Ayesha at Last

By: Uzma Jalaluddin

Narrated by: Roshni Shukla

As seen on the Today Show! One of the best summer romance picks!

One of Publishers Weekly's Best Romance Books of 2019!

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 100th 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 who dresses like he belongs in the seventh century.

When a surprise engagement is announced between Khalid and Hafsa, 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.

©2019 Uzma Jalaluddin (P)2019 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“A delicious and entertaining novel.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Jalaluddin cleverly illustrates the social pressures facing young Indian-Muslim adults...a highly entertaining tale of family, community, and romance.”(Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“This sweet debut novel ticks all the boxes for one of summer’s best reads: It’s smart, witty, romantic and utterly charming.” (Canadian Living)

Modern Muslin Marriage Rituals

A bit slow in the middle, but eventually picked up the pace. A close view of family traditions and cultural differences. Very well performed.

great read!

I loved almost every second of this book. From the characters that had me snickering constantly to the ones that had me rolling my eyes. all of it. then again I'm a sucker for a good love story.😏

I absolutely loved it!

I truly LOVED Ayesha at Last! It is a wonderful take on Pride & Prejudice. I couldn't wait to finish it so I could hear the rest of the story, but I was sad when it was over. I will definitely be listening to it again.

Beautiful and Completely Human Story

Uzma has written a positively lovely update of Pride and Prejudice, translating the historical novel through a modern lens is done perfectly.

Loved it!

I loved this book! Its a Pride and Prejudice story with a modern, muslim twist. Sooo good! I highly recommend!

Awesome, halal read

This book was a lot of fun to listen to. I highly recommend it to sisters who want some halal romance fiction

Another tak on Pride and predjudice

In parts a great story, falters in orhers. Some characters seem to act more to fit the story than because who they are, orher characters are well realised. An OK book.

Beautiful modern day romance

I truly enjoyed this book. I felt all the emotions of the characters and could not put it down. I especially appreciated the cultural and religious aspects woven into the story. It’s great to be able to pick up a romance novel that mirrors a society, traditions and culture with which you are familiar.

A bit disappointing

I enjoyed the book until it began to copy Jane Austen‘s pride and prejudice, almost verbatim. I lost interest then as there was nothing that felt fresh or unique. The story became too flippant, which I found disappointing, as it had potential to be lighthearted while more realistically portraying the nuances of life in a country so culturally different from one’s country of origin.

I'm glad I listened to the audio version!

the narrator was excellent in pronouncing the character names and differentiating them with her different voices. I very much enjoyed all of this book, and was eager to always find out what happened next.