"A charming, funny, and unique twist on challenging the laws and traditions that shape us."—Abby Jimenez, New York Times bestselling author of Yours Truly
"Just as sweet as the romance that blossoms between Maya and Sarfaraz is the satisfaction of watching Maya learn to prioritize her own desires. Figuring out what she really wants in life is tricky enough; throw in familial expectations, a possible curse, and the right man at the wrong time, and you’ve got a delicious recipe for an engaging, relatable, and rewarding read."—Sarah Hogle, author of You Deserve Each Other
“Fans of the romantic slow burn will fall for Maya’s Laws of Love. The international setting provides the perfect backdrop for an emotional plot worthy of a K-drama, and readers will cheer Maya on through her many adventures (and misadventures!).”—Lily Chu, author of The Comeback
"Funny, vulnerable, and heart-warming. A beautiful story for the people who are still figuring life out."—Hannah Grace, New York Times bestselling author of Wildfire
"Maya's Laws of Love is a whirlwind debut you won’t want to miss. Khawaja marvellously crafts a hilarious, sweet romance with nuanced, fleshed out characters and excellent tension. A true joy, this is the type of comfort book you read again and again.”—Aamna Qureshi, award-winning author of The Lady or the Lion
“Laugh-out-loud hilarious and gorgeously heartfelt, Khawaja’s cinematic writing will sweep you away and have you falling head over heels in this story about finding joy as you find your truest self. Whether or not you believe in curses at the beginning of the book, like Maya does, you’ll most certainly believe in love by the end of it.”—Ann Liang, author of If You Could See the Sun
"Maya’s Laws of Love is the perfect enemies-to-lovers read, with a dreamy cinnamon roll hero at the center. Loved this!"—Erin La Rosa, author of Plot Twist
“Khawaja understands yearning well as this couple navigates attraction and tension through their delightful journey. Her story reminds us that we must get out of our own way to make our own luck.”—Charish Reid, author of Mickey Chambers Shakes It Up
"A captivating tale of a young woman's exploration of love, self-discovery, and a transformative romantic journey in this enchanting novel with so many heartwarming moments, it feels like I drank a warm cup of tea on a cool autumn day."—Zoulfa Katouh, award-winning author of As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow
"Maya’s Laws of Love was a delight! Packed with charming banter and unexpected adventures, this page-turner is full of twists and turns and sizzling chemistry. Maya and Sarfaraz may have started on the wrong foot, but they quickly learn to rely on each other as they travel from Canada to Switzerland, and finally to Pakistan together. But what really shines in this book is Maya’s growth from a people pleaser who follows her family’s wishes, to finally following her heart and going after what she wants. A wonderful debut!"—Farah Heron, Author of Jana Goes Wild and Accidentally Engaged
"I absolutely loved it! Alina Khawaja is such a talented writer, and the story had me hooked from page one. It's funny, clever and full of relatable characters I'm still thinking about. I'm officially a fan and can't wait for the next one from Alina."—Lucy Vine, author of Seven Exes
"Rooted in Pakistani and Muslim culture and faith, this romance is a fun romp that features plenty of adventure and plot twists. Recommend to fans of Uzma Jalaluddin."—Library Journal, starred review
"Khawaja has written a gem of a first novel. A heartwarming romp of love and self-discovery."—Kirkus, starred review
"Sometimes silly and always sweet, fans of road trip romances will love the chemistry between Maya and Sarfaraz as they evolve from enemies into friends, and finally into something more."—Booklist
"The author notes in her foreword that her goal is 'to show Pakistani Muslim women that they’re worthy of whirlwind, heart-fluttering romances'—and she succeeds in spades. Skillful plotting, appealing characters, and snappy prose mark Khawaja as a writer to watch."—Publishers Weekly
“Packed with hilariously unfortunate incidents and swoonworthy moments, you can’t miss out on Alina Khawaja’s debut romance, Maya’s Laws of Love!”—The Honey POP
"Maya felt like the most relatable character ever.... Truly a slow burn in the best way."—Culturess
★ 12/01/2023
DEBUT Maya is en route to Pakistan for her arranged wedding to Imtiaz, her fiancé of two years, when a severe storm forces her flight to make an emergency landing in Switzerland, stranding her for days. She decides to make the most of her detour by exploring the Swiss sights with Sarfaraz, her seatmate on the flight. They encounter more bad luck when they finally arrive in Pakistan, as a bus breaks down and forces them to travel together again. The harrowing situations they go through together create a strong bond between them, making it increasingly difficult to part ways. Once Maya finally arrives at her family's home, on the eve of her wedding, she must decide whether to play it safe and marry her longtime fiancé, who's always been respectful and caring and whom she hopes to fall in love with after marriage, or to take a chance at real and passionate love with Sarfaraz. VERDICT Rooted in Pakistani and Muslim culture and faith, this romance is a fun romp that features plenty of adventure and plot twists. Recommend to fans of Uzma Jalaluddin.—Migdalia Jimenez
★ 2024-01-05
A woman questions what she really wants when the trip to her wedding takes a detour.
Maya Mirza, a 28-year-old Pakistani Canadian teacher, has had such a history of bad luck that she thinks she must be cursed, and she's come up with a series of laws to try to cope with it, beginning with "Maya's Law #1: Anything that can go wrong will go wrong." She's always had particularly bad luck in love, but things may be changing now that she's headed to Pakistan for an arranged marriage with a handsome doctor named Imtiaz, whom she's known for only a few months. Unfortunately, though, Maya's curse seems to be following her: When she gets on the plane, she finds herself seated next to the jerk who bumped into her in the airport, making her drop her travel documents, and kept walking without even a hint of apology. When the flight ends up grounded in Switzerland due to a storm, with no help from the airline and only a week to go until her wedding, Maya decides to team up with the only person she knows—the jerk, whose name is Sarfaraz—to try to make it to Pakistan on time. As they travel, though, Maya begins to wonder if the wedding she’s headed to is what she really wants. The story of Maya and Sarfaraz is a refreshing spin on the endearing sunshine-and-grump trope. Maya means well but always ends up in scrapes; Sarfaraz is reluctant but finds himself opening up to Maya. The fear at the roots of both their personalities makes them seem real, and their Pakistani Muslim milieu is evoked in great depth. The reader is pulled along through each stop on Maya and Sarfaraz's long and ridiculous journey, rooting for not only the happy ending that is clearly coming but also the catharsis that will come with it. Khawaja has written a gem of a first novel.
A heartwarming romp of love and self-discovery.
