Much Ado About Nada by Uzma Jalalludin
Canadian author Uzma Jalaluddin is known for contemporary romances that recast classic stories with fresh, modern settings and people. Her latest novel, Much Ado About Nada, is no exception. Inspired by Jane Austen’s Persuasion, Jalaluddin takes the Regency comedy of manners into the Muslim community in a glitzy Toronto suburb. Nada and Baz have a complicated history dating back to childhood. As adults, they’d just as soon stay far away from one another. However, Nada’s best friend just became engaged to Baz’s brother, bringing the two into contact for the first time in years. Now Nada and Baz are forced together in ways neither of them want, even as they try to keep their past a secret from ever-curious family and friends. Lively and fun, this sparkling book delivers not only on the romance front but also as a story of a woman coming into her own. Prepare to fly through this delightful enemies-to-lovers read, and then immediately share it with all your romance-loving friends.
Reviewed by Mary Kinser, collection development librarian, Whatcom County Library System
(Originally published in Bellingham Alive June/July 2023 issue.)