Book review: Ayesha at Last

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Published by Corvus


Synopsis: 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…

How did this book end up in my hands? I read this as part of a serialisation by The Pigeonhole.

Was it a page-turner? I couldn’t wait for the next instalment of the serialisation to come out so I’d say that, yes, it was a page-turner.

Did the book meet my expectations? This book definitely exceeded my expectations. I expected a sweet and fluffy love story but I got much more than that. Ayesha at Last is a clever commentary on modern society and it achieves this with wit and elegance. Plus, I loved all the Shakespearean references!

Three words to describe it. Cute. Funny. Modern.

My favourite quote: Chai was love, distilled and warming. She drank and relished the silence.

Do I like the cover? Yes, it’s very catchy in its simplicity.

Have I read any other books by the same author? No, this is the author’s debut novel. A very successful one!

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