Much Ado About Nada by Uzma Jalaluddin is a sizzling second-chance romance based on Jane Austen’s Persuasion. Our heroine is twenty-nine-year-old Nada Syed, who is still unmarried, much to the chagrin of her Indian Muslim parents, in whose opinion the sooner girls are married off, the better.

But it’s not for lack of trying. When the story opens, Nada is dragged off to an annual Islamic convention in downtown Toronto by her best friend Haleema, who insists her fiancé’s younger brother is a perfect fit. What Haleema doesn’t know is that Nada and Baz have a history. There was something between them at one point that fizzled out more than six years ago when Nada rejected Baz. Is there anything left to salvage between them as they encounter each other over this weekend?

Many people in the book world say representation matters, and this book was a testament to it. As more and more books about Muslims, South Asians, and women in hijab are released, the more it cements the lived realities of millions who’ve never seen themselves represented in novels before. It was a joy reading Much Ado About Nada, the characters as familiar to me as my own family and acquaintances.

The bulk of the tale takes place at a fictional Islamic convention, which is based off a real annual Islamic convention, which also takes place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. If I closed my eyes, I could see the grand stage, the hushed tones at the matrimonial event, and smell all the different cuisines blending together as described in the food court of the bazaar. Jalaluddin exquisitely captures the experience of the convention and all the excitement that it comes with.

The chemistry between Nada and Baz sizzles and leaps off the page. The chapters are interspersed with flashbacks of their first meeting, at a Muslim summer camp, and then at university where Nada is studying engineering and Baz is still figuring things out. It’s a slow-burn romance and it takes time for the relationship to build as they grow past their childhood awkward phases until they become two adults who are attracted to each other.

Nada is quite self-aware but is stuck in the past and unable to move on. When her app gets stolen and repackaged by her business partner, that’s the last straw for her and she completely shuts down until the weekend of the convention when she must face things from the past.

Jalaluddin does a great job dealing with some topics that are considered taboo in Muslim families, like divorce, secret relationships, and disability. There is also some commentary on what being a Muslim in the GTA is like, and while it’s a great place for the diversity it espouses, it’s not perfect.

This is Jalaluddin’s third novel, and it’s set in the same Golden Crescent neighbourhood as her other books, and so it was fun to see other characters from her previous works make cameos. This was my favourite of Jalaluddin’s books and I’m eager to see what she comes out with next!

Much Ado About Nada comes out on June 13^th, but it’s available to place a hold on already in our catalogue!