Book Review: Ayesha At Last by Uzma Jalaluddin

A modern-day Muslim Pride and Prejudice for a new generation of love.

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 judgmental. She is irritatingly attracted to someone who looks down on her choices and dresses like he belongs in the seventh century.

Ayesha is torn between how she feels about the straightforward Khalid and the unsettling new gossip she hears about his family. Looking into the rumors, she finds she has to deal with not only what she discovers about Khalid, but also the truth she realizes about herself.

                              MY Review:

Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I put off reading this book as I wasn't sure if I would like it but 2 of my friends loved it so I gave it a go and I really liked it. I couldn't put it down.
Ayesha is a Muslim and is a school teacher but she writes poetry. She lives with her family and feels she owes her uncle. She has a flighty and irresponsible cousin who puts her in positions that she should say no.
Khalid is also a Muslim and lives across the street from her. He watches her and always wants to meet her as he thinks she is beautiful.
1 night they meet and they have words and neither really likes the other one but then they become friends only he thins she is her cousin Hafsa. Khalid's mom wants an arranged marriage and finally tells him he is marrying Hafsa. But Hafsa is not who he thinks she is.
Then Ayesha hears unsettling news about Khalid's family and tells her cousin she shouldn't marry him.
Ayesha and Khalid do become close friends and both have feelings for each other. Khalid's mom is not a very nice person and she is kind of vindictive.
I like how the storyline ended.
Also felt bad for Khalid as his boss is a woman and she does not like the fact he dresses in his Muslin clothes instead of normal clothes for work. She will try anything to have him lose his job.

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