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sweetsxrrxw's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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
one thing about me is that i always end up getting stuck in reading slumps for weeks and end up finishing about 50% of the book in a day or two. this is a terrible thing because i always end up forgetting many details. but, anyways, i guess that doesn't really matter for this review.
i must confess i have never read or watched "pride and prejudice" (even though i'll have to watch the movie soon for a uni assignment, lmao) so i had no idea of how the plot would unfold but i honestly did not mind.
there are so many things i have loved about this story. so when i have recently learnt it's the author's debut novel i was surprised because it is so good. the characters she created are truly complex and i love how you couldn't always hate or love them and how they had their cons and pros (some of them felt kinda flat, though).and i love how most of the characters end up being somehow intertwined. even minor characters had some kind of closure and i really like that.
but let's focus on the main characters: khalid and ayesha. there is this other thing i genuinely loved since the beginning of the story and it's khalid standing out because of the way he dresses. usually, it's always muslim women who go through that but he always says he wants to make his identity clear and i love that so much. don't get me wrong, i like relating to hijabi characters who go through discrimination because that's what i face every day too. but i appreciate how, mostly, none of ayesha's issues were related to that. speaking of ayesha, she is also a great character and you can't help but love her. of course, i haven't always necessarily agreed with every thing she did or said (i might have a couple annotations calling her dumb, lmao) but that's what gives her character more depth.
i also love how, before getting together, they took their time to grow and become better versions of themselves.
and i could go on and talk about every other side character since, as i said, i loved many of them. but that would make this review a reaaally long one, so let's just move on.
there were scenes, paragraphs or quotes that made me giggle but i wouldn't really classify this as a funny story or even a rom-com. i think it has more drama than comedy? but i love that, of course. but then there were some parts which felt really slow :/so slow that i am kinda disappointed that we didn't get to see the main relationship properly unfold and the ending left me wanting for more. maybe a second book wouldn't be a bad idea
let me just finish this review with a quote which really ressonated with me <3
i must confess i have never read or watched "pride and prejudice" (even though i'll have to watch the movie soon for a uni assignment, lmao) so i had no idea of how the plot would unfold but i honestly did not mind.
there are so many things i have loved about this story. so when i have recently learnt it's the author's debut novel i was surprised because it is so good. the characters she created are truly complex and i love how you couldn't always hate or love them and how they had their cons and pros (some of them felt kinda flat, though).and i love how most of the characters end up being somehow intertwined. even minor characters had some kind of closure and i really like that.
but let's focus on the main characters: khalid and ayesha. there is this other thing i genuinely loved since the beginning of the story and it's khalid standing out because of the way he dresses. usually, it's always muslim women who go through that but he always says he wants to make his identity clear and i love that so much. don't get me wrong, i like relating to hijabi characters who go through discrimination because that's what i face every day too. but i appreciate how, mostly, none of ayesha's issues were related to that. speaking of ayesha, she is also a great character and you can't help but love her. of course, i haven't always necessarily agreed with every thing she did or said (i might have a couple annotations calling her dumb, lmao) but that's what gives her character more depth.
and i could go on and talk about every other side character since, as i said, i loved many of them. but that would make this review a reaaally long one, so let's just move on.
there were scenes, paragraphs or quotes that made me giggle but i wouldn't really classify this as a funny story or even a rom-com. i think it has more drama than comedy? but i love that, of course. but then there were some parts which felt really slow :/
let me just finish this review with a quote which really ressonated with me <3
"just remember to pack light. dreams tend to shatter if you're carrying other people's hopes around you."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Islamophobia, and Death of parent
Moderate: Alcoholism and Misogyny
Minor: Sexual content, Grief, Abortion, and Pregnancy
yuna's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-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: Alcoholism, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Islamophobia
Minor: Sexual violence, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
stuckinatimeloop's review against another edition
funny
reflective
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
4.0
as a south asian muslim, i loved this book. it was relatable and well written for the most part. the ending was rushed however. the conflict with tarek was introduced too late. and i would have liked to see a bit more of ayesha and khalid being together. an epilogue would have been nice.
i didn't like how sometimes india and pakistan were presented as being backwards and there was one part like this isn't india or pakistan you can do whatever you want. i'm paraphrasing here but the general gist was that over there people don't have much choice in who they marry and how they live their life. and it didn't really sit well with me. but I'll read some more from this author before i can form a valid opinion
i didn't like how sometimes india and pakistan were presented as being backwards and there was one part like this isn't india or pakistan you can do whatever you want. i'm paraphrasing here but the general gist was that over there people don't have much choice in who they marry and how they live their life. and it didn't really sit well with me. but I'll read some more from this author before i can form a valid opinion
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, and Islamophobia
Moderate: Abortion and Sexual harassment
mbedrosian's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Islamophobia, and Kidnapping
aformeracceleratedreader's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
3.5
Didn't know this was a Pride and Prejudice retelling of sorts. I don't like Pride and Prejudice but I did enjoy this retelling overall. Didn't love it because the characters are frustrating but I did like the discussion of Islamophobia in Canada (it's a nice change from experiencing it/reading about it from the u.s.).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Xenophobia, and Islamophobia
trips's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book was a lovely read, I am very happy to have had it recommended to me. However, I don't feel like its all that much like Pride and Prejudice? Yes, the 2 love interests have the pride and prejudice traits down but the surrounding plot just doesn't echo the Austen novel all that much.
Regardless, I enjoyed Ayesha and Khalid's own stories and seeing how they each navigated them. Ayesha especially is a badass, and while I wasn't sure how I felt about Khalid, by the end, I liked him too. They have some really adorable moments together, but I was left wanting more! I give this a pass because the familial drama was so fun to read about but, for a romance, I'd like a bit more between the heroine and hero!
I found that the antagonists were a bit too obviously awful, literally no one likes people like Sheila. It also felt like the other antagonist only existed to create a third act conflict.
Overall, Ayesha At Last is a fun, light-hearted romance with some good family feels. I appreciate reading from a perspective I don't see a lot in media. Would love to read more from this author.
Regardless, I enjoyed Ayesha and Khalid's own stories and seeing how they each navigated them. Ayesha especially is a badass, and while I wasn't sure how I felt about Khalid, by the end, I liked him too. They have some really adorable moments together, but I was left wanting more! I give this a pass because the familial drama was so fun to read about but, for a romance, I'd like a bit more between the heroine and hero!
I found that the antagonists were a bit too obviously awful, literally no one likes people like Sheila. It also felt like the other antagonist only existed to create a third act conflict.
Overall, Ayesha At Last is a fun, light-hearted romance with some good family feels. I appreciate reading from a perspective I don't see a lot in media. Would love to read more from this author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Child abuse, Islamophobia, and Death of parent
Minor: Abortion
ceedy's review against another edition
emotional
funny
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
3.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Islamophobia
Minor: Abortion and Death of parent
deidrelj's review against another edition
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
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
Super sweet romance. Despite the cultural and religious differences, the characters felt very relatable in how parental and religious pressures can simultaneously enlighten you and yet lead you astray of your best path!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Islamophobia, Religious bigotry, and Death of parent
Minor: Abortion and Abandonment
le3713's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-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
Very fun Pride & Prejudice inspired (not a direct retelling) romcom set in a close-knit Toronto Muslim community. Some of the dialogue and plot points felt forced, but the concept and cast of characters carried this one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Islamophobia, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Alcoholism and Death of parent
Minor: Abortion
norah_'s review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
3.5
⭐️=3.5 | 😘=2 | 🤬=2.5? | 14+
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism and Islamophobia
Minor: Sexual assault and Abortion