Much Ado About Nada

I have been a fan of Uzma Jalaluddin's since reading and loving her book, Hana Khan Carries On. Now she is back with a new RomCom that is a loose retelling of Jane Austen's classic, Persuasion that has a modern Muslim twist.

Nada Syed's personal and professional lives haven't turned out the way she expected. At the strong urging of her best friend Haleema, Nada attends a Muslim convention in Toronto to meet her BFF's fiancé and is confronted with a blast from her own past - Baz. Baz and Nada have a long history together and readers will feel the tension between them, but not immediately know the reasons, for their unease around each other. 

The story is told using flashbacks to Baz and Nada's youth with notable Toronto locations, giving readers a chance to get to know where this couple's problems began while realizing neither of them is blame free. But what stood out for me the most was the page time given to secondary characters and minor storylines which were well-explored and provided compelling aspects to the story that showcase issues with expectations, relationships, culture clashes and betrayal.

I've never read Persuasion, but I enjoyed this slow-burn story featuring a strong Muslim voice and a sweet romance about long-lost love, second chance romance and knowing what you want out of life. There is a fantastic and unexpected twist that I loved which will give readers a different perspective on things. And that's all I'm saying about that! 

This is a relatable, modern romance with a wonderful complexity that gives readers a peek into Muslim culture. Jalaluddin skillfully juggles multiple storylines and characters and their many conflicts into a smoothly told story about the complexity of relationships - romantic and familial, expectations, disappointments and a hefty dose of romantic angst and betrayal for good measure. 

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to HarperAvenue - HarperCollins Canada for the advanced copy that was provided in exchange for my honest review.

My Rating: 4 stars

Author: Uzma Jalaluddin

Genre: RomCom, Contemporary Fiction, Canadian

Type and Source: Trade Paperback from publisher

Publisher: HarperAvenue - HarperCollins Canada

First Published: June 13, 2023

Book Description from GoodReads: A sparkling second-chance romance inspired by Jane Austen’s Persuasion Nada Syed is stuck. On the cusp of thirty, she’s still living at home with her brothers and parents in the Golden Crescent neighbourhood of Toronto, resolutely ignoring her mother’s unsubtle pleas to get married already. While Nada has a good job as an engineer, it’s a far cry from realizing the start-up dreams for her tech baby, Ask Apa , the app that launched with a whimper instead of a bang because of a double-crossing business partner. Nothing in her life has turned out the way it was supposed to, and Nada feels like a failure. Something needs to change, but the past is holding on too tightly to let her move forward. Nada’s best friend, Haleema, is determined to pry her from her shell . . . and what better place than at the giant annual Muslim conference downtown, where Nada can finally meet Haleema’s fiancé, Zayn? And did Haleema mention Zayn’s brother Baz will be there?  What Haleema doesn’t know is that Nada and Baz have a past—some of it good, some of it bad, and all of it secret. At the conference, that past all comes hurtling back at Nada, bringing new complications and a moment of reckoning. Can she truly say goodbye to what once was, or should she hold tight to her dreams and find their new beginnings?