I felt a world wind of emotions, it was like being on a boat on a storm and not knowing where to next. I screamed, laughing and held my breath. I didn’t know I could like a bit of angst honestly but this book served and I loved absolutely every bit of it.

5 stars. cant wait to buy a physical copy.

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC

I loved it so much. It was amazing. It was very interesting to learn more about culture and traditions. I knew he was coming to the wedding. It was very foreshadowed, but I did not think they would be related. I am happy that in the end everyone got their happily ever after and that she broke her curse and found the happiness she deserves.

After finding this author on Tiktok ages ago and hearing about this book, I was unbelievably excited to receive an ebook ARC!

Honestly, this book completely cured my reading slump. I ADORED it!

I'm not going to say it was perfect, because there were a couple of parts where I found myself wanting the pace to be a little bit faster, but it was everything I wanted!

Maya's Laws of Love follows Maya as she travels to her wedding in Pakistan. It was actually funny, romantic, and exactly how I imagine an enemies-to-lovers would happen in real life.

The story was predictable, but in a good way, because it's a rom-com and it would be super disappointing if she didn't end up with the grumpy stranger she accidentally bumped into, right?

I have to say I adored the representation, too. The cultural references and explanations were done magnificently. Literally cannot wait for this book to come out, just so I can grab a paperback copy!

Needless to say I will be reading *anything* this author publishes.

Loved this refreshing and sweet story. It was lovely following Maya to find herself and love. Would recommend to everyone who loves romcoms.

I loved this story. It was so refreshing to see a character develop into their own and realise that they’re enough on their own. You see Maya struggle to grasp that she believes she is cursed and hates to be alone and also make her family happy by marrying someone she doesn’t love.

I loved the MMC so much also and how much you see him grow also. Instead of shutting himself off as she has, he grows too and realises he needs love in his life.

It was just such a pleasure and so heartwarming to read a story where the characters chose to put themselves first and also find their partner along the way.

I really liked Maya’s growth into independence and finally speaking up for hers especially when it came to what direction her life was going. I loved the banter between Maya and Sarfaraz. Mayas law really had me laughing.

This was such a cute book though dealing as well with some slightly heavier themes surrounding cultural expectations. I loved following Maya on her chaotic journey to her wedding in Pakistan, with things going wrong at every turn. Watching her follow her passions around Switzerland and embrace an unexpected detour was rewarding, and watching her break down some of the walls her grumpy travel companion has built high made me so happy. Watching a grump thaw is one of my favourite things. The stress though! The will she, won’t she with her upcoming wedding added an extra level to this story and I was on edge to see how it would unfold. Throw in some plot twists and meddling family, and it was very difficult to put this book down.

It was really nice to learn more about Pakistani religion and culture, and in such a fantastic book! Maya is the lovely, independent woman that you can’t help but root for (even if she’s obsessed with being cursed!). An extra shout out to the K-Drama references as well. As a long time K-Drama fan, I lived for this and I'm definitely going to have to watch Maya's favourite show now.

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

This was well written, about Maya and her arranged marriage. Loved all the characters that are part of the story too

Thank you netgalley and Simon&Schuster or providing the eARC.
This was a special book and obvioulsy my first by Alina Khawaja.

This book was very detailled and well written. I enjoyed the plot twists and the obscure things that happened to Maya. Maya thinks she was cursed with bad luck after her dad left the family when she was a child. Anything bad happening to her-def her curse. It's a classic case of drawing (kind of inviting) bad things happening to you with your attitude. I think thats a thing even in real life.

I enjoyed the chemistry between Maya and Sarfaraz but got frustrated with some of the plot twists and happenings and something K found Maya a bit immature but on the other hand made it relatable. Argh difficult to discribe without giving too much away.

I'd say 4 stars and I am looking forward to the next book by Alina.

Fabulous book!! Light hearted and lots of humour. A great insight into Pakistani culture their way of living. Definitely would the read!

Maya sets out to travel to Pakistan for her own marriage. It's not an arranged marriage - she knows her husband-to-be well - but it couldn't be characterised as a 'love marriage' either. It's more of a 'like marriage' if such a thing exists.

Oh, and it's worth knowing that Maya thinks she is cursed. That's a bit part of this story.

On the way to Pakistan her flight has to take the precaution of landing in Switzerland to avoid a big storm, causing her to have several days to explore a country that would struggle to be less like the one she's heading to. Maya has a passion for a Korean soap-opera that filmed in Switzerland and decides to go and see the locations.

OK, I think you'll agree that stuff like this doesn't really happen. When your flight gets delayed it's never somewhere interesting, you're always in a crappy airport hotel, and they don't let you go away in case the flight is reinstated. But that doesn't really matter.

It's also highly unlikely that you're going to get a seat next to a hot but annoying man who will go off and explore with you. But that doesn't really matter either.

And, once they get to Pakistan, there's still a lot more potential for unfortunate happenings to occur and lots of opportunities for her and Sarfaraz to battle adversity and get to know each other better (in a wholly appropriate and non-sexual good-Muslim-girl fashion).

I don't generally read romantic fiction but if it's a culturally interesting romance where the protagonists have to work out their traditional restrictions and find a way through a clear attraction, then I'm in. I won't say it's a challenging read because it isn't - a blind person could see exactly where this was going - but sometimes the journey is more important than the destination and this is a really heart-warming travel story.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this enjoyable read.

This book is a captivating journey through the depths of imagination. Its rich storytelling and well-developed characters kept me engaged from start to finish. With its thought-provoking themes, it transcends genres and offers something for every reader. A must-read for anyone seeking a literary adventure.

I really enjoyed reading this sweet and thoughful romance which also engaged with themes around trauma, being a member of diaspora and commitment.
The main character was humane and compassionate and the development of the love story was done well and in a realistic way.
It was very fun to see the popular culture references to Bollywood and k-drama and the adventures of the main couple in Pakistan were also a mix of fun and tense.
You do really root for them to be together in the end.
I appreciated the author's note at the start around different Muslim experiences too.

Maya's Laws of Love is an entertaining story about Maya Mirza and her journey from Canada to Karachi to get married to the man she's been engaged to for the past three years. She's convinced she's cursed and faces one problem after another on her journey, where she comes across Sarfaraz Porter.

I really enjoyed this story and it kept me hooked all the way till the end. I found Maya to be endearing and while some of her idiosyncrasies made me want to shake her, I found it charming rather than annoying. I loved the depiction of Pakistan and all its highs and lows through Maya's eyes along with her conflicts as a Canadian-Pakistani. Ms Khawaja has written a brilliant debut and I look forward to reading more from her in the future. Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK for an ARC.

I loved this story, strong and powerful. Although I don’t know any Urdu, even the words and expressions were not lost on me. A novel based on the culture and customs leading to a Pakistani wedding. Only, the bride believes she is cursed with bad luck, especially after such a protracted journey in the company of a stranger, from Toronto to Pakistan. Maya was using marriage as an escape from the clutches of her restricted life and desperately wants independence from family ties.

Not wishing to spoil the story for others I won’t say anymore about the events and relationships. Maya is a mature sensible lady, most of the time, but she discovers the meaning of living and love and being her own person.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers Simon and Schuster UK for this advance copy.

Thanks so much to Simon and Schuster, Alina Khawaja and Netgalley for the eARC, all opinions expressed are my own.

"Maya's Laws of Love" is a charming and relatable take on the unpredictability of romance and life. Maya Mirza's self-made list of laws that govern her life and love is both amusing and endearing.

As Maya embarks on a journey to Pakistan for an arranged marriage, readers are taken on a delightful ride filled with mishaps, surprises, and the chance for unexpected love. The story takes a dramatic and unexpected turn when Maya's path crosses with the cynical lawyer Sarfaraz during a storm-induced layover in Switzerland. The resulting chemistry kept me hooked.

Khawaja's storytelling is engaging, and her characters are well-developed and relatable. Maya's inner struggles and the conflicts she faces as she navigates tradition and her own desires are thoughtfully explored. The blend of humor and heart in the narrative keeps you invested in Maya's journey and I love the portrayal of Maya's character, it makes my South Asian heart happy!

The unravelling of Maya's relationship and her growing closeness with Sarfaraz was addictive, unravelling like the drama's of a Pakistani drama whilst littered with K-drama references, I thoroughly enjoyed it!

This book is a great example of the idea that life doesn't always go according to our plans and that love can often be found in the most unexpected places. It's a heartwarming and entertaining tale that will leave you rooting for Maya to find her own path to happiness. If you're a fan of romantic comedies with a touch of cultural exploration, this book is well worth the read and I highly recommend!

Maya is about to get married. She's not had the best of luck in life. She attributes every bit of misfortune to a curse she is convinced was put on her as a child.
She's off to Pakistan, alone, to meet the rest of her family and fiance, who are already there, waiting for her arrival so they can start the celebrations.
What could go wrong? All she has to do is get there...
The thing is, no one can account for who you end up sitting next to. And who ever knows what the weather is going to do?
A fourteen-hour plane trip, followed by a planned seventeen-hour bus ride to her destination, takes nearly ten days, and she finds herself with an unlikely travel companion.
Throughout the book, we are invited to learn about Maya's Laws of Love... She's had things tough, and it feels like every turn of her life, especially in the romantic sense, is tainted. But no one knows what the future holds.
This was a fantastic Desi Fiction book, with characters from a Pakistani Muslim background and well-defined East/West cultural clashes. Wanting to fit in, but knowing there were certain things you couldn't do or say as a Pakistani woman, albeit one brought up in Canada. Maya was torn throughout the book, but Khawaja portrayed her well as a young woman with dilemmas she needed to face.
As she mentions in the Author's notes at the beginning of this book, the story is not halal... This equates to not a clean romance. There are some slightly risque scenes, but nothing that would hit a spice factor on the ratings. But this shows the consideration of Khawaja in her honesty. After all, a woman is a woman, and regardless of religion or culture, we all have base feelings and desires. This story embraces the dilemmas Maya has to work through. However, some readers of the Islamic persuasion would rather not read books with anything considered 'haram'.
I loved reading this story. It is good to have characters and cultures I can relate to. I may not be Muslim, but I have grown up with close Muslim friends, and some South Asian traditions span most cultures regardless of religion.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an ARC.

I liked this for the most part. Maya is getting an “arranged” marriage in Pakistan but facing a hell of a lot of challenges making her way to the wedding. It was well written and I really liked the character development throughout, I definitely want to read more from this author.

This rally looks like it’s going to be a good one!I love the handsome stranger on a plane troupe. It will be so interesting to see how this stranger affects Maya and her soon to be arranged marriage.