This is a quick and easy read that left me rooting for Zara the whole way through. I loved the writing style, the character development and the stoyline had me captivated right from the start. I loved it.

This was such a heart warming read. Made me Lol. The ending wasn’t how I expected and was slightly disappointed she didn’t get her happy ever after but it was really well written and very relatable.

Wow! What a debut!
I've recently been trying to read more books from authors of the same heritage as mine- South Asian, and to be honest, I've been mostly disappointed, kind of fed up of the shame they weave into their stories about their upbringing, having a dual personality and the oppression they feel from their culture, religion and parents - albeit being true for them. So it's true to say I started this book thinking it would be the same. But boy was I wrong.
Firstly I would like to congratulate the author on portraying a story heaped in culture and with nothing to be ashamed of, everything explained with endearing love, lots of explanations for anyone who is unaware and whilst this is done subtly the main story was funny, had me laughing out loud at times, heart racing at others and I genuinely felt sad too.

This book reminded me of Rachel's Holiday- the tongue in cheek humour that I've only ever found in a Marian Keyes book, with a dark and heartbreaking story underlying it. Zara is funny, she's cheeky, she's an intelligent successful British Asian Muslim woman. She's trying to overcome the obstacles of both of her cultures , trying to respect her religious beliefs in finding her Mr Perfectly Fine. Now does she listen to her heart or her mind?
A lighthearted read, endearing characters, this book had me rooting for Zara and sometimes willing her to make different choices. You will not be disappointed.
I will definitely be looking forward to a sequel to this story. In fact I already can't wait.
Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC. I have already ordered a paperback for myself.

I really, thoroughly enjoyed this story. I loved the insight into a culture that is different to my own and I appreciated the opportunity to learn more. Other than the informative element, i thought the characters were all really well written and explained. So much so that I could picture the characters as they reacted to different events throughout.

I would have loved to find out more after the epilogue, but I understand that to find out more, would possibly mean missing the point that was made throughout the story / on Zara's journey. I am so glad that Zara was able to get closure over a truly traumatic incident, and that she was able to see she had a lot of support around her.

I thought this book was written beautifully and I would definitely read other books by this author.

I didn't have high expectations of this book because there are lots of books out there on young Muslim women which never hit the mark but was pleasantly surprised about this one. The plot was entertaining and felt realistic and authentic to the British Bengali Muslim experience. The main character Zara was endearing although at times it felt that her life was just one cringe-worthy moment after another and we had less chance to see her value for the successful woman that she actually is. However, this was early on and later we did manage to see Zara outside of all these embarrassing situations.
I think the main storyline around her marriage search was also really engrossing and her struggles to decide were also portrayed in a very real manner. I would have liked more exploration into Hamza's controlling behaviour because it felt like that was never really resolved (unless you count the ending as the resolution!).
Overall, a fun and entertaining read which provides a relatable story encompassing the struggles of finding "The One" which stretches beyond Zara's identity and community.

There's a lot of hilarious moments in this story but there's also the pressure and the possibility of an arranged marriage.
It's well plotted story that talks about a contemporary woman and how she tries to find happiness and not be forced to marry someone she never met.
The author is a talented storyteller, I loved the characters, and the tightly knitted plot kept me hooked.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine