I will start with the highest praise I can give a book - this story got me out of a several months long reading slump. It is the sweetest, softest kind of read; for me it was everything I needed - romantic, gentle, so relatable, funny and guaranteed HEA. To top it off, it's a loose retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion.

Nada as a character was so relatable to me personally, especially as an only daughter to immigrant parents in a Pakistani, Muslim household, in her late twenties. It was like Uzma Jalaluddin was a fly on the wall in my own life! I love that there was such beautiful representation of muslim communities while having these discussions of culture and community in a way that I've never read in a fiction story without the feeling of judgement attached to it. She was able to build this world that felt so real without being a caricature.

I felt so deeply for Nada's fears and hopes and how stuck she felt in pleasing everyone in her life and struggling with it. Her family and friends were also a strong favourite for me, just building that realism once more, and of course Baz having some of the sweetest, most romantic lines.

I found that I enjoyed the flashbacks to the past and back to the present because of how the story had built up to it - I'm not usually a fan of time jumps or multiple flashbacks. For this story, it really worked and built up the tension in the necessary way. I also really loved that this was a halal romance (that may not be the case for everyone but by my standards, it was) and so much was said in the yearning, the time apart and unspoken moments.

This was my first Uzma Jalaluddin book but it definitely won't be my last!

I received a copy of this book to review from Netgalley.
I adored this book! Uzma has done it again. I feel that this was a more emotionally complex and mature novel than her previous. I found myself tearing up at parts and wanting to savour others.
The ending wrapped up a little quickly but overall an amazing representative must read.

"Much Ado About Nada" is a romance novel about growth. The main couple have known each other for a very long time, yet both of them have needed to grow and develop separately before they are ready to be together. I really loved that aspect of their relationship: where you are at 18 is different from where you are at 28!

Although this was a love story grounded in reality, and notable for that, I didn't feel that the romance itself was particularly strong. The story is told by switching between present day and various times in the past and without that device to keep me interested I'm not sure I would have been so invested in the characters. The romance between Baz and Nada seems to come from their shared history rather than any particular event or attraction and the lack of tension between the two in the past makes their eventual HEA less exciting in my opinion.

Solid escapism with great themes but lacking in chemistry.

Persuasion is my favourite Austen novel so I was really pleased to receive this review copy of a contemporary retelling of the classic novel.

I think it worked well and was an enjoyable read. I really loved the character of Nada, she felt both real and likeable. I also enjoyed the alternate time zones and the drop feeding of information as the reader gradually finds out what’s happened between them.

It’s not a work of great classic literature like its inspiration is but it is an enjoyable read.

I adored this book from start to finish. I really like the exploration of people, in this case Nada, who are so driven to succeed and throw everything into their life. I found Nada an extremely relatable character and this made me enjoy the novel even more - her honest ways and dedication to self growth was desirable! This felt like a real life romance, rather than a whimsical dreamlike one, and I just found myself becoming so invested.