A review by btwnprintedpgs
Maya's Laws of Love by Alina Khawaja

adventurous lighthearted reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

I can see why a lot of people took issue with this book. I'm not Muslim, but I know what is haram and what isn't, and saying "technically" to skirt the rules doesn't mean you're not absolutely skirting them... The fact that a number of things were mentioned to be haram in the first place, but still done by the FMC baffled me. I understand why the author had that note at the beginning because I know that the way this story is put together would definitely be scandalous to a lot of Muslim people. I'm going to let other voices shine here, because I'm not own voice, but I will say the amount of touching and kissing in this book was a surprise to me.

I am also disappointed by the infidelity element of this story. Both characters had no regard for her engagement and it was frustrating. Beyond that, it felt entirely against type for anything to go so far with two character who are seemingly devoted to their religion and beliefs. It felt like a betrayal on multiple levels and made me respect both of them a lot less.

The two standouts were her therapy sessions - yay for positive POC therapy sessions - and the beautiful descriptions of their travel. Unfortunately, this book as a whole though was a miss for me.

TW: infidelity, vomit, robbery/kidnapping; mentions divorced parents, divorce.

Plot: 1/5
Characters: 2/5
World Building: 3/5
Writing: 3/5
Pacing: 4/5
Overall: 2/5

ARC gifted by HCC Frenzy in exchange for an honest review.
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