I really enjoyed this book . It has everything. It will make you laugh, cry and swoon.
Danyal is a very charming protagonist. His character development throughout was memorable and enjoyable.
Danyal and Bisma's story was insanely cute but also included with the reality of societal pressures and norms.
I appreciate the topic and discussion of colonialism and Churchill.
The book was well written and i'm excited to see what the author provides next.

Fun, Romantic, and really exiting!!! Love it so much, really enjoyed reading. I liked how the main character likes to cook.

This ownvoices YA contemporary romance is a delight to pick up. A Pakistani-American boy who loves to cook delicious food and has a crush on the most popular girl in his class, finds himself in an academic competition that pushes him to take the help of the Pakistani-American girl in his class—one he isn’t interested in but one he finds himself cooking for, laughing with, and inspired by. In addition to being a budding romance novel, it dives into the historical accuracy and horrifying reality of the years of colonialism in the Indian subcontinent and I personally appreciate it so much.

This was absolutely amazing! Although brought breezily, the message was strong, and I found myself really enjoying it. I rooted for the main characters from the beginning, and both their backstories were powerful, which was amazing.

I loved this! I had no education about arranged marriages but found this book very informative in such a light hearted easily digestible way. I found all the characters interesting and well rounded.
Would highly recommend.
Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

Before I start my review on More Than Just A Pretty Face, I want to share my favorite quote-worthy conversation from the book. Don’t worry, it doesn’t contain spoilers.
” You know how people think the moon is beautiful? Well….it’s not perfect, is it? There’s like spots on it and stuff – ’’
“ Craters. ”
“Be less of a nerd for like two minutes. I’m just saying that those craters are part of the moon’s past. The moon has a history, and I don’t know about it. No one knows it, really…. but we can still love the moon. It’s still wonderful. It still lights up the dark. So, you don’t ever need to talk about anything you don’t want to talk about. You are who you are and that’s more than good enough for me. “

AND THAT’S HOW MY HEART EXPLODED, GUYS.

More Than Just A Pretty Face was the sweetest book ever. Don’t let the book cover fool you, though. This book is so much MORE THAN JUST A PRETTY LOOKING THING.

If I had to describe More Than Just A Pretty Face in three words, I would choose Adorable, Heartwarming and Relatable. This is the second book that I’ve read where both of the male and female leads belong to brown families, and I think I’m falling in love with desi couples all over again, lol.

I absolutely loved the storyline – it was simple, yet so impactful. The characters and their development, the banter, the comedic outbursts and the sweetest romance, made this book a memorable one. The fact that dreams can bring out the best versions of people was an important ( and my favorite ) part of the book.
I was introduced to the familiar aroma of a Muslim household as well, and that just made the book so much better. Some of the situations that the characters dealt with, along with their conversations were so relatable. I was weirded out by the fact that the families of the main characters were planning to get their kids married off at just the age of 19 in the beginning though. I got over it after the first few chapters hehe :’(

Danyal has become one of my favorite characters from YA novels. He was just the sweetest person ever. I loved how he didn’t let his academic failures define him at all. He went ahead and followed his passion of being a chef with his head held up high – that’s really admirable in my eyes. The author did an amazing job of perfectly fleshing out his character development throughout the storyline. I connected with Danyal from the very beginning of the story. Seeing him happy melted my heart.

More Than Just A Pretty Face featured some important political problems and issues of religious extremism as well. I loved how the author chose to address these aspects by blending them with the plot. The book was really funny too, and I think that was a wonderful BONUS!

Highly recommend reading this book. PLEASE READ IT.

5 stars

loved the plot and everything in this book! you just need to pick this up during the raya season it really got me hooked to the book! cannot wait to read more from this author

-Please not that while I have an Asian background, I am not an own voices reviewer for the desi/Muslim representation in this book. This book is a love letter to this community & I can’t wait to read future own voices reviews on it- ⠀
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This YA contemporary romance has been one of my biggest surprise reads of this year so far. I still have so many happy feelings from reading this book, mainly because of the book’s easy tone yet nonetheless very important background. Featuring a main character who, as he like to claim himself, isn’t the brightest in town, we meet an anything but stereotypical American-Pakistani boy. He is, in fact, what some in the desi community might call a ‘Pakistani failure’ because his interests (girls and cooking) aren’t exactly an South East Asian immigrant parent’s dreams which made the perfect set-up for this book. He is a character who has his heart in the right place though and he and the side characters never failed to surprise me because of their willingness to grow. ⠀
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The author’s nods to his own background are also evident by how the desi community is represented in this book — diversely and so full of surprises. Whether it’s the liberal ones, the religious ones etc, we all get little glimpses on their lives and everyone gets a chance to tell their stories. This is probably what I appreciated the most about this book — it’s not about ‘breaking free’ from your religion and cultural background but redefining the values and finding your place in it, despite all the differences. Throughout the book the author also addresses other important issues such as social and political issues and colonialism from a non-conqueror POV as he highlights different events of history that are whitewashed in the western world. I truly appreciated this seriousness to the book.⠀
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In the end it was an absolute delight to see Danyal and Bisma slowly fall for each other. This book isn’t your typical YA romance, it’s a force of energy and an important read both for the desi community and everyone else

I will immediately clarify that I am not Muslim, so I will not be commenting on the own voices representation of the Muslim faith and culture that is represented in this book.

This was such a cute and shockingly deep YA rom-com. More Than Just a Pretty Face takes a look at the complicated gender and religious politics within a traditional Muslim household through the lens of a guy who is, admittedly, not too bright.

Danyal and Bisma’s story was just so heart warming and incredibly adorable that I can’t help feeling giddy about them. This book covers teenage romance in a way that will just fill your heart with love and have you grinning from ear-to-ear. The development of their friendship, and then their love, made me so happy. They supported each other and repacked each other the whole way through, and I appreciated that.

Not only is Danyal and Bisma’s story a love story, it is also one of family, tradition, heartbreak and societal expectations. This book ropes in very serious societal and political issues into the story, giving it much more depth and all the more reason to love the characters.

However I did take issue with one portrayal of a very religious character, one of Danyal’s friends, who is seen as a jerk most of the time. I found this quite sad as I believe this is a stereotype that should be challenged more often.

Also, due to the crazy drama in the end, I feel like we could’ve been given a bit more as far as a true developed ending. This is probably the only thing that made this a four star read rather than a five.

On the whole, if you are looking for a fun, light-hearted young adult romance that also involves some pretty serious world issues, this is the book for you.

4.5/5 stars
THIS BOOK WAS SO CUTEI had such a fun time reading this book! It was really sweet and the characters were well developed and fun. Also there was lots of food which was amazing.

Danyal is a really engaging main character. His first person narration is sweet and really entertaining to read. I was rooting for him throughout the whole book.

I also really enjoyed the discussion of Churchill and Colonialism in this book. I think its a really relevant topic given the current discussion regarding historical figures and I think this book handled it really well.

The secondary characters in this book were also wonderful. Bisma and her sister were two of my favourites, I loved the they had and of course I loved watching the romance between Bisma and Danyal progress.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a more diverse, sweet rom com. I can't wait to read what Syed Masood writes next! <3

This was such an adorable book! It was a page turner with loveable characters and a really fun story.
In all honesty I wasn't expecting too much, but I was pleasantly surprised.

*4.75 Stars*

Let's be honest. When I first started this, and realized the narrator was a guy, I was disappointed. Then, I read on a little and the conversation he was having with a girl in the first chapter put me off so I just started something else and put this one aside.
I made myself start this back closer to release date, and once I passed that first chapter and whatever issue I first had, I fell deeply in love.
The characters are deep, layered and flawed and just hooked me in. I honestly loved everything about this... the background, the storylines, the romance, the relation to school but also the friendships, just everything.
It was deeply moving and just took me there, in this neighborhood, with these amazing characters.

Absolutely loved this so much, what can I say. Danyal I loved him as soon as we meet him, he’s such a warm character, he may love the wrong woman and be a little vain when we first meet him but his heart, kindness and love show through from the very start. I absolutely loved what a man he was when he first met Bisma, more of a man than her father or his father was to him. I loved the fact he isn’t ‘clever’ and the emphasis and value placed on book learning and education when in life it isn’t always cut and dry, that some education can’t be taught, some people will never learn as much as Danyal already knows. I also loved the fact of role reversal the author comments on that Danyal would technically take the female role in a traditional arranged marriage in looks and Bisma was the brains and traditional male role. Danyal’s sarcasm and humour, along with his self deprecation (despite his looks) are just endearing.
Bisma is another character I fell in love with as soon as I met her, love her backbone, independent, full of Strength, what she has been through and she knows what she wants and yet loves her family to still try and protect them and not herself. I love as a geek the reference Other being a superhero for her mum. Syed just writes wonderful characters, every one is crafted and fully developed, no two dimensional villains or heroes, there is a rhyme and reason to everyone, each has their story and like the fathers in this, have their reasons for their actions, while not always justifies their actions, it does give them depth and understanding. (Although the mother’s are legends and just fabulous, loved them and you would want them on your side)
I loved the torment Danyal has trying to decide what to do over the Renaissance man and Churchill essay, deciding between the truth and impressing his teacher, doing his father justice, getting people to see that Churchill isn’t the great hero people hold him up to be (when let’s face it that man did many awful things in addition to the Bengal famine and I liked the fact this echoes recent discussions in the UK about him and the fact we need to re-evaluate how we look at our leaders and ‘heroes’ who we hold up on a pedestal need to be looked at more in depth, Danyal is almost a metaphor for this recent discussion in this book.) This was just beautiful, it’s such a great look at YA life, choices, family, relationships and the decisions that are so instrumental in Desi culture.
Overall, this isn’t the light YA romance I was expecting, it is so much more and one of my favourite reads this year, for the ability to make me feel so much and also think In depth, while laughing out loud on the next page. I simply find I cannot express in words how much I loved this book ( apart from saying love constantly) I will say pick this book up, male or female, young or old , romance fan or not, this book is for everyone, it will leave you in a better state than when you opened the first page, whether intellectually or emotionally, what you get from this is down to you, but you should definitely read this, you won’t regret it.
I regret that Syed doesn’t have a ton of other books I can buy and read now. Thanks so much to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion, but mostly thanks to Sued for a wonderful story and contribution to the reading world.

BOOK REVIEW: More Than Just a Pretty Face by @syed.m.masood

4 stars

This is one of the best YA romances that I have read in a while. It is funny, interesting and incredibly cute.
Danyal the main character is an absolute joy. His sarcastic nature and wonderful wit lights up this novel and made me fall in love with the story. You can't help but love him and therefore route for him.
The storyline was simple but sometimes a perfect simple storyline is better than a complicated one. I loved learning more about the Pakistani and Muslim culture and it was a fantastic own voices read.
This book is based around arranged marriage and it was put in such a positive light. The slow building love story was so adorable and I love a friends to lovers romance.
I was sad about some of the judgemental views towards some of the characters but I guess it gave the story a purpose to overcome.
I really recommend this book if you are after a cute romance with Pakistani culture and fantastic wit. It's an easy but wonderful read. I loved it!

Please note that I was gifted this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved this book! It was so heartwarming and just a joy to read. Danyal was a really complex character and I enjoyed watching him learn and grow throughout the novel. I thought the romance in here was super sweet and just make me smile. And don't get me started on the food in here, it made my mouth water it all sounded so delicious. I wish we had spent some more time with some of the more minor characters as I felt like I wanted a little more of their story however overall I thought the characters were really well developed. I really enjoyed seeing their family relationships and enjoyed seeing and learning about how their culture and religion played into those dynamics. I thought the plot in here was really well done and it had me wanting to read on to find out what happened and found the competition element to be really fun and taught me loads about history that I was just completely unaware of and would now like to find out more as a result.
I would highly recommend this one!
5 out of 5 stars.

I can sum up my feelings about this novel thus: I read it in a single day.

From the Blurb:
Danyal Jilani doesn’t lack confidence. He may not be the smartest guy in the room, but he’s funny, gorgeous, and going to make a great chef one day. His father doesn’t approve of his career choice, but that hardly matters. What does matter is the opinion of Danyal’s longtime crush, the perfect-in-all-ways Kaval, and her family, who consider him a less than ideal arranged marriage prospect.

When Danyal gets selected for Renaissance Man, a school-wide academic championship, it’s the perfect opportunity to show everyone he’s smarter than they think. He recruits the brilliant, totally-uninterested-in-him Bisma to help with the competition, but the more time Danyal spends with her…the more he learns from her…the more he cooks for her…the more he realises that happiness may be staring him right in his pretty face.

First of all, I need to get something off my chest. Danyal is more than just a pretty face. It says it in the title. It says it far too obviously throughout the book. It’s a fair and valid statement, but the line was a little too forced-in for my tastes, making it feel cheesy and the wrong kind of cliché.

Now that that is out of the way: I loved this book. From the concept through to the execution, Syed M. Masood had me hooked. It is not often — for me, at least — to read a contemporary/romance novel from a male perspective. I adored every second of it, and found it refreshing to read about romance from a man’s eyes.

This perspective has a particular importance to young men and boys reading YA. 'More Than Just a Pretty Face' depicts inherently good young men learning about themselves and trying to become better people — in whichever way they deem best. I loved seeing boys being helped to reach their full potential, and dealing with very real and very common issues and prevailing. They feel, they hurt, and they talk about these things (eventually). All of this, I think, provides a very important lesson to all readers, but particularly to young men.

The novel as a whole covers lots of important issues, including religion, feminism, and the pressure around academia. It also includes awesome POC representation, and *some* LGBTQ+ representation.

The main characters of 'More Than Just a Pretty Face' are Muslim, and the novel focusses a lot on the religion. It was incredible to see Muslim characters in the limelight, and I found myself learning a lot about Islam (which only highlighted to me how much more I should be educating myself). However, I cannot speak for the accuracy of the Muslim representation, and so I encourage you to read other reviews for this insight. Even a quick look through Goodreads suggests that there could be improvements which is something to take into consideration, especially as a non-Muslim reader.

Danyal Jilani, as we’re well aware, is a very handsome young man. As a result, his character appears quite arrogant at the beginning of the novel. In fact, I disliked him somewhat at the start. His character development, though, was awesome to watch. He became so much more than just a pretty face by the end, and I couldn’t help but love him for his endearing personality. Danyal is a multi-faceted character who, yes, is extremely confident in his appearance, but is severely self-conscious about other aspects of himself. He is kind and flawed, and the kind of person you wouldn’t be surprised to meet.

Danyal’s best friends, Sohrab and Intezar, are also very well-rounded. They are unique and have their own vivid backstories that I would love to know more about. The same goes for Kaval, Danyal’s long-time crush, and Bisma, the nerdy, sweet girl Danyal meets as an arranged-marriage prospect. I adored Bisma for her strong beliefs and opinions, and for her hidden, scarred side that was heart-breaking to see. And for all her flaws, I really liked Kaval too. She is incredibly fierce. She knows exactly what she wants and she isn’t afraid to get it — which isn’t a villainous thing, in itself.

The plot of 'More Than Just a Pretty Face' will be familiar to many contemporary or YA readers. The overarching layer of Renaissance Man is comfortable and none-too-shocking. But that is absolutely perfect for the themes and messages it is trying to convey through the other aspects of the novel, like Danyal’s part-time job and his religious life.

'More Than Just a Pretty Face' gave me feelings of immense joy and I could not stop myself from reading. I said at the beginning of this review that I read it in a day, which is always a good sign for me. I was completely invested in Danyal’s life.

This novel is perfect for contemporary lovers. Syed M. Masood has done an excellent job at writing this multi-layered romance.

I raced through this novel because I got completely invested in Danyal’s story. In some places, the writing could have been a little more sophisticated, but it blew me away in others (specifically in Danyal’s Renaissance Man presentation). 'Than Just a Pretty Face' is a beautiful contemporary, that left me feeling full of love and positivity.

I greatly enjoyed reading this book. It was funny and lighthearted, while still talking about important subjects, such as colonisation. But that being said, I still had some issues with the book, such as the humour which was sometimes more offensive than anything else, but also the way the book treated practicing muslims (mostly shown as not having as much fun as other people). I appreciated how this book was not about being muslim, but it the stereotyping of practicing muslims was not it.

Forced to DNF this one. The previous reviews warned that this book mixes up the perspective of culture and actual Muslim representation.

More Than Just a Pretty Face by Syed M. Masood</a> is a Young Adult Contemporary that follows the main character Danyal, a senior in High School who has dreams of becoming a chef. His family, who don't agree with his passion to become a chef, are desperate for him to go to college and to also find a suitable wife (who unfortunately doesn't seem to be his longtime crush Kaval.) When Danyal gets selected for a school-wide academic championship, it's a brilliant opportunity to show everyone that he's a lot smarter than they think he is. He recruits the help of Bisma, a young girl that his parents introduce to him as a potential wife.

I absolutely loved the relationship between Danyal and Bisma, it was so incredibly sweet and cute that it made my heart hurt. My only issue with their relationship is that it does seem a little rushed, we don't actually get to see that much of Bisma (which is a shame because she was definitely my favourite character) so their relationship seems to just come out of nowhere.

I can't really comment on the representation of the book as it is not my religion, but I did learn a lot about Muslim customs and their history from reading this book. I also thoroughly enjoyed following Danyal's project on Winston Churchill as the Bengal Famine was something I had never heard about before even though it was a huge part of history. I love books that teach me stuff without taking me away from the story itself.

Overall, I did throughly enjoy this book and ended up giving it 5 stars. Whilst the first half was a bit slow, it definitely picked up in the second half and I definitely recommend giving it a read.

I'm torn between a 3 and a 4 star rating so I will settle for a 3.5'.
There are things I really liked in this book, like Bisma and Danyal's friendship, Bisma's sister Suri, and the exploration of knowledge, morality, and knowing that sometimes what's right isn't what's popular. I also loved the nods to food, and how passionate Danyal is about food.
However, things I didn't like about this were Danyal's views towards women, especially at the beginning of the novel. He definitely grew through the novel, but he was very shallow and almost degrading in the way he talked about Kaval and Bisma at the beginning of the novel. Danyal was also very judgy of his friends' religious choices, whether that was to be more or less religious than himself, which I thought was strange since they have all been lifelong friends.
That being said, while I am not Muslim and therefore cannot speak out about if it was good Muslim rep or not, I do appreciate what this book did in terms of representation, as it is important for authors of colour to get their story out there. I would absolutely recommend finding some own voices reviews of this book, as their opinion on the representation is the most important.

This was definitely a fast read and I enjoyed growing with Danyal through his final months of high school and, in a sense, childhood.