Beg beautifully crafts a comforting tale filled with fun characters and excellent Muslim representation.”–Aamna Qureshi, author of The Lady or the Lion Good. Ingratitude is displeasing to God,” he said, bending to kiss me on the head before going after my mother. But did it made me feel happy, whole and just went on a soul-searching journey myself as well? BIGGGGGG YES! With her distinct voice, Beg captures the feeling of what it’s like to be different, yet learning to embrace every part of you. And having a loving family and a cute drummer by your side doesn’t hurt either. Salaam, with Love is definitely THE book to bring you warm fuzzy smiles this year."--Jenn P. Nguyen, author of Fake It Till You Break It The story is about a Muslim family, Dia and her parents is going to spend Ramadan with her uncle she will stay with them for the whole Month!!! uncle aunty and cousin(e)

I want to say it has the right Muslim representation but not fully 🤔 Mahrams left alone on a few sessions of hafadhan isn’t it. When it comes to music, views of legal scholars vary from strictly forbidden to generally forbidden but with different restrictions, etc. The author chose Music as one of the important essence in the story. Music has been an important medium for my mental health, so, the passion is relatable. Well, Yusuf invited us to come and stay with them for Ramadan,” Dad said, a smile breaking out on his face, his teeth startlingly white against his tanned skin. “And we’re going to take him up on it.” I bit my lip. If music hadn’t been on their minds, I didn’t want to bring it up and cause an argument. Instead, I asked, “Did someone die?” Over the course of the holy Islamic month, Dua finds she’s learning a lot more than she initially expected about her faith, relationships, her place in the world—and cute drummers.

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Aren’t you Facebook friends with Mahnoor?” Mom asked, reminding me of the dangers of being friends with your parents on social media. Even when you only added them because they wouldn’t stop crying that their only child is ashamed of them.

A] love letter to Islam, capturing all the wonderful nuances of faith and culture."—AdibaJaigirdar, author of Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating This book is a reminder that Allah, The Most Glorified, The Most High, has made Islam easy. Yet as humans we have the tendency to make it hard upon ourselves. The Almighty brings us to points in our lives, whether through journies or hardships, so we can return to Him voluntarily. He does not compel us to return because compulsion is not befitting of Him, nor does He impose Himself upon us. Rather, Allah creates the conditions that make us realize that He is The Peace that we have been seeking. Dua is a Muslim from a Pakistani family, and an only child. When her father decided to take her to stay with her uncle's family in New York for Ramadan, Dua was not only stressed out with the long stay, she was also stressed in reconnecting with her extended family members. A story that is set of the month of the Holy Ramadan, the celebration of Eid, reconnecting family ties and mostly, on the stories of living as a Muslim in a country where the religion is painted as something horrid. When she arrives, it starts off bumpy, her cousin Mahnoor seems standoffish and Dua feels like an imperfect Muslim compared to her, but soon enough, Dua wholeheartedly embraces her time there while getting to know her cousins. Dua focuses on what she wants to improve on herself during Ramadan, which includes ways to becoming “a better Muslim” and being a better “relative, friend, and daughter.”

This heartfelt and humorous YA contemporary novel follows 17 year-old Dua Sheikh, who spends the month of Ramadan making unexpected discoveries about family, faith, and first love. Dua struggles to find her place in the conservative household and to connect with her aloof, engaged-to-be-married cousin, Mahnoor. And as if fasting the whole day wasn’t tiring enough, she must battle her hormones whenever she sees Hassan, the cute drummer in a Muslim band who has a habit of showing up at her most awkward moments. Being crammed into a house in Queens with her cousins is not how Dua envisions her trip to New York City. But here she is, spending the holy month of Ramadan with extended family she hasn’t seen in years. I don't know which part to start, so lets start off with the REFLECTION part of the review on what made me strongly recommend this book for everyone to read, especially, to my Muslim friends. The Muslim rep was amazing! I love the emphasis on Dua growing in her faith and wanting to be closer to Allah. I also love the music element because music is definitely apart of my own spiritual intimacy with Allah so it was refreshing to see other Muslims with the same experience. I also loveddd the combo of family and Ramadan in NYC. It was very atmospheric and reminded me of how much I miss this past Ramadan. Here’s where the author lost me:

I hated Mahnoor at first. So annoying & moody all the time. But I really love Dua’s best friend, Kat. She’s not a Muslim, but being thoughtful, she also tries fasting. Humorous, captivating, & educational. We got to learn the culture, foods, traditional clothes, songs & most importantly, about Ramadan, Eid, & Islam in general. The book captures the spirit of Ramadan very well.Today I come up with a very convincing short review about a book that I have read this week and I literally adore it! I also adore Haya’s character. She’s a great foil for Dua in many ways, very sure of herself and her faith, outspoken, yet incredibly humble and supportive as a friend. Haya is actually one of the first characters I came up with! This is your debut novel! Can you tell us what the the publishing journey was like for you? THE ROMANCE WAS SO HALAL. people. I have never read anything like this. it was so refreshing and beautiful. it had all the butterfly feelings and sweetness and fluff of any romance novel but they barely even touched at all. I loved every MOMENT.