels reasonable to me that while you would never do any PDA in public, you might have snuck a kiss or a hand=hold without family knowing?

I got to say, the level of communication between Maya and her fiancee were...beyond subpar. And because the premise of this novel is in the description, I kept waiting with bated breath for the other shoe to drop; for her to have to break the news to her family and face all of that backlash. I suppose that's how you know that the Asian culture, at least, was represented. I had anxiety just thinking about that. The writing is lively and descriptive while being fast-paced; I personally greatly appreciated our first chapter starting with a therapist and found that to be such a cute and smart way to start off a novel. Maya comes off a little clueless, I'm not going to lie, and is not necessarily the most likable character. She feels almost self-centered in a way that is both intentional and unintentional of our author; she just never seems to have thoughts about what another character's experience of an event might be. And again, this might be my bias as a medical student, but the fact that her fiancee took that much time off to prepare for this wedding, to (theoretically) go on a honeymoon? Unrealistic, impossible, and shocking - and then for Maya to not seem to ever consider her future fiancee's schedule, really goes to emphasize the flatness of their relationship. And he sounds like a great guy!!

But Sarfaraz, our main male interest, really grows on you quite fast. I get that he was a jerk in the beginning; but he clearly falls first and is just a perfect soft grump, all favorite tropes of mine. He's a good counter to Maya who can sometimes be incredibly impulsive (like walking to Karachi when a bus breaks down??? with a suitcase???)

Really though, my biggest concern with the book was with the title and chapter titles; it seems like this book wants to revolve around this cutesy setup about her personal laws of love, but none of these laws made any sort of sense, had any sort of organization that made them feel like a cohesive list, or told us much about her, really. They also just didn't feel like laws about love! I hope the author can take a moment and really sit down with the book and brainstorm chapter titles that flow and add to the book; whether it be through humor, foreshadowing, or telling us more about Maya and her outlook on life (besides being jaded/prepared for any bad luck that comes her way.) It just feels disjointed as it is now, neither related to chapter or overall theme, and ultimately, makes the ending emotional lines so much less impactful.

Overall, I'd give this book a 4-4.25/5 for great writing, the way Maya felt so much like a real person, and for the detailed representation of diversity! It was a bit slower-paced at first, which is partially to do with my own anxiety. But Alina does a great job of pushing me towards the twist ending, which I'm embarrassed to say I didn't quite see coming, and then I'm holding my breath to see how this goes. I'd recommend this book to anyone looking to broaden their perspective on romance books!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for giving me an ARC of Maya’s Laws of Love by Alina Khawaja. This was a sweet travel romance. Maya and Sarfraz meet on a flight from Canada to Pakistan. She is going to her wedding (it’s an arranged marriage, but she believes she will fall in love with her fiancé) Except there is an emergency landing in Switzerland. And then Sarfraz helps Maya when she is sick. So they start to travel together. There are pitfalls galore. And I won’t spoil the twists (though you kinda see them coming). Maya has always thought she was cursed but maybe she just needs to change her perspective. Overall the book is just lovely. Maya is relatable as a woman trying to protect her loved ones from embarrassment, even if she pays the price. And Sarfraz is grouchy cinnamon roll and they are perfect for each other. These two deserve there HEA. I also appreciated there was no villain in the story. All the characters are complex and supportive of each. It is a book filled with love (familial and romantic)

This was a cute romance!

I enjoyed Maya's growth and liked Sarfaraz (even if he did make some questionable decisions). And I did appreciate the development of Maya and Sarfaraz's relationship. While it did take me a bit to get with the writing and I did think the story was a bit underdeveloped, by the end of the book I was giggling. Also, it was so fun reading the kdrama references - especially when Maya was talking about one of my favourites, "Crash Landing on You."

However, the main reason I requested this romance was because of the Pakistani and Muslim representation. And while I enjoyed the representation within the book, I felt like it could have been stronger. For example, I know that Muslims have times during the day when they need to pray so I found it odd that the only time that it mentioned Maya praying was when she missed her prayers and was making up for it.

Overall, this was fun, quick romance that I enjoyed.