Releasing on September 26th, Lies and Other Love Languages is an emotional story of three women navigating ugly truths and safe lies with only love to guide them on a journey of motherhood, friendship, and life.

I moved to the USA at the age of twenty-three almost three decades ago. I was, back then, the type of person that I now look back on with some bafflement: An immigrant by choice. Someone who left a perfectly good life–a tight knit family and a fair amount of privilege and opportunity—to chase the dream of adventure, to explore that elusive ‘something more’ that lay outside my comfortable bubble. Now, a perfectly split-down-the-middle Indian-American, I fit and don’t fit equally in both my homes. The irony?  I’d choose the same path of losing myself and finding myself all over again. Because it gave me the opportunity to build a world from scratch. Almost everyone builds a marriage, a career, a life. Immigrants need to build family, to curate and nurture it.

There’s a reason my books center found family, it’s the context that lends meaning to my characters’ journeys. In LIES AND OTHER LOVE LANGUAGES, Rani is embraced by Vandy’s family as one of their own and it changes the trajectory of her life. It’s also something I look for in the books I read. So, here’s a list of books that take you inside the experience of not needing blood or marriage to feel related.

While You Were Dreaming by Alisha Rai

A spin on one of my favorite nineties romantic comedy films by one of my favorite romance authors, this YA walks the line between sweet and raw. With her mother deported and her sister and her on the rockiest of terms, Sonia craves family. She finds it by chance in the close-knit family of her crush when she unwittingly rescues him from drowning. His family welcomes her wholeheartedly into their fold, wrongly assuming she’s his girlfriend. And while being part of a family is as soothing and delicious as the food they shower her with, the sense of betraying her own mother speaks perfectly to the dichotomy of being an immigrant, split between and beholden to two disparate worlds.

The Candid Life of Meena Dave by Namrata Patel

This sharply written novel follows a world-traveling photojournalist who shuns every form of home and has no interest in belonging anywhere. Her adoptive parents, who were white, are dead and she’s never had any interest in tracing her birth parents. When a stranger leaves her an apartment in Boston that is filled with clues about her history, Meena’s Journalistic curiosity is piqued. The inherited apartment comes with Indian aunties who have no sense of boundaries and a hot neighbor with an adorable untrained puppy. As she unravels the clues to her origins, she learns how to let people in despite the discomfort of vulnerability and finally understands what you can have when you stop running away.

The Dating Plan by Sara Desai

Desai writes the perfect combination of laugh out loud humor and sizzling hot chemistry. Daisy is a super smart, slightly socially awkward computer programmer with no interest in marriage who wants her family to stop pressuring her about it. Liam is an entrepreneur with a bad boy vibe who needs to be married to inherit and save his family’s brewery. Naturally, a marriage of convenience serves both their purposes. Except the feelings that come up aren’t quite convenient. One of the most delightful parts is how nurturing Daisy’s single father is and the fact that Liam when he was a boy found a parent in him. And of course the no-boundaries community and the auntie who makes the most disgusting food combinations that everyone eats, because: love.

Never Meant to Stay by Trisha Das

This hilarious and adorable story is set in contemporary New Delhi so it’s the flip side of this theme. Samara has grown up all over the world as the motherless daughter of a diplomat father seeking home everywhere and finding it nowhere. She returns to India to photograph weddings while she waits to start grad school in New York and finds herself living with family friends. The family is grieving and Samara storms into the household like a do-gooder tornado and turns everything the right side up. Except Sharav, the oldest son, who’s lost his youth to responsibility after his father’s death. He’s engaged and broody and she makes him want to find the lost parts of himself the way he and his family have helped her find home.

Tastes Like Shakkar by Nisha Sharma

My favorite thing about Sharma’s books is the deep fondness and joy with which she writes about the culture. This steamy romp delves right into the heart of immigrant life where friend groups are as invested in one another as family. After starting their relationship off on the wrong foot, Bunty and Bobbi call a truce when they’re tasked with planning their best friends’ wedding. The problem is someone is trying to sabotage the event. But there’s help to be had from a group of meddling aunties who would do anything for the kids in their community. As Bunty and Bobbi banter their way through a big fat Indian wedding, with a trip to Vegas for the bachelor-bachelorette party, we get to dive into the familial relationships their immigrant parents have built and experience how children of immigrants thrive among members of the community with the same bi-cultural identities.

Jana Goes Wild by Farah Heron

The South Asian diaspora extends to every corner of the world and has created distinct subcultures that merge a strong spine of identity from the Indian subcontinent with local culture. Heron writes about South Asian immigrants to Africa who then migrated to North America and it’s a rich world to get lost in. Jana and Anil separated five years ago after a short affair that gave them a daughter they adore. Now they’re forced to spend time with each other at a destination wedding in Serengeti National Park. In an attempt to help her get through the challenging situation, Jana’s friends come up with a list of activities to get the usually straight laced Jana out of her comfort zone. It’s a coming into your own story deeply rooted in community.

Sugar, Spice, and Can’t Play Nice by Annika Sharma

The friend group at the heart of this sweet romance calls themselves the Chai Masala Club. They’re a group of twenty somethings who’ve recently moved to New York and stand in as family for one another. This is especially important because Payal and Ayaan’s families aren’t exactly putting them first when they arrange a marriage between them to go with the merger between their family businesses. Payal and Ayaan go along with the plan in part because they want to help their families, but also because they’re both secretly planning to break off the engagement after the merger. The road toward that goal isn’t smooth when they start to get to know each other and sparks fly. Their dysfunctional families don’t help things, and if not for their found family, they might lose their chance at happiness with each other.

Much Ado About Nada by Uzma Jalaluddin

This delightful retelling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion is set in the tightly knit Golden Crescent community in Toronto. At almost thirty, Nada is struggling. The app she launched with great hope didn’t take off and living at home with a mother who can’t stop pushing her to get married and a father deeply set in his ways is making her feel helpless and stuck. So she lets her best friend drag her to the giant annual Muslim conference in downtown Toronto, where she’s reunited with Baz the great love that got away. The romance is deliciously funny and sparkling with chemistry, but it’s the community and the family that lends this book its beating heart.

The post South-Asian Books That Blur The Line Between Family and Found Family appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Hi, Uzma! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

Hi! I’m a Toronto-based author, educator, and playwright. My latest novel, MUCH ADO ABOUT NADA, is out today! I also wrote HANA KHAN CARRIES ON (2021), which has been optioned by Amazon Studios and Mindy Kaling, and AYESHA AT LAST, a retelling of Pride and Prejudice. In addition to writing books, I’m a high school English teacher (which explains the slight obsession with Jane Austen and Shakespeare). And my first play, a family farce titled THE RISHTA, premiered this Spring in Montreal. I live just outside Toronto with my husband and my teenage sons. When I’m not writing, you can find me on the couch drinking chai and watching something funny on tv.

When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?

My grade 2 teacher had our class write a short picture book, which she then laminated and bound. I still have my copy – my brief foray into children’s fiction is called “Icy Water’s Bad Day” and it follows the tragic tale of an ice cube who slowly dissolves inside a human stomach. Quite nihilistic for a 7 year old, but even then you could see my flair for the comedic. Though tbh, my love for writing was sparked by my love for reading. Reading remains my one true love, the only hobby that has stood the test of time. Through reading, I found myself, and now I write stories for others to enjoy.

Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading, the one that made you want to become an author, and one that you can’t stop thinking about!

The first book I remember reading was either an Amelia Bedelia, or a Frog and Toad picture book. But the most memorable experience I had was reading Anne of the Island when I was maybe 10 years old and home sick with the flu. I lay on the couch and devoured that book, only realizing when I was done that it was the third in a series! L.M Montgomery is now one of my all-time favourite authors. I think this sort of answers question 2, but also, there wasn’t any one book that made me want to become an author, but rather all of them. And a book I can’t stop thinking about is whatever book I happen to be obsessed with at the moment.

Your latest novel, Much Ado about Nada, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Persuasion-inspired second chance romance.

What can readers expect?

For my third novel, I tried to push myself as a writer by writing in flashbacks, which can be tricky, and also by focusing on the main love story. I wanted to write the most romantic, swoony, angst-filled second chance love story possible, set within a unique community readers might not be familiar with.

Where did the inspiration for Much Ado about Nada come from?

I find inspiration in all sorts of places – conversations, food, the news. For this book, I was inspired by one thematic question: what are some of the challenges South Asian and Muslim women face when they run full-tilt after their professional ambitions? I started writing, and then it turned into a romance that also answered my central question.

Were there any favourite moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

I enjoyed writing Nada’s older brother Waqas and younger brother Jamal. They’re entirely different people, both facing difficult situations. Waqas, who has been divorced for a while, is navigating co-parenting, while also thinking about getting back into the dating scene. And younger brother Jamal, who uses a motorized wheelchair, is trying to navigate life as a young adult, and wants to break away from his overprotective parents.

This is your third novel! What are some of key lessons you’ve learnt as an author?

Oof I can hardly believe it! Three of my books are out in the world! What I’ve learned is that it doesn’t get any easier, but I can anticipate the emotional stages better. I’m writing this questionnaire the week before my novel comes out, and I know that the nerves I’m feeling are perfectly normal. It’s all part of the process, and I’ve just got to let the magic happen. The fact that I get to write books will never cease to feel like alchemy to me.

What’s next for you?

I have another novel coming out in September 2023, THREE HOLIDAYS AND A WEDDING, which I co-wrote with Toronto author Marissa Stapley. It’s a multi-faith holiday romcom set in the year 2000, when Christmas, Hanukkah and Eid all fell within days of each other. It’s a feel-good story. After that, I’m thinking of trying my hand at mystery.

Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?

I’m excited to read Sophie Irwin’s latest, as I loved A LADY’S GUIDE TO FORTUNE HUNTING. I adored Emily Henry’s HAPPY PLACE, and I’m a huge fan of Ausma Zehanat Khan’s latest stellar crime series, BLACKWATER FALLS.

Will you be picking up Much Ado about Nada? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Uzma Jalaluddin, Author of ‘Much Ado about Nada’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Read on to discover new romance reads and tell us in the comments below if you will be picking up any of these recommendations!

Second First Impressions by Sally Thorne
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From the USA Today bestselling author of The Hating Game and 99 Percent Mine comes the clever, funny, and unforgettable story of a muscular, tattooed man hired as an assistant to two old women under the watchful eye of a beautiful retirement home manager.

The Intimacy Experiment by Rosie Danan
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Naomi and Ethan will test the boundaries of love in this provocative romance from the author of the ground-breaking debut, The Roommate.

Twice Shy by Sarah Hogle
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From the author of You Deserve Each Other comes a charming and unconventional romantic comedy about a woman who inherits a sprawling estate with a groundskeeper whose stoic exterior masks a surprising vulnerability.

To Love and to Loathe by Martha Waters
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

 The author of the hilarious To Have and to Hoax returns with an effervescent, charming, and swoon-worthy novel about a man and woman who never agree on anything until they agree to a no-strings-attached affair in this Regency-era romp.

Hana Khan Carries On by Uzma Jalaluddin
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

For fans of “You’ve Got Mail,” a young woman juggles pursuing her dream job in radio while helping her family compete with the new halal restaurant across the street, in this sparkling new rom-com by the author of Ayesha at Last. 

The Kindred Spirits Supper Club by Amy E. Reichert
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Jobless and forced home to Wisconsin, journalist Sabrina Monroe can tolerate reunions with frenemies and kisses from old boyfriends, but not the literal ghosts that greet her in this heartwarming tale of the power of love and connection from acclaimed author Amy E. Reichert.

The Seat Filler by Sariah Wilson
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The movie star and the dog groomer are one kiss away from the perfect love story. That’s the hiccup in a warm and witty romance by the bestselling author of Roommaid.

Hot Copy by Ruby Barrett
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A meet-cute-gone-wrong on his first day leads an intern to prove to his boss that he’s not the type of man she thinks he is, and they’re both forced to choose what matters more: work, or love.  

Maggie Finds Her Muse by Dee Ernst
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A sparkling romantic comedy starring a bestselling author who goes to Paris to overcome writer’s block and rediscovers family, independence, and love along the way.

The Duke Undone by Joanna Lowell
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

An artist stumbles upon a naked duke and an unlikely love story begins in this captivating Victorian historical romance.

The Warlord by Gena Showalter
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter begins a dark, sexy new series–Rise of the Warlords–with a fan favourite character from her beloved Lords of the Underworld series, Taliyah Skyhawk. The ice maiden faces off with her greatest enemy, a villain brutal beyond imagining.

Meet Me in Another Life by Catriona Silvey
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A powerful and poignant speculative love story about a man and woman whose paths continue to cross in different lifetimes—a thrilling and imaginative exploration of what truly defines us and how our choices can change everything, perfect for fans of The Time Traveler’s Wife and Life After Life.

What April romance books are you looking forward to? Tell us in the comments below!

The post April 2021 Romance Book Releases appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Pride and Prejudice with a modern twist 

Ayesha Shamsi has a lot going on. Her dreams of being a poet have been set aside for a teaching job so she can pay off her debts to her wealthy uncle. She lives with her boisterous Muslim family and is always being reminded that her flighty younger cousin, Hafsa, is close to rejecting her one hundredth marriage proposal. Though Ayesha is lonely, she doesn’t want an arranged marriage. Then she meets Khalid who is just as smart and handsome as he is conservative and judgemental. She is irritatingly attracted to someone who looks down on her choices and dresses like he belongs in the seventh century.

When a surprise engagement between Khalid and Hafsa is announced, Ayesha is torn between how she feels about the straightforward Khalid and his family; and the truth she realises about herself. But Khalid is also wrestling with what he believes and what he wants. And he just can’t get this beautiful, outspoken woman out of his mind.

This book was pitched to me as a Muslim ‘Pride and Prejudice’ retelling and naturally as a Muslim reader and blogger, I was intrigued. From the moment I picked up this book, I was HOOKED! I could not put this down. There are so many great things I want to say about this book that I need a moment to collect my thoughts before writing my review. First of all, I want to thank the author for writing such an amazing book because it demonstrated so many things that happens around us that many seem to think is restricted to one particular faith or culture when it’s not. What was also intriguing is how the author referenced Islamic beliefs throughout the book and demonstrated the clash between culture and Islam which is what happens a lot today.

The author also did an amazing job in illustrating various ‘types’ of Muslims whom exist in our community – when I say types I mean… Ayesha: the character I was able to relate to most, is educated, outspoken, and independent, but she follows her faith and keeps Islam close to her heart and even wears the hijab. She loves poetry and wishes to pursue her career but still holds her family close and does not tend to conform to community expectations. I found her loyalty to family and those who take advantage of her easily was her flaw. For a smart woman, she was easily taken advantage of by her own cousin from time to time, but that’s what made Ayesha a strong character. Whilst she had great qualities, she was still flawed, whereas Khalid on the other hand is more conservative with an ideology of arranged marriage and conforming to community expectations instilled in him. The supporting characters we meet, Clara (Ayesha’s non-Muslim friend) and Amir (Khalid’s Muslim but doesn’t practice the faith friend) demonstrated the diversity within friendships and again illustrated an honest picture among our society which is something I adored. I loved the characters in this book, even the horrible characters I wanted to slap! The author did an amazing job in bringing out well defined characters that caused me to have an emotional reaction with their every move.

When I first started reading this book, I was expecting just a romance story between an unlikely couple and whilst that is a foundation in this book, the story is much more intense and involved than a simple love story. The story was not simple, instead it was complex and intense, an amazing journey of change, harrowing backstories about the multiple characters we come to meet, discrimination and issues Muslims face today, and betrayal and heartbreak with well balanced with humour. This incredibly well rounded book with fantastic characters, plot and my constant need to know “what happens next?” kept me enchanted on every page.

Ayesha At Last is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore!

Will you be picking up Ayesha At Last? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

A big-hearted, captivating, modern-day Muslim Pride and Prejudice, with hijabs instead of top hats and kurtas instead of corsets.

AYESHA SHAMSI has a lot going on. Her dreams of being a poet have been overtaken by a demanding teaching job. Her boisterous Muslim family, and numerous (interfering) aunties, are professional naggers. And her flighty young cousin, about to reject her one hundredth marriage proposal, is a constant reminder that Ayesha is still single.

Ayesha might be a little lonely, but the one thing she doesn’t want is an arranged marriage. And then she meets Khalid… How could a man so conservative and judgmental (and, yes, smart and annoyingly handsome) have wormed his way into her thoughts so quickly?

As for Khalid, he’s happy the way he is; his mother will find him a suitable bride. But why can’t he get the captivating, outspoken Ayesha out of his mind? They’re far too different to be a good match, surely…

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