Reviews with content warning for Pregnancy - Hana Khan Carries On

this book had so much potential but i'm afraid it could not fully be delievered. don't get me wrong, it is entertaining and you can have a good time reading it. however, i feel like the author tried to include way too many storylines and i don't think that works with a 350 page novel.

firstly, i don't think it should be labelled as romance because, while there's some soft and cute moments, the title itself says it: this book revolves around hana, and we get to see how she deals with several situations.
i think that these said situations were easy to relate to. and even if you can't fully relate, you can easily emphatize with them: islamophobia, being a perfectionist, doing your best to help your family, being kinda afraid to chase your dreams, the struggles of feeling like you don't belong anywhere...

i loved to read about her character delevopment and how she decided uncertainty is better than being mistreated and doing things you don't really love

i feel like maybe the book's main plot is family. despite everything, i think this was one of the best nuanced topics. i actually think i loved everyone in hana's family. but of course my favorite characters are kawkab (because we love sexy mysterious women) and rashid (supportive side characters who are there for comedic relief own my heart)
i also like the fact that the book portrays different kind of families and/or relationships. there's the imam wearing hawaiian shirts just to make his wife laugh, yusuf and lily's complicated relationship, the way juneid's temper affected his family...

aydin was kind of relatable at some points, you know, the whole needing reassurance thing and not wanting to let his dad down, although he knows he's not a great person.

but i am just kind of confused about him and hana. like, okay, maybe by the end of the book they're not kind of an official couple and they're just in the process of finally getting to know each other better, after so many conversations online and after their banter irl. but, i feel like the way they started liking each other was a bit insta-lovey :/ also, i thought he knew about anabgr's identity and was just playing dumb? but he did not know? that's confusing, specially since he should have recognized hana's voice after a while, but anyways

but as i said, i think the romance was more of a subplot in this book.

oh, also it took me a while to get over the first 20% of the book. i guess i felt like nothing at all was happening? if this problem and the multiple storylines one would have been fixed, maybe i could round this to 4 stars. but yeah, i don't think i can't give it that rating knowing i was about to dnf it at the beginning.

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loquitacass's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful medium-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

4.75

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markedwithanm's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful medium-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

3.5

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zee's review against another edition

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hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

3.5

Note: my thoughts will be biased as I don't often read light-hearted or romantic books.

Hana Khan Carries On is a cute, optimistic book about a 20-something Muslim Indian-Canadian woman living in Toronto. As she navigates challenges facing her family's restaurant, Hana searches for answers regarding her own future.

I did find some of the writing to be clunky, especially the beginning of the novel. The "podcasts" feel unnatural and read more like blog posts than something someone would listen to. The back-and-forth with her regular listener is sometimes referenced as comments on the podcast, but read more like text messages/DMs.

There were some unexpected twists to the story, however overall most of it seemed ham-fisted to ensure the

enemies-to-lovers

trope worked. I expected the ending about 40 pages in, which disappointed me a little. But again, I'm not a big romance reader.

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kelly_e's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful 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

Title: Hana Khan Carries On
Author: Uzma Jalaluddin
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Rating: 3.75
Pub Date: April 13, 2021

T H R E E • W O R D S

Joyous • Refreshing • Cluttered

📖 S Y N O P S I S

Hana grew up helping at her family's halal restaurant, which is looking to be on its last leg. When it's announced that another halal restaurant will be opening nearby, the closure seems inevitable. With a passion for sharing meaningful stories on the radio, Hana turns to her anonymously-hosted podcast and one longtime listener for advice.

When a hate-motivated attack on their neighbourhood occurs it complicates matters even more. As does Hana's growing attraction for Aydin, owner of the rival restaurant. Now more than ever, Hana will need to use her voice.

💭 T H O U G H T S

I went into Hana Khan Carries On with quite high expectations after reading this author's debut, Ayesha At Last. This one is a modern retelling of you've got You've Got Mail, and I didn't enjoy it as much.

It must be said that Uzma Jalaluddin writes family dynamics so incredibly well. I thought this part of the book was one of the best. The vibrant characters brought the joy and life to the plot, as did the the irresistible banter. I also appreciated all of the delicious references to good, and of course the shout out to Kawartha Diary ice cream (I could easily go for some Black Raspberry Thunder right about now) was a nice little bonus. Their ice cream is so good!

I also think the exploration of micro aggressions and Islamophobia was a strength of this book. It was so hard and sad to read, but is the reality of what people go through on a daily basis while simply trying to live their lives.

While I enjoyed each of the storylines, unfortunately, this one tried to do too much. The competing storylines made it difficult for me to become fully invested. And I think the author would have been better off sticking to one storyline or the other. While I liked the idea of competing restaurants/ enemies-to-lover, the romance aspect just didn't seem like it fit.

At the end of the day, Hana Khan Carries On tackles serious topics, yet it's done in way as to still make the narrative light and fast-paced. It was an enjoyable read, it just didn't live up to my expectations.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fans of You've Got Mail
• readers looking for a diverse rom-com

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"Books are like people, you have to give them room to breathe."

"If the people are changing, that means we're still alive. Only living changes things."

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