Scan barcode
jess_always_reading's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
This was a great story! The majority of the present day parts take place over a weekend or so with the rest happening as tantalizing flashbacks that slowly reveal the character's backstories. As a Torontonian myself it was also really cool to read a book so anchored in our city and in the Muslim community. Jalaluddin doesn't shy away from depicting character flaws and balancing both the wonderful and the challenging aspects of growing up in a tight-knit immigrant community.
A beatiful story of being true to yourself and your community, of breaking patterns, and of the different types of love.
10/10 would recommend.
A beatiful story of being true to yourself and your community, of breaking patterns, and of the different types of love.
10/10 would recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Racism, Xenophobia, and Islamophobia
Moderate: Ableism
genuine_sarcasm's review against another edition
funny
informative
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was complicated.
3 stars for the actual character and character development.
5 stars for the lovely look into the Muslim culture.
Nada is a jerk; immature. I disliked her so much I did not want to finish the book.
I didn't mind the book hopped back and forth between past and present. What I did not like, and thought was rushed, is the development of the relationship between the two main characters.
It never explained how one could forgive / overlook severe bullying to fall in love. There was no development of it - especially considering the lack of interaction over the course of years. I just didn’t see growth from Nada or the development of a relationship. Hence the 3 for the story.
The 5 goes for the writing about the Muslim culture. As an Asian myself, it was interesting to see the parallels between cultures. I enjoyed learning about how naturally Islam is folded into everyday life without the over explanation books seem to go into. “It just is” - and this is important because representation matters.
Also - much ado about nothing is Shakespeare and I kept looking for parallels. I just saw the description said it was based off of persuasion (haven’t read). So that bit was confusing.
3 stars for the actual character and character development.
5 stars for the lovely look into the Muslim culture.
Nada is a jerk; immature. I disliked her so much I did not want to finish the book.
I didn't mind the book hopped back and forth between past and present. What I did not like, and thought was rushed, is the development of the relationship between the two main characters.
It never explained how one could forgive / overlook severe bullying to fall in love. There was no development of it - especially considering the lack of interaction over the course of years. I just didn’t see growth from Nada or the development of a relationship. Hence the 3 for the story.
The 5 goes for the writing about the Muslim culture. As an Asian myself, it was interesting to see the parallels between cultures. I enjoyed learning about how naturally Islam is folded into everyday life without the over explanation books seem to go into. “It just is” - and this is important because representation matters.
Also - much ado about nothing is Shakespeare and I kept looking for parallels. I just saw the description said it was based off of persuasion (haven’t read). So that bit was confusing.
Content Warnings
Minor: Bullying
subhakhan's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I am very conflicted about this book, if I was rating it on pure enjoyment I would give it a 4 stars, if I was rating it on representation about modern Muslim Women, I would give it a 5 stars, but all those good qualities are dampened by the pace issues of the novel. The first half had me hooked but the ending was incredibly rushed!
Content Warnings
Minor: Bullying
kelly_e's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Title: Much Ado about Nada
Author: Uzma Jalaluddin
Genre: Romance
Rating: 3.00
Pub Date: June 13, 2023
I received a complimentary eARC from HarperCollins Canada via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted
T H R E E • W O R D S
Modern • Unexpected • Uneven
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Nada Syed is stuck. On the cusp of thirty, she’s still living at home with her brothers and parents in the Golden Crescent neighbourhood of Toronto, resolutely ignoring her mother’s unsubtle pleas to get married already. While Nada has a good job as an engineer, it’s a far cry from realizing her start-up dreams for her tech baby, Ask Apa, the app that launched with a whimper instead of a bang because of a double-crossing business partner. Nothing in her life has turned out the way it was supposed to, and Nada feels like a failure. Something needs to change, but the past is holding on too tightly to let her move forward.
Nada’s best friend Haleema is determined to pry her from her shell…and what better place than at the giant annual Muslim conference held downtown, where Nada can finally meet Haleema’s fiancé, Zayn. And did Haleema mention Zayn’s brother Baz will be there?
What Haleema doesn’t know is that Nada and Baz have a past—some of it good, some of it bad and all of it secret. At the conference, that past all comes hurtling at Nada, bringing new complications and a moment of reckoning.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I was granted an ARC of Much Ado about Nada, however, it took me nearly a year to pick it up. I don't think the premise of this novel appealed to me as much as some of this author's other books have, yet I still wanted to give it a try. I have never read Persuasion, so the fact this is a loose retelling didn't really impact my experience.
The writing and flow made this an easy second chance romance read set in both the present and past timelines. Uzma Jalaluddin is fantastic at creating fierce female main characters and she stays the course in this one. Nada is faced with balancing cultural and familial expectations with her own personal hopes and dreams.
When it comes to the romance, it is the past timeline that does the majority of the heavy lifting, and in my opinion this is a downfall of the book. Every time I returned to the present timeline, I was withdrawn from their relationship. To the point, that I don't think I would even classify this as a romance per se.
Much Ado about Nada was enjoyable in the moment, but not necessarily a memorable story.
Certainly not my favourite from this author, yet I appreciate her taking classic stories and putting modern and diverse twists on them. I will continue to pick up the stories that she writes and recommend them to anyone looking for romance with depth.
📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• Persuasion
• the second chance trope
⚠️ CW: bullying, toxic friendship, sexism, misogyny, ableism, mental illness, cursing, hate crime, Islamophobia, pregnancy, injury/injury detail, body shaming, gaslighting, sexual content
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"There's nothing more human than being wrong," she said quietly. "Or being persuaded one way and then regretting your decision. I would argue that learning to live with that regret is the most human thing of all."
Author: Uzma Jalaluddin
Genre: Romance
Rating: 3.00
Pub Date: June 13, 2023
I received a complimentary eARC from HarperCollins Canada via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted
T H R E E • W O R D S
Modern • Unexpected • Uneven
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Nada Syed is stuck. On the cusp of thirty, she’s still living at home with her brothers and parents in the Golden Crescent neighbourhood of Toronto, resolutely ignoring her mother’s unsubtle pleas to get married already. While Nada has a good job as an engineer, it’s a far cry from realizing her start-up dreams for her tech baby, Ask Apa, the app that launched with a whimper instead of a bang because of a double-crossing business partner. Nothing in her life has turned out the way it was supposed to, and Nada feels like a failure. Something needs to change, but the past is holding on too tightly to let her move forward.
Nada’s best friend Haleema is determined to pry her from her shell…and what better place than at the giant annual Muslim conference held downtown, where Nada can finally meet Haleema’s fiancé, Zayn. And did Haleema mention Zayn’s brother Baz will be there?
What Haleema doesn’t know is that Nada and Baz have a past—some of it good, some of it bad and all of it secret. At the conference, that past all comes hurtling at Nada, bringing new complications and a moment of reckoning.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I was granted an ARC of Much Ado about Nada, however, it took me nearly a year to pick it up. I don't think the premise of this novel appealed to me as much as some of this author's other books have, yet I still wanted to give it a try. I have never read Persuasion, so the fact this is a loose retelling didn't really impact my experience.
The writing and flow made this an easy second chance romance read set in both the present and past timelines. Uzma Jalaluddin is fantastic at creating fierce female main characters and she stays the course in this one. Nada is faced with balancing cultural and familial expectations with her own personal hopes and dreams.
When it comes to the romance, it is the past timeline that does the majority of the heavy lifting, and in my opinion this is a downfall of the book. Every time I returned to the present timeline, I was withdrawn from their relationship. To the point, that I don't think I would even classify this as a romance per se.
Much Ado about Nada was enjoyable in the moment, but not necessarily a memorable story.
Certainly not my favourite from this author, yet I appreciate her taking classic stories and putting modern and diverse twists on them. I will continue to pick up the stories that she writes and recommend them to anyone looking for romance with depth.
📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• Persuasion
• the second chance trope
⚠️ CW: bullying, toxic friendship, sexism, misogyny, ableism, mental illness, cursing, hate crime, Islamophobia, pregnancy, injury/injury detail, body shaming, gaslighting, sexual content
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"There's nothing more human than being wrong," she said quietly. "Or being persuaded one way and then regretting your decision. I would argue that learning to live with that regret is the most human thing of all."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Ableism, Cursing, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, and Islamophobia
Minor: Body shaming, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
relin's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
The structure of the book was really neat, flashbacks that were hinted at in the previous chapter in very clear ways that the knowledge in the flashback changes the reading of the conversation. It was fun to see Shakespeare and Muslim culture be intertwined!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Sexism
Moderate: Ableism, Islamophobia, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Sexual content and Pregnancy
vagaybond's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
This was a romance story but I felt more than that, that it was a personal growth story. Sort of depicting the differences between someone and the decisions they make as young people and then when they are 28 and grown up a bit, and the things it takes to get there.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Cursing
Moderate: Chronic illness
Minor: Mental illness and Pregnancy
amandadelbrocco's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Overall, a really charming read though I think ultimately I still like her first book better. I enjoyed that the main character was in her late 20's and trying to figure out her life since that's not super common in romances. I really liked the side characters and their stories.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Misogyny and Sexism
nyquillll's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I really enjoyed reading about two Muslim characters who are deeply embedded in their culture and faith - much of which I do not have prior knowledge of. In this sense, this book was educational and enjoyable.
I was really rooting for Baz and Nada, and I think the flashbacks and flashforwards were sequenced well to move the story along.
I often was viscerally reacting to some scenes, and I could feel an ache and hope for Nada to realize the motive behind her actions and face her fears head on, which is admittedly hard to do in the context she’s in.
I think some of the challenges I had with this book were Baz’s actions toward Nada? I think the bullying aspect was kind of brushed over and not really dealt with or addressed as something serious? From my perception. I also found Baz very hot and cold, understandably so, but to the point that when he confessed he still loved Nada, I wished there were more fluffy parts to balance his iciness. That it wasn’t just a quick flip of a switch.
Despite the minor challenges, though, I really enjoyed this book and the author’s handling of disability, complex family dynamics, the external pressures on relationships, fears of not meeting expectations, the uncomfortable and painful journey toward becoming a better person, and the calling out of sexism and gender roles. I’m very excited to read this author’s other novels!
I was really rooting for Baz and Nada, and I think the flashbacks and flashforwards were sequenced well to move the story along.
I often was viscerally reacting to some scenes, and I could feel an ache and hope for Nada to realize the motive behind her actions and face her fears head on, which is admittedly hard to do in the context she’s in.
I think some of the challenges I had with this book were Baz’s actions toward Nada? I think the bullying aspect was kind of brushed over and not really dealt with or addressed as something serious? From my perception. I also found Baz very hot and cold, understandably so, but to the point that when he confessed he still loved Nada, I wished there were more fluffy parts to balance his iciness. That it wasn’t just a quick flip of a switch.
Despite the minor challenges, though, I really enjoyed this book and the author’s handling of disability, complex family dynamics, the external pressures on relationships, fears of not meeting expectations, the uncomfortable and painful journey toward becoming a better person, and the calling out of sexism and gender roles. I’m very excited to read this author’s other novels!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying and Grief
caleyr94's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I was amazed by this book. The ability to draw you in and keep you guessing was something I rarely find outside a mystery. This book masterfully broke my heart and put it back together again.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying
prairiek's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship